Bluejays seek third top-25 win of the season
Next Game
Creighton (9-6, 3-1 BIG EAST) plays its fifth top-25 opponent of the season on Saturday, Jan. 7, when it visits No. 4 Connecticut (14-2, 3-2 BIG EAST) for an 11 a.m. CST tip.
The Bluejays are 5-0 all-time vs. the Huskies, including a 76-74 overtime win in 2020 in its only visit to Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) and KOOO (101.9 FM) will carry all Creighton men’s basketball games during the 2022-23 season. John Bishop and Taylor Stormberg will call the action.
The audio is webcast live at www.1620thezone.com and can be heard on SiriusXM channel 382 and on SXM app channel 972.
Telecast Information
Saturday’s game will be called by Brandon Gaudin and Donny Marshall and be televised on FOX. The game will also be video webcast on the FoxSports app or at http://foxsports.com/live. Cable authorization may be required.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton’s games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.
Home games can also be followed on mobile devices at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton started 6-0, including wins at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational over No. 21 Texas Tech and No. 9 Arkansas, then dropped its next six games before picking up BIG EAST wins by double-figures over Butler, DePaul and Seton Hall.
CU had three men named to the BIG EAST’s All-Freshman Team last winter who are now sophomores. That trio includes BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Ryan Nembhard (11.5 ppg., 5.8 apg.) as well as Arthur Kaluma (12.7 ppg., 5.5 rpg.) and Trey Alexander (12.7 ppg., 4.2 rpg.).
Creighton’s highest-impact newcomer to date has been South Dakota State transfer Baylor Scheierman (12.4 ppg., 9.2 rpg.), who also owns the team lead with eight double-doubles and 38 three-pointers made.
All-BIG EAST center Ryan Kalkbrenner (15.3 ppg., 7.0 rpg.), who was named 2022 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, ranks second in the nation in field goal percentage (.762) this season. CU is 9-3 with him in the line-up this year.
Creighton was picked to win the BIG EAST Conference and earned its best preseason AP poll ranking ever (No. 9), thanks to the return of 10 lettermen and three starters from last year’s team that finished 23-12.
CU averages 77.1 points while allowing just 67.5 points per contest. CU shoots 47.2 percent from the floor, 36.3 percent from deep and 71.4 percent at the line.
Scouting #4 Connecticut
Connecticut has suffered back-to-back double-digit losses after a 14-0 start, putting the Huskies in the unique predicament of being ranked fourth nationally but in fifth place of its own conference.
UConn boasts one of the nation’s deepest teams, with eight regulars averaging at least five points per game. That group is headed by Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year Adama Sanogo, who leads the team with 17.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Jordan Hawkins is good for 14.6 points per game and Andre Jackson Jr. does a little bit of everything while averaging 6.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per contest.
The Huskies average 80.9 points per game and shoot 46.9 percent from the field, 35.8 percent from three-point territory and 73.4 percent at the line. UConn outrebounds foes by 8.4 caroms per contest and the Huskies have 299 assists but just 198 turnovers.
The Series With Connecticut
Creighton is 5-0 all-time against UConn, with all five meetings taking place in the last 25 months and in four different cities. The five games have been decided by a total of 19 points.
After beating the Huskies in Storrs (76-74), Omaha (74-66) and New York City (59-56) in 2020-21, the Bluejays won match-ups last year in Hartford (59-55) and Omaha (64-62).
Greg McDermott is 5-0 against Connecticut.
McDermott is 5-1 all-time in head-to-head meetings vs. Dan Hurley, as Hurley’s Rhode Island team defeated Creighton 84-72 in the First Round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament in a game contested in Sacramento, Calif.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2022-32 season went on sale on October 14th. Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CHI Health Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com.
For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
