Analyzing Mark Sears, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Derrion Reid in the Alabama-Creighton Game

December 15th, 2024

Yesterday, I took the time to watch Alabama and Creighton play against each other in a highly competitive basketball game. Alabama received strong guard play, as they got off to a sizable lead early on. Creighton tried to rally back, but Alabama was able to hold them off to get a well-deserved win. The standout performers looked to be Mark Sears, Steven Ashworth, and Jackson McAndrew, while Derrion Reid and Labaron Philon also played well. Here are my thoughts on how they and other various prospects fared in this game.

Mark Sears scored 27 points, made 4 threes, and had 6 rebounds and 4 assists to lead Alabama to a 83-75 win over Creighton. (Photo: Will McLelland/Imagn Images, via Fansided’s Bama Hammer)

Mark Sears had a strong showing to help lead Alabama to get a win over Creighton. He is a shifty, cerebral playmaker that thrived as a shooter, scorer, and facilitator to help his team get a big victory. Sears did a great job of shooting and scoring the basketball. He showed a knack for making quick open threes off the catch. He also ran off the ball to knock one down, and he also was able to dribble back to make one. Plus, he also showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble. He excelled at scoring on strong, crafty drives, and he showed a fairly solid floater game. On the downside, he would sometimes take tough, contested shots that would lead to misses.

He also showed off solid playmaking skills. Sears is a savvy playmaker that would make an assortment of passes to get the ball to his teammates, and he would consistently make passes off the dribble to find the open man. He also was able to make a patient pass to find a cutter to notch an assist. On one play though, he lost the ball while handling it, but it also appeared to be an errant pass, which led to a sloppy turnover.

Also, Sears did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. He also defended well. Sears was able to intercept a pass to get a steal. He also rotated to tie up an opponent in the post to nearly get another steal. In general, Sears played very well, and he had a strong all-around game to help get Alabama the win, and he has the skills to end up being a solid role player in the NBA.

Creighton’s 7-1 senior center, Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 18 points, and had 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal in his team’s 83-75 loss to Alabama. (Photo: Vasha Hunt/Associated Press, via The Herald Journal)

Ryan Kalkbrenner also had a solid showing in his team’s loss to Alabama. He is a very tall, mobile center that excelled at making plays to help his team shore up the interior on both ends of the floor. Kalkbrenner showed a satisfactory ability to score out of the post. He would score on dunks, drop step moves, and he also scored on a jump hook. However, sometimes he would set up from too far away, as he would sometimes miss on jump hooks, especially when guarded by opponents that can hold their ground defensively.

Kalkbrenner excelled as the roll man, as he would catch lobs to score on high-flying, alley-oop dunks. He also was able to score on a smooth drive to the hoop. He also took a couple of threes, but he missed both of his three-point attempts from beyond the arc.

He also showcased decent playmaking skills. Kalkbrenner passed the ball well, as he would pass out of the post to notch a pair of assists. On one play though, he had a ball poked away from him when posting up to commit a turnover. Another time, he was called for setting a moving screen.

He was able to get a handful of rebounds, but it wasn’t nearly enough for someone that is over seven feet tall. Kalkbrenner also defended fairly well. He is a long, mobile interior defender whose activity would make it difficult for opponents to make plays in the paint. He was able to block a shot off of a drive, and he would contest shots when defending in the post to force misses. He also got his hands on a pass to help his team get a steal. He would sometimes struggle to defend out on the perimeter though, as there was one play where he sagged way too far off his man, which allowed his team to give up a three-point basket.

Overall, Ryan Kalkbrenner played well in his team’s loss to Alabama. He has been moving up draft boards, and he is a tall, mobile interior player whose size, athleticism, and skill combination could enable him to be a solid role player in the NBA.

Alabama’s freshman forward, Derrion Reid scored 12 points on 6 of 10 shooting, and had 4 rebounds and 2 assists to help his team get the win over Creighton. (Photo: Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News, via Rivals Alabama)

Derrion Reid had a solid showing to help Alabama get a win over Creighton. He is an athletic, combo forward that showed off versatile scoring skills, and he made highly energetic plays to give his team a boost.

Reid showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays. He excelled at scoring on fast breaks, as he was able to score on a high-flying breakaway dunk, and he also drove up court to score on an acrobatic layup. Plus, he also used a hesitation move to score out of the post, and Reid generally excelled as a finisher around the basket. On the downside, he didn’t shoot the ball well from the outside, and he missed both of his three-point shots.

