When the 2022-23 season tipped off, Arizona State’s matchup with Creighton appeared the be the most daunting one on its non-conference slate. Yet, following four consecutive losses, is that still the case? Omaha World-Herald Creighton’s beat writer Joel Lorenzi weighs in on ASU’s Opponent Monday night in Las Vegas.
(Note this interview took place before Creighton’s loss to BYU on Saturday, December 10)
DevilsDigest: There were certainly high preseason expectations for Creighton, but with its recent results, that perception has changed. A 6-3 mark is not an impressive record for a top-25 team, but then again, the Bluejays may have played the toughest schedule in the country. How would you assess this team so far?
Joel Lorenzi: “Very interesting 6-3 team, right? We were looking at a team that, a couple of weeks ago, people were ready to go to war behind his team. This team was going blow for blow with some of the nation’s best squads. But you talk to people around here, and they hinted about some lingering effects for that Maui tournament (where Creighton went 2-1). Some fans suggested that Maui might have been the worst thing that’s happened to them because as much as they were able to prove themselves, maybe they’re still seeing some lingering effects from that.
“Fast forward two weeks after Maui, they lost. I would call it a pretty important game to Nebraska only because everybody wrote that game off as a win. As much as Nebraska has been a great rivalry game in past years, this year, the game meant probably as little as it has been in a long time because Nebraska ahead of the season wasn’t projected to be so good, and they hadn’t been good for a few years. And Creighton was projected to have its best team in school history, maybe. So, you look at this losing streak, and a couple of those losses got swept under the rug because they’re playing some of the nation’s best teams. But now, you’re questioning whether these concerns are legitimate, and if they are, how much of a concern are they?
DevilsDigest: do you think that the Nebraska loss was a wake-up call or really just part of a slide over the team is experiencing?
Joel Lorenzi: “I think it was both. The team probably wouldn’t tell you this, but a week ago, they lost by a handful to the nation’s second-best team (Texas). And a few days later, you come off that to play a team that basically everybody wrote off (Nebraska). So frankly, Creighton felt they had bigger fish to fry before then, and Nebraska was like, ‘Okay, you want to overlook us? Then we’re gonna punch you in the mouth.
“So, it definitely was a wake-up call for them because even if there were some lingering effects from Maui (losing to Arizona in the championship game) and the Texas Game, maybe they shouldn’t extend it to the Nebraska game. It did show the concerns in terms of the bench production and how much weight they’re putting on their starters. And in the Nebraska game, none of the starters played well, and I don’t know how many times you’ll actually see that. I think everything culminated in that Nebraska game, and they realized that they got to treat everybody like Arkansas or Texas because they are being hunted. Unlike most years where they’re able to get that underdog edge, now they’re being hunted this year. So, I think it (Nebraska loss) has helped them, but they definitely had to look at themselves in the mirror this week.
DevilsDigest: Aside from the weak bench play, what are some of the other common themes or significant aspects you think have contributed to the Bluejays’ losing streak?
Joel Lorenzi: “Execution, they just can’t knock down their shots. This team is top 10 in the country in shot quality. And when they don’t get the looks, teams like Nebraska are packing the paint, giving them the three-point shot, and they are not knocking them down. In the Texas game, they shot 15% from three, Nebraska, they shot 25% from three and maybe from the floor overall. So there’s such a wide disparity right now, at least in these past few games, because before the Texas game, we were talking about this kind of a performance being an outlier. So, I think that’s been the most glaring flaw for them.”
DevilsDigest: Ryan Nembhard is considered by some as one the best point guards in college basketball. For Creighton, he’s the straw that stirs the drink. Despite this losing streak, what have you seen from him that has allowed him to improve his game from last year?
Joel Lorenzi: “Nembhard comes from Montverde Academy, which is a high school powerhouse among private schools, and he worked out with NBA players while he was there. He always was able to sit back into that pure point guard and facilitator role and, like you said, be the straw that stirs the drink and let the offense course through his hands. He was asked a lot more last year. He has a lot of talent around him this year in the starting five, so he is able to sit back and be in that role that he played in high school and just to facilitate.
“What I didn’t expect him to do was be able to score at the same rate as he did last year (11.3 ppg and 12.3 ppg). He’s had some great scoring games like the Arkansas game, where he really went off, and that was a classic performance for him, maybe his best game yet in the Creighton uniform. So, you’re seeing that as much control as he has over the game with his pacing and reliability with the ball in his hands, he showed you that he can still score when he needs to. He’s had a good season.”
DevilsDigest: When we look at the stats, the Creighton defense is averaging 67 points, which is not a horrible stat but maybe a figure which is a little high than expected. Is it a reflection of a defense that perhaps took a step back? Or do you go back to that brutal schedule they played, and you know that the defense was gonna show some cracks when you’re playing a lot of top-25 teams this early in the year?
Joel Lorenzi: “Yeah, and the thing is, they were banking on having a similar defensive performance as last year. But that hasn’t been the case over some of the past few games. I thought they made some inroads against Texas, and it really all falls on (center) Ryan Kalkbrenner being the defensive anchor, and he was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big East last year. Frankly, between exhaustion and being sick here and there, he’s looked like a shell of himself this year. He’s had one-on-one matchups where he gets killed, and, in that case, if you can’t even win your own one-on-one matchup, it’s hard to anchor the defenses. The team is really looking for him to step up because he’s the foundation. Even if the perimeter defense isn’t what it was a year ago, as long as the foundation is strong, they could coast. But it just hasn’t been so easy, and frankly, it’s easier said than done. So, they definitely got some kinks to work out on defense, and I think that all starts with Kalkbrenner.”
DevilsDigest: On the other end of the court, Creighton averages 78 points on offense. Do you feel the Bluejays are playing at a higher pace than they have in years past, or does it go back to the play of Nembhard this season?
Joel Lorenzi: “I think four out of the five starting five can really come to get the rebound and push the pace. They have probably the most talented lineup in school history because they got four out of five guys that can create for themselves. And when you look at it like that, they’re not supposed to have broken possessions. On the surface, I think they probably had fewer broken possessions than people would think, but they just resulted in missed shots. But in terms of the pace, being able to play as fast as they want, this has been a theme for them. This is what Greg McDermott wants them to do because he knows he has his best starting five he ever had.”
DevilsDigest: What do you think it’s going to take for Creighton to turn their season around not only against a team like ASU but also in conference play and a Big East league that is going to be a grind with the quality of teams they have?
Joel Lorenzi: “Play with the same edge that they had in Maui. In the first few days (of that tournament), we were looking at them as a top-five team; they looked really strong and had a certain edge to them. I do need that they need to get something out of their bench because you start driving your starters into the ground. I think you’ve seen some exhaustion from them over the past couple of weeks, and you can’t run your starters into the ground and expect them to uphold the same level of play they had against Arkansas every game. So, it starts with the bench; it has to relieve some weight off the starter’s shoulders.”
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