Gameday Pick ‘em #30: Missouri State (11-17; 3-13, 10th in MVC)
The Pundits
“Jays put victory in rearview mirror” (OWH)
“Woodfox works and wows them” (OWH)
“Bears capture dramatic victory” (News-Leader)
The Picks
I catch some grief every once and awhile (OK, quite a lot) from Panon, Mr. and Mrs. Dance Cam Guy, and my wife because of my overly cautious worries regarding Creighton’s play. Translation: I get way too worked up over what I deem to be completely unsafe and surmountable leads late in games.
You know why? Because I think the Jays’ losses stick further into the recesses of my mind than do the wins. Is that sad and a bit twisted? Probably. Does that make for some restless post-loss drives home from downtown. Sure thing. Does that keep me on my toes for games like tonight’s? I’d like to think so.
Say what you will about their close losses, their sometimes stifling defense, and their obvious home court advantage (at least for this Senior Night game): Missouri State is, of all the teams CU should sweep in conference play this year, the team that matches up worst against the Bluejays. Again, just my opinion, but they are not deep (CU is). They post the worst scoring margin in MVC games. They shoot the worst in conference play, and allow their opponents to shoot the best. They are in the lower half of the Valley in 3-point shooting and 3-point defense. They are dead last in steals and have a negative turnover margin. About the only category in which they lead CU is rebounding margin (by a net of 5.2 rpg).
Still, this game scares me. You know why? Because I feel like I’ve seen it before … pretty recently, in fact.
(Un) Lucky #17
My lucky number is 17. Late in the 2006-2007 season, a year during which Creighton was a couple of plays away from taking on Memphis in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament, the 17th conference game was the cause of much consternation among the Jays’ faithful fans.
Headed into the final week of the season, Dana Altman’s team was still mathematically alive for a MVC crown. They were all set to host Wichita State on Senior Day at The Phone Booth on national television (ESPN2) the final weekend of the season; all they had to do was hit the road and play an Illinois State team that was under .500 in conference play.
Sound familiar?
Creighton led by 10 at halftime. They looked poised to put away the Redbirds, until a freshman by the name of Osiris Eldridge scored all of his 18 points in the second half. That output, combined with CU going 1-12 from 3-point range in the second 20 minutes, led to a 40-20 second half for ISU and a 10-point loss for the Jays.
Altman’s Jays rallied to beat the Shox during a White Out, but that loss to Illinois State cemented Creighton’s place as a #2 seed in St. Louis the following week and, more importantly, would have been the final nail in the coffin of CU’s at-large chances for an NCAA birth (had they not won Arch Madness that year, which they most certainly did).
Booker Woodfox and Josh Dotzler can’t let that happen again. Dotzler should remember the game well; he was there, playing (probably injured) 17 minutes and committing 3 turnovers. He missed his only 2 3-point shots (both in the fateful second half) and watched as Nate Funk and Anthony Tolliver suffered what would be their second-to-last loss of their CU careers.
This year’s Missouri State squad is akin to that Illinois State bunch. They have a few freshmen, Kyle Weems most notably, who have performed well in their previous game against CU. They have a date with the Thursday play-in round in St. Louis, a kiss of death for a team’s hopes for an Arch Madness title. And with Illinois State hosting Northern Iowa tonight in Normal, you can bet there will be more than a few Jays fans (and probably some Jays themselves) looking over their shoulders and trying to sneak a peek at the scoreboard at the JQH Arena.
Don’t worry about any other game but the one on the court in front of you. Leave no doubt about who the best team in the MVC is right now. MSU has just 3 conference wins all year, none against the top half of the league.
Leading Scorer
Creighton Otter: Antoine Young (13)
Dance Cam Guy: Justin Carter (15)
Panon: P’Allen Stinnett (17)
Mrs. Creighton Otter: Kenny Lawson (18)
Mrs. Dance Cam Guy: Booker Woodfox (21)
Margin
Creighton Otter: Jays by 11
Dance Cam Guy: Jays by 9
Panon: Jays by 7
Mrs. Creighton Otter: Jays by 17
Mrs. Dance Cam Guy: Jays by 16
“Jays put victory in rearview mirror” (OWH)
“Woodfox works and wows them” (OWH)
“Bears capture dramatic victory” (News-Leader)
The Picks
I catch some grief every once and awhile (OK, quite a lot) from Panon, Mr. and Mrs. Dance Cam Guy, and my wife because of my overly cautious worries regarding Creighton’s play. Translation: I get way too worked up over what I deem to be completely unsafe and surmountable leads late in games.
You know why? Because I think the Jays’ losses stick further into the recesses of my mind than do the wins. Is that sad and a bit twisted? Probably. Does that make for some restless post-loss drives home from downtown. Sure thing. Does that keep me on my toes for games like tonight’s? I’d like to think so.
Say what you will about their close losses, their sometimes stifling defense, and their obvious home court advantage (at least for this Senior Night game): Missouri State is, of all the teams CU should sweep in conference play this year, the team that matches up worst against the Bluejays. Again, just my opinion, but they are not deep (CU is). They post the worst scoring margin in MVC games. They shoot the worst in conference play, and allow their opponents to shoot the best. They are in the lower half of the Valley in 3-point shooting and 3-point defense. They are dead last in steals and have a negative turnover margin. About the only category in which they lead CU is rebounding margin (by a net of 5.2 rpg).
Still, this game scares me. You know why? Because I feel like I’ve seen it before … pretty recently, in fact.
(Un) Lucky #17
My lucky number is 17. Late in the 2006-2007 season, a year during which Creighton was a couple of plays away from taking on Memphis in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament, the 17th conference game was the cause of much consternation among the Jays’ faithful fans.
Headed into the final week of the season, Dana Altman’s team was still mathematically alive for a MVC crown. They were all set to host Wichita State on Senior Day at The Phone Booth on national television (ESPN2) the final weekend of the season; all they had to do was hit the road and play an Illinois State team that was under .500 in conference play.
Sound familiar?
Creighton led by 10 at halftime. They looked poised to put away the Redbirds, until a freshman by the name of Osiris Eldridge scored all of his 18 points in the second half. That output, combined with CU going 1-12 from 3-point range in the second 20 minutes, led to a 40-20 second half for ISU and a 10-point loss for the Jays.
Altman’s Jays rallied to beat the Shox during a White Out, but that loss to Illinois State cemented Creighton’s place as a #2 seed in St. Louis the following week and, more importantly, would have been the final nail in the coffin of CU’s at-large chances for an NCAA birth (had they not won Arch Madness that year, which they most certainly did).
Booker Woodfox and Josh Dotzler can’t let that happen again. Dotzler should remember the game well; he was there, playing (probably injured) 17 minutes and committing 3 turnovers. He missed his only 2 3-point shots (both in the fateful second half) and watched as Nate Funk and Anthony Tolliver suffered what would be their second-to-last loss of their CU careers.
This year’s Missouri State squad is akin to that Illinois State bunch. They have a few freshmen, Kyle Weems most notably, who have performed well in their previous game against CU. They have a date with the Thursday play-in round in St. Louis, a kiss of death for a team’s hopes for an Arch Madness title. And with Illinois State hosting Northern Iowa tonight in Normal, you can bet there will be more than a few Jays fans (and probably some Jays themselves) looking over their shoulders and trying to sneak a peek at the scoreboard at the JQH Arena.
Don’t worry about any other game but the one on the court in front of you. Leave no doubt about who the best team in the MVC is right now. MSU has just 3 conference wins all year, none against the top half of the league.
Leading Scorer
Creighton Otter: Antoine Young (13)
Dance Cam Guy: Justin Carter (15)
Panon: P’Allen Stinnett (17)
Mrs. Creighton Otter: Kenny Lawson (18)
Mrs. Dance Cam Guy: Booker Woodfox (21)
Margin
Creighton Otter: Jays by 11
Dance Cam Guy: Jays by 9
Panon: Jays by 7
Mrs. Creighton Otter: Jays by 17
Mrs. Dance Cam Guy: Jays by 16
posted by Creighton Otter at 6:17 AM
1 Comments:
This is a scary game especially with this scenario involving UNI and ISU. Focus Focus Focus.
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