Creighton vs. Nebraska: Pregame Q+A
The Huskers head to Omaha this afternoon, and hope to knock off the Missouri Valley Conference's leading basketball team. The Jays are undefeated, and looking to make some noise in the post-season. Nebraska is looking to stay ahead of the curve before it enters league-play in the Big Ten. This really sucks for me, as I am actually in Omaha this weekend, but will have to depart shortly before game-time. Would have liked to see this game in person!
Omaha Sun, a regular on these boards and staff writer for the Creightonian, has graciously offered to provide some feedback on the Bluejay's season so far, and his thoughts on Nebraska's chances to win.
Jump back on later this afternoon for the Basketball/NFL/Open game thread!
Jacob: I think this team has the chance to accomplish more than even that team. That squad was very good and Kyle Korver is one of the best players in team history, but they only won one game in the Big Dance. I think the Jays will go even farther than that this season.
This is not your typical mid-major team. It has everything needed to advance in the NCAA tournament: size and talent in the frontcourt, hard workers and knock-down shooters on the wing, and a savvy senior point guard. Doug McDermott is really, really good and is the kind of player that can carry a team on a deep run. But what impresses me most about this team is its ball movement. Creighton is currently leading the country in assists, which is the root of all the other high offensive rankings. That kind of ball movement is difficult for any team to stop defensively. They still need to put in some work on the defensive end, though.
This team has not played against the same tough competition as the '03 one, and it still has a lot to prove, but I see the team winning at least one if not more games come March.
As for Doug, what can I really say? He was CU's best player last year as a freshman, and as a sophomore is the best player in the conference IMO (sorry Kyle Weems). How often can you say your best player is also your most improved? That is certainly the case with Doug. He attributes his success to his natural feel for the game, which I completely agree with. He just knows where to be on the court at all times. He's the quietest 24 ppg scorer you'll ever see, simply because the majority of his points come from lay-ups and put-backs. That's not to say he can't do anything else, it's just that he doesn't have to. If he continues to improve at this rate, there's no telling how good he will be as a senior.
Jacob: Obviously a team usually plays better at home, so that likely has a lot to do with that record. This seems like it is a competitive game year in and year out, and it's usually a toss-up. The CenturyLink Center (formerly the Qwest Center) is a great venue and I know from going down to Lincoln last year that the fans really get up when Creighton comes to town. I'm just glad this one's at home.
As far as fitting into a BCS conference, that is a subject that has been tossed around a lot recently. I believe Coach Mac was asked about CU possibly switching conferences, and the Valley commissioner Doug Elgin talked about it in a recent radio interview. It seems to be a very real possibility if the Big East were to be decimated by the realignment.
I think CU could hold it's own in the Big East. They obviously would not be able to compete with the likes of UCONN on a yearly basis, but I don't think they'd be a perennial doormat either. I could see the Jays being competitive most years in a new-look Big East.
But perhaps the most important player for Creighton is the transfer from Gonzaga, Grant Gibbs. The effect he has had on this team is remarkable. his stats won't blow you away, but he does a little of everything and has really made the offense go. He leads the team in assists with 5.5 per game compared to just 1.2 turn overs per game. He also is averaging 4.8 rebounds per game, 1.3 steals per game and is shooting the 3 at a .400 clip. Grant Gibbs is the heart and soul of this team, and is its vocal leader. Stop him, and the offense might slow down.
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Bluejays Battling Huskers
This game will tell us more about the Huskers than the Jays. Creighton is going to the tourney no matter what, its time for Nebraska to show us what they have.
www.bleuejaysbball.com
We're gonna get rocked aren't we?
"My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska that 10-1 is not a losing season." - Tom Osborne
It's hard to read the stats and think otherwise...
However, I think we are like the football team, in the sense that if we play to our potential and don’t kill ourselves with turnovers….we could certainly win tough games.
Remember, it’s college basketball. Teams lose, even ones that look as strong as Creighton on paper.
"Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game;
In the deed the glory"
GO BIG RED!
by Brian Speers on Dec 4, 2011 11:16 AM CST up reply actions
Attending the game in a Creighton suite dressed in red!
so hopefully I will have lots to gloat about to all the Jayskers I will be with.
Jaysker [ jey-sker ]
1. a derogatory term used to describe a Husker football fan who turns their back on Husker basketball team in order to support a rival team, who shall not be named, that appears to have more success due to the weakness of their conference
Doug McDermott is really, really good.
Watching the Cubs piss it away for 31 years.
by CarolinaHawk on Dec 4, 2011 2:29 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
Funny how he was overshadowed in high school.
Of course, it took a guy named Harrison Barnes (Tarheels) to do that.
Great job Ames, IA! If you could’ve only just kept those guys….
"Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game;
In the deed the glory"
GO BIG RED!
Even his dad din't know how good he was.
He didn’t even try to recruit him to play for Iowa St. because he wasn’t sure he could play in the Big 12.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.

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