Observing Kam Jones, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and David Joplin in the Marquette-Creighton Game

January 4th, 2025

Yesterday, I took the time to watch Marquette’s 6-5 guard, Kam Jones play against 7-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner and Creighton. The game was fairly underwhelming, as there were a lot of missed shots, particularly from the outside, as well as turnovers, but Marquette was able to hold off Creighton to get a win at home. Here are my thoughts on how various prospects fared in this game.

Marquette’s 6-5 senior guard, Kam Jones had 22 points on 8-of-22 shooting, and he had 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals in his team’s 79-71 win over Marquette. Creighton’s 7-1 senior center, Ryan Kalkbrenner had 16 points on 4 of 11 shooting, as well as 12 rebounds and 1 assist in this game.
(Photo: Morry Gash/Associated Press, via WOWT)

Kam Jones had his ups and downs in his team’s win over Creighton. He didn’t shoot particularly well from the field, but he passed the ball very well, and he was a shot creator that generated shot attempts for himself and his teammates.

Jones did an adequate job of scoring off the dribble. He particularly excels at going to his left, as he can make running layups high off the glass, but he also can use a spin move to score around the basket, and he would occasionally score on floaters. On the downside, sometimes he struggle to finish plays in traffic, as he wouldn’t always find his shooting touch when driving to the hoop.

He also showed an adequate ability to knock down outside shots. He was able to make a pair of open spot-up threes off the catch, but he struggled more when he would attempt pull-up threes from beyond the arc.

Jones also showcased good playmaking skills. He did a good job of making passes off the dribble and finding teammates on the move to rack up assists. He even threw a no-look drive and kick pass to set up a score for his teammate. On the downside, every once in a while, he would be sloppy with his ball-handling, which would lead to turnovers. On one play, he lost the ball out of bounds when driving to the hoop. Another time, he drove in but fell and threw a hasty pass while falling down, which led his pass to get intercepted.

Also, Jones did a very good job of rebounding the basketball, and he was able to get multiple boards on both ends of the floor. He has a keen nose for the ball. There was one board where he chased down a ball to get a defensive rebound, and he promptly threw it off of an opponent to help his team secure the board. He also played decent defense in this game. Jones was able to intercept a pass to get a steal. On one play though, he didn’t contest a three-pointer in time as he was late to contest the shot, which led his team to give up a basket.

Overall, Kam Jones didn’t have his best game, but he especially thrived as a facilitator and shot creator when he was on the court. He is an agile, skilled combo guard that is having a very good season, and he could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the second round range of the 2025 draft.

Ryan Kalkbrenner also had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Marquette. While the 7-1 senior center had a double-double and rebounded the ball better than usual, Kalkbrenner also missed a surprising number of shots around the basket, as he didn’t shoot quite as well from the field as expected.

Kalkbrenner was at his best when he would look to score on hustle plays. He can score on rolls, put backs, cuts, and in transition, and he has good size that enables him to catch lobs to score on alley-oop dunks. On the downside, he tended to miss when matched up against opposing big men that had some length and mobility, and he tended to miss more often out off of rolls, put backs, or out of the post. Though he drew a lot of free throws on put backs, Kalkbrenner tended to miss when he wouldn’t get foul calls. He also attempted a mid-range jumper from the baseline toward the end of the game, but he missed that time.

Also, he was quite turnover prone in this game. On one good play, Kalkbrenner threw an interior pass to notch an assist, and he is an unselfish player that will look to find the open man. On the other hand, he tended to commit ball-handling turnovers, and he also was called for setting a moving screen.

Plus, Kalkbrenner did a great job of rebounding the basketball. He also played decent defense in this game. Kalkbrenner would stay in front of his man and rotate to alter shots off the dribble to help his team protect the paint. However, he would tend to sag too far off his man, which would lead him to give up three-point baskets at times.

Overall, Kalkbrenner didn’t have his best game, but he is a tall, mobile center that could project into a rim protector role at the NBA level. He’ll need to continue to expand upon his skill set offensively, but he could end up being a second round pick in the 2025 draft.

