On Creighton’s efficiency in win over St. John’s and as a whole

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

There are two ways to look at efficiency. First, of course, by the numbers, and then, the all-important eye test.

In Creighton’s 75-56 victory over St. John’s Saturday, the Bluejays rang up a 110 offensive

efficiency, holding the host Red Storm to just 82. Generally speaking, teams want to reach 100 or

better on the offensive end, while limiting the opposition to double figures. Coach Jim Flanery’s Bluejays (10-3, 2-0 Big East) accomplished both of those goals Saturday.

The eye test also bore out the outstanding efficiency of Creighton on the offensive end, showcased through four or five-out sets with spacing, constant motion, off-ball screens and cutters going to the hoop to receive pinpoint passes from the top or the wings, all the essence of a clinic in offensive execution. Having several players in the lineup capable of hitting from deep makes the Bluejays a very difficult team to guard.

Lauren Jensen, a 5-foot-10 senior and the game’s

leading scorer against St. John’s with 23 points, is a

40 percent shooter from downtown. Morgan Maly (16 points), a 6-foot-1 forward, can also play inside, but is equally as formidable when stepping out

beyond the arc, to the tune of 45 percent shooting from distance. As a team, Creighton’s effective field goal percentage is a blistering 54 percent, good for 20th-best in the nation.

Flanery has a team not just skilled in shooting, but in

caring for the ball as well. The Bluejays commit just 11 turnovers per game (fourth-fewest nationally) with a turnover percentage of 14 percent (11th-best in the nation).

Getting back to efficiency, Creighton’s average on

the offensive end is 108. With the Big East schedule

just two games old, a conference reading is subject to too small a sample. However, the Bluejays rank 30th nationally in that category. On two occasions this year, they have been under 100 in offensive efficiency, once in a mid-November loss to a Kansas State ranked tenth in the country, the other being the December setback to top-ranked UCLA, who limited Creighton to a season-low 61. No disgrace in that

situation, just ask South Carolina. The defense allows a 94 metric, at 226th. That is one of the very few numbers Creigton posts in the lower 50 percent of the national rankings. Regardless, a 93 is an above-average number on the defensive end.

The numbers simply bear out what an observer not versed in the numerology of tempo-free statistics

would know. Creighton is a model of efficiency, its

offense running on all cylinders with crisp passes and weak-side players making sharp cuts and a propensity to share the ball, evidenced by 17 assists per outing, 29th-best in the nation. It all adds up to a basketball connoisseur’s delight, a team that is a joy to watch from a purist’s angle.

A joy to watch, except if you’re on the opposing bench.