Game Guide: Creighton vs Loyola-Chicago

How to Watch, Stream, Listen

Game Time: 1:00pm CT

Location: Gentile Arena - Northside Chicago, Illinois

Watch: Comcast SportsNet Chicago

Stream: ESPN3 - on your XboxOne, Xbox360 or on your PC.

Odds & Ends

Creighton is a 3 point favorite according to OddsShark.

Over/Under: 143

Moneyline: Creighton opened at -156 while Loyola-Chicago sits at +130.

Other Hot, Steamy, Words about Sports

If you aren't currently keeping tabs on White & Blue Review you're doing a disservice to your sports knowledge. Their entire staff is full of brilliant individuals who work extremely hard. Matt Demarinis risked his life traveling to the southeast United States to cover Creighton volleyball in the NCAA Tournament. He could've been eaten by a crocodile - if he had gone to the zoo and entered the crocodile lair while covered in fish bits.

As usual, visit the Omaha World~Herald to see the extensive coverage they offer to a 5-7 college football team who got into a bowl game because, well why not? At least the paper still carries a sports writer who I do not model my writing after in Steve Pivovar. He's ok I guess, not much to look at but can be quite fetching in the right light.

I sincerely cannot believe Loyola-Chicago has a message board. It is amazing and I love it. Visit Ramblermania for documentaries about elderly men spinning exaggerated tales of their youth.

Words about Hoops

This will be a game that pits nerds against nerds. Loyola-Chicago currently has the series lead at 11-6. Creighton has won five of the last eight contests dating back to February 15th, 1969. Previous to that, Loyola won eight of nine between 1926-1960. I don't know if I'd necessarily call it a rivalry considering the infrequency at which they play one another, but I'm going to call it a rivalry for the following reasons:

- Loyola took Creighton's spot in the Missouri Valley when Creighton left for the Big East.

- Former Creighton walk-on Porter Moser is Loyola's head coach.

Two strong reasons, I know. You know the Creighton Bluejays pretty well by now, right? Their starting lineup consists of Maurice Watson Jr., running the point, Isaiah Zierden spotting the 2/3 role, while Khyri Thomas is whatever role Zierden isn't playing, Cole Huff at forward and the fearless leader Geoffrey Groselle manning the paint playing center. James Milliken is the ultimate guard off the bench, as he's logged the third most minutes on the squad. The primary reason he has so many minutes is because of Thomas's defensive abilities that somehow land him in foul trouble.

You'll see Toby Hegner, a guy who can shoot and make threes while replacing Huff for a spell, Tyler Clement, a point guard who does an amicable job running the offense and playing serviceable defense, Ronnie Harrell, a flex forward who can replace anyone and add a bit of length with some offensive pop, and Zach Hanson who most certainly doesn't play basketball as if he's wearing HulkHands even if it seems like it.

On occasion you'll see Malik Albert run the point, though I've been told his grasp on the offense has been middling at best. You may see Martin 'the Slovenian Assassin' come out and play the forward slot, though his transition to the American style of hoops has been a bit slow. If you end up seeing Marlon Stewart running point guard the game is already over.

Loyola has... players. They don't have a whole lot of size on the court, with their tallest potential starting player standing at 6'7. Loyola is coming off a CBI championship in which they went 24-13 in the 2014-15 season. That's pretty good, but they're still just a bunch of nerds on the north side of Chicago. I visited the Loyola campus one dreamy summer and ended up mingling with a bunch of hip individuals and past that I don't recall much. It was a good trip. Anyways, where was I? Oh, right, hoopball.

Loyola has lost thrice thus far in this young college basketball season, dropping games to New Mexico in The Pit and to Toledo and UNC Asheville in a tournament in Alaska. They rely on the talents of Milton Doyle and Devon Turk, but as previously mentioned the Ramblers do not have a lot of help down low.

The Ramblers play in Gentile Arena, where all religious denominations are welcome despite the name. Creighton fans may cause the arena to sell out considering that they can make a complete day out of a trip to Chicago, seeing the Jays play at 1 and Dougie and the Bulls play at the United Center at 7.

Part of me expects this to be a trap game for the Jays. It's an away game, Loyola has more to get out of it than Creighton, and the Bluejays are coming off a devastating loss to Arizona State. This will be a telling game for Creighton to see if they can forget about what transpired on Wednesday night and beat a team they most certainly should handle.