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The 11th-ranked Creighton Bluejays will host the 23rd-ranked UConn Huskies on Saturday in a Big East conference match. After suffering back-to-back losses to unranked opponents, the Creighton Bluejays are likely to see their ranking fall in the next college basketball top 25 poll. The Bluejays still hold the 2nd spot in the conference standings, but are struggling to keep pace with the 1st place Villanova Wildcats.
Match Details
Fixture: UConn Huskies vs. Creighton Bluejays - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Saturday, January 23rd, 2021, 12 PM ET
Venue: CHI Health Center Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska
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UConn Huskies Preview
The UConn Huskies suffered their 2nd loss of the season against the St. John's Red Storm in their last game. The Huskies were bitten by the injury bug recently, with star guard James Bouknight expected to miss several weeks due to bone spurs in his left elbow. Bouknight is the Huskies' team leader in scoring, averaging 20.3 points through his first six games. With Bouknight out, the Huskies will need to find other avenues of production if they are going to remain competitive in the Big East.
Key Player - Tyrese Martin
The UConn Huskies will need junior guard Tyrese Martin to rise to the occasion on Saturday against the Creighton Bluejays. With their leading scorer sidelined, the Huskies will hope to see a huge night out of Martin, who averages 11 points per game this season.
Tyrese Martin is most dangerous from 3-point range, shooting a team-high 42 percent from deep this year. The Huskies are going to need lots of offense to keep pace with Creighton, but a big night from Martin could mean the difference in the game.
UConn Huskies Predicted Lineup
F Adama Sanogo, F Isaiah Whaley, G Tyrese Martin, G Brendan Adams, G R.J. Cole
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Creighton Bluejays Preview
The Creighton Bluejays have fallen just short in each of their last two games, both losses coming by just four points each. One of these losses, a 70-66 loss to the Butler Bulldogs, needed overtime to be decided but the Bluejays could not hold on. The Creighton Bluejays have shown great upside, but are currently going through a rough patch. The UConn Huskies are suffering from some tough injuries, and will be shorthanded in this matchup, giving a huge advantage to Creighton out of the gate. If the Bluejays can play physical basketball and use their size to their favor, they should be able to handle UConn on Saturday.
Key Player - Christian Bishop
Christian Bishop has been heating up as of late, hitting each of his last 11 attempts from the field. Bishop is a talented scorer, but could be more agressive with his shot selection in future games.
Christian Bishop is shooting an incredible 70 percent from the field, but only averages 11.5 assists per game. Bishop is very selective when it comes to taking his shot and the Creighton Bluejays could benefit from feeding him the ball more often. If Bishop takes control over the paint and shoots freely, he could lead his Bluejays to victory.
Creighton Bluejays Predicted Lineup
F Damien Jefferson, F Christian Bishop, G Denzel Mahoney, G Mitch Ballock, G Shereef Mitchell
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UConn vs. Creighton Prediction
While the UConn Huskies have been solid overall, their last loss to unranked St. John's raised some concerns over the Huskies' offense. With their top-scorer out, the Huskies need to reconstruct their offensive gameplan moving forward. The Creighton Bluejays' recent struggles are equally concerning, however, leaving many questions heading into Saturday's matchup. I expect to see a much better Creighton Bluejays team, with Christian Bishop leading the way to a much-needed Creighton victory.
Where to watch UConn vs. Creighton
The game will be broadcast live on FOX.
