Basketball games aren’t always decided by physical strength. In fact, usually they aren’t. But what I saw Saturday at the C-Link was unmistakable. Wichita State didn’t just beat Creighton; they beat ‘em up.

There’s a reason Creighton struggles defensively, and it has nothing to do with effort or defensive rotations.

Take Gregory Echenique off the floor and Creighton doesn’t have a single player you’d consider physically strong for his position, at least by Top 25 standards. Antoine Young. Jahenns Manigat. Grant Gibbs. Ethan Wragge. Josh Jones. Austin Chatman. Will Artino. Even Doug McDermott.

The bulky Shockers simply pushed ‘em around — at both ends of the floor. It was like a team of 16-year-olds against a team of 14-year-olds.

The Jays have won a lot of games displaying impressive offensive skill. They pass and shoot as well as anyone in the country. But that’s not enough. That’s why this isn’t an easy fix for Greg McDermott.

Creighton can beat undersized finesse teams. It can beat unskilled big teams. But can it beat someone like Wichita State (or Long Beach State) that combines physical strength, athleticism and offensive skill?

The Jays might need a year in the weight room to solve that riddle.

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