Heading into Thursday, the start of March Madness, the talk of the town was all about Louisville. After an impressive regular season showing, the Cardinals were destined to kickstart an even better postseason. Despite the promising arguments, Creighton dismantled everything Louisville had to offer.
Creighton opened up the first game of the tournament with a resounding 89-75 win over Louisville.
Yes, it was just over a week ago that the Bluejays found themselves defeating DePaul and UConn before losing in the Big East Championship to St. John’s. Creighton was treated with possibly the most bitter present ever, having to face one of the hottest teams in the country in their own region.
Having played the game in Lexington, Kentucky, Louisville fans flooded the arena hoping to see their team march into the Round of 32. Although, Greg McDermott and his guys had other ideas.
It was far more than a victory, rather a wake up call to the rest of the nation that Creighton is here to play. The overall consensus surrounded the idea that the Louisville Cardinals were completely disregarded by the seeding committee. After another look, maybe it wasn’t Louisville that was disregarded, the team who is marching as a 9 seed.
Creighton led by as many as 20 points and never looked back after an early lead. Behind the three-headed monster that is Ryan Kalkbrenner, Steven Ashworth, and Jamiya Neal, Creighton might be a bigger sleeper than you think.
Combined the three accounted for 65 of Creighton’s 89 points. Jamiya Neal led with a team high in points, rebounds, and assists—29, 12, and 6–while Ashworth himself scored 22 points with 5 assists and 5 rebounds. Aside from running the offense, Ashworth hit the biggest three-pointer, to silence and abruptly close a possible Louisville comeback.
So what’s to give? Creighton seemingly falls short each year in the Big Dance after an impressive regular season. However, there is a spark that lives with the three-headed monster.
Both Ashworth and Kalkbrenner returned to Creighton for one last chance at redemption after the Bluejays fell short to Tennessee in the Sweet 16. Following the loss, Creighton regrouped and brought in the likes of Jamiya Neal, who formerly resided in Arizona State.
With loads of experience and depth beyond the perfect tandem, one can only predict how far Creighton may go. The Bluejays are not to be counted out especially after controlling a hostile environment and running away with a convincing victory.
Creighton will have to take on the number one overall seed in their next matchup. For all the marbles, Creighton will have the opportunity to dethrone the Auburn Tigers and dance into the Sweet 16 with all the momentum.
It will likely take another dominant effort from the three-headed monster for an upset to come about. But if one thing is for certain, there are levels to this. Creighton is not in a weight class below the top dog. This is an evenly matched, heavyweight battle, that will prove the legitimacy of the Creighton Bluejays.