DePaul Blue Demons at Creighton Bluejays

With Big East tournament seeding on the line, the Creighton Bluejays host the DePaul Blue Demons tonight in Omaha. This is a rematch of a February 11 clash that DePaul won by a single point, and the data suggests tonight will be another tight battle dictated by interior play. The core of this matchup comes down to a glaring structural advantage in the paint. DePaul center NJ Benson is currently dominating the interior, averaging 21.0 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 86.2 percent from the floor over his last three games. He faces a physically depleted Creighton frontcourt that is forced to deploy 6-foot-8 Jasen Green at the five due to season-long absences. Creighton just suffered an 81-52 blowout loss to St. John's over the weekend where their lack of interior resistance was completely exposed. On the other end of the floor, Creighton relies heavily on perimeter volume, averaging 10.0 made threes per game. When that high-variance style goes cold, the bottom falls out, evidenced by the catastrophic eight-minute, 45-second scoring drought they suffered on Saturday. While Creighton does hold a massive bench scoring advantage, getting 26.8 points per game from their reserves compared to DePaul's 13.1, DePaul's starting five has the exact blueprint to limit possessions and keep the game close. DePaul already proved they can defend Creighton's scheme in their 72-71 victory two weeks ago. Laying 3.5 points with a Creighton team that lacks the size to stop Benson inside and is prone to massive offensive disappearing acts is asking too much. DePaul has the interior presence to dictate the terms of engagement and keep this within the number.