#13 Bluejays Hosts Northern Iowa Tuesday
2/3/2003 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Next Game
Thirteenth-ranked Creighton (19-2, 9-1) opens a three-game homestand on Tuesday when Northern Iowa (6-12, 3-7 MVC) comes to town. Tip-off on ConAgra Foods Court at the Omaha Civic Auditorium is set for 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 Travis Justice will call the action. The game will not be televised.
Scouting Creighton
Off to a 19-2 start, Creighton is looking to become the nation’s first team to 20 wins on Tuesday. Creighton opened this season with 10 straight wins and after a two-point loss at #19 Xavier, reeled of six more wins to start 16-1 for the first time since 1942-43. A 74-66 loss at Evansville on Jan. 23 is CU’s lone blemish in 10 MVC games this season.
Notre Dame, BYU, Tennessee Tech, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and TCU have been among CU’s quality wins this season and the Jays are ranked 13th nationally.
The Bluejays are led by senior forward Kyle Korver, who continues to be mentioned as a National Player of the Year contender. Korver leads the team in scoring (18.5), rebounding (6.2) and steals (32) while also ranking second in assists. Korver has made 84 three-pointers and is shooting 50.6 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 as CU offers 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 10.9 points per game. In the middle Brody Deren leads the MVC with 29 blocked shots and averages 7.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest.
Scouting Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa snapped a four-game losing streak Saturday with a 63-61 win over Evansville. The Panthers have three players averaging in double-figures, led by Matt Schneiderman’s 13.3 points per contest. David Gruber scores 13.2 points and grabs 7.9 rebounds per game, while true freshman Ben Jacobson scores 10.8 points per contest. Sophomore point guard Chris Foster leads the Valley in assists with 84 and averages 8.9 points. The Panthers have lost eight straight road games since winning at Montana in the season opener.
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 165-97 (.630) mark at CU and a career record of 248-164 (.602) in his 14th year as an NCAA Division I head coach.
Altman became Creighton’s all-time winningest coach with his 164th Bluejay triumph, a 74-46 road win at Indiana State on Jan. 29. He 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.
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his second season as head coach at his alma mater, owning a 20-27 record in that time. Prior to returning to UNI, McDermott was a head coach at Wayne State (1995-2000) and North Dakota State (2001). He owns a 151-91 career record in nine years as a head coach overall. McDermott is assisted by Ron Smith, Ben Jacobson and Kyle Green.
Series History
Creighton leads the all-time series with Northern Iowa 15-10, which began with a Creighton victory in the 1917-18 season. The Bluejays own a 10-2 advantage in Omaha, including wins in each of the last six seasons. Dana Altman is 12-6 all-time vs. the Panthers.
Last Game Recap
Larry House tied his career-high with 23 points and led five Bluejays in double-figures as #16 Creighton (19-2, 9-1 MVC) defeated Drake (7-13, 2-7 MVC), 88-68, before a Knapp Center record crowd of 7,152. In addition to House's heroics, DeAnthony Bowden (17) and Tyler McKinney (14) also tied their career-high point totals. Creighton shot 61 percent for the game, including 66.7 percent after half to post the win. Also scoring in double-figures were Brody Deren and Mike Grimes with 11 points each. Kyle Korver, the MVC's leading scorer, had six points and seven rebounds while dishing out a career-best eight assists. Holding a slim 57-55 lead early in the second half, the Jays used a 14-2 run to cruise to victory.
Korver Named To Wooden Watch List
Creighton senior Kyle Korver has been named to the John R. Wooden Award Candidate List as the nation’s top player. Korver is one of 30 players and the lone Missouri Valley representative. The Midseason Top 30 list is based on individual player performance and team records through the early part of the season. The Wooden Committee will pare the list down to 15-20 players before the official ballot is released in early March. A complete list can be found at www.woodenaward.com.
Back-to-Back Road Blowouts
Creighton posted a 74-46 win over Indiana State on Wednesday, then beat Drake 88-68 in Des Moines on Saturday. Though Creighton has played in 895 road games since 1924-25, last week was just the second time ever that CU posted back-to-back road wins by 20 points or more. The only previous time that happened was in 1963 when the Jays won at Nevada 92-63 on Dec. 23 and then at South Dakota 75-54 on Dec. 28.
Jays Can Be First To 20 Wins
With a home victory on Tuesday vs. Northern Iowa, Creighton can become the nation's first team to 20 victories. Creighton's 19-2 record trails only Louisville (16-1) for the nation's best winning percentage. Should Creighton reach 20 wins this season, it would be the fifth straight season they've done it, extending its current school record of four.
