The Big East saw a huge marquee matchup last night as the UConn Huskies picked up a major road win against the Creighton Blue Jays in Omaha 70-66. After being left out of the most recent AP Top 25, the Huskies came back and proved they are still a force to be reckoned with in this Conference. It was a great game of basketball and the classic, grind-it-out type of Big East game we have come to love, especially considering how UConn was down 37-29 at the half.
Liam McNeeley had a night to remember with a scoring explosion of a career-high 38 points along with five threes and 10 rebounds on the night. For a freshman to step in and make that sort of impact, that is exactly what Dan Hurley wants to see for the future of this program. The Huskies only had three players score in double figures and trusted McNeeley, Karaban, and Ball to all play 38 minutes each.
This went down as UConn’s first win in Omaha as well, and this was a perfect time for McNeeley to show he is a star. Creighton on the other hand had their eight-game winning streak ended by the reigning back-to-back National Champions, and have to take this loss into the St. John’s game coming up for them in a few days.
So now that this game has had some time to breathe a bit, what are the takeaways for both of these squads and the Big East as a whole?
Creighton will be fine
The Creighton Blue Jays had their ups and downs early in the year, but with their winning streak, this team is right back in contention for the Big East crown. This was also a team that was in danger of not being good enough for an at-large bid, but all of those doubts have been quelled.
Creighton just did not have their usual three-point shooting night against UConn, only hitting seven out of their 24 shots from behind the arc. Their nine free throw misses are also something they can fix going forward. We may get this matchup again in the Big East Tournament, and that could be their chance to avenge this loss.
Creighton has seen Steven Ashworth step up in a huge way this season, but he went 1-8 from the field with 11 of his 13 points coming off free throws. Like all shooters, sometimes you have an off night, but usually when he has one the next game is a major rebound. St. John’s is currently the best team in the Big East, but Creighton having to take them on in a few days will be one for the ages. If they can win that game, then they are right back in position for a regular-season title.
UConn needed it more and wanted it more
You may just look at box scores and see only a three-rebound advantage, and UConn shooting worse from the field and three, but the Huskies just played a much more physical basketball game. They also kept the ball in their possession, taking 19 more shots than Creighton, and only committing six turnovers all night while forcing 10 from Creighton. When the game gets slow, UConn is a team built to step up. We have seen that time and time again, and Dan Hurley reminded the fans in Omaha when he mentioned the “two rings” to a fan after the game.
In close games, teams with championship experience usually find a way to make plays at the end. And for this UConn team that has had their struggles, and even some late in games, this was a big one for them. For a team that may have been losing their confidence at points, wins like these will get you right back into the mentality that you are the reigning back-to-back National Champions.
The Huskies get loose balls before anybody else and just create second chances with consistency. Winning the offensive rebound battle 12-5 even when you have Ryan Kalkbrenner on the other side, that is effort from UConn. If they had lost this game, they would have been right there next to teams like Georgetown, Xavier, and Villanova when you talk about standings. The Huskies have now put themselves right back in the conversation to determine who is the best in the Big East, and the credit goes to their effort for making it happen.
The Huskies and their depth questions
While their current formula is working for UConn, in the long run, the way this team spreads their minutes out could become an issue. McNeeley, Karaban, and Ball all played 38 minutes, and Jaylin Stewart played 30 himself. Outside of that, Samson Johnson only had 11, Tarris Reed Jr. had 15, and Aidan Mahaney came in with 17 minutes.
You want your best players on the floor as often as possible, but depth was important to their previous two championships, this year it has been about keeping their big three on the floor as much as possible. Other teams in the country who have had more success will put out games where their stars play fewer minutes, and they win much better.
UConn has to work with the talent they have on the roster, but depth has started to become a question for this Huskies team. Outside of the big man duo of Johnson and Reed Jr. taking shifts, Mahaney has been the only true sixth man off the bench, the next closest player was Hassan Diarra with eight minutes on the floor. While this can win regular season games, come tournament time, the teams that use their depth and those that have depth, are the ones who win championships.
The biggest winner, St John's
St. John’s has become the story of the Big East after making their grand return to the AP Top 10. Rick Pitino has this team going through a historic season, and they show no signs of stopping anytime soon. But what do they benefit from this game despite not playing in it?
The Red Storm are currently 21-3 with a 12-1 conference record, and heading into this game were just one game over Creighton. Now, after UConn came out victorious, they are two games above Creighton. St. John’s with a win over Creighton has an opportunity to hold a three-game lead for first place in this conference as they seek a regular season title.
Not only that, they put UConn right back in the national picture, which helps them a ton when it comes to strength of schedule. Now the Johnnies have Creighton, Marquette, and UConn all to add to their resume come tournament time. At this point, they have a number one seed in March on their minds, and these sorts of things matter when you get down to the voting.
Big East Basketball is in a great place
This conference has shown just how competitive it can be with this game. Creighton and UConn are still battling, and Marquette is still in the mix as well while they are looking to take down St. John’s for the crown. At this point, the conference is already in a position to be a four-bid league, and you still have teams like Georgetown, Villanova, and Xavier with outside shots of making that happen.
But seeing the current big four go at it in Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament will be amazing basketball to watch, and their routes to get there are not easy. We may see one of the more contested tournaments we have had in years, and the dynamic has changed so much more than even two years ago.
Going forward, you hope the bottom teams in the conference can improve going forward, especially a 6-18 Seton Hall team, but with the current landscape, things can turn around very quickly. Big East Basketball is primed for a great season, and with games like we saw between UConn and Creighton, that is true, and then some.