Another March afternoon NCAA Tournament game, another late-day stress fest. Two years ago, the #8 Bluejays squeaked out a 59-58 win against #9 Alabama. Last year, #7 Creighton fended off #10 Cincinnati, 67-63, again avoiding a seed upset. Friday, with a program-best #3 seed, Greg McDermott’s Jays held off a talented #14 Louisiana team 76-66, mere hours after #3 Duke lost to #14 Mercer in the Blue Devils’ backyard.
I watched all three with daylight shining and my nerves straining. But worry made way for celebration as those afternoons slipped into evenings, thanks almost every time to Doug McDermott.
Last year, McDermott paced everyone with 27 points and 11 rebounds against the Bearcats. Two years ago, he led the way with 16 points and 10 rebounds against the Crimson Tide. Yesterday, the shoe-in for National Player of the Year scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Heck, McDermott posted 17 points and had 10 rebounds in the first half against the Ragin’ Cajuns. Remarkably, as Rob Anderson noted in his most recent game notes, McDermott’s 17 & 10 marked the first time in his career that he had a double-double at intermission. Not bad for a guy who has done almost everything an individual can possibly accomplish in college hoops. Oh, and now McDermott is averaging 22.8 ppg in five NCAA Tournament appearances.
But while Dougie McBuckets got plenty, Austin Chatman kept Creighton from going home early. While everyone in the home of the San Antonio Spurs was watching McDermott, the junior from the Dallas area was busy posting one of his most impressive efforts of his CU career.
Chatman scored 16 points (second-most in career), dished 6 assists, and snared 5 rebounds in 36 minutes of play against Louisiana. He committed just 2 turnovers, too, guiding the potent Creighton offense on a few big runs to overcome a feisty Cajuns squad.
Chatman’s been on a tear since playing arguably his worst game of the season in a March 1 loss at Xavier (2 points on 1-9 shooting, 3 assists, 5 turnovers). Quantitatively, in his last six games Chatman’s line is 11.1 ppg, 5.6 apg, 3.6 rpg, and just 2 turnovers per contest. Oh, and he’s barely leaving the floor, logging 35.3 mpg during that stretch.
Qualitatively, though, his steady hand and court leadership have been off the charts. Never too high or too low, Chatman’s a physical specimen who knows the right pace and tempo to lead the Creighton offense on the court. Teams continue to sag off the junior guard, but he’s capable of connecting on midrange jumpers and even behind the arc. He had a couple of strong takes to the hoop against Louisiana, too, and was one of the few Jays Friday to perform well on the free throw line. The following quote from Greg McDermott’s post-game press conference paints a glowing picture of Chatman’s performance not just against the Cajuns, but all season long:
“Austin was so good; not just making a few shots, but he got into the teeth of that defense. He made some plays for himself. He made some plays for his teammates. We switched him on to Payton for a few possessions just to try to put a little quickness on him. We ask him to do so much. To play fast and to run in transition, you have to have somebody that steers that ship, and Austin does that. He gets it there quick, and especially the last three weeks or so, he’s been making unbelievable decisions at the end of our break.
But he’s a really important part of this team that doesn’t get talked about enough. We wouldn’t be where we are today without Austin Chatman, and we wouldn’t have won this game without him today. I thought he was outstanding.”
One more note about Chatman: his assist/turnover ratio is 2.61:1. That’s a top 50 mark in the nation on a team that posts the best assist/turnover ratio in the country (1.81). Just incredible.
Coach Mac rode McDermott, Chatman, and his other starters hard against Louisiana. Only Avery Dingman (14 minutes), Will Artino (10 minutes), and Devin Brooks (8 minutes) saw time off the bench Friday. Dingman hasn’t missed a shot in his past two games, picking his opportunities to slash when he subs in for Grant Gibbs. Brooks missed all three of his shots and turned the ball over carelessly once. And Artino (2 rebounds) was active but mostly ineffective against big boy J.J. Davenport and other Cajun post players. Plus, Artino frustratingly was part of the free throw shooting fiasco put on by the Bluejays.
