There’s no sense in dancing around it, so let’s just say it: Creighton’s opponent on Friday night is really bad. Maryland Eastern Shore is ranked 343rd out of 351 D1 teams by KenPom, 349th in the ESPN BPI ratings, and though their RPI is a little better at 207 (buoyed so far by a non-conference schedule rated 62nd toughest in the country), this is a team that has struggled to play competitive basketball so far in 2017-18. UMES owns losses in true road games at Maryland, Georgetown, St. Bonaventure, Old Dominion, Duquesne, Liberty and Virginia Tech.
Those losses have come by an average of 37 points, with both Maryland and Virginia Tech demolishing them by 50+ (the final scores were 96-43 at Maryland, and 93-40 at VT).