Creighton vs Kansas State prediction: Kansas State's blank-slate roster faces Creighton's imported shot blockers
With two new coaches and a Wildcats roster built almost entirely from transfers, the game may turn on whether Creighton's two transfer shot blockers control the paint against a guard-heavy home team.
- Expect a feeling-out game between two rebuilt rosters, with Creighton's returners and frontcourt giving it more structure than a Kansas State team built nearly from scratch.
- Fred King and Oswin Erhunmwunse protecting the rim against Kansas State's transfer guards, led by Brandon Rechsteiner.
- No spread or total is posted yet. Last season's final adjusted net efficiency had Creighton 77th and Kansas State 99th, a weak guide given both rebuilds.
Two rebuilds, one head start
Kansas State will take the floor with almost nobody who wore its uniform last season. Only 5.0% of last season's minutes return in Manhattan, first-year coach Casey Alexander has come over from Belmont, and the visitor is starting over too, under Alan Huss after Greg McDermott retired in the spring.
The difference is degree. Creighton brings back 39.2% of its minutes, with Huss keeping six players from last year's team. Kansas State's lone returner is Andrej Kostic, a reserve who played 13.8 minutes a game. PJ Haggerty, who scored 23.4 points a game, is now at Texas A&M.
That makes last season's records (12-20 for Kansas State, 16-18 for Creighton) a description of teams that largely no longer exist. Neither side has played yet: Creighton opens Nov. 2 against Kansas City, the earliest opener in program history, and Kansas State hosts South Dakota State on Nov. 3, both before this game.
Creighton rebuilt the paint
The clearest change on either roster sits under Creighton's basket. Last season the Bluejays blocked just 6.6% of opponents' two-point tries, 332nd in Division I. Huss answered with two transfers who erase shots.
Fred King averaged 13.1 points and 2.1 blocks at Murray State, making 64.8% of his field goals. He has been reported eligible for this season. Oswin Erhunmwunse added 2.1 blocks and 8.3 rebounds a game at Providence without attempting a three.
Kansas State's incoming forwards, Dezdrick Lindsay from Oregon and Isaiah Abraham from Georgetown, averaged just 0.2 and 0.3 blocks a game last season, so neither arrives as an interior anchor. If the Wildcats can't score at the rim, they will lean even harder on their shooters.
The guards carry the scoring
Those shooters are the reason Alexander's roster has a ceiling. Brandon Rechsteiner hit 39.7% of his threes on 214 attempts at Colorado State, and Jaden Schutt made 38.5% from deep at Virginia Tech. Montana Wheeler, a sixth man at Bradley, adds another handler.
Creighton's backcourt is newer but more productive. Brody Robinson averaged 17.6 points and 6.3 assists at Oakland, and Wes Enis made 107 threes at South Florida. Austin Swartz returns as a volume shooter off last season's team.
Last season Creighton took 48.2% of its shots from three, 25th most in the country. With Robinson and Enis aboard and King and Erhunmwunse inside, Huss has the pieces to keep that inside-out shape, though his system hasn't shown itself yet.
Health, history and the board
Jasen Green, Creighton's top returner, was listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury in an undated report, and Creighton hasn't confirmed his status for this game. Kansas State's Timo Malovec was dealing with an undisclosed injury that could keep him out of the Nov. 3 opener; his status for the following week is unknown.
The series has tilted purple. Kansas State has won the last four meetings, including an 83-76 win in Omaha last December, and this is the first time the Wildcats have hosted the Bluejays since 1986. The game airs on FS1.
No spread or total has been posted. When one appears, remember that last season's ratings describe rosters that are mostly gone, especially in Manhattan.
Key players
- Brody Robinson (Creighton): Averaged 17.6 points and 6.3 assists at Oakland last season.
- Fred King (Creighton): Scored 13.1 points a game on 64.8% shooting with 2.1 blocks at Murray State last season.
- Jasen Green (Creighton): Averaged 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds last season; his health status is unconfirmed.
- Brandon Rechsteiner (Kansas State): Made 39.7% of his threes on 214 attempts at Colorado State last season.
- Jaden Schutt (Kansas State): Shot 38.5% from three at Virginia Tech last season.
- Andrej Kostic (Kansas State): Played 13.8 minutes a game off the bench last season.
Numbers that matter
| K-State returning minutes | 5.0% | Almost none of last season's Kansas State minutes return, so last season's team stats say little. |
|---|---|---|
| Creighton returning minutes | 39.2% | Creighton keeps more continuity, led by Jasen Green and Austin Swartz. |
| Creighton block rate last season | 6.6% | Ranked 332nd last season, the weakness King and Erhunmwunse were brought in to fix. |
| Rechsteiner 3-point % | 39.7% | Kansas State's most proven shooter, from his Colorado State season. |
Creighton vs Kansas State: quick answers
When is Creighton vs Kansas State?
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 9:00 PM ET.