Alabama-Auburn. South Carolina-Clemson. Virginia-Virgina Tech. Georgia-Georgia Tech. All in state battles that has the focus of all their sports fans for that day....but those are football games. The best rivalry in the state of Nebraska is not in football but rather in basketball. Creighton-Nebraska. The Jays have dominated in recent history winning 8 of last 9 regular season games. CU gets the best players in the state and have the nicest building by far with a huge number of fans filling the Qwest Center for every game (16,100 for Arkansas Pine Bluff!)
All of these rivalries have one thing in common - 1 team believes that they are the big brother to other. Alabama, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Georgia all believe they are always better than their little brothers....but in this rivalry - the big brother is the team with only 7,000 students (Sorry Ryan Anderson, see below). One team plays football and that provides a larger conference to play in.....but over the past 20 years - Creighton Basketball is the better of the 2 programs.
Huskers try to pretend that they don't messure themselves against the Bluejays - but just look at the interest level for this game compared the game vs. St. Louis on Tuesday....not even close.
This is the biggest non-conference game of the year by far. No matter what Slingblade tries to say in the media - this game matters to both sides....A LOT! Too bad that Slingblade's own player's are talking the same way as Ryan Anderson did yesterday: "I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but we're in the Big 12," Anderson said. "You know what I mean? We're in the Big 12. How much more can we prove? What more do we need to prove to people? They're Creighton. They're like the little brother to Nebraska. You know what I mean? They're in Omaha, we're in Lincoln, and we're in the Big 12. You get what I'm saying? You guys have big brothers? So you know what it's like to have a little brother. He wants to out-do you in everything. "It's not like I'm trying to make it seem like they're down to us or anything. You know, a basketball team's a basketball team. But like I said, we're in the Big 12. What more can I say". Too bad he couldn't play for Dana Altman or in front a crowd bigger than 6,000 per home game.
However, tonight at 7 pm in Lincoln - history won't help the Bluejays and Dana Altman. Coming off of a loss to Arkansas Little Rock, the Jays have will to battle a Husker team that is 4-0 on the year and have looked very good at the Devaney Center including a nice win over St. Louis last game.
Last year, the Jays blew the doors off Nebraska - payback for the upset loss the year before in Lincoln. Tonight, the Jays are 3.5 point underdogs and rightfully so. They are soft in everyway you don't want to be. Soft mentally. Soft physically. Soft period. They have been outrebounded in 3 of their 4 games. CU got dominated by Arkansas Little Rock in the 2nd half on Tuesday night godsakes. Eventhough it was just a 2 point loss - P'Allen Stinnet didn't start and then didn't show up and now, has a supposive wrist injury to deal with. There are problems everywhere with injuries to Justin Carter, chemistry with the post players, and offensive flow with guys like P'Allen.
This game to me has nothing to do with Nebraska. It comes down to the lack of consistency for the Jays and a team that is just lost right now. I wouldn't pick them to beat anyone tonight, let alone Nebraska. The Huskers will guard like SIU - in your face, physical, and hack you down. The Jays aren't tough enough to win tonight in Lincoln. The Jays have more talent but it won't matter right now....long season but the Jays will dominate at home this year and again struggle on the road. I still think the Jays have a very good chance of playing in NCAA tournament - remember it's only November. Long way to go to March.
Sorry Jays fans - I just don't see it tonight: NU 68 CU 62
8 comments:
I am ...........
1) Irish-Catholic.
2) From South Omaha.
3) Great Uncle was a Jesuit.
4) Big college basketball.
Naturally I would be a Creighton fan....right? WRONG!!!! Here is why.
I don't.......
1) Wear Cardigan sweaters.
2) Drink Chardonnay.
3) Eat at the cheesecake factory.
4) Like the village people's 'YMCA'.
5) Wear penny loafers.
6) wear kacky pants.
7) Cheer for a team just because it is the cool thing to do.
8) Iron my jeans.
9) Smell my own farts.
10) Text message and talk to my friends at basketball games.
11) Leave basketball games early.
12) Own a fondue pot.