Getting To 20 Quicker Than Ever
With a win on Tuesday vs. Northern Iowa, Creighton would post its 16th season of 20 or more wins. However, CU has never picked up 20 wins in fewer than 23 games or before February 12th on the calendar. Below is a list of Creighton's 20-win seasons in history as well as the days when they accomplished that milestone:
Final 20th Win Date of
Year W-L in Game # Win #20
2001-02 23-9 28 Mar. 2
2000-01 24-8 26 Feb. 17
1999-00 23-10 29 Feb. 28
1998-99 22-9 28 Feb. 28
1990-91 24-8 27 Feb. 25
1989-90 21-12 29 Feb. 24
1988-89 20-11 30 Mar. 7
1984-85 20-12 26 Feb. 14
1980-81 21-9 28 Mar. 5
1976-77 21-7 23 Feb. 12
1974-75 20-7 24 Feb. 22
1973-74 23-7 24 Feb. 19
1963-64 22-7 25 Feb. 26
1961-62 21-5 24 Mar. 12
1921-22 21-5 25 Unknown
Career Nights
Three different Creighton players matched their career high point totals in Saturday's win over Drake. Larry House (23), DeAnthony Bowden (17) and Tyler McKinney (14) all scored at will as Drake focused most of its attention on Kyle Korver, who dished out a career-best eight assists on the evening.
Three's Still Falling
Creighton continues to shoot the trifecta this season, having made 185 in its first 21 games. Entering this season, Creighton was one of 14 schools to make 200 or more three-pointers in each of the last five seasons, joining Arkansas, Duke, Florida, Fresno State, Georgia Tech, Gonzaga, Lafayette, Montana State, Princeton, Siena, TCU, Temple and Tulsa.
Assists An Asset
Including its 20-assist effort at Drake on Saturday, Creighton has now won all 11 games this season they've dished out 20 or more assists this season. By comparison, last season the Jays did that just four times.
Shooting Towards Another Record
Kyle Korver has made 14 consecutive free throws and 34 of his last 35 to reclaim the MVC lead in free throw percentage. In fact, Korver's 91.4 percent shooting would be a new CU record for free throw accuracy, passing the 89.0 percent mark he set last year. Below is Creighton's top-five most accurate seasons at the charity stripe, three of which are held by Korver.
Free Throw Percentage, Single-Season
Pct. Name (Class, Yr.) FTM-FTA
.914 Kyle Korver (Sr., 2002-03) 65-70
.890 Kyle Korver (Jr., 2001-02) 97-109
.882 Doug Brookins (Sr., 1974-75) 98-111
.880 Mike Caruso (Sr., 1970-71) 95-108
.867 Kyle Korver (So., 2000-01) 72-83
Stealing The Show
With all the attention on his offense, few people recognize that Kyle Korver led the MVC in steals last season with 1.55 steals per game. This season, Korver leads the Jays with 32 steals, which makes him the MVC's active leader with 154. Korver's 154 career thefts places him tied for fourth in CU history, as seen below:
Steals, Career (since 1979-80)
Stl. Name Years
283 Ryan Sears 1997-01
195 Rodney Buford 1995-99
186 Duan Cole 1987-92
154 Kyle Korver 1999-Pres.
154 Latrell Wrightsell 1988-92
150 Vernon Moore 1981-85
Coming Back Strong
Kyle Korver hasn’t had many rough shooting nights in his career, but more often than not he’s responded with a strong performance in his next outing. In the last three seasons, Korver has made 30 percent or less of his shots on just 12 occasions. However, CU has won the subsequent game the last 10 times, as seen below:
Date Opp. Score Next Opp Score FG 3FG Pts.
2/1/03 Drake W 88-68 N. Iowa
1/23/03 Evansville L 66-74 TCU W 89-79 6-9 4-7 23
1/8/03 Bradley W 65-58 Illinois St. W 76-57 5-6 4-5 17
2/13/02 Drake W 95-91 Wichita St. W 69-67 6-13 5-12 18
1/26/02 Evansville W 57-41 SMS W 80-74 7-10 3-6 20
12/8/01 BYU L 52-61 Nebraska W 76-70 4-8 1-4 13
11/27/01 W. Kentucky W 94-91 Grambling W 102-64 6-9 4-7 28
3/15/01 Iowa L 56-69 NC A&T W 72-51 5-13 2-10 14
2/7/01 Drake W 69-44 S. Illinois W 78-63 5-10 4-8 14
1/24/01 Evansville L 52-61 Illinois St. W 78-69 7-10 4-7 22
12/30/00 Evansville W 87-57 Nebraska W 62-51 6-17 5-13 22
11/26/00 Toledo L 57-61 Wyoming L 74-78 5-13 2-8 12
Totals 7 wins, 5 losses 10 wins, 1 loss 67-118 38-87 203
Second Half Team
For the second straight season, Creighton has finished the first half of the MVC record with an 8-1 mark, the 14th straight time that CU has been .500 or better in either the first or second-half of the league season.
