2005-06 Men's Basketball Year-End Recap
4/6/2006 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
2005-06 Mens Basketball Final Bios as a PDF | 2005-06 Mens Basketball Recap as a PDF
The 2005-06 campaign featured Creighton's ninth straight postseason and an eighth consecutive 20-win season, but left many wondering what might have been if not for a pair of season-ending injuries to guards Nate Funk and Josh Dotzler.
The season opened with unparalleled optimism, as the school sold a record 10,474 season tickets. In a season that would have six MVC teams earn 20 wins and reach the postseason, the Bluejays were tabbed for second in the league's preseason poll.
With Funk, Creighton opened 3-0, including an impressive 20-point road win at eventual Final Four participant George Mason and a double-overtime thriller over Dayton.
Visions of grandeur were set aside when Funk injured his left shoulder hustling for a loose ball at the end of a loss at DePaul. After the team blew a big lead without Funk and Pierce Hibma in a road loss at Chattanooga, most in the audience were unsure what to expect when Creighton returned home to face Nebraska on Dec. 11.
Creighton, down to nine players after Jimmy Motz was injured in practice two days earlier, laid down a 70-44 whipping on the rival Cornhuskers. Before the largest basketball crowd in state history (at the time), Creighton took a 31-11 lead into intermission and never looked back in its seventh straight regular-season win over the Big 12 foe. Creighton forced an NU-record 31 turnovers while also holding the Huskers to 27.4 percent shooting from the field.
Creighton followed up its Nebraska romp with a two-point win over eventual Atlantic-10 Tournament champion Xavier, then opened MVC play with a 78-56 thumping of a high-powered Missouri State squad.
Funk would attempt to return for CU's first two road tilts in MVC play, losses at Illinois State and Bradley, before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery on Jan. 5th.
Creighton returned home for a quick rematch with Illinois State, and a 19-point win kick-started a six-game winning streak. Included in that run was a three-point win at MVC favorite Northern Iowa, as well as a come-from-behind effort over future Sweet 16 participant Bradley.
After the streak ended at Southern Illinois on Jan. 24, Creighton overcame an early 25-6 deficit to beat regular-season champ Wichita State on an Anthony Tolliver buzzer-beater. CU followed that up with a nationally-televised win over 25th-ranked Northern Iowa, then overcame a 16-point second-half deficit at Drake to win in overtime.
Creighton was riding a 16-game home win streak and tied for first in the MVC on the morning of a Feb. 11 game against Southern Illinois. Another injury, this time to Dotzler's knee in the first half that day, played a key role as CU lost four of its final seven games.
After the setback at Southern Illinois, few gave Creighton a chance in its Valentine's Day match-up at Wichita State. Playing without Dotzler, Creighton lost in heartbreaking fashion when the Shockers hit a three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left in overtime to win by one. Though CU would rebound to win home games over Fresno State and Indiana State, the Jays fell in the regular-season finale to Missouri State, costing themsleves a chance at sole possession of second place.
Creighton's bid to repeat its MVC Tournament championship came to an abrupt end when the Bluejays fell to Bradley, 54-47, in quarterfinal round action.
Creighton held a 19-9 record and an RPI of 39 on Selection Sunday, but were bypassed for the NCAA Tournament and accepted an NIT bid.
Creighton won its first NIT game since 1942 with a commanding home win over Akron. The victory gave CU an eighth-straight 20-win season, extending its MVC record.
The win over Akron put the Bluejays in the rare position of hosting an ACC team, Miami, at Qwest Center OMAHA. Miami took a big lead early and led by 12 midway through the second half before Creighton started to click. The Bluejays erased that deficit to take a lead with 2:30 left and the score was tied heading into the final 25 seconds.
Miami took a one-point lead with 2.6 seconds left on a controversial blocking call, then won the game when they produced a defensive stop on CU's last-chance attempt.
For the season, Johnny Mathies would finish as the team's top scorer at 13.5 points per game, while Tolliver (13.2 ppg., 6.7 rpg.) would join Mathies on the all-MVC Second Team after topping the team in rebounds. Tolliver would also be named the captain of the league's Most Improved Team.
Junior guard Nick Porter became the first Bluejay to be named MVC Newcomer of the Year, while Dotzler would earn a spot on the league's All-Freshman Team.
Throughout the season, record crowds filled Qwest Center OMAHA to watch the Jays. Thirteen of the 20 largest crowds in school history were on hand, including a state-record 15,700 fans to see CU's 11 pm start with Fresno State on ESPN.
In all, CU would set MVC records with 13,901 fans per game while attracting more than 236,000 fans for the winter.
Radio Broadcast Summary
KXSP ("Big Sports 590" AM) broadcasted all Creighton men's basketball games in 2005-06. T. Scott Marr did play-by-play for all 30 games (and exhibitions), while Kevin Sarver (primary road), Travis Justice (primary home), Michael Lindeman, Len Gordy and Matt West all took turns handling the role of analyst.
For home games, Big Sports 590 afternoon host Matt Perrault hosted an hour-long call-in show focusing on the Jays that started 90 minutes prior to tip time and led directly into the pre-game show. Perrault also took calls after home games, also on Big Sports 590.
Television Broadcast Summary
Creighton had 20 games on television in 2005-06. Travis Justice and Scott Schumacher handled eight games on KMTV, while Schumacher teamed with Kevin Kugler on a pair of NET Sports telecasts. The Jays also appeared on MVC TV five times, ESPNU twice and once each on ESPN, WTWO (Terre Haute) and Mediacom.
The Coaches
The dean of Missouri Valley Conference coaches, Creighton's Dana Altman (Eastern New Mexico, 1980) finished his 12th year as head coach of the Bluejays. He now owns a 238-130 (.647) mark at CU and a career record of 321-197 (.620) in 17 years as an NCAA Division I head coach.
Creighton's all-time winningest coach, Altman has been named national, conference, regional or district coach of the year in 10 of his 21 years as a head coach. The 2001 and 2002 MVC Coach of the Year was a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award in 2003. In 2004, Altman was named the Collegeinsider.com Jim Phelan National Mid-Season Coach of the Year. Additionally, Altman has led Creighton to six NCAA Tournaments and his teams have played in the postseason in nine straight seasons. He was helped by assistant coaches Brian Fish, Darian DeVries and Kevin McKenna. Jake Muhleisen was the team's graduate manager.
20 Overall Wins x 8 Years = MVC History
With its win over Akron on March 16, Creighton became the first school in the 99-year history of the Missouri Valley Conference to post eight straight 20-win campaigns. No other school owns more than six.
