By: Spencer McCraw

The Good: The debut of Cam Whitmore 

A recent NBA mock draft has Villanova freshman Cam Whitmore going sixth overall, and Saturday night was the forward’s first opportunity to prove to the world why he should be selected that high. After battling a thumb injury for the first seven games of the year, Whitmore made an immediate impact in ‘Nova’s 70-66 win over Oklahoma. While only tallying seven points, his impact on the game goes beyond the stat sheet.

For the first time this season, the ‘Cats have a legitimate scoring threat outside of forward Eric Dixon’s post-ups and guard Caleb Daniels’ free throws. Whitmore was on a minutes restriction Saturday, but as he gains his confidence and chemistry with the rest of the team, look for him to make a major impact for Villanova – who will look to turn it around after a slow start. The ‘Cats will be back in the Finn on Wednesday when they host another Philly rival in UPenn. 

The Bad: Creighton drops third straight game  

After losing in the championship game of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational to no. 14 Arizona, the Bluejays headed to Austin to take on no. 2 Texas at the newly renovated Moody Center. This was always going to be a tough matchup for Creighton, who fell short in the end, losing 72-67. Center Ryan Kalkbrenner was phenomenal, as he posted a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

The lack of depth was on full display for the Bluejays on Thursday, with Alexander the only starter who didn’t score in double-digits. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem for most teams, but Creighton was unable to find a single point from their bench unit. Luckily, Creighton doesn’t foul often, but if their starters start to enter foul trouble, they could be in serious trouble. 

Following their stop in Austin, the Bluejays headed back home to host Nebraska. This was supposed to be an easy win for Coach McDermott, but this was anything but that. The Cornhuskers came into Omaha ready to play, and the Bluejays did not, ultimately losing 63-53. One thing that plagued Creighton this game was their love for the three-pointer.

Creighton is by no means a great shooting team, but in any event they threw up 40 shots from downtown, only hitting ten of them in the loss. That is certainly not a winning recipe. For Creighton to be successful, they need to probe inside with their seven- footer and then kick outside when the shots are available. The Bluejays have some time off before their next matchup when BYU comes to town on Saturday. 

The Ugly: Georgetown goes winless on the week 

The Hoyas traveled down to Lubbock on Wednesday to face off against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders dominated for much of the contest, winning 79-65. Senior forward Bryson Mozone was great, as he provided a spark off the bench with 18 points. The starters were careless for Coach Ewing, as they threw away 16 turnovers to the Red Raiders and also committed 16 fouls, leading to the Hoyas’ best players fouling out of the game. 

The Hoyas hosted the Gamecocks on Saturday and played a much closer match despite the sour outcome. The game ended up going to overtime, with South Carolina ultimately pulling out a 74-71 victory. Junior guard Jay Heath was dominant with 23 points and 6 rebounds, while sophomore guard Brandon Murray notched 13 points, five assists, and three steals. There was some good for the Hoyas to take away from this game, but still a lot that needs to be improved before Big East play begins in two weeks. Until then, the Hoyas face off against Siena on Wednesday.