Who: Creighton Bluejays vs. Arkansas Razorbacks
When: 4:00 p.m. CT Friday
Where: Allen Fieldhouse; Lawrence, Kansas
Radio: 1180 AM (Listen online here)
Webcast: Free video and audio courtesy of KU Athletics & ESPN 3
No. 2 Creighton (22-8) returns to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four seasons. The Bluejays play No. 3 Arkansas (16-13) Friday afternoon in Lawrence, where the host No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks (23-7) play No. 4 Wichita State (28-6) later in the day.
Jess Bird (13) and the Creighton Bluejays begin the NCAA Tournament Friday in Kansas (WBR/Mike Spomer) CLICK TO BUY PHOTO
The Bluejays beat KU (3-1) and Wichita State (3-2) earlier this season during one of the country’s most difficult non-conference schedules. The win versus the Jayhawks was Creighton’s first in school history against KU (1-5 overall). The victory at Wichita State came in the schools’ first meeting outside the Missouri Valley Conference and broke a 21-21 tie in the all-time series.
The Jays have played Arkansas just once, but it happened in Lawrence in 2003. The Razorbacks swept CU 3-0 in the Hampton Inn/Jayhawk Classic that year.
Recent trips to the NCAA Tournament have been good to Kirsten Bernthal Booth’s program. The Bluejays won first-round matchups against Iowa State in 2010 and Marquette in 2012. Both trips took place in Minneapolis, and both tournaments ended with Creighton losses to nationally ranked Minnesota teams.
Is this the season CU breaks through and plays into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament? Check back at WBR all weekend as Matt DeMarinis checks in live from Lawrence.