#10 Bluejays Play Purple Aces Thursday
1/21/2003 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Next Game
Tenth-ranked Creighton (16-1, 7-0 MVC) looks for its first 17-1 start in school history when they travel to face the University of Evansville (5-9, 1-4 MVC) on Thursday, Jan. 23.
Tip-off at Roberts Stadium (12,144) in Evansville, Ind. will be 7:05 p.m.
Broadcast Information
KOMJ (“Magic” 590 AM) will broadcast all of Creighton’s men’s basketball games during the 2002-03 season. The games are also webcast live at www.magic590.com. T. Scott Marr and Kevin Sarver will call the action. The game will not be televised.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton joined the ranks of the top-10 for the first time in program history on Monday afternoon, then went out and played uninspired ball to post a 95-82 victory over Illinois State.
Creighton is off to a 16-1 start for the first time since 1942-43. The Jays opened the season 10-0 and after a two-point loss at #19 Xavier on New Year’s Eve, have reeled off six consecutive league victories.
Notre Dame, BYU, Tennessee Tech, Nebraska and Southern Illinois have been among CU’s quality wins this season.
The Bluejays are the only team in the top-25 with just one player scoring in double-figures. However, that player is Kyle Korver, who continues to be mentioned as a National Player of the Year contender. Korver leads the team in scoring (20.0), rebounding (5.8) and steals (23) while also ranking second in assists. Korver has made a nation-best 77 three-pointers and is shooting 53.1 percent behind the arc.
Creighton is far from a one-man team though, as Dana Altman uses a 10-man rotation of players that see double-digit minutes while the Jays employ 94-feet of non-stop pressure defense. Larry House is playing some of his best basketball and ranks second on the team in scoring at 9.9 points per game. In the middle Brody Deren leads the MVC with 27 blocked shots and averages 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest.
Scouting Evansville
Evansville is 5-9 on the season, including a 4-3 mark at home. The Purple Aces are one of The Valley’s top shooting teams at 49.7 percent, but have allowed opponents to shoot 48.0 percent.
One of the nation’s most accurate three-point shooters, Clint Cuffle is making 54.2 percent from long-range and tops the Purple Aces in scoring at 17.5 points per game. Also in double-figures are Ian Hanavan (14.4), Dan Lytle (10.4) and Tobias Brinkley (10.3).
The Coaches
The dean of Missouri Valley Conference coaches, Creighton’s Dana Altman (Eastern New Mexico, 1980) is in his ninth year as head coach of the Bluejays. He owns a 162-96 (.628) mark at CU and a career record of 245-163 (.600) in his 14th year as an NCAA Division I head coach. Altman has been named conference coach of the year eight times in his 17 years as a head coach, including recognition in 2001 and 2002 from the Missouri Valley Conference. Altman has led Creighton to four consecutive NCAA Tournaments and his teams have played in the postseason in eight of the past 11 years. He’s assisted by Greg Grensing, Len Gordy and Darian DeVries.
Evansville Coach Steve Merfeld (Wisconsin-La Crosse, 1984) is in his first season as head coach at Evansville, owning a 5-9 record with the Purple Aces. Merfeld came to UE after five seasons at Hampton University, where he led the Pirates to consecutive NCAA Tournaments and a stunning upset of Iowa State in 2001 while compiling a 90-57 record. Merfeld is assisted by Keith Noftz, Stacey Palmore and James Wilhelmi.
Series History
Creighton leads the all-time series with Evansville 11-6, though the teams have split eight meetings in Evansville. The Bluejays have won three straight in the series, including a 93-56 victory on Jan. 15. Dana Altman is 11-6 all-time vs. the Purple Aces and 1-0 vs. Steve Merfeld.
Last Game Recap
Larry House had career-highs with 23 points and eight rebounds to lead 10th-ranked Creighton past Illinois State, 95-82, Monday. Leading 12-10 early, Creighton used a 10-0 run to build a double-digit lead and were never seriously threatened the rest of the way. Kyle Korver added 17 points while Joe Dabbert (11) and Mike Grimes (10) also reached double-figures off the bench. The 82 points and 53.6 percent shooting by Illinois State were the most allowed by the Bluejays this season. Creighton led from wire-to-wire for the eighth time in 17 games this season.
Altman Nears CU Wins Leader Schabinger
Dana Altman ranks second on Creighton’s all-time coaching victories list, trailing only Arthur A. Schabinger. Schabinger led the Jays from 1922-35 and coached eight teams to at least a share of a league title. Altman can tie Schabinger with a win over Evansville on Jan. 23. Below is a list of Creighton’s victory leaders:
Rk. W-L Coach
1. 163-66 Arthur A. Schabinger
2. 162-96 Dana Altman
3. 138-118 John J. “Red” McManus
Does Evansville Have An Ace Up Their Sleeve
You can be sure the Creighton players will hear a history lesson or two about trips to Roberts Stadium in recent seasons. In two of the last three years, Creighton has beaten Evansville by 30 or more at home, only to lose at Evansville that same season. The Jays may have a reason to worry this season too, as they hammered Evansville 93-56 on Jan. 15.
Year Home Result Road Result
2002-03 W 93-56 Jan. 23
2001-02 W 88-74 W 57-41
2000-01 W 87-57 L 61-52
1999-00 W 102-69 L 83-88
Big Man Bonus
Creighton post men Joe Dabbert and Mike Grimes continue to produce off the bench for Creighton. Both men scored nine points last Saturday in CU’s win over Southern Illinois. In Monday’s victory over Illinois State, Dabbert had 11 points and three steals while Grimes had 10 points and five rebounds. In MVC action, both players are shooting nearly 61 percent from the floor, 69 percent from the stripe and scoring about seven points per contest. The duo have combined to take 17 charges this season.
Brody Deren, Dabbert and Grimes were an integral part of Creighton’s win over Southern Illinois. Deren had eight blocks, six points and three assists. Dabbert had nine points and three rebounds, while Grimes added nine points on the day. It marked the first time all three have each had eight points or more in the same game.
Disturbing Trend
Creighton has allowed its opponents to shoot 48.6 percent or better in the first half of each of the last four games, something they permitted only twice in the first 13 contests.
