Creighton 78, Missouri 54

I knew this team would bring defensive energy and hustle to floor almost every night, but I am left scratching and shaking my head this morning. Did Creighton REALLY hold Missouri to 54 points and 32% shooting from the field? Did the Jays really virtually pull down the same number of rebounds as the Tigers, despite being outsized with nearly every lineup that played for Mizzou?

I’ll put together a review of the entire Guardians Classic following the championship game tonight, but here are some thoughts while I dream of CU going 2-0 against BCS conference-teams in November:

Thoughts…

• Anthony Tolliver and Dane Watts will have a very happy Thanksgiving. Regardless of why Anthony started against Missouri (The World-Herald quoted Dana Altman as saying that regular starter Jeffery Day didn’t take care of some responsibilities and thus did not get the starting nod), to hit a three-pointer for your team’s first bucket of the night against your home state team that didn’t offer you a scholarship has to get a kid pumped up. Anthony missed his first two shots but grabbed a couple of rebounds, which definitely eased him into the game a little more quickly. Foul trouble haunted him though, and he only logged 10 minutes on the court.
  
  Dane hit three-pointers at the 12- and 5- minute marks, laid a devastating screen on a Tiger, and finished with 12 points and 3 rebounds in 19 minutes of play. Dane is also from Missouri, was not recruited heavily by Quin the Eskimo, and now is making an immediate impact for a traditionally successful mid-major school. Like I said in my season preview, I think Dane will turn out to be one of Dana’s most important recruits in his tenure at CU, and hopefully he will play the rest of the season like he is home in Missouri.
  
  (Side note: I don’t understand why more top recruits don’t go to mid-majors for instant playing time, instant big-man-on-campus stature, and instant big-fish-in-a-small-pond attention. Kalen Grimes is a great example. I have come to grips with the fact that Dana and his staff only received token interest from Mike’s (big) little brother and that he was the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year, but I don’t like the fact that he will have to spend a lot of his freshman year sitting on the bench while Kevin Young clogs the lane with his 300-pound frame.
  
  For me it all goes back to T.J. Pugh, who Roy Williams recruited to play for Kansas. Pugh, a dominating force at Omaha Creighton Prep, would have played immediately with Rodney, and the two would have spent four years completely terrorizing the Missouri Valley Conference. Instead, Pugh went to Kansas and had a solid role-playing career as a defensive stopper off the bench. My dad and I still wonder what would have been, and who would have worn #32 if they had both gone to CU.)
  
  
• Tyler McKinney had 11 assists and no turnovers. Johnny Mathies had 18 points and 1 turnover. Our two point guards combined for 20 points, 13 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 turnover. These numbers were against the athletic, taller, and longer guards of Mizzou. I would take Tyler over any point guard in the Valley right now, and I am elated that he is able to enjoy his senior season like this. I also really hope Johnny is taking notes from Tyler this season, because he will be poised to be the transition guy next year. Not only can Johnny score, but also he is quick, agile, and plays good defense. It will be up to him as a senior next year to serve as the link between Tyler and Josh Dotzler. I really like Dana’s strategy of getting Tyler and Johnny on the floor at the same time – this team is completely different when two floor generals are playing together.
  
  
• “Umm, Nate, this is Missouri Valley Conference commissioner Doug Elgin calling. I just wanted to congratulate you on your Player of the Year award. Good luck trying to win it again as a senior – it is well-deserved.”
  
  
• The fact that we beat Mizzou by 20+ points even though Jimmy Motz and Kellen Miliner went a combined 3-15 from the field should excite Jays fans even more. Jimmy and Kellen are not going to have too many bad shooting games at the same time, and the fact that the Jays weathered those offensive performances says a lot about the ability of their teammates to pick up the slack. It also speaks volumes about the two kids that they kept their noses in the thick of things, with Jimmy picking up a key charge on the Tigers and Kellen hitting the floor for some loose-ball situations.
  
  
• Have a great Thanksgiving, and don’t forget to read my Guardians Classic wrap-up tomorrow after the championship game. I think the Jays win a close one tonight and head to Cincinnati with some momentum and confidence.