Creighton Bluejays dealt crushing injury update

With the UConn Huskies looking surprisingly mortal and the Marquette Golden Eagles by no means unbeatable, it was shaping up to be a compelling three team race for the Big East Championship this year with the two aforementioned programs and Greg McDermott’s Creighton Bluejays. Not only did the Bluejays bring back the three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year in Ryan Kalkbrenner, they also landed talented guard Pop Isaacs from Texas Tech in the transfer portal.

Unfortunately for the Creighton Bluejays, Isaacs’ impact during the 2024-25 season will be limited to just eight games. Despite undergoing hip surgery in the offseason, discomfort has lingered for the junior from Las Vegas, and Isaacs has now made the decision to undergo another surgery to hopefully avoid any longterm damage.

“Creighton guard Pop Isaacs is expected to have hip surgery and sit out the rest of the season, source told TheFieldOf68,” writes Jeff Goodman on X, formerly Twitter. “Isaacs had surgery on the hip this past offseason and he’s been dealing with pain this season. Surgeon recommended Isaacs do it now to avoid long-term issues. Huge loss for Creighton – as Isaacs was coming off a huge game in the win over Kansas.”

Isaacs knocked down 6-of-9 three-pointers and scored a season-high 27 points in Creighton’s 76-63 upset win over the top ranked Jayhawks on December 4th. After the game, the junior guard talked about what it meant to have a moment like this one — where his new fans could storm the court after defeating the top-ranked team in the country — in his new home of Omaha.

“I haven’t quite had a moment like that in college,” Isaacs said, per ESPN News Services. “I haven’t played against the No. 1 team in the country. I’ve played against No. 2 and No. 3. It was hyped. The students showed up, and it was electric out there.

The former Texas Tech standout was a Big 12 All-Freshman performer during the 2022-23 season, and was named to the All-Big 12 3rd-team last season after leading the Red Raiders in scoring and to a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament. This year, Isaacs had been Creighton’s second-leading scorer behind Preseason Big East Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner.