In an unusually early college basketball showdown, No. 5 Kansas is slated to square off with No. Creighton in Allen Fieldhouse today. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m., and the game will be televised on ESPN.
The tip time shouldn’t take away from what figures to be a really good college basketball game. The Jayhawks are 4-1 with their lone loss coming at the hands of top-ranked Gonzaga. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, are 3-0 after three double-digit victories to start the season.
It is the second Big 12/Big East battle for Kansas, which dropped a 56-55 decision at Villanova last season. KU is 8-4 in conference challenges entering this matchup. It will also be KU’s third ranked opponent through the first six games of the season.
This will be the first meeting between Kansas and Creighton since 1974.
[KenPom][1] gives the Jayhawks a 61% chance of victory, despite their [scare over the weekend][2] against North Dakota State. KU is projected to win by a 76-72 margin on KenPom.
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**BREAKING DOWN CREIGHTON**
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**TOP PLAYER**
*No. 11 — G Marcus Zegarowski | 6-2, 180, jr.*
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Let’s start with Marcus Zegarowski, who is the team’s top player ahead of this highly-anticipated showdown.
Zegarowski was named the preseason Big East player of the year and was a preseason first-team all-american by multiple outlets. Through three games, Zegarowski is actually second on the team in scoring with an average of 12.3 points per game after he was the leading returning scorer in the conference with an average of 16.0 points per outing last year.
So far this season, Zegarowski is averaging 7.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per contest. While the numbers have dropped a bit, this would seem like the perfect opportunity for Zegarowski to get going since he thrived in big moments a year ago.
Creighton went 6-2 against top-25 opponents last year because of the play of Zegarowski. He averaged 18.9 points per game while shooting 60.4% from the field (58-for-96) and 51.4% from 3-point range (18-of-35) against top-25 competition.
Creighton guard Marcus Zegarowski put himself on the NBA radar with a 32-point outburst in a win over Texas Tech. Highly skilled, slippery guard who is averaging 18.4 PTS and 4.0 AST so far this season while shooting 60% from 2 and 40% from 3. More on him: https://t.co/mWvQbk3eVD pic.twitter.com/yOf6rssHpO
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) December 3, 2019
**SUPPORTING CAST**
*No. 24 — G Mitch Ballock | 6-5, 205, sr.*
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There is no need to really introduce Mitch Ballock, who is a former Eudora High School standout. I actually remember [covering a game][3] where Ballock scored 29 in high school, and he thought he struggled in that game.
Ballock has continued to have a knack for scoring at the collegiate level. He surpassed 1,000 career points in the season opener against North Dakota State, and now ranks 40th on the all-time list with 1,022 points in his Creighton career.
This season, Ballock is averaging 8.7 points per game and shooting 29.4% from beyond the arc. He actually ranks fifth in Creighton history with 238 career 3-pointers, and is the only player in program history to have 90+ triples in back-to-back seasons.
Creighton has more players from the state of Kansas (4) than any other state, including Ballock who has started every game for the past two seasons.
*No. 13 — F Christian Bishop | 6-7, 220, jr.*
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Christian Bishop, a Lee’s Summit native, has also started every game for Creighton over the past two seasons.
Head coach Greg McDermott has called Bishop the most-improved player on the team, and it has certainly shown through the early part of the season. He led Creighton in scoring in each of the first two games with 16 against North Dakota State and 18 against Omaha.
As of right now, Bishop paces the Blue Jays in scoring with an average of 15.0 points per game to go along with 5.3 rebounds per contest. He’s also shooting 81% from the floor, which leads the conference.
Last season, Bishop led Creighton with 38 dunks and 35 blocked shots. So look for him to be a presence around the rim on both ends of the floor.
*No. 23 — F Damien Jefferson | 6-5, 220, sr.*
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Through three games, Damien Jefferson is one of six players averaging in double figures for the Blue Jays.
Jefferson ranks sixth in scoring with an average of 10.0 points per game in 24.7 minutes per contest. He is shooting 52.4% from the floor, including 44.4% from long range. Jefferson is averaging just 3.7 rebounds per contest after leading Creighton in rebounding a year ago.
According to Creighton’s official game notes, Jefferson flirted with the NBA Draft before withdrawing and had two SportsCenter top-10 plays against Seton Hall.
**ONE THING CREIGHTON DOES WELL**
Always worth noting when a team is coming into Allen Fieldhouse, but Creighton can really take care of the rock. The Blue Jays have a turnover rate of 10.8% on offense, which ranks third in the nation on KenPom.
**ONE AREA CREIGHTON STRUGGLES**
The smaller lineup does mean less of a chance to get second looks. Creighton has an offensive rebound rate of 19.8% through three games. According to KenPom, that mark ranks 262nd in all of college basketball.
**MEET THE COACH**
The Bluejays are coached by Greg McDermott, who is 234-116 in his 11th season at Creighton and 514-311 in his 27th season overall.
**VEGAS SAYS**
According to FanDuel’s Sportsbook, Kansas is a 4.5-point favorite in this matchup between a pair of top-eight teams. Most of the money seems to be going on the over, which means we should expect a high-scoring game. Because of that alone, taking the points is the smart play in this one.
But I actually do think the Blue Jays could win this thing outright, especially in an Allen Fieldhouse that has limited attendance. We all saw a tired KU team survive a scare against North Dakota State over the weekend, while Creighton has had an extra day of rest and could just be a bad matchup based on its 3-point shooting and experience.
I think it will be a good game that could come down to the final possession. For now, give me the team that has a definitive go-to option in a game that comes down to the wire.
Prediction: Creighton 76, Kansas 74
[1]: https://kenpom.com/
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2020/dec/05/tyon-grant-foster-helps-no-7-kansas-survive-scare-/
[3]: https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2016/dec/06/ballock-scores-29-eudora-boys-basketball-moves-2-0/