Creighton is one of 11 teams nationally with 20 or more wins in each of the last eight seasons. It is joined by Arizona, Connecticut, Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kent State, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Syracuse.
Defense! Defense!
Creighton allowed just four opponents to score 70 points or more this season: Bradley (twice), Dayton, Southern Illinois and DePaul. Creighton's 60.8 average points allowed was its best since the 1973-74 club yielded just 60.6 points per game. On the other hand, CU was 11-0 when it scored 70 points or more this season.
Hibma Steps Up
Pierce Hibma doesn't score much, but he was the difference-maker in games on Feb. 4 at Drake and March 16 vs. Akron.
Playing close to home at Drake on Feb. 4th, Hibma came to the rescue as the Jays overcame a 15-point hole at Drake. The sophomore scored 11 points -- all in a six-minute span -- in the win over Drake. He made all three attempts from three-point range, and his steal and lay-up with 8:36 left gave the Jays their first lead since 15-12.
On March 16 against Akron, Hibma had a career-high 14 points while hitting four trifectas in the first half. Hibma drained a pair of three-point baskets in the game's opening 75 seconds to give CU an early 6-0 lead. He finished 5-for-7 from the field (4-of-5 from three-point range) and added five rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Against Postseason Teams
Creighton owned a 9-7 record against teams that made the postseason this year, including a 6-5 mark vs. NCAA clubs and a 3-2 record vs. NIT foes.
CU went 5-3 against teams that won their first postseason game (George Mason, Missouri State, Bradley, Wichita State, Akron). George Mason would eventually reach the Final Four, while Bradley and Wichita State qualified for the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Below is a breakdown on those results:
Date Opponent CU Result Tourney
11/22/05 at George Mason W 72-52 NCAA
12/11/05 Nebraska W 70-44 NIT
12/18/05 Xavier W 61-59 NCAA
12/28/05 Missouri State W 78-56 NIT
01/02/06 at Bradley L 69-86 NCAA
01/11/06 at Northern Iowa W 55-52 NCAA
01/18/06 Bradley W 80-76 NCAA
01/24/06 at Southern Illinois L 48-62 NCAA
01/28/06 Wichita State W 57-55 NCAA
01/31/06 #25 Northern Iowa W 63-55 NCAA
02/11/06 Southern Illinois L 67-74 NCAA
02/14/06 at Wichita State L 61-62 (OT) NCAA
02/25/06 at Missouri State L 54-60 NIT
03/03/06 vs. Bradley L 47-54 NCAA
03/16/06 Akron W 71-60 NIT
03/20/06 Miami (Fla.) L 52-53 NIT
Jays Among Attendance Leaders
It appears as though Creighton finished the 2005-06 season ranked 19th among the national leaders in average attendance with 13,901 fans per game.
Rk. School Total Dates Avg.
1. Kentucky 341,445 15 22,762
2. Syracuse 410,153 19 21,587
3. North Carolina 344,071 17 20,239
4. Louisville 402,963 22 18,317
5. Tennessee 269,310 15 17,954
6. Maryland 291,961 17 17,175
7. Wisconsin 274,272 16 17,142
8. Indiana 220,343 13 16,949
9. Illinois 265,888 16 16,618
10. Kansas 260,800 16 16,300
11. Ohio State 261,622 17 15,390
12. Arkansas 239,336 16 14,958
13. Michigan State 206,626 14 14,759
14. Wake Forest 263,970 18 14,665
15. Arizona 204,213 14 14,587
16. N.C. State 260,509 18 14,473
17. Marquette 223,983 16 13,999
18. Connecticut 223,176 16 13,948
19. Creighton 236,313 17 13,901
20. New Mexico 227,575 17 13,387
Postseason x 9
Creighton has made either the NIT or NCAA in nine consecutive seasons, which is the second-longest streak of postseason bids in MVC history. The longest streak in MVC history was 10 straight from 1966 to 1975 by Louisville.
The only 17 schools to make the postseason in each of the last nine years are Arizona, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Syracuse, Temple and Wake Forest.
Nothing Mid-Major About The Valley
This year marks the eighth consecutive season that the Missouri Valley Conference has had multiple bids to the NCAA Tournament. Since 1994, The Valley is 17-27 in the NCAA's, including Sweet 16 trips in 1994 (Tulsa), 1995 (Tulsa), 1999 (Missouri State), 2002 (Southern Illinois) and 2006 (Bradley and Wichita State).
The only leagues to send at least two teams to the last eight NCAA Tourney's (since 1998-99) are the ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Conference-USA, MVC, SEC and Pac-10.
Notably, the MVC had two teams in the final top-25 poll when both Bradley and Wichita State were ranked in the final ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.
NIT Picking
Entering the postseason, Creighton's six wins over the top 50 of the RPI were the most of any team in the NIT, one more than Minnesota (5).
Taking it a step up, Creighton's six wins over the top 33 teams in the RPI also led the NIT field. That's twice as many of the three top-33 victories by Minnesota, Missouri State, South Carolina and Cincinnati.
Slow Out Of The Gate
Creighton has trailed at the half in 10 of its last 11 postseason games under Dana Altman. The Jays 40-26 lead over Akron on March 16 stands as the only exception. It is worth noting that in eight of those 11 games, CU tied or outscored the opposition in the second half.
Year Opponent 1st Half 2nd Half W-L
2006 Miami (Fla.) 19-29 33-24 L
2006 Akron 40-26 31-34 W
2005 West Virginia 31-33 30-30 L
2004 Nebraska 29-35 41-36 L
2003 Central Michigan 22-38 51-41 L
2002 Illinois 26-31 34-41 L
2002 Florida 31-38 38-31 W
2001 Iowa 30-32 26-37 L
2000 Auburn 25-40 44-32 L
1999 Maryland 32-45 31-30 L
1999 Louisville 23-31 39-27 W
Five Out Of Eight Tourney Titles
Creighton owns five league tournament titles in the last eight years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Duke (7), Gonzaga (7), Winthrop (6) and Creighton (5).
Non-Conference Home Success
Creighton owns a 58-11 (.841) record in non-conference home games under Dana Altman. Equally impressive, CU is 18-4 (.818) in non-conference home games since moving to Qwest Center OMAHA?„?.
During CU's active string of nine straight postseason bids, the Bluejays are 49-6 (.891) in home games against non-conference foes.
