Musketeer Madness

When: Wednesday, January 29
Where: CHI Health Center Omaha, Neb. 8 p.m. ET

TV: FS1 with play-by-play from Connor Onion and analysis from Nick Bahe.
Radio: 700 WLW-AM available on the Varsity Network and on Sirius XM

Referees: Doug Shows, Tony Henderson, Nathan Farrell

Creighton is 14-6 this year and 7-2 in BIG EAST play after five straight wins; UConn had five straight wins before Cintas. A Xavier win would give X five wins in the last six outings.

Creighton averages 75.5 points per game and shoots 47.6 percent from the field, 35.0 percent from three-point range, and 75.4 percent at the line while outrebounding foes by 3.0 per game.

Xavier averages 77.0 points per game and allows 69.4 points per contest. Xavier shoots 45.4 percent from the field, 38.3 percent from three-point range and 78.1 percent at the line

NOTE: Xavier owns a 22-19 lead in the series with Creighton, but Creighton leads 9-6 in Omaha. Twenty-five of the 41 all-time meetings have been within five points in the final minute, including 11 of the last 20 games.

Creighton obviously has a big advantage in the post with Kalkbrenner. X will have to help and risk leaving someone open for a trey. Kalk shoots 70% from 2, and Creighton 35% from 3, so the math says make them hit it from 3.

X is the 6th most blocked team in the country, and Creighton is in the top 30 in blocks. Kalk has over half of theirs, so if there is a game where Fremantle has to hit a couple of threes to pull him out of the lane, it's this one. I prefer all are from the top of the key because he struggles from the wing and corner.

I think X has two positions where they have an advantage: PG and wing with Swain. I love Ashworth as a PG, but he is a liability on D. Kalb covers up for a lot for him and others. Hence, the need to pull him out of the lane. McKnight can score off of him either via the drive or by posting up, as he is very craft around the rim, a la Jalen Brunson.

Creighton has three, tall white guys who play the 4, and I don't see any of them being able to stay in front of Swain, especially the way he is playing now. They'll back off of him, but it hasn't mattered the last 7-8 games: Swain still finds his way to the hoop.

Creighton has a pretty, athletic 6'8" freshman wing, who plays 16-18 min a game, so they may opt to have him guard Swain.

I also think X has to go into overdrive and try and speed up the game more than normal. They are the more athletic team, and they will struggle in the half-court unless they are raining threes. They also need to make Kalk run up and down the court, bc he rarely comes out.

The Homer in me is coming out: My head says 71-66 Creighton, but my heart says 73-70 X.

This is the most difficult matchup for Xavier this season. Kalkbrenner might have eight dunks against us considering their success with the pick and roll and Free and Hunter still haven't figured it out. We never get a call from at Creighton and I don't expect that to change with McDermott. I think the spread is low. I saw Creighton by 10, hope I am wrong.

Pretty good start for Freemantle but if Kalkbrenner can catch the ball 5 feet from the basket it will be a long night.

Hugley is looking good on both ends. Conwell keeps getting his shot blocked from the three. Freemantle is playing very soft defense.

Conwell and Foster were invisible. Maddox didn't do much either. It is going to be tough to stop Kalkbrennewer if they are calling phantom fouls on Freemantle . Hugley played very well and was physical too. I'd like to see Freemantle and Hugley in there together.

Creighton's last five baskets were 3-pointers. In the last couple of minutes, X could hit the broadside of a barn—too much passing around the 3-point line without driving. Hugley played well, but together with Zach, they only scored 29, and Big K matched that himself.

Giving up 86 points on the road is a formula for disaster. We are now 2-7 on the road. Creighton shot 52% for the game. I think the worst defender was Freemantle. I wIsh Miller had played Hugley and Freemantle together in the second half. Hugley was physical against Kalkbrenner. He made him work. Freemantle reverted to the kind of defense he played two years ago. Foster contributed almost nothing and Hunter had a poor game. The announcers were raving about Swain but Neal out played him. Going forward I hope Hugley gets more time. I still think we need 7 of the last nine and we can do it but we have to play a lot better defense

Creighton is, IMO, the toughest road venue in the BE. it really is. and they always shoot it well there and apparently, they NEVER foul.

we have no matchup for Kalkbrenner and most teams in the league don't either. he killed us.

they simply made almost EVERY 3 in the 2nd half and when Kalkbrenner is hitting them from 7 ft behind the line at the end of the shot clock, you kinda know if you're in "for a night".

we didn't play bad minus just not being able to finish around the rim when needed and taking some ill-advised 3's (that got blocked AGAIN!).

I'm with Anti on Miller wasting his timeouts. sometimes you gotta let your team fight through things earlier in the game. didn't matter in the end of this one, but still.

it's not a bad loss, but it's one where we were in a 1-2 possession game with like 5-6 minutes left and just couldn't get over the hump. credit to them for knocking down their 3's in the 2nd half. I mean, who goes 7-8 from 3? that's just stupid.

now we are basically in "tournament" mode every game and that should be our mindset. that each game in and of itself is "tourney or bust". no hiccups anymore.