Shooting guard Josh Dix committed to Creighton Friday morning, the second former Iowa starter to head 250 miles west to Omaha, Neb.
Dix, who The Athletic ranks No. 8 overall among players in the transfer portal, was an all-everything guard for the Hawkeyes. Dix, who stands 6 feet 6, averaged 14.4 points per game this season and was Iowa’s best perimeter defender. One of the most efficient guards in college basketball, Dix had 89 assists and only 27 turnovers with 29 steals this year. He boasts a career shooting percentage of 51.4, and he’s 42 percent from 3-point range.
Growing up across the Missouri River from Omaha in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Dix returns to his home area, which is important on a personal level. His mother has suffered health challenges, and Dix has three younger siblings. He also joins former teammate Owen Freeman, who committed to Creighton last week. Freeman was ranked No. 15 on The Athletic’s transfer list.
What does this mean for Creighton?
The Bluejays are losing a solid backcourt tandem in point guard Steven Ashworth and combo guard Jamiya Neal. Ashworth averaged 16.4 points and a Big East-high 6.8 assists per game while Neal’s put up 12.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per contest.
Dix should fit well alongside former Charlotte point guard Nik Graves, who averaged 17.5 points this season. Freeman replaces 7-foot-1 senior Ryan Kalkbrenner, who averaged 19.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in the post. It’s a new look for the Bluejays, who finished 25-11 after a loss to Auburn in the NCAA tournament’s second round.
What does this mean for Iowa?
Of Iowa’s nine transfer portal entrants since coach Fran McCaffery was fired, this one hurts the most for Iowa. Dix can do it all, and new coach Ben McCollum was vocal in his introductory news conference about wanting to bring him back.
The Hawkeyes have signed four former players McCollum coached at Drake, including point guard Bennett Stirtz, The Athletic’s No. 1 overall player in the transfer portal. Stirtz, the Missouri Valley Conference’s player of the year, led the league in scoring (19.1 points per game) and steals (2.2), and he ranked second in assists (5.7).
(Photo by Keith Gillett / Icon Sportswire)