[dropcap]The[/dropcap] big storyline heading into Wednesday night’s matchup with #3 Villanova is injuries to the team’s starting centers. Daniel Ochefu, ‘Nova’s terrific center, will miss his second straight game after suffering a concussion in practice on Friday. “Chef”, as Wildcat fans call him, was cookin’ against the Jays in Omaha, going 9-10 from the field and had 19 points, 7 boards, and 2 blocks. His size and defensive ability also made Geoffrey Groselle a non-factor, and was a big reason for the win.
Groselle injured his ankle early in the second half against Seton Hall, and while he hasn’t officially been ruled out for tonight, it’s not likely he’ll play much — or be effective — even if he is able to go. It appears the Jays are preparing as though he won’t play, and if indeed he can’t, Zach Hanson will get the starting nod. Over the last six games, Hanson has put together a string of solid performances, averaging 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds over that stretch. His ability to match Groselle’s numbers isn’t so much a concern, but depth is — there’s really no other true “5” on the roster, and Hanson has been foul-prone, particularly in Big East play. When Hanson needs a break, it will probably be Toby Hegner who gets the assignment, which opens an opportunity for Ronnie Harrell to get some minutes at the “4”. They played that lineup in the second half against Seton Hall after Groselle’s injury, and it worked; as long as Hanson can stay out of foul trouble, they can piece things together and be relatively OK. If, on the other hand, Hanson’s minutes are limited because of fouls? The Jays will be in trouble.
Villanova is ranked third in both the AP Top 25 and Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, and two of three teams to beat them are in the Top 5 per KenPom (and Top 10 according to the AP and Coaches Polls) — No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 5 Virginia. Meanwhile, they have 10 wins over Top 100 opponents according to KenPom: No. 11 Xavier, No. 34 Seton Hall (twice), No. 43 Saint Joseph’s, No. 46 Creighton, No. 48 Butler, No. 52 Georgia Tech, No. 56 Georgetown, No. 75 Akron and No. 94 Nebraska. They rank among the best teams in the country both offensively (22nd) and defensively (8th) by KenPom, and they’ve won 36 straight games at The Pavilion, where tonight’s game will be played. Not the best opponent (or venue) to have next up when you’re riding a two-game losing streak, to be sure.
Ochefu’s absence hurts them on defense and on the glass, but his average of 9.7 points per game amazingly made him their lowest-scoring starter as the other four players average in double-figures. That group is led by Josh Hart (15.6 ppg.), 2015 Big East Co-Player of the Year Ryan Arcidacono (12.5 ppg.), Preseason Big East Freshman of the Year Jalen Brunson (10.0 ppg.) and Kris Jenkins (10.5 ppg.). They’re loaded offensively, in other words.
Hart was unstoppable in the first meeting, scoring 25 points on 10-14 shooting, killing them on dribble drives all night long. If it’s any consolation, he’s done similar things to other opponents, too; he had 16 points and 11 rebounds against St. John’s on Sunday afternoon, he scored 18 last week against Providence, had 15 points with 10 rebounds the week before against Seton Hall, and scored 15 points with 12 boards against Georgetown. On a team full of scorers, Hart is the only one that’s been in double-figures in all 21 of their games.
Arcidacano may not be their leading offensive weapon, but when they need a clutch basket, he’s still the guy. He hit a three-pointer to force overtime against Providence on January 24, and hit a key basket with 32.5 seconds left in their 72-71 win over Seton Hall on the 20th. He’s still capable of scoring in bunches, of course, but with this supporting cast he doesn’t have to — and that makes him that much more deadly.
Brunson scored 15 on 6-8 shooting — including 2-3 from three-point range — in the first matchup with the Jays, which is his best offensive output in Big East play this year. He’s scored in double figures just two other times, and not made more than three field goals in any other game all season, Big East or otherwise. It was that kind of night for the Wildcats (and for the Bluejays’ defense).
Villanova coach Jay Wright told the media earlier this week that “Creighton is always a scary game for us. They play a very similar style to ours and like to play fast.” The Jays are perhaps the one team in the Big East with the ability to beat Villanova in a shootout, but when you allow the Wildcats to make 68% of their shots — and 88% of their shots inside the arc — not even the Jays on their best night can keep pace. Winning tonight will require stopping Josh Hart from scoring every time he touches the ball, stopping Brunson and Arcidacano from getting good looks, and then hoping someone else doesn’t beat you. Kris Jenkins is capable. Phil Booth, Mikal Bridges, and Darryl Reynolds all can, too. It’s a tall task, and if the Bluejays come out with anything less than their very best game, it’s not a game they can win.
Quick Notes on the Wildcats:
- The Wildcats began the week ranked third in the Big East in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.4, but Villanova has not been as sure-handed in that category of late, posting a season-high 20 mistakes against St. John’s one game after accumulating 16 in an 82-76 overtime loss to Providence.