Here’s how Dana Altman’s club’s have fared in the second half of the MVC season since his arrival:
Year 1st Half 2nd Half
2002-03 8-1 1-0
2001-02 8-1 6-3
2000-01 5-4 9-0
1999-00 5-4 6-3
1998-99 6-3 5-4
1997-98 5-4 7-2
1996-97 5-4 5-4
1995-96 4-5 5-4
1994-95 3-6 1-8
Total 49-32 (.605) 45-28 (.616)
Early Offense Execution
Senior Larry House has scored Creighton’s first points in nine games this season, easily best on the team. Brody Deren has scored the Jays first points on six occasions, Michael Lindeman four times and Tyler McKinney and Kyle Korver once each.
Altman Becomes Creighton Victory Leader
With Creighton’s win over Indiana State on Jan. 29, Dana Altman passed Arthur A. Schabinger for first on Creighton’s all-time coaching wins list. Schabinger led the Jays from 1922-35 and coached eight teams to at least a share of a league title. Below is a list of Creighton’s victory leaders:
Rk. W-L Coach
1. 165-97 Dana Altman
2. 163-66 Arthur A. Schabinger
Road Warriors
Creighton is in the middle of an impressive run in MVC play. The Jays are 32-5 in league action since the midway point of the 2000-01 season. Even more impressive, CU is 16-3 in road MVC contests in that span.
Must Win TV
KMTV has picked up Creighton’s Feb. 15 game at Wichita State and will air the contest live starting at 1:35 p.m. That’s good news for Creighton fans. The Bluejays are 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).
In fact, 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.
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
Deren Wiping The Glass
Junior center Brody Deren broke out of a funk with 12 points and nine rebounds in Creighton’s win over TCU on Sunday. The 12 points snapped a personal string of 10 straight games in single digits, while his nine rebounds were the first time he had more than six caroms in a contest since Nov. 25. Deren added eight more caroms against Indiana State.
Playing With Fire
Creighton trailed by 12 at the half and by 16 two minutes into the second half, but that didn’t stop them from a huge rally to beat TCU on Jan. 26, 89-79. It was Creighton’s largest halftime deficit in a win since trailing 40-27 at the break of last year’s 94-91 double-overtime win over #17 Western Kentucky on Nov. 27. In the victory over the Hilltoppers, CU trailed by as much as 18 in the first half.
Double-Figure Scorers, Not Shooters
Despite no one taking more than nine attempts from the floor, Creighton had a season-high five players reach double-figures in its win over TCU. Entering the game, the Bluejays were the nation’s only ranked team with just one player averaging in double-figures. CU has won all five games this season they’ve played when no individuals have taken 10 shots or more.
Full House
Creighton senior Larry House is playing the best basketball of his Bluejay career on both ends of the court. House has scored in double-figures in six of his last seven contests while also accepting more of a defensive role.
In his last seven games, House has averaged 16.1 points per game and made 63.5 percent of his shots (47-of-74) and while also draining 7-of-10 three-point attempts.
House has scored a career-best 23 points against both Evansville (Jan. 15) and Drake (Feb. 1) in this hot spurt.
Big Man Bonus
Creighton post men Mike Grimes continues to produce off the bench for Creighton. Grimes is the team’s fourth leading scorer at 7.9 points per game and makes 70 percent of his shots from the field, which leads the MVC. He also paces the squad by taking 12 charges this season.
Grimes has scored seven or more in each of the last seven games, averaging 10.0 points per contest. Grimes has made 50 percent or better of his attempts in all but three of the last 27 games.
Disturbing Trend
Creighton has allowed its opponents to shoot 48.6 percent or better in the first half of seven of the last eight games, something they permitted only twice in the first 13 contests.
Prior to the Illinois State, Evansville, TCU and Drake since Jan. 11, no Creighton opponent had shot better than 50 percent in the second half this season. The Redbirds, Purple Aces, Horned Frogs and Bulldogs also became CU’s first opponents 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 last 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 his Jan. 13-19 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.