Prior to Monday, no Creighton opponent had shot better than 50 percent in the second half this season before ISU did it.
The Redbirds also became CU’s first opponent to shoot better than 50 percent for the game this season.
Too Many Weapons
One of the pitfalls of a box-and-one defense on Kyle Korver is that his teammates have stepped up and hit big shots. Against Illinois State on Monday, Creighton had seven different players drain a three-point basket. Incredibly, it wasn’t even a season-high. In Creighton’s third game, a 99-52 win over IUPUI, the Jays had eight different players hit a trey in the first half alone.
Korver Named National Player of the Week
For last week’s exploits, Kyle Korver was named National Player of the Week by ESPN’s Dick Vitale as well as websites collegebasketballnews.com and collegeinsider.com. In addition, Korver earned Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week plaudits for the fourth time this season and sixth time in his career.
Korver shot 57.1 percent (16-for-28) from the field, 58.3 percent (14-for-24) from three-point range and 100 percent (9-for-9) from the charity stripe last week while averaging 27.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest last week. Against Evansville, Korver hit a school-record nine three-pointers and finished with 31 points. Three days later vs. SIU, Korver had 24 points and 11 rebounds while breaking the MVC career record for three-point baskets with 317.
Korver Earns National Paine Webber Honor
Creighton senior Kyle Korver was named recipient of the Paine Webber Senior of the Week and recognized during the Jan. 18 basketball telecast of Duke vs. Maryland. The honor is given out by Paine Webber in conjunction with ABC telecasts and Paine Webber will donate $1,000 to its “Senior of the Week” scholarship fund in Korver’s name.
The Paine Webber is based on a combination of on- and off-court works. Off the court, Korver is mentoring students at Nathan Hale Middle School and has spoken to thousands of kids through Operation Bluejay programs about the importance of working hard, staying in school and making positive choices.
He (along with his teammates) have also devoted hours of service to organizations like the Nebraska Childrens’ Home, YMCA, Boy Scouts, Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls’ Club, and Make-A-Wish. He has promoted literacy at Omaha’s Celebrate Literacy Fair and helped provide free basketball clinics throughout the area.
Best Starts Ever
This season marked Creighton’s fifth 10-0 start in 85 years of basketball, though it hadn’t been done since in 60 years. Below is a list of Creighton’s most successful starts all-time without a loss but also with one loss:
Best Undefeated Starts
Start Year Final W-L
16-0 1942-43 16-1
13-0 1916-17 18-2
11-0 1917-18 11-0
10-0 2002-03
10-0 1918-19 10-0
Best Starts With One Loss
Start Year Final W-L
16-1 1942-43 16-1
16-1 2002-03
15-1 1916-17 18-2
Lindeman Named Scholar-Athlete of Week
Creighton junior Michael Lindeman was named Prairie Farms/MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week on Jan. 17 for the week of Jan. 6-12. Lindeman averaged 17.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 73.3 percent (11-for-15) from the field and 81.8 percent (9-of-11) from the free throw line to help Creighton win at Bradley and Illinois State. Lindeman owns a 3.941 GPA in Finance.
Single-Season Leaders
Kyle Korver’s 77 three-pointers lead the country this season and already rank him fourth in CU’s single-season history. He already owns two of the top three spots, as his sophomore season total of 100 is the current record while his 79 last year is third-best all-time. Below is the all-time single-season leaders.
Creighton Single-Season Three-Point Leaders
3FG Name Year
1. 100 Kyle Korver (So.) 2000-01
2. 82 Tad Ackerman (Jr.) 1994-95
3. 79 Kyle Korver (Jr.) 2001-02
4. 77 Kyle Korver (Sr.) 2002-03
5. 76 Rod Mason (Sr.) 1987-88
6. 69 Duan Cole (Sr.) 19911-92
7. 68 Gary Swain (Sr.) 1986-87
8. 67 Terrell Taylor (Jr.) 2001-02
Ryan Sears (Jr.) 1999-00
10. 63 Kyle Korver (Fr.) 1999-00
Ryan Sears (Fr.) 1997-98
Duan Cole (Sr.) 2000-01
Vitale Says Korver Nation’s Best Player
Noted ESPN college basketball personality Dick Vitale tabbed Creighton senior Kyle Korver as his midseason Player of the Year on the national level. Also in the running, according to Vitale, was Dwyane Wade of Marquette, Maurice Williams of Alabama and Brian Cook of Illinois. Korver's been featured in Sports Illustrated, ESPN Magazine, The Sporting News, CNNSI.com and CBS.Sportsline.com among other national outlets this season, while Frank Burilson (Foxsports.com) has also tabbed him as a mid-season, first-team All-American. Tentatively scheduled for Thursday (Jan. 23) is an article on the Bluejays in USA Today, which was in town last weekend.
When 13 Turns Lucky
For the fourth consecutive meeting, the team leading at halftime of the Creighton-Southern Illinois battle ended up on the losing end of the contest. In this year’s meeting, Creighton trailed by as much as 13 (40-27) late in the first half as SIU raced to a 45-37 lead at the break.
The last time Creighton rallied from down 13 points to win was last season when they defeated #17 Western Kentucky in double-overtime. That game was also at home.
Lucky Sevens
Monday’s win vs. Illinois State allowed Creighton to claim its fourth streak of seven straight MVC wins in the last six years and third occasion in the last 13 months. Below is a list of Creighton’s longest conference winning streaks since rejoining The Valley in 1977-78:
Wins Dates
11 Jan. 27, 2001-Jan. 2, 2002
9 Jan. 21-Feb. 16, 1998
7 Dec. 4, 2002-Present
7 Jan. 9-Jan. 30, 2002
6 Jan. 21-Feb. 10, 1991
ESPN, ESPN2 Kind To Jays
Creighton has played quite well on the ESPN family of networks in recent seasons, owning eight straight wins on the cable sports network since a Feb. 14, 1999 setback at Illinois State. Last year, CU beat Bradley and Southern Illinois on ESPN2.
