Busting Brackets
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Creighton Basketball: 2018-19 keys to success at St. John’s

By Jason Burgess

LINCOLN, NE - DECEMBER 8: Head coach Greg McDermott of the Creighton Bluejays watches action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on December 8, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - DECEMBER 8: Head coach Greg McDermott of the Creighton Bluejays watches action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on December 8, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 16: Head Coach Greg McDermott of the Creighton Bluejays reacts to a play in their game against the Kansas State Wildcats during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 16: Head Coach Greg McDermott of the Creighton Bluejays reacts to a play in their game against the Kansas State Wildcats during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

2. Creighton must be better defending the three

Another key for the Bluejays will come on the defensive end of the floor. St. John’s is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, so in order to pull off a road win, Creighton will have to be better at defending the three-point ball than they have been thus far this season.

The Red Storm shoots 39% from distance and their 9.9 makes per game are 29th best in the country, but those numbers were boosted by a successful non-conference portion of their schedule. Since league play has begun their percentage dipped to 37.6 but the number of makes per game has stayed the same.

Creighton has really struggled in defending the three-point shot this season, allowing opponents to shoot 37%, which is the worst number in the conference. In their four Big East games, their three-point defense has been even worse for the Bluejays, as they have allowed teams to shoot 43% from beyond the arc and over during their three-game losing streak Butler, Marquette, and Villanova have made an average of 13 three-point shots per contest.

If St. John’s is able to knock down shots from the perimeter, Creighton may find themselves at 1-4 in the Big East and behind the eight ball in the conference race.

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