Marquette’s senior forward, David Joplin had a solid showing, as he excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor to help his team get a win over Creighton. He showed off versatile scoring skills, and he also passed and defended well. Joplin did a good job of scoring on strong, crafty drives to the hoop, and he also was able to dribble back to make an open three-pointer. He also showed a knack for making drive and kick passes and for finding them open man to notch assists, as he also passed the ball well. While he didn’t shoot the three-ball as well in this game, Joplin was effective as a scorer and facilitator on offense.

He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. He also played satisfactory defense in this game. Joplin is a rangy defender that can cover plenty of ground to help his team get stops. He was able to intercept a pass to get a steal. He also thrived at blocking shots, as he was able to swat a corner three to a teammate, and he also hustled back to block a shot off of a drive in transition to a teammate another time. Sometimes though, he would play too aggressively, which would lead him to commit touch fouls. Overall, Joplin played well to help his team get a win over Creighton, and he is an athletic, skilled forward that could project well into a 3 and D role in the NBA.

Stevie Mitchell had a decent showing in his team’s win over Creighton. While he didn’t shoot very well, the 6-3 senior guard is a tenacious defender that played stellar defense in this game. He would frequently intercept passes to get steals, and he also was able to poke a ball away from behind to get another steal. Plus, he hounded an opposing ball handler to force a passing turnover late in the game.

He also rebounded the ball well. Mitchell did a decent job of scoring off the dribble, and he also managed to score on a quick put back to beat the shot clock. However, sometimes he would struggle to score when matched against length and athleticism, and he also struggled to consistently knock down threes in this game. He also was a willing passer, and would sometimes swing the ball to find the open man to notch some assists.

Overall, Mitchell didn’t have his best game, but he is an agile, skilled combo guard that played terrific defense. He’ll need to be a more consistent offensive performer in games, but his defensive skills and above average athletic gifts could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA someday.

Jamiya Neal is an athletic guard that played very well in his team’s tough loss to Marquette. He did a decent job of scoring off the dribble, and Neal also showed the knack for making quick open threes in transition. He also was able to score on a turnaround jumper from the baseline, and he also managed to score on a quick put back dunk to showcase his athleticism.

Neal also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. He is an unselfish player that can make passes off the dribble as well as throw long passes to find teammates ahead on the break to set up plenty of scoring chances for his teammates. On the downside, sometimes he would struggle to handle pressure, which would lead him to commit turnovers.

Also, he was able to get his fair share of boards on both ends of the floor. Neal also played decent defense in this game. He was able to intercept a pass to get a steal, and he also hustled back to block a shot off of a drive in transition out of bounds due to possessing solid athleticism, timing, and instincts. On the downside, sometimes he would play too aggressively when defending opponents off the dribble, which would lead him to commit touch fouls.

Overall, Neal is an athletic combo guard that can help his team in a variety of ways, and he is a versatile role player that played well in his team’s loss to Marquette. He’ll need to continue to improve his jump shot, but he is having a solid season this year, and his blend of size, skills, and versatility could enable him to make his way to the NBA someday.

Jackson McAndrew was streaky with his jump shot in this game. He shot the ball well in the first half, but not nearly as well in the second half. He was able to make a pair of spot-up threes off the catch, including one off of a pick and pop play. He also was able to score on a baseline floater off the dribble, and he also had another score around the basket, but McAndrew struggled to connect from the outside down the stretch.

He also rebounded the ball well. He didn’t have any assists, but he threw a skip pass that was intercepted once. Overall, McAndrew is a tall, mobile forward whose best skill is his jump shooting ability, and while he will need to continue to improve upon that to make that skill elite, his size and shooting skills could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA someday.

Marquette’s 6-8 freshman forward, Royce Parham is a strong, mobile forward that played well on both ends of the floor. He shot the three-ball well, as he showed a knack for making open, spot-up threes off the catch. He also managed to get the ball on a short roll, as he then dribbled in to score in traffic. He also defended well, as he was able to get a steal and a block in this game. Overall, Parham played well in limited minutes, and he is a skilled, energetic forward that could project well into a 3 and D role at the NBA level.

