8:30 PM EST, FS1 – Line: UConn -2.5, Over/Under: 145.5
Big East foes clash for the second time in a month as the (No. 1) UConn Huskies look to win their fifteenth game in a row in what could very well prove to be a tricky venture to Omaha, where the (No. 17) Creighton Bluejays look to spring the upset and remain alive in the race for the conference title in this showdown from CHI Health Center. The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same in Storrs, for a nearly a year after winning their fifth national championship in school history, UConn (24-2, 14-1 in Big East) look primed to be the first repeat winner since 2007. Indeed (Head Coach) Dan Hurley has his troops looking like the favorite to cut down the nets come the end of March, sitting atop the polls for FIVE consecutive weeks now. Even after losing THREE starters from last year’s national champion to the NBA, the Huskies remain as talented as any team in the country, as Hurley has continued to recruit his ass off, bringing in three different freshmen ranked within the top-100. That includes, (Freshman Guard) Stephon Castle, who has fit into the rotation nicely, averaging 10.8 points on 48.1% shooting, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.0 steal. With that being said, it is a senior backcourt that leads Connecticut, with (Guards) Cam Spencer and Tristen Newton (pictured below) stepping into starting roles after coming off the bench last season. The former leads the team with 15.2 points on an efficient 48.9% shooting, including a blistering 44.3% from downtown, along with 4.7 rebounds, 3,4 assists, and 1.5 steals, while the latter isn’t far behind with 15.0 points on 40.8% shooting, 6.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.2 thefts. One look at this team and the thing that stands out is their size and length, which has been a calling card for this program going back to the days of Jim Calhoun. Spencer, Newton, and Castle are a sizable backcourt standing no smaller than 6’4″, while the frontcourt pack plenty of size with (Sophomores) Donovan Clingan (7’2″, 265 lbs), Alex Karaban (6’8″, 210 lbs), and (Junior Forward) Samson Johnson (6’10”, 205 lbs). This is the major component as to why they rank atop the Big East in a plethora of categories, including points scored (78.8), allowed (64.1) and differential (+14.7), field goal percentage offense (48.8%) and defense (39.7%), assists (18.0), three-point percentage defense (28.0%), and rebounding margin (+6.4). During this 14-game win streak, they’ve been hammering the opposition by a whopping 16.8 points per contest on 49.6% shooting, including 40.2% from downtown, with 18.4 assists opposed to 9.4 turnovers, while yielding 38.85 shooting from the field, 27.7% from three, and just 10.0 assists.
When we last saw UConn, they embarrassed (No. 4) Marquette in an 81-53 drubbing at XL Center, taking the first of their two meetings this season. This one was over quickly, folks, as the Huskies raced out to a commanding 42-26 halftime lead, which was more than enough to see off a team that was supposed to be their chief competition within the Big East. Simply put, the Golden Eagles could not matchup with the size and length of Connecticut, who relegated the visitors to just 36.8% shooting, including 5-of-23 from the perimeter (21.7%), with nine assists in comparison to thirteen turnovers. They also attempted a mere eight free-throws, while getting blasted on the boards (39-25). The hosts amassed fifteen offensive rebounds, which earned them a wealth of easy second-chance looks at the rim, with Clingan totaling five of his own. The Bristol native led the team with seventeen points on a near-perfect 7-of-8 shooting (87.5%), ten boards, two assists, and two steals, while Spencer and Newton combined for twenty-nine points on 10-of-20 shooting (50.0%), including 5-of-13 from deep (38.4%), fourteen rebounds, eleven assists, and a pair of steals. As a team, Hurley’s troops shot 46.0% overall, including 18-of-33 from within the arc (54.5%) where they just overwhelmed Marquette. From a betting perspective, UConn is 15-10-1 against the spread thus far, covering six of their las nine contests, including each of the last three outings which were all as a favorite of at least 7.5 points. Furthermore, they are 14-2 in their last sixteen outings as a road favorite of 0.5-6.5 points, which is the case tonight. Looking at this particular matchup, the home team has taken each of the last four meetings between these teams, with Connecticut earning a comfortable 62-48 victory in Hartford back on January 17th. This was a seriously defensive affair as both teams shot below 36.0% from the field, the difference once again came down to the Huskies’ muscle. The hosts outrebounded the Bluejays 45-26, including 18-3 on the offensive glass, which led to a sizable disparity in shot attempts (70-52). Add to that a dozen turnovers for the visiting side and you can accurately paint the picture of a team that couldn’t get anything going offensively. Spencer and Newton accounted for twenty-nine points on 11-of-28 shooting (39.2%), fourteen rebounds, seven assists, and four steals, while Karaban added thirteen points and seven boards to boot. If this tilt proved anything, it is that this group is more than capable of winning ugly, which should serve them well come tournament time. Looking ahead, UConn returns home to face Villanova and Seton Hall, who handed them their only league loss back on December 20th, before traveling to Marquette for a rematch of Big East powerhouses.
