From now until Selection Sunday, Creighton Otter will give WBR readers a quick glance at everything they need to know to keep their finger on the pulse of Bluejays hoops.
Creighton, by the Computers
- #7 NCAA Official RPI
- #6 Warren Nolan RPI
- #5 KenPom (#1 Ken Pom AdjO; #89 Ken Pom AdjD)
- #10 ESPN BPI
Bracketing the Bluejays
- #2 via Tim Krueger’s Bracket
- #2 (2.29 average) via Bracket Matrix
The Race for the Prize
Creighton 13-2 Big East
- Remaining games @ Xavier (9-6), @ Georgetown (7-8), vs. Providence (8-7)
Villanova 13-2 Big East
- Remaining games vs. Marquette (8-6), @ Xavier (9-6), vs. Georgetown (7-8)
The Bluejays and Wildcats are tied atop the Big East standings. The Jays own the tiebreaker, thanks to the regular season sweep of VU. Nova has two at home and one on the road; the Jays have two roadies left and then a Senior Night showdown with Providence — one of the two teams entering this weekend that have beaten Creighton in Big East play.
CU Stat o’ the Day
1.22 Points per Possession
Creighton ranks first nationally in this gauge of an offense’s potency. Duke (1.20) and Louisville (1.19) are nipping at the Bluejays’ heels. Other notable teams within the top ten according to this statistic include Michigan (1.17), Iowa (1.16), Gonzaga (1.16), Wichita State (1.16), and Kansas (1.16).
What to Watch Tonight
Georgetown @ Marquette (8:00 p.m. CT, FS1)
Neither Georgetown nor Marquette can infiltrate the top two seed spots in the upcoming Big East men’s basketball tournament; those spots are reserved for Creighton and Villanova. But both are playing for seeding at Madison Square Garden, and the Hoyas are on the bubble for a bid to the Big Dance.
Today in Bluejays Basketball History
February 27, 1989 — Creighton 69, Drake 60
Tony Barone’s Bluejays — picked to finish 7th in the 8-team Missouri Valley Conference — rallied from 15 points down to win at Drake and capture the school’s first outright Valley championship in more than a decade.
Trailing 58-54 with about 7 minutes to play, the Bluejays used a 15-2 run to clinch the regular season title and claim the top seed in the Valley tournament.
Then-athletic director Don Leahy summed up the game to the Omaha World-Herald:
“This game tonight really epitomizes the entire season,” said CU athletic director Don Leahy. “If you look back at our season, it was a rocky start, but I don’t think anyone at any time ever gave up. The kids showed tremendous courage, time after time after time. They kept battling back and battling back.”
Creighton Hoops Photo of the Day
Doug McDermott during a win vs. St. Joe’s in 2010-11 season (WBR/Mike Spomer)
Doug McDermott’s #10 on the NCAA scoring list. He’s only been held scoreless once in his college career. It happened during his freshman season, versus St. Joe’s. The Jays won anyway. Here’s a pic of the future All-American from that CU victory against the Hawks.