Single-Season Leaders
Kyle Korver’s 84 three-pointers this season already rank him second in CU’s single-season history. He now owns three of the top four spots, as his sophomore season total of 100 is the current record while his 79 last year is fourth-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. 84 Kyle Korver (Sr.) 2002-03
3. 82 Tad Ackerman (Jr.) 1994-95
4. 79 Kyle Korver (Jr.) 2001-02
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) and Mark Button (cnnsi.com) and Blair Kerkhoff (Kansas City Star) have also tabbed him as a mid-season, first-team All-American. In addition, New York Daily News columnist Dick “Hoops” Weiss attended CU’s Jan. 26 game vs. TCU and wrote a glowing feature on the Bluejays.
Creighton was also featured on both the front page and sports page of the Jan. 23 edition of the USA Today, which was in town during CU’s game vs. Southern Illinois.
Three-Point Ace
Among active players, Creighton senior Kyle Korver ranked first nationally in career three-pointers made through games of Feb. 2nd with 326. 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 326 716 .455
2. Brett Blizzard, UNC-Wilmington 322 758 .425
3. Gary Buchanan, Villanova 305 782 .390
4. Jason Gardner, Arizona 292 788 .371
5. Jason Kapono, UCLA 291 648 .449
Perfect 10
With the Jan. 20 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 11-0 at home this season and are 64-8 (.889) at home since Jan. 20, 1998. All 11 home wins this season have been by nine points or more.
Korver Breaks MVC Record
Creighton senior Kyle Korver drained five three-pointers vs. Southern Illinois on Jan. 18 to break the Missouri Valley Conference record for career trifectas. Korver now owns 325 three-pointers in his career and 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
326 Kyle Korver, CU 1999-Present
314 Shane Hawkins, SIU 1994-98
Creighton Career 3-Point Attempts Leaders
3FGA Name Years
716 Kyle Korver 1999-Present
689 Ryan Sears 1997-01
Creighton Career 3-Point Percentage Leaders
Pct. Name Years
.455 Kyle Korver (326-716) 1999-Present
.441 Rod Mason (132-299) 1986-88
Lucky Sevens
Creighton’s loss at Evansville snapped its streak of seven straight MVC wins, something that had happened four times in the last six years and the 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-Jan. 20, 2003
7 Jan. 9-Jan. 30, 2002
6 Jan. 21-Feb. 10, 1991
Ranking Information
Creighton was ranked 10th in the Jan. 20th Associated Press poll, the best ranking in program history. Before that, 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 is tabbed 13th in the Feb. 3 AP poll.
Team Leader In More Ways Than One
With seven rebounds, eight assists and three steals at Drake, Kyle Korver led Creighton in rebounds for the 11th time, assists for the seventh time and steals for the sixth time this season. He has also led the squad in points 13 times and blocks four times this season.
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 58 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.
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 29 rejections, while Dabbert owns 21 blocks for second in the league. Creighton owns 81 blocked shots this season, more than 18 more than the next best MVC squad.
Deren ranks fourth in Bluejay history with 79 career blocked shots, while Dabbert has 60 and is seventh. Below is the all-time list:
Creighton Blocked Shots Since 1979-80
Blk. Name Years
411 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
183 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
109 Doug Swenson 1997-99
79 Brody Deren 2001-Present
79 Adam Reid 1994-97
76 Livan Pyfrom 1999-01
60 Joe Dabbert 2000-Present
59 Rodney Buford 1995-99
48 Randall Crutcher 1993-97
Triple Lindy
Left unguarded in the second half when TCU switched to a box-and-one, Creighton junior Michael Lindeman displayed his shooting prowess by making a career-best three trey’s, including one with 8:51 remaining that allowed CU to retake the lead. Lindeman is a former walk-on who has made a team-best 53 consecutive starts. The Bluejays have won 12 straight games when Lindeman scores in double-figures.
What’s Your Twenty
Each of the previous five seasons, Creighton has started exactly 14-6 and ended up in the postseason. This year though, the Jays were 18-2 after the Jan. 29 win at Indiana State. Here’s a look at Creighton’s record after 20 games in the last eight seasons under Dana Altman.
Year First 20 W-L Final W-L Postseason
2002-03 18-2
2001-02 14-6 23-9 NCAA
2000-01 14-6 24-8 NCAA
1999-00 14-6 23-10 NCAA
1998-99 14-6 22-9 NCAA
1997-98 14-6 18-10 NIT
1996-97 10-10 15-15 ---
1995-96 11-9 14-15 ---
1994-95 6-14 7-19 ---
Twenty Game Starts
Creighton’s win at Indiana State secured Creighton’s third-ever 18-2 start to a season. The 1921-22 team started 19-2 before finishing 21-5, while CU’s first team, the 1916-17 squad, finished 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
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 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.
