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Kreklow shines
While recruited by Creighton out of high school, Rick Kreklow may have finally found where he has belonged all along. Having played seasons at both Missouri and California, Kreklow has fought the injury bug and gone through coaching changes throughout his playing career. The versatile Columbia, Missouri native scored from all over the floor on Friday and gives McDermott great lineup flexibility. Listed at 6-foot-7, Kreklow can play anywhere from a shooting guard to a power forward.
Depth at guard
One of the strengths that is apparent early in the season is the depth at the guard positions. Seniors Austin Chatman and Devin Brooks lead the way while Isaiah Zierden, Rick Kreklow and James Milliken have all been displaying solid numbers. Any one of those five is capable of going for 20 points, something that could give this Creighton team a much needed advantage. Not to mention the team will be getting experienced senior Avery Dingman back in the coming weeks after he recovers from an injury.
Lineup consistency
McDermott went with an unchanged starting lineup on Friday and it'll be interesting what he tinkers with against Chicago State before taking on ranked Oklahoma. Freshman Toby Hegner played in his first Division I game Friday, and had mixed results. Hegner displays great skill on the perimeter and in the mid-range game but needs to improve when it comes to aggressiveness in the post and grabbing rebounds.
The game Sunday will Chicago State's second as well, having lost their first contest against Arizona State. Creighton fans may remember last season when the pesky Cougars made it a seven point game at halftime before ultimately losing, 90-58. The Cougars only return one starter from a year ago but that one starter is Clarke Rosenberg, who put up 20 points against Arizona State. It would take a massive meltdown for Creighton to lose this one, as they'll use the game to prepare for Oklahoma.