Creighton is 8-0 on TV this season, with a 4-0 record on local TV (KMTV), a 3-0 mark on national TV (2-0 on HDNet and 1-0 on ESPN2) and a 1-0 mark on regional TV (Fox Sports Midwest/Chicago).
Below is a chart of CU’s last eight appearances on ESPN or ESPN2:
Date Opponent Score Network
01/18/03 Southern Illinois W 85-76 ESPN2
03/04/02 vs. Southern Illinois W 84-76 ESPN2
02/23/02 at Bradley W 80-64 ESPN2
02/17/01 Wyoming W 84-72 ESPN
02/10/01 at Southern Illinois W 77-63 ESPN
03/06/00 vs. SMS W 57-45 ESPN
02/07/00 at Colorado State W 78-67 ESPN
03/01/99 vs. Evansville W 70-61 ESPN
Perfect 10
With Monday’s home win over Illinois State, Creighton assured itself of a seventh consecutive season of 10 or more home wins. The school record for consecutive 10-plus home win seasons is an incredible 12 straight from 1969-70 to 1980-81. The Jays are a perfect 10-0 at home this season.
Korver Breaks MVC Record
Creighton senior Kyle Korver drained five three-pointers vs. Southern Illinois on Saturday to break the Missouri Valley Conference record for career trifectas. Korver now owns 319 three-pointers in his career and has passed former Saluki gunner Shane Hawkins in 115 fewer attempts. Below is a look at where Creighton’s senior marksman stands on some notable lists:
MVC’s Career Three-Point Leaders
3FG Name Years
319 Kyle Korver, CU 1999-Present
314 Shane Hawkins, SIU 1994-98
Creighton Career 3-Point Attempts Leaders
3FGA Name Years
695 Kyle Korver 1999-Present
689 Ryan Sears 1997-01
Creighton Career 3-Point Percentage Leaders
Pct. Name Years
.459 Kyle Korver (319-695) 1999-Present
.441 Rod Mason (132-299) 1986-88
Three-Point Ace
Among active players, Creighton senior Kyle Korver ranked first nationally in career three-pointers made through games of January 20th. The NCAA record is 413 by former Virginia star Curtis Staples. Below are the active leaders, courtesy of STATS Inc.
Active Three-Pointers Made Career Leaders
Rk. Name, School 3FG FGA Pct.
1. Kyle Korver, Creighton 317 690 .459
2. Brett Blizzard, UNC-Wilmington 308 729 .422
3. Gary Buchanan, Villanova 294 753 390
4. Jason Gardner, Arizona 282 760 .371
5. Jason Kapono, UCLA 281 624 .450
Ranking Information
Creighton is ranked 10th in the Jan. 20th Associated Press poll, the best ranking in program history. Before this week, the team’s previous best was the 13th spot in the Feb. 25th and March 4, 1975 polls, as well as the week of Jan. 13, 2003.
Creighton entered the AP poll for the first time since the 1975 season with a #23 ranking on Dec. 9. It’s worth noting that Creighton was 15th in the United Press International coaches poll during the week of Feb. 22, 1977.
Creighton also moved to ninth in this week’s Jan. 20th USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll.
Point(s) Taken
Creighton points guards Tyler McKinney and Nate Funk were key to Creighton scoring 93 points and shooting 55.9 percent from the floor vs. Evansville. McKinney had six points, seven assists and two steals in 24 minutes, while Funk made all three shots and finished with seven points, three assists and two steals in 16 minutes. Neither player had a turnover.
House Taking It To ‘Em
Creighton senior Larry House scored 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor vs. Evansville, the most accurate shooting night of his career. In fact, House’s 15 points match the third-highest scoring effort of his two-year career with the Bluejays.
House wreaked havoc on the SIU defense as well, making 7-of-11 shots, including a pair of dunks to finish with 14 points.
House had a third consecutive solid effort vs. Illinois State on Jan. 20th, finishing with 23 points and eight rebounds to establish new career highs.
Team Leader In More Ways Than One
With his blocked shot vs. Illinois State on Monday, Creighton senior Kyle Korver led Creighton blocks for the fourth time this season. He has also led the team in scoring 12 times, rebounding eight times, assists five times and steals four times.
Dating back to Feb. 14, 2001, Korver has led the Bluejays in at least one of those categories in all but one of his last 54 games (Feb. 13, 2002 at Drake).
Valley Rankings
Prior to Creighton this season, the last previous Missouri Valley Conference school to be ranked was Illinois State. The Redbirds were ranked the week of November 18, 1997 before losing at Wisconsin. League rival Bradley owned the distinction of being the last top-10 MVC school, as the Hersey Hawkins and Jim Les-led Braves earned the #9 rank in the March 4, 1986 poll.
Best Valley Starts
Creighton has started 7-0 in MVC play for just the third time in 44 seasons of play in Missouri Valley Conference action, and first time since the 1942-43 team. That 1942-43 club owns the best league start, as they finished a perfect 10-0 in league play.
Below is Creighton's best ever starts in MVC play:
Creighton’s Best MVC Starts
W-L Year Final MVC W-L (Place)
10-0 1942-43 10-0 (1st)
8-0 1931-32 8-0 (1st)
7-0 2002-03
5-0 1988-89 11-3 (1st)
Creighton has also started 3-0 on the road in MVC play for the sixth time in school history. They started 5-0 in conference road play in 1942-43 and 1941-42, opened 4-0 in 1931-32 and were 3-0 in 1937-38 and 1988-89 before this season.
Three Million Fan March
When 8,084 fans braved snowy conditions in Omaha on Jan. 15, Creighton moved past the 3,000,000 mark in home attendance at the Civic since it became the club’s full-time home in 1961. The Bluejays have now attracted 3,021,636 fans at the Civic while compiling a 414-146 record at the facility in that span.
The Bluejays have won all 10 home games this year by nine or more points, with all but the BYU and SIU games being wins by 20 points or more. The Bluejays are 63-8 (.888) at home since Jan. 20, 1998.
Deren & Dabbert Denying Opponents
Creighton’s center tandem of Brody Deren and Joe Dabbert continue to swat shots at an alarming rate. Deren leads the Valley with 27 rejections, while Dabbert owns 19 blocks to tie for second in the league. Creighton owns 74 blocked shots this season, more than 21 more than the next best MVC squad.
