[dropcap]In[/dropcap] the lead-up to the Oklahoma game, there was a lot of talk on radio and message boards about how “revenge” from a tough loss the previous season isn’t as big of a factor for players and coaches as it is for fans. Generally speaking, that’s probably true — but there’s an exception to almost every rule. Falling behind by 27 and nearly getting boat-raced by a bad C-USA team because you didn’t come ready to play?
That’s an exception to the rule.
Coach Greg McDermott agrees, and is using that game as motivation for the rematch tonight. On the 1620AM postgame show after Saturday’s game at Oklahoma, he told John Bishop and Josh Dotzler, “Sometimes the game before Christmas break can be a little dicey because you’ve got guys with one foot already on the plane headed for home. I talked to them a little bit after the game that our game last year right before Christmas was at North Texas. That was not a pleasant experience. We were down 25 or 26 points early in the second half before we woke up and got back in that game, and then we lost it in the end. So we shouldn’t need any more of a reminder than that.”
The players have it on their mind, too. Zach Hanson told the Omaha World-Herald, “I definitely didn’t enjoy my Christmas break as much as I could have. We gave up a game that we probably shouldn’t have. I know that one kind of left a sour taste in our mouths.” James Milliken and Cole Huff echoed those sentiments, and McDermott added that the sour taste from that one is still in his mouth.
I don’t allow anger to seep into my writing very often on WBR, but re-reading the Morning After commentary from that one is like staring straight into the eyes of Angry Tom. And it ain’t pretty.
That loss was the start of a nine-game losing streak that torpedoed their season, and in hindsight, had all the hallmarks of the worst features of the 2014-15 Bluejays. 39 of their 64 shot attempts came from three-point range, and they only made 10 of them. They had zero second-chance points. They had more turnovers than made baskets for most of the afternoon. And of course, they fell behind by 27, rallied and had a chance to win it (multiple chances, actually), and then couldn’t make a play to get it done.
Make no mistake, this isn’t “revenge” in the classic sense of getting back at an opponent. This is a case of the Bluejays owing one to themselves. In a season full of maddening losses, the North Texas loss was the worst, and I would be very surprised if we didn’t see the polar opposite of that tonight — a laser-focused, hard-charging, high-octane blowout. If they haven’t reached the Free Pizza Threshold by the 10-minute mark of the second half and aren’t spending the final ten minutes putting the finishing touches on a 35+ point win, it will be surprising given the circumstances.
The Mean Green come into the game with a 4-7 record, with seven straight losses sandwiched in between wins over a pair of NAIA programs (Jarvis Christian and Texas College) and two of the 20 worst teams in D1 according to KenPom (Nicholls State, 331st out of 351 and Mississippi Valley State, 345th). They’re ranked 293rd in adjusted offensive efficiency (again, out of 351 teams) and 317th in defensive efficiency. They turn it over more than all but 11 teams in D1, somehow losing the ball on a whopping 23% of their possessions. That’s right: nearly a quarter of their possessions end without even getting off a shot attempt! How is that even possible?
The two players who had the most success against the Bluejays a year ago, Colin Voss (16 points and eight boards) and Jordan Williams (13 points and seven rebounds) are no longer around. There’s some talent on the roster, however, headlined by junior J-Mychal Reese who leads the team in scoring at 13.9 points per game and has scored in double figures in nine games. Reese leads the team in assists with 42, though he’s also turned it over 44 times, and his 15 made three pointers are third-best on the team. A transfer from Texas A&M who sat out last year, Reese was a consensus Top-100 recruit and four-star prospect coming out of high school, and had offers from Kansas, Louisville, Memphis, Baylor and Texas before choosing the Aggies. He started 25 games as a freshman, but was suspended for four games for “violation of athletic policy” and opted to leave shortly thereafter.
Jeremy Combs, a 6’7″ sophomore, tops the club in rebounding and blocked shots. Combs averages 13.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game, and was runner-up for C-USA Freshman of the Year last season. He earned his sixth career double-double in the game against MVSU, scoring 13 points with 11 rebounds. Last year against the Jays, Combs scored eight points on 1-6 shooting, making 4-6 from the line and corralling eight rebounds.