Meanwhile, looking to make one final push for a conference title is Creighton (19-7, 10-5 in Big East), who currently trail the reigning national champions by four games on the league table. Now in his fourteenth season in Omaha, (Head Coach) Greg McDermott is on the verge of taking the Bluejays to their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament and ninth overall since arriving on campus back in 2010. There are two things to know when it comes to this team: they are experienced and well-versed on the offensive end of the hardwood. McDermott’s teams are generally among the best in that regard and this iteration is no different, ranking just behind UConn in points scored (78.7), field goal percentage (47.6%), and assists (16.9), while sitting atop the conference in two-point percentage (59.7%), three-pointers made (9.8) and attempted (28.7), along with rebounds (35.7). Furthermore, they are a rather disciplined defensive unit, affording the opposition the fewest free-throws attempted in the Big East (12.1). Four seniors comprise the rotation, led by (former South Dakota State transfer) Baylor Scheierman, (Center) Bryan Kalkbrenner, and (Junior Guard) Trey Alexander, who all average over seventeen points per game. Of the triumvirate, Scheierman (pictured below) is the one that stands out the most, posting 18.7 points on 45.8% shooting, including 37.1% from downtown, 8.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 0.9 steals. Interestingly, Creighton is one of the few teams in the Big East that possess the size to go toe-to-toe with Connecticut, with four different players standing at least 6’8″, including Kalkbrenner who checks in at an imposing 7’0″, 235 lbs. Winners of three straight games, the Bluejays have kicked it into high gear on the offensive end, averaging 83.7 points on a healthy 52.7% shooting, including 36.0% from beyond the arc, with 22.3 assists in comparison to committing just 8.0 turnovers, all the while outscoring their opponents by a staggering 17.0 points per outing.
When we last saw Creighton, they stormed into Hinkle Fieldhouse and hammered Butler in a 79-57 affair, their second consecutive victory by twenty-two points. Believe it or not, this contest was actually very tight in the first half, with the hosts heading into intermission with a narrow 35-34 advantage. However, the second half was a decisively different story, as the visitors burned down the nylon, running the Bulldogs off their own court, 45-22. McDermott’s outfit shot a scintillating 51.7% from the field, including 23-of-35 from within the arc (65.7%), with nineteen assists opposed to committing seven turnovers. The trio of Scheierman, Alexander, and Kalkbrenner scored all but sixteen of their team’s points, with Scheierman and Kalkbrenner combining for forty-eight points on 18-of-28 shooting (64.2%), including 6-of-11 from three (54.5%), sixteen rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Defensively, the shut down the ‘dogs, who could muster just 40.0% shooting, including 6-of-22 from beyond the arc (27.3%), and attempted a mere three free-throws. From a betting perspective, Creighton is an even 13-13 against the spread thus far, though have covered each of their three wins during this current streak, all of which have come as a favorite. However, that is not the case tonight, which should place bettors on alert; the Bluejays have failed to cover FIVE consecutive games when receiving points from the oddsmakers, including four straight contests as a dog of 6.5 points or less. Looking at this particular matchup, Creighton may have lost their most recent encounter, but they have bested UConn in each of their last two battles in Omaha. Last season, they edged out a 56-53 triumph at CHI Health Center, with their size and discipline on the defensive end making life miserable for the Huskies, who shot just 32.3% from the field, including 14-of-38 from within the arc (36.8%) and 7-of-27 from deep (25.9%). Simply put, McDermott couldn’t ask for a better performance in this regard, limiting Connecticut to a scant four free-throw attempts, with more turnovers (13) than assists (10), all the while keeping the rebounding disparity manageable (-6), despite conceding EIGHTEEN offensive boards. That led to fifteen more shot attempts for the visitors, who struggled offensively themselves, netting 39.6% of their attempts overall. However, the Bluejays made up for it by making them count from the charity stripe, where they calmly sank 13-of-17 free-throws, which ultimately made the difference in such a close game. Again, it was the grouping of Scheierman, Alexander, and Kalkbrenner that made the plays in this one, folks, combining for forty points on 14-of-27 shooting (51.8%), fifteen rebounds, and five steals. Looking ahead, Creighton travel to St. John’s this weekend before returning to Omaha to battle Seton Hall and Marquette, who bested them in a 62-57 affair at Fiserv Forum back on December 30h.