Left Handed Bandit
Creighton junior Michael Lindeman enjoyed his most prolific scoring week of his career in wins over Bradley and Illinois State. Lindeman tied his career-high with 15 points vs. Bradley, then surpassed that with 19 points at Illinois State. It marked the first times in his career that he has led his team in scoring. Creighton has won 11 straight games when Lindeman scores in double-figures.
In seven MVC games this season, Lindeman has been shutout vs. both Drake and Evansville, scored seven vs. Illinois State, scored 12 vs. Southern Illinois, 15 vs. both Northern Iowa and Bradley, and poured in a career-best 19 vs. Illinois State.
Korver A Four-Time MVC Player of the Week
Already honored on Nov. 19 and Dec. 2 this season, Creighton senior Kyle Korver has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player a third time, this time for the week ending Jan. 5.
Korver picked up his first honor by averaging 19.0 points per game while earning MVP honors of the Omaha Regional of the Guardians Classic. Korver made 13-of-19 shots overall (68.4 percent) and was 11-for-15 from three-point range (73.3 percent), while making his first eight tries of the season.
Korver’s earned his second honor by averaging 22 points and 5.5 rebounds per game against IUPUI and Notre Dame while earning MVP honors at the Guardians Classic finals in Kansas City, Mo. Korver shot 15-for-27 from the field (55.6 percent) and 12-for-19 (63.2 percent) from three-point range on the weekend, including a career-best seven treys vs. Notre Dame.
Korver’s third weekly honor came after he averaged 27.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 64.3% from the field (18-28), 64.7% from three-point range (11-17) and 100% at the free throw line (8-8) in games vs. #19 Xavier and Drake. Korver scored a career-high 32 points in Creighton's 75-73 loss at #19 Xavier, including 26 second-half points. Korver tied the CU single-game record with eight three-pointers, including four in the final three minutes as CU rallied from a nine-point deficit to tie the game in the final minute. Korver also led the Jays with six rebounds and four assists in the setback. Against Drake, Korver scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 27 minutes of play in CU's 84-63 victory. Korver made 7-of-9 shots from the floor, including 3-of-4 from downtown, while also making all six free throw attempts.
His fourth award came after Korver shot 57.1 percent (16-for-28) from the field, 58.3 percent (14-for-24) from three-point range and 100 percent (9-for-9) from the charity stripe the week ending Jan. 19 while averaging 27.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest last week. Against Evansville, Korver hit a school-record nine three-pointers and finished with 31 points. Three days later vs. SIU, Korver had 24 points and 11 rebounds while breaking the MVC career record for three-point baskets with 317.
Big Man Can Shoot
Senior Kyle Korver has been shooting his way into the Creighton record books, owning the school’s single-game, single-season and career marks. Now, he’s shooting towards some NCAA history.
In fact, Korver’s career 45.9 percent accuracy from three-point range (319-695) ranks him eighth in NCAA history among those with 200 or more three-pointers. He is tops all-time among players 6-6 or taller as well as players with 310 or more career treys. Below is the list of the most accurate three-point shooters in NCAA history (min. 200 3FG).
Three-Point Field Goal Pct. Leaders (All-Time)
Rk. Name, School Ht. 3FG FGA Pct.
1. Tony Bennett, UW-Green Bay 6-0 290 584 .497
2. David Olson, Eastern Illinois 6-4 262 562 .466
3. Ross Land, Northern Arizona 6-5 308 664 .464
4. Dan Dickau, Wash. & Gonzaga 6-0 215 465 .462
5. Sean Jackson, Ohio & Princeton 5-11 243 528 .460
6. Barry Booker, Vanderbilt 6-3 246 535 .4598
7. Kevin Booth, Mt. St. Mary’s 6-0 265 577 .4592
8. Kyle Korver, Creighton* 6-7 319 695 .4590
9. Dave Calloway, Monmouth 6-3 260 567 .4586
10. Tony Ross, San Diego State 6-3 270 589 .458
11. Jason Matthews, Pittsburgh 6-3 259 567 .457
12. Corey Reed, Radford 6-6 232 510 .455
13. Jim Barton, Dartmouth 6-4 242 532 .455
14. Shawn Respert, Michigan State 6-3 331 728 .455
15. Carlton Becton, N.C. A&T 6-6 209 462 .452
16. Eric Channing, New Mexico St. 6-4 283 627 .451
17. Jason Kapono, UCLA* 6-8 281 624 .450
18. Ray Allen, Connecticut 6-5 233 520 .448
*active
Big Game Player
Creighton senior Kyle Korver continues to star in some of Creighton’s biggest games.
Korver made 7-of-11 three-pointers and finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds to earn Guardians Classic MVP honors in Creighton’s win over Notre Dame.
Against BYU in a battle of 5-0 teams, Korver had 19 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
Against in-state rival Nebraska, Korver made six three-pointers and finished with 25 points and seven rebounds to secure CU’s fourth straight triumph over the Huskers.
At #19 Xavier, Korver tied the CU record with eight three-pointers and had a career-high 32 points. Twenty-six of his points came after half.
Korver had his third double-double of the season in a nationally televised tilt against Southern Illinois, finishing with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Korver also broke the MVC record for career three-pointers in the contest.
Big Man Free Throw Leaders
Last year center Joe Dabbert finished 17th nationally in free throw percentage among players 6-10 or taller at 77.5 percent. This year, Dabbert is making 78.9 percent at the stripe and ranks 10th nationally among players his height or taller this year, while ranking 16th career (min. 125 FTA) at 71.2 percent. Below is this year’s list, courtesy of STATS Inc. through Jan. 12.
Free Throw Pct. Leaders (6-10 or Taller, min. 20 FTA)
Rk. Name, School Ht. FT FTA Pct.
