Texas-Arlington @ Creighton preview
CHI Health Center Omaha
It might not have been a Big East opponent, but Creighton coach Greg McDermott was still impressed with his Bluejays' record-setting performance against Maryland-Eastern Shore during finals week. McDermott will look for another outstanding effort Monday when a solid UT Arlington team visits for another nonconference clash.
Creighton beat UMES 87-36 on Friday - the fewest points allowed by any team in the 266-game history of CenturyLink Center Omaha and the fewest points allowed by Creighton in a game at any site since Jan .13, 1986, when it allowed 35 to Illinois State. The Hawks shot 23.6 percent from the floor - the lowest mark in facility history, surpassing the previous low of 24.1 percent (14-of-58) by Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 29, 2006. “Your mind’s everywhere during finals week,” McDermott told reporters after the game. “I thought our focus to start the game … that really set the tone. I don’t care who you’re playing - if you hold a team to 36 points on 60 possessions, you’re doing some things right defensively.” Arlington, which won 27 games and the Sun Belt regular-season title a season ago, has a 14-point win over BYU already this season and dropped a one-point decision to then-No. 25 Alabama back in November.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1
ABOUT TEXAS-ARLINGTON (8-3): Senior Kevin Hervey, a 6-9 forward who was the Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2016-17 (17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds), is even better in his senior season, averaging a conference-best 23.6 points and nine rebounds while leading the team with 28 3-pointers on 38 percent from the arc. Hervey scored 30 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds as the Mavericks won a third straight game in Saturday’s 86-65 road victory against Texas-Rio Grande Valley. Point guard Erick Neal (13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds per game), who leads the nation in assists (9.4 per game), missed Saturday’s game due to personal reasons and his return is questionable.
ABOUT CREIGHTON (8-2): Five Bluejays scored in double-figures against the Hawks, led by 15 from Marcus Foster and 12 each by Khyri Thomas and Ty-Shon Alexander. Junior Kaleb Joseph, a transfer from Syracuse who hadn’t played since Nov. 25 due to a hamstring injury, had four points and two assists in eight games and may be a solution for the subpar performance at the point guard position. While Foster (18.6 points, 41.5 percent from the arc) and Thomas (15.7 points, 42.2 percent, 1.4 steals) continue to shine on the wing, Davion Mintz (4.7 points, 2.7 assists) has struggled piloting the team.
TIP-INS
1. Foster has scored in double-figures in 28 straight games. Foster is the first Bluejay to start his senior season with 10 straight double-figure scoring games since Rodney Buford in 1998-99.
2. Creighton freshman C Jacob Epperson will undergo a minor surgical procedure on his knee next week and will redshirt this season.
3. Creighton's 902 points through 10 games is second-most in program history, trailing only the 915 after 10 games last season.
PREDICTION: Creighton 92, Texas-Arlington 71