Marqutte’s 6-11 center, Ben Gold from New Zealand also quietly played well in his team’s win over Creighton. He was able to make a pair of open, spot-up threes off the catch to showcase his shooting prowess. He also ran the floor to draw free throws on the break. On the other hand, he was a bit turnover prone in this game. He held the ball too long, and had it poked away from him to commit a turnover, and he also threw a pass that got picked off another time.

He also was able to get his fair share of boards in this game. He also played decent defense. Gold did a good job of blocking shots off the dribble, and directing them to his teammates. He also would contest shots inside and out to force misses. However, he would sometimes struggle to defend quicker opponents, which would lead his team to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Gold had a fairly solid showing in this game, and he is a tall, mobile big man that can shoot and defend when he is on the court, and his skill set and feel for the game could either enable him to play his way into the NBA someday, or at least to carve out a solid playing career in professional basketball overseas.

Marquette’s 6-5 junior guard, Chase Ross had an adequate showing in his team’s win over Creighton. Though he didn’t take many shots in this game, he shots efficiently within limited touches, and he also passed and defended well.

Ross was able to make an open three off the catch. He also ran in to score on a tip-in. Plus, he also did a good job of making drive and kick passes. On the other hand, he would struggle to handle the ball when pressured, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers.

Though he didn’t grab many defensive rebounds in this game, he was especially effective as an offensive rebounder. He also defended well. Ross was able to leap up to deflect a long outlet pass once, and he would contest shots to force misses. Another time, he was able to successfully draw a charge. Sometimes though, he would play too aggressively, which would lead him to commit touch fouls.

Overall, Ross is a fairly athletic, skilled guard that has a versatile skill set, and he made solid, team plays to help his team get the win. He’ll need to be more assertive on offense, but he could be a prospect to watch in the future.

Steven Ashworth had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Marquette. Though he had a double-double, he really struggled with his jump shot, and it seemed that his coach basically allowed him to chuck with impunity, even when his jump shot was not going down at all in this game. Despite Ashworth’s poor shooting performance, he is a confident player that has better than advertised athleticism, and he did a good job of passing the basketball, which enabled him to rack up a double-digit number of assists.

Ashworth was at his best when he would pull up to knock down mid-range jumpers smoothly off the dribble. He also was able to score on a crafty reverse layup when driving to the hoop once. Sometimes though, he would struggle to score when matched up against length and athleticism, as he had a couple of his shots blocked in this game.

He really struggled to knock down threes though. He was able to make a three in transition once, but he really had trouble making threes both off the catch or dribble in this game, and he would sometimes take quick, contested threes that would often lead to misses.

Ashworth also showcased good playmaking skills. He did a good job of throwing passes off the dribble and finding open teammates on the move due to possessing solid court vision, as well as above average athleticism gifts, and he would rack up many assists in this game. He did threw one hasty pass that got intercepted, but overall, Ashworth passed the ball very well on offense.

He also was able to get his fair share of boards in this game. Plus, Ashworth was able to nab a pair of steals on the defensive end. Overall, Ashworth had his ups and downs. He didn’t shoot well overall, but he proved that he is certainly capable of running the team at the point, and he was able to have some good moments in this game. He had a rather lackluster game overall, but Ashworth is a skilled playmaker that could end up competing for a roster spot in the NBA in the future.

Fedor Zugic also played in this game, albeit briefly, and his performance looked to be a mixed bag overall. He played in the first half, but not in the second half. He got off to an inauspicious start when he used a pump fake, but took too many steps when attempting to handle the ball, which led him to commit a traveling violation.

He then helped himself by making an open corner three off the catch. However, later on, he threw a lazy, telegraphed pass that got intercepted that led to a fast break basket for the other team, and Zugic didn’t play for the rest of the game.

Overall, Zugic showed that he is a capable offensive player that can space the floor, but he didn’t take care of the ball very well, and that is something he’ll need to be able to do to get more playing time on the court. Even so, it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll get much playing time this season, as he was only cleared to join the team midway through the season, and his team seems to have an already defined rotation. Therefore, he’ll need to make the most of his minutes when he gets on the floor, and Zugic is a skilled swingman that could be a second round prospect for the 2026 draft or beyond.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Kam Jones, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and other various prospects fared in this game. Also, Ryan Kalkbrenner surpassed 2000 points in his college basketball career. Thanks for reading.