Jim Flanery’s Bluejays basketball team followed up last week’s painful home loss to Northern Iowa with a win over Bradley at D.J. Sokol Arena. This week, the Jays leave the friendly confines of Omaha and head to Normal, Illinois, tonight for a meeting with the Illinois State Redbirds. Following what CU fans hope is a win, Creighton treks to Terre Haute, where the Indiana State Sycamores await.
We caught up with Brad Burwell, who calls all the action for the Bluejays home and away on 1180 AM KOIL in Omaha, to ask him a few questions about last week’s results and this week’s road games.
White & Blue Review: First, let’s touch a bit on last week’s games. After losing to UNI, Jim Flanery seemed really frustrated with the way his team played. What makes the Panthers so difficult to beat?
Brad Burwell: The frustration was from the slow start, which has plagued the team quite a bit this year and forces them to play catch up, which expends a lot of energy. Their boarding was good, defense on key players was good, and free throw shooting was good. But with a chance to win, somebody needs to step up and make a play at the end of close games.
WBR: Coming off that loss, what was the atmosphere or attitude surrounding the team as they took on Bradley? Knowing they missed a golden opportunity to beat UNI at home, how did you think the Jays adjusted against the Braves?
BB: There was a mind set to get off to a quicker start, for one. But primarily, they looked to the ability of Carli Tritz to step up and make some plays. She is not afraid as a freshman to put the ball in her hands or to make the big play. The team caused a lot of turnovers against BU, which led to some easy buckets.
WBR: Speaking of Tritz, she is not only the top scorer among freshmen and newcomers in the Valley, but she leads the MVC in steals in conference games. And in our last Q&A, you compared her defensively to Megan Neuvirth (3rd all-time at CU in steals). How are the two similar? What makes Tritz so good at such an early point in her career?
BB: She has instinct for her surroundings. She anticipates plays, which means she is a student of the game. It does not hurt that she is extremely quick and has great length, meaning her reach and wingspan is greater than someone who is 5’10”. One final thing that she and Megan share is effort and sense of urgency. That was demonstrated as she crashed over her own bench in pursuit of a loose ball against Bradley.
WBR: Creighton’s defense seems to be clasping down on teams in Valley play, giving up a league-best 54.6 ppg. For fans who haven’t seen Flan’s team play yet this year, what types of defenses does his team employ?
BB: Full court pressure from end to end. That includes trapping, double teaming, and help defense in the half court. It is intense and causes opponents to turn the ball over a lot.
WBR: Kelsey Woodard has been the steady hand for Flan’s team on offense. She leads the Valley in assist-to-turnover ratio in conference games, including posting 7 assists and no turnovers in her last two games. How has she improved as a filter for the offense during this her senior season?
BB: Kelsey has further developed her game beyond just a perimeter shooter. She is doing an excellent job of recognizing matchups on her and, when beneficial, posting up against smaller or weaker players. She is also seeing the floor very well and finding the open teammate when she is doubled.
WBR: Creighton, Missouri State, and Northern Iowa each have one loss in the league play. Do you think those three teams will remain tightly bunched atop the Valley as the conference season progresses? What team outside of those three, if any, do you think can make a run at the top spot?
BB: It is cliché but the league is very well balanced. Road games against those in the middle of the pack such as Illinois State and Indiana State are important because when we go to UNI and Missouri St. to play on the road we will definitely be underdogs. For Creighton to stay competitive, the younger players will have to continue to contribute through strong bench play. The two teams this weekend, plus Wichita State, figure to be in the mix for the top six spots come tourney time.
WBR: Traditionally, how difficult are road games at Illinois State and Indiana State? Do you foresee the Bluejays having a tough time on this trip?
BB: The Jays have actually always played pretty well at Illinois State and lately better at Indiana State, sweeping those games last year. Those programs have great fan support, so it is important to take the crowd out early with strong starts. The goal is certainly to win every game, but fans should not be disappointed if they split these two and figure a sweep is a real plus. Indiana State is tougher than most folks thought at the beginning of the year. That actually could be the tougher of the two games.
WBR: The Redbirds handed UNI its only MVC loss of the season so far. Last season, Creighton handed ISU its only two regular MVC losses. What do the Jays need to do to win at Redbird Arena?
BB: Be physical. Control the boards, press and create turnovers, and get second chance opportunities on the offensive end. With a new coach, Stephanie Glance, at ISU, it will be interesting to see if they have changed their style of play. I always considered them to be more of a finesse team with good shooters and good ball handlers. I think we have to quicken the pace and be just more physical.
WBR: The Sycamores start the week’s games at 2-3 in the Valley and 8-8 overall. What’s the brief scouting report for Indiana State?
BB: Shannon Thomas, their center, has proven to be quite a handful in the early part of the season. She can play low but also faces up to basket well. Brittany Schoen is an excellent 3-point shooter and Deja Mattox and Kelsie Cooley are very serviceable front court players. Again defense will carry the day for the Jays. They have to make sure that they recognize matchups, provide low post help on Thomas, and guard the perimeter on Schoen.