These Guys Can Shoot
With two of the nation’s four (Kyle Korver and Clint Cuffle) most accurate marksmen from three-point range, it shouldn’t be surprising that the Missouri Valley Conference boasts the nation’s best three-point shooters percentage-wise. As a league, the MVC was making 37.99 percent of its shots from beyond the arc as of Jan. 27, far ahead of the next-best Mountain West Conference’s 36.60 percent accuracy.
Korver In The NCAA History Books
Bluejay senior Kyle Korver is approaching the top-25 in NCAA history for three-point baskets made. Curtis Staples graduated from Virginia in 1998 with an NCAA record 413 treys. Below is the list of the top-25 in NCAA history for made three-point baskets.
Three-Point Field Goals Made Leaders (All-Time)
Rk. Name, School Ht. Last Yr G 3FG
1. Curtis Staples, Virginia 6-3 1998 122 413
2. Keith Veney, Lamar & Marshall 6-3 1997 111 409
3. Doug Day, Radford 6-1 1993 117 401
4. Ronnie Schmitz, UMKC 6-3 1993 112 378
5. Mark Alberts, Akron 6-1 1993 107 375
6. Pat Bradley, Arkansas 6-2 1999 132 366
7. Bryce Drew, Valparaiso 6-3 1998 121 364
8. Jeff Fryer, Loyola Marymount 6-2 1990 112 363
9. Dennis Scott, Georgia Tech 6-8 1990 99 351
10. Rashad Phillips, Detroit 5-10 2001 129 348
11. Allan Houston, Tennessee 6-5 1993 128 346
Jobey Thomas, Charlotte 6-4 2002 130 346
13. Ronnie McCollum, Centenary 6-4 2001 113 345
14. Trajan Langdon, Duke 6-4 1999 136 342
15. Louis Bullock, Michigan 6-2 1999 132 339
16. Jeff Boschee, Kansas 6-3 2002 137 338
17. Alphonso Ford, Miss. Valley St. 6-2 1993 109 333
Tim Gill, Oral Roberts 6-2 1998 112 333
19. Pete Lisicky, Penn State 6-4 1998 118 332
Brian Merriweather, Tex.-Pan Am. 6-3 2001 84 332
Clarence Gilbert, Missouri 6-2 2002 128 332
22. Shawn Respert, Michigan State 6-3 1995 118 331
Demond Mallet, McNeese St. 6-1 2001 117 331
Monty Mack, Massachusetts 6-3 2001 123 331
25. Andy Kennedy, NC St. & UAB 6-8 1991 121 330
On The Outside Looking In
-- Kyle Korver, Creighton 6-7 2003 115 326
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 45.5 percent accuracy from three-point range (326-716) ranks him 11th in NCAA history among those with 200 or more three-pointers. He is tops all-time among players 6-6 or taller and first among 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 .4965
2. David Olson, Eastern Illinois 6-4 262 562 .4662
3. Ross Land, Northern Arizona 6-5 308 664 .4639
4. Dan Dickau, Wash. & Gonzaga 6-0 215 465 .4624
5. Sean Jackson, Ohio & Princeton 5-11 243 528 .4602
6. Barry Booker, Vanderbilt 6-3 246 535 .4598
7. Kevin Booth, Mt. St. Mary’s 6-0 265 577 .4592
8. Dave Calloway, Monmouth 6-3 260 567 .4586
9. Tony Ross, San Diego State 6-3 270 589 .4584
10. Jason Matthews, Pittsburgh 6-3 259 567 .4568
11. Kyle Korver, Creighton* 6-7 326 716 .4553
12. Corey Reed, Radford 6-6 232 510 .4549
13. Jim Barton, Dartmouth 6-4 242 532 .4549
14. Shawn Respert, Michigan State 6-3 331 728 .4547
15. Carlton Becton, N.C. A&T 6-6 209 462 .4524
16. Eric Channing, New Mexico St. 6-4 283 627 .4514
17. Jason Kapono, UCLA* 6-8 291 648 .4491
18. Ray Allen, Connecticut 6-5 233 520 .4481
*active
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 79.5 percent at the stripe and ranks 11th nationally among players his height or taller this year. Below is this year’s list, courtesy of STATS Inc. through Jan. 23.
