Gonzaga vs. Creighton: College basketball game preview, TV schedule
The Creighton Blue Jays will travel to Spokane to play the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Who will have the edge in this top 25 showdown?
TV Schedule: Friday, Dec.1, 10:00 p.m ET, ESPN2
Arena: McCarthy Athletic Center, Spokane Washington
The Creighton Blue Jays broke into the AP Poll at number 25, after a solid showing in Kansas City, but will face their toughest test of the season in a road game at Gonzaga. The Zags are ranked No. 15 and are coming off a strong week where they silenced any doubters with wins over Ohio State and Texas and with a strong showing in a double-overtime loss to Florida.
Gonzaga is led by senior big man Jonathan Williams who exploded for 39 points and 12 rebounds in their loss to Florida. The athletic lefty is active around the basket, can score with a variety of hooks and push shots, and can take opposing post players off the dribble. Williams is leading the Zags in scoring and rebounding with 16ppg and 7.1rpg respectively.
He is joined in the frontcourt by another talented big man, Killian Tillie. Tillie played a reserve role on the championship runner-up squad but is poised for a breakout sophomore season. He is averaging 11ppg and 6.7rpg and has impressed with his athleticism and shooting ability. Tillie fits the stretch four mold which compliments Williams’ skillset and gives the Zags a dangerous frontcourt combination.
Tillie is not the only Gonzaga player to thrive in a bigger role as Josh Perkins and Silas Melson have also improved considerably. Perkins has assumed the starting PG reigns after playing alongside Nigel Williams-Goss and, so far, the transition has been a success. He is averaging 15.6ppg and 4.6apg and nailed big shot after big shot in the PK80. Melson was a key reserve last season but has brought some stability to the starting five as a senior.
Creighton also has many players in new roles, but it’s their two returning starters that have led the way. Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas are two of the best players in the country and they have an enormous role in Creighton’s success. Foster is a physical wing who can really score the basketball. He has scored 18ppg this season and is an effective scorer at all three levels. Thomas is an elite defender and an excellent secondary scorer.
Both Thomas and Foster will need strong performances for Creighton to pull off the road win, but the role players will be the X-factors. Davion Mintz entered the starting lineup last season when Mo Watson went down with an injury and has regained the position in his sophomore season. He and PF Ronnie Harrell need to be more aggressive offensively and supplement Foster and Thomas’ production. In the game vs Baylor, Harrell seemed reluctant to shoot an 8-10 footer from the middle of the Baylor zone. This is a shot he needs to take and makes consistently if Creighton is going to have a dynamic offense.
Production has not been an issue from the center position since Martin Krampejl has transformed into a break-out player. Krampejl was a complete non-factor as a freshman but has averaged 12.5ppg and 7.2rpg this season.
The difference in this game will be decided by the young players on both sides. Gonzaga has received major contributions from freshman wing Corey Kispert and sophomore combo forward Rui Hachimura. Kispert has great size for a wing and provides quality defense and shot making. Hachimura is a great athlete who excels in transition, but he has been inconsistent. If Hachimura plays like he did against Texas (20 points, 9 rebounds), Gonzaga will be incredibly tough to beat.
Creighton has gotten quality play out of their freshman duo of Mitch Ballock and Tyshon Alexander. Ballock is an excellent shooter with great court vision while Alexander is an athletic PG with great size. Both players need to provide 15-20 quality minutes for the Blue Jays, which should not be an issue based on their early success.
Both teams are legitimate top 25 caliber, but Gonzaga is the better team and playing at home will give them a major advantage. As a small team, Creighton will have a hard time keeping the Gonzaga frontcourt in check. Williams, in particular, has a significant speed and athleticism advantage over Krampejl. Khyri Thomas will probably guard Josh Perkins so do not surprised if Perkins has a rough outing, but the frontcourt advantage will be too much. Expect a competitive game and a Gonzaga win
Prediction: Gonzaga 87 Creighton 76