Big East basketball always seems to deliver and the Creighton Bluejays and Seton Hall Pirates may have played the game of the year in college hoops so far.
Ryan Kalkbrenner played one of the best games of his outstanding career, going for 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 blocks in 54 minutes. Kalkbrenner was one of three Bluejays who topped 20 points as Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander also had big games to effort their team for the win.
For Seton Hall, Kadary Richmond’s rough 8-of-32 shooting night couldn’t overshadow his triple double of 21 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds. Help from Dre Davis (21 points) and Al-Amir Dawes (21 points) wasn’t enough, as Creighton found a way to survive after 55 minutes of game time.
Takeaway #1: Kalkbrenner can lead the Creighton Bluejays to the Final Four
At points in the season, I haven’t been this sure of Creighton’s postseason chances, but I was convinced on Saturday. It wasn’t because Seton Hall is Final Four material – they’re not. The Pirates are an NCAA Tournament team, but the Creighton Bluejays look like a tournament team that can win a few games. And Ryan Kalkbrenner is the difference maker.
The 7-footer had seven blocks, and altered countless other shots as it forced Richmond into a tough shooting night. Any Pirates that dared to drive to the lane were met with Kalkbrenner’s presence. His aggressiveness on defense – and smarts to not foul – aren’t seen on many teams. There’s a lot of 7-footers around the country, but few are as good on the defensive side of the ball as Kalkbrenner.
Of course, his offense literally led the Jays to the win. Again, it starts and ends with his aggressive play. In past years, the potential was there, but you didn’t always see it. On Saturday, I saw it, and I can’t remember many plays when it wasn’t there. Kalkbrenner didn’t come back for a fourth year just to play more hoops. He came to win basketball games and make a deep run in March.
Takeaway #2: Pirates deserve to be ranked
Do rankings matter? It’s the age-old debate in college sports and I don’t think we’ll ever come to a true middle-point. But what I can say is that we’re in late January. If rankings do matter at all, it’s at this point forward, and Seton Hall deserves to be in that conversation.
Why does that matter? Well, if you’re ranked, you’re going to get a good seed, probably 1-6, but no worse than an 8 seed. It’s like an unwritten rule, but it obviously makes sense, if you just do the math. Even if you don’t think rankings matter, I’m sure you would agree that seeding matters. The better the seed, the better the chance of advancing in March. Upsets are bound to happen, but the point of the regular season is to set you up for the “easiest” path possible.
Seton Hall did that with their five game winning streak and three wins over AP Top 25 teams. Despite losing to Creighton, they still probably earned extra respect from the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. We already knew the Pirates could beat anyone when they handled UConn at home. They doubled down on that with the wins over Providence and Marquette. Now, we know the Pirates will refuse to go down, even if it means an exhausting three overtime battle. The same can be said about Creighton, but most people already agreed they’re a top four seed already. For the Seton Hall doubters, Saturday’s loss should still prove what this team is made of. They won’t quit.
Takeaway #3: Give Steven Ashworth some praise!
For the second straight Creighton Bluejays game, Ashworth gets an extra nod. Why? His performance in triple overtime arguably won Creighton the game.
With the Bluejays down four points, Ashworth nailed a three with 88 seconds left, pulling them within a point. Playing 49 minutes in a college basketball game is tiring, so to hit a long distance shot with those stakes says a lot about his confidence and endurance.
Two possessions later, Ashworth dribbled out of a double-team, and flipped it to Trey Alexander for another three that put Creighton up two points. That came Creighton some comfort.
Finally, with 11 seconds to go, Ashworth nailed two free throws to give the Jays a two-possession lead (barring a Seton Hall made three plus a foul).
Ashworth’s play down the stretch not only made up for his costly missed free throw in the second OT, but it secured Creighton a Quad 1 win on the road. Has he had the season Bluejays fans wanted? Far from it. But he’s starting to pick up his play and that’s scary for the rest of the country.
Next game for Creighton: vs. Xavier (Tues., Jan. 23 – 8:30 p.m.)
Next game for Seton Hall: vs. Providence (Wed., Jan. 24 – 6:30 p.m.)