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 30 31 .968
2. T.J. Cummings, UCLA 6-10 35 40 .875
3. Dalron Johnson, UNLV 6-10 55 63 .873
4. Jim Kessenich, IPFW 6-10 51 60 .850
5. Amit Tamir, California 6-10 63 75 .840
6. Jeff Hagen, Minnesota 6-11 19 23 .826
7. Brian Cook, Illinois 6-10 81 100 .810
8. Nick Smith, Illinois 7-2 25 31 .806
9. Cameron Tragardh, Oral Roberts 6-10 29 36 .806
10. Adam Parada, UC-Irvine 7-0 35 44 .795
11. Joe Dabbert, Creighton 6-10 31 39 .795
Triple Threat
Kyle Korver owns 84 three-point baskets through games of Feb. 2 to rank second nationally. Below is the top five, according to STATS Inc.
2002-03 Three-Pointers Made Leaders
Rk. Name, School 3FG FGA Pct.
1. Demon Brown, Charlotte 93 214 .435
2. Kyle Korver, Creighton 84 166 .506
3. Chris Young, South Alabama 78 194 .402
4. Michael Watson, UMKC 75 218 .344
5. David Bell, Montana 70 191 .366
History Lesson
While Creighton’s 19-2 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.
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
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.
Running Away With It
Creighton has put together 22 different runs of 10 or more consecutive points this season, including one to start the season vs. Texas-Arlington. All but three of those runs included at least one Bluejay three-pointer. The Jays have surrendered just three 10-point runs this year. Here’s a list of Creighton’s runs of 10 or more:
Date Opponent Run Time Span 3FG
12/14 Tennessee Tech 17-0 2:56 2
01/05 Drake 17-0 7:26 1
11/18 Furman 14-0 2:19 3
11/25 IUPUI 13-0 2:06 3
11/26 Notre Dame 13-0 2:53 2
01/15 Evansville 13-0 5:27 1
12/29 SE Missouri State 12-0 2:41 1
11/25 IUPUI 12-0 2:43 2
01/26 TCU 12-0 2:58 0
12/16 Delaware State 12-0 3:16 2
01/11 Illinois State 12-0 4:08 1
12/14 Tennessee Tech 11-0 2:47 1
11/18 Furman 11-0 3:05 1
01/29 Indiana State 11-0 3:54 1
01/05 Drake 11-0 4:49 0
11/25 IUPUI 10-0 1:25 1
11/17 Texas-Arlington 10-0 1:36 2
01/26 TCU 10-0 1:56 2
11/17 Texas-Arlington 10-0 2:18 2
01/15 Evansville 10-0 2:57 2
01/20 Illinois State 10-0 3:31 1
12/16 Delaware State 10-0 4:34 0
Frontrunners
Creighton has trailed for just 77:05 of a possible 760 minutes of game action this season in its 19 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, Southern Illinois for 20:13, TCU for 23:18, Indiana State for 1:24 and at Drake for 5:11
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.
Against Evansville, Creighton trailed for 5:05 of the first half and 8:00 of the second stanza. The game featured nine ties and 19 lead changes before UE finally took the lead for good with 2:35 to play.
Of Creighton’s 19 wins, Southern Illinois and TCU are the only team to lead after half. SIU led for 6:34 while TCU was ahead for 9:01.
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 165 wins at Creighton are tied for 11th in league history while his 94 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. 94 Dana Altman Creighton
8. 91 Joe Stowell Bradley
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 Dana Altman Creighton
165 Jim Molinari Bradley
Point, Counterpoint
Creighton point guards Tyler McKinney and Nate Funk continue to do a commendable job of taking care of the ball while finding the open man. McKinney leads The Valley with a 2.59 assist/turnover ratio (83 assists, 32 turnovers). McKinney’s back-up, Funk, owns 47 assists and 26 turnovers on the season. In MVC play only, the duo has combined for 57 assists and 18 turnovers.
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
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.
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.
Clean Sweep For Korver
With Creighton’s 81-73 win, senior Kyle Korver became the first player in school history to play in four straight wins over Nebraska. Prior to two seasons ago, the Bluejays hadn’t won in Lincoln since 1932.
Special K Hits The Trey
Kyle Korver has nine different games this season where he connected on five or more three-pointers, tying him with Demon Brown (Charlotte), Shawn Hall (Appalachian State) and Chris Young (South Alabama) for the national lead in that category through games of Jan. 23. Earl Bullock (Tennessee-Martin) is fifth with seven such games.
Rebounding A Concern
Despite being outrebounded 45-28 at Nebraska, Creighton still managed to beat the Huskers. Creighton hadn’t been outrebounded by 17 or more since the Huskers owned a 51-33 advantage on the glass on Dec. 6, 1995. It was the largest rebound deficit in a win since being outrebounded 41-22 in a 78-75 win over Southern Illinois on Jan. 28, 1991. Creighton is 110-39 under Dana Altman when outrebounding its opponents and 55-58 when it ties or loses the battle of the boards.
