If you asked people in the Big East Conference media before the season started what the biggest game of the season could be, many would point to one of the two games between UConn and Creighton.
After back-to-back titles, the UConn Huskies were labeled as the conference’s top team – despite all the players they lost to the NBA.
Right behind them were the Creighton Bluejays – a team anchored by a monstrous presence in the paint and with shooters and playmakers around the perimeter.
Unfortunately, both teams have struggled all season, meaning that prior to this afternoon, neither team exactly met their lofty expectations.
But in a sport like college basketball, even teams that punch below their weight can provide fireworks.
A back-and-forth affair resulted in a tighter result than expected – with Creighton shocking the defending champions at their home, Gampel Pavilion. It’s their first loss at Gampel since January 2023 and many will wonder if a three-peat is a gamble for the Huskies.
Creighton’s Jamiya Neal (5) dribbles into the paint against UConn’s Jaylin Stewart (3)
These teams entered seasons one and two in the Big East preseason coaches poll. The expectation was that these two teams would be at the top of the college basketball world and easily gain spots in March Madness.
With a month and a half to go, that prospect looked doubtful for tonight’s visitors, the Creighton Bluejays from Omaha, Nebraska ahead of Saturday.
Last season, the Bluejays were anchored by guard play from the likes of Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander. With both players heading to the NBA Draft (Scheierman to the Boston Celtics, Alexander to the Denver Nuggets), much of the burden of success would fall on the shoulders of Ryan Kalkbrenner’s 7-foot-1 presence.
Kalkbrenner could have easily decided to go to the Draft as well. But the three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year decided his time was not yet up and returned for his senior campaign.
He wasn’t the only one on offense: Texas Tech transfer Pop Isaacs and sixth-man guard Steven Ashworth were expected to play major roles in the Bluejays’ system.
But Isaacs went down with a season-ending injury in December, Ashworth scored inefficiently and Kalkbrenner wasn’t the defensive presence many in Omaha had hoped for.
That puts them in a difficult position. Many so-called bracketologists, those who predict who will make it to March Madness, have already either eliminated Creighton or are barely seeded 10th in the tournament.
Needless to say, their expectations were much better. The same can be said for their opponents and hosts on this Saturday afternoon, the UConn Huskies.

After struggling to start the season, coach Greg McDermott’s Bluejays are righting the ship

Creighton relies heavily on the paint presence of 7-foot center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11)

Steven Ashworth (1) was also a reliable, but sometimes inefficient, shooting guard
Connecticut knew the team they fielded this year wouldn’t be the same as last year’s – a unit that set a school record for wins and captured a sixth national title.
Their disastrous trip to Hawaii ended with three losses in three days, but the Huskies rebounded with a win at home over Baylor, a win over Texas on the road and a victory over top-ranked Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden.
It seemed that the problems of the past were under control, but not exactly resolved. Health would have to come first if the Huskies couldn’t solve their defensive issues.
Then their top freshman – Liam McNeeley – went down with an injury against DePaul on New Year’s Day. He hasn’t returned since, leaving UConn facing games that were much closer than expected.
That included a three-point win at home against archrival Providence, followed by a two-point loss on the road against a Villanova team trying to return to past glory.
They responded with an eight-point win over Georgetown, but the team’s problems remain. First, they are one of the worst three-point defensive teams in the country – in the bottom fifteen, according to basketball analytics site KenPom. Additionally, they rank in the bottom 20 in giving up free throw attempts. Both issues have been addressed in the past by UConn’s Dan Hurley.

Connecticut coach Dan Hurley reacts during a game against Creighton on Saturday
Yet at midseason, the Huskies remain one of the most lopsided teams in the country on offense versus defense. KenPom has them as the fifth most efficient offense in the country, but 110th in defensive efficiency.
That three-point defense was a particular problem in the first half. Jamiya Neal, a transfer from Arizona State, killed Connecticut by going a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and shooting 7-for-8 from the field, giving the Bluejays a 35-28 lead at the half got. After the game, coach Greg McDermott highlighted Neal’s growth as crucial to the team.
The inefficiency continued as the clock ticked down as the Huskies fell into a nine-point hole with less than seven minutes remaining. Creighton shot a decent 9-of-10 up to that point, but had yet to find a kill shot.
With a minute left, Connecticut needed a defensive stop but saw Ashworth sink two foul shots. Karaban sank a floater to make it a 64-63 game with 22 seconds left.
Ashworth was fouled on the impact and the career 89 percent free throw shooter sank both with 17.3 to go. A mess of play led to the Huskies getting the ball in with 7.8 seconds left. Karaban threw a rushed shot that missed. Kalkbrenner recovered and was fouled, sank both free throws and the Bluejays eliminated the Huskies at home.

Senior guard Hassan Diarra (10) shoots a basket against Steven Ashworth and Creighton

A great first half from Jamiya Neal resulted in him leading Creighton to a win with his 24 points
After the game, Creighton coach Greg McDermott said their plan was to suppress Karaban and called it a crucial win for the program.
As for Hurley, the coach said his team was “a shadow of ourselves, from a defensive standpoint,” adding that the Huskies are “not a tenacious enough team” right now.
A parallel was drawn with the 2023 national championship team, which also endured a tough January stretch before dominating in February and March.
But Hurley brushed aside that comparison, saying the team he has now lacks the same “aura” as in years past.
“My fear is that we’re such a… soft team. The teams that take the field with us, we have lost the image that we had in recent years when we took the field. They see a little bit of it on film as they prepare for us, they say “these guys aren’t that mean and nasty” and then they share the field with us and they feel it too. And that has become a problem.’