Big East Tournament pick: Creighton have best odds to usurp UConn

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When my now 17 year-old son was a wee little lad, we dealt with the trials and tribulations of potty training just like every other exasperated parent. For weeks nothing worked, until one day a stroke of genius fired in the cranium — the pooping shark.

Knowing our son was obsessed with a book about the meat-eating sea killers, we purchased a soft rubber-coated Great White at the local toy store. When introduced to it, he naturally went nuts. But there was a catch. He had to do his business properly. It took two weeks. Achievement unlocked. And a little boy, in the greatest way possible, lost his damn mind. 

With conference tournaments among high-major teams about to get underway, a number of notable schools are vying for not No. 2 — but No. 1.

Big East Tournament pick: Creighton Bluejays (+425, DraftKings)

There’s UConn, a cemented No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed. There are Marquette and Creighton, two teams battling for a spot on the No. 2 seed line. Then there’s the mishmash of mediocrity with four teams — St. John’s, Seton Hall, Providence and Villanova — jockeying for at-large attention in a frenetic attempt to escape bubble residency.

For some, this year’s Big East Tournament is somewhat meaningful. And inside The Mecca, Madison Square Garden, mayhem is on the menu.

But for those unwilling to chase the chalk (UConn -135), the Bluejays are worth a gamble, especially at greater than 4-to-1 odds.

From the Land of Fine Steaks, the Omaha representatives are neck-and-neck with UConn among elites. Over the past 30 days, Creighton ranks No. 3 overall, according to BartTorvik’s analytics, slotting top-15 in offensive and defensive efficiency. Indisputably, the Bluejays are poised to silence what will surely be a partisan MSG crowd. Remember, they split with UConn in the regular season.

[ Bracket Big Board: Brad Evans’ NCAA Tournament projections ]

Doug McDermott’s free-flowing scheme excels on ball-screen action, kickouts, swing passes and perimeter points. Ryan Kalkbrenner usually grabs the headlines. The 7-foot-1 senior is an exceptional back-to-the-basket big who cleans up on near-proximity shots. Even better, however, is Creighton’s 3-point shooting.

The Bluejays have netted 38.3% from distance in their last 10 games, and nearly 40% of their offensive production comes from beyond the arc. Baylor Scheierman, Steven Ashworth, Trey Alexander and Mason Miller usually pop off. Also ranking first in the country in effective field-goal percentage since Feb. 1, Creighton normally reaches 80 points without breaking a sweat.

Defensively, the Blue Jays bang with the best of them. Since early February, they’ve given up only 0.995 points per possession. Because of Kalkbrenner’s disruptive length, they record a block on 9.0% of opponent possessions. Though stout inside, clamping the arc is an area of vulnerability. Over its past 10 games, Creighton has conceded 37.0% shooting on 3-pointers (No. 278 in D-1). Get hot from three and it’s expendable.

Since joining the relaunched Big East in 2013-14, the ‘Jays have never celebrated a Big East Tournament championship. Winners of seven of their last eight games, they present the best chance to kennel the Huskies IF they can shackle the arc.