From now until Selection Sunday, WBR will provide you with a quick glance at everything you need to know about Creighton Bluejays men’s basketball.
This morning, that means mourning a rough night on the Hilltop.
Creighton women’s basketball fans gathered at Sokol Arena to bid a fond farewell to a great group of seniors. Injured players Riley Norman and Carli Tritz suited up and played a minute, giving all in attendance an emotional jolt to start the game. But another 20-point effort by Marissa Janning wasn’t enough to overcome Butler, sending Jim Flanery’s seniors out with a loss in their final regular season home game.
Meanwhile, in the nation’s capital, the Creighton men suffered a 12-point loss to Georgetown. The Bluejays dropped two straight for the first time since Thanksgiving weekend. The Jays suffered another poor shooting night (39.7% from the field; 34.5% from three) while surrendering a second straight above-average shooting night to an opponent (50% from the field by Xavier Saturday, 54% by the Hoyas Tuesday).
Creighton, by the Computers
- #8 NCAA Official RPI (no update from 03/04)
- #8 Warren Nolan RPI (no change from 03/04)
- #9 KenPom (-2 from 03/04)
- #14 ESPN BPI (-3 from 03/04)
Bracketing the Bluejays
- #3 via Tim Krueger’s Bracket
- #3 (2.92 average) via Bracket Matrix
The Race for the Prize
Creighton 13-4 Big East
Remaining game: Saturday vs. Providence (10-7)
Villanova 14-2 Big East
Remaining games: Thursday @ Xavier (10-7), Saturday vs. Georgetown (8-9)
Ugh. A two-game losing streak has rendered the Bluejays almost solely observers at this point. Technically, Creighton can still win a share of the league championship. Should CU beat Providence on senior night and Villanova lose remaining games at Xavier and versus Georgetown, the Bluejays would take the #1 seed at next week’s Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament in New York City.
The more likely scenario is that Jays fans spend next Thursday afternoon imbibing in various watering holes in Manhattan and then head over to the evening quarterfinal session at Madison Square Garden. Should the Jays be the #2 seed, Creighton would play at 7:00 p.m. ET Thursday against the winner of Wednesday night’s second play-in game.
CU Stat o’ the Day
35.9%
Unfortunately, that’s the combined three-point shooting percentage for seniors Jahenns Manigat and Ethan Wragge in the past 9 games.
The past two games — both CU losses — have been rough for Manigat (1-12 from deep) and Wragge (4-15) outside the arc. It’s no secret that while Doug McDermott gets buckets, Creighton’s best version of itself appears when Manigat, Wragge, or both are translating opponents’ focus on McDermott into made shots from three-point range.
But in the past 9 games, Manigat and Wragge have shot nearly 10 percentage points worse from three (35.9%) than their season averages (45.4% combined).
What to Watch Today
Dayton @ Saint Louis (8:00 p.m. CT, CBS Sports Network)
I’m tempted to say Saint Joseph’s at George Washington, but I’m not sure that game’s on TV anywhere outside the northeast. The Bluejays beat the Hawks but lost to GW. Thanks to a nice winning streak and recent stumbles by Saint Louis, St. Joe’s still has a shot at winning the Atlantic 10 regular season championship.
However, the Billikens are an interesting comparison to Creighton right now. Riding high for most of the season, SLU has lost two straight games (just like CU). Ten days ago Saint Louis seemed a shoe-in for the A10 title. Now the Billikens host a Dayton team that’s won 7 of 8.
Today in Bluejays Basketball History
March 5, 1991 — Creighton 68, Missouri State 52
Behind 16 points from Bob Harstad, the Bluejays win the first “Arch Madness” Missouri Valley Conference tournament and punch their ticket to the Big Dance.
The Bluejays held then-Southwest Missouri State to 19 second-half points on 20.6% shooting.
Harstad earned MVP honors for the tournament, joining teammates Chad Gallagher, Duan Cole, and Latrell Wrightsell on the all-tournament team.
Creighton Hoops Photo of the Day
Grant Gibbs scored 17 points in the loss at Georgetown. (WBR/Mike Spomer)