Alex O'Connell to transfer to Creighton
Alex O’Connell will finish his college career as a member of the Creighton Bluejays.
Just over two weeks after O’Connell announced his plans to transfer from Duke, he posted on social media saying that he was committed to Creighton.
“First off, I’d like to thank each and every school that reached out to me and expressed interest during the recruitment process,” O’Connell wrote. “It’s been an incredible experience. With that being said, I’ve decided to end my recruitment and officially commit to Creighton University. Thanks to Coach McDermott and his entire staff for believing in me and giving me this incredible opportunity.”
Perhaps in a show of frustration for his lack of consistent playing time at Duke, O’Connell finished his post by saying, “Can’t wait to show what I’m truly capable of!! The journey continues.”
O’Connell spent his first three years in college as a member of the Blue Devils. He averaged 5.2 ppg this year, up 0.8 from the previous season. His shooting and three-point accuracy both fell off substantially, however, going from 37.5% to 27.3%.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski urged O’Connell and teammate Jordan Goldwire to “play like juniors” throughout the season. While Goldwire improved on both sides of the ball and became a regular in the starting lineup, O’Connell saw his minutes shrink, playing 10 or fewer in 10 of the last 12 games.
If O’Connell can complete his Duke degree this semester, he’ll be able to play immediately at Creighton. Otherwise, unless he gets a waiver from the NCAA, or the NCAA passes the long-awaited one-time transfer exemption, he’ll need to sit out a year before joining the Bluejays on the floor.
