The Long Beach State men’s basketball team has drawn the No. 13-ranked Creighton Bluejays as its opponent in the 10th annual Sears Bracketbusters matchup.
The ‘Niners are no stranger to facing top competition, this will be their eighth game against an opponent who has been ranked in the top 25 at some point this season. The other seven teams include — No. 5 North Carolina, No. 8 Kansas, No. 17 San Diego State, Kansas State, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Xavier.
The road-tested 49ers will travel to Omaha, Nebraska to play in front of yet another hostile environment. The Jays are 10-1 at home this season and have one of the best offenses in the NCAA.
Creighton ranks first in field goal percentage, connecting on 51.4 percent as a team. They also rank seventh in points per game, averaging 80.9 points per contest. The Jays are also one of the best passing teams in the country, ranking second with 19.1 assists per game.
The Bluejays are led by star-sophomore Doug McDermott. The 6-foot-7 forward is widely considered as one of the best players in college basketball. He is the nation’s third leading scorer, averaging 23.5 points per game on 61.7 percent from the field. McDermott is also a beast on the backboard, averaging 8.4 rebounds per contest.
The coach’s son has scored 25 points or more on 11 different occasions this season, including a 44-point performance in a win over Bradley.
The Jays next most potent offensive threat is senior guard Antoine Young. Young averages 11.2 points per game on 40.3 percent from the field, while dishing out 4.4 assists per contest.
While Creighton marches in McDermott as its one-trick pony, the ‘Niners have a well-balanced attack that features four players who score in double figures.
Senior guard Casper Ware leads the 49ers, averaging 16.8 points per contest. Senior Larry Anderson is the team’s second leading scorer at 15.2 points per game.
T.J. Robinson averages a double-double on the season, scoring 12.1 points per game and pulling down 10.2 rebounds per contest. Junior wing James Ennis chips in 10.3 points per game.
While it’s nearly impossible to stop McDermott, the key for the upset-minded 49ers is to try and contain Creighton’s player of the year candidate — and it will most likely start with Anderson.
Anderson possesses the size, strength and athleticism to compete both on the block, and on the perimeter with McDermott. If Anderson is unable to contain the Bluejays star, both Robinson and Ennis could spend some time on McDermott.
Ennis has the length and speed to hold his own against the nation’s third-leading scorer, while Robinson has the size and strength to matchup well with McDermott.
The ‘Niners could also use their 1-2-2 zone press to truly make sure that McDermott doesn’t have a monster game. Deploying that defensive philosophy would allow LBSU head coach Dan Monson to have senior Eugene Phelps front McDermott while Robinson gives weak side help when needed.
The 49ers have the most to gain out of this game. With a win, the ‘Niners would add another solid victory to their resume, and it could propel this team to the NCAA tournament at-large bid that is so highly sought after.
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