Converting Turnovers In Points = Wins
One common theme when Creighton is successful is that they have had an advantage in "points off turnovers" in many of those contests.
For the season, Creighton is 12-1 when scoring more points off turnovers than its opponent. A year ago, the Jays were 20-1 when they had more points off turnovers than the enemy.
Tolliver's Consistency A Key
After scoring 10 or more points just twice in the 61 games in the previous two seasons, junior center Anthony Tolliver has become a regular when it comes to scoring in double-figures.
Tolliver had scored 10 or more points in each of his last 11 games before a nine-point showing against Miami.
In the last five years, CU's longest double-figure scoring streak has been 13 by both Nate Funk (Dec. 7, 2004 to Jan. 26, 2005) and Kyle Korver (Feb. 8, 2003 to March 20, 2003).
Six in 2006
The Missouri Valley Conference landed four NCAA Tournament bids and six postseason bids overall. Both were league records. The MVC was 4-4 in NCAA Tournament games and 3-2 in first round NIT contests.
In the regular-season, the MVC went 11-8 against non-conference teams in the NCAA Tournament while also going 7-6 against teams in the NIT field.
The MVC went 7-6 against ranked teams this season, as six different schools had at least one victory over a ranked foe.
As good as the league is this year, next year might be even better. The MVC schools totaled just 11 senior starters amongst them. The only seniors to lead an individual category were UNI's Ben Jacobson, who led the league with 36.24 minutes per game, and scoring leader David Moss (16.6) from Indiana State.
Mid-Major Muscle
The MVC entered the postseason with a 21-11 record against teams that finished first or second in their regular-season races (which includes records against teams in 1st/2nd-place positions in divisions).
This season the MVC was a combined 26-8 against other "mid-major" leagues it has commonly been associated with in the past: Atlantic-10 (3-1), Conference-USA (2-2), Colonial (1-2), Mid-American (9-1), Mountain West (2-0), Sun Belt (6-1), West Coast (1-0) and Western Athletic (2-1).
The 40 Percent Rule
When Bradley shot just 31.7 percent and beat Creighton on March 3rd, that was the worst shooting performance to beat the Jays since Tulsa shot 30.9 percent (25-81) in a 70-66 win over CU on Jan. 12, 1985.
Since coming to Creighton, Dana Altman's teams are 102-12 when holding opponents under 40 percent from the field, including a 76-5 mark in the last eight seasons.
Altman & Opponent Field Goal Percentages
Year Under 40 % Season Mark W-L
2005-06 9-2 .406 20-10
2004-05 8-0 .444 23-11
2003-04 8-1 .428 20-9
2002-03 10-0 .435 29-5
2001-02 9-1 .435 23-9
2000-01 10-1 .428 24-8
1999-00 11-0 .433 23-10
1998-99 11-0 .450 22-9
1997-98 8-1 .428 18-10
1996-97 5-1 .438 15-15
1995-96 8-4 .410 14-15
1994-95 5-1 .455 7-19
Totals 100-12 -- 238-130
Mathies' Magic March To 1,000
Senior Johnny Mathies became the 30th member of Creighton's 1,000-point club with 10 points vs. Bradley in the MVC Tournament.
Mathies scored 18 points in his final game to close his career with 1,031 points. That ranks 29th in CU history and is the most by a junior college transfer in school history.
Below is the list of Creighton's top 30 scorers of all-time:
Pts. Name Years
2,116 Rodney Buford 1995-99
2,110 Bob Harstad 1987-91
1,983 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
1,876 Bob Portman 1966-69
1,801 Kyle Korver 1999-03
1,682 Rick Apke 1974-78
1,661 Paul Silas 1961-64
1,654 Vernon Moore 1981-85
1,575 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
1,526 John C. Johnson 1975-79
1,500 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
1,437 Eddie Cole 1951-55
1,369 Gene Harmon 1971-74
1,361 Duan Cole 1987-92
1,309 Ryan Sears 1997-01
1,303 Elton Tuttle 1951-54
1,272 Bob Gibson 1954-57
1,267 Wally Anderzunas 1965-67, 1968-69
1,254 Gary Swain 1983-87
1,238 Ben Walker 1997-01
1,196 Ray Yost 1951-54
1,172 Dick Harvey 1956-59
1,169 Nate Funk 2002-Pres.
1,115 Doug Brookins 1972-75
1,115 Daryl Stovall 1978-82
1,106 Kenny Evans 1982-87
1,093 Tim Powers 1964-67
1,050 Reggie Morris 1982-86
1,031 Johnny Mathies 2003-Pres.
1,023 Rod Mason 1986-88
More On Scoring 1,000 Points
Johnny Mathies reached 1,000 career points in his 91st career game. That's one fewer than injured teammate Nate Funk. Below is the number of games it took to reach 1,000 points for CU's last six such scorers.
Name Games to 1,000 Date
Johnny Mathies 91 03/03/06
Nate Funk 92 02/28/05
Kyle Korver 81 01/30/02
Ben Walker 105 01/06/01
Ryan Sears 97 12/01/00
Rodney Buford 59 03/01/97
Seven Steal Club
In CU's Feb. 7 win at Evansville, Anthony Tolliver had a career-best seven steals and was three thefts shy of joining Benoit Benjamin as the only Bluejays to ever record a triple-double. All three of Benjamin's triple-doubles involved points, rebounds and blocked shots.
Tolliver's seven steals were the most-ever by a Bluejay center and the most by any CU player since Rodney Buford had seven against Missouri State on Jan. 21, 1998. Fifteen days later (Feb. 22), CU guard Johnny Mathies had seven steals against Indiana State.
Below is a list of the most steals in a game in Creighton history:
Most Steals, Game, Creighton History
Stl. Name, Opponent Date
9 Michael Johnson vs. St. Joe's (Pa.) 12/14/81
8 Latrell Wrightsell vs. Drake 03/02/91
Latrell Wrightsell vs. Drake 02/21/91
7 Johnny Mathies vs. Indiana St. 02/22/06
Anthony Tolliver at Evansville 02/07/06
Rodney Buford vs. Missouri St. 01/21/98
Rodney Buford vs. UMKC 11/25/96
James Farr at Iowa State 12/12/87
Vernon Moore vs. Southern 01/07/85
Charles Butler vs. Wake Forest 12/30/74
Mathies Steals Way Towards Top Five
Additionally, Johnny Mathies' 157 steals are fifth in CU history and most in school history by a junior college transfer.
