Whenever an eighth vs. ninth seed matchup appears in the NCAA Tournament, there are sure to be some fireworks.
In this case, the Louisville Cardinals and Creighton Bluejays are set to do battle in one of the more intriguing games of the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Louisville vs. Creighton Statistical Nuggets
Starting with the eighth-seeded Cardinals, Pat Kelsey’s team has re-emerged as a contending team in the ACC. After winning 27 games this season and making it to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament, this team is ready to do some damage in the ACC Tournament.
Senior guard Terrence Edwards Jr. (16.6 points per game) leads the team in scoring, while transfer guard Chucky Hepburn (5.8 assists per game) leads the team in facilitating. This is a well-balanced team that is averaging 78.6 points per game on the offensive side of the court.
Defensively, they are allowing 68.9 points per game, which is a quality mark but could be a tall ask against a dangerous Creighton team. For the Bluejays, they are lying in the weeds as a nine seed.
Head coach Greg McDermott’s team won 24 games in the regular season and finished as the conference’s runner-up in both the regular season and conference tournament. Center Ryan Kalkbrenner (19.4 points per game) and point guard Steven Ashworth (16.3 points per game) are one of the country’s best duos.
The Bluejays have four players who are currently shooting over 35.0% from three-point range. That could be the key for them in this game. Can they both utilize Kalkbrenner in the paint while making their shots from beyond the arc?
Who Wins?
In a matchup that is sure to be a close one down the stretch, the more experienced team might be the one to come out on top.
In this case, that would be Creighton.
While the Cardinals have had a great season, it is their first season with 25+ wins since the 2016-2017 season.
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The Bluejays have been here before.
Look for Greg McDermott’s team to clean up the boards, take advantage of turnovers in key moments, and play great team basketball when the pressure is on.
Score Prediction: Creighton 79, Louisville 75
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