Only two of Creighton’s six true freshmen on last year’s roster received playing time in the regular season. Austin Chatman served as Antoine Young’s apprentice, while Avery Dingman worked for minutes at the crowded two-guard position.

Dingman made strong initial impressions on the Bluejay faithful. In the season opener he scored 11 points in 12 minutes of play, and two games later, in a highly anticipated matchup with Iowa, he hit all four of his three-point shots, finishing with a season-high 14 points. As the season progressed, Dingman saw his minutes ebb and flow. In the last home game of the season, he played a season-high 19 minutes in an overtime win against Evansville, where he once more knocked down four threes and tallied 14 points.

The Branson, Mo., native participated in Thursday night’s Metro Summer Basketball League action and displayed his precise shooting stroke and bulkier frame. Afterwards, he spoke about his summer workouts and his evolution as a player.