Creighton got a combined 35 points on 14 shots from Isaac Traudt and Mason Miller. They got a combined 17 assists and 0 turnovers from Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander. And with that, they handed a sixth opponent in nine games their worst loss of the season — this one a 109-64 win over Central Michigan, to improve to 8-1.
The outcome of Saturday’s game was never likely to be in doubt, but thankfully (if you’re a Jays fan) CU made sure of it from the opening tip. Ryan Kalkbrenner scored at the rim on back-to-back possessions in the first 90 seconds, with the second one on a lob pass for an easy dunk; it’s a play the Jays emphasized in practice in the week leading up to game, because it was an important piece of their offense the last two seasons that had been missing after Ryan Nembhard’s departure.
After a barrage of threes — two from Mason Miller, one each from Trey Alexander and Baylor Scheierman — Creighton had opened up a 16-4 lead. Central Michigan was never as close again.
Traudt was everywhere, even sprinting up the court on a fastbreak for a dunk.
Later in the half, the Bluejays used a 9-0 surge, including the final seven from Traudt to push their lead to 31-14. Here’s what kind of game it was: ahead 35-18, Scheierman toyed with the CMU defense in transition by luring the defense out to the perimeter with a slight hesitation — and then throwing a bounce pass behind them to Francisco Farabello cutting to the basket.
The combo of Miller and Traudt continued to punish CMU’s defense, with Miller hitting a three-pointer in the final minute of the first half off a second-chance opportunity, and then Traudt burying one in front of the bench early in the second half.
And when Central Michigan extended their defense out to the perimeter to try and push the Jays off the line, they zipped the ball inside to Kalkbrenner for three shots at the rim in the first two minutes of the second half. The immediate counter to CMU’s halftime adjustment had to be demoralizing. It was a perfect example of the “pick your poison” nature of this offense — if you crowd the perimeter to cut down on three-point opportunities, Kalkbrenner will likely punish you at the rim. If you crowd the paint to take Kalkbrenner away, which is how most of CU’s first nine opponents have opted to defend them, the Jays will more often than not punish you by hitting open threes. And when Isaac Traudt and Mason Miller are shooting like this? Good luck.
It’s one game, yes, but it’s also on film now for future opponents to see in their scouting reports — and keep opposing coaches awake at night. They already knew they had to scheme to guard the Jays’ big three of Stephen Ashworth, Trey Alexander and Baylor Scheierman. Having to also figure out a way to guard a pair of fours who can shoot lights-out, too?
“Not many teams have enough guys that are that good defensively,” Greg McDermott said succinctly. “And every time somebody made a mistake, our passers made them pay. We’ve had some in the past that could really shoot it. This team probably stands apart, in some ways, because of the number of guys that can shoot it. We have confidence in them, and they have confidence in each other.”
Inside the Box:
- Isaac Traudt: 5-of-6 from three, 6-of-7 overall
- Mason Miller: 4-of-5 from three, 6-of-7 overall
- Baylor Scheierman: 9 assists, 0 turnovers
- Trey Alexander: 8 assists, 0 turnovers
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 7-of-7 from the floor
That’s the story, isn’t it? Alexander and Scheierman weren’t feeling it, but combined for 17 assists on made baskets for teammates. Traudt and Miller were, and combined to make 12-of-14 from three-point range. And when CMU decided to guard the perimeter closer, instead of doubling the post, Kalkbrenner went to work and had a perfect shooting night.
“I feel way more comfortable,” Traudt said after the game. “When I got here in the summer, especially, I just felt clueless a lot of the time. I wasn’t used to playing free basketball or anything like that. It definitely took me a while, and I’m still obviously not all the way there yet, but I’m definitely feeling more comfortable.”
Traudt is just the second player of the McDermott Era to have 18 or more points in 13 or fewer minutes, joining Martin Krampelj vs Coe College in 2018.
It’s the seventh time in nine games that the explosive Bluejay offense scored the most points an opponent has given up this season.
- Florida A&M – 105 (Creighton)
- North Dakota State – 89 (Creighton)
- Iowa – 92 (Creighton)
- Loyola Chicago – 88 (Creighton, Tulsa)
- Oklahoma State – 79 (Creighton)
- Nebraska – 89 (Creighton)
- Central Michigan – 109 (Creighton)
Their 109 points are tied for 12th-most in program history, and its most since Dec. 20, 2017 when it put 116 points on USC Upstate.
The Jays scored their 75th point with 14:36 left in the game, the third-fastest “Free Godfather’s Pizza” point in a regular-season home game since moving to CHI Health Center Omaha. Because of that huge lead, the back half of the bench saw extended time, and they impressed too.
Fredrick King had 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting, adding five boards in 19 minutes of action. Francisco Farabello had five assists in his 19 minutes. And for all the talk about how much Scheierman has thrived in his second year in CU’s system, Farabello has done the same in his own way.
“He does so much for our team. He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever coached. He gets it,” McDermott said on his postgame radio show. “How often does a guy transfer from a Power 5 school? And never so much as start a game, never complains, just shows up, goes to work, is the same guy in the locker room every day. Really, when you’re evaluating leadership, I think one of the most important things, especially young people as they look to someone for a leader, is do I know what I’m getting every day? And you know what you’re getting in Francisco every day. He’s very caring as a teammate, he’s going to hold you accountable, but he’s going to do it in the right way. He’s going to try to make you better because as he makes you better, he understands it makes us better. So his fingerprints have been all over this program and they will continue to be as we move forward.”