Its fashionable to hate on BracketBusters. Ask ten fans of a mid-major school for their opinion on it, and you’re likely to get at least eight of them to express their displeasure with the event for one reason or another. Some think it comes at a bad time, in the home stretch of the conference season when teams would rather be focused on the fight for MVC supremacy. Some think it has entirely too many teams — 114, or nearly 1/3 of Division 1. Some think its a no-win situation, that a win has rarely helped push a bubble team from the MVC into the Big Dance, but a loss has certainly kept teams out. Some think its outlived its usefulness now that one-time participants such as Butler have pulled out. A pretty small minority actually like the event, but with MVC Commissioner Doug Elgin being one of them, its not likely to go anywhere, now matter how vocal the league’s coaches come out against it.
And so it is what it is. If your team gets one of the eleven TV games, it gives you a nice non-conference game on a busy Saturday of hoops that may or may not actually do any good when it comes to procuring an at-large bid — and provided the matchup isn’t against a one-hit wonder, it gives you a nice return game in a future season, too. If you’re in the pool of 92 other teams who aren’t in one of the TV games, it gives you a non-conference game against a team of similar achievement — Evansville, a middle of the pack MVC team, drew Murray State, a middle of the pack OVC team; Bradley, a terrible MVC team, drew a team with an RPI of 303 in Tennessee-Martin. Fans of teams on TV are usually excited by the challenge; fans of the teams who aren’t generally complain about the event. There’s far more of the latter than the former, which is part of why it seems like everyone hates BracketBusters.
As for Creighton, they have a completely unexciting game, on the road, four days before a crucial matchup with Wichita State, so the timing of it stinks. To be entirely fair, though, Akron is the fifth-highest RPI team on the Jays’ non conference slate, so objectively, its not the disastrous game some are making it out to be. They’re leaps and bounds better than six teams the Jays willingly took on in November and December — Alabama State, Louisiana, Kennesaw State, Idaho State, Western Illinois and Samford –and in 2012-13, they’ll get to replace a team like that with what will hopefully be a decent Akron squad. Yes, the timing of this game stinks. Its a shame they weren’t good enough to get a TV game. But all things considered, they’ve been matched up with a pretty solid team. And by traveling to Akron, the hometown of LeBron James, they get to make all kinds of jokes about taking their talents to Akron, which from a purely comedic standpoint cannot be underestimated.
The Akron Zips are tied for third in the Atlantic Division of the MAC, and while 16-10 (7-5 in the league), they’ve won four straight — all by double digits — and are 10-2 at home. In their last game, they thoroughly destroyed Bowling Green, a team with the same 7-5 record in the MAC, by 35 points. Yes, 35. They’re playing their best basketball of the year, and in that 89-54 win, they made 16-28 three pointers while holding their opponent without a single make from out there, the second time in three games they’d accomplished that defensive feat. Yeeouch.
Lest you think that was a one-night only performance, the Zips shoot over 35% from three point range for the season, which is better than all but three teams in the MVC. They’ve made an even 200 treys, which is more than anyone in the MVC (Creighton leads the conference with 198). Its a balanced attack, too, with three players making more than 40 shots from long range: Brett McClanahan has made 65-165 for 39.4%, Darryl Roberts has made 40-105 for 38.1%, and Steve McNees has made 49-156 for 31.4%. Two other players have made at least 25 shots from out there, so they can certainly fill it up.
None of those perimeter players are the team’s leading scorer, though. That honor belongs to 6’8″ forward Nikola Cvetinovic, who averages 11.7 points and 7.2 rebounds a game. They also have a talented 7’0″ center, Zeke Marshall, who averages 9.5 points and 4.7 rebounds a game. Marshall is just 218 pounds, however, so while his height is a concern, his bulk is not — which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how the referees call the game.
Especially since its questionable what Kenny Lawson can provide, if he plays at all. The Jays big man was held out of practice late in the week after taking a forearm to the head in the Illinois State game; according to this story in the World-Herald, results of a concussion exam were not back yet but he was still experiencing headaches. Of course, Echenique also got beat up a little bit in that game, taking a knee to the chin while diving for a loose ball, but he’s alright and will play. Going up against a skinny center with a height advantage worries me slightly, however. Seems reminiscent of Drake, and all the foul trouble Gregory was in trying to guard their skinny, flopping post players.
While the game is a detour on the MVC race, its not meaningless — Wichita State lost a heartbreaker Friday night to VCU, and will not be very happy when Creighton comes to town Wednesday (are they ever happy when the Jays visit, I guess? Maybe the better thing to say would be “even more upset than normal.”) — so it would behoove the Jays to play well and continue building momentum. I hope the team isn’t looking past the game, because Akron’s a decent ball club that will win if the Jays play poorly or disinterested.
