Sixty percent

[GenoFan01]

I wasn't at the game but even if CU was shooting lights out, is it possible to be shooting over 60 percent with less than a min. remaining in the game? Wow.

[Bravesfan]

I wasn't at the game but even if CU was shooting lights out, is it possible to be shooting over 60 percent with less than a min. remaining in the game? Wow.

Yeah, our offense wasn't the problem tonight. But I think we gave a good effort on defense. But that team, and Doug McDermott in particular are unstoppable!

[Da Coach]

I think there was a slight tiredness factor on defense. We got caught on switches several times, leading to some easy shots, and we didn't box out every time leading to several 2nd chance baskets. But overall a great improvement over the SIU game.

[bigjimmy]

The problem with our defense was how well Creighton executed their offense. We just seemed to be a step behind them most of the night, especially with McDermott. The last 5 minutes of the game saw our defense get more physical which in turn caused some problems for Creighton. Can we play defense like that all the time when we only play 8 guys.

[jasonpeoria911]

Actually, a big factor in that percentage was McDermott. He had about half the team's shots at 18-23 for 78%. Bradley tried double and triple teaming him early in the game but they are to slow and left several perimeter players wide wide open for easy 3's or layups. Without McDermott, this might of been a Bradley win.

Jason

[Beninator]

A team concept on offense is a nice thing to watch. At times, Creighton's execution on offense was very smooth. --almost appearing effortless--

[tornado]

we virtually never tried doubling him with Prosser and Thompson -- and I think that could work better than what we did try...


Here's some interesting stuff - check for yourself -- here's the play-by-play

http://www.gocreighton.com/fls/1000/stats/m-basketball/1112/cu15.htm?SPSID=89381&SPID=69&DB_OEM_ID=1000

Now - I know we used different guys on McDermott and it wasn't always our 5-man but let's simply look at who we had in the game at the 5-position (low post) and how it related to McDermott's scoring...

-JP was our low post guy from the start of the game and of course McDermott also played from the tipoff, and by the time JP came out and AT came in at 15:05, McDermott already had NINE POINTS...
I'm not saying all that was JP's job to defend but...just follow the line of thinking here since McD gets most of his points under the hoop...

-AT then played the low post until McDermott came out for his first rest at 12:06 - and in that 3 minute span - he scored zero...

-McDermott subbed back in at 10:53 and AT was still in there..
then Pross came back in at 10:00 - so both JP & AT were in there..
Interestingly - with BOTH JP & AT in the low post -- McDermott didn't get a shot attempt again until 9:15 - and he missed it.

-McDermott did not score again until 7:52.. but in that span from 10:53 when McDermott came back in -- all the way thru 7:52 when McDermott was finally able to score again --
IN THAT SPAN Bradley outscored Creighton 6-4.....so using BOTH AT & JP sure didn't hurt us although our offense did kinda stall - but so did theirs even with McDermott in the game.

-McDermott came back out of the game at 6:30 - so in his stint that went from 10:53 to 6:30 (almost 4.5 minutes) he scored only 2 points - compared to the NINE he had in the first 4.5 minutes of the game with Prosser alone in the low post.

-McDermott again returned to play the last few minutes of the 1st half and
AT played the final 1:58 with JP out and McDermott did not score...


-Then to start the 2nd half - McDermott again scored two quick buckets in the first 2:28 with JP in the low post

-Thompson then enters and McD scores only 4 more points all the way to the 13:02 mark...
Then JP replaces AT and McDermott and McD gets SEVEN MORE POINTS in just the next 1:45 (with AT on the bench).

-AT plays NONE of the final 10:39 of the game - over which span McDermott scores 16 more points.

so......you do the math --
Doug McDermott killed us for 44 points, and Anthony Thompson played only 17 minutes - but McDermott hardly scored at all when AT was in and did even worse when we had BOTH AT & JP in the game.

[Old Coach]

Your substitution break-down is interesting, but I think you also have to consider that some of the scoring comes from ebb and flow, and wasn't always directly related to who was in the game for Bradley. That being said, we don't really have anyone on our team who can guard him. That's part of what makes him a unique talent, and will eventually make him an NBA lottery pick.
Doubling McDermott with AT and Prosser would have posed another problem. Who then guards Echenique, Jake?
I think you have to double McD with a big and a guard because of his ability to take the game outside away from the basket.

[tornado]

I don't claim to have all the answers - nor am I criticizing or 2nd guessing any moves made to defend McDermott -- just trying to start a resonable discussion on maybe next time doubling him in the paint with AT & JP...

..and I know McDermott can score from outside also -- but when he's killing us with those little soft floaters and twisting layups - all from inside 5 feet from the hoop -
I just thought AT's long arms could alter those shots and the combo of AT & JP could keep him out of the paint - and I think the stats and play-by-play might support that as well......

[lefty]

I would have to watch the game again T...to see how it all went...McD is a bonafide stud....and I don't AT stopping him. When the ball went through McD good things happened....

What impressed me about him is the way he moved without the ball...if he didn't get it in the post the next thing you knew he was circling around and getting it in the lane.....most all great players move well without the ball....
and while Hersey was the best at it McD did it very well too.

[Old Coach]

What impressed me about him is the way he moved without the ball...if he didn't get it in the post the next thing you knew he was circling around and getting it in the lane.....most all great players move well without the ball....
and while Hersey was the best at it McD did it very well too.

He's a coach's kid. Not only is he among the most physically gifted, he just gets it. I would imagine that no one on that team works harder than he does in practice.

In spite of what anybody says, "practice, practice, practice..."

The kid has terrific stamina and exceptional muscle memory. Watch his shot throughout an entire game. It looks as good at minute 38 as it did 3 minutes in.

[Dub]

In the valley, the talent gap with Bradley isn't that wide. Right now we don't have the experience, system, and organization as the top dogs. If Creighton can play anything like that on a consistent basis, they could be an elite 8 contender. That is the best valley team I personally have ever seen.

[Braveman]

I don't claim to have all the answers - nor am I criticizing or 2nd guessing any moves made to defend McDermott -- just trying to start a resonable discussion on maybe next time doubling him in the paint with AT & JP...

..and I know McDermott can score from outside also -- but when he's killing us with those little soft floaters and twisting layups - all from inside 5 feet from the hoop -
I just thought AT's long arms could alter those shots and the combo of AT & JP could keep him out of the paint - and I think the stats and play-by-play might support that as well......

The main problem with that is that McDermott is also a great passer, and as a team, the Bluejays shoot 45% from beyond the arc.. and I think a couple of times we did try to double team- we were burned on a pass out for a long shot...