I’m a bit burnt out on college basketball. Well, not the game itself, I guess. No, I just get tired at this time each year. Tired of the Digger Phelpses and Jay Bilases of the world telling me who should and should not be in the NCAA Tournament. Tired of the Bracketologists boasting and complaining about what school got snubbed, and which programs don’t deserve a date in the Big Dance. The imperfect exercise known as the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament Selection Committee plays out the same way each season, which is to say the arbitrary application of power rankings fluctuating importance of various criteria used to cobble together a field of 64 65 68.
The Missouri Valley Conference is once again a one-bid league. Despite its regular season champion winning 25 games, advancing to the league’s tournament title game, and posting a sub-50 RPI, the Valley can count only automatic qualifier Indiana State as an NCAA Tournament participant (with a #14 seed, no less). In 2009, I foolishly thought Creighton had a chance at an at-large bid. UNI took the regular season and tournament championships in 2010 (and in 2009, too, if you count the co-championship with CU), eliminating the scenario of the league’s regular season champ not advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
So, as the nation turns its sporting attention to the Big Dance this week, a few Valley teams resume play, the conference crawling out of a post-Saint Louis slumber with its tail between its legs. Missouri State, the aforementioned league champ, pulled away from Murray State in the NIT last night. Wichita State, the league’s other NIT participant, hosts Nebraska at Koch Arena tonight. Northern Iowa rode Rider to a 24-point win in the first round of the CIT, the tournament Creighton participated in last season. And Evansville overcame a second half deficit to defeat Hofstra 77-70 in the first round of the CBI.
That’s where the Bluejays found themselves Tuesday night, too. The College Basketball Invitational, in its fourth year, has seen Valley teams Bradley, Wichita State, and Indiana State participate in previous seasons. The Braves were actually runners-up in the first CBI tournament, in 2008. And while there is a trophy and title on the line, make no mistake about the importance of an event such as the CBI: these are games for improving a team with a mind to the future, games that appeal at surface level to only the most fanatic of fans.
On short notice, for a tournament many in attendance probably couldn’t accurately name unless given a few clues, slightly more than 3,000 people spent a beautiful spring night inside Qwest Center Omaha Tuesday. The crowd was vocal, yet overmatched at times by the dim cast by open seats throughout the arena.
(I’m a proponent of playing these types of tournament games at Sokol Arena; if you’re going to expect only about 3,000 or 4,000 people to show up for CIT or CBI games, make it a tough ticket and pack an on-campus facility full of people who truly want to be there. I understand it isn’t realistic; although, faced with different situation last year, Creighton played two CIT games at the Civic Auditorium. Just sayin’.)
Those who did gather got to see three of next season’s returning starters combine for 61 points and 15 rebounds. Doug McDermott had another outstanding night, scoring 26 points and grabbing 9 rebounds to go with 3 assists and 1 turnover in 27 minutes. He hit 4 3-pointers, showcasing what CU fans hope is the next part of his game to flourish. Gregory Echenique, for whom San Jose State had little manpower to slow down, added 18 points and 5 rebounds. And freshman Jahenns Manigat was simply on fire, going 6 of 7 from the field and 5 of 6 from 3-point range for a career-high 17 points. Throw in Antoine Young’s 8-assist, zero-turnover performance, and the four Jays likely to create the majority of next season’s starting lineup kept this season alive for at least one more game.
Jahenns Manigat hit 5 of Creighton's 13 3-pointers against San Jose State
For the second time this season, Creighton held one of the nation’s scorers far below his season average; this time, it was Adrian Oliver, who finished with just 14 points (on 16 shots). But overall the defense — or, lack thereof — left much to be desired. Both teams shot about 50% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. And on a night when many in attendance just wanted to sit back and have some fun, the players looked to be enjoying the game the most. Passing lanes were open and fluid, Bluejays set each other up for good looks at the rim, and guys were aggressive with their shot choices once they had an opportunity to rip.
Kenny Lawson, one of four seniors to play another potential final game at The Phone Booth, came off the bench to score 10 points and grab 7 rebounds in 15 minutes. Darryl Ashford, another senior, was on the finishing end of a nice alley-oop pass. But this game belonged to next year’s leaders, the guys on whom the responsibility rests to win a Valley championship and find a way to return the program to the NCAA Tournament. They can’t expect any help from selection committees, bracketologists, or anyone outside their own locker room. Hopefully the steps they take in mid-March now can contribute to a better destination this time next year.