So yeah, people are kinda excited. And it is a big game, make no mistake about it. Kentucky has played one true road game — ONE — against a team outside of the power-six conferences in the last decade. And they haven’t played a road game in this part of the country, period, in at least 20 years (I got bored with the research when I got that far back and stopped). They may be downtrodden and in the midst of their worst season in two decades, but they’re still Kentucky.
They’re one of college basketball’s glamour programs, second only to UCLA in championships won and second to no one in total victories. They have one of, if not the, most rabid fanbases in college sports. They have fans all over the country; those from nearby states are excited at the chance to see Kentucky play within driving distance and have been snatching up any and all available tickets to the game.
All of that said, it really sticks in my craw to hear people call this “Creighton’s Super Bowl.” No, it is not. Please, I beg you, stop saying that. It only goes to prove to the Jay Bilas’ of the world that teams of Creighton’s ilk deserve the second-class citizen treatment they receive. Don’t believe me? Here’s an email I got from a Kentucky fan on Saturday:
“I’m excited to see how Kentucky fares in this game. I have always been dubious of Doug Gottlieb and others when they claim that Southern Illinois, St. Mary’s, and Creighton, among others, are as good as teams from the BCS leagues. They’re not. Fact: you guys would struggle to finish .500 in the SEC or any other BCS league. But the argument that truly elite BCS programs never travel to play you on your courts is something I cannot refute. We don’t. And it gives you mid-majors something to hold over us in an argument.
That’s why Monday is an important litmus test for me. If Creighton is really as good as the guys on ESPN say they are, combined with the advantage of home court, they should win by 20 points. I mean, it should be a blowout. Kentucky is having the worst season in the 30 years I’ve followed them, and yet I really honestly believe they are still 10-15 points better than even the best of the aptly-named mid-major teams. So I look forward to your team proving my point, one way or the other.”
Calling this Creighton’s Super Bowl plays right into their hands, don’t you see? Is it a big game? Sure it is. Am I marvelously excited for it? Absolutely. But truth be told, I was way more excited when Oklahoma State came here in 1998, or when Iowa came here in 1999, because both teams were ranked at the time of their visits.
It is NOT the biggest game in program history, nor will a victorious outcome somehow “validate” the program. Unfortunately, I feel I’m losing the battle here, and that most fans really do believe this is the biggest game ever. For that, I am sad, and I will shed a single tear into my Diet Pepsi that the NCAA is forcing me to drink at the game because of their Gameday Prohibition laws. Bastards.
One Big Paragraph With Lots O’Dots (TM): Kentucky is in the midst of their first NIT bid since 1979, after missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 18 seasons. They have a 21-13 record overall … Second-team All-American Jodie Meeks averages 24.0 points per game, sixth-best in Division 1. He owns the three highest single-game scoring efforts this season, including a Kentucky-record 54 points against Tennessee in January … All-SEC big man Patrick Patterson averages 18 points, 9 boards and 2 blocks a game, and is a big reason the Wildcats rank third nationally in blocked shots … The Wildcats are sixth nationally in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 38%. They average 75 points scored and give up an average of just 66 … They are 4-6 in true road games this season … The Wildcats coach, Billy Gillespie, is on the hot seat despite this being just his second season on the bench. His 39-26 overall record is far from terrible, but considering Kentucky’s elevated expectations, its not surprising that the fans are restless.
The Last Time They Played: Creighton and Kentucky last met on January 2, 1948, and as I wrote in a telegraph post after the game, “Big loss STOP 65-23 Kentucky STOP Cross the Ohio River for a game tomorrow STOP Hopefully the outcome is better against Cincinnati STOP”
Pete Rose Memorial Odds: Creighton by 1.5 to 2.5 depending on who you ask. Not that it really matters, considering I don’t gamble and only offer this information for entertainment purposes.
Gratuitous Linkage: You know you’re getting old when the albums of your teenage years start getting re-issued in collector’s edition packages. Isn’t that stuff for old artists? Oh, wait, they are. First it was Pearl Jam’s Ten, the news of which made me feel like lying about my age, and now its the Beastie Boys’ Check Your Head. Good Lord. Make it stop.
Oh, and that article I linked to claims that Ten is directly responsible for the reprehensible Creed, Staind, and Nickelback trio. This claim made me throw up in my mouth, and a little bit on my shirt. Thanks.
The totally random song I’d play right now if I were still a radio DJ: Speaking of crappy music, some people don’t like Duran Duran. I am not one of them. They’re a guilty pleasure and dammit, I’m not afraid to admit as much. Its Monday, and I’m going to play New Moon on Monday because I can. You bet.
Prediction: And here we are at prediction time. What’s going to happen tonight?
I predict I will enjoy two beers prior to game time. I predict I will enjoy chicken strips and fries inside the arena, and I will enjoy the Diet Soda less than I would a PBR. I predict Jodie Meeks will go for 30 tonight, Patrick Patterson will go for 18 and 12, but the rest of the Wildcats will struggle. I predict Booker Woodfox will score 28, P’Allen will score 23 and have two colossal dunks, and Kenny Lawson will foul out.
I predict a close, hard-fought battle with 15 lead changes.
Mostly, I predict a Jays victory.
Creighton 77, Kentucky 75