This game has nothing to do with Nebraska? Only Creighton can beat Creighton? Who's making the excuses now?
I just hope the Huskers aren't looking ahead to Arizona State. That actually is a much bigger game, and it's on the road.
Your hatred for Nebraska amazes me. Most Nebraska fans don't even hate Creighton, they just find them irrelevant. Why are you always comparing?
Matt what do all the rivalries have in common that you mention? They all play in a major conference and are TRUE rivals. The City of Omaha has the best facility not Creighton, they are simply tenants, just like Big Sports 590 is a tenant in their building they dont own it. And pleae remind who the Blue Chip recruit Creighton has out of Nebraska, ooh thats right high school Nebraska basketball is not known for its big time Blue Chip recruits.
NU - 54
CU - 52
Doc - 2
Dana - 1
Scoreboard
Matt,
Doc Sadler's excited pumping of his fist after the game makes it clear that this game meant a ton to Doc??? That's what you said in your post game show. What is a coach supposed to do when their team wins on a last second shot?? Sit on his thumb???? You're ridiculous.
More on that. Who are you to come at Doc Sadler for "covering his butt" in downplaying this game, when you yourself picked Nebraska to beat Creighton?? It would seem like you were the one covering your butt here Matthew. Are you dumb? A hypocrite? Or both????
I also found it interesting how you and "token bluejay caller" on your postgame show were quick to bring up the last 10 meetings as well as a comparison of attendance, even going so far as to say, "Nebraska fans need to look at the season as a whole body of work." You mean the way that Jays fans clung to the head-to-head matchup comparison last year despite the fact Nebraska was the superior team by the year's end??
Also, your excuse that there was a foul on the half court shot at the end of the game??? I seriously thought you were above that; this rates right up there with someone bellowing "how much did you pay the refs??" A great no call, especially given that Dotlzer lunged forward on the shot and initiated contact.
What's up with "Thug" Allen Stinnett anyways? I heard that the reason he didn't play was because he was the one that shot Plaxico Burress. Is this true Matt?? Ask Altman when you get dressed and leave his place tomorrow morning.
Congratulations Huskers for winning. Congrats Jays for finally getting a board or two. I can't really congratulate much else because this game was flat out sloppy. It just shows how early it is and how far both teams have to go. I agree with you Matt that if another game was played in Febuary, you would see two totally different teams play each other. And that brings me to the consolation CU fans can take from this game. CU will look nothing like this come March, and neither will Nebraska.
Oh and Beav:
I don't.......
1) wear Cardigan sweaters.
2) drink Chardonnay.
3) eat at the cheesecake factory.
4) like the village people's YMCA.
5) wear penny loafers.
6) wear khaki pants.(spelled the right way)
7) cheer for a team just because it's the cool thing to do.
8) iron my jeans.
9) smell my own farts.
10)text message and talk to my friends at basketball games.
11) leave basketball games early.
12) own a fondue pot.
And yet I'm a Bluejay fans. I guess there are exceptions to every stereotype, huh?
If there is one thing that you can come away with from this game, it is that Nebraska is a football state. I can guarantee you that more people in the state of Nebraska watched OU-OSU in football on tv then that game. Those are a couple of bad teams. If Nebraska finishes 10th in a down year in the Big 12, it will be a miracle. The Jays still have hope to finish near the top in the MVC. Tells you all you need to know about the Big 12 vs the MVC. I don't want to hear another word about the quality of the MVC for another 10 years, at least not until they are putting mulitple teams in the sweet 16 on a semi regular basis like the rest of the real basketball conferences. Having a team make a cinderalla run to the sweet 16 once or twice a decade doesn't cut it. Nebraska has poor attendance numbers? They should with the prodcut they put out. After watching the Jays last night, I have no idea why people would want to fill the Qwest to watch that team in that conference. As a Husker fan, I am none too happy where this program currently is. It's year three for Doc and we are not anywhere closer to competing in the Big 12. Beating the Jays is not an achievement, it should be a given if you want to play with teams like Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma.
"CU gets the best players in the state"
The best player in the state the past two seasons (Wes Eikmeier) went to Iowa State...
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