Jays seek breakthrough against Friars? physical defense in Big East basketball tournament
A rock fight. That?s how Creighton coach Greg McDermott described last year?s game between Creighton and Providence in the Big East tournament.
The Jays had just 27 points at halftime. They missed 10 3-pointers and turned the ball over nine times. There was a five-minute span when they managed just two points and a four-minute stretch when they didn?t score at all.
Not pretty.
Creighton found a way to win that game, but it didn?t necessarily solve the issues presented by Providence?s personnel and tactics.
Not only were the well-prepared Friars ready to take away Creighton?s go-to scoring plays, they brought length and athleticism to nearly every position so they could comfortably switch most matchups within their man-to-man look. They welcomed one-on-one isolation situations because they were confident they wouldn?t get burned.
One year later, the blueprint hasn?t changed. The Jays certainly know what to expect.
?They?re so tough and physical, and sometimes we lack that when we?re not playing our best,? CU senior Marcus Foster said. ?We never shoot the ball too well against them because their defense always gives us a little bit of problems.?
Providence?s point guard, Kyron Cartwright, is listed at 5-foot-11. But everyone else in its starting lineup is 6-foot-7 or taller. The versatile Isaiah Jackson, registering at 6-foot-6, is the Friars? top option off the bench. A 6-foot-10 freshman, Nate Watson, can fill in for stretches at center.
That size has been problematic for Creighton.
Creighton shot 39.4 percent from the floor (its worst rate in league play) during a 14-point loss at Providence in January. The Jays? 46.6 field-goal percentage in their home win against the Friars was their third-worst shooting performance all year inside the CenturyLink Center.
In that sloppy quarterfinals matchup against Providence last season, CU made just 42.6 percent of its shots, recorded only seven assists on its 23 made field goals and needed seven free throws in the final 90 seconds to crack the 70-point mark. The Friars were a major reason.
?They just try to beat you up, and that?s not exactly a (favorable) recipe for the smallish guys that I?m going to roll out on the floor,? McDermott said. ?But we know what we have to do.?
Share the ball. Space the court. Embrace contact. Play with a certain level of fearlessness.
The Jays are pretty certain they?ll be getting Providence?s best effort, too.
The Friars will enter Thursday?s game on the NCAA tournament bubble. They?ve picked up marquee wins over Xavier and Villanova ? but they?ve also suffered r?sum?-staining losses to Massachusetts and DePaul. They could very much use a victory over CU to solidify an NCAA berth.
Creighton just experienced the desperation of Marquette on Saturday, and it couldn?t keep pace in an 85-81 defeat.
After losses this year, Creighton?s players have talked about the need to play with more urgency ? particularly as the pressure mounts during the second half. They?ve lost leads because they haven?t been as sharp, or as focused, or as gritty.
They?d like to reverse that trend. A win over Providence would be a first step.
?Those guys are just tough,? Creighton junior Khyri Thomas said. ?And that?s something we?ve work on all year, especially trying to end out games, is being the tougher team.?
Notes
? The Bluejays are 4-8 against Providence since joining the Big East. They split the regular-season series this season. CU beat the Friars 70-58 in the conference quarterfinals last year.
? Creighton played without junior Ronnie Harrell (foot) for the third straight game Saturday. Freshman Jacob Epperson (knee) missed most of the second half at Marquette. But both practiced this week.
? The Friars are 3-4 in their past seven games. So are the Jays. Only three teams (Xavier, Villanova and Marquette) are entering the Big East tournament on a winning streak.
A rock fight. That?s how Creighton coach Greg McDermott described last year?s game between Creighton and Providence in the Big East tournament.
The Jays had just 27 points at halftime. They missed 10 3-pointers and turned the ball over nine times. There was a five-minute span when they managed just two points and a four-minute stretch when they didn?t score at all.
Not pretty.
Creighton found a way to win that game, but it didn?t necessarily solve the issues presented by Providence?s personnel and tactics.
Not only were the well-prepared Friars ready to take away Creighton?s go-to scoring plays, they brought length and athleticism to nearly every position so they could comfortably switch most matchups within their man-to-man look. They welcomed one-on-one isolation situations because they were confident they wouldn?t get burned.
One year later, the blueprint hasn?t changed. The Jays certainly know what to expect.
?They?re so tough and physical, and sometimes we lack that when we?re not playing our best,? CU senior Marcus Foster said. ?We never shoot the ball too well against them because their defense always gives us a little bit of problems.?
Providence?s point guard, Kyron Cartwright, is listed at 5-foot-11. But everyone else in its starting lineup is 6-foot-7 or taller. The versatile Isaiah Jackson, registering at 6-foot-6, is the Friars? top option off the bench. A 6-foot-10 freshman, Nate Watson, can fill in for stretches at center.
That size has been problematic for Creighton.
Creighton shot 39.4 percent from the floor (its worst rate in league play) during a 14-point loss at Providence in January. The Jays? 46.6 field-goal percentage in their home win against the Friars was their third-worst shooting performance all year inside the CenturyLink Center.
In that sloppy quarterfinals matchup against Providence last season, CU made just 42.6 percent of its shots, recorded only seven assists on its 23 made field goals and needed seven free throws in the final 90 seconds to crack the 70-point mark. The Friars were a major reason.
?They just try to beat you up, and that?s not exactly a (favorable) recipe for the smallish guys that I?m going to roll out on the floor,? McDermott said. ?But we know what we have to do.?
Share the ball. Space the court. Embrace contact. Play with a certain level of fearlessness.
The Jays are pretty certain they?ll be getting Providence?s best effort, too.
The Friars will enter Thursday?s game on the NCAA tournament bubble. They?ve picked up marquee wins over Xavier and Villanova ? but they?ve also suffered r?sum?-staining losses to Massachusetts and DePaul. They could very much use a victory over CU to solidify an NCAA berth.
Creighton just experienced the desperation of Marquette on Saturday, and it couldn?t keep pace in an 85-81 defeat.
After losses this year, Creighton?s players have talked about the need to play with more urgency ? particularly as the pressure mounts during the second half. They?ve lost leads because they haven?t been as sharp, or as focused, or as gritty.
They?d like to reverse that trend. A win over Providence would be a first step.
?Those guys are just tough,? Creighton junior Khyri Thomas said. ?And that?s something we?ve work on all year, especially trying to end out games, is being the tougher team.?
Notes
? The Bluejays are 4-8 against Providence since joining the Big East. They split the regular-season series this season. CU beat the Friars 70-58 in the conference quarterfinals last year.
? Creighton played without junior Ronnie Harrell (foot) for the third straight game Saturday. Freshman Jacob Epperson (knee) missed most of the second half at Marquette. But both practiced this week.
? The Friars are 3-4 in their past seven games. So are the Jays. Only three teams (Xavier, Villanova and Marquette) are entering the Big East tournament on a winning streak.
