3-Point Preview: Creighton vs Rutgers

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As you marvel at the beautiful CenturyLink Center from below the stands you notice one thing: lots of grey hair. The first thought to yourself while observing this should be: I wonder what my dad's up to, maybe I should call him. The second thought to yourself should be: I wonder if all of those folks know the risks of advanced prostate cancer and have been examined thoroughly by their doctor? That's what this tournament is all about. It's about good health and taking simple steps to avoid prostate cancer. You can find out more about The Men Who Speak Up by clicking this.

Most importantly, especially for this blogsite, is the actual tournament being played in Vegas. After Creighton's blowout loss to Indiana, the team had some time off to feel the sting left by losing. After getting completely outmatched, the Bluejays were treated to a lovely trip to the city of Lost Wages. In the first game we see Clemson and UMass, a clash of two university ideologies that would make a tenured professor babble and weep. In the nightcap, the game that actually matters, we have Rutgers and Creighton. One is a public University in New Jersey, the other a private Jesuit university in downtown Omaha. The following words will be extremely biased towards one of these schools, it's your job to figure out which.

1. Bounce Back

In Greg McDermott's tenure at Creighton, the Bluejays are 7-3 after blowout losses (10+ points). The resiliency that Coach McDermott is able to teach to his players is evident in the way Creighton navigated last year's schedule. After getting absolutely decimated by Georgetown last season, the Bluejays bounced back to beat a very good Xavier squad. Don't back down. Don't give up. Quit doing dumb stuff and shoot hoops. I can hear coach Mac now, instead of getting on his players after a poor performance, he teaches his players that it's OK to screw up as long as you make up for it. It's like something your dad would tell you after going to prom with your cousin: It's ok, you'll do better next time. You may not realize this now, but one day you'll laugh about this.

2. Las Vegas is a hot place

There really isn't a home court advantage for any of these teams. Clemson fans won't travel because they're currently living in some alternate reality where their football team is tops in the nation. UMass fans won't travel because they're too busy enjoying their lives in the godawful cold and snow. Rutgers fans most certainly won't travel because they're depressed and have no idea how to leave New Jersey. Creighton fans, however, will probably travel. Creighton University has some pretty wealthy alumni who would be more than willing to spend the holidays in Las Vegas. This gives Creighton a small advantage, but any little bit counts! Also, given the temperature in Vegas, it can only benefit the Bluejay shooters or something.

3. Hot, Late Night Basketball

I started writing this believing that the season really starts now for the Bluejays. After being shellshocked by Indiana, the Bluejays are starting to come around to who they truly are. Two blowout wins against severely inferior opponents and then a blowout loss to a severely superior opponent will ground a team in a way. It'll show them that, perhaps, they are a middle of the road team. At times they'll play above it, looking seemingly unbeatable for the duration of the game. At others, they'll play below it, with poor shooting from the field and an inability to get anything going on offense. It's how they're able to manage this that will show how resilient they are. Can Creighton stand back up after getting punched in the mouth during a heavyweight fight? The next two nights will be telling.

I'll be tweeting along with this game deep into the night. Tweet me at @crimebait or just enjoy the game in the dead of night alone.