The No.6-seeded Creighton Bluejays take on the No.3-seeded Seton Hall Pirates in the second round of the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden. Action begins at 9:30 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 10 and will air on FS1.
The Pirates beat DePaul 80-66 in their last game. Isaiah Whitehead was the game’s leading scorer with 33 points on 10-for-15 shooting. The Bluejays, meanwhile, are coming off a 98-93 loss at the hands of Xavier in their last game. Cole Huff played well for Creighton, recording 21 points, seven rebounds, and five steals
Over the last five games, Whitehead has been playing at a high level for the Pirates. During that stretch, he has averaged 23.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.2 steals, 2.8 blocks, and 3.6 three-pointers.
Baskets could be hard to come by as Seton Hall ranks fifth in the nation, allowing just 96.0 points per 100 possessions, while Creighton is 19th (101.8). Also, the elite offense of the Bluejays ranks 35th in eFG% at 53.9%, while the Pirates are seventh-best in the nation at forcing opponents’ misses (45.4%).
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Pirates had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 75-65 win. Desi Rodriguez finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Pirates are attempting to build on their records of 22-8 Straight Up (SU) and 20-9 Against The Spread (ATS). The Pirates have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the 32nd-ranked rebounding team in Division I, averaging 39.8 per game, while the Bluejays rank 130th in the nation with 36.9 per game. Turning to the defensive side, teams really have to fight for open three-pointers against the Pirates, who have one of the best opponent three-point field goal percentages in the nation at .317.
On the other side, Creighton has a SU record of 18-13 and an ATS record of 18-12. Most recently, Creighton is 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, not many are better than the Bluejays. They have one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the country at 1.34. Creighton’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .437 from the field.
Seton Hall beat Creighton in their most recent meeting this season, evening up the two teams’ head-to-head record over their most recent games (3-3). On the other hand, with a 3-2-1 record, Seton Hall has the advantage ATS. Seton Hall has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) once over the last five games. Creighton has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – SetonH, ATS Winner – SetonH
Notes
The Creighton Bluejays have a defensive rating of 101.8 (ranked 19th), while the Seton Hall Pirates have an offensive rating of 106.5 (ranked 160th).
Creighton beats Seton Hall in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Bluejays average 71.5 possessions and 1.116 points per possession, while the Pirates average 69.9 possessions with 1.065 points per possession.
Creighton has an average effective field goal percentage of 53.9%. Seton Hall has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage (0-4).
On average, the Seton Hall Pirates attempt 17.0 three point field goals per game and the Creighton Bluejays attempt 23.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Seton Hall has an outstanding 6-1 record, while Creighton is 13-12.
Creighton ranks 43rd in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.34. Seton Hall is ranked lower at 196th with an A/TO of 1.01.
Seton Hall, the 32nd-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 39.8 rebounds per game. Creighton does worse, ranked 130th with 36.9.
Creighton ranks 278th in offensive rebounds, while Seton Hall ranks at 69th in defensive rebounds.
Though Creighton is one of the best in the country in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TO% of 17.5% (ranked 23rd), Seton Hall has a stellar 16-4 record SU when it has a TO% of 17.5% or greater.
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