Once once more, coach Greg McDermott has knocked off the top-ranked workforce within the nation.
His Creighton workforce rolled over No. 1 Kansas 76-63 on Wednesday evening on the CHI Health Center in Omaha within the Big 12-Big East Battle. That marked the primary lack of the season for the Jayhawks, who’ve spent the complete season at No. 1 within the AP ballot.
The Bluejays have now overwhelmed a No. 1 workforce at house in consecutive seasons, following final yr’s upset win over UConn. That was this system’s first-ever win over a top-ranked workforce. Naturally, the second such win led to an enormous celebration on the courtroom in Nebraska.
“I believe with each workforce, you are promoting a dream, you are promoting a plan,” McDermott stated. “Until you are capable of validate that plan with a victory like this, I’m undecided the buy-in is what it should be now … Everybody stepped up and did a terrific job once we wanted them. What are you able to say? This is the constructing No. 1 groups go to die evidently.”
Creighton led the complete manner on Wednesday evening, and it opened the sport on a fast 10-2 burst to take management of the sport instantly. Steven Ashworth even drained one from the emblem earlier than halftime for the Bluejays, who took a 10-point lead into the locker room.
Though Kansas opened the second half on a 9-0 run, Creighton responded with a 10-0 run of its personal to take the momentum away immediately. The Bluejays poured it on late, too, and nothing Kansas was doing labored. The Jayhawks went greater than 4 minutes with out scoring down the stretch, which allowed Creighton to push its result in 16 factors. From there, the Bluejays rolled to the 13-point win with out a lot challenge.
Creighton large man Ryan Kalkbrenner, who dropped 49 factors of their season-opener, was questionable going into the sport with a decrease physique harm. The 7-footer missed their final sport in opposition to Notre Dame, which snapped a three-game dropping streak that dropped them out of the rankings utterly. Kalkbrenner, nonetheless, greater than held his personal in opposition to Kansas large man and All-American Hunter Dickinson. Kalkbrenner completed with a double-double with 17 factors and 10 rebounds.
The largest affect he had, nonetheless, was on the defensive finish. He held Dickinson to simply six factors and two discipline objectives.
“It’s only a gutsy, gutsy effort,” McDermott stated. “He does not follow all week, and we needed to do some totally different procedures to get him on the ground right now. He confirmed a variety of braveness, a variety of guts. There’s two nice large guys taking part in right now, I’m positive glad Kalkbrenner is on my workforce.”
Pop Isaacs led Creighton with 27 factors whereas capturing 6-of-9 from the 3-point line. Ashworth added 17 factors, eight rebounds and 6 assists. Dajuan Harris Jr. led Kansas with 15 factors and 5 assists, and Zeke Mayo added 12 factors. Rylan Griffen didn’t play for Kansas as a result of flu.
Kansas entered Wednesday’s sport at 7-0 with a number of key wins below its belt already. The Jayhawks edged out a three-point win over North Carolina after practically blowing a 20-point lead, after which they beat Cooper Flagg and Duke in Las Vegas final week to remain undefeated. Kansas will tackle Missouri subsequent on Sunday earlier than internet hosting NC State and Brown to shut out its nonconference slate.
Though Kansas’ success this season will seemingly come all the way down to the way it holds itself within the Big 12, Creighton has lastly confirmed that Bill Self’s group is beatable. Perhaps extra importantly for McDermott, although, the Bluejays’ dropping skid is now clearly behind them.
