WSU vs. Creighton Predictions and Pregame Discussions

[ShockerPhi]

I seriously don't know what to predict either. However, this crowd is so ready for this game. I just pray that our boys will be. One thing I do know is that you won't be able to hear a B1 bomber take off from the parking lot from inside this rabid arena.

Give em hell, boys.

[Ricardo del Rio]

Turnovers MUST GO AWAY. Intelligence Quotient MUST INCREASE.

I agree in spades. We just have to play smarter.

I can live with forced turnovers by Shockers, but the extra dumb ones drive me nuts. As an example, thread the needle passes, when ball security is paramount.

Dumb fouls drive me nuts. When you are beat, you are beat. Don't foul. Get better next time.

Just a footnote, which is unrelated to Fever's fine post. Next year, Nick Wiggins is gonna be one tough dude. When he starts dribble penetrating effectively, which is coupled with his outside shot, look out.

[1979Shocker]

Everyone has gotta bring their A-game. The Managers, the Police Dogs, the fans, Don Hall, da Bruce ( who should hopefully just be reporting and not broadcasting), the Stat team, the Concession stand workers, and most of all the Wichita State Mens Basketball team. Everybody. Now, don't make it sound like I am making this out to be some sort of upset of grand proportions, but it's just gonna need to be a well played game by the shockers, at all levels.

You forgot one group, which is probably the most important one: the referees.

[Ricardo del Rio]

Early, Hall, EO in a slightly altered 3-2 zone. When Doug is in the paint, EO plays it like a match-up zone and bodies Doug up. When Doug catches the ball on the block, Hall joins him. On the perimeter, you put Early on him to force him to shoot over someone as tall as him and more athletic.

Or something like that. I woudn't be surprised to see Marshall throw a few curveballs in this one.

Boy, I hope you are right. The problem with zone is the Blue Birds 3-ball makes. The starters are averaging 47%. Wragge off the bench is averaging 46%. Gibbs is the only starter, who is shooting less than 40% from 3. He is shooting a "pedestrian" 36.4%.

Dingman is shooting 48.1% from 3.

The worst three ball shooter is Jones at 32.3%. I believe he is injured and out.

[HarpBros]

Ready For The Season's Biggest Day Yet - By Rece Davis

Creighton and Wichita State is a huge matchup in the Missouri Valley. The Bluejays are ranked 12th behind scoring machine Doug McDermott (24.0 ppg). At least, he's a scoring machine when he doesn't play the Wheatshockers. (I still like to call them that.) In four career games against Wichita State, McDermott has never scored more than 13 points. Granted, this is a different cast for WSU, but Gregg Marshall has had the formula for slowing McDermott. The Shockers, ranked 17th in the BPI, have won 17 straight at home.

[HarpBros]

Jason King on JAN 19 match up

The most underrated game of the weekend is Creighton at Wichita State. The Bluejays and Shockers are easily the class of the Missouri Valley Conference, and I expect both to earn NCAA tournament bids. In the meantime, a league title means a ton to both of these schools. Creighton is undefeated in MVC play, while WSU is still stinging from its loss to Evansville on Sunday. Leading rebounder Carl Hall didn't play in that contest because of an injured thumb, but he's scheduled to return Saturday after missing seven games.


Hall and his teammates will be charged with stopping All-American Doug McDermott, the leading candidate for the Wooden Award. McDermott is averaging 24 points on the season and 35 points in his past two games. Wichita State lost to Creighton at home last season but ended up winning the MVC title outright. Koch Arena is one of the toughest places to play in the country.

[LuskingforGuttin]

I don't think it will be an aesthetically pleasing game. I see an ugly game in low to mid 60s. If I absolutely had to pick, I'd say Wichita State because I think McDermott is one of the worst in game coaches in all of the Western hemisphere. Ultimately they are nothing but a jump shooting team. If there are even slightly off then a team with comparable height and athleticism will wood shed them. You won't wood shed them, but you'll beat them I believe.

[RandomJaysFan]

I don't think it will be an aesthetically pleasing game. I see an ugly game in low to mid 60s. If I absolutely had to pick, I'd say Wichita State because I think McDermott is one of the worst in game coaches in all of the Western hemisphere. Ultimately they are nothing but a jump shooting team. If there are even slightly off then a team with comparable height and athleticism will wood shed them. You won't wood shed them, but you'll beat them I believe.

