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Creighton Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Bluejays

By Bryan Mauro

CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 16: Greg McDermott the head coach of the Creighton Blue Jays gives instructions to his team against the Xavier Musketeers during the game at Cintas Center on January 16, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 16: Greg McDermott the head coach of the Creighton Blue Jays gives instructions to his team against the Xavier Musketeers during the game at Cintas Center on January 16, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Greg McDermott of the Creighton Bluejays looks on during a game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the Men Who Speak Up Main Event basketball tournament at MGM Grand Garden Arena on November 23, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Creighton won 85-75. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Greg McDermott of the Creighton Bluejays looks on during a game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the Men Who Speak Up Main Event basketball tournament at MGM Grand Garden Arena on November 23, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Creighton won 85-75. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Schedule Overview

Everyone should stand up in their chairs and applaud Creighton for playing one of the harder non-conference schedules out there. Creighton opens with a game at home against Yale, who can be tricky as they have one of the best guards in the entire country in Makai Mason. Creighton plays Northwestern in Chicago as part of the Gavitt Tip-Off Games.  Northwestern is a top-25 team and that is a very important game for both programs.  Creighton will want to win that game to get some early momentum and Northwestern wants to win that game to show that last year was not a fluke.

Creighton elected to play was the Hall of Fame Classic in which Creighton plays UCLA and either Baylor or Wisconsin in the second round. Northwestern, UCLA, and Baylor/Wisconsin is a heck of a 4-game stretch that few other programs in the country can claim they have.  Creighton also plays Nebraska as part of their annual rivalry game. McDermott has beaten Nebraska every year he has been at Creighton and at this point, it would be big news if Nebraska won.

The cream of the crop on this schedule is the game Creighton scheduled out in Spokane against Gonzaga. Gonzaga, fresh off the National Championship game last year, will pose quite the test for the Bluejays. At the time this game is played, that will end one of the most brutal non-conference stretches of games I have seen for any team.  If Creighton can get through that 5-game stretch at 3-2, they will have a dynamite season.  If they go 1-4 or 0-5 through that stretch, it could be a rough year for the Bluejays.

Projected Finish

Where the Bluejays finish in the Big East this year is going to be dependent on how Creighton navigates the non-conference portion of their schedule.  If Creighton does well in their Non-Conference that should give them the confidence they need to navigate the very tough Big East once again.  If the Bluejays struggle through their early schedule the Big East could pose too much for this team. Creighton has a lot of experience on their roster that should help them navigate and keep this team afloat.

The Bluejays have the experience to make a deep run into March and non-conference schedule to have them bow out early. Creighton should still be good enough to make the tournament, but with a loaded Big East, Creighton may get a lower regional seed. If the wins are there the committee should reward them for playing a very tough schedule.

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