Creighton Thoughts

[Eldon]

My thoughts can be summed up rather concisely:  NPOY-led Creighton is a very good team.  They are better than we are.

[LAZER]

In the short term (next 2-3 years), this is it for them; this is their year. They will finish 6-8 in the Big East next year. Their incoming classes are nothing spectacular

In the long term they will be fine. They have a solid program set up and are in a good conference

I think we should all be rooting for a deep Creighton run in March. The type of run that can instantly gain traction on the recruiting trail.

[NersEllenson]

Creighton is simply better. I really have no idea what Marquette could have done differently.

Agree...Creighton poses too many problems with their ability to space floor and hit 3's.  Very difficult to defend...and we have too many challenges offensively to be able to keep up in a high scoring affair.

 

[madtownwarrior]

not just NPOY but also best 3pt shooter in the country, great complimentary players - they are a great team

My thoughts can be summed up rather concisely:  NPOY-led Creighton is a very good team.  They are better than we are.

[Texas Western]

Creighton was better on every level. They had far quicker and more athletic players, also they played smart.  That is a pretty tough combination to beat.

[jesmu84]

Sad I have to add to my list...

11. Once again, after a loss, the ridiculous posts and posters come out of the woodwork. So much better the last few weeks when we were winning and they had no leg to stand on.

[MUSF]

I guess what I meant is outside of playing better. I thought the game plan and personnel were fine.

Agreed, we needed them to miss more outside shots and not waste possessions on the offensive end with early jumpers, turnovers, fouls, etc..

Additional thoughts...

Burton is gradually replacing Mayo as my most frustrating player. It's not because he isn't talented or lacks effort, but he just can't differentiate between good and bad shots or good and bad fouls. If/when he figures it out he'll be a beast.

The whole team needs to trust the offense and the game plan a little more. When they run through their sets and move the ball they are quite effective. When they don't it's painful.

I know I should appreciate how Creighton plays/executes but they really annoy the crap out of me.

McDermott is a great college bball player but I don't see why many think he will be a good NBA player. He scores most of his points by outside shots off good ball movement and crafty high bball IQ plays. The athleticism isn't there to create his own shot unless exploiting a mismatch and he can be a liability on defense. I don't want to take anything away from what he has accomplished at this level, but I just don't see it translating at the next level.

The players on this MU team seem to come up just short in some areas that prevent them from being a very good to great team. If Jake and DG were just a bit more athletic, if Jamil were just a step quicker, if DWilson could just knock down a few shots and FTs, if Burton could just play a little smarter, if Otule had just a little more offensive ability...

[MarquetteDano]

Not if Creighton plays with balance like it has all year. And they are über composed. IMHO.

Creighton is really good offensively but I just don't think they have the defense.  Since 2004 here are the teams that have had a defensive ranking (according to Pomeroy) greater than 25th who have made the Final Four:

2005 Michigan State #32
2005 Louisville #37

2011 VCU #84
2011 Butler #44

2013 Michigan #48

Creighton's current rating is #73.  So in the last ten years, only VCU had a lower ranking and the next lowest team had a #48.

[CreightonWarrior]

Creighton is really good offensively but I just don't think they have the defense.  Since 2004 here are the teams that have had a defensive ranking (according to Pomeroy) greater than 25th who have made the Final Four:

2005 Michigan State #32
2005 Louisville #37

2011 VCU #84
2011 Butler #44

2013 Michigan #48

Creighton's current rating is #73.  So in the last ten years, only VCU had a lower ranking and the next lowest team had a #48.

Don't know the numbers after tonight, but prior to the game Creighton was #1 in scoring defense in conference games.

[MarquetteDano]

Don't know the numbers after tonight, but prior to the game Creighton was #1 in scoring defense in conference games.

That isn't tempo free.  Pomeroy calculates per tempo.  Creighton plays slow so the defense looks better.  Creighton's tempo is 205th in the country.

[Texas Western]

Agreed, we needed them to miss more outside shots and not waste possessions on the offensive end with early jumpers, turnovers, fouls, etc..

Additional thoughts...

Burton is gradually replacing Mayo as my most frustrating player. It's not because he isn't talented or lacks effort, but he just can't differentiate between good and bad shots or good and bad fouls. If/when he figures it out he'll be a beast.

The whole team needs to trust the offense and the game plan a little more. When they run through their sets and move the ball they are quite effective. When they don't it's painful.

I know I should appreciate how Creighton plays/executes but they really annoy the crap out of me.

McDermott is a great college bball player but I don't see why many think he will be a good NBA player. He scores most of his points by outside shots off good ball movement and crafty high bball IQ plays. The athleticism isn't there to create his own shot unless exploiting a mismatch and he can be a liability on defense. I don't want to take anything away from what he has accomplished at this level, but I just don't see it translating at the next level.

The players on this MU team seem to come up just short in some areas that prevent them from being a very good to great team. If Jake and DG were just a bit more athletic, if Jamil were just a step quicker, if DWilson could just knock down a few shots and FTs, if Burton could just play a little smarter, if Otule had just a little more offensive ability...

I am not sure why you think he can't create his own shot. The left handed drive at the end of the game was about as self created a shot your ever going to see.

[MUSF]

I am not sure why you think he can't create his own shot. The left handed drive at the end of the game was about as self created a shot your ever going to see.

