Creighton did not get off to the best of starts Tuesday night, trailing by as many as 20 points with Butler making eight of its first 12 three-pointers.
Junior guard Khyri Thomas did his best to provide a spark, driving the lane and then dunking on two Butler defenders.
Thomas’ dunk sparked a 12-4 run to end the half, trimming the Bluejays’ deficit to a slightly more manageable 12 points.
Purdue, which was ranked 20th in the preseason AP Top 25 poll that was released on Wednesday, does not lack for talented veterans with seniors including forward Vince Edwards and center Isaac Haas back on campus for another season. But Matt Painter’s got some solid newcomers to work with as well, including freshman point guard Nojel Eastern.
During the second half of Wednesday’s exhibition against Carroll College (Montana), Eastern showed off his athleticism with an impressive dunk. Receiving the pass from Dakota Mathias, Eastern took one dribble before throwing down an emphatic two-handed dunk.
Fouled in the act, Eastern made the free throw to complete the three-point play.
Creighton rising junior wing Khyri Thomas, like several of his teammates, are taking part in the Omaha Summer League this offseason.
On Thursday night, the 6-foot-3, 205-lb. Thomas eviscerated a defender with a one-handed posterization.
Thomas is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign for the Bluejays. He started all 35 games, averaging 12.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Aside from the increase in offensive production, Thomas served as one of the top defenders in the Big East. He shared the Big East Defensive Player of the Year Award with Villanova’s Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges.
Zion Williamson added another jaw-dropping dunk in the layup lines on the first night of the second live evaluation period.
Williamson and his SC Supreme team took on Each 1 Teach 1 at the Hoopseen Best of the South at the LakePoint Sporting Community in greater Atlanta.
The 6-foot-7 power forward threw down a 360 windmill dunk during his pregame routines.
Each 1 Teach 1 would pick up a 70-67 victory over SC Supreme. Williamson would end with a monster stat line of 37 points and seven rebounds.
Alex Caldwell is a rising senior point guard in South Carolina.
On Thursday night, he made the play of his prep career, at a Boys State event of all places.
Caldwell, a 5-foot-10 floor general, cleared a 6-foot-7 adult on his way to a one-handed slam in front of a packed gym of participants at the American Legion-sponsored program.
Caldwell has a recruiting page on ESPN, which lists him as a three-star recruit. Verbal Commits claims he holds scholarship offers from South Carolina State, College of Charleston, Winthrop, and as recent has three weeks ago, offers from Austin Peay and East Carolina.
He is playing for the Upward Stars on the adidas Uprising circuit. He’s averaging 12.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.
Bryan Antoine is one of the top prospects in the Class of 2019.
The New Jersey native is ranked by Rivals as the No. 11 recruit in his class. Playing for Team Rio in the Under Armour Association, he’s averaging 13.8 points per game, playing up an age group.
The 6-foot-5 guard is known for not only his impact on both ends of the floor but also for his athleticism. That was on full display on Saturday night at UAA II in Indianapolis when Antoine controlled a loose ball en route to this massive one-handed posterization.
Antoine and teammate Scottie Lewis are both considered top-5 prospects. Following that dunk, Lewis was seen raising the roof.