When you consider the source, this is a big compliment for us.

[ShockTalk]

I don't think it will be an aesthetically pleasing game. I see an ugly game in low to mid 60s. If I absolutely had to pick, I'd say Wichita State because I think McDermott is one of the worst in game coaches in all of the Western hemisphere. Ultimately they are nothing but a jump shooting team. If there are even slightly off then a team with comparable height and athleticism will wood shed them. You won't wood shed them, but you'll beat them I believe.

When you consider the source, this is a big compliment for us.

When you consider the source, it actually makes me worry.

[CBB_Fan]

Boy, I hope you are right. The problem with zone is the Blue Birds 3-ball makes. The starters are averaging 47%. Wragge off the bench is averaging 46%. Gibbs is the only starter, who is shooting less than 40% from 3. He is shooting a "pedestrian" 36.4%.

Dingman is shooting 48.1% from 3.

The worst three ball shooter is Jones at 32.3%. I believe he is injured and out.

Here are a couple things that Creighton is going to do:

1. Make shots. Hard shots, easy shots, open shots, guarded shots. They are the best team in the country at making shots.
2. Play defense without fouling
3. Stop us from getting offensive rebounds

We are not going to win by trying to keep Creighton from making their shots, because they are simply too good at shooting for that. What we need to do:

1. Prevent Doug from scoring inside the 3PT line. In our games against him, we kept his scoring down by keeping him to 2-7 and 4-11 inside the arc last year. He is not nearly as effective if you force him to score only as a shooter from the perimeter.
2. Win the turnover battle. Creighton as a team is not good at forcing turnovers (#287 in the NCAA), though they do not turn the ball over much (#46). If we can steal possessions we will give ourselves a buffer to account for their shooters. None of the teams Creighton has faced have been very adapt at stealing the ball, and Creighton is hard to beat if they get the same number of possessions.
3. Control points in the paint and rebounding. Again, take the three-pointers on the chin and win the battle inside. Don't let Echenique or Doug score inside and don't let Creighton get a second chance to shoot, because they will likely put it in.


Essentially, we need to get Creighton outside their comfort zone. They win because they are the most efficient team in basketball (#1 in eFG%), so trying to win a game with an equal number of shots is foolish. You take away consistent scoring inside, force them to shoot perimeter shots (not because they aren't good at them, but to add some variability to the game), and most importantly try and get more shots into the air. Extra possessions can balance efficient shooting, and we need those extra possessions.

One thing about Creighton is that they are still lopsided. They don't make mistakes very often, but they don't dominate in any area except shooting. They are excellent defensive rebounders (#14) but are very bad offensive rebounders (#293). They don't turn the ball over, but don't turn the other team over. They don't foul their opponents very often (#5), but don't get fouls either (#250). They don't get blocked often (#50), but aren't shot blockers themselves (#286).

Creighton is the best team in the country at playing their style of basketball. We don't want to play that way. Luckily, we are stylistically different from any team they've faced, and that probably is to our advantage. We need Hall's rebounding more than his scoring, and we need to use steals and rebounds to give us extra possessions. Hopefully Hall and Orukpe can defend the post enough to force Creighton into a one-dimensional offense.

[newshock1234]

Dougie on his career against Wichita State teams in 4 games has averaged 10.8 ppg and has made 17-39 shots for 43%. Dougie don't like big and athletic guys defending him.

[60Shock]

I, for one, will be very happy spliting regular conference wins with CU again this year. ST. Louis speaks for itself.

Anytime a Valley team makes it into the top ten, you know they have had to both be outstanding and consistent in their overall play.

We have at times been outstanding as well, unfortunately, as of late, we have also been very inconsistent.

To beat CU Saturday, we are going to have to play at least as well as we did against VCU, if not even better.

But, I will be damned it I am going to predict anything other than the Shocks win by 3, as CU's desperate half court shot falls through the net, .7 seconds late.

[AZ Shocker]

I'm still waiting for the home court advantage for the foul calls....and it's not going to be there Saturday, either.

Shockers 74
BJ's 75

THIS. Koch Arena gets too loud for most officials...and will call fouls to shut you guys up after some awesome play by the Shocks. Happens ALL THE TIME.

[WuDrWu]

But, I will be damned it I am going to predict anything other than the Shocks win by 3, as CU's desperate half court shot falls through the net, .7 seconds late.

Early leader in the clubhouse for post of the year.

[im4wsu]

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