2017 NCAA Tournament: Rhode Island vs. Creighton preview, prediction, TV schedule

By Carmine Carcieri | Mar 15, 2017

Mar 12, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Rhode Island Rams guard E.C. Matthews (0) shoots against the Virginia Commonwealth Rams during the second half of the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship game at the PPG Paints Arena. Rhode Island won 70-63.Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

In a 6-11 2017 NCAA Tournament match-up in the Midwest region, Creighton will try to halt Rhode Island’s eight-game win streak.

TV schedule: Friday, March 17, 4:30 p.m. ET, TBS

Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA

Prediction: Rhode Island 79, Creighton 75

Creighton and Rhode Island enter the 2017 NCAA Tournament heading in opposite directions.

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While the Bluejays reached the Big East Tournament final last week, Creighton has lost five of their last nine games and have struggled to perform like one of the top teams in the conference after losing their star point guard Maurice Watson Jr. for the season. Greg McDermott’s team was a dark horse Final Four contender with Watson in the lineup but look like just an average six-seed without their distributor, elite perimeter defender, and scorer.

On the flip side, the Rhode Island Rams are playing their best basketball of the season. They have won eight-straight games, including capturing the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament championship over the VCU Rams on Sunday afternoon. Guard E.C. Matthews has finally gained his confidence and explosion back after a torn ACL that ended his 2015-16 season during the first game of the year and Hassan Martin has played like one of the best big men in the conference.

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So how do these two teams match-up? This should be an interesting game between contrasting styles.

The Bluejays are one of the more elite offensive units in all college basketball due to their crisp sets and the presence of elite scorer Marcus Foster. Creighton averages 82.1 points per game, which is 19th best in Division I.

Dan Hurley’s team can score a bit but they pride themselves on the defensive end of the floor. Martin is the leading shot blocker in the Atlantic 10 while Stanford Robinson is an elite perimeter defender. They also have size and athleticism at both the guard and wing positions, giving them the ability to switch on the perimeter and be active in ball screens.

Despite their lack of tournament experience, I ultimately believe Rhode Island wins this game. They are red hot coming into the Big Dance and have just as much talent as Creighton does. Martin will have a tall task in terms of guarding potential lottery pick Justin Patton but he is capable of being physical with the seven-foot center and plays much bigger than his 6’7″ frame.

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If Creighton is making their threes and Khyri Thomas plays as well as he played in the Big East Tournament, this could be a different result. However, Matthews will have a big game, Jared Terrell will score 15+ points in Rhody’s win and the Rams will lock down on defense.

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