Ah, we meet again. The Hoyas are on the road today visiting the #11 Creighton Bluejays in Omaha, home of the renowned Omaha Steaks and Warren Buffett. The last time these two teams met was January 15th (God, that feels like an eternity ago) in DC, where the Hoyas took down the then #25 ranked Bluejays 83-80.
It was an eventful game then, with Mac McClung and Terrell Allen playing with the flu and the Hoyas having five players hit double-digits scoring. The two teams’ seasons have diverged since then. Our beloved Hoyas sit at seventh in the Big East, with a 5-11 conference record. The Bluejays are second in the Big East, with an 11-5 conference record. The Hoyas are riding a four game losing streak heading into today’s matchup with the #11 Bluejays. Meanwhile, the Bluejays are fresh off of a 20 point pummeling at the hands of St. John’s in Queens.
Here are some things to look for:
- Will Omer Yurtseven make his return? He’s missed 4 of the last five games with an ankle injury. If he can come back healthy and effective, that would be a massive boon for the Hoyas as Yurtseven was a major key as to why the Hoyas beat Creighton in DC earlier this year. If Yurtseven comes back, he can use his size to bully Creighton’s smaller bigs. Last time around, he was able to dominate, scoring 20 points and netting 13 rebounds.
- Will Creighton’s shooting continue to be cold? In Saturday’s crushing 91-71 defeat at St. John’s, Creighton went just 4 for 27 from 3-point range. If the Bluejays’ shooting carries over from Saturday and continues to ice-cold from beyond the arc, they could be in trouble. Their offense relies heavily on perimeter scoring, and with the Hoyas’ size advantage (even sans Yurtseven), that could make things interesting.
- Will Marcus Zegarowski continue his solid year? The Bluejays’ starting point guard (and sleeper Big East POY pick) is seventh in the conference in scoring, averaging 15.8 points per game. In addition, he’s averaging 4.9 assists per game. Last time against the Hoyas, he went off for 20 points, knocking down 6 three pointers, and dishing out 7 assists.
- Home court advantage. The Bluejays are 15-1 at home this season, with the sole home loss being a 64-59 defeat at the hands of Villanova. Omaha is not just home to a bunch of frozen steak enthusiasts, but they’re nuts about Creighton basketball too. It’s an intimidating environment, and it’s been exceptionally strong for Creighton this season.
And if I were a coach, here’s what I’d tell the Hoyas:
- Crash the glass. You know how Patrick Ewing likes to yell “REBOUND!”? Yeah, do that. Take advantage of your size advantage to get rebounds, and limit Creighton’s second-chance points while maximizing your own ability for put-backs on the other end.
- Next man up. Mac McClung and Omer Yurtseven were both key pieces in the DC meeting, with McClung scoring 19 and Yurtseven scoring 20. If both are out again (which is very possible), the Hoyas will need to once again try and make up for the missing scoring output by cobbling together who they have on the bench. Look for Jahvon Blair to try and continue the Blairnissaince and a still-determined Jagan Mosely to contribute as well.
- Limit the three. The Bluejays have been ice-cold from three lately, so if the Hoyas can continue that stretch, that bodes well. If the Bluejays can’t go back to score from the perimeter, they’re reduced to trying to get past the Hoyas inside. The Hoyas will beat Creighton inside with their height and length, and if Georgetown can dictate the flow of Creighton’s offense, that makes things easier on the defensive end as the Hoyas can play to their strengths.
Of course, I am not a coach, despite what I like to tell myself at Yates intramural games. This is all easier said than done, especially with a gassed and shorthanded team that’s playing on the road at the #11 team in the country.
But you know what? Let’s take a page out of Jagan Mosely’s playbook and keep fighting until the end.
Will’s Prediction (19-10 on the year): Creighton 86, Georgetown 64
I love watching this team and how they continue to fight like hell. I’ll be tuning in and cheering the entire way. However, I just can’t shake the feeling that the Hoyas are going to get pasted. They’ve hit their wall (and I can’t begrudge them), and unless Mac and Omer come back in peak form, they’re not going to really stand a chance on the road at the #11 team in the country. If Creighton can even get back to normal from beyond the arc, it’s game over. The Hoyas can’t defend from there very well, and I’ve been scarred too many times by watching a Bluejay pull up from beyond the arc to make a clean three as a Georgetown defender lunges at them.
Jacob’s Prediction (18-11 on the year): Creighton 78, Georgetown 67
I’m in the same boat as Will. At this point in the season, Creighton should have no problem rolling through the damaged Hoyas. The Bluejays are a great team and one of my favorite to watch (though not against my Hoyas). As Will mentioned, Creighton has lost just one home game all season. I wouldn’t bet on that changing Wednesday night.