1. Stephan Bachmann, Weber St. 6-10 28 29 .966
2. Cameron Tragardh, Oral Roberts 6-10 28 30 .933
3. T.J. Cummings, UCLA 6-10 27 31 .871
4. Dalron Johnson, UNLV 6-10 44 51 .863
5. Ian Crosswhite, Oregon 6-11 24 28 .857
6. Jim Kessenich, IPFW 6-10 44 52 .846
7. Daniel Kickert, St. Mary’s 6-10 48 57 .842
8. Brian Cook, Illinois 6-10 67 80 .837
9. Amit Tamir, California 6-10 46 55 .836
10. Joe Dabbert, Creighton 6-10 18 22 .818
History Lesson
While Creighton’s 16-1 start and #13 national ranking may seem like a cause for celebration, they still have a long way to go before making their NCAA Tournament plans. Last season, two teams ranked on January 22nd failed to make the NCAA’s, #12 Syracuse and #7 Virginia.
Triple Threat
Kyle Korver owns a nation-best 75 three-point baskets, through games of Jan. 15. Below is the top three, according to STATS Inc.
2002-03 Three-Pointers Made Leaders
Rk. Name, School 3FG FGA Pct.
1. Kyle Korver, Creighton 75 140 .536
2. Demon Brown, Charlotte 73 169 .432
3. Chris Young, South Alabama 69 153 .451
Bluejays Start Four Iowans
Creighton’s team includes five players that hail from the state of Iowa, Brody Deren, Tyler McKinney, Kyle Korver, Michael Lindeman, and Nate Funk. The first four of those players are starters, while Funk backs up McKinney at the point.
Grimes Named MVC Player of the Week
Junior Mike Grimes was named MVC Player of the Week for the week ending Dec. 30. Grimes made 7-of-8 shots en route to a career-best 17 points in a 93-70 win over Southeast Missouri State on Dec. 29. Grimes also added five rebounds, two steals and an assist. It was Grimes’ first weekly honor of his career.
Trifecta Barrage
Senior Kyle Korver had a career-high 32 points and tied the school record with eight three-pointers in Creighton’s 75-73 loss at #19 Xavier on Dec. 31. He broke the single-game record with nine three-pointers vs. Evansville on Wednesday and finished with 31 points. Below is the single-game record holders:
3FG Name, Opponent Date
9 Kyle Korver vs. Evansville 01/15/03
8 Kyle Korver at Xavier 12/31/02
Terrell Taylor vs. Florida 03/15/02
Tad Ackerman at Drake 01/23/95
7 Kyle Korver vs. Notre Dame 11/26/02
Ryan Sears vs. Wyoming 12/06/97
Gary Swain vs. Nebraska-Omaha 12/11/86
6 19 times (including five times by Korver), last by
Kyle Korver at Nebraska 12/21/02
Interchangeable Parts
Mike Grimes continues to see his playing time produce while backing up both Kyle Korver and Brody Deren. Against Southeast Missouri State on Dec. 29, Grimes made 7-of-8 shots from the floor and finished with a career-high 17 points in just 18 minutes of action.
Grimes is now shooting a stellar 71.2 percent from the field and he has made 50 percent or better of his attempts in all but two of the last 23 games.
Frontrunners
Creighton has trailed for just 47:42 of a possible 640 minutes of game action this season in its 16 wins. The Bluejays trailed in the Notre Dame game for a span of 5:42, against BYU for a combined 1:20, Delaware State for 8:56, SE Missouri State for 3:33, Bradley for 3:33, Illinois State for 11 seconds, Evansville for 4:14 and Southern Illinois for 20:13.
Against Xavier, Creighton trailed for 30:55 of the game and never led in the second half. A late rally tied the game twice in the final minute but fell two points short.
Of Creighton’s 16 wins, Southern Illinois is the only team to lead after half, leading for 6:34.
Creighton has led from wire-to-wire in games vs. Texas-Arlington, Furman, IUPUI, Northern Iowa, Tennessee Tech, Nebraska, Drake and Illinois State (#2).
Altman Approaching Coaching Legends
Dana Altman continues to approach some of the coaching greats in MVC history in a pair of categories. Altman’s 162 wins at Creighton are 12th in league history while his 92 triumphs in conference games have him seventh in league history. Here is those lists:
MVC Coaches--Most Wins In Conference Games
Wins Coach School(s)
1. 187 Henry Iba Oklahoma A&M
2. 163 Eddie Hickey Creighton & St. Louis
3. 126 Phog Allen Kansas
4. 111 Rich Herrin Southern Illinois
5. 110 Jim Molinari Bradley
6. 95 Maury John Drake
7. 92 Dana Altman Creighton
8. 91 Joe Stowell Bradley
9. 87 Gene Smithson Wichita State
Coaches--Most Wins As MVC Member--All Games
Wins Coach School(s)
1. 486 Henry Iba Oklahoma A&M
2. 337 Eddie Hickey Creighton & St. Louis
3. 225 Rich Herrin Southern Illinois
4. 220 Ralph Miller Wichita State
5. 211 Maury John Drake
6. 197 Joe Stowell Bradley
7. 194 Chuck Osborn Bradley
8. 185 Ken Hayes Tulsa & New Mex. St.
9. 169 Phog Allen Kansas
10. 168 Bob Donewald Illinois State
11. 165 Jim Molinari Bradley
12. 162 Dana Altman Creighton
Double-Digit Streaks
Creighton’s 10-0 start was its 12th stretch of 10 straight wins or more all-time. CU’s longest streak under Dana Altman is an 11-game stretch from Jan. 27-March 3, 2001. The school-record streak is 32 straight wins, set over the course of CU’s first four seasons of organized basketball.
Creighton’s Longest Win Streaks, All-Time
W’s Dates Coach NCAA/NIT
32 1917-1920 (dates unknown) Mills & Kearney Didn’t exist
17 Mar. 25, 1942 -Mar. 4, 1943 E. Hickey NIT
16 Jan. 31, 1928-Jan. 23, 1929 A. Schabinger Didn’t exist
14 Jan. 2-Feb. 22, 1975 T. Apke NCAA
13 1924-25 (dates unknown) A. Schabinger Didn’t exist
13 1916-17 (dates unknown) T. Mills Didn’t exist
12 1921-22 (dates unknown) A. Schabinger Didn’t exist
11 Jan. 27-March 3, 2001 D. Altman NCAA
10 Nov. 17-Dec. 31, 2002 D. Altman
10 Jan. 22-Feb. 22, 1974 E. Sutton NCAA
10 Jan. 27-Mar. 12, 1962 R. McManus NCAA
10 Jan. 18-Feb. 19, 1927 A. Schabinger Didn’t exist
Dozen Dimes For McKinney
Sophomore Tyler McKinney did a superb job of controlling the tempo vs. Nebraska while also having his best all-around game to date. McKinney had 10 points and 12 assists without a turnover in 29 minutes of action. McKinney’s 12 assists were the most by a Bluejay since Ed St. Fleur had a dozen at Cal State-Sacramento on Jan. 13, 1996. The 12 assists were also the most this season by a MVC player.
