“It doesn’t make any sense,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott said after the Bluejays’ 71–55 exhibition win, in which they led the Cyclones by 28 points. “There’s a lot of things we didn’t use tonight that we’re saving for November and I’m sure (Iowa State coach) TJ (Otzelberger) — even though his sleeves are a lot shorter than mine — has some things up his sleeve.”
Creighton lost the November 24 game to Baylor 81–74. No. 13 Iowa State improved to 5–0 and defeated No. 15 St. John’s 83–82.
Here are three things to watch when Iowa State plays Creighton.
Iowa State’s frontcourt needs to play with urgency once again
The frontcourt duo of Joshua Jefferson and Blake Buchanan has been fun to watch this season. Jefferson’s versatility and efficiency has been impressive, while Buchanan is an athletic center with smart wrinkles in his game.
As they did against St. John’s, they will need to impose themselves in every aspect of the game, and whether it’s Dominic Plata or Eric Mulder off the bench, they will need to maintain the intensity when those starters need a break.
Baylor completely outclassed Creighton on the glass in the first game on Monday. The Bears defeated the Bluejays 45–28. He got 22 offensive rebounds, which were converted into 27 second-chance points.
Creighton’s frontcourt play did not inspire much confidence. Iowa transfer Owen Freeman, who missed the preseason exhibition game against the Cyclones, struggled in every way and had only four points. Jason Green, who started in the wake of Jackson McAndrew’s season-ending surgery, had nine points and five rebounds.
Iowa State did not rebound well in the exhibition game against the Bluejays, but the Cyclones’ rebounding efforts have shown tremendous improvement over the early part of the season. The Cyclones frontcourt and overall rebounding effort against St. John’s was impressive. They defeated the Red Storm 38–36 and got 17 offensive boards in the process. He will once again have to become the master of paint and glass.
The Iowa State defenders will also have to remain steadfast in their attacks on the basket. Baylor tested Creighton’s rim protection and was aggressive when it went inside.
Limit Creighton’s 3-point shooting
It felt like it was only a matter of time before Creighton would turn a corner from the 3-point line. The Bluejays have excelled on the perimeter throughout the McDermott era and that has been no different in recent years.
Iowa State got a taste of that Creighton ball movement, ability to spread the ball and the floor, and how dangerous the Bluejays can be when they are able to find the open man and get into the groove from long range.
It was just an exhibition game, but the Bluejays had a strong first half against Iowa State, shooting 8 of 18 (44.4%) before the Cyclones improved defensively in the second half and held them to 1 of 12 for the remainder of the game.
So far in the regular season, Creighton has shot below 31% from the 3-point line in each of its first four games. The Bluejays finally hit a good shot from beyond the arc against Baylor and it helped them keep the game close when it looked like the Bears should have taken the lead by more. Creighton shot 11 of 29 (37.1%) from the field in the loss to Baylor.
Make Creighton uncomfortable and force turnovers
Iowa transfer and Creighton guard Josh Dix had his best performance as a Bluejay against Baylor, finishing with 15 points and six assists, with only one turnover. His facility and overall play were bright spots and kept the Bluejays afloat.
Ball security has been a weakness for the Bluejays this season, with a turnover rate of 18.7%, which ranks 227th in the country.
Creighton lost against Gonzaga on November 11 after a close first half, as the Bulldogs generated 18 turnovers that turned into 27 points en route to a lopsided 90–63 victory.
When Iowa State was able to cut a 28-point deficit to eight points in an exhibition loss to Creighton, the comeback was boosted by the Cyclones’ defensive effort. They did a better job of pressuring the Bluejays into poor decisions, turnovers and mistakes, which helped disrupt their momentum and allowed the Cyclones to pull away.
Tammin Lipsey was still sidelined with an MCL injury suffered during an October 17 exhibition game. His availability for Tuesday’s rematch was unknown on Monday night after suffering a lower-body injury during the closing stages of the St. John’s game. If he is able to play, there is no doubt that he will be able to help generate turnovers.
iowa state vs creighton prediction
You can’t put too much stock in exhibition games, but Iowa State is on an upward trend and has improved significantly since then. Creighton, on the other hand, remains a tough opponent, but has not shown the same level of growth since the teams met a month ago. In a meaningful regular season game, with or without Lipsey, the Cyclones should prevail this time. Expect another big effort inside. Prediction: Iowa State 79, Creighton 72
Eugene Rappe covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene erapay@gannett.comto follow Him on Twitter @erapay5,
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