There has been a lot of talk this season about the defense of the Creighton men’s basketball team. That may be evidenced by the final two games at the CenturyLink Center where the Bluejays had to come from behind against Long Beach State and Evansville to get victories trying to outscore the opponent.
However, it is hard to argue about the offensive efficiency of this Bluejay basketball team. They are still tops in the nation in field goal percentage (51.3%), second in three-point field goal percentage (43.3%), second in the nation in total points, and seventh in the nation in points per game. They also share the ball quite a bit as they are second in the nation in assists and assists per game.
Creighton hits the road against Indiana State on Saturday afternoon. The teams’ first meeting was a perfect example of how efficient the Bluejay offense has been. The Jays won that game 75-49 and only had one player in double-figures, Doug McDermott. With so many weapons going that day, there was no way to stop them. If they get this kind of distribution once they hit the postseason, look out.
Todd Golden from the Terre Haute Tribstar talked to us about the Sycamores before the game in Omaha. He joins us again to get us up to date on Indiana State before Saturday’s 3:05 p.m. tip on ESPN2.
White & Blue Review: In one of your recent columns you wondered about the ups and downs of the Sycamores this season. How close are they to having things together heading into Saturday and into the MVC Tournament?
Todd Golden: Who knows? If I’ve learned one thing about Indiana State this season, it’s that they are rarely the same team from one game to the next, so all assumptions are off the table. The win at Missouri State was huge, their biggest of their MVC season, but every time ISU has won a big game or put together a bit of a run, every time you think that they’ve turned a corner to live up to preseason expectation, they tend to produce a stinker. There’s no mulligans left for the Sycamores, and perhaps that serves as better motivation than previously in the season, but I’ve learned that you predict what the Sycamores do at your peril.
WBR: There are a lot of seeding implications tied to this final game. Where do you think they will end up and what would be their best set of matchups in the MVC Tournament?
TG: I think it’s going to be difficult, though not impossible, to beat Creighton on Saturday. Indiana State can still escape the play-in with a loss — it would require a Missouri State win over Evansville and some help — but that’s a lot to ask. If Indiana State escapes the play-in, Missouri State or Northern Iowa would be the most palatable options.
The Bears looked listless on Wednesday. There’s no way Indiana State wants any part of Evansville, even though the Sycamores beat them twice this season. If Indiana State is in the play-in, there’s no good option, given that Creighton or Wichita State would be lying in wait if they survived Thursday.
WBR: In the first meeting, Doug McDermott was the only player for Creighton to score in double-figures but the Bluejays won by 26. What happened in that game that they hope to correct this time?
TG: Keep everyone else from scoring! It was ironic, because ISU did a great job against McDermott, but Creighton’s shooters were on-target that day. What ISU needs to do has less to do with the defensive end — Creighton is going to get its points — but how productive the Sycamores can be on the offensive end. Creighton’s defense has been pretty sieve-like in recent games, but Indiana State’s offense comes and goes, so Creighton’s recent defensive woes might not come to the fore. If the Sycamore offense is on-task, ISU can win.
WBR: Jake Odum has been dealing with injuries all season. How is he holding up?
TG: He’s not holding up very well, but he’s shown uncommon toughness. He has both plantar fasciitis and a stress fracture in his left shin. Either injury could have sidelined him, but he’s played through it. Odum’s value to the Sycamores is hard to measure. His points per game don’t do him justice. When he’s running the floor, the Sycamores are a different team.
WBR: Which Sycamore needs to step up and make a difference on Saturday?
TG: Carl Richard had a great game defending Missouri State’s Kyle Weems on Wednesday and he needs to do the same to limit McDermott on Saturday. Myles Walker can’t get into foul trouble against Gregory Echenique. Scoring-wise, Odum has to look to score and Jordan Printy has to have a good shooting game. Someone else … perhaps R.J. Mahurin … needs to contribute points off the bench.
WBR: With all of the Valley games you have watched this season, does McDermott deserve the MVC Player of the Year award or should it go to someone from Wichita State since they won the regular season title?
TG: I still think it goes to McDermott. I’m not one who slavishly thinks the Player of the Year has to go to the conference-winning team. I’ve never voted that way, and frankly, I think it’s a lazy way to vote. Moreover, I think Wichita State is about the whole, more than any sum of its parts, which I think is a compliment to the job Gregg Marshall has done there. WSU is so deep that they don’t rely on any one player. If Garrett Stutz, Joe Ragland, et al, have an off-game, they still have resources to win. Not so sure that’s case for Creighton if McDermott is off his game, which, of course, rarely happens. McDermott is still the choice for me, but I will say that Marshall is a lead-pipe cinch pick for Coach of the Year.
WBR: If fans were going to Terre Haute for the first time, where is the best place to go before the game?
TG: It’s not Omaha’s Old Market, but Terre Haute has improved dramatically as far as downtown atmosphere, bars, etc., since I arrived in 2004. The Ballyhoo Tavern, just northeast of Hulman Center, is the long-time popular spot for alums. The Copper Bar is across the street on the south side of HC and worth a stop. So is 7th and Elm, on the north end of campus. There are several more watering holes downtown or near downtown. If you want the true Haute experience, check out the Tepee Tavern on 25th and Hulman. I know several ex-pat Creighton alums who have lifted a beer or two in there.
WBR: What is your final prediction? What will Indiana State have to do to get a win on senior day?
TG: Every time you expect ISU to zig, they zag, so I should predict a disappointing home loss for the Sycamores, given a wholly unexpected road win at Missouri State on Wednesday. However, I’m not so sure about that this time. No matter what, Indiana State will be playing for its play-in life. Creighton? It’s kind of, sort of, playing to avoid the NCAA Tournament bubble, but there’s not much else riding on this one for the Bluejays. It’s also possible that Creighton could face ISU a week later in St. Louis, so do they hold back a bit? Do they limit minutes to give players rest?
I think it goes overtime. I think Indiana State wins on a Jake Odum leaner on the right elbow in the last 10 seconds. In reality, I have no idea how this game plays out, but if I’m going to conjure up a prediction, I might as well make it a dramatic one!