Creighton Basketball will attempt to pull off massive upset vs. Gonzaga

Hitting a Lot of Threes

This one is painfully obvious, but it’s true nonetheless. No team will beat Gonzaga without successfully bombing three-pointers. The Bulldogs are so elite on offense that solid deep shooting is essential to stay within range of beating them. There’s a reason many took notice of Alabama’s nuclear Round of 32 performance versus Maryland where they hit 16 of 33 shots from beyond the arc. It’s because that type of offensive performance represents an opportunity to beat the Zags.

The good news for Creighton is that they have a number of dangerous shooters. Zegarowski shoots 42.1% and Mitch Ballock shoots 39.5%. Damien Jefferson and Denzel Mahoney are also able to hit the deep shot with some consistency. Ballock specifically can be a real microwave for Creighton, having two performances over 25 points this season. If he gets hot from deep, it could be huge for the upset-minded Bluejays.

Creighton don’t have as high a three-point percentage as Gonzaga, but they take significantly more three-point attempts per game. Their slightly lesser percentage will have a negligible effect with all the attempts they take. The Bluejays are also within the nation’s top ten for converting two-point attempts, which will be a reliable option to fall back on if the threes don’t fall early.

Bottom line, Creighton will have to play to their absolute ceiling on offense and defense to beat Gonzaga. This will involve limiting Gonzaga’s possessions, defending the paint, and converting three-pointers at a high rate. The Gonzaga-Creighton Sweet Sixteen Matchup will broadcast this Sunday, March 28 on CBS at 2:10 PM.