As I said, unless exploiting a mismatch. Most of his drives were against smaller guards after switches or against JWilson when he was playing with 4 fouls. Those plays are a great example of how he uses his superior bball IQ, crafty moves, and his knack for finding a way to get the ball in the basket. Like I said, he is a great college bball player, but I think many of those drives would get stuffed back in his face in the NBA. He just doesn't have the athletic ability to take NBA 2s and 3s off the dribble.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

In the short term (next 2-3 years), this is it for them; this is their year. They will finish 6-8 in the Big East next year. Their incoming classes are nothing spectacular

In the long term they will be fine. They have a solid program set up and are in a good conference

Creighton will drop next season, but they have a sneaky good class coming in. McBuckets Sr. has also stepped up his recruiting game. No more 3 and 2 stars for the Jays. They are hunting 4 stars. They have the potential to turn themselves into a perennial middle of the conference type team.

[john31]

I just looked at the box score and I cannot help but be impressed by Burton's play or at least his potential. I know he has a long way to go with his defense and his offensive game could be more polished but look at his line in the box score with only playing ten minutes. He had too many turnovers, maybe trying to do too much and fouls, his defense is a little lacking. He has the potential to be a great player.

[4everwarriors]

McDermott is a beast. Great off the ball movement. Very active. Picture perfect form on his shot with beyond NBA 3 pt. range. Easy to see why he's likely to be Player of the Year. Definite lottery pick and has Boston Celtic written all over his heine.

[MUWarrior4Life]

What was frustrating to me, was the fact we would close the gap to 4-5 pts, and all hell would broke loose. Next thing U know, they're back up 10 or 12 pts. Officiating was very weird to me the whole night. However, we just didn't have that killer instinct at all throughout the evening.

[Dreadman24]

My fear is that Creighton will become the "duke" of the big east conference:/

I hate them

[CTWarrior]

I agree that Creighton is simply better, but I have a few ideas what Marquette could have done differently.

How about if we start with something as simple as making a few of the 16 freakin' free throws we missed?

Also, maybe not lose track of Wragge for six 3-pointers? It's actually a fairly simple assignment but whoever was on him seemed to lose focus for a brief second and then - bang - it was too late.

Also, how about not giving up about a half-dozen wide-open layups?

Also, needed more out of Jamil.

So there's a start. Not sure if all of that would have added up to victory but at least doing a few of those things differently might have kept us from getting wiped out on our home court.

Agree about the FTs.  Don't agree with much else. 

Wragge was open because neither Otule nor Gardner can chase guys all over the court, so as long as one of them is on the court, a shooter was going to get open.

Driving lanes were open because of their ability to spread the floor with all five guys and the resulting respect we had to show all of their players on the perimeter.

We needed more out of everybody, not just Jamil.

I know we don't want to rehash this, but they also defensed us properly, totally ignoring Derrick Wilson and crowding Gardner.  To his credit Derrick played much better this time than the first time around against Creighton.

Finally, I don't see how we beat this team other than letting them shoot the 3 and hoping they have an off night, which will be a disaster more often than not.  Other option is to forget Otule and Gardner and go back to massive substitutions with the other guys and try to wear them out.  Neither are promising options.

[CTWarrior]

The whole team needs to trust the offense and the game plan a little more. When they run through their sets and move the ball they are quite effective. When they don't it's painful.

Agree strongly with this point.  There is a stretch in every game where we go several consecutive possessions settling for long jump shots, often with plenty of time on the shot clock.  Happened again last night.  And when you shoot like we do, that is a recipe for failure.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Seems like this is indicative of the game.  We got down to 5 points amd Mayo makes a steal and seems to have a somewhat easy layup only to get picked just before the shot, then we play good defense again on the next play and McDermott chucks up a near half court shot as the shot clock expires to easily swish a 3.  What can a team do?

[Hards Alumni]

Creighton is going to be one of the toughest teams in the tourney.  They everything well, and nothing very poorly.

I know I'm taking them in the final four.

[bradley center bat]

My fear is that Creighton will become the "duke" of the big east conference:/

I hate them

That would be a good thing for the Big East.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Creighton will drop next season, but they have a sneaky good class coming in. McBuckets Sr. has also stepped up his recruiting game. No more 3 and 2 stars for the Jays. They are hunting 4 stars. They have the potential to turn themselves into a perennial middle of the conference type team.

I think you are aiming low.  They have a chance to be one of the top teams in the conference longer term if they can sustain things.  Very supportive fans, been good for a long time under Dana and now McDermott.  I will be interested to see if the keep recruiting to this type of style they play because it is unlike anyone else's in the conference.

[CTWarrior]

Seems like this is indicative of the game.  We got down to 5 points amd Mayo makes a steal and seems to have a somewhat easy layup only to get picked just before the shot, then we play good defense again on the next play and McDermott chucks up a near half court shot as the shot clock expires to easily swish a 3.  What can a team do?

Yup.  This was a backbreaking sequence in the game.  There was one other sequence around the same time were we missed a wide open three that would have cut it to 2 and they came down 10 seconds later and buried a three and just like that we were down 8 again.  Seemed like that kind of thing just kept happening every time we got close.

Just tip your cap to a very good Creighton team.

[NavinRJohnson]

Seems like this is indicative of the game.  We got down to 5 points amd Mayo makes a steal and seems to have a somewhat easy layup only to get picked just before the shot, then we play good defense again on the next play and McDermott chucks up a near half court shot as the shot clock expires to easily swish a 3.  What can a team do?

Sticks out for me too. Ended the game.