Rush The Court

Brian Otskey is an RTC correspondent. He filed this report after the Round of 64 NCAA Tournament game between #7 Creighton and #10 Cincinnati in Philadelphia. You can also find Brian at @botskey.

Three key takeaways:

1. Grant Gibbs struggled for Creighton and it almost cost them. Normally a reliable senior point guard, Gibbs had a rough afternoon.Creighton’s leading assist man and third-leading scorer turned the ball over five times to only four assists. Gibbs scored just five points and never made his presence known on the offensive end either by scoring or distributing. Creighton is fortunate it won a game where one of its most important players was locked up by a tough, physical Cincinnati defense. After the game, head coach Greg McDermott praised Gibbs for all he has meant to this program over the years. His toughness and leadership still showed today even though his statistics suffered.

   As usual, Doug McDermott was the star for Creighton. (Getty)

2. Defense can certainly win you games but you also have to score. This game was billed as an extreme contrast of styles and that it was. Cincinnati held Creighton to 67 points, far below its season average of 75. The Bearcats did not do a great job in the first half but locked down in the second half, holding the Bluejays to 30.4% shooting after the break. It wasn’t enough, however, and Cincinnati’s offensive struggles reared its ugly head once again. The Bearcats shot just 42.2% for the game and that included a flurry of baskets in the final minute to make things very interesting. Cincinnati missed major opportunities at the free throw line as well, going 4-of-9 on the afternoon. There are two problems there. 1) Cincinnati didn’t get there enough. 2) It did not capitalize when it did get there. It was just too much of a struggle offensively and too much offense on the other side for the Bearcats to overcome.
3. Creighton’s ability to win against a physical team was impressive. Take nothing away from the Missouri Valley Conference but Creighton doesn’t often see a team as physical and strong as Cincinnati. The Bearcats push you around and make you make tough shots but the Bluejays responded extremely well to the challenge. Deserved or not, Creighton had a reputation for being more of a finesse team offensively and one that takes some possessions off on the other side of the ball. Far from it this afternoon. The Bluejays were able to get good shots but also convert tough buckets against an imposing Cincinnati defense. Greg McDermott’s team played a little defense of its own as well and that’s what won the game for them. Toughness: Creighton showed a lot of of it today. Jay Bilas would be proud.

Star of the Game: Doug McDermott, Creighton. Is there any question? Creighton’s do-it-all superstar scored 27 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in the win. The 86% free throw shooter also went a perfect 11-of-11 from the stripe to lock down the win for the Bluejays. I have obviously seen McDermott play on television but never have seen him live until today. Part of the reason he is so good is that he knows exactly what to do when he gets the ball. His quickness and decision making, combined with his incredible talent level, make him one of the best offensive players college basketball has seen in quite some time.

Quotable: Creighton head coach Greg McDermott on his team’s toughness and grit all game long: “In some ways, we had to beat them at their own game.”

Sights and Sounds: Creighton’s fans are absolutely incredible. Throngs of loyal White and Blue-clad folks traveled east from Omaha to see their beloved Bluejays in Philadelphia. This fan base is one of the best in college basketball and you see it time and time again when watching Creighton’s home games. Cincinnati brought a nice crowd too but the Bearcat fans weren’t nearly as vocal as those from Omaha. The fans of the teams provided most of the energy but the rest of the crowd was rather subdued. It was nice to see Philadelphia native Bo Kimble honored at halftime of this game. As you may recall, Kimble is responsible for one of the most poignant moments in NCAA Tournament history as he shot free throws in honor of late teammate and friend Hank Gathers in the 1990 edition of this event.

Wildcard: The flagrant one call on Doug McDermott in the final minute of play is more evidence of a terrible rule that needs to be changed. I’m all for player safety but when normal basketball plays are being called flagrant, something is wrong. This rule has affected the outcome of too many games over the last few seasons. It’s only a matter of time before it changes an even more important game in the NCAA Tournament. It almost did today.

What’s Next: Creighton advances to the Round of 32 and will take on #2 Duke on Sunday here at the Wells Fargo Center at a time still to be determined.For the second straight year, the Bluejays will face a Tobacco Road opponent in this round after bowing out to top-seeded North Carolina last season.