I’m at a loss for words.
A day that started with low expectations for the Bluejays ended with an elevated sense of worry. The more I read about New Mexico’s team and the Lobos’ efforts this season, the less I thought of my decision to once again plan a weekend night during the holiday season around a Creighton game.
I never pick against my Bluejays, regardless of what my Pick ‘Em selections have been so far this season on the Web site. In my heart of hearts, I always think the Jays will pull off the win, no matter the opponent or the odds. But after comparing rosters, statistics, and the Lobos’ infamous home arena, The Pit, it was really difficult to decipher a series of conditions under which Dana Altman’s team would be in a position to beat a ranked team on the road for the first time in what seems like forever.
- And then Creighton shot 71% in the first half.
- And New Mexico shot 21% in the first half.
- And Creighton scored 40 points in the first half.
- And New Mexico scored 28 points in the first half.
- And Kenny Lawson went for 11 points and 4 rebounds in the first half, on his way to a double-double.
- And the Bluejays won the battle of the boards in the first half, 24-16.
That’s a recipe for me getting my hopes up. Sure, Creighton turned the ball over 13 times to New Mexico’s 5 in the first half. And sure, the Bluejays fouled the Lobos 16 times in 20 minutes. But in spite of those negatives, one positive stood out after the first half: the Bluejays had put themselves in a position to win, yet again.
And that makes what happened during the next 20 minutes even more difficult to bear.
- The Bluejays shot 21% in the second half.
- The Bluejays went 1-15 from 3-point range in the second half (7%).
- It took the Bluejays 9 minutes and 14 seconds to make their first field goal of the second half.
- While they cut down their turnovers (5) compared to the first 20 minutes (13) …
- …they allowed 12 offensive rebounds by the Lobos en route to being outrebounded 28-16 in second 20 minutes.
- One Lobo, Darington Hobson (19 points), nearly outscored the entire Creighton roster (21 points) in the second half.
I’m running out of words to adequately describe the latest in this season-long string of second-half disasters suffered by the Bluejays. I had plenty of words Saturday night, though, especially those of the four letter variety. Explicit, exasperated; you name it. I doubt I’m in the minority amongst Jays fans when I say I’m tired of watching this team play soft in the second half.
Yep, soft. That’s perhaps the most damning of four-letter words one can use to describe a college basketball team’s play. Altman mentioned it in the postgame World-Herald article Sunday morning, but gathered around a table at the Rock Bottom Brewery in the Old Market, plenty of other Bluejays fans beat him to the punch Saturday night.
A couple of characteristics about this season’s Creighton men’s basketball team are clear through 10 games. First, they are capable of competing with very good basketball teams for long stretches. Dayton, Michigan, Xavier, George Mason, and New Mexico field pretty decent squads this season. And the Jays either held leads against those teams in the second half or were within striking distance during the second 20 minutes. The second characteristic, though, is that whether on the road or on a neutral court, the Bluejays haven’t been able to seal the deal, rather coughing up those second-half leads or going ice-cold from the field while allowing the opponent to heat up.
The cause for completely collapsing in some of these games? Possibly the lack of mental toughness. Potentially the absence of a vocal court leader, someone demanding the ball during a critical possession or ordering teammates to the proper spots in the offense or defense. Or maybe a coaching staff searching in vain for the right rotation or substitution pattern to emerge, or for the right defensive strategy to eliminate some scorching second-half shooting performances by some of Creighton’s opponents (Dayton shot 56% in the second half; Michigan shot 42%; Xavier shot 56%).
As is always the case in competitive athletics, there’s always the “could have, would have, should have” argument. Had things gone a bit better for the Bluejays during a few key stretches in the non-conference season, CU could have beat three ranked teams. Had Justin Carter not suffered a knee injury, and Casey Harriman and Chad Millard not had health problems precluding them from playing, the Jays would have had the depth to outlast a few teams down the stretch of some games. But the reality is this: Regardless of these issues, Creighton should have been able to close games out, no excuses. For whatever reason, they aren’t ready to do what thousands of Jays fans thought they were — rise up to the challenge of a more difficult non-conference schedule.
So, through 10 games the Bluejays are 4-6. And now the non-conference schedule becomes evidence of a bloody battle between two clichés: be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it versus whatever doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.
The Bluejays battled great expectations for the first month of the season, and they couldn’t rise to the challenge of a difficult road-heavy non-con slate. Jays fans have wanted Altman to schedule more difficult non-MVC games, but the Bluejays couldn’t finish decent efforts and record wins. Be careful what you wish for.
But Creighton proved it could compete against those teams, in sometimes difficult (Dayton, New Mexico) sometimes apathetic (Michigan, Xavier, Iona) environments. Strength of schedule often becomes a crutch upon which teams pull themselves up during arguments about who is better in a hypothetical comparison, or who deserves a better/worse seed for the Big Dance. But according to the all-knowing StatSheet.com, Creighton’s strength of schedule through 10 games (147) is fourth highest among Valley schools … with only Indiana State (146), Northern Iowa (139), and Bradley (85) playing more difficult schedules on paper through the first one-third of the season. Will these close losses, although frustrating for fans and emotionally draining for players and coaches, result in new resolve in conference play? Will having played stronger competition than most of its MVC brethren make Creighton a stronger team during the conference season? Whatever doesn’t kill you…
And that’s the one thing stat sheets won’t tell writers, and the one thing television broadcasts won’t tell die-hard fans: does this team have the determination to fight through these unfortunate non-conference outcomes and deliver improved effort for a full 40 minutes during MVC play? Does the coaching staff have the flexibility and understanding of their personnel to make what might have to be some tough and unpopular decisions regarding restructuring playing time and substitution patterns? Can a team playing soft defense solidify into a stingy group of defenders?
Unless the answer is a three-letter word, there could be plenty more four-letter words grumbled and shouted by Bluejays fans everywhere.
