A new era will begin on Monday when Alan Huss guides Creighton into its season opener against Kansas City in Omaha, Neb.
Huss was appointed as the new head coach at his alma mater after Greg McDermott announced his retirement after 16 seasons at the post.
Like the Bluejays, the Roos will also feature a new coach in Topeka native Mark Turgeon. He joined Kansas City after a decade-long stint at Maryland (2011-2021) and replaced Marvin Menzies after the latter spent four seasons at the helm.
Huss, 47, spent six years as the Bluejays’ assistant coach from 2017-23 before returning to the university in April 2025 as an associate head coach.
Creighton will look to turn the corner after last season’s 16-18 record put a stop to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and 10 consecutive seasons of 20-plus wins.
The Bluejays are picked to finish seventh in the Big East in the preseason poll, with forwards Oswin Erhunmwunse and Jackson McAndrew named Preseason third-team all-conference selections for the second straight season.
“You sign up for these opportunities,” Huss told Omaha WOWT. “You talk about the schedule, and the schedule is really opportunities. You can look at it as pressure or as opportunities. I choose the latter, and our team is going to choose the same.
“We’re going to go out there and swing away and see what happens.”
Erhunmwunse, listed at 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds, averaged 8.3 rebounds to go along with 6.9 points last season at Providence.
McAndrew competed in four games last season before undergoing season-ending foot surgery.
The Bluejays also return starters Austin Swartz (10.9 ppg last season), Jasen Green (10.5 ppg., 6.3 rpg.) and Isaac Traudt (6.5 ppg).
Turgeon takes over a Kansas City team that finished the 2025-26 season with a 4-27 record after losing its final 15 games. The Roos were selected to finish last in the eight-team Summit League this season.
Kansas City’s Jaylen Smith received Preseason All-Summit League second-team honors. The transfer from East Tennessee State averaged 9.1 points per game last season and was named the Southern Conference Sixth Man of the Year.
Sebastian Hartmann, who played two years at Eastern Washington and last season at Chattanooga, is healthy after a season-ending hip injury. Hartmann sees an opportunity at Kansas City.
“Me and Jaylen won the regular season before but never made it to the dance,” Hartmann said, per the Kansas City Star. “So that’s something the whole group wants to do and want to be a part of. And coach embraces that every day.”