McKinney’s Double-Double
Tyler McKinney’s 10 points and 12 assists were the first double-double of his career. It also marked Creighton’s first point-assist double-double since Ed St. Fleur had 14 points and 10 assists in CU’s 1996-97 season-opener.
Turnover Free At The Point
Tyler McKinney’s 12 assists without a turnover vs. Nebraska made him just the third player in Bluejay history to accomplish that feat. Here’s the single-game assist leaders at Creighton, along with their turnover statistics on that night:
Ast. Name, Opponent Date Turnovers
17 Ralph Bobik vs. Bradley 01/22/74 0
Ralph Bobik at St. Francis (Pa.) 02/23/73
16 Ralph Bobik vs. BYU 12/17/73 4
13 Jason Bey vs. Southern Illinois 02/27/95 1
Latrell Wrightsell vs. Nebraska 12/07/91 1
12 Tyler McKinney at Nebraska 12/21/02 0
Ed St. Fleur at CS-Sacramento 01/13/96 0
Latrell Wrightsell vs. N. Iowa 02/01/92 4
Duan Cole at Iowa State 01/16/90 5
Vernon Moore at Southern Illinois 01/17/85 2
Randy Eckker at Gonzaga 01/14/77 2
Randy Eckker at Bradley 01/12/77 4
According to STATS Inc., McKinney is one of five players nationwide with at least a dozen assists and no turnovers in a game this year. He is joined by the following players:
Name, School Date AST TO
Aaron Miles, Kansas Dec. 14 13 0
Chris Thomas, Notre Dame Dec. 22 13 0
Tyler McKinney, Creighton Dec. 21 12 0
Roy Morris, San Diego Dec. 14 12 0
Steve Blake, Maryland Jan. 4 12 0
McKinney Earns Scholar-Athlete Award
Bluejays point guard Tyler McKinney has been named the Prairie Farms/MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week for Dec. 21. McKinney averaged 7.5 points, 6.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 67 percent from the field to help the Bluejays defeat Delaware State (68-48) on Dec. 16 and Nebraska (81-73) on Dec. 21. He had 12 assists without a turnover vs. the Huskers.
Don’t Blink
Creighton has posted impressive starts to start both the first and seconds halves of its games. The Bluejays have outscored their opponents 172-102 in the first five minutes of the first half, and 171-137 in the opening five minutes after half. Evansville (Jan. 15) is the only opponent to outscore the Jays in the first five minutes of both halves this season.
First Five Minutes
Game 1st Half 2nd Half
UT-Arlington 12-4 13-5
Furman 17-5 7-7
IUPUI 14-2 15-11
Notre Dame 7-3 11-9
Northern Iowa 9-2 15-9
BYU 9-4 4-6
Tenn. Tech 9-5 15-4
Delaware St. 2-6 11-8
Nebraska 15-5 8-11
SE Missouri State 10-11 13-8
Xavier 7-6 4-12
Drake 9-2 7-12
Bradley 14-11 6-8
Illinois State 8-6 11-3
Evansville 5-8 9-14
Southern Illinois 11-12 9-2
Illinois State 14-10 13-8
Totals 172-102 171-137
Nothing But Nets
Did you know that Creighton is one of four schools nationwide to qualify a team for the NCAA Tournament in men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s basketball and women’s basketball in 2002 They are joined by Notre Dame, Connecticut and Stanford in this elite group.
Of those four, Creighton was the only school to win its league tournament in all four sports.
First Time For Everything
According to available records, Creighton had never won three games in the same regular-season tournament before a season-opening 4-0 run to the Guardians Classic title. That’s not to say they haven’t been successful in postseason action, as they’ve won three of the last four MVC Tournaments.
All About The Bench
Creighton’s depth has allowed it to gradually wear down the opposition this season. The Bluejays have 10 players see double-digit minutes with no sign of letting up.
In the season opener, the CU bench contributed 61 points, 24 rebounds and 11 assists vs. Texas-Arlington. Creighton’s 61 points off the pine was their most since the bench had 62 points in a win over Grambling on Dec. 6, 1999.
Against Southeast Missouri State, the Jays outscored the Indians bench 42-4 while winning by 23 points.
As a whole, Creighton’s bench is averaging 32.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game this season while playing 85.5 minutes per contest. An individual has scored 10 or more points off the bench 17 different times this season.
In CU's Jan. 11 game at Illinois State, Altman inserted 19 subs into the game in the first half and made 25 lineup changes in the second half.
All-Tournament Honors
Kyle Korver and Brody Deren were both named to the all-Tournament team for the Guardians Classic championship rounds in Kansas City. Korver averaged 22 points and 5.5 rebounds to earn tournament MVP accolades, while Deren averaged 11 points and seven rebounds to earn his spot. Rounding out the all-Tournament team were Chris Thomas and Matt Carroll from Notre Dame and Karim Souchu from Furman.
Bombs Away
Creighton’s 15 three-pointers against UT-Arlington were one shy of the school and Civic Auditorium record set vs. Evansville on Jan. 4, 1999 in a 84-79 loss. In that game CU was 16-for-30. That Evansville game was the only previous time Creighton made as many as 15 three-pointers in a game. Creighton also made 15-of-25 three-pointers vs. IUPUI.
Kyle Korver broke a Civic Auditorium record against BYU when he launched 14 three-point attempts. Korver also shot 14 treys in his record-breaking performance vs. Evansville, making a Civic and Creighton record nine. The 14 attempts are a career-high and one attempt shy of the Bluejay record.