Junior Deckie Johnson, a JuCo transfer, has started eight games in his first season for North Texas and is their third-leading scorer. Johnson averages 13.0 points per game and has scored in double figures in eight of 11 games, including a career high 26 against Mississippi Valley State last week. He made 6-for-11 from the three point range in that game, and has hit nine three pointers in his last two games. If you’re looking for an unexpected shooter that might go off on the Bluejay defense (because THAT never happens in these games, right?), Johnson is probably your guy.
The Mean Green have some nice top-level talent, but not much depth, and against the only two Top-100 teams on their schedule, they lost by 23 points to both (at Northern Iowa and at UT-Arlington). The next best team on their schedule, Southern Illinois (145th in KenPom), beat them twice a week apart — 95-63 in Denton, and 74-66 in Carbondale. The Jays could be expected to win by 20 tonight in normal circumstances, but given what happened last December in Denton, I expect a much larger margin of victory.
Quick Notes on the Mean Green:
- The Mean Green are averaging 6.1 three-pointers per game, and have hit a three pointer in 62 straight games dating back to December 21, 2013 when North Texas went 0-for-9 from downtown against Wayland Baptist.
- North Texas scores 78.4 points per game, but allows 77.6 points per contest.
- Tony Benford is in his fourth year as a head coach at the college level, owning a 46-60 record that doubles as his career mark. He’d previously been an assistant coach at Marquette, Nebraska, UTEP, Arizona State and New Mexico.
Bluejay Bytes:
- Creighton launched 74 shots in Saturday’s loss at Oklahoma, the most in any game since attempting 74 shots vs. Grambling on November 29, 2001. The Bluejays have not launched 75 or more shots in any game since hoisting 76 attempts at Wyoming on November 22, 1996.
- Per KenPom.com, Creighton ranks 62nd nationally with 72.6 possessions per game, and are also 31st in adjusted offensive efficiency with 110.7 points per 100 possessions. North Texas ranks 317th in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing 108.9 points per 100 possessions this season.
- Mo Watson owns 136 points and 69 assists at Creighton this season, and when combined with his 800 points and 410 assists in two seasons at Boston University, now owns career collegiate totals of 936 points and 479 assists. Only two players have ever attained 1,000 points and 500 assists (all with CU) during their Creighton careers: Ryan Sears (1,309/570) and Antoine Young (1,342/505).
The Series:
Creighton and North Texas have split ten all-time meetings, but the Bluejays are 5-1 in games contested in Omaha. The only loss to UNT in Omaha came in December of 1975, when the Jays dropped a 75-71 decision.
The current series is part of a 2-for-1 contract that began three years ago with a 71-51 Bluejay win in Omaha, and continued in Denton last year with UNT’s 62-58 win.
The Last Time They Played:
Go ahead, hit play. Let the hate flow through you.
Gratuitous Linkage:
MeanGreenSports.com recently had a feature article on J-Mychal Reese, the talented transfer from Texas A&M who looks to turn around the fortunes of the North Texas program.
This Date in Creighton Hoops History:
On December 21, 1961, Creighton played it’s fourth game in as many days, defeating the Rice Owls 91-57 in Omaha during the inaugural season of the Civic Auditorium. The brutal pre-Christmas stretch began with a 82-77 home win over Gonzaga, followed by an 85-59 road win at South Dakota, and a thrilling 74-72 win over UCLA at the Civic.
In the December 21 cap to that four-game stretch, Paul Silas scored 34 points on 14-of-17 shooting, along with 22 rebounds. The game was tied 10-10 six minutes in when Jim Bakos made a hook shot to give them the lead, and they’d race out to a 43-28 lead by halftime. The World-Herald recap described it thusly:
“(Silas)’ dazzling 21-point last half shooting exhibition included fadeaway jumpers, hooks, follows and tip-ins.
The smooth sophomore also starred as a slick feeder and, as usual, was the leading rebounder with 22 retrieves.
The Owls didn’t have the speed to stay with Creighton and the dogging Bluejay defenders ripped Rice’s deliberate offense to shreds.”
That prose!
Completely Random, Totally Rad Music Video of the Day:
One of the only Polyfro Primer traditions to survive the nearly-decade-long life of these previews? This cheesetastic 80s classic appearing the final game before Christmas.
The Bottom Line:
Creighton leads wire-to-wire.
Bluejays 104, Mean Green 75