Despite the Jays falling trap to a six-game losing streak during the end of non-conference play, they seem to be back. The Jays are winners in 12 of their last 16 and were riding an eight game win streak. The Jays were on the NCAA Tournament Bubble for a while, but as of right now the Blue Jays are back in the Field of 68. Creighton is sitting tied for third in the Big East right now at 8-3 and 14-8 overall.
In the Jays early season six-game losing streak, they were missing star center Ryan Kalkbrenner for three of those games with an illness, while he tried playing with the illness in the other three. Kalkbrenner is a 7 ‘1 center and one of the best shot blockers in the country. Creighton’s entire defensive plan is structured around having Kalkbrenner erasing shots at the rim. He is the reigning defensive player in the country for a reason.
The Jays started off Big East play a little shaky, dropping a road game against Marquette. The Jays got rolling with a few home wins against Butler, Depaul, and Seton Hall. Things got tough for the Jays and once again they went on a brief losing streak –- losing to both Xavier and UConn.
Then, the win streak began. The Jays knocked off the 17th ranked team in the country, Providence, at home with the game being an all around team effort. They then traveled to the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, where they easily took care of Butler. Next, the Jays had their greatest scoring effort of the year, lighting it up with 104 points against St. Johns, winning by nearly 30. Then the Bluejays picked up their best win of the season knocking off 13th ranked Xavier. This win kept the Jays in the race for the Big East title. The Jays then went on the road and knocked off a struggling Georgetown team. This put the Jays in a tie for third place. The Jays then won a close one against Villanova, even though they had an off night on offense. Creighton then picked up their biggest road win of the year at Seton Hall behind some clutch shots from Baylor Scheirman. The Bluejays then got a rematch against the UConn Huskies, who they were able to defeat in a tight one.
The streak could not last forever though, as the Jays ended by falling to 24th ranked Providence in a double over time battle. Providence is a whopping 34-1 at home in their last 35. The Blue Jays then headed to the Big Apple where they completed the sweep against the Red Storm of St. Johns. The Jays then returned home where they just could not find a rhythm against #10 Marquette, with some questionable calls from the officials ending up costing the Jays the game.
Hopefully the Jays can find their stride again before the Big East Tournament at the World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden. The Jays hope to finally bring home some hardware after losing in the tournament championship four times in the last eight years.
