The Creighton Bluejays opened Big East play on Monday night at home against Marquette — and their time in the top ten will likely end after this week, as Marquette came in and delivered an 89-84 upset. Before that, they had posted a 4-1 record in non-conference play, with the only setback coming against then-#5 Kansas on December 8 — and just by a single point. Their next opponent, St. John’s, comes in with a 5-3 record — although their Big East record is already 0-2, after losing at Seton Hall on Friday and then falling in overtime at Georgetown on Sunday. They had a Monday game at Butler postponed due to COVID-19 cases at Butler. Can the Red Storm get their first conference win, or will the Bluejays continue their slump?
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NCAAB: #9 Creighton at St. John’s
- When: Thursday, December 17, 2020, 7:00 pm ET
- Where: Carnesecca Arena, Queens, NY
- TV: FS1
- Radio: KOZN 1620 AM Omaha / St. John’s Red Storm Sports Network
- Live Stream: FOX Sports GO
- NCAAB Odds: TBD
Why should you bet on the Bluejays?
Creighton has their sights set on a deep run in the men’s basketball tournament in the spring. However, losing to an unranked team at home was definitely a setback. Overall, Creighton is a stout team that will be there right at the end of the season when it comes to a conference championship, and sometimes it takes losses like this to wake a team up, particularly in that down time after final exams and between the non-conference and conference schedules.
Denzel Mahoney has been a pleasant surprise for the Bluejays, playing well on both ends of the floor. The book on Mahoney is that he is a shutdown defender with some liabilities in his shooting game, but it is clear that he has spent time outside of games working on his shot and his game around the offensive basket. He leads Creighton with 16 points per game, scoring a lot of points in the transition game and when he can attack the rim. His three-balls are starting to attract attention as well. Alongside Mahoney, expect Mitchell Ballock, Marcus Zegarowski, Damien Jefferson and Christian Bishop to start.
Why should you put your money on the Red Storm?
St. John’s definitely could use a turnaround in the early going in their Big East slate. They lost at Seton Hall by eight and then fell by three in overtime against Georgetown. Given where St. John’s sits in the rankings, if they could beat Creighton, that could add another bad loss to Creighton’s record (which could tarnish them in the eyes of the tournament selection committee if that loss turns into a bit of a malaise).
For St. John’s, one of the top players is guard Julian Champagnie. He has shot 47 percent from the floor and 87 percent from the charity stripe so far this season. He leads the team with 21 points per game and averages almost eight boards per contest. Along with Champagnie, expect Posh Alexander, Greg Williams Jr, Isaih Moore, and Vince Cole (who led the Red Storm in scoring for the first two games of the season) to round out the starting lineup.
Final Score and Prediction
One of the great things about Big East basketball is that the games are almost always close. The programs have a lot of parity, and even in a season when the normally raucous gyms will be empty (or largely empty) of fans, the rivalries that have developed over time are intense. So when it comes to St. John’s welcoming Creighton, despite the Red Storm’s poor start, I don’t anticipate this game turning into a rout. Creighton will have to work hard for 40 minutes, but at the end of the game, I see them winning. I predict a final score of Creighton 78, St. John’s 69.