NCAA Rankings
CU was ranked in three individual and eight team categories in the Jan. 27 NCAA ranks:
Kyle Korver 4th 3FG/game 4.3
Creighton 4th Scoring Margin 18.0
Kyle Korver 4th 3FG% 50.9
Creighton 5th Win Pct. .895
Creighton 5th FG% 51.1
Creighton 8th Pts./Game 82.9
Creighton 11th 3’s/Game 9.0
Creighton 11th 3FG% 40.5
Creighton 12th Assists Per Game 17.8
Kyle Korver 13th Free Throw % 90.8
Creighton 30th Steals 9.5
Computer Rankings
Jeff Sagarin’s daily computer rankings had Creighton ranked as the #1 team nationally for every day of a nearly four-week span between Dec. 10 and Jan. 5th. Creighton is currently 10th. The Missouri Valley Conference is ranked 15th by Sagarin.
Creighton was ranked 41st in the latest collegerpi.com rankings as of Feb. 2. The MVC is ranked 14th as a league by collegerpi.com
Crowded House
The 10,184 fans that came to see Creighton beat Southern Illinois on Jan. 18 was Creighton’s largest since March 4, 1974. Below are the top-11 home crowds under Dana Altman:
Att. Opp. Result Date
10,184 Southern Illinois W 85-76 01/18/03
9,377 Nebraska W 89-72 12/09/99
9,374 #23 Iowa W 85-76 11/27/99
9,369 Nebraska W 76-70 12/12/01
9,189 SE Missouri St. W 93-70 12/29/02
9,060 Nebraska L 67-88 12/06/95
9,023 SMS L 82-88 02/15/97
8,897 Northern Iowa W 83-56 02/09/02
8,883 #14 Iowa State L 52-70 01/18/95
8,875 Wyoming W 84-72 02/17/01
8,813 Tennessee Tech W 101-72 12/14/02
Bandwagon Filling Up
Expect another large crowd on Tuesday when Creighton welcomes Northern Iowa to the Omaha Civic Auditorium. CU has attracted six straight home crowds of 8,000 or more fans, including 10,184 that came to see the Jays beat Southern Illinois on Jan. 18. Prior to this season, CU's previous record for consecutive home crowds of 8,000 or more fans stood at four, done during the 1979-80 campaign.
Even when CU's away from the Civic this season, they've seen tremendous support. An estimated 3,000 Bluejay fans helped set a new Knapp Center attendance record of 7,152 on Feb. 1 at Drake, while both Guardians Classic games in Kansas City were also packed with the Bluejay faithful.
Creighton is currently averaging 7,788 fans per home game, trailing only the 7,885 fans that supported the Bluejays 1982-83 campaign.
Defensive Stopper
Creighton’s pressure defense has rattled the opposition all season long. The leader of that defense is senior guard DeAnthony Bowden, a legitimate MVC Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Bowden has two or more steals in eight games and continues to provide a spark off the bench. Bowden had 11 points at Nebraska, including eight in the first half, while scoring on a pair of transition lay-ups as well as a pair of three-pointers. He then added season-highs with 12 points and six rebounds against the Musketeers. Bowden had four steals and 11 points in Creighton’s win over Drake as well.
Passing Fancy
An unselfish Creighton squad racked up an impressive 26 assists on its 36 field goals vs. Tennessee Tech. Creighton averages 18.2 assists per game as five different players average 1.9 or more per game. Those 26 assists were the most since a 27-assist showing vs. Evansville on Feb. 28, 2000.
Give Me Five
Creighton’s Jan. 26 win at Indiana State marked the 40th consecutive game with the same starting five. Tyler McKinney, Larry House, Michael Lindeman, Kyle Korver and Brody Deren have gone 34-6 when being paired together to start the game dating to Jan. 9, 2002.
Non-Conference Power
Creighton’s 19-2 start includes a 10-1 record in non-conference games. Here’s a look at Creighton’s regular-season record vs. non-MVC teams under Dana Altman. Since December 1, 1997, the Jays are an impressive 45-10 (.818) in such games. Creighton is also 30-2 (.938) in home non-conference games since the start of the 1997-98 campaign.
Year All Games Non-MVC Home N-C
1994-95 7-19 3-5 2-2
1995-96 14-15 5-5 3-2
1996-97 15-15 5-6 4-1
1997-98 18-10 6-2 5-0
1998-99 22-9 7-1 5-0
1999-00 23-10 9-2 3-1
2000-01 24-8 9-2 5-0
2001-02 23-9 5-4 5-1
2002-03 19-2 10-1 7-0
Totals 165-97 59-28 39-7
Shooting Stars
Creighton’s been shooting the lights out this season, making a collective 51.6 percent of its shots from the field and 40.7 percent from three-point range. The Bluejays have shot 50 percent or better in 25 of 42 halves of play this season 16-of-20 games this season. The Jays have won 40 straight games when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor.
