QUICK PREVIEW: Creighton
No. 11 seed NC State will open the 2023 NCAA Tournament against No. 6 seed Creighton. Here is a quick preview of the Bluejays.
Official Website: LINK
Team Roster: LINK
Team Stats: LINK
Team Schedule: LINK
| CATEGORY | RESULT |
| Overall Record (League Record) | 21-12 (14-6) |
| Q1 | 3-8 |
| Q2 | 6-3 |
| Q3 | 6-1 |
| Q4 | 6-0 |
| NET | 17 |
| KPI | 42 |
| SOR | 31 |
| BPI | 11 |
| POM | 13 |
| SAG | 11 |
CREIGHTON PRIMARY STARTING LINEUP
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Pts. | Rebs/A/Blks | Shooting% |
| 23 | Trey Alexander | G | 6-4 | 190 | So. | 13.6 | 4.2 rpg/2.6 apg | 44% 3FG |
| 55 | Baylor Scheierman | G | 6-7 | 205 | Sr. | 12.8 | 8.4 rpg/3.2 apg | 36.2% 3FG |
| 24 | Arthur Kaluma | F | 6-7 | 225 | So. | 11.9 | 5.9 rpg/1.6 apg | 41.7% FG |
| 2 | Ryan Nembhard | G | 6-0 | 170 | So. | 11.9 | 4.1 rpg/4.9 apg | 36.8% 3FG |
| 11 | Ryan Kalkbreener | C | 7-1 | 260 | Jr. | 15.4 | 6.1 rpg/2.2 bpg | 71.4% FG |
Matchup To Watch: Ryan Kalkbreener vs. D.J. Burns – Two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Kalkbreener also leads the nation in field goal percentage.
Can NC State make him work... yes, with D.J. Burns. The Wolfpack center has been able to score one-on-one against anyone he’s faced, but Kalkbreener might be his toughest challenge.
Winning this battle could decide the game.
Player To Watch: Baylor Scheierman - A heralded transfer, Scheierman maybe hasn’t had the expected impact, but he’s been really good.
He averaged 12.8 points and a league-best 8.4 rebounds per contest. A dangerous weapon, he also led the Bluejays in three-pointers made.
Will NC State look to defend him with Casey Morsell or Jack Clark?
Stat To Track: Rebounding - Creighton is elite on the defensive glass but don’t look to hit the offensive glass. Can State create additional opportunities?
| Category | Creighton |
| Off. Rebounds Per Game | 7.5 (No. 256) |
| Off. Rebound Percentage | 24.4$ (No. 245) |
| Def. Rebounds Per Game | 27.2 (No. 4) |
| Def. Rebound Percentage | 78.1% (No. 20) |
X Factor: Trey Alexander - The sophomore guard was an honorable mention all-league selection and is shooting 44% from three. State must stay locked in on him from behind the three-point line.
Anonymous Take: “Kalkbrenner is a legit big. Good shooters and get after it defensively. Very good team, but NC State can match up with them.”
