The Bluejays have a tough task ahead of them in the second round, as the top-seeded Jayhawks await them.
The Creighton Bluejays are on to the Round of 32. The Jays’ come-from-behind victory over San Diego State Thursday night in Fort Worth means they’ll play for a berth in the Sweet Sixteen. Should they pull the feat off, it would be the first time in program history that they made it to the Sweet Sixteen in consecutive years. But it will be no easy task, as the Jays have a date with top-seeded Kansas. The Jayhawks, the Big 12’s preeminent powerhouse, shelled out an 83-56 beatdown of Texas Southern in the late game Thursday night.
How to Watch Creighton vs. Kansas in the NCAA Tournament
Day: Saturday, March 19
Time: Approx. 2:40 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Watch Online: March Madness Live or Paramount+
How to bet on Creighton vs. Kansas in the NCAA Tournament
You can bet on this game with DraftKings Sportsbook. Click HERE to bet on the games.
Spread: Kansas – 11.5 | Creighton +11.5
Total: 139.5
Moneyline: Kansas -720 | Creighton +500
Creighton’s profile is less than ideal in this matchup. Offensively they might find themselves a bit challenged. Kansas’ defense has been very solid, if not great at times. In Big 12 play, they led the conference in 3-point defense, allowing a mark of just 27.5 percent. Creighton shot 31.3 percent in Big East play, so that could prove worrying if it comes down to 3-pointers.
Ryan Kalkbrenner’s status, or lack thereof, could prove pivotal also. Kalkbrenner suffered a knee injury in the win over San Diego State. He’s not going to be playing in the second-round game against the Jayhawks, and his size was such a plus for them. Without the 7-footer, Kansas’ David McCormack, a 6-foot-10 major contributor, could well feast. KU’s offense inside ranks 32nd in the nation, and CU usually defends the ball very well inside. But, of course, now that Kalkbrenner is out, it could be a significant game-changer. Not the one Creighton wants to have either.
The Bluejays have pulled it together and gotten it done since this run began in February. Unfortunately, the window to thread the needle here is probably as small as it’s been in a while. Kalkbrenner being out is so unfortunate, as I think he could’ve made a big difference in this game. But we’ll see if Creighton can band together and pull a stunner off, which would be a history-making moment for the program.