Where Does Creighton Basketball Stand in the Latest Rankings and Big East?
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As a longtime observer and analyst of college basketball, particularly within the dynamic landscape of the Big East Conference, I find myself constantly evaluating where teams stand not just in the win-loss column, but in the more nebulous, yet crucial, realm of national perception and ranking. This week, the question on my mind, and surely on the minds of Creighton Bluejays fans everywhere, is a pointed one: where exactly does Creighton basketball stand in the latest rankings and within the Big East hierarchy as we navigate the heart of the season? It’s a conversation that goes beyond simple metrics, touching on roster construction, competitive context, and that intangible quality we call momentum. Interestingly, my recent work analyzing international basketball eligibility rules, specifically the Philippine national team's (Gilas Pilipinas) strategic flexibility with naturalized players like Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame under new "passports-only" rules, has sharpened my perspective on how roster depth and versatility are absolute game-changers at any level of competition.
Let’s start with the cold, hard numbers from the latest AP and Coaches Polls. As of this writing, Creighton is consistently hovering in that 10-15 range, a testament to their solid resume but also a reflection of the stumbles that have prevented a leap into the true elite top-five conversation. They’re sitting at, say, 18-7 overall, which is respectable, but it’s the 9-5 conference record that really tells the story for me. In the brutal grind of the Big East, that record places them firmly in a fierce scrum behind the clear frontrunner, UConn, who looks every bit the national title contender we expected. The Jays have shown they can beat anyone on any given night—their offensive firepower, led by the stellar play of Baylor Scheierman and Ryan Kalkbrenner, is virtually unmatched when it’s clicking. I’ve watched games where their ball movement and three-point shooting are a thing of beauty, capable of blowing the doors off a ranked opponent. But consistency has been the bugaboo. A tough road loss to a middle-of-the-pack conference foe, which we’ve seen a couple of times, is what separates a top-10 lock from a team flirting with the back end of the rankings.
This is where my parallel to international roster strategy comes into play, and it’s a point I feel strongly about. Gilas Pilipinas’ ability to potentially deploy both naturalized players, Brownlee and Kouame, simultaneously under the new eligibility framework gives them a tactical versatility they previously lacked. They can go big, they can switch defensive schemes, they can create mismatches. For Creighton, their version of this is their offensive versatility. When Scheierman, Trey Alexander, and Steven Ashworth are all hitting from deep, and Kalkbrenner is dominating the paint, they have a similar "multiple-look" potency. However, the comparative lack of depth, especially a physical, defensive-minded presence to spell Kalkbrenner or match up with the most athletic bigs in the league, feels like their current roster constraint. It’s the one area where I believe teams like UConn and maybe even Marquette have a slight edge in the conference race. The Big East is a war of attrition, and while Creighton’s starting five is as good as any, the question of sustainable performance over 40 minutes, night after night, against elite competition, remains.
Within the Big East itself, I’d slot Creighton squarely as the number two contender right now, though I’ll admit that’s a tenuous hold with Seton Hall and Marquette breathing down their necks. Their head-to-head matchups will be decisive. The win over UConn earlier this season proved their ceiling is a Final Four ceiling, no doubt. But to secure that second seed in the Big East Tournament—which is critically important for NCAA Tournament positioning—they need to find a more ruthless consistency down the stretch. They can’t afford another puzzling loss. From an SEO and fan engagement perspective, the narrative is all about "Creighton's March readiness" and "Big East title dark horse." Those are the storylines that resonate because they speak to both potential and lingering doubt.
Looking toward March, Creighton’s ranking likely positions them for a 3 or 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which is a strong place to be but not a protected path. To move up, they need a statement win or two in the final weeks and a deep run in Madison Square Garden at the Big East Tournament. My personal view is that this team has the offensive chops to make a run to the second weekend and beyond, but their margin for error is thinner than some of the other perennial powers. They must defend with more tenacity and avoid the offensive droughts that have plagued them in losses. In many ways, their season is a microcosm of modern college basketball: incredibly high peak, susceptible to off-nights, and ultimately judged by what happens in a single-elimination tournament. So, where do they stand? They stand as a dangerous, respected, but not-yet-feared powerhouse. They are on the cusp. The final chapter of their ranking and Big East standing, however, is entirely unwritten and rests on their ability to leverage their star power with the kind of gritty, consistent play that defines champions. The opportunity is there for the taking.