Before we go any further, lets face facts. Nate Funk, our leading scorer, rebounder and the heart and soul of the team, is out. Pierce Hibma, a defensive plus and solid "system" guy, is out. And now, Jimmy "Instant Offense" Motz is out. Creighton will suit up 8 players, plus one walkon. The Creighton you know, the pressing, running, high-scoring Creighton, doesn't exist right now. They can't, because they simply don't have the bodies. They are going to struggle to win this game.
The Jays come in 3-2, playing a moderately tough schedule thus far, with good wins and bad losses in their resume. But with all the injuries, you just don't know what this team has. Will Johnny Mathies be able to fill the scoring void? Will Anthony Tolliver and Jeffrey Day be able to at least hold their own inside? Can they still press with only 8 players?
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Meanwhile, Nebraska is 6-1, but against a schedule ranked #187 nationally, all at home. So this will be their first big road contest, and the first chance to get a real accurate read on where they are. They certainly outnumber the Jays, both in terms of athletes and sheer number of bodies. Their coach is still an enigma, and has only beaten Creighton once (albeit in an NIT game). Can their young players respond to a hostile environment? Will Coach Barry Collier be able to put together a solid gameplan to out-coach Dana Altman? Can Wes Wilkinson and Jason Dourissou dominate inside on Creighton's post players? Will Joe McCray put down the Big Macs long enough to get on court?
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In all honesty, Nebraska has to win this game. Creighton is missing 3 of their top 6 players, and reeling from two consecutive road losses. For Collier and the Cornhuskers to maintain any kind of swagger about their program, they have to get this game. Basically, if not now, when?
I think the game will be a slugfest, with Altman outcoaching Collier and keeping the game in the mid-40s. An ugly eyesore of a game, full of defensive stops, bad shots and turnovers, that will be hotly contested from whistle to horn. Wilkinson and Dourissou will be a force, but Jeff Day will step up and have a big day for the Jays. In the end, the home court will make the difference, able to pick the Jays up late and Creighton will win 49-46.
PREDICTION: Jays 49, Huskers 46
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