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2019 NIT ROUND THREE: #2 Creighton v #1 TCU

The winner goes to Madison Square Garden.

NCAA Basketball: Big 12 Conference Tournament-Kansas State vs. Texas Christian William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports

one must seek revenge against those that wronged tim miles. it is justice in its purest form. there is no other option but to destroy those that hurt the dad of our state. with nebrasketball’s and creighton’s powers combined, the bond shall be everlasting and unruly, for these horned frogs stole an opportunity for us to see a basketball game in omaha. they shall pay. they shall be punished. no mercy.

Game Time: 8:00pm CT

Location: Schollmaier Arena, Fort Worth, TX

TV: ESPN

Stream: Watch ESPN

Radio: 1620AM the Zone in Omaha


tim miles is a good man who deserved more than what he’s got. that much is true. he is also a man who was wronged by the purple toads of fort worth. with an opportunity to make the state whole, greg mcdermott must be the hero we need. he must be the hero we deserve. there’s blood on the floor of schollmaier and the only way to sop it up is with a brutal slaying via basquetball of the horned toads in front of their home fans.

Creighton currently holds a 2-1 lead over TCU. The last time the two teams met was back in the Korver era of 2003, when the Jays rallied to upend the Horned Frogs 89-79. This is the first time the two teams have met as members of the Big XII (TCU) and the BIG EAST (Creighton).


it is the combination of the Big Bread and the Bluejay that unites the entire state. apart we are but red and blue entities that squabble over the stupidest bullshit. but tonight we are one, a shade of purple that isn’t like texas christian universities, but instead a shade of purple much deeper, much more spiritual. i call it ‘LAVENDER.’

TCU was able to put a stop to Nebraska’s cinderella run in the NIT by cashing threes, running the Huskers into the ground, and making damn sure that any potential comeback was squashed before it ever began. It was a triumph, a Desmond Bane-run blowout of epic proportions, the junior guard pouring in 30 points on 6-9 shooting from three.

It was a disappointing loss for the school down southwest, but the run had to end at some point, and TCU provided a formidable opponent to kowtow to the basketball gods’ wishes.

Along with Bane’s 30 points was 7’ freshman center Kevin Samuel’s 10 points and two blocks. His 7’6 wingspan makes him impossible to properly defend down low, boxing him out is an absolute chore, and he scores buckets like Justin Patton did back in the day; rim rocking alley-oop finishes in the most inconvenient times.

The Horned Frogs play fast, accelerate the ball in transition, make opposing teams respect the entirety of the floor on defense, and play with a confident swagger with a sizable lead. They simply don’t let up, and that’s a testament to the coaching job Jamie Dixon has done in the past three seasons.

It’s hard to say whether this team would’ve made a lot of noise in the big dance, but based on their results in the NIT, it’s clear that they would’ve had pretty decent success. They’re a young team, though, and with just a seven player rotation (due to the injury of 6’2 junior guard Jaylen Fisher) it isn’t difficult to see why they were passed up. They’ll have all the shots in the world next season.


crush them. crush them like you crush the dreams of every grifter that dials your phone late in the evening. crush them like the hopes of a pickpocket in a crowded town square. crush them like the rebellion against my words. crush them into a fine powder, then add to the gatorade bottle of the gods, shake well, and sip gently.”

Creighton has a pretty incredible opportunity to make a second trip to Madison Square Garden this season. In a year of bizarre ups and downs, it’d only be fitting to arrive in New York with the goal of winning two games for a pretty excellent prize.

It’s like I’ve seen this movie before.

They pushed tempo against agro-tempo when Memphis came to town. They weathered the shitstorm long enough to escape to the next round with a 79-67 win. It was a game that featured the weird stuff like Connor Cashaw doing clutch stuff in the postseason, Connor Cashaw dunking a basketball, and Connor Cashaw getting two rebounds and two assists in twenty minutes of action.

Marcus Zegarowski has shined since his hand broke free of its cast, giving the Jays their starting point guard back. Mitch Ballock went on a 8-2 run all by his lonesome to push the lead past fifteen points. Ty-Shon Alexander wasn’t able to hit a three but had some dynamite dimes and some timely steals.

Martin Krampelj will get a huge test in this game going up against Kevin Samuel. The Jays will likely shy away from their usual routine of hedging ball screens with Martin knowing how potent Samuel can be under the basket, which means they’ll likely be doubling the post whenever Samuel gets his mitts on the ball, trying to force the freshman into a multitude of mistakes like Oklahoma and Okie State managed to do.

Winning this game sets the tone for how the Jays are perceived when the season inevitably comes to a close. If they fail to advance to the finals - like they did in 2015-16, this will be seen as just another year of growth. If they’re able to make it into MSG, they’ll be seen as a team that has clutch DNA and a ceiling higher than the Palace of Versailles’s.


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