Entertaining game today.
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Creighton Thread 2017-2018 Season
- Thread starter bilsker
- Start date
Good for Husker non conf SoS...
Agree on all but the rebuild. Not so sure given what we saw today from Epperson and Ballock today. What a great win
Great game today. Jays without Harrell still manage the win. I thought for sure they would fold in OT after blowing their chance to win it in regulation, but they powered through..... Epperson is growing up before our eyes and will be a critical cog in he postseason run. Yeah he had some nice finishes on alley oops and such, but nailing those two FTs in OT was HUGE particularly considering he basically had missed about every FT he'd shot to that point.
Did not expect that. Big win for Creighton. I think Villanova could get caught on the chin relativley early in the NCAA tourney if they catch the right type of team.
I think any team could.
Though I do believe Villanova is the "safest" pick. They have a great mix of experience and talent. But -- they are not invincible.
Virginia will probably be the next most common pick to win it all.
After that, it's a crapshoot ... with about 10 teams that could very well win it all, depending on matchups, etc. But all of those teams are probably more inconsistent than Villanova and Virginia -- and thus the greater risk.
Did I miss anything?
Wow...what a game. Confession....the very instant I heard Harrell wasn't playing I put a hundy on Nova at -7. I figured if CU was going to get smoked I might as well get paid for it. It's not like he's all world but he is a bit of a swiss army knife that is CU's best rebounder and fills up a stat sheet.
When CU took the 1 point lead with a minute or so to go I turned to my friend and said "What texased up thing is going to happen this time?" Then Khyri misses the front end that, if he hits both, puts CU up 3 with 10 seconds to go. OK...still...Nova has to make a shot to win....wait! What! Foster fouls on the rebound? You gotta be bleeping bleeping me! There was no doubt in my mind that Nova was making both of those. But he didn't. And you all know the rest.
Huge performances from just about everyone who played real minutes. Hegner is just shot. The guy can't walk without a limp. He is CU's best post defender (and that ain't saying much) and he couldn't even do that. You can see he can't jump over a phone book so that also doesn't help his shot. He's basically just a body right now. So for Epperson to log 25 minutes and more or less hold his own that was big. What he gave up he more or less negated with the 12 points he scored. And using him like they used Kramplj and Patton helps that offense immensely.
Thomas "held" Brunson to 22 but he had to put up 20 shots to get it. That guy is GOOD. Real good. But Khyri made him work for every bucket except one where he caught Thomas flat footed and got an easy lay-up. Never seen someone push off more than that guy though....not once was it called...which I can almost stomach until they called Mintz with real weak one late in the game. Anyway, if Thomas doesn't go 5-5 on 3s to start the game CU is probably down double digits early because Nova came out hitting everything.
Thomas and Foster both had to have big games (24 and 28) AND someone else had to step up. Mintz, Ballock and Epperson all did at different times. Ballock did a great Harrell impression with 13 points, 6 boards, 8 assists and 3 steals. Ballock is the read deal. He had a great OOC but he's been awful in Big East play up until the last 2 games. You could see the confidence was just sub-zero. He should be feeling pretty good about himself after these 2 games. Mintz had his best game ever IMO...10 points, 9 boards, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Epperson with 12 after halftime and 2 huge FTs late...a couple blocks and 5 boards. CU more or less played to a draw on the boards...that was key.
This was not a case, IMO, of Nova bringing their B- game and CU getting lucky on that timing. CU played some pretty serious defense for significant stretches. Nova can shoot lights out from 3. Their top 5 scorers all shoot over 40% from 3. Those SOBs were hitting at a serious clip in the first half...even on contested 3 which a lot of them were. Hell, they hit 2 while getting fouled. They only had 10 turnovers which is about average for them. So Nova played well...it's just that CU played slightly better. Which is what is frustrating about this team. How can you blow 13 and 15 point leads in the 2nd half against Seton Hall and Marq? How can you just not show up against Butler? There is a pretty wide spread between CU at their best and CU at their worst.
So any pressure about folding and not making the dance appears to be gone. They REALLY need to build on this and finish out with wins against DePaul and Marq. that would guarantee a tie for 3rd and a seeding in the big East tourney of 3-5 I think. My fear was a 7 seed and having to play St. John's.
Wow...what a game. Confession....the very instant I heard Harrell wasn't playing I put a hundy on Nova at -7. I figured if CU was going to get smoked I might as well get paid for it. It's not like he's all world but he is a bit of a swiss army knife that is CU's best rebounder and fills up a stat sheet.
