‘You’ve been here before:’ Creighton relying on experience entering Sweet 16 matchup with Tennessee

DETROIT, Mich. (WOWT) - Creighton reaching the Sweet 16 may come as no surprise to Bluejays fans. It’s the third time the Jays have dance onto the second weekend in the last four years.

But making it this far is no easy feat. The Jays needed double overtime to get past Oregon to get here. Tonight’s opponent, Tennessee, had to fight off a final-minute run from Texas to earn their spot in Detroit.

Getting back to the Elite 8 will be even tougher, taking on the second-seeded Vols, their first-team All American in Dalton Knecht and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in Zakai Zeigler. But this time, the Jays have the experience of last year’s run to fall back on.

“Last year we were just a little extra excited about doing it for the first time, but this year we’ve got a little more experience,” said Ryan Kalkbrenner ahead of his third Sweet 16. “We’re still super excited about it and trying to take it all in. It’s almost easier to take it all in because you’ve been here before and you can take a step back easier.”

“You kind of know what to expect now,” Trey Alexander added. “You’re still very grateful to be here and you’re very excited, but you know what type of prep it takes now. We know what the feeling is to be here, and we know what it takes to get the job done.”

Like the Jays, Tennessee also reached the second weekend last year. Francisco Farabello said this year’s squad is determined to reach the program’s first Final Four.

“It’s an opportunity we don’t take for granted,” he said. “We experienced it last year it was pretty fun. At the end of the weekend, it wasn’t like we expected, but we’re to change that.”

Creighton is scheduled to tip off against Tennessee at 9:09pm CT at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI.

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