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How to Watch, Stream, Listen, Follow
Game Time: 1:00pm CT
Location: Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, RI
TV: CBS Sports Net
Stream: Have Cox Cable? Have the sports package? You’re in luck! Sign in and watch a live stream here.
Radio: 1620AM the Zone in Omaha / 103.7FM WEEI in Providence
Other Blogs: White & Blue Review - Creighton / PCBB 1917 - Providence
Tweeters:
Creighton - Rob Anderson / Creighton MBB / Tom Nemitz / “Patrick Marshall” / Matt DeMarinis / Corey Lathrop / Jon Nyatawa
Providence - Mike Hopkins / Chris Grenham / Kevin McNamara / Brendan McGair / Friar Faithful / Daniel James
Odds & Ends
Creighton enters this affair favored by 4 points according to OddShark.
Over/Under opened at 147.
If you need to reign in your gambling problem please talk to everyone you know about it. They’ll get sick and tired of your whining pretty quick and they’ll most likely tell you to get help. As you listen to these supportive voices you’ll realize your mistakes and take the proper steps towards recovery.
Series History
Providence holds a 12-5 series lead, with the first game of the series occurring in early February of 1961 where the John McManus led Bluejays got walloped by the Friars to the tune of 115-70. This provided a bit of bloodlust for the Friars as they continued to schedule the Bluejays eight more times until the 1982 season. The Jays won just three of these games, all but one of them at home.
This leads us to another interesting quandary of Creighton’s inability to beat Providence at ‘the Dunk’ since they’ve never notched a win in the world’s most delicious arena. Here are some theories that I’ve heard from some trusted sources:
- Creighton doesn’t like Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, instead they prefer local chains instead of national ones, and prefer not to give brand recognition to the conglomerate to further this point.
- The distance between Providence and Omaha is the greatest between any two schools in the conference, leading to potential jet-lag that is incurable even with Dunkin’s signature blend of ground coffee beans and water.
- There was some sort of curse placed on the Jesuits when the jewelry factory was torn down to build the Dunk.
- Bryce Cotton was better than Doug McDermott.
- Ed Cooley knows how to gameplan against the Bluejays.
- Aliens.
Verba de Ludis
The names we grew so familiar with in the season past have left the Providence Friars in a state of basketball flux. What we’re left with after their departures is a team without superstars but with players who can buy into Ed Cooley’s brilliant mind.
Whomever the BIG EAST prognosticators were that decided the Friars were somehow going to finish in 9th in conference were foolish in their endeavors. Never doubt the gameplan wizard, the most versatile individual to hold the reigns to a basketball program.
I’ve seen it before with the naked eye. Arguably the worst basketball game I’ve ever seen took place in Omaha, Nebraska between the Friars and Bluejays. What ended as a 50-48 ballgame on a Kris Dunn game winner as the final seconds ticked off would seemingly look like an anomaly in a season full of basketball games, yet what I, and many others, were forced to endure for those harsh and unforgiving 40 minutes of hoops will not soon be forgotten. The difficult throes of basketball woes will play on one’s mind until the end of time, but I see a bastion of red light at the end of the proverbial shot clock that is the turnover of basketball prowess.
Providence owns Creighton. There’s no two ways about it. What McDermott has on Miles is what Cooley has on McDermott; whenever these two shall meet a chess game will transpire. You may be bored to tears but this is basketball in its purest, ugliest state.
That’s what we’ll get this Saturday afternoon. That’s what we’ve always received when these two programs meet. Something always seems a bit off-kilter when the white and blue and black, white and silver are forced upon a hardwood court with a basketball rolled out into the middle.
Bullock, Holt, Lindsay Cartwright, Jackson.
Some argue that, from the pure basketball state, Kyron Cartwright was the better point guard last season. None of the flash but all of the intangibles that makes a point guard great. With the size that Jackson and Lindsay offer at the guard slots (6’6, 212 & 6’7 220) these Friars are a nightmare of a match-up on the defensive end. With Holt and Bullock (6’7 230 & 6’8 225) rounding out their front court, they drop that size but add the sprinkle of finesse.
What makes them great is their ability to defend, their ability to lock in, to stop scoring runs and do just enough on offense to skate by.
Bullock will have his hands full with Justin Patton. Friar fans will get their first look at the redshirt freshman seven footer and they’ll appreciate his potential and raw skill for these fans are not burdened by whiplash frustration, instead they’re championed by their innate respect of great ballplayers.
I’m sure they’ll feel the same way about Maurice Watson Jr. at his best as I felt about Dunn when he eclipsed that same paradigm. I’m sure they’ll fawn over Khyri Thomas’s ability to defend - a guy whose talents on the defensive end are normally better suited for a Friar uniform than a Bluejays’. I’m sure they’ll look upon Marcus Foster with a great deal of admiration for his ability to score in droves. Perhaps they’ll even recognize Cole Huff for the potential he carries.
Or we get treated to a rock fight, just like last year, and all of these great feats by these great players will go unnoticed as both teams proceed to shoot under 30% from the field and cause Virginia fans everywhere to nod approvingly at the disgustingly low score.
More than likely the Jays will figure out a way to win at the Dunk for the first time ever. This is a far cry from the days of yore; this basketball team is the real fucking deal and I have my suspicions that even John Wooden would have trouble finding a way to slow down the frenetic Bluejay pace.
Yet you never know what BIG EAST basketball will throw at you.