Steals, Career (Since 1979-80)
Stl. Name Years
283 Ryan Sears 1997-01
195 Rodney Buford 1995-99
186 Duan Cole 1987-92
172 Kyle Korver 1999-03
157 Johnny Mathies 2003-Pr.
154 Latrell Wrightsell 1988-92
Home & Neutral Success
CU is 117-19 (.860) in home games, 59-51 (.536) in true road games and 26-11 (.703) in neutral-site contests in the last nine seasons.
Stitches Don't Derail This Train
On March 3rd against Bradley, Anthony Tolliver needed stitches on his mouth after diving into a courtside cameraman.
Tolliver received stitches six different times this season (three times on the outside of his mouth, once on the inside of his mouth and once over each eye), returning to play that same game each time.
Dotzler Benched By Knee Injury
Freshman point guard Josh Dotzler missed Creighton's final seven games, with CU going 3-4 in that span. Dotzler injured the posterior collateral ligament in his right knee during the first half of CU's Feb. 11 game vs. Southern Illinois. Expected to return for the postseason, Dotzler tweaked his knee in practice in the days leading up to the Akron contest and was shut down for the season.
MVC's Top Average Crowd Ever
Creighton set a new Missouri Valley Conference record for average home attendance in a season. CU's current average was 227 fans higher than the highest previous figure in the 99-year history of the MVC.
Ave. Att. School Year
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
12,016 Creighton 2003-04
12,009 Louisville 1967-68
11,839 Louisville 1966-67
Crowds Increase For League Action Again
Creighton's crowds have increased in MVC action each of the last six years, as seen below:
Creighton's Yearly Home Attendance
Year Non-MVC Games MVC Games Change
2000-01 7,132 7,268 +2%
2001-02 6,333 6,800 +7%
2002-03 7,401 8,996 +22%
2003-04 11,467 12,443 +9%
2004-05 9,926 12,207 +23%
2005-06 13,404 14,343 +7%
MVC Attendance Record Falls
Creighton broke the school and Missouri Valley Conference records for home attendance in a season as well. The Jays drew 236,313 spectators this season, smashing the previous mark of 192,258 set in 2003-04.
CU also became the first school in the 99-year history of the MVC to surpass the 200,000 mark in home attendance for a single season.
Qwest Center Crowds Top 600,000
Creighton recently went over the 600,000-fan mark in its three seasons at Qwest Center OMAHA. The Bluejays have played 49 home games before a total of 607,906 fans. That's an average of 12,406 fans per contest.
CU has attracted 30 straight crowds more than 10,000, and never played before less than 8,300 fans in the three-year old facility.
What A Difference A Year Makes
In last year's BracketBusters game vs. Chattanooga, Anthony Tolliver fouled out in just nine minutes and finished with no points and one rebound in CU's 100-68 rout of Chattanooga.
This season, the captain of the MVC's Most Improved Team showcased the strides his game has taken. Tolliver had 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes of play in CU's BracketBusters win over Fresno State.
Tolliver entered the season with a career-high of 13 points and had averaged 2.7 points in 61 games during his first two seasons. This season, the ?˜A-Train' averaged 13.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
Steal City
Freshman point guard Josh Dotzler had two or more steals in 16 of the 23 games he played in, and he led the team with 2.26 steals per game. He finished four away from moving in CU's all-time top-10 for a single-season, and just 10 away from Ryan Sears' (1997-98) freshman record of 62.
In CU's Dec. 21 game against Norfolk State, Dotzler had four steals in a five-possession span, including three straight at one point.
Dotzler's active hands remind many of another recent Bluejay point guard who started as a freshman, Sears. Sears, who remains the MVC's all-time steals leader with 283, had 51 steals after 23 career games.
Sears is the only CU player since 1992 to average more than two steals per game in a season, something Dotzler did this year.
Most Steals, Season
Stl. Name (Class) Year
80 Ryan Sears (Jr.) 1999-00
73 Ryan Sears (Sr.) 2000-01
72 Latrell Wrightsell (Sr.) 1991-92
70 Duan Cole (Sr.) 1991-92
68 Ryan Sears (So.) 1998-99
63 James Farr (Jr.) 1987-88
62 Ryan Sears (Fr.) 1997-98
59 Johnny Mathies (Jr.) 2004-05
Rodney Buford (Sr.) 1998-99
57 Johnny Mathies (Sr.) 2005-06
Motz A Statistical Anomaly
Senior Jimmy Motz played 365 minutes this season, but did not record a steal. Oddly enough, the only time in his last 31 games that he had a steal, he finished with three of them (vs. Wichita State, March 6, 2005).
On a national basis, he played more minutes than anyone in the country without a steal, according to STATS Inc.:
Most Minutes Played, No Steals
Rk. Name, Team Minutes
1. Jimmy Motz, Creighton 365
2. Jeremy Eck, Liberty 221
4. Marin Mulic, Chicago State 220
More Motz, Part II
Against Wichita State on Feb. 14, Jimmy Motz had his first assist and turnover in more than a month, dating to CU's Jan. 5 game vs. Illinois State. Motz's turnover came with 0.5 seconds left while attempting a full-court pass that he threw out-of-bounds.
According to research by STATS Inc., Motz's 73.0 minutes per turnover ranked third in the nation among guys with 300 minutes or more. Below is that list:
Most Minutes Per Turnover (minimum 300 minutes)
Rk. Name, Team Min. TO Min. Per TO
1. Dion Dacons, Temple 507 6 84.5
2. Antywane Robinson, Temple 1,141 14 81.5
3. Jimmy Motz, Creighton 365 5 73.0
4. Matt Estep, Wofford 308 5 61.6
5. Blake Crawford, UMKC 365 6 60.8
More Motz Oddities
Additionally, Jimmy Motz took 102 of his 110 shots from three-point range this year. When Motz had a tip-in basket at Drake on Feb. 4, it snapped a streak of 23 consecutive baskets that had been from three-point range.
That ranked second nationally with 92.7 percent of his shot attempts from three-point range, according to STATS Inc., as seen below:
Highest Pct. of Shots That Are 3-Pointers
(Min. 3 FG att. per game -- source, STATS Inc.)
Rk. Name, Team 3FGA FGA Pct.
1. Bruce Horan, Butler 258 268 .963
2. Jimmy Motz, Creighton 102 110 .927
3. Troy Lindbeck, UCF 92 100 .920
4. Boo Ramsey, Troy 223 243 .918
Porter Named Newcomer of Week, Again
Junior guard Nick Porter earned MVC Newcomer of the Week laurels on Feb. 27. Porter averaged 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 steals in two games against Indiana State and Missouri State. Porter shot 52.6 percent from the floor (10-19) and 60 percent from the charity stripe (6-10).
