[Miss Mike Spomer’s photos from Creighton’s win against Arizona State? Get them here.]
Las Vegas takes its toll. Win or lose, you’re bound to leave the city physically tired, mentally drained, and ready for your own bed. It is fun, but it’s a grind, one not for the faint of heart.
Leaving the Orleans Arena after Creighton clinched the Las Vegas Invitational title with a 14-point win against Arizona State, I felt like I’d experienced the full gamut of the usual trip to Vegas in about 40 minutes of basketball. And I was merely sitting in the stands. The Jays had to be drained; two games in about 24 hours against physical and well-coached teams must be exhausting. And to do so knowing that the games likely represent two of the four best non-conference games on CU’s schedule this season adds pressure to the situation.
But Greg McDermott’s Bluejays rose to the occasion, becoming the only team in the nation to begin the season with six consecutive wins with double-digit margins. It took a toll on the Jays, especially the championship game against the Sun Devils. Uneven officiating limited the teams’ ability to establish any sort of flow, and action was choppy for most of the game. The two teams combined for 47 personal fouls and 53 free throw attempts. ASU’s Eric Jacobsen fouled out in just 11 minutes, while Bluejays Gregory Echenique fouled out in 12 minutes and Austin Chatman was disqualified after 28 minutes. Grant Gibbs gave up his body for a play near his own bench, and the Bluejay senior’s reward for a fine effort and a great line (8 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal) was a violent collision with the cement behind the Creighton subs. And Doug McDermott was once again relentless while dealing with hounding pressure from the opposing defense.
The Creighton Bluejays celebrate winning the 2012 Las Vegas Invitational (Mike Spomer/WBR)
There might not be a player in the country who has to work harder for what he takes on the offensive end. Constantly scoring against double and triple teams, McDermott managed to follow his 30-point effort against Wisconsin with 29 points against ASU. He added 9 rebounds, falling just one board short of another double-double. He’s still struggling (compared to last season) from outside the arc, but near the paint he remains nearly unstoppable. And unlike his freshman season, McDermott’s not shying away from contact. He’s attempted 8 or more free throws in four of CU’s six games this season, and he shot 10 against the Badgers and 11 against the Sun Devils. McDermott’s making 88% of his shots at the charity stripe. For his efforts in Vegas McDermott earned the tournament’s MVP honor, and shortly thereafter national pundit and folk hero among hoops junkies Dick Vitale named Doug his national player of the week.
McDermott almost wasn’t the best player in the championship game. Arizona State’s Jahii Carson repeatedly punished the Bluejays with an array of offensive moves, scoring a game-high 30 points to go with 4 steals and 7 assists. Playing most of the last 8 minutes of the game with four fouls, Carson remained in the game while still dictating things on offense for ASU. But down the stretch, McDermott scored 7 of his 10 second-half points as the Jays managed to withstand Arizona State’s efforts to get any closer than 6 points.
Vegas often leaves folks dazed and confused. Sensory overload can do that. And I felt that way walking to the cab stand at the Orleans Saturday night. Creighton led Arizona State from start to finish, capitalizing on a 27-9 run to begin the game. The Jays outscored the Sun Devils in the paint (38-30), off turnovers (25-20), and off the bench (28-8). CU forced 18 ASU turnovers, and turned them into 14 points. Meanwhile, even though the Jays committed 15 turnovers themselves, the Sun Devils didn’t score any points following those miscues. None. Perhaps being weary after a few days of turkey and drinking and casino floor smoke and incessant deek-a-deek music left me riddled with stress. But I was constantly waiting for the Sun Devil run late in the game that never came. To the casual observer, Creighton’s wins during the weekend were relatively easy. Any CU fans watching from the Orleans or on TV would beg to differ.
The tired legs were manifest in missed shots and mistakes. A night after playing extremely well against Wisconsin, Chatman looked fatigued for stretches against the Sun Devils. He turned the ball over 6 times; for context, entering the night he had just 12 turnovers in Creighton’s 5 games. Ethan Wragge, who joined McDermott on the All-Tournament team, made his first two three-pointers against ASU before missing his next four. As a team, after hitting 42% of their three-point attempts in the first half, the Jays made just 27% of their similar attempts in the second half. And Creighton’s 15 turnovers were a season high.
Still, without Echenique on the floor for any extended minutes, the Bluejays outrebounded ASU 41-30. The Jays collected 11 offensive rebounds to the Sun Devils’ 4. And Arizona State’s lack of depth was evident, as they shot far worse in the second half from the field and from three-point range.
All told, Creighton leaves Las Vegas a winner. In a city that takes far more than it gives most players, the Bluejays accomplished exactly what was needed: they won two games going away against good teams. Like their fans who spent all weekend celebrating, the Jays are probably trying to recuperate right now. But they don’t have much time. Boise State comes to Omaha Wednesday and then Saint Joseph’s arrives this weekend. The Bluejays are hoping that what happened in Vegas doesn’t stay there, and that they take the lessons learned and apply them throughout the next few grueling months. In essence, these few days in Las Vegas were a teaser for what March might be like for Greg McDermott’s team come tournament time. But the wins will mean little if the focus drifts against the Broncos and Hawks. So goes the story for one of the top teams in the nation: no letting up, for fear of a let down. Like trying to recover from a fantastic vacation in Vegas, it’s a good problem to have.