Top 3 Takeaways: Creighton vs Butler Basketball Recap
Jays end their 6 game losing streak with an emphatic win 78-56
The return of Ryan Kalkbrenner paid dividends on both ends of the court as Creighton routed the Butler Bulldogs 78-56 on a chilly Thursday night, in Omaha.
It was a display of tough defense leading to points in transition off misses that gave the Jays the edge most of the night.
Additionally, contributions from the likes of Farabello and King provided encouraging sparks off the bench.
Top 3 Takeaways from the game- let’s go!
1. The Ryan Kalkbrenner effect was noticeable on both ends of the court- especially in the pick-and-roll game
There were few instances in the last three games where Creighton screened the ball effectively.
Not the case with Kalk around.
He screened a defender nearly every possession unless a slip was planned.
This allowed R2 and company to facilitate the offense more effectively and ensured some space was created.
Let’s look at some tape to see how it worked:
Watch this early action, as he screens 3 times for R2. His screen positioning alters the defender for R2 to operate with some space.
I don't love Kaluma cutting to the same spot R2 was driving, but it worked out for the backside 3.
Also appreciated the lift motion from Baylor and could have used a more decisive lift from Trey as well, because his defender got stuck on the drive.
Here’s another example leading to Bello making a great wrap-around pass inside:
Kalk gets Nembhard an early screen who was able to shimmy around and under the screen before Kalk then rolled to the block.
Francisco saw the opening and executed a dangerous bounce pass inside for the dunk.
A final example shows how the pick and roll opens up a solidified block position:
Here Kaluma provides a ghost screen to draw his man away while Kalkbrenner goes for the on-ball screen.
He doesn’t wait long though- as he dives to the block and gets an entry pass from Baylor who wisely bounces it into him.
Once he has that type of position he is going to score 9 out of 10 times, unless he finds someone open on the backside for a three.
Kalkbrenner was a welcome return for the Jays.
2. Missed shots from the Bulldogs led to offensive opportunities.
Creighton’s defense looked tough last night.
They had hands up on shots and challenged Butler to shoot difficult 15-footers most of the night.
These contests led to lots of misses that allowed Creighton to run the floor and flow into their offense more effectively.
It felt like the Jays’ team(s) of old in the second half as missed shots led to open threes, dunks, and overall rhythm.
One of my favorites, a rhythm 3 from who else- Ryan Kalkbrenner:
3. The Francisco Farabello and Fredrick King substitution rotation shows promise.
Despite the bench woes Creighton has had to figure out, there may be a Top 7 that can shoulder a majority of the Big East conference game minutes.
I’m chalking it in as our starting 5 PLUS Farabello and King.
Farabello had 18 minutes- 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and only 1 turnover (+20!)
King had 10 minutes- 9 points, 5 rebounds, but did turn it over 3 times.
Those seem to be the guys Mac trusts the most and after watching last night’s game they were both able to contribute important minutes.
A great Farabello moment:
The most important piece for the bench will be getting our scorers the ball and playing tough D.
They can’t maintain a habit of turning it over- and that doesn’t just go for the bench- it also goes for Baylor who had 6 and Kaluma who had 3 last night. Too many for any individual player.
Great to get a win last night! Should be able to get one against DePaul on Christmas, but will take a focused effort nonetheless.
Next game: vs DePaul on Christmas at CHI Health Center. 3:30PM on FOX
Game Highlights:
Post-game Press Conference:
Game Stats:
RDJ!