Rick Barnes offers the early scouting report, comparison for Sweet 16 game vs. Creighton

When looking for a comparison Monday night, Rick Barnes turned to Alabama. If Creighton resembles any team from Tennessee’s schedule, it’s the analytically driven Crimson Tide. In the Sweet 16, the Vols will face a Creighton offense that wants 3-point attempts, shots at the rim and nothing else.

“They’re obviously an analytical team,” Barnes said during his weekly appearance on The Vol Network’s Vol Calls, “where they don’t shoot a lot of midrange shots. They have one player that likes to shoot the midrange jumper.

“It’s going be a three or something at the rim.”

Creighton (25-9), Tennessee’s opponent in the Midwest Region semifinal on Friday (10:09 p.m. Eastern Time, TBS/truTV) at Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, is ranked No. 7 nationally according to KenPom.com in 3-point shots attempted to total field goals attempted.

In terms of point distribution, Creighton is ranked No. 11 by KenPom at the 3-point line, scoring 39.9% of its points from three. The Bluejays are No. 326 in 2-pointers, scoring 45.7% of their points from inside the arc.

Defensively, Creighton ranks No. 6 in 3-point attempts allowed to total field goals allowed. They’re No. 53 defensive in 3-point percentage allowed (31.7).

“They’re going to just work hard at guarding the 3-point line,” Barnes said. “They don’t want to give you threes. They’re very similar to say like an Alabama, that’s their philosophy. A rim shot or the three. But they’re going to just work hard and stand in front.”

Creighton is No. 1 defensively in free-throw attempts to field goals attempted.

“They’re extremely well coached,” Barnes said. “They don’t foul because they know they don’t want to put people on the free-throw line.”

The Bluejays can’t foul with a short rotation.

Four players — guard Baylor Scheierman, guard Trey Alexander, center Ryan Kalkbrenner and guard Steven Ashworth — average between 31.7 and 36.7 minutes per game. Guard Francisco Farabello averages 22.2 minutes and forward Mason Miller averages 21.8. The five other players that have played this season average 9.2 minutes or less.

Creighton is No. 356 in bench minutes.

“Very good team, defensive team,” Barnes said. “And we try not to foul. I mean, we’re aggressive. But you talk to our players, they would tell you that I get very upset when we’re fouling because you can be aggressive and play defense a lot of different ways, but we don’t want to put people on the free-throw line either.

“And they do great. That’s great discipline, tremendous coaching. And knowing that if they want to stick with seven players, they can’t put themselves in a situation that they’ve got foul trouble.”

Kalkbrenner anchors the defensive discipline playing drop coverage and staying around the rim.

“They’re going to try to make you play two-on-two off of ball screens,” Barnes said. “If you want to come off and shoot a three right away, you’re going to get it. If you want to take one, two dribbles, pull up at 15 feet, you’re going to get it. If you want to keep going further, now you’re coming into (Kalkbrenner) and he’s going say, OK, now you got those other guards getting back.

“But they’re really trying to play two-on-two wherever they are with him. He’s not going to leave that circle.”