He also passed the ball well, and Reid threw long, accurate passes to notch assists for his team. Also, he did an adequate job of rebounding the basketball. He also defended well, and he was able to contest a mid-range shot to force a miss. Overall, Reid is a strong, athletic combo forward that can make high-flying plays on both ends of the floor, and he is a solid, two-way forward that could be a solid pick for an NBA team, especially if he is available for them to select in the late first to the second round range of the 2025 draft.

Labaron Philon had a decent showing in his team’s win over Creighton. He is an athletic, energetic playmaker that excelled as a scorer, especially in the first half, and he also made some solid defensive plays in this game. He struggled to knock down outside shots and with turnovers, but he played fairly well overall.

Philon showed a good ability to score off the dribble. He particularly thrived at going to his left to score on floaters, and he would drive quickly to his right to score on speedy drives in transition. He also was able to score on an acrobatic, reverse layup off of a backdoor cut. On the downside, he struggled to make shots from the outside, and he missed all of his threes. As a playmaker, he looked to be fairly average. Philon is an unselfish player that will look for the open man, and he was able to pass the ball back off of a drive in transition to notch an assist. Sometimes though, he would tend to force the issue too much, which would lead to turnovers. He would throw hasty, careless passes that would either get intercepted or sail out of bounds. Another time, he seemed to dribble off of himself that went out of bounds another time.

He also rebounded the ball well. Defensively, Philon looked to be fairly average. For the positives, he would quickly jump passes to get steals. He also would actively contest threes to force misses. Sometimes though, he would get beat off the dribble by defenders that shouldn’t get past him, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Other times, he would play too aggressively and end up out of position, which would lead him in a compromised situation when defending three-point shots.

Overall, Labaron Philon had some really strong moments, especially in the first half, to help lead his team to a win over Creighton. He’ll still need to improve his jump shot, but he is an athletic point guard whose ability to make plays on both ends of the floor could enable him to end up being a first round pick in the 2025 draft.

Jackson McAndrew also played very well in his team’s loss to Alabama. The 6-9 freshman forward shot the ball very well, especially from downtown. He showed a knack for making open spot-up threes off the catch. He was able to run off the ball to quickly make one early on, and he also made an open three and got fouled late in the game.

He also intercepted a loose ball to get a steal. On the other hand, he didn’t do much else, as he missed on a drive to the hoop, and he did not grab a single assist or rebound in this game. Overall, McAndrew scored 16 points and made 5 threes in his team’s loss to Alabama. He seemed to give off some serious Duncan Robinson-vibes in this game. McAndrew still will need to show NBA teams that he can do this on a consistent basis and that shooting would be an elite skill for him at the NBA level, but still, he seems to have the size and the sharpshooting prowess to be a floor spacer in the NBA.

Steven Ashworth also had a decent showing in his team’s loss to Alabama. He showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble, and he showed solid balance, deceptive quickness, and finishing ability to do so. He also showed that he can make threes both off the catch and dribble, but he missed too many threes, as he would sometimes take tough, contested outside shots that would lead to misses.

He also showcased solid playmaking skills. Ashworth would throw timely passes and accurate interior passes to set up numerous scores for his teammates. He also threw accurate lobs for the most part, though Kalkbrenner’s great size, hands, and solid athleticism made it fairly easy for Ashworth to be able to throw it up to him to get his teammate alley-oop dunks. On the downside, when dribbling once, Ashworth was called for stepping out of bounds. He also threw an inaccurate lob pass once that led to another turnover.

On the downside, Ashworth didn’t grab a single rebound in this game. Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. On one good play, he stayed in front of his man to contest a three to force a miss. On the downside, he really struggled to guard quicker players off the dribble, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Other times, he would close out too aggressively, which led him to foul jump shooters on multiple instances.

Overall, Ashworth is a crafty playmaker that can shoot and pass the basketball, and he is skilled enough to play in the NBA. On the downside, he will need to improve his defense, and his lack of size or elite physical tools could make it even tougher for him to guard opponents at the next level. Still, he showed that he has a solid basketball IQ, and he is a productive collegiate point guard that will likely end up carving out a long playing career in professional basketball.

Clifford Omoruyi had a decent showing in his team’s win over Creighton. He was efficient in limited touches on offense, as he primarily excelled as a finisher around the basket. He also played unselfishly, and he would help his team execute dribble handoffs by making those passes in a timely manner to help set up scores for his teammates.

He was able to get some rebounds, but not nearly enough for a player his size. He also defended well. Omoruyi did a good job of defending in the post, as he would hold his ground to force misses, and he seemed to do a much better job of defending Kalkbrenner than his teammates. Omoruyi also was able to get his hands on a pass to get a steal. Overall, Omoruyi is a strong, mobile big man that has a very good motor. While he will need be more assertive on offense and continue to expand his skill set on that end, he is an athletic, high-motor big man whose rim protection skills could enable him to make it to the NBA someday.

