OMAHA, Neb. -- Creighton hosts its second opponent of the week from the Mid-American Conference Saturday when Akron visits CenturyLink Center.
The Zips could be the stiffest defensive test the No. 10 Bluejays have faced since playing then-No. 9 Wisconsin on Nov. 15.
Akron is 6-1 with six consecutive victories since losing its season opener Nov. 12 to Youngstown State. While the Zips are averaging 80.1 points per game, they're giving up just 62.7.
Contrast that with the high-flying Bluejays offense that is averaging 92.0 points per game, the sixth-best total in the country through the first three weeks of the season.
One of the more intriguing matchups will be how Creighton's big men -- especially redshirt freshman Justin Patton -- fare against Akron senior Isaiah Johnson in the 7 p.m. CST game that will be broadcast on Fox Sports 2.
Known as Big Dog, the 6-foot-10, 290-pound Johnson is the reigning MAC Eastern Division player of the week. Johnson is averaging a team-leading 15.7 points per game while shooting 67.7 percent (24-of-42) from the field.
Johnson and Kwan Cheatham both are averaging six rebounds per game, and Johnson has blocked six shots.
How Patton responds to the biggest big man he's faced in his young collegiate career will be a good way to measure how far the 7-foot Omaha North graduate has developed his game.
Patton is averaging 13 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in every game of Creighton's 7-0 start and, like Akron's Johnson, has blocked six shots this season.
Teammates are seeking out Patton on the offensive end, as he has had 19 dunks with 11 of those coming on lob passes from guards Marcus Foster, Khyri Thomas and Maurice Watson.
Watson has been efficiently running the Creighton offense from the point guard position. He is second in the NCAA this season with 59 total assists and an average of 8.4 per game. Watson leads the nation's active players with 698 career assists, and he's also third in steals.
Foster has been a big plus for the Bluejays offense after sitting out last season as a transfer from Kansas State. The 6-foot-3 junior from Wichita Falls, Texas is averaging a team-leading 18.3 points per game and passed the 1,000-career points milestone in Tuesday's win over Buffalo.
Senior forward Cole Huff from Altadena, Calif., has a chance to join Foster in the 1,000-point club Saturday. Huff is just 17 points shy of that career achievement as he has scored 456 as a Bluejay after transferring from Nevada with 527 points.
Both teams have relied on deep benches for their early season success. The Zips have had 15 different players log minutes this season; six of them are averaging 7.9 points per game. Antino Jackson is averaging 12.0 points per game to join Johnson with a double-digit average.
Creighton has four players averaging double figures per outing. Thomas at 14.4 per game and Watson with 11.7 join Foster and Patton in that category.