About the Zips: The Akron Zips are the only team in the Mid-American Conference to have won 20-plus games each of the last five seasons … Over the last four games, the Zips have put a strangle hold on their opponents from behind the 3-point arc. Akron opponents are shooting just 14.0% (6-for-43) from long range, including holding Western Michigan and Bowling Green without a 3-pointer … Over the last five games, the Zips have grabbed 58 offensive boards (11.6 per game), converting them into 60 second chance points (12.0 ppg). In the previous four games, the Zips averaged 7.8 offensive boards and 8.0 second chance points per game … Akron is 87-14 (.861) at Rhodes Arena under seventh-year head coach Keith Dambrot (10-2 overall, 5-1 MAC this season). They went 13-5 (6-2 MAC) at home last season, and the Zips have recorded nine-straight winning seasons at home overall, including the 2010-11 season … The Zips have posted a 4-1 record over the last five contests, averaging 72.4 ppg and are allowing 57.2 ppg (+15.2 ppg). Akron has turned the ball over an average of 11.8 times/game while forcing 12.4 turnovers (+0.6) and holds a 1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio … Six Zips are averaging seven points or better during that stretch, led by Nikola Cvetinovic’s 11.4 ppg. Brett McClanahan (10.6 ppg) is the only other player in double figures, followed by Darryl Roberts (9.6 ppg), Steve McNees (9.6 ppg), Brett McKnight (8.6 ppg) and Zeke Marshall (7.4 ppg). Cvetinovic leads the team at 9.8 rpg while McNees is averaging a team-best 4.4 apg.
One Big Paragraph with Lots O’Dots™: Greg McDermott was a perfect 7-0 while at Northern Iowa in games associated with the BracketBuster series, including road wins at Louisiana Tech, Wisconsin-Green Bay and Western Michigan. He was 4-0 in the original BracketBuster game, and was also a perfect 3-0 in the return trips … Creighton played in the first game in BracketBusters history, defeating Fresno State 67-66 on Feb. 22, 2003, in an 11 am game on the inaugural weekend then known as Bracket Buster Saturday. The game aired on ESPN and was announced by Terry Gannon, Jay Bilas and Andy Katz … Creighton went 0-6 last year in the Eastern time zone, losing in Orlando, Fla. three times and once each in Dayton, Ohio; Fairfax, Va.; and Terre Haute, Ind. This year the Jays are 0-1 in the Eastern time zone, losing at the buzzer to Indiana State. Akron, of course, is in the Eastern time zone … Creighton is 7-1 when either Josh Jones or Jahenns Manigat scores in double-digits, and is 7-0 when both combine for 13 or more points … Greg McDermott is tied for the second-most wins by any first-year coach in school history. Tom Apke went 20-7 in 1974-75, while Creighton’s first coach ever, Thomas E. Mills, was 17-3 in 1916-17. McDermott’s 17 wins are more than the combined number of first-year wins by his two predecessors, Dana Altman (7 in 1994-95) and Rick Johnson (9 in 1991-92).
The Last Time They Played: Pierce Hibma had a career-high 14 points, including four first-half three-pointers, in Creighton’s 71-60 win over Akron in first round action of the 2006 National Invitation Tournament. Hibma drained a pair of three-pointers to give Creighton a 6-0 lead in the first 75 seconds, and the Zips wouldn’t make a field goal until a Romeo Travis dunk made it 10-4 with 15:46 left in the first half.
Anthony Tolliver had 18 points and six rebounds, while Johnny Mathies played 37 minutes, scoring 11 points and dishing out six assists. Nick Porter scored 15 points — going 11-12 from the free throw line — and grabbed eight tough rebounds. The win advanced the team to play Miami. I think we all know how that ended.
The Series: That 2006 NIT game is the only previous meeting between the two schools. Greg McDermott has never faced Akron or their head coach, Keith Dambrot.
Gratuitous Linkage: I love that Radiohead continues sticking their finger in the eye of the big record companies by releasing albums successfully on their own, this time with their new disc “The King of Limbs.” At eight tracks and 37 minutes, its old school in its brevity. I downloaded it over my lunch hour Friday and enjoyed it all afternoon. Good stuff. “The Bends” is still my favorite disc of theirs, though, if only because everyone else prefers “OK Computer” or “Kid A”. You know me, I gotta be different.
Out of Context Simpsons quote: “I think Smithers picked me because of my motivational skills. Everyone says they have to work a lot harder when I’m around.” -Homer Simpson
This Date in Creighton Hoops History: On February 19, 2005, the Jays played in another untelevised BracketBuster game. The matchup that year was against UT-Chattanooga, and the Jays exploded for 100 points and made a MVC record 20 three-pointers. It came three days after shooting a Missouri Valley Conference record 84.2% in the second half of a win at Wichita State, a remarkable three halves of offensive basketball.
Nate Funk and Kellen Miliner had 20 points each to lead Creighton. Funk hit 7-of-8 shots from the floor and 5-of-6 overall, while Miliner was 7-for-11 while draining 6-of-8 from three-point land. Also in double-digits for the Jays were Johnny Mathies (15) and Dane Watts (10). Creighton made 37-of-63 shots (58.7%) for the game, including 20-of-30 from three-point range.
It was the second triumph in an eight-game win streak that carried the Bluejays to an MVC Tournament title and narrow 63-61 NCAA Tournament loss to eventual Elite Eight qualifier West Virginia. As I wrote here, the 2005 run reminds me of what I sense this current group is starting to do. I didn’t even realize the BracketBusters game that year was on the same date as it is this year when I wrote that, however. Crazy.
Completely Random, Totally Rad Music Video of the Day: Akron native Chrissie Hynde rocks out with her band, The Pretenders on this classic.
The Bottom Line: I think Creighton is going to continue their roll, and though the game will be tight, they’ll pull away late.
Creighton 73, Akron 63.
