Creighton guard Baylor Scheierman, who transferred earlier this month from South Dakota State, will not enter the NBA Draft, his agency, NEXT Sports Agency, confirmed to The Athletic. The 6-foot-6 guard chose the Bluejays over Arkansas, Clemson, Duke and Nebraska.
Scheierman is the reigning Summit League Player of the Year after averaging 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game for the Jackrabbits. South Dakota State finished 30-5 last season, winning the conference before falling to Providence in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Scheierman led all players in that game in points, rebounds and assists.
(Photo: Bill Wippert / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
What does Scheierman bring to Creighton?
Sam Vecenie, NBA draft senior writer: One of the best shooters in college basketball. Scheierman made 46 percent of his 169 3-point attempts last season, one of the top-10 marks in the country for any player to attempt at least 100 shots from distance.
But it goes beyond that. He’s 6-foot-6 and can legitimately run the offense through stretches for a team, as he was essentially the lead initiator for a top-20 offense in the country last season while averaging 4.5 assists per game.
Essentially, he shoots at an elite level, processes the game well, and can handle the ball. He’s an All-Big East caliber player next year, and an enormous get for Greg McDermott and company. This is an unquestioned top-10 team in the country entering next season.
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How does he fit with the Bluejays?
Vecenie: Absolutely seamlessly. He’ll enter the role as a wing floor-spacer that was vacated by Alex O’Connell and Ryan Hawkins.
With Ryan Nembhard and Trey Alexander as potential long-term NBA players in the backcourt initiating the offense, Scheierman will be allowed to play off of the set actions McDermott — one of the best offensive minds in the country — runs for him while also acting as a secondary initiator when those two are off the floor.
He’s also a terrific fit in the frontcourt with Ryan Kalkbrenner — the Big East’s Defensive Player of the Year — and Arthur Kaluma, another future NBA player who doubles as a long, athletic forward. That duo will cover for Scheierman’s weakness on the defensive end well, while allowing him to focus on what he’s great at offensively.
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