Back-to-Back Double-Doubles
With 13 points and 12 rebounds at Evansville on Feb. 7th, Anthony Tolliver had his second straight double-double. That gave him three double-dips this season and four in his career.
He was the first CU player with back-to-back double-doubles since Ben Walker in 2000. Walker had 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. Providence on Nov. 25, then followed it the next night with 15 points and 12 rebounds vs. Toledo.
Tolliver Named Academic All-District
Anthony Tolliver has been named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII first team. Tolliver, who owns a 3.541 GPA in Finance, is one of five Division I players from District VII's nine-state region honored.
Tolliver's selection gives Creighton at least one member on that team for the eighth time in the last nine seasons. Creighton's previous honorees include Brody Deren (2003 and 2004), Michael Lindeman (2002, 2003 and 2004), Ryan Sears (1999, 2000 and 2001) and Joel Templeman (1998).
Putting The "A" In A-Train
While Anthony Tolliver is having a breakout year on the court, his success in the classroom this year is nothing new.
The junior center has been named Prairie Farms/MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week four times this year and five times in his career.
A Dean's List student majoring in Finance at Creighton, the "A-Train" owns a 3.541 GPA and is a member of the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team and the CoSIDA Academic All-District VII First Team.
Additionally, Tolliver also was named the I-AAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). In 2003, Creighton forward Michael Lindeman won the same award.
In Good Company
Josh Dotzler's 10 assists at Drake on Feb. 4 were the most by a Bluejay freshman since Ryan Sears had 10 helpers against Southern University on Dec. 20, 1997.
Through 23 games in his career, Dotzler has 97 assists and finished the year three shy of 100. By comparison, his predecessor at the point, Tyler McKinney, played in 44 games before breaking the century mark in assists. McKinney's predecessor, Sears, needed 21 games to reach 100 career assists. He finished his Bluejay career with a CU-record 570 assists.
Below is a look at the freshman numbers for Sears, McKinney and Dotzler:
Stat Sears McKinney Dotzler
Team W-L 18-10 23-9 20-10
Games-Starts 28-28 32-21 23-20
Minutes 899 663 753
Minutes Per Game 32.1 20.7 32.7
Points 293 138 191
Points/Game 10.5 4.3 8.3
Rebounds 85 58 47
Rebounds/Game 3.0 1.8 2.0
FG-Att. 82-203 39-98 51-123
FG Pct. .409 .398 .415
3FG-Att. 63-161 21-62 17-43
3FG Pct. .391 .339 .395
FT-Att. 66-82 39-55 28-43
FT Pct. .805 .709 .651
Assists 134 66 97
Turnovers 59 34 59
Blocks 3 0 2
Steals 62 22 52
Mathies The Best of Qwest
Johnny Mathies closed his career as the all-time scoring leader at Qwest Center OMAHA. Mathies has scored 586 career points at the three-year old facility, and has been the only player to appear in all 49 CU home games in that time.
Mathies' has passed currently injured teammate Nate Funk. Funk had owned the mark with 514 points in the 33 games he's played in the facility.
10 Conference Wins, Again
With its Feb. 4 win at Drake, Creighton extended its MVC record by winning 10 or more league games for a 10th consecutive season. Last year the Bluejays broke the previous mark of eight they had shared with Missouri, which did it from 1915-16 to 1922-23.
Prior to Dana Altman's arrival, the Bluejays had 10 or more conference wins in only six different seasons all-time.
On a national basis, the only teams with at least 10 straight years of 10 or more league wins are Arizona (21), South Carolina State (13), Stanford (12), Kansas (12), Creighton (10) and Duke (10).
Porter's Sweet 16
Nick Porter had a career-high 16 points against Northern Iowa, 14 of which came after halftime. Porter, who had scored just 11 points in his three previous games, had scored between 10 and 13 points on 11 prior occasions before his scoring outburst.
Porter matched the best scoring performance of his career on Feb. 14 at Wichita State, finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds.
Inside Game Still A Priority
Though it's often overlooked by the school's traditionally strong perimeter game, Creighton's inside game continues to be a focal point that often dictates CU's success.
When scoring 28 or more points in the paint this season, Creighton was a perfect 11-0 and has won 13 straight games dating to 2004-05. Since the school started tracking points in the paint three years ago, CU is 31-4 when scoring 28 or more in the paint.
Jays Faced Largest Deficit at New Home
Creighton has fallen behind by double-digits in 13 different home games all-time at Qwest Center OMAHA?„?. CU's largest deficit ever in their new home was 25-6 against Wichita State on Jan. 28, 2006.
Creighton has not lost a game at home by 10 or more points since Jan. 3, 1996 (Bradley), a span of 159 straight home games. That ranks as the nation's oldest streak without a double-digit home setback.
Creighton is 5-2 this season and 12-5 in the last five seasons in home games in which it has trailed by 10 points or more, as seen below:
Double Digit Deficits At Home, Last 5 Years
Date Opponent Deficit Final Score
11/27/01 Western Kentucky 18 W 95-91 2ot
01/18/03 Southern Illinois 13 W 85-76
01/26/03 TCU 16 W 89-79
02/12/03 Missouri State 17 W 70-67 ot
12/30/03 Missouri State 10 W 59-54
12/04/04 High Point 13 W 79-60
12/07/04 Kent State 16 L 58-67
12/18/04 Wyoming 13 L 64-68
02/01/05 Wichita State 10 W 73-69
02/05/05 Missouri State 15 L 71-79
11/26/05 Dayton 11 W 91-90 2ot
12/18/05 Xavier 10 W 61-59
01/18/06 Bradley 12 W 80-76
01/28/06 Wichita State 19 W 57-55
02/11/06 Southern Illinois 14 L 67-74
02/22/06 Indiana State 14 W 67-62
03/20/06 Miami (Fla.) 12 L 52-53
Double-Digit Comebacks Continued
The Jays 19-point rally vs. Wichita State on Jan. 28 was its largest in the last six years at any site, while their 16-point comeback at Drake on Feb. 4 was their largest comeback on the road in that same span. CU finished 6-6 in the games they trailed by 10 points or more this year.
Creighton has won after overcoming a double-digit deficit 20 times in the last six seasons, including six times this season and five times last year.
