Creighton Basketball looks to stop Jason Preston and the Ohio Bobcats

Creighton Basketball takes on the Ohio Bobcats in a battle to advance to the Sweet 16. In the first round, the fifth-seeded Jays held on to a one-point victory over a feisty UC Santa Barbara team. It was Creighton’s first victory in the NCAA Tournament since 2014. They now have an even tougher task of winning in the Round of 32 which Creighton has yet to do in the program’s history (0-8).

Marcus Zegarowski led the way with 17 points and eight assists and Christian Bishop was highly efficient in a double-double performance including sinking two free throws with seconds left. For the fourth game in a row, Creighton has not shot the ball very well– yet they won this one through toughness and (believe it or not) key free throw shooting.

The scouting report starts and ends with Jason Preston when considering Ohio.  Preston averages 16.3 ppg and over seven rebounds and seven assists. Preston has rocketed himself from a relative unknown to a potential first-round draft pick in a matter of months. In Ohio’s 62-58 victory over Virginia, Preston played all 40 minutes while putting up an absurd statline of 11-13-8.

What makes him a special player is not only what he can do with the basketball but what he can create for his teammates simply by being on the court. The Bluejays defense will also have its hands full with the pairing of Ben Vander Plas and Ben Roderick.

Vander Plas went 7-15 from the floor against Virginia, including two three-point shots in the closing minutes of the game. While ranking 78th in KenPom, Ohio is no stranger to competing in big games. Not only did Ohio beat Virginia in the Round of 64, but they nearly knocked off Illinois in a two-point loss on November 27th.

A good thing for the Bluejays is Ohio’s adjusted defensive efficiency is rather low. The Bobcats don’t defend the three-point line at a high rate which bodes well for a Creighton team that is due for a good shooting night.

Another possible area where the Bluejays could see an advantage is through depth.  The Jays run a true eight-deep lineup in which all eight are capable of putting up points. The Bobcats, however, had only six players play more than three minutes in their win over Virginia. With multiple players playing nearly every minute for multiple games in a weekend, the depth could start to become a problem. If any of the Bobcats find themselves in early foul trouble it could spell trouble for Ohio.

For Creighton, this game means a heck-of-a-lot for the entire program when taking a step back. Considering everything that this team, this coach, and these players have been through this year. On top of an already abnormal year dealing with the pandemic, Creighton has also found itself in the national spotlight for the wrong reasons dealing with Coach McDermott’s racially-insensitive remarks earlier this year.

Dating back to 2014, Creighton has been immeasurably unlucky with numerous injuries down the stretch of promising seasons. From Maurice Watson Jr. to Martin Krampelj, key players have gone down limiting McDermott’s post-season success.  Even last year, Marcus Zegarowski suffered a torn meniscus in the week leading up to the Big East Tournament.

Now, this team, through all the distractions, can be the first in program history to reach the Sweet 16.  What guys like Mitch Ballock, Damien Jefferson, and Denzel Mahoney have given to the Creighton community and fan base means a whole lot more than a Sweet 16 appearance ever could. However, these seniors deserve to be a part of the group that etches Creighton’s name into that Sweet 16 slot for the first time.

Enjoy this team, Jays fans. Enjoy every part of it– no matter what happens tonight.