The Creighton Bluejays used a strong first part of the season and needed that to soften the blow in the latter stages. The Jays won 18 of their first 19 games before losing the country’s leader in assists, Maurice Watson, to a knee injury. Since then Creighton has gone just 7-8 and needed a trip to the Big East title game to solidify its status as a NCAA Tournament team. In as the sixth-seed in the Midwest Region, the Bluejays lock horns with the Rhode Island Rams in the opener.
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Despite their glossy record, there’s a good chance the Rams wouldn’t have been invited to the dance if they hadn’t won the Atlantic 10 tournament. Knowing that’s what they had to do, the Rams went and did it, knocking off No. 2 seed VCU for the automatic bid and entering the NCAA Tournament on roll. There were top-25 aspirations for Rhode Island heading into the season, but a rough start eliminated that idea. It took a season-ending eight-game winning streak to get the Rams to 24-9 and they went 6-1 ATS over their final seven contests.
The Bluejays were strong out of the gate, winning 18 times in their first 19 games with the lone defeat being administered by the overall No. 1 seed Villanova Wildcats. But things changed when Watson went down with his injury. Creighton beat Xavier in the game Watson was hurt, but they’ve stumbled since without the nation’s leading assist man. The Bluejays are only 7-8 SU and 6-9 ATS since Watson’s departure and enter their first round matchup with URI as a 2-point favorite.
Scheduling Situation
Rhode Island didn’t make many trips outside its comfort zone this season. The farthest west they travelled for a game was to Houston. So making the cross-country trip to northern California is going to be a new experience for the team and all its players. Several team members hail from the New England area and nearly all of them have roots on the East Coast.
It’s doubtful any of them have ever been to California. But here they are, travelling to the Golden State to compete in the NCAA Tournament. While it is a business trip, it’s hard to imagine at least some of the guys wanting to experience what the great state of California has in store. When they did leave their home state to play a game, the Rams went 7-5 in true road contests and 4-1 at neutral sites.
Key Stat
Creighton has one of the better offensive teams in the country and scores an average of 82.1 points per game to rank 19th. Led by Marcus Foster, who averages a team-best 18.3 points per outing, the Bluejays have four players scoring at least 12.4 points per game. That kind of balance puts pressure on opposing defenses and Creighton is even more difficult to defend because they shoot the ball extremely well.
As a team the Bluejays shoot 51 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range, and rank 40th in offensive efficiency. The numbers have fallen, however, since Watson was shelved and the Jays could have a tough time against the Rams’ pressure defense. URI owns the third-best three-point shooting defense in the country and surrenders just 65 points per game.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Playing in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball has certainly prepared Creighton for the Tournament. But the Bluejays stumbled following the loss of Watson and guard play in the NCAA’s is magnified. Watson was the nation’s leader in assists at the time of his injury and handled the ball a majority of the time. He was flawless in breaking down opposing defenses and using his teammates.
The Jays haven’t been the same since he went down, though a run to the Big East Tournament final likely helped in their seeding. The Rams do two things particularly well; they pressure the ball and defend the three on defense. And they use their backcourt of E.C. Matthews and Jared Terrell to create offense. Those are two areas the Bluejays are hurt the most with Watson’s absence and haven’t made up yet.
College Basketball Odds: Rhode Island 73, Creighton 71
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