Jays wrap up NCAA Tournament preparation in Lexington ahead of first round matchup with Louisville
LEXINGTON, Ky. (KCAU) – For a program-record tying fifth consecutive season, Creighton has on its dancing shoes for the NCAA Tournament. After the Bluejays touched down in Lexington on Tuesday evening, Creighton hit the court for open practice ahead of Thursday's game.
The Bluejays earned the #9 seed in the South Region, boasting a 24-10 record after finishing second in the BIG EAST Conference regular season standings and runner-up in the conference tournament.
Led by four-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton aims to win a postseason game for the 14th time in the last 16 seasons. The Bluejays center is only one of three players in NCAA Division I history with 2,300 points and 375 blocks.
A feeling that not only never gets old for the Creighton veterans, but one that brings excitement for players that have yet to experience The Big Dance.
'It's pretty exciting. It brings me back to the days when I was younger playing the European Championship with my national team. So I'm pretty excited about that,' Crieghton guard Fedor Zugic said. 'It's the infamous March Madness. The European kids can only dream about it, and I get to play it. So I'm pretty happy about being here.'
'It feels really good. We were obviously here last year and it was a lot of fun, and I was looking forward to hopefully repeating what we did last year and just getting a couple of wins,' Creighton guard Jasen Green added.
Creighton will take on #8 Louisville out of the ACC in the Round of 64 on Thursday. Louisville features Omaha native Chucky Hepburn on their roster, who joined the Cardinals after transferring from Wisconsin.
Creighton is 2-1 all-time against Louisville with a 2-0 record in NCAA Tournament play, defeating the Cardinals in the 1974 and 1999 tournaments.
Tip-off at Rupp Arena is slated for 11 a.m.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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