Good Luck Charm
Dan Bresnahan played just five minutes against Texas-Arlington but the sophomore walk-on made the most of his minutes. In addition to his tip-in at the buzzer, Bresnahan had four rebounds, a steal and an assist, all career highs. Bresnahan also had three uncles who played at Creighton. Creighton is 18-0 all-time when Bresnahan plays.
Altman Top MVC Coach Back-to-Back Years
Not only did Dana Altman clinch a second-straight regular-season title for Creighton last season, but he also repeated Rawlings/MVC Coach of the Year honors. The only previous coach in the last 30 years to earn MVC Coach of the Year honors in back-to-back campaigns was when current Kentucky coach Tubby Smith did it at Tulsa in 1993-94 and 1994-95.
The only other MVC coaches to go back-to-back were George Smith when he had Oscar Robertson at Cincinnati (1958-59) and Maurice “Maury” John at Drake from 1968-70.
Pupil Passes Former Coach
Kyle Korver’s 24 points vs. Southern Illinois allowed him to pass former Bluejay player and assistant coach Kevin McKenna. McKenna, who played five years in the NBA and ranked among the top-10 in three-point percentage twice, is the only player in MVC history to win a MVC regular-season title, MVC Tournament title, CBA title and NBA title. McKenna was an assistant coach at Creighton for Korver's first two years before taking the head coaching job at Nebraska-Omaha.
Creighton All-Time Scoring List
1. 2,116 Rodney Buford 1995-99
7. 1,654 Vernon Moore 1981-85
8. 1,575 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
9. 1,537 Kyle Korver 1999-Present
10. 1,526 John C. Johnson 1975-79
11. 1,500 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
Fantasy League Dream
With the numbers he produces in so many different categories, senior forward Kyle Korver would be a fantasy league owners’ dream. The Missouri Valley Conference tracks 12 different statistical categories, and Korver ranked among the top-13 in all but one category (offensive rebounding) last season. Korver led the Valley in steals and free throw percentage and also ranked among the top-five in three-point field goals made, three-point field goal percentage, scoring and assists.
He led Creighton in points, three-pointers, rebounding, assists and steals. Korver became the first player in school history to lead the team in points, steals and assists in the same year since they began recording steals in 1980-81. Korver has two or more assists in all but three of his last 46 games.
Once again this season, he is in the top-15 in each MVC category except offensive rebounding.
Korver By The Numbers
Kyle Korver has made three or more three-pointers in 63 of his 111 career games at Creighton. Creighton is 50-13 in such contests, including a 12-1 record this year.
Korver has made five three-pointers or more in a game on 23 occasions in his career, with the Jays winning 19 of those games. He has made at least one three-pointer in each of the last 54 games he’s attempted one dating to an 0-for-4 effort beyond the arc at Indiana State his sophomore season.
Korver is the only player CU history to make 60 or more three-pointers in three different seasons, something he has done all four years.
3-Pt. FG Made by Game
Year 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Freshman 9 6 6 7 2 2 1 0 0 0
Sophomore 3 2 4 9 8 5 1 0 0 0
Junior 1 8 5 4 6 5 0 0 0 0
Senior 0 2 2 2 2 3 3 1 1 1
Totals 13 18 17 22 18 15 5 1 1 1
Free Throw Marksman
Creighton senior Kyle Korver ranks fourth nationally among the nation’s active players in free-throw accuracy. Below is the top five, courtesy of STATS Inc., after games of Jan. 12.
Active Free Throw Percentage Leaders
(Minimum 200 career FTA)
Rk. Name, School FTM FTA FT%
1. Gary Buchanan, Villanova 295 319 .925
2. Brent Jolly, Tennessee Tech 268 298 .899
3. Jake Sullivan, Iowa State 232 258 .899
4. Kyle Korver, Creighton 236 268 .881
5. Troy Bell, Boston College 661 761 .869
Money Ball
Kyle Korver ranks fourth among the nation’s active players in career free-throw percentage, so it’s no surprise that he’ll go long stretches at the line without a miss. In fact, Korver owns four career streaks of 20 or more consecutive free throws. He had a stretch of 21 straight from the stripe snapped on Nov. 25, 2002 with a miss vs. IUPUI.
Korver enters Thursday’s game at Evansville having made 19 straight attempts since a rare miss at Illinois State on Jan. 19.
Only once in his career has Korver missed two free throws during the same trip to the line, and that came Dec. 16, 2000 vs. Wichita State.
Here’s a chart showing Korver’s top streaks at the stripe.
Streak Dates
28 Jan. 27-March 15, 2001
27 Jan. 29-Nov. 20, 2000
24 Mar. 15-Dec. 4, 2001
21 Mar. 3, Nov. 25, 2002
The Pella Cannon
Senior forward Kyle Korver continues to shoot three-pointers with astounding accuracy. Korver has made 77-of-145 three-pointers (53.1 percent) in his first 17 games. He’s made at least one trey in all but three of the 34 halves he’s played this season and five or more in nine different contests.
Don’t Take Our Word For It
Count noted college basketball personality Dick Vitale among those who are fans of Kyle Korver. Vitale listed Korver on his All-AT&T team (Long Distance Bombers) in ESPN Magazine’s preseason college basketball preview issue dated Nov. 25, 2002. Korver is listed along with Brent Blizzard, Jason Kapono, Kirk Penney and Dante Swanson. Korver was also listed last season.
Preseason Hype
In addition to the preseason MVC poll (page 4), Creighton has been picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference by Athlon Sports, Basketball News, Lindy’s, The Sporting News and Street & Smith’s magazines. In addition, The Sporting News ranks Creighton 24th nationally.
The preseason favorite’s role is Creighton’s second in three years (also 2000-01) and fifth time since 1989-90. In addition, Kyle Korver has been tabbed preseason MVC Player of the Year. Combined with the CU women’s selection as the top squad, this season marks the first time since 1992-93 that both The Valley’s men and women’s preseason favorite are from the same school.