The Jays have a day to rest. Chatman, McDermott (39 minutes), Gibbs (26 minutes), Jahenns Manigat (36 minutes), and Ethan Wragge (31 minutes) will need it. But the Bluejays also play an opponent Sunday in the Baylor Bears that too didn’t reach deeply to the bench in their Friday win.
Speaking of the Baylor Bears… Creighton’s opponent won an ugly game against Nebraska right before the Bluejays took the floor in San Antonio. Scott Drew’s team is one of the hottest in the nation, having won 11 of 13 en route to a championship game appearance in the Big 12 Tournament and a second round win against the Huskers in the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor’s #27 in the Kenpom rankings, with a #7 adjusted offensive efficiency ranking and a #98 adjusted defensive efficiency mark. They’ve played the 7th toughest schedule in the country according to Kenpom.com, competing in arguably the best basketball league in the nation this season.
The Bears are, in a word, long. Their starting front line of Corey Jefferson (6-9, 220), Royce O’Neale (6-6, 220), and Isaiah Austin (7-1, 225) is imposing and tough to beat on the glass. Off the bench come forwards Rico Gathers (6-8, 270) and Taurean Prince (6-7, 210), two more capable rebounders.
The top three backcourt Bears are tough, too. Senior Gary Franklin’s started before and has come off the bench recently. He’s a former Cal Bear who transferred to Baylor with visions of becoming an NBA point guard. He’s relinquished the starting spot at the point to dynamic Kenny Chery, a junior college transfer who has sparked the Bears during their exceptional 11-2 stretch run. Chery’s joined in the starting backcourt by fellow Canadian Brady Heslip, Baylor’s answer to Creighton’s potent outside shooting ability. Here’s a quick glance at each of the top 8 Baylor Bears:
Baylor’s Starters
- Chery (5-11, 180): After finally mending a turf toe injury, Chery’s led the Bears to an 11-2 record in the past 13 games. He’s one of four Bears averaging double figures in scoring (11 ppg) and he dished nearly 5 assists per game (4.9 apg; 60th in nation).
- Heslip (6-2, 180): He’s 10th in the country in three-point shooting (46.1%), 6th in three-point makes (112), and 19th in attempts (243). Plus, 79% of his points come from outside the arc, fourth-highest percentage in the nation. Heslip’s made 5 or more three-pointers 8 times this season, but Friday failed to connect on any deep shots against the Huskers.
- Jefferson: He’s a beast on the boards and has grabbed 9 or more rebounds in 8 of his last 12 games. His 8.4 rpg is 67th nationally.
- Austin: A 2012 McDonald’s All-American, he alters action around the rim with his incredible wingspan and height. After not scoring in 26 minutes in a Baylor win against Texas Tech on March 1, he’s averaged 12.4 ppg in the Bears’ last 8 games.
- O’Neale: A transfer from Denver, he’s been a rebounding machine from the wing since the start of March. In Baylor’s last 8 games, O’Neale’s averaging 9.4 boards per contest.
Top Reserves
- Franklin (6-2, 190): Senior who has started some games but came off the bench against Nebraska, logging 29 minutes against the Huskers.
- Gathers: Averages 18 minutes per game for Scott Drew, providing a steady 6.6 ppg and 6.4 rpg.
- Prince: Playing about 10 minutes a game since March 1, he offers Drew even more length off the bench.
Creighton’s going to have a tough go of scoring much in the paint and controlling the glass. To say that CU’s fortunes for the Sweet Sixteen ride on the Bluejays’ outside shooting prowess is probably an understatement.
That’s the next step, right? The Sweet Sixteen Creighton’s missed out on for so long.
The Bluejays haven’t advanced past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Recent roadblocks to the desired Sweet Sixteen berth include college hoops bluebloods Duke and North Carolina and star-powered programs like 2002 Illinois and 1999 Maryland and 1991 Seton Hall.
The Bluejays wore the road jerseys in each of those games, the worse seed in each matchup. Sunday Creighton will rock their new home whites, 40 minutes away from a destination that’s alluded McDermott, the other Bluejays, and an entire program. Here’s hoping Creighton can finally get over the hump and head to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