When CU took the 1 point lead with a minute or so to go I turned to my friend and said "What texased up thing is going to happen this time?" Then Khyri misses the front end that, if he hits both, puts CU up 3 with 10 seconds to go. OK...still...Nova has to make a shot to win....wait! What! Foster fouls on the rebound? You gotta be bleeping bleeping me! There was no doubt in my mind that Nova was making both of those. But he didn't. And you all know the rest.
Huge performances from just about everyone who played real minutes. Hegner is just shot. The guy can't walk without a limp. He is CU's best post defender (and that ain't saying much) and he couldn't even do that. You can see he can't jump over a phone book so that also doesn't help his shot. He's basically just a body right now. So for Epperson to log 25 minutes and more or less hold his own that was big. What he gave up he more or less negated with the 12 points he scored. And using him like they used Kramplj and Patton helps that offense immensely.
Thomas "held" Brunson to 22 but he had to put up 20 shots to get it. That guy is GOOD. Real good. But Khyri made him work for every bucket except one where he caught Thomas flat footed and got an easy lay-up. Never seen someone push off more than that guy though....not once was it called...which I can almost stomach until they called Mintz with real weak one late in the game. Anyway, if Thomas doesn't go 5-5 on 3s to start the game CU is probably down double digits early because Nova came out hitting everything.
Thomas and Foster both had to have big games (24 and 28) AND someone else had to step up. Mintz, Ballock and Epperson all did at different times. Ballock did a great Harrell impression with 13 points, 6 boards, 8 assists and 3 steals. Ballock is the read deal. He had a great OOC but he's been awful in Big East play up until the last 2 games. You could see the confidence was just sub-zero. He should be feeling pretty good about himself after these 2 games. Mintz had his best game ever IMO...10 points, 9 boards, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Epperson with 12 after halftime and 2 huge FTs late...a couple blocks and 5 boards. CU more or less played to a draw on the boards...that was key.
This was not a case, IMO, of Nova bringing their B- game and CU getting lucky on that timing. CU played some pretty serious defense for significant stretches. Nova can shoot lights out from 3. Their top 5 scorers all shoot over 40% from 3. Those SOBs were hitting at a serious clip in the first half...even on contested 3 which a lot of them were. Hell, they hit 2 while getting fouled. They only had 10 turnovers which is about average for them. So Nova played well...it's just that CU played slightly better. Which is what is frustrating about this team. How can you blow 13 and 15 point leads in the 2nd half against Seton Hall and Marq? How can you just not show up against Butler? There is a pretty wide spread between CU at their best and CU at their worst.
So any pressure about folding and not making the dance appears to be gone. They REALLY need to build on this and finish out with wins against DePaul and Marq. that would guarantee a tie for 3rd and a seeding in the big East tourney of 3-5 I think. My fear was a 7 seed and having to play St. John's.
Like HWM said, I don't think there are any real heavy favorites going into the tourney. The 1 and 2 seeds will all play someone in the 2nd round perfectly capable of beating them on a given night.
Nova has two all america level players in Brunson and Bridges and 4 other guys averaging in double figures. Brunson is a guy that can get you a shot at the end of the clock just about any time and that's big in the tourney. If they bring their A game they are going to be extremely difficult to beat. But that's the big "if" right? There aren't many teams out there that can win games beyond they first round with their B game against someone else's A game.
I REALLY hope Virginia is an early out. I have NO interest in watching their brand of basketball.I think any team could.
Though I do believe Villanova is the "safest" pick. They have a great mix of experience and talent. But -- they are not invincible.
Virginia will probably be the next most common pick to win it all.
After that, it's a crapshoot ... with about 10 teams that could very well win it all, depending on matchups, etc. But all of those teams are probably more inconsistent than Villanova and Virginia -- and thus the greater risk.
Those teams are wildcards. You know someone is going to eventually hit some outside shots and they won’t be able to score enough to win and will be going home earlier than their seed would indicate. They are also capable of methodically beating down anyone. Like those super athletic Cinci teams. They’ll go down but whoever takes them out is going to be beat the hell up and will more likely lose the next game.
Ok...so going back to the Xavier game and whether or not the foul should have been called. What about the last play in regulation saturday (1:06:25 mark). That is ABSOLUTELY 100% a foul...it is either a charge or a block. There is no chance in hell that it is neither. And it matters. Block and foster goes to the line to win it. Charge and foster fouls out and doesnt play OT. (It is a block, by the way)
We always ask for consistency. I guarantee you after the X game Mac said if CU finds themselves in the same situation the plan if for Marcus to take the ball to the rim and draw contact. He did that. In spades. No call.
