By Pete Fiutak | March 13, 2017 3:22 pm CT

Creighton (25-9) vs. Rhode Island (24-9) Prediction & Game Preview

NCAA Tournament: Creighton vs. Rhode Island fearless prediction and game preview.

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– CFN March Madness Schedule & Fearless Predictions

Broadcast

Date: Friday, March 17
Game Time: 2:00 ET
Venue: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
Network: TBS

All You Really Need To Know About Creighton

(Big East), RPI: 26, 6 seed

It’s a dangerous team that sputtered too much late in the regular season – losing four of its final six games – before going on a decent run to the Big East Championship, losing to Villanova.

The Bluejays can’t rebound a lick, they can’t hit free throws, and there’s almost no interior presence, but they can potentially bomb their way into a decent run. They hit lots and lots of threes, do a phenomenal job of setting up the open shot with the right pass, and they’re third in the nation in shooting percentage.

All You Really Need To Know About Rhode Island

(Atlantic 10) RPI: 31, 11 seed

Considered by some to be a bubble team before the A-10 tournament, the Rams ended that by rolling to the conference title. Good enough to beat Cincinnati, and hang around with Duke back in November, they had issues with injuries and inconsistencies until late.

However, now they’re on, with a defense that’s among the best in the nation at blocking shots and is great on the boards. However, they can’t shoot a lick from the outside, are miserable on the free throw line, and don’t have a high-powered offense.

What’s Going To Happen

Great defense or excellent offense? Rhode Island can’t shoot a lick from the outside, but it has enough athleticism and an inside presence to keep the Bluejays from doing anything near the rim.

Creighton shoots well and moves the ball around just well enough to bomb its way out of a few jams. The Rams might be hot, but they’re going to go dead cold way too often.