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Creighton's historic win over UConn proves Bluejays have Final Four potential
Creighton entered Tuesday night's Big East matchup with No. 1 UConn envisioning an upset victory over the Huskies, and in return, showing the college basketball universe that the Bluejays are indeed a team to be reckoned with.
As the buzzer sounded, and a sea of blue poured out onto the court at the CHI Health Center Omaha, Creighton's vision became a reality.
Fans storm the court as No. 15 Creighton upsets No. 1 UConn, 85-66
Bluejays 85, Huskies 66.
Connecticut's nation-leading 14-game winning streak? Over. Creighton's 0-for-6 drought against No. 1-ranked teams in the country? Say goodbye to that too.
After the Huskies got off to a quick 7-0 lead, and then an 11-3 advantage just four minutes into the game, it made you wonder if this team was becoming unbeatable in the Big East. But Creighton, unlike many others that have tried, punched back and seized the momentum of the game.
When the Huskies were holding onto a two-point lead with just over eight minutes left in the opening half, the Jays connected on seven of their next nine shots and went on an 18-2 run in five minutes to shift the game. Connecticut would only get as close as 10 points as Greg McDermott's team ran away with one of the most impressive victories of the season.
So, what should we make of this result? I still think UConn is the best team in college basketball. The Huskies were three days removed from a memorable win over No. 4 Marquette, and then had to turn around and face a top-15 team in a raucous environment, all while attempting to add to their 14-game winning streak, dating back to Dec. 20. If anything, Dan Hurley's team showed us they're human.
However, I think we learned more about Creighton in this game, and who this team is capable of beating in March. Remember, Creighton was ranked No. 8 in the AP Preseason Top 25 Poll. This team was picked second in the Big East Preseason Coaches Poll, ahead of UConn.
"It's a historic game for our program," McDermott said following his team's upset victory. "We played a really, really good game, and we beat an incredible team, a team that has a legitimate chance to win a national championship, but we're pretty good as well."
No. 1 UConn Huskies vs. No. 15 Creighton Bluejays Highlights
McDermott's team has had some ups and downs throughout this season, and it was just a few weeks ago when they made you wonder if they're ever going to find that gear. They've found it.
How did the Bluejays find that gear? Point guard play.
After Ryan Nembhard transferred out of Creighton and landed with Gonzaga, it left a large void for the Jays at the point guard spot.
In stepped Steven Ashworth, a 23-year-old Utah State transfer who navigated through some challenges early in the season and doubts that he would ever be the guy for this team at point guard. Over the last 11 games, he's played at an elite level, averaging 15.2 points and 5.0 assists per contest. On Tuesday night, he played fearlessly, steering the ship of an offense that is up to No. 9 in KenPom efficiency. Ashworth looked the part of a Creighton point guard, following in the footsteps of guys like Nembhard and Marcus Zegarowski, who flourished in McDermott's system.
Junior guard Trey Alexander continued to show why he's an NBA Draft prospect with his 16 points on 7-of-13 from the floor, while Ryan Kalkbrenner and Baylor Scheierman added double-figure scoring contributions as well. And as is the case in most signature wins, there was an unexpected star who becomes a story. That belonged to Creighton freshman Jasen Green, who hadn't hit a 3-pointer in the first 16 games of his college career. On Tuesday night, he buried two clutch triples while proving he has developed into a versatile option off the bench for this Creighton team.
While Creighton's offense was quite impressive in the victory, what impressed me the most was the Bluejays' defense. Connecticut entered the night having taken over 41% of their field-goal attempts from beyond the arc. Against Creighton, though, the Huskies only attempted 16 of their 59 shots from downtown, good for 27%. Dan Hurley's team finished the night 3-of-16 from 3-point range.
The way the Bluejays fought over ball screens and stayed glued to Cam Spencer and Alex Karaban – holding that duo to a combined 5-for-15 from beyond the arc – was really impressive. Tristen Newton kept the Huskies from getting totally embarrassed with 27 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, but I think there's something schematic about that, with Creighton making the decision to keep the Huskies point guard from elevating others around him. And when you combine that effort with Kalkbrenner's four blocked shots, it made for a winning formula. Defensively, it's smart for Creighton to funnel perimeter players toward the rim because their senior center can shut down anything and everything in his sights.
Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner records a block and follows with a dunk on the other end vs. UConn
Now, it bears noting, UConn's Donovan Clingan exited five minutes into the game with two fouls, and when he did, Creighton found its footing. It goes to show how much Clingan means to this UConn team when he is on the floor. When the 7-2 "unicorn" hits the bench, the Huskies' defense and ability to alter shots around the rim really becomes vulnerable.
Clingan finished the game with 12 points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes of action.
"We did a bad job coaching tonight, our players did a bad job playing, and I did a bad job coaching," Hurley said postgame. "We just ran into a buzzsaw."
Yes, the Huskies did. They'll be more than fine, and we'll see how they respond on FOX Primetime Hoops this Saturday when they take on Villanova (8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).
But Tuesday night belonged to Creighton, a program that came within one possession of a trip to the Final Four last year. The Jays showed the country that a run like that – or perhaps even deeper – is in fact within the realm of possibility again this season.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on X at @John_Fanta.