Below is a list of those comebacks:
Overcoming Double Digit Deficits, Last 6 Years
Date Opponent Deficit Final Score
01/28/06 Wichita State 19 W 57-55
11/27/01 Western Kentucky 18 W 95-91 2ot
02/12/03 Missouri State 17 W 70-67 ot
02/04/06 at Drake 16 W 72-67 ot
01/26/03 TCU 16 W 89-79
02/22/06 Indiana State 14 W 67-62
12/04/04 High Point 13 W 79-60
03/09/03 vs. Wichita State 13 W 70-69
01/18/03 Southern Illinois 13 W 85-76
02/04/01 at Indiana State 13 W 77-71
01/18/06 Bradley 12 W 80-76
01/07/04 at Illinois State 12 W 56-55
11/26/05 Dayton 11 W 91-90 2ot
01/15/05 at Northern Iowa 11 W 67-66
11/30/04 at Xavier 11 W 73-72
03/15/02 vs. #15 Florida 11 W 83-82 2ot
12/18/05 Xavier 10 W 61-59
02/16/05 at Wichita State 10 W 82-68
02/01/05 Wichita State 10 W 73-69
12/30/03 Missouri State 10 W 59-54
Dotzler Takes Newcomer Honor, Again
Josh Dotzler was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week on Feb. 6th. Dotzler averaged 8.5 points, 6.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game as Creighton beat No. 25 UNI and Drake in overtime.
In Creighton's overtime road win over Drake, Dotzler had seven points as well as career-highs with 10 assists and five rebounds while turning it over just once in 42 minutes against DU's vaunted press. Dotzler had a hand in eight of CU's nine overtime points, as he dished assists on a pair of three-point baskets and clinched the game with a breakaway lay-up with 5.4 seconds remaining. He also added two steals in the win.
Dotzler's 10 assists were the most by a Bluejay freshman since Ryan Sears had 10 against Southern University on Dec. 20, 1997.
Buzzer Beaters
When Anthony Tolliver drained a 15-foot jumper as time expired to beat Wichita State on Jan. 28, it marked the Jays first buzzer-beater since Nate Funk's 19-footer beat Northern Iowa on Jan. 15, 2005 in Cedar Falls.
The Jays have also been on the other end of a buzzer-beater this season, as Illinois State's Dana Ford drained a 40-footer at Redbird Arena in ISU's 53-50 win over Creighton on Dec. 31st. Additionally, Wichita State's Matt Braeuer drained a game-winning three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left to beat the Jays in overtime, 62-61, on Feb. 14th.
Last season Creighton was involved in eight different games that were decided by a shot at the final horn, going 5-3 in such contests.
His SportsCenter Moment
Anthony Tolliver's game-winning basket vs. Wichita State was tabbed as the No. 4 "Top Play" on SportsCenter's Jan. 28th overnight edition of the show. In the press conference after the game, Tolliver told the assembled media that it was his first game-winning shot since middle school.
They Call Him The Brice
Sophomore Brice Nengsu provided the Jays with the spark necessary to help rally from a 25-6 deficit vs. Wichita State on Jan. 28th. For the game, CU outscored Wichita St. by 15 points in the 12 minutes Nengsu was on the floor.
Nengsu hit his first three shots from three-point range and collected a career-high 10 points in the win. He also tied his previous bests with four rebounds and a steal.
Entering the game, Nengsu hadn't scored in his previous six games, had just five points in CU's first 10 league games, and just 19 points all season.
Qwest Center To Add Seats
City officials recently announced that Qwest Center OMAHA is going to add seats this spring when the Creighton basketball season is over.
The plan calls for close to 1,500 seats to be added on the north end, completing the upper deck, where the video board and Creighton's championship banners currently are displayed.
The seats will not only house rabid Creighton fans, but NCAA postseason events in volleyball (2006 and 2008), men's basketball (2008) and wrestling (2010). Last summer it was announced that the 2008 US Olympic Swimming & Diving Trials will be held inside Qwest Center OMAHA as well.
The Qwest Center's been a busy place of late. Less than 24 hours after the state-record crowd of 15,678 fans saw CU drop Wichita State on Jan. 28, the venue hosted close to 16,000 fans that saw the Rolling Stones in concert.
Crowded House
Creighton has played 61 straight home games in front of crowds of 8,000 fans or more and 30 in a row before 10,000 fans or more.
Creighton's Feb. 18 crowd vs. Fresno State of 15,700 was not just the biggest in school history, but the largest in the history of the state as well.
Thirteen of Creighton's 20 largest home crowds of all-time have come this season, as seen below:
Largest Home Crowds, Creighton History
Att. Opp. Result Date
15,700 Fresno State W 67-62 02/18/06
15,678 Wichita State W 57-55 01/28/06
15,621 Nebraska W 70-44 12/11/05
15,561 Nebraska W 61-54 12/10/03
15,552 Southern Illinois L 67-74 02/11/06
14,880 Dayton W 91-90 (2OT) 11/26/05
14,878 #25 Northern Iowa W 63-55 01/31/06
14,796 Drake W 82-69 01/08/06
14,776 Norfolk State W 63-47 12/21/05
14,372 Southern Illinois L 60-61 02/07/04
14,313 Illinois State W 72-63 01/24/04
14,276 Missouri State L 71-79 02/05/05
14,235 Bradley W 71-62 12/28/04
14,183 Missouri State W 59-54 12/30/03
13,990 Indiana State W 67-62 02/22/06
13,949 Illinois State L 77-82 (OT) 01/22/05
13,898 Missouri State W 78-56 12/28/05
13,830 Evansville W 77-58 01/22/06
13,579 Bradley W 80-76 01/18/06
13,503 Xavier W 61-59 12/18/05
Largest Crowds, State of Nebraska History
Att. Schools Site Date
15,700 Creighton-Fresno State Omaha 02/18/06
15,678 Creighton-Wichita State Omaha 01/28/06
15,621 Creighton-Nebraska Omaha 12/11/05
15,561 Creighton-Nebraska Omaha 12/10/03
15,552 Creighton-So. Illinois Omaha 02/11/06
15,038 Nebraska-Oklahoma St. Lincoln 02/07/81
Largest Crowds To See Creighton Play Ever
Below is a list of the largest crowds to see Creighton play at any location since 1967, according to available records.
