In a city built on chance, where bright lights and long nights promise the possibility of getting lucky, Creighton men’s basketball took its shot in Las Vegas at the 2026 College Basketball Crown.

The Bluejays opened the eight-team tournament with a strong showing, defeatingRutgers 82–69 before falling to eventual champion West Virginia, 87–70, in the semifinal round Saturday.

Against Rutgers, Creighton weathered an early surge before settling into rhythm. The Scarlet Knights jumped out to a quick lead, but the Bluejays responded with a balanced run to even things up late in the first half and carry a narrow 31-28 lead into the break.

From there, it was Nik Graves who tookover. The senior guard scored 28 points, including 25 in the second half, while adding eight assists, to power Creighton to a double-digit lead down the stretch. Redshirt junior Jasen Green added 16 points and ninerebounds, while the Bluejays capitalized at the free throw line, going 20-of-24.

“Very proud of our team,” head coach Greg McDermott said. “Especially our slow start defensively… after that, I thought we really did a good job on the defensive end of the floor.”

The semifinal matchup proved more difficult. West Virginia set the tone early, jumping out to an 8–0 lead and never trailing. Creighton battled back to within one possession late in the first half, but the Mountaineers maintained control.

After cutting the deficit to four early in the second half, Creighton couldn’t close the gap. West Virginia responded with a decisive run midway through the half, stretching the lead to double digits and holding off an 8-0 surge by the bluejays.

Green, who earned All-Tournament Team honors, recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while senior Josh Dix and freshman Hudson Greer led the offense with 18 and 15 points, respectively. Still, West Virginia’s balanced scoring and three-point shooting proved too much.

“[I] felt like, if we were going to win the game, we were going to have to win the three point battle,” McDermott said. “Unfortunately, they outscored us by 18 there, and that ended up being the difference.”

The loss marked more than just the end of Creighton’s 2025–26 season. With the ring of the final buzzer came the end of McDermott’s tenure as head coach. He finishes as the program’s all-time winningest coach, leading the Bluejays to sustained success over 16 seasons

“I’ve been thinking about it, but you never want it to end,” McDermott said following the loss to West Virginia. “You’d like it to end with a win, especially for the guys. This team has been through a lot this season, and they’ve stayed incredibly close. They’ve had each other’s backs through some really difficult times—on the floor with injuries and off the floor with Josh’s mom’s situation. This group is what brotherhood is all about, and sometimes the lesson is bigger than basketball. That was certainly the case this season.”

Now, the program turns the page to associate head coach and head-coach-in-waiting Alan Huss. Huss, a former Creighton player, takes over as the program’s 17th head coach.

With a new era beginning and the transfer portal looming, Creighton’s next chapter is already underway.