- Junior forward Kris Jenkins posted his first career double-double in Sunday’s 68-53 victory at St. John’s with 14 points and 11 rebounds. He’s scored in double figures in each of his last five games, averaging 13.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in that stretch. Over those five outings he is 13-of-32 from beyond the 3-point arc (.406)
- As the week began, Villanova ranked seventh in the nation and first in the Big East in scoring defense (61.2 ppg). The Wildcats are 15-0 this season when holding opponents below 70 points in a game and 3-3 when their foe hits or rises above the 70-point plateau. Villanova ranks tenth nationally in field goal percentage defense with opponents connecting on .381 of their attempts from the field. That figure also leads the league.
Bluejay Bytes:
- Tonight is just Creighton’s second game against a top-three opponent since 1981, joining the Oklahoma game earlier this season on December 19 in Norman. The last time Creighton played a top-three team in a conference game was January 27, 1979 against No. 3 Indiana State. Creighton held Larry Bird, such as it were, to 17 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists in a 77-69 loss to the Sycamores.
- James Milliken had a season-high 21 points on Saturday vs. Seton Hall, becoming Creighton’s sixth different player to score 20 points or more this season. The others? Isaiah Zierden (2x), Cole Huff, Maurice Watson Jr. (3x), Khyri Thomas and Geoffrey Groselle (4x). By comparison, last year Creighton had five players all year reach 20+ points (Austin Chatman, Toby Hegner, Will Artino, Milliken and Zierden), and in the two previous years had only three players surpass 20 points in any game. The last previous time that Creighton had six men have 20 or more points in a game during the same season was 1972-73, when Gene Harmon, Al Lewis, Ted Wuebben, Doug Brookins, Ralph Bobik and Gene Ellefson all did it.
- Maurice Watson Jr. is one of eight players nationally with at least 100 assists, 100 two-point baskets and 24 steals or more. Of those eight, Watson is one of five men to do it with 65 turnovers or less.
The Series:
Villanova leads the all-time series with Creighton, 6-2, including a 4-1 record in games played in Philadelphia. Creighton swept the regular-season series in 2013-14 with a pair of victories by 20+ points, but the Wildcats have won the last three meetings.
The Last Time They Played:
On January 2, Villanova made an absolutely absurd 28-of-32 two point shots, and as a result of hardly ever missing, they logged an equally absurd stat — zero offensive rebounds. Meanwhile, Creighton started the game 0-11 from three-point range, finished the first half 2-14, and shot 5-23 for the game. Unsurprisingly based on that, the Jays lost 85-71 in a game that didn’t seem that close.
Gratuitous Linkage:
CBS Philly previewed the matchup by talking to Villanova coach Jay Wright, who gave his thoughts on the Bluejays, the impact of Daniel Ochefu’s absence, and more.
What the Other Side is Saying:
“(Mo) Watson’s passing ability is elite as his 143 assists this season is good for 10th in all of division one. Mo also has a 38.4% assist rate per Kenpom, meaning he assists on 38.4% of his teammates field goals which is good for 14th in the country. He’s a decent three point shooter as well, hitting on 34.5 percent of his shots from behind the arc but has struggled as of late, hitting only 28.6% of his three’s since Big East play has started. Slowing down Watson and keeping him from making plays for others, as ‘Nova did last time around, will by key in coming out with a victory.”
“What to Watch For when Villanova hosts Creighton”, Billy Vinci, VUHoops.com
This Date in Creighton Hoops History:
On February 3, 2010, Creighton played host to an Evansville Purple Aces squad that was 0-11 in the MVC, and won 84-71 thanks to a trio of freshmen scoring in double figures for the first time in the same game — Josh Jones, Ethan Wragge, and Antoine Young.
Here’s part of our recap from the next day: “Wragge’s sharpshooting will be something to keep an eye on as his career blossoms on the Hilltop. He walked away last night as the first player to hit a three-pointer in 10 straight games as a freshman since Kyle Korver. We know what Kyle has ended up doing.” Oh, if only we knew that Wragge would eventually become The Lumberjack and chop down threes in the Big East instead of the Valley, and against Top 20 opponents instead of winless Evansville teams…
I remember that game not for the performances of those three freshmen, but rather for the performances of two of the founding partners of WBR during in-game promotions. First there was Patrick Marshall in the putting contest, where he missed by six feet and didn’t even hit the box, much less come close to the hole. Then, there was Paul Liberty — aka Mr. Dance Cam — dancing to “Apache” in a video produced by CU to accompany the usual dance cam promotion. I’d completely forgotten that we shared the entire clip on the site in Otter’s recap until I dug into the WBR Archives for this game, and immediately burst out laughing, in a good way, upon seeing it again. It’s amazing. And it was shown one time, six years ago today, at the CLink.
Completely Random, Totally Rad Music Video of the Day:
Ah hell, let’s just embed the clip of Paul Liberty dancing to Apache and call it a day, shall we?
The Bottom Line:
Creighton will come out with better energy than they did Saturday against Seton Hall, and will get back on track on both ends of the court, boding well for the second half of the season. It will not be enough to win tonight, unfortunately.
#3 Villanova 84, Creighton 72