Creighton’s 6-5 senior guard, Jamiya Neal had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Alabama. He didn’t shoot well overall, as he especially struggled to score from the outside, he did showcase versatile scoring skills. He showed a decent ability to score off the dribble, and he is a quick, downhill driver that can take on the contact and finish plays around the rim to score. He also was able to make an open three, as well as on a step-back mid-range jumper from the baseline, but Hill struggled to make threes or mid-range jumpers consistently. Also, sometimes he would take rushed shots in transition that would result in misses.

He looked to be fairly average as a playmaker. Hill is an unselfish player that will look for the open man, and he also was able to make a drive and kick pass to notch an assist. Sometimes though, he would over-dribble, which would result in ball-handling turnovers, and he also threw an inaccurate pass that sailed out of bounds another time. Neal did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. Defensively though, he was foul prone, and he also was late to rotate, which led his team to give up a corner three basket once. Overall, Neal is a fairly athletic, energetic combo guard that was able to provide some offense and rebounding, but he will need to improve his jump shot. He has been able to rack up solid assist numbers for a player his size, and he could be a prospect to keep tabs on in the future.

Grant Nelson didn’t have his best game, and his inability to make open threes made it tougher for him to score on offense, as opponents didn’t have to respect his jump shot in this game. When his jump shot is falling, his size, solid athleticism, and ability to score off the dribble can really shine, and when he makes his jumpers, Nelson can be the dynamic scorer his team needs him to be.

In this game against Creighton, he struggled to make shots, particularly from the outside. He did show an adequate ability to score out of the post, as he was able to use a pump fake to score on a jump hook. However, he tended to miss on rushed shots around the basket on other occasions.

As a playmaker, he looked to be fairly average. Late in the game, Nelson was able to throw a timely pass out of a double team to find an open three-point shooter to notch an assist. However, he tended to dribble too loosely and mishandle the ball, which led him to lose the ball to commit a couple of turnovers.

Also, Nelson did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. There was one play where he closed out too hard and fouled a three-point shooter, which led his team to give up the basket and an additional free throw afterwards. Overall, Nelson didn’t play very well in his team’s win over Creighton, and he will need to improve his outside shot, but a bad game aside, he’s still been a productive player in college, and he is an athletic, versatile scorer that could be an intriguing option for NBA teams to consider in the second round range of the 2025 draft.

Jarin Stevenson didn’t play very well in his team’s win over Creighton. He’s been up and down over the course of the season, as he’s had some solid performances, and some lackluster performances. This would count as a lackluster performance from him.

Stevenson was held scoreless, as he missed all of his shots, and he was unable to make threes or shots off the dribble. On the bright side, he passed the ball well and showed some handles for a big man. He was able to find a teammate ahead on the break to notch an assist.

He was able to get a couple of boards, but it wasn’t nearly enough for a player his size. He also defended well. When defending in the post, Stevenson was able to poke a ball away to get a steal. He also contested a corner three to force a miss. On one play though, he gave his man too much space, which led his team to allow a three-point basket another time.

Overall, Jarin Stevenson didn’t have a great game, and it can be tough for him to establish a footing consistently on a loaded basketball team, but he still was able to have some solid moments in his team’s win over Creighton. He is an athletic, skilled, but unpolished big man that will still need to refine his overall game, but he is a talented prospect that may have a similar game to Cleveland Cavaliers’ forward, JT Thor in the NBA.

Aiden Sherrell didn’t shoot the ball very well, and he had some really bad misses around the basket. That aside, though he struggled to make threes consistently, he was able to make an open three-pointer in this game.

Defensively, he really struggled to guard Kalkbrenner, as his lack of size and strength would lead him to get overpowered, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Overall, Sherrell is an athletic, mobile big man that has a promising jump shot, but he will need to be a more consistent shooter on offense, and he will need to add more muscle to his frame. He would likely benefit from staying in school to hone his craft at Alabama, but he could be an intriguing prospect to keep tabs on in the future.

Other Notes:

In other news, I did not know that Fedor Zugic signed to join Creighton’s team. For his sake and for Creighton’s sake, I really hope that the NCAA will clear him to give him eligibility to suit him and play for them this season.

Zugic is an agile, skilled sharpshooting swingman that could make an immediate impact for Creighton if he’s afforded the chance to play for them this season. Based on his statistics overseas and my previous write-up when I watched him play several years ago, I would project him to be a sharpshooter that can be a solid complementary scorer that can also provide some playmaking skills, as Zugic could end up being a Quentin Grimes-type of player in the NBA.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Sears, Kalkbrenner, Reid, Philon, and other various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.