Arizona Wildcats Season Preview – CBB Handicapping
Last year was a great season but Creighton actually finished second in the Valley to Wichita State.
Creighton Blue Jays Odds to Win (By bovada.lv)
Missouri Valley Conference
2011-12 Record: 29-6
Odds to win title: +2000
Odds to win conference: Not currently posted
Key losses:
Antoine Young – Last year’s point guard might not have grabbed the headlines but he was absolutely critical to the Blue Jays success.
Top Newcomers:
Nevin Johnson – The redshirt freshman will add some needed athleticism to the lineup and if given the chance will put the ball in the bucket.
Geoff Groselle – It never hurts to have a 7 footer with potential on your bench to call upon. He adds some serious length which they need.
Isaiah Zierden – A shooter with great court sense could work his way into an important role as the season develops.
Top Players
Doug McDermott – The junior forward is one of the most complete players in the country and a legit player of the year candidate.
Gregory Echenique – A burly forward/center who needs to improve his efficiency and production if Creighton is going to live up to its preseason promise.
Grant Gibbs – A total glue and team player who gives a little bit of everything. Averages 7ppg/4.5rpg and 5apg, all numbers could rise this season.
This year they are getting a lot of notoriety because they return most of their key performers including one of the best players in the nation. The league might be a little down this year as the Shockers lost their biggest contributors from a year ago. Creighton enters the season with a lofty ranking and a reasonable shot of running through the league unscathed.
Creighton is very good. With the players they are returning and their schedule they could easily be one of the last teams to lose a game and put up a gaudy record like Murray State did last year. McDermott is a treat to watch but I think the real key this year will be Echenique. He has to play smarter because they don’t have a lot of size up front and when he leaves the game they get too focused on the perimeter. They can form one of the best duos in the country and can lead the team really far.
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Strengths
The Blue Jays have talent that you don’t always find a mid major program. McDermott is the coach’s son and would probably be the best player on all but a handful of teams across the country. He continues to get better and like all coaches sons everywhere doesn’t force the action. This is a talented team in many position and they play well together.
Weaknesses
While the Jays have talent they don’t have a lot of depth or size. When top programs look to the bench they are usually pulling out players who were highly touted and heavily recruited. Not so for this Nebraska school. If McDermott is off or Echenique is in foul trouble this team can look pretty ordinary and they are missing their sparkplug from last season.
Top Games
Nov 9 – North Texas visits and shouldn’t be underrated as forward Tony Mitchell is one of the best players in the country for the Mean Green.
Nov 23 – Wisconsin always gives teams fits because they are so good at controlling tempo but the talent is heavier on the Creighton side this year.
Dec 15 – A visit to Cal will not be easy and will show how this team travels and what it is made of.
Prediction:
The Blue Jays should win the Missouri Valley conference with ease while piling up one of the best won-loss records in the nation. In fact given their conference schedule it wouldn’t surprise if they put up more victories than anybody else in the nation. The real question is how this team will compete come tournament time. They got a taste last year and showed they won’t be intimidated. With the right matchups they can go far. The teams that will give them trouble are ones that are both very athletic and high scoring like Mizzou. I like them to go all the way to the Elite Eight.
