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Game 23 - Georgetown (6-16) vs. Creighton (13-8)
Nuts & Bolts
Date: February 1, 2023
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Capital One Arena - Washington, DC
How to Watch: CBS Sports Network
Matchup History: Creighton leads all-time series 12-9
Last Meeting: Creighton def. Georgetown 88-77 on 2/14/22
Betting Lines: Via DraftKings
Spread: Georgetown +13
Over/Under: 149.5
Prediction: Georgetown 66, Creighton 80
Official Game Notes: HERE
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Head Coach: Patrick Ewing (6th season, 74-100 record at Georgetown)
Record: 6-16 (1-10, 11th in Big East)
Last Time Out: Lost @ St. John’s 75-73 on 1/29
Highlights HERE
Player to Watch: Primo Spears
Georgetown was so close to winning its second straight game on Sunday at Madison Square Garden. The Hoyas led St. John’s by as many as 8 in the second half but fell to the Red Storm 75-73, thanks to a AJ Storr 3-pointer with 4 seconds to go.
One step forward, two steps back for the Hoyas. Georgetown ended its 29 game conference losing streak last Tuesday against DePaul, but then let go of a really good chance to gather some real momentum for the final full month of the regular season.
Akok Akok had one of the more unique stat lines you’ll ever see; 0 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 5 blocks.
Primo Spears led the Hoyas in scoring for the 12th time this year and for the fourth straight game, finishing with 25 points.
As a team, Georgetown had only 6 assists in the game while St. John’s finished with 19. Sharing the basketball has not been the Hoyas’ strength all year and it potentially cost them on Sunday. To go along with that, Georgetown turned it over 15 times.
On Wednesday, the Hoyas host Creighton, a team that beat them by a combined 25 points across two games last year.
Georgetown is catching the Jays at the wrong time. Creighton has won four straight games by an average of 18 points.
The main question surrounding the Hoyas at this point is whether or not they’ll win another game in Big East play.
It’s going to take a herculean effort to add another notch on Wednesday.
Head Coach: Greg McDermott (13th season, 289-145 record at Creighton)
Record: 13-8 (7-3, 4th in Big East)
Last Time Out: Def. #16 Xavier 84-67 on 1/28
Highlights HERE
Player to Watch: Ryan Kalkbrenner
Don’t let Creighton’s record deceive you. This is one of the best teams in the Big East and I’d argue one of the best in the country.
Photo: Creighton University Athletics
I’m from Omaha and grew up a Creighton fan. I first started going to games in the early 2000s when Kyle Korver was launching 3’s in the early Dana Altman years at the Civic Auditorium.
The most fun I’ve ever had around college basketball was the final two years of Doug McDermott at Creighton, as the school transitioned from the Missouri Valley Conference to the Big East, while the best player in school history led the way and won National Player of the Year in his first year in the conference.
That was then, and this is now: Greg McDermott has turned Creighton into a giant. When I was a little kid, the Jays were always good but they were ‘Mo Valley good.’ Now, this team has national hype and a coach that has quickly built one of the top programs in the conference while playing in an arena that holds over 17,000 fans per night.
Coming into the season, I, like many, thought this was set to be the best Creighton team of all-time.
The team brought back Ryan Nembhard, returning from his wrist injury, at point guard. Trey Alexander back at shooting guard, future NBA draft pick, Arthur Kalulma, at the wing, the best transfer in the country, Baylor Scheierman from South Dakota State, and last year's Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Ryan Kalkbrenner down low.
What nobody foresaw was the early season struggles that Creighton suffered.
The Jays started 6-0 before losing the Maui Invitational championship game to Arizona 81-79. What followed was a string of losses that ended with Creighton staring at a 6-6 record and Ryan Kalkbrenner sidelined due to illness.
Since that string of losses, however, Kalkbrenner has returned and the Jays are 7-2, with both losses by single-digits @ UConn and @ Xavier.
CU has now won four straight games and are very possibly catching their stride at exactly the right time. They have already avenged their Xavier loss and have a chance to return the favor to both UConn and Marquette in Omaha in February.
The last thing the Jays need is a hiccup against a team in the basement of the Big East. With Villanova awaiting on Saturday night in Omaha, this is the definition of a trap game that has gotten Creighton before.
Just three years ago, the Jays, who eventually won the Big East regular season, lost to Georgetown in D.C. 83-80.
For a team that is clearly on ‘bubble watch’ as it pertains to the NCAA Tournament, they cannot afford a loss to a team like this.
I expect Georgetown to have the full attention of the Jays tonight and Creighton to roll to a fifth straight win.