Sunday Night Dessert: Overrated Bluejays Shouldn't Have Been Ranked To Begin With

No, I didn't watch yesterday's Creighton/Wichita State game...just like nearly every other Creighton basketball game.  But it's hard to miss all of the coverage the Jays get in this area. And truth be told, I've felt that Creighton was overrated all season long.  It all started when Creighton dominated Iowa, which gave many in this area a false reading for just how good Creighton is.  All you need to know is that Iowa then lost at home to Campbell...and Nebraska.  As I said at Christmas

(Non-Creighton fans need) A strong stomach as you try to ignore the hype from the Hilltop. Don't worry, unless McDermott's team vastly improves in 2012, the Jays will be exposed in mid-March.  Yeah, Creighton is a little better than Nebraska right now...but that's not saying much this season.  Certainly doesn't justify a vote in the Top 25, let alone being actually ranked.

Well, I figured the Jays would coast through the Valley season...then get blasted back to reality in the NCAA tournament.  Turns out that the Jays aren't even that good.

One thing I did find interesting scanning my World-Herald this morning was a photograph of Creighton head coach Greg McDermott ripping his son on the court.  Apparently he did it multiple times.  I don't know whether McDermott was right or wrong in losing his cool on the sideline; I wasn't watching the game.

What I found interesting was some of the reactions of the media.  Take KOZN radio's Matt Schick on Twitter:

Greg not thrilled w/ Doug's defense on multiple possessions. Grabbed back of his neck and later chest-bumped him. Must be a big game. #jays

— Matt Schick (@ESPN_Schick) February 11, 2012

Interesting perspective.  Or maybe more accurately, a double standard.  Does anybody believe that Schick would have responded the same way if Bo Pelini got upset on the Nebraska sideline?  Hardly.

Tom Shatel at least admitted the double standard in his column today:

CU coach Greg McDermott, who has had a smile on his face much of this season, was seen lighting into his son, Doug, the team's star, on the sidelines. Reportedly, the scene got a lot of run on ESPN Saturday night.

When Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini does it, he gets hammered in some corners of the media and his fan base. The same is fair for Mac. Now, the Creighton coach is more media savvy than Pelini.

Except that McDermott isn't getting hammered for it.  It's a double standard, pure and simple.  Whether the media likes or dislikes Bo Pelini or Greg McDermott should be irrelevant.  But deep down, that seems to be driving the agenda of some in driving the conversation.  And that's unfortunate.

And yes, before someone reminds me...yes, Nebraska is now in last place in Big Ten mens basketball.  This is a team playing out the season, waiting for something...anything to change once we get to late March.

Speaking of late March, writing off UNO hockey's season could be a little premature as the Mavs took three of four points on the road at resurgent Michigan Tech.  The weekend couldn't have gotten off to a worse start.  Ryan Massa was pulled just five minutes into the game after giving up two quick goals.  But John Faulkner held steady the rest of the way, and the Mavs battled back for a 3-3 tie.  Massa redeemed himself with his first shutout as  Mav on Saturday afternoon.  Now the Mavs sit tied for 4th place in the WCHA with #10 Colorado College, who the Mavs will face on the road this weekend.  After that, it's #2 Minnesota coming to town, followed by #14 Denver.