Who does Princeton play next? It's Creighton. Here's our preview & prediction for Sweet 16
If you like a college basketball game featuring well-executed, team-concept offense – and let’s face it, who doesn’t? – grab your popcorn for Princeton vs. Creighton in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.
The 15th-seeded Tigers (23-8) and sixth-seeded Bluejays (23-12) feature two of the best big men in the country in Tosan Evbuomwan and Ryan Kalkbrenner, two elite offensive basketball minds at the helm in Mitch Henderson and Greg McDermott, and shooters galore who share the rock.
It’s not an accident that the contest is getting prime-time billing as the nightcap of the South Regional semifinal doubleheader in Louisville, Ky. It tips at approximately 9 p.m. Friday on TBS, a half-hour after top-seeded and top-ranked Alabama finishes up against fifth-seeded San Diego State in the other semi.
Here’s a breakdown of the showdown.
BIG DANCE HISTORY
Princeton made the Final Four in 1965 with national player of the year and future Knicks star Bill Bradley leading the way. The Tigers’ last Sweet 16 appearance came in 1967 under point guard Gary Walters, who later became the school’s longtime athletics director.
This is Creighton’s fifth Sweet 16 and second under McDermott, with his first coming in 2021. The Bluejays’ lone Elite Eight appearance took place in 1941.
3 THINGS ABOUT CREIGHTON
1-Elite rim protector: Big East Defensive Player of the Year Kalkbrenner, a 7-foot-1, 260-pound center, averages 15.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. Crucially, he also averages just 1.9 fouls per game – he’s adept at walling himself up and contesting without drawing whistles.
2. Streaky from the arc: In Creighton’s four postseason games, it shredded Villanova and Baylor from deep (24-for-54, .444) while bricklaying against Xavier and N.C. State (10-for-37, .270). When they Jays get hot, it tends to be contagious because like Princeton, everyone minus the center can strike from range.
3. Probably under-seeded: The Jays came into the season as the runaway favorite to win the Big East and ranked ninth in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll, but lost three early-season games (two of them non-conference squeakers) while Kalkbrenner was sidelined by an illness. They were, by far, the highest-rated No. 6 seed according to Kenpom (currently No. 12). Notably, Creighton lost at full strength to Arizona, which Princeton just beat, back in November.
3 KEYS FOR PRINCETON
1-Hit threes. Creighton is the best defensive squad Princeton has faced all season. It’s going to be tough for Evbuomwan to score consistently at the rim, and the Jays probably won’t double him or collapse on him much with Kalkbrenner home. That said, Evbuomwan’s virtuosity with the ball tends to give the Tigers’ many sharpshooters ample opportunity. They have to make them count.
2. Help Tosan: This feels like a big spot for much-improved senior Keeshawn Kellman, a 6-9, 240-pounder who has made the most out of his minutes. The No. 1 thing that could sink Princeton fast is if Evbuomwan accrues foul trouble. Kellman’s physicality could relive him of having to bang with Kalkbrenner on every trip.
3. Rebound. Led by fab frosh Caden Pierce, who would kill you for a loose ball, Princeton has rebounded at a high level. These are two of the top teams in the nation at protecting the defensive glass. Nothing crushes the spirit quite like defending out the shot clock only to give away cheap second-chance points. Pierce and his teammates must continue to play elbows-out.
PREDICTION
This is such a fascinating clash on a big stage. Totally a winnable game for Princeton, but Creighton is a little tougher, and a lot better coached, than Arizona and Missouri. Princeton is peaking, and that’s everything in March, so this feels like a last-possession affair. It should be great theater, with the Jays’ versatility winning out by a nose. Creighton 68, Princeton 66.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Princeton plays Creighton next: Our Sweet 16 preview & prediction