Of Creighton’s 13 active players, eight are shooting better than 50 percent overall and 9-of-10 players in CU’s regular rotation are making 45.1 percent or better. In addition, all 13 players are making 45 percent or better of their shots from two-point territory.
3-0 The Way To Go
Creighton has started 3-0 (or better) for the fifth season in a row. Each of the four previous 3-0 starts under Dana Altman have culminated in an NCAA Tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Creighton currently owns a 11-0 home record on the season. It marks the seventh straight season they have opened 4-0 or better at home.
It’s Up....And It’s Good
Kyle Korver started the season with a bang, making his first eight three-point attempts, including a CU-record 6-for-6 effort from long-range in the opener vs. Texas-Arlington.
Korver, who also made his last trifecta attempt last year, had a streak of nine snapped with a miss vs. Furman. The NCAA record for consecutive three-pointers made is 15, set by Todd Leslie of Northwestern over four games in 1990.
More Perfection
Before Kyle Korver’s 6-for-6 display from long-range vs. UT-Arlington, the last Creighton player to shoot 5-for-5 from three-point range was Ben Walker, who did it on Feb. 28, 2000 vs. Evansville. Creighton has had a player make six or more three-pointers 26 times (eight times by Korver) in school history, but Korver is the first to ever make all his 3-pt. attempts on such a night.
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 206-130 in the first five minutes of the first half, and 218-176 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
Evansville 6-6 7-9
TCU 9-9 14-9
Indiana State 12-6 13-6
Drake 7-7 13-15
Totals 206-130 218-176
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.
The Blue Wave
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 while CU outscored Drake’s bench 34-4 in a 20-point road win on Feb. 1
As a whole, Creighton’s bench is averaging 32.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game this season while playing 82.9 minutes per contest. An individual has scored 10 or more points off the bench 23 different times this season.
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 19-0 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.
Korver Passes Former NBA Draft Pick
Kyle Korver’s 14 points pushed him past another former Creighton All-American, Benoit Benjamin. Benjamin scored 1,575 points in three seasons from 1982-85 before being selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the third pick of the 1985 NBA Draft. Next on the CU scoring list is Vernon Moore, who scored 1,654 points from 1981-85.
Creighton All-Time Scoring List
1. 2,116 Rodney Buford 1995-99
7. 1,654 Vernon Moore 1981-85
8. 1,585 Kyle Korver 1999-Present
9. 1,575 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
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 four of his last 50 games.
Once again this season, he is in the top-16 in each MVC category except offensive rebounding.
Korver By The Numbers
Kyle Korver has made three or more three-pointers in 64 of his 115 career games at Creighton. Creighton is 51-13 in such contests, including a 13-1 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. Prior to an 0-for-7 long-range performance at Evansville on Jan. 23, Korver had made at least one three-pointer in each of the last 54 games he’d 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 1 3 3 2 3 3 3 1 1 1
Totals 14 19 18 22 19 15 5 1 1 1
The Pella Cannon
Senior forward Kyle Korver continues to shoot three-pointers with astounding accuracy. Korver has made 84-of-166 three-pointers (50.6 percent) in his first 21 games. He’s made at least one trey in all but four of the 42 halves he’s played this season and five or more in nine different contests.
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. 23.
Active Free Throw Percentage Leaders
(Minimum 200 career FTA)
Rk. Name, School FTM FTA FT%
1. Gary Buchanan, Villanova 307 333 .922
2. Brent Jolly, Tennessee Tech 285 318 .896
3. Jake Sullivan, Iowa State 232 260 .892
4. Kyle Korver, Creighton 255 288 .885
5. Troy Bell, Boston College 689 793 .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 five 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 and 20 straight snapped on Jan. 23 at Evansville.
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
20 Jan. 11-Jan. 23, 2003
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.
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:
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
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 37 charges this season, led by 12 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.
Dana’s Arc
Creighton has made two or more three-pointers in 284 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 294 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois St. on Feb. 20, 1993 when Rick Johnson was coach.
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 427-155 at the Civic, including an 94-28 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 94 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 60-5 when his teams score 80 or more points, including 33 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 (280-2720) 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 17th nationally on Jan. 27h by USA Today. The Bluejays still have one scholarship remaining, which they plan to hold until the spring.
