“Candid Coaches” is an annual series from CBS Sports that spotlights relevant topics and issues in men’s college basketball. The second installment of the 2025 survey was released recently, and one question posed to roughly 100 coaches was “Who is the best X’s and O’s coach in college basketball right now?” The top three answers were Purdue’s Matt Painter (19%), UConn’s Dan Hurley (18%), and Creighton’s Greg McDermott (16%). Of the more than 15 coaches receiving votes, none outside of the top three received more than 7 percent of the vote.
One direct quote from an anonymous coach offered high praise for McDermott, noting that “Year in and year out his teams run their offense with precision, pace and high-level execution. Having scouted against him and felt the pressure they put on the defense, it is hard to argue against that. Great after time outs. Great in-game adjustments. And puts players in great spots.”
Omaha Hockey begins its 2025-26 campaign this weekend against another set of Mavericks, No. 20 Minnesota State. Last season the two programs faced off for the first time in nearly 10 years, and Minnesota State swept the weekend series. The puck-drop at Baxter Arena is 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.
Union Omaha continued its impressive lossless streak on Sunday, defeating FC Naples 2-1 to clinch its spot in the USL League One Playoffs. Union Omaha has three regular season matches remaining on the following three Saturdays (Oct. 11, 18 and 25). This Saturday, they travel to Greenville Triumph SC for a 1 p.m. match. Their final two matches will be played at Werner Park.
Omaha men’s basketball, the defending Summit League regular-season and tournament champions, was selected second in the 2025-26 Summit League Preseason Poll, revealed Tuesday at Summit League Media Day. The Mavericks, who received 13 first-place votes, trailed only St. Thomas, the projected No. 1 team in the Summit this season. St. Thomas received 17 first-place votes. Senior guards Tony Osburn and Ja’Sean Glover were named to the Preseason All-Summit First and Second teams, respectively.
Creighton volleyball seniors Ava Martin and Kiara Reinhardt earned a pair of weekly Big East honors after a 2-0 week that kept the No. 13 Bluejays undefeated in conference play. Martin was named Offensive Player of the Week after averaging 5.93 points and 4.86 kills per set. Both marks led the conference over the week. Reinhardt was named Defensive Player of the Week for the second straight week, posting nine blocks over two matches. Reinhardt is on a historic pace with her seventh career Big East Defensive Player of the Week honor. Per Associate Athletic Director Rob Anderson, in Creighton program history, only libero Brittany Witt (8) has more. The Bluejays are on the road this weekend, facing Georgetown on Friday at 6 p.m. and Villanova on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Former Creighton softball standout Tara (Oltman) Higgins was named to the DI Softball All-Quarter Century Team last Thursday, Oct. 2. During her time at Creighton, Oltman was a 13-time Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week and set school and league records in wins (118), strikeouts (1,086), innings pitched (1,064) appearances (187), starts (143) and complete games (128). Joining Oltman on the All-Quarter Century Team was former Bluejay assistant coach and Drake star Nicole Newman.
Athletes Unlimited Volleyball continues this weekend at Liberty First Credit Union Arena. Captains Jordan Thompson, Natalia Valentin-Anderson, Morgan Hentz and Claire Hoffman selected their teams for the second week of the 2025 AU Pro Volleyball Championship season during Tuesday morning’s draft.
The four teams begin Week Two tonight, Thursday, Oct. 9. Team Hentz and Team Valentin-Anderson open the doubleheader at 5:30 p.m. before Team Thompson faces off with Team Hoffman in the nightcap at 8 p.m. There will then be two games each Sunday and Monday to round out play in Omaha.
Upcoming Games
- Athletes Unlimited Volleyball | Thursday, Oct. 9 | 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- #13 Creighton volleyball at Georgetown | Friday, Oct. 10 | 6 p.m.
- Omaha Hockey vs. #20 Minnesota State | Friday, Oct. 10 | 7 p.m.
- Creighton women’s soccer at Providence | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 11 a.m.
- Omaha volleyball vs. South Dakota | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 12 p.m.
- Union Omaha at Greenville Triumph SC | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 1 p.m.
- Omaha men’s soccer vs. UMass | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 2:30 p.m.
- #13 Creighton volleyball at Villanova | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 6 p.m.
- Creighton men’s soccer vs. Xavier | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 6 p.m.
- Omaha Hockey vs. #20 Minnesota State | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 7 p.m.
- Omaha women’s soccer at South Dakota State | Sunday, Oct. 12 | 1 p.m.
- Athletes Unlimited Volleyball | Sunday, Oct. 12 | 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
- Athletes Unlimited Volleyball | Monday, Oct. 13 | 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- Omaha men’s soccer vs. UTRGV | Tuesday, Oct. 14 | 7 p.m.
