"Bama has no chance" - the national media...
Have you guys seen our defense?
You can finally count me in the “Tim Brando” is an idiot fan club. I was listening on the radio today when he said that Alabama would be no match for the MVC Creighton club. That wasn't enough to make me send in my application papers; however. It was that you could pencil the Jays into the Sweet Sixteen round no questions asked that caused me to go out and buy a stamp. Tim, I don't mean to sound impolite but have you just written North Carolina off as well? We like to say that in our home our mama didn't raise no idiots. What happened in yours? Or was it a fall on the delivery room floor when the doctor let a pass slip through his hands?
Every basketball web site and blog I read today all are looking at Alabama like some type of interloper who has walked into the Tournament by mistake. Both teams beat Wichita State this season. Wichita State returned the favor and beat the Jays. In the last two games the Jays played they have scored 182 points. That's 91 per game for the numbered impaired. Alabama gave up 189 points in their last three games. Creighton' last three games they scored 99, 83 (OT) and 68. Here's something to think about with the high flying Jays. In seven games this season they scored in the 60's. These weren't against national powerhouse teams – Drake, Indiana State, Evansville, Northern Iowa (twice), Missouri State, and Wichita State. They also beat UAB 70-60 in Birmingham which was a pretty solid, but not an overwhelming victory. The overall records of the teams that held them in the sixties was 17-15 (Drake), 19-14 (Northern Iowa – NIT), Missouri State 16-16, Evansville 16-15, 27-5 (Wichita State – NCAA). Two decent teams in that bunch and some ho-hum seasons for the others. Let's put this another way – in the last four games the Jays scored in the 60's twice. They won all four however.
One thing that each of the teams that held them to lower scores had in common – each played a pressing man to man defense, with lots of pressing full court. I'm not saying that Creighton is a bad team. They score a lot of points in some games. In others, they don't. Wichita State was the best team they played. San Diego State is a quality team. They beat both. No way to underestimate how good those teams really are. If you watch late night basketball games on TV you have to like SDSU and the Beach.
List of good teams that the Jays played:
- San Diego State University (w)
- Wichita State (split series)
- Iowa (major conference team from Big Ten 8-10 record)
- Nebraska (Big Ten team with 4-14 record)
- St. Joes (NIT team which beat the Jays)
- Illinois State (NIT 9-9 in MVC)
- Long Beach State (NCAA)
Creighton beat some good teams – I threw in Iowa and Nebraska because they were from the Big 10 Conference. San Diego State, Wichita State, and Long Beach State were all good wins. St. Joes is going to the NIT based primarily on their late season win over Temple.
Teams that beat the Jays
- Wichita State
- Missouri State
- Northern Iowa
- Evansville
- St. Joe's
One NCAA team beat them. Two NIT team's beat them – St. Joes and Northern Iowa. Evansville was 16-15 and is going to the CBI, Missouri State has gone home to watch the games on TV. So, the teams that beat Creighton were pretty good teams. I don't think any of those teams would be considered great although the three NCAA teams the played cannot be overlooked. Each is good and a lot of people think the can make some trouble in the NCAA. But the Jays have had a lot of close calls. The sign of a good team is they win close games. Invincible? No Tough? Yes. A lock to beat the Tide? Hardly.
The Creighton Jays can shoot the ball as good as anyone I've seen on television all season. But the question in my mind is what was the quality of the competition who they beat up on? I honestly don't know other than to say the MVC have historically been a good little league. They take their basketball very seriously and draw huge crowds. The are are small university teams from small towns who have a loyal fan following. Never underestimate those type teams at home. But they aren't playing at home. I just don' t think that the Jays have played a defense with the grit and grind of Alabama. It is without a doubt one of the more intriguing games in round one, and although the Tide is a 1.5 favorite, the Jays are the darlings of the talking heads. Or the rasping heads as in the case of Dickie V. And of course, and this should never be underestimated – Tim Brando has them penciled in as a Sweet Sixteen team. As one Bama player told me today – no one thinks we can beat them, and we kinda like that.
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