For all of the hysteria surrounding FDU’s win as a No. 16, Princeton has wrestled away the top billing as this tournament’s “Cinderella” team after making the Sweet 16 as a No. 15 seed — something just three other teams have done in NCAA Tournament history.
Two of those teams lost at this stage. And Princeton’s time is coming, too.
It’s hard not to feel as if the Tigers’ run to this point was largely a product of variance.
Consider that this group barely ranks inside the top 100 in offensive or defensive efficiency; is one of the most inexperienced teams in the field; and was 0-4 against KenPom top-125 teams until the postseason.
Princeton vs. Creighton pick
(9 p.m. Eastern)
Princeton’s two wins in the Big Dance have felt fairly fluky, too.
In the first round, Arizona — one of the best shooting teams in the country — went 3 of 16 from deep and somehow spoiled a 12-point lead late.
Two days later, Missouri also went cold from long range (6 of 22) while Princeton buried 12 triples — tied for its most against a D-1 opponent — and grabbed a ridiculous 15 offensive rebounds, this team’s second-most in a game all year.
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Are we really expecting those trends to continue against Creighton, which has had a week to prepare for this year’s tourney heroes?
The Bluejays are an elite defensive rebounding team with a penchant for denying open 3-point looks and scoring efficiently at all three levels.
Princeton’s run to this point has been admirable, but midnight should strike on Friday.
Princeton vs. Creighton prediction
Creighton -10 (-110, Caesars Sportsbook)