New Year’s Eve, 2011. Only in college hoops could the fate of the New Year be largely determined on the last day of the previous one. Coaches can talk all they want about it being a long season, that anything can happen. But let me be blunt: had Creighton lost at Wichita State and started Missouri Valley Conference play 0-2, there would be no nets coming down at the CenturyLink Center in late February.
A few hours before the clock hands officially called it quits on 2011, though, the Bluejays picked up a win that kept alive one of the program’s primary goals for 2012 — a conference championship. And they did so in a place that has become a sort of house of horrors for recent Creighton teams. The last time CU won in Wichita was January 2008, in the midst of Gregg Marshall’s first season as the Shockers’ head coach. The Jays were a road favorite in that game, while WSU was en route to a 4-14 conference record and a first-round exit in the MVC Tournament — during which Marshall put the madness in “Arch Madness,” getting ejected after picking up two technical fouls against Indiana State.
That was the last time Wichita State was a pushover in the Valley. Marshall built the Shockers back into what many in Wichita and throughout the MVC believe they should always be: a tough, physical team that consistently wins 20 games a year. Creighton’s 2008 road win in Wichita marked the last time the Bluejays left Koch Arena with a victory; meanwhile, last year the Shockers handed CU a home loss for the first time in the series since 1992. Road wins are tough to come by when these two teams get together.
After dropping a home game to Missouri State a few nights before, the Bluejays were desperate to leave Kansas with a 1-1 Valley record. And down 11 points with just under 2 minutes to play in the first half, it seemed that desperation was only going to increase in intensity after halftime. A three-point play by Antoine Young was the only thing that kept Creighton from hitting intermission down by double digits.
Grant Gibbs stepped up in the second half against Wichita State (Mike Spomer/WBR)
A 15-7 run to open the first half pulled the Bluejays even with the home team, much to the chagrin of the black-clad Shockers faithful at Koch Arena. The Shox continued to clamp down on Doug McDermott, leaving other Bluejays open. In the first half that meant Gregory Echenique (10 points) and Young (9 points) had to shoulder the scoring load. During the opening minutes of the second half, though, Grant Gibbs transformed from a pass-first guard to a guy looking to score. He scored 6 of his second-half 11 points in the first 6 minutes, and he converted a steal into a McDermott 3-pointer with 13 minutes to go to tie the game at 46 apiece.
The Shockers got a free throw the next drip down court, but that lead — Wichita’s last of the night — would be quickly erased by a Josh Jones 3-pointer. A few minutes later Gibbs would counter a huge play by WSU’s David Kyles that pulled the Shockers to within 1 point, drilling a 3-pointer to give CU a 4-point margin. Jones scored the game’s next 5 points, hitting a jump shot and then drilling a trey to push the Creighton lead to 9 (60-51). The Shockers could get no closer than 3 points, and the Bluejays hit free throws down the stretch. A few hours before the ball dropped on 2011, you could hear a pin drop in Koch Arena.
If you’d have told me McDermott would have a pedestrian (for him) 12 points and 7 rebounds against WSU, but that the Bluejays would win going away, I wouldn’t have believed you. But the balance that was missing when Missouri State focused on shutting down Doug appeared against the Shockers. Young (19 points) and Echenique (12) missed some shots they would like back, but they helped give Marshall’s team other players to worry about. Outstanding performances by Gibbs (11 points, 6 assists, 2 turnovers, 4 rebounds) and Jones (8 points, 4 rebounds, solid defense) also buoyed the Bluejays on a night when the Shockers were content to limit McDermott and make others beat them.
What’s more, if you’d have told me a Creighton team that gave up 77 points at home to Missouri State would allow only 61 to Wichita State at Koch Arena, I’d have asked you to get your head checked. But that’s what happened, largely because the Jays did a better job pressuring the perimeter. After making their first 3-point attempt in the second half, the Shockers missed their next 13. Sure, Carl Hall was outstanding in the paint (17 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks), but backcourt guys Kyles, Toure’ Murry, Joe Ragland, Ben Smith, and Demetric Williams combined to shoot 10 of 39 from the field. Creighton’s increased defensive focus, coupled with a cold second half by the Shockers, paved the way for the Bluejays to start 2012 with a valuable Valley road win.
A few other thoughts while wondering what the faithful in Cedar Falls are thinking right now.
A cannibalistic first week in the Valley.
Northern Iowa and Indiana State ended non-conference play in pretty good shape. The Panthers started Valley play with an unofficial top 10 RPI, while the Sycamores scored a win against a talented Vanderbilt team shortly before the conference season began. Creighton and Wichita State, too, entered league play with gaudy numbers. Little good that does them now, though.
UNI is o-fer, having dropped games to Illinois State and Evansville. Drake destroyed Indiana State, Creighton lost at home to Missouri State, and Wichita State followed up a blowout of Bradley with a loss against the Bluejays. Only the Bears and Purple Aces sit at 2-0 one week into conference games.
When power conferences eat their own, national pundits call them “deep” and “balanced.” When non-power conference teams beat up on each other, these same individuals have been known to say the opposite. How well will the Valley’s strong non-conference performance hold up? Monday marked the unveiling of the NCAA’s first official RPI rankings of the season, and the MVC has three teams inside the top 30 spots (Creighton’s #21, while UNI is #23 and WSU is #29).
I still believe the Valley will only earn two spots in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Problem is, there are no less than 5 teams capable of representing the league well with those two bids (Missouri State and Evansville being the others). Do three teams, or four, have enough good will built up from the non-conference to garner serious consideration for a spot come Selection Sunday? It is hard to figure out what a week like the league’s first does to answer that question.
Regardless, I hope you have your all-session tickets for Arch Madness. This promises to be the busiest MVC Tournament since 2007, when the semifinal and championship games sold out.
Jones, not Gibbs, is this team’s X-Factor.
Grant Gibbs is Creighton’s “glue” guy. He does a bit of everything, and he does it well. But Gibbs has been in foul trouble a few times recently early in games. Coupled with a few down games offensively for Jahenns Manigat, the Bluejays have needed another guard to help on both ends of the court. Enter Josh Jones.
That statement likely doesn’t give a few Creighton fans solace. For two-plus seasons, Jones has been a streaky shooter with the physical ability to defend. But too many times poor decisions on offense by the redshirt junior have cost him time on the court, time he could spend playing solid perimeter defense. He jumped off the bench and gave the Bluejays a spark against Missouri State, playing a season-high 21 minutes and scoring a season-high 11 points. He also grabbed a few rebounds and dished 3 assists while not committing a turnover. Against Wichita State he logged 28 minutes (a new season high) and scored 8 points while grabbing 4 rebounds. He played well defensively, too, keying in on various Wichita State shooters and limiting their effectiveness.
Creighton’s crunch-time lineup will always include Young, McDermott, Gibbs, and whichever post player (Echenique or Ethan Wragge) matches up best against the given opponent. But on a night when Manigat might struggle, the coaches need to be able to call on Jones. Similarly, if Jones reverts back to a cold streak, the coaches need Manigat to step up. This becomes imperative as Valley play progresses and conference opponents continue to try and take McDermott out of the game. If Jones can build on the past two games and give Greg McDermott another option on the perimeter, the Bluejays will be better positioned to overcome off nights by their stars.