I notice that nobody has addressed the video in the previous post...
Anyway, Jays got exactly what they needed tonight....an easy win. On one hand it SHOULD have been but DePaul has been playing better of late and their center had a field day against CU last time out. Tonight he was limited to 6 points, 6 boards and 4 TOs. Largely because Mac was willing to bring the double team...something he doesn't seem to be a fan of.
Khyri Thomas was simply amazing tonight. As alway he was defending the best player on the other team (assuming the other team's best player is under 6'8"). Strus had 14 points but was 4-15/1-9. On top of shutting Strus down he put up 16 pts, 8 boards, 8 assists and 5 steals. When Mac was taking seniors out he took Thomas out at the same time. I really FELT like it was "goodbye". I think the odds are that it was.
The win eliminates any possibility that CU could end up with the 7 seed (1-6 seeds get a bye) in the BE tourney. They went into the night tied with Seton Hall, Butler and Providence for 3rd. Somewhere between 3 and 6...all of which allow them to avoid Nova and X in the first round. Should they win game 1 a match up with one of those two is inevitable so I don't have too much preference...of the teams they are currently tied with I suppose I'd prefer to avoid SH in the first round...Delgado is a beast and Carrington and Rodriguez are solid. That said CU SHOULD have beat them on the road and handled them fairly easily in Omaha. Butler should probably worry me more based on results I suppose.
It will be interesting to see what Mac does when Harrell comes back. I'm not sure it's coincidence that CU is playing REALLY well with Ballock in the starting 5. Harrell may be more comfortable off the bench.
I really don't like Marquette. It's time to end a 3 game losing streak to them. Should be a good game...hope I get to see it...it's at 9:30AM Vegas time. Ugh.
Congrats to Foster for the #3 play on SC tonight. Wicked dunk in the first half. He tried to punctuate Sr. night with some sort of windmill dunk that failed miserably...haha. Fortunately they were up 21 and Mac took it in stride with some humor.
Anyway, Jays got exactly what they needed tonight....an easy win. On one hand it SHOULD have been but DePaul has been playing better of late and their center had a field day against CU last time out. Tonight he was limited to 6 points, 6 boards and 4 TOs. Largely because Mac was willing to bring the double team...something he doesn't seem to be a fan of.
Khyri Thomas was simply amazing tonight. As alway he was defending the best player on the other team (assuming the other team's best player is under 6'8"). Strus had 14 points but was 4-15/1-9. On top of shutting Strus down he put up 16 pts, 8 boards, 8 assists and 5 steals. When Mac was taking seniors out he took Thomas out at the same time. I really FELT like it was "goodbye". I think the odds are that it was.
The win eliminates any possibility that CU could end up with the 7 seed (1-6 seeds get a bye) in the BE tourney. They went into the night tied with Seton Hall, Butler and Providence for 3rd. Somewhere between 3 and 6...all of which allow them to avoid Nova and X in the first round. Should they win game 1 a match up with one of those two is inevitable so I don't have too much preference...of the teams they are currently tied with I suppose I'd prefer to avoid SH in the first round...Delgado is a beast and Carrington and Rodriguez are solid. That said CU SHOULD have beat them on the road and handled them fairly easily in Omaha. Butler should probably worry me more based on results I suppose.
It will be interesting to see what Mac does when Harrell comes back. I'm not sure it's coincidence that CU is playing REALLY well with Ballock in the starting 5. Harrell may be more comfortable off the bench.
I really don't like Marquette. It's time to end a 3 game losing streak to them. Should be a good game...hope I get to see it...it's at 9:30AM Vegas time. Ugh.
Congrats to Foster for the #3 play on SC tonight. Wicked dunk in the first half. He tried to punctuate Sr. night with some sort of windmill dunk that failed miserably...haha. Fortunately they were up 21 and Mac took it in stride with some humor.
Good summary, bils..... CU took care of business on senior night. Shutting down that center, Maric was key if they didn't want a repeat of that first game where he killed them. I thought Hegner had a nice senior night game, and of course, Thomas and Foster. As for the youngsters --Ballock has played well....and still seeing quality minutes from Epperson and Alexander. Mintz still out there.... 0 assists last night, 6 points....
My comment on the video post is yes, I agree..... there could just as easily been a call on Foster's drive to the basket. I guess no one wants to argue the point....
I went to the Creighton game last night (I live in Omaha and got free tickets). Look like the typical Creighton to me...good shooters that look good and win when they get hot. Could possibly win a game in the tournament but not a contender for the final four or anything.
