I'm an optimistic fellow, and even I'm finding a tough time justifying the Jays presence in the Las Vegas Classic. If the purpose of an exempt tournament is to play top teams you couldn't otherwise play, its a failure. Fresno State and DePaul have been on the schedule recently, and St. Louis isn't exactly lighting the world on fire. If the purpose is to get national television exposure, its a failure. The games are only available via webcast from a dubious site that won't even allow customers to pre-order the game. And if the purpose is get games to impress the selection committee come March, its also a failure. If they win, tis tournament does absolutely nothing to improve their chances of getting into the field and/or earning a better seed, and a loss will absolutely be a scuff mark on their record.
As a matter of fact, the only thing I can find to remotely justify playing in this thing is that it allows P'Allen Stinnett a chance to play before his hometown friends and family. That's a good thing. But its the only good thing.
And don't even get me started on pulling out of last year's tourney to take the Canada trip. I'm officially changing my answer to that quandary to "Bad Idea". I argued until I was even bluer in the face than I normally am that it was a defensible position. No longer. This tournament is crap, there's absolutely nothing to gain from it and there's a huge amount to lose. There. I said it.
The game against Southern, while a win, dropped the Jays' RPI almost 40 spots simply by having the worst team in America on the schedule. Playing Fresno State, number 241, tonight will probably also precipitate a drop even with a win. And playing the winner of DePaul and St. Louis? 115 and 202, respectively. I'm not afraid to call a turd a turd, and this tournament is a turd sandwich made of Bulldogs and Demons (and possibly Billikins).
No, I'm not bitter or anything, but thanks for asking and showing concern for my well being.
One Big Paragraph With Lots O'Dots (TM): Fresno State has the potential to be very good next year. This doesn't help Creighton this year, of course. Freshman Paul George has already emerged as their best player, averaging 15 points and 6 boards a game, both team highs ... The Bulldogs struggled to beat Northern Colorado, 70-65, in a tournament prelim game last week. This, the same Northern Colorado team that the Jays also struggled with before putting away late ... They average 69 points scored, and give up the same total, making their 6-5 record utterly predictable ... Coach Steve Cleveland has done an admirable job cleaning up the program after two rounds of NCAA sanctions, and is finally getting talent to come back and play for the Bulldogs, including Arizona State transfer Sylvester Seay, who's averaging 12 points a night ... The Jays have played four games in Las Vegas, three against UNLV. Their last game in Sin City was a 90-59 pasting at the hands of the Runnin' Rebels in December of 1987.
The Last Time They Played: The teams have played five times in the past seven years, thanks to the equally ridiculous ESPN Bracket Buster series pitting the teams against each other twice (and thus the return trips the next year). The Jays are 3-1 in those games, with the loss coming in the last meeting while the Jays were en route to Hawaii for the Rainbow Classic. The 69-54 loss was the low point, and maybe the turning point, in the Jays NCAA Tournament season of 2006-07.
Gratuitous Linkage: Milwaukee's airport has a "Recombobulation Area". I have no joke here, just...they have a Recombobulation Area, people!
Prediction: Jays 62, Fresno State 54. The shots won't fall early for Creighton, as they get accustomed to the neutral court environs, but they will turn in one of their best defensive efforts of the young season.
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