It didn't take long for Creighton guard Carli Tritz to recognize the best part of incoming freshman Marissa Janning's game.

It's not Janning's shot-making or passing ability or defensive skills, although all are well above average. It's Janning's attitude.

"She wants to be great," Tritz said.

Janning spent most of June in Omaha, taking first-session summer classes at Creighton and working out with her Bluejay teammates. The reigning Miss Minnesota Basketball quickly established a connection with Tritz, the 2010 winner of the Iowa Miss Basketball Award.

"I felt we clicked really well," Janning said. "It's going to be fun to play with her because she's super athletic."

The Bluejays return all but one player from a team coming off its first NCAA tournament berth in a decade. Tritz is Creighton's best returning player, Janning its prized recruit.

"I think that's great they connected, both for Carli and Marissa," Creighton coach Jim Flanery said. "It puts Carli in a position where she can help bring Marissa along.