Seton Hall vs. Creighton: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
The Seton Hall Pirates (8-4, 5-1 Big East) will take on No. 7 Creighton (8-2, 4-1 Big East) on the road looking to hold on to second place in the conference.
TV Schedule: Wednesday, January 6, 8 p.m. ET, FS1
Where: CHI Health Center in Omaha, NE
Creighton basketball is on a roll right now coming off of a 67-65 victory on the road against the Providence Friars. Christian Bishop won the game for the Bluejays with the game-winning slam. It was a poor sequence of defense by the Friars that led to the loss because they never picked up Bishop as he was trailing in the frontcourt.
The Bluejays have won four out of their last five games. The Seton Hall Pirates are on a winning streak of their own as well and defeated the Butler Bulldogs, 68-60, behind the play of their star forward Sandro Mamukelashvili. He had a game-high 24 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.
Creighton basketball is led by Marcus Zegarowski, Denzel Mahoney, Bishop, Damien Jefferson, and Mitch Ballock. They have five guys who average double figures in scoring and four of them shoot near 40 percent from the perimeter.
Zegarowski and Bullock are the sharpshooters on film. They can shoot from anywhere on the perimeter which benefits the Bluejays in a big way. Jefferson is both an inside and outside guy. He can create his shot in the paint or drain a three when his number is called.
Seton Hall is continuing to keep pace in the Big East thanks to Mamukelashvili, Jared Rhoden, and Myles Cale who are averaging double figures. Mamukelashvili is the leader of the team but these two guards make the offense run smoothly. Let’s not forget about Shavar Reynolds. He has been an integral part of their success. He is a player who can score, distribute, and be a pest defensively.
The last time these two teams played one another was for the Big East crown. It was a competitive game until Creighton basketball put their foot on the gas to blow out the Pirates 77-60. Zegarowski had a game-high 23 points and shot the lights out from behind the three-point line. He made all five of his attempts. As a team, the Bluejays shooting in the second half was the difference. They shot 65 percent from the field and 64 percent from the perimeter.
As far as Thursday’s game is concerned, the Bluejays need to contain the Pirates other playmakers because Mamukelashvili is going to do his thing regardless. Offensively, they need to get the ball inside early and often. This will set up the outside shot much like the running game sets up the play-action pass in football.
Seton Hall at Creighton storylines. dark. Next
The Pirates need to have a solid defensive performance because Creighton basketball puts up a lot of points. They average 81.3 points per game, and they share the ball very well also (17.4 assists per game). The Bluejays are 5-1 at home this season and they’ll be 6-1 Wednesday in a close one.
Prediction: Seton Hall 79 – Creighton 84