Creighton spelled dominance over UConn with a stunning upset on January 18, snapping the Huskies’ 28-game home winning streak and adding to their growing struggles. Greg McDermott’s squad, driven by a determined roster, is on a mission to end a 12-year conference tournament title drought. They are looking unstoppable and UConn, with its concerns around inability to recover, is in for some trouble.

What makes Creighton’s rise even more remarkable is how quickly they’ve turned things around. After an early-season stretch filled with inconsistency, even analysts who have followed the Bluejays closely didn’t see this surge coming.

On the recent episode of The Field of 68: After Dark, Jeff Goodman notes, “I will say this, I did not see this coming… Yeah well nobody, I don’t think Greg McDermott saw it coming, with Creighton trust me.”

It all started with their trip to Vegas. The Bluejays wrapped up their week with a win over Notre Dame, finishing seventh at the Players Era Festival at MGM Grand Arena. The victory snapped a three-game skid and improved them to 5-3, with Jamiya Neal and Fredrick King stepping up for season-high performances.

Since then, Creighton has been on fire. Though they suffered 3 more loses to top-ranked teams, Bluejays are currently riding a nine-game winning streak. They’ve not only found their rhythm but have also asserted dominance over UConn, winning eight of their last ten matchups against the Huskies. Their 68-63 win against UConn was fueled by Neal’s 24-point outburst. With momentum on their side, the Bluejays are proving they belong among the nation’s elite.

“I believe they can make some noise in the tourney,” podcast co-host Robbie Hummel declares.

The Bluejays haven’t won the Big East title since 2013, making their current surge even more significant. Gregg would be facing against UConn today.

Creighton hosts UConn in high-stakes Big East clash

No. 24 Creighton is set to host the reigning back-to-back national champion UConn Huskies in a Big East showdown this Tuesday. Creighton enters the matchup at 18-6 overall and 11-2 and ranked No. 2 in Big East, while UConn stands at 16-7 overall with an 8-4 conference record.

UConn saw its two-game winning streak end with a 68-62 loss to St. John’s on Friday. While the season hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations of a two-time defending national champion, the Huskies have still shown they can compete with top teams.

Despite losing four of five starters from last year’s title run, UConn returns junior forward Alex Karaban and sophomore Solo Ball have stepped up to lead. The 2x champion is averaging 14.4 points trailing Ball who is putting up 15 points per game. His run also includes three 20-point performances in the last 5 outings. Liam McNeeley, the team’s third-leading scorer, missed the first matchup against Creighton but is expected to play this time around.

Creighton leans on its experienced senior duo to lead the way. Center Ryan Kalkbrenner, standing at 7-foot-1, is the team’s top scorer and rebounder, averaging 19.2 points and 8.5 boards per game. He delivered a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in their previous matchup against UConn. Guard Steven Ashworth has also been a key playmaker, putting up 16.9 points and 6.8 assists per game.

Both teams rely heavily on ball movement and off-ball screens to create open looks from beyond the arc. However, their defenses excel at limiting three-point attempts, ranking first and second in the Big East this season in opponent three-point rate.

With Creighton surging and UConn struggling to find consistency, Greg McDermott’s squad has a prime opportunity to strengthen its Big East standing. Meanwhile, the Huskies face a crucial test as they try to regain their footing before the postseason.