10 Largest Crowds To See Creighton Play Since 1967
Att. Schools Result Date
22,013 #24 Auburn vs. CU% L 69-72 03/16/00
21,525 #13 Illinois vs. CU$ L 60-72 03/17/02
20,850 #15 Florida vs. CU$ W 83-82 (2ot) 03/15/02
18,686 CU @ #15 BYU L 68-96 12/11/71
16,437 CU @ #3 DePaul L 57-83 02/09/81
15,957 CU @ #15 UNLV L 59-90 12/23/87
15,703 Wichita St. vs. CU# W 70-69 03/09/03
15,700 Fresno State at CU W 67-62 02/18/06
15,678 Wichita State @ CU W 57-55 01/28/06
15,621 Nebraska @ CU W 70-44 12/11/05
%NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis, Minn.
$NCAA Tournament in Chicago, Ill.
#MVC Tournament in St. Louis, Mo.
Filling ?˜Em Up
Creighton averaged 13,901 fans per game this year, an MVC record. Among current MVC schools, only Northern Iowa (twice) has ever hosted that many fans for a single game. Last year an average crowd of 13,901 would have ranked 15th nationally, trailing only Syracuse, Kentucky, North Carolina, Louisville, Wisconsin, Maryland, Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas, Michigan State, Indiana, Arizona, North Carolina State and New Mexico.
By comparison, Creighton averaged 2,792 fans per game in 1993-94, the season prior to Dana Altman's arrival.
Jays Reach 10 Home Wins Again
With CU's Jan. 22 win vs. Evansville, Creighton won its 10th home game of the season. The Jays have now notched this accomplishment in 10 straight seasons.
Though impressive, that is not a school record. Creighton won 10 or more home games in 12 straight seasons, spanning the 1969-70 season to the 1980-81 campaign.
Creighton has won 10 or more home games in 27 of the last 37 seasons.
Half The Battle
Creighton's 11-point (38-27) halftime deficit against Indiana State (Feb. 22) was the largest it has faced in 49 all-time games at Qwest Center OMAHA?„?.
Top of the Valley
Punch up the numbers in the last seven seasons and it quickly becomes apparent just how dominant Creighton has been in that time. Creighton owns 162 wins in that time, tied with Southern Illinois for most in the MVC during that span. Below is the standings of all MVC schools in the last seven seasons:
School MVC Only All Games
Creighton 89-37 162-61
Southern Illinois 96-30 162-66
Missouri State 75-51 130-89
Wichita State 68-58 123-93
Northern Iowa 59-67 110-103
Bradley 59-67 104-108
Illinois State 50-76 92-115
Indiana State 44-82 90-123
Drake 45-81 84-120
Evansville 45-81 79-123
Through games of March 27, Creighton is tied for 19th nationally with its 162 wins in the past seven years. Below is a list of the top 23 schools, ranked by wins, since the start of the 1999-2000 campaign:
Rank School W-L Next
1. Duke 212-35 Season Over
2. Illinois 189-50 Season Over
3. Gonzaga 188-41 Season Over
4. Kansas 185-53 Season Over
5. Connecticut 181-57 Season Over
6. Kentucky 178-58 Season Over
7. Syracuse 177-60 Season Over
Arizona 177-59 Season Over
9. Oklahoma 176-54 Season Over
Florida 176-58 Season Over
11. Utah State 175-50 Season Over
12. Cincinnati 173-58 Season Over
13. Texas 172-63 Season Over
14. Oklahoma State 166-66 Season Over
Stanford 166-55 Season Over
16. Kent State 165-65 Season Over
Pittsburgh 165-62 Season Over
18. Memphis 163-75 Season Over
19. Creighton 162-62 Season Over
Southern Illinois 162-66 Season Over
21. Xavier 158-66 Season Over
22. St. Joseph's (PA) 154-70 Season Over
Boston College 154-71 Season Over
Putting the "ILL" In Illinois
For the first time since the 1998-99 season, Creighton will not own at least one win in the state of Illinois. The Jays were 0-4 in the nation's 21st state this season, falling to DePaul, Illinois State, Bradley and Southern Illinois. Creighton is 20-6 in games played outside of Illinois.
Over .500 Again
Including both halves this season, Creighton has been better than .500 in either the first or second-half of the league season in 22 straight trips through the league.
Here's how Dana Altman's clubs have fared in the various halves of the MVC season since his arrival:
Year 1st Half 2nd Half
2005-06 7-2 5-4
2004-05 5-4 6-3
2003-04 7-2 5-4
2002-03 8-1 7-2
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 68-40 (.630) 67-41 (.620)
Sunday Best
Senior guard Johnny Mathies averaged 29.0 points in Creighton's three Sunday afternoon home games this year. He had a career-high 32 points against Drake on Jan. 8, three more than his previous best of 29 done on Dec. 11 vs. Nebraska in another Sunday matinee. He then poured in 26 points in CU's final Sunday afternoon home game against Evansville on Jan. 22nd. Those three games are also the three highest scoring outputs of his career.
Funk-less Wonders
Even though all-MVC guard Nate Funk went down with a shoulder injury, Creighton has kept winning. Creighton was 17-7 in games that Funk does not play in, but 3-3 in the six games he played.
Though Funk gets most of the attention because of his scoring ability, he led the Jays in rebounding last year and was generally regarded as the team's top defender.
The Jays yield just 59.0 points per game when Funk was out of the line-up, outscored opponents by 5.8 points per game and are +0.2 on the glass. With Funk, the Jays yielded 68 points per game, outscored teams by 3.0 points per contest and were outrebounded by 1.5 boards per game.
Watts The Deal
Creighton is 10-1 all-time when sophomore Dane Watts scores 11 points or more.
Watts has started CU's last 53 games. In that time, the Jays are 35-18.
Altman Passing Coaching Legends
Dana Altman continues to pass some of the coaching greats in MVC history in two categories. Altman's 238 wins at Creighton are third in MVC history, while his 135 triumphs in regular-season conference games have allowed him to pass Phog Allen for third in league history.
Both men above him, Henry Iba and Eddie Hickey, are in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Here is those lists:
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. 238 Dana Altman Creighton
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. 135 Dana Altman Creighton
4. 126 Phog Allen Kansas
Top-Notch Coach
Any way you slice it, Creighton's Dana Altman ranks among the top coaches in MVC Tournament history. Altman's five titles are the most of any coach in league history, his 16 wins rank second all-time, and his .727 winning percentage is third all-time among coaches with six or more games under their belt.
