So it is now 2010. There is a lot to look forward to in a new year. New resolutions and a fresh start to make things right that you didn’t work hard enough to do last year. I already failed today as I had my own New Year’s resolution to not get so emotional over these Creighton basketball games. Well, I failed miserably already as I entertained my kids, took care of a sick wife and watched the Bluejays let another road game get away from them, this time against Indiana St, 70-64.
Today, Coach Altman changed things up a bit by starting Cavel Witter and Casey Harriman instead of P’Allen Stinnett and Darryl Ashford. Witter has had a couple of good games and Harriman appears to be a bit of a vocal leader for this team to try and get this team all fired up.
However at this point, it probably doesn’t really matter who starts since everyone gets switched out pretty quickly and eventually the bench appears to be shortened by late in the first half and easily into the second half. Harriman played 18 minutes with three rebounds and an assist. Witter played 23 minutes going scoreless from the field, but getting 7 points at the free throw line.
Speaking of the free throw line–The game came down to free throw shooting again. The Jays finished 19-of-28 from the line for just under 68%. Indiana St. went 25-of-34 which was better, but kept the Jays in striking distance. In the last 5:58 of the game where Creighton was within 4, Creighton was 6-of-11 from the line with 5 of the makes from Cavel Witter. Like I mentioned after the UNI game, bad free throw shooting keeps the Jays from closing out the game.
A positive from today’s game was that P’Allen Stinnett was effective off the bench leading the way for the Jays with 19 points and at times tried to carry the team on his shoulders. Also, Kenny Lawson got 14 rebounds and 13 points for his second career double-double. However, to add to Justin Carter’s injury woes, it appears he might have injured an ankle or something else today towards the end of the game.
Now, the Bluejays leave on the bus from Terre Haute with another loss and try to salvage the roadtrip in Evansville on Sunday afternoon. Like Polyfro said in the Primer, he outlined how the possible scenarios would be perceived:
- If the loss to Northern Iowa temporarily makes the team upset enough to win Friday, but they regress and lose Sunday in Evansville, then we’ll know the team is what we fear it is. Namely, an inconsistent middle-of-the-pack team capable of playing great and playing awful in equal amounts.
- If the loss to Northern Iowa causes a hangover that carries over into a loss in Terre Haute, but the team rallies to win Sunday against the unquestionably worse Aces, see above (although the fallout perception-wise would be worse).
- If the Jays lose both games, the gloves are off as to how deep this team could really fall. Fifth place? The Thursday play-in game in St. Louis? Suffice it to say, where they’d likely be headed is not anywhere you’d want to be.
Last season, I sort of laughed at the struggles Southern Illinois had after playing a tough non-conference schedule that they didn’t fare to well in which sort of bled over into conference play and took them to one of their worst records (as well as a losing record) in many, many years and kept them out of the postseason completely. But now sitting at 5-8 it looks like Creighton may be headed to that same demise this season unless something changes really fast. But with so many Valley teams that look improved from last season including Indiana St., things are not looking too positive. In the decade of the 2000’s, Creighton never started 0-3 in conference play, but in the new decade upon us in 2010, there may be a possibility that might happen. However, if it happens in Evansville, there may be more things to worry about than starting 0-3. Stay tuned for the roller coaster ride.