A March Tradition
Did you know that Creighton is one of 20 teams nationally to have played in the NCAA Tournament each of the last four years The select company, listed alphabetically, also includes Arizona, Cincinnati, Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan St., Missouri, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, Winthrop and Wisconsin.
According to Stats Inc., Creighton is also one of just 22 teams nationally that have won 20 or more games in each of the last four seasons. Joining them in that category are Arizona, Butler, Charleston, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Indiana, Kansas, Kent State, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Syracuse, Tulsa, UCLA and Xavier.
Put together, Creighton is one of just 15 schools to win 20 or more games and reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the last four years.
Four Straight Trips Rare
Creighton’s current run of four straight NCAA Tournaments has been matched just one time previously by a MVC school. Cincinnati played in six straight NCAA Tournaments between 1958-63, including national titles in 1961 and 1962. Oscar Robertson played at Cincinnati from 1958-60.
Leading The Charge
Creighton has taken 33 charges this season, led by nine from Mike Grimes and eight from Joe Dabbert. The Bluejays took a season-high six on Nov. 18 vs. Furman and added five more vs. BYU.
Career-High For Korver
Kyle Korver’s 32 points at Xavier were a career high and the most by a Bluejay since Rodney Buford scored 40 points vs. Bradley on Dec. 30, 1998, a span of 128 games.
Dana’s Arc
Creighton has made two or more three-pointers in 280 consecutive games, including every game under the direction of Dana Altman. The last time they had just one trey was a 74-70 win over Florida A&M on Dec. 22, 1993.
Overall, Creighton has made at least one trifecta in 290 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois St. on Feb. 20, 1993 when Rick Johnson was coach.
Creighton is one of 14 schools to make 200 or more three-pointers in each of the last five seasons, placing them with this elite list: Arkansas, Creighton, Duke, Florida, Fresno State, Georgia Tech, Gonzaga, Lafayette, Montana State, Princeton, Siena, TCU, Temple and Tulsa.
Civic Swan Song
The 2002-03 campaign will mark Creighton’s final season in the Omaha Civic Auditorium. Creighton first played at the Civic in 1955 and moved there full-time for the 1961-62 season. The Jays own an all-time record of 426-155 at the Civic, including an 93-28 mark under Dana Altman.
The Civic has been home to five regular-season MVC champs and seven MVC Tournament champions in the last 25 years alone.
Creighton’s future home is under construction less than a mile from the current floor. The Omaha Convention Center & Arena is a $291 million project that will seat 15,800 fans for basketball and be ready for the 2003-04 season. The new arena is located between downtown Omaha and Eppley Airport on the former Union Pacific Railroad yards.
Civic Leader
With his season-opening win over Texas-Arlington, Dana Altman now owns the distinction of winning more games at the Civic Auditorium than any previous Creighton coach. Altman’s 93 home wins passes Tom Apke, who was 83-16 at the Civic from 1974-81.
Streaks Of Note
Creighton has won 12 straight games when scoring 100 or more points, including a perfect 5-0 record under Dana Altman under such circumstances. Creighton last lost when surpassing 100 points on Feb. 26, 1977.
Altman is now 22-0 when his Creighton team scores 90 or more points. The Bluejays have won 38 straight since Jan. 11, 1988 when scoring 90 or more.
Altman is also 58-5 when his teams score 80 or more points, including 31 straight wins, dating to a Feb. 19, 2000 setback.
They’re Baaaaaack!
With all five starters back, it’s no surprise that nearly all of CU’s production returns as well, as seen below:
Stat Returners (Pct.) Departures (Pct.)
Games Started 159 (99.4) 1 (0.6)
Minutes 5,255 (80.2) 1,295 (19.8)
Points 1,874 (77.4) 547 (22.6)
Rebounds 881 (84.3) 164 (15.7)
Assists 368 (75.4) 120 (24.6)
Recapping Last Season
Creighton finished last season with a 23-9 record, a fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and a share of a second straight MVC title.
Some of last season’s highlights included a win over #17 Western Kentucky in double-overtime, an eight-game winning streak in MVC play in January, and the team’s third MVC Tournament crown in the last four seasons. Creighton then knocked off #14 Florida in double-overtime in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to #16 Illinois in the second round.
Dana Altman was named MVC Coach of the Year, Kyle Korver was named MVC Player of the Year and Terrell Taylor was named the MVC’s Sixth Man of the Year.
20 Wins x 4 Years = Unprecedented Success
With 23 wins in 2001-02, Creighton won 20 games for an unprecedented fourth straight season. The Jays were 24-8, 23-10 and 22-9 in the previous three campaigns. Creighton owns 15 seasons of 20 or more wins in school history, including a school-record total of 24 wins in 1990-91 and 2000-01.
Creighton’s 23 wins last year gives them 47 over the last two seasons, 70 in the last three years and 92 in the last four seasons. All four of those marks tie or set a school-best for most wins in consecutive seasons.
Making the Move To The New Arena
Renewal information regarding Jaybackers and Creighton men's basketball season tickets for 2003-04 at the Omaha Convention Center & Arena was mailed out Jan. 2 to current ticketholders and Jaybackers. Included in each packet is a personalized renewal application, a postage-paid return envelope, a step-by-step sheet which explains the transition process from the Civic Auditorium to the new arena and a brochure which highlights the benefits of Jaybacker membership, season ticket prices and accompanying seating schematic of the new arena.
The renewal applications need to be returned in the postage-paid envelope provided by February 17, 2003. Should you have any questions after reading the information, contact either Director of Athletics Bruce Rasmussen (280-2487) or Assistant Director of Athletics for External Operations Kevin Sarver (280-5810).
Ticket Info For Home Games
For Creighton men’s basketball season tickets, call (402) 280-2720. Single game tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (402) 422-1212.
Future Jays
Creighton coach Dana Altman signed a pair of Missouri natives on fall Signing Day. Anthony Tolliver, a 6-9 forward/center from Springfield, Mo. (Kickapoo HS) and Tim Blackwell, a 6-4 guard from Cameron, Mo. (Cameron HS) both will join Creighton next fall. Tolliver’s team was ranked 14th nationally on Jan. 14th by USA Today. The Bluejays still have one scholarship remaining, which they plan to hold until the spring.