Top MVC Tournament Coaches, By Wins
Coach, School Wins Losses Pct. Titles
Rich Herrin, SIU 17 8 .680 3
Dana Altman, CU 16 6 .727 5
Nolan Richardson, TU 11 3 .786 2
Jim Molinari, BU 11 10 .524 0
Bob Donewald, UE 10 7 .588 1
Top MVC Tournament Coaches, By Titles
Coach, School Wins Losses Pct. Titles
Dana Altman, CU 16 6 .727 5
Rich Herrin, SIU 17 8 .680 3
Kevin Stallings, ILS 9 4 .692 2
Tom Apke, CU 5 2 .714 2
Tony Barone, CU 8 4 .667 2
Nolan Richardson, TU 11 3 .786 2
Top MVC Tournament Coaches, By Win Pct.
Coach, School Wins Losses Pct. Titles
Charlie Spoonhour, MSU 5 1 .833 1
Nolan Richardson, TU 11 3 .786 2
Dana Altman, CU 16 6 .727 5
Tom Apke, CU 5 2 .714 2
Kevin Stallings, ILS 9 4 .692 2
Mathies...Rolling
The six three-pointers by Johnny Mathies against Drake on Jan. 8 were the most trifectas in a half since Kyle Korver made six in the first half on Jan. 15, 2003 vs. Evansville. Korver finished that game with nine three-point baskets, a record that exists to this day.
The CU record for most three-point baskets in a single-half is eight by Terrell Taylor against Florida on March 15, 2002, though should be noted that Taylor needed two overtimes to accomplish that feat. After a scoreless first half, Taylor was 6-of-7 in the second half from downtown, 0-for-1 in the first overtime, and 2-for-2 in the second overtime, including the game-winner with 0.2 seconds left.
Thirty-Point Bluejays
Johnny Mathies is one of four Creighton players in the Dana Altman era to score 30 points or more in a game. The first two players that did it, Kyle Korver and Rodney Buford, were second-round draft picks that played in the NBA. Currently injured senior Nate Funk did it earlier this year as well when he scored 38 vs. Dayton.
The most points an Altman player has ever scored in a game was 62, which Kansas State's Askia Jones did in only 28 minutes against Fresno State on March 24, 1994, in an NIT quarterfinal. Jones hit an incredible 11 three-pointers in the second half of that game, and finished 14-of-18 from three-point range.
Below is the list of Creighton's 30-point games since Altman became head coach:
Pts. Name Opp. Date Result
40 Rodney Buford Bradley 12/30/98 W 65-44
38 Nate Funk Dayton 11/26/05 W 91-90
36 Rodney Buford Illinois St. 02/05/96 L 72-74
35 Nate Funk @Wichita St. 02/16/05 W 82-68
32 Kyle Korver @Xavier 12/31/02 L 73-75
32 Johnny Mathies Drake 01/08/06 W 82-69
31 Kyle Korver Evansville 01/15/03 W 93-56
30 Rodney Buford So. Illinois 02/05/98 W 91-73
30 Rodney Buford @No. Iowa 12/30/97 W 83-75
30 Rodney Buford Missouri St. 02/15/97 L 82-88
Motz Makes Most of Return
After missing six games from Dec. 11-Jan. 2 with a stress fracture in his foot, Jimmy Motz returned to the Bluejay lineup in the last 18 games. Since his return, Creighton is 13-5.
Motz has made 117 career three-point baskets and passed the century mark with two treys at Indiana State on Jan. 15. He has made at least one three-pointer in 25 of the last 32 games he's played, and Creighton is 23-9 in those contests. Motz's streak of 17 straight games with a trey was halted when he did not shoot on Jan. 18 vs. Bradley.
CU is shooting 42.8 percent (533-1,244) when Motz plays this year, but just 38.3 percent (126-329) in the games he's missed.
Funk's Season Ends After Shoulder Surgery
Senior guard Nate Funk underwent season-ending shoulder surgery on Jan. 5 in Birmingham, Ala. Funk, who originally injured his shoulder on Nov. 30 at DePaul, will apply for a medical redshirt and is expected to regain his final season of eligibility.
Funk averaged 17.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game this season.
Leading At The Break
With its March 16 win over Fresno State, Creighton improved to 63-5 in the last six years during home games it held a halftime lead in. Overall, Dana Altman is 100-13 in home games when his team leads at half since coming to CU.
Center's Field Day
Junior center Anthony Tolliver had a career-high 26 points on Dec. 18 in CU's win over Xavier. Not only was it nine more than his previous best of 17 (at DePaul, Nov. 30), but it was just his second career game of more than 13 points.
Tolliver's 26 points were the most by a Bluejay center under Dana Altman, one more than Randall Crutcher's 25 on Feb. 24, 1997 at Illinois State. The last CU center to score at least 26 points in a game was Nate King, who had 29 points on Feb. 15, 1994 at Bradley.
Double-Double & Triple Trouble
Anthony Tolliver's 26 points and 10 rebounds against Xavier were his second career double-double, joining the 13 points and 10 caroms against Ohio State last season.
Tolliver became the first CU player to record a double-double and hit a three-point basket since Kyle Korver had 12 points, 10 rebounds and two three-pointers in CU's 80-56 rout of Southern Illinois in the 2003 MVC Tournament championship game.
Tolliver also became the first CU player with 25 points and 10 rebounds in a game since Rodney Buford had 28 points and 11 rebounds on Jan. 24, 1998 in a 72-56 win at Drake. Buford made four trifectas in that contest.
Besides Tolliver and Buford (who did it twice), the only other Creighton player to have 25 points and 10 rebounds in a game under Dana Altman was Randall Crutcher, who had 25 points and 12 rebounds at Illinois State on Feb. 24, 1997.
Big Win, Bigger Margin
Though the win over Nebraska is always big for state bragging rights, few could have predicted a 26-point win on Dec. 11. It ranks as Creighton's second-largest margin of victory ever over Nebraska, trailing a 47-18 Bluejay triumph on March 4, 1932. Following the 1932 season, the rivalry was discontinued for 45 years and didn't restart until 1977.
Creighton's 26-point win was the MVC's largest over any Big 12 team since the formation of that league 10 years ago, two more than the Jays' 78-54 win over Missouri last season.
Doing Well vs. the Big 12
The Jays Dec. 11 win over Nebraska was Creighton's 10th consecutive regular-season win over a Big 12 team, a streak that started on Dec. 20, 1998 with a 66-60 win over #18 Oklahoma State.
Strong First Half Defense
Creighton limited Nebraska to just 11 first-half points on Dec. 11th, matching CU's best defensive effort in the last 20 years. Last year the Jays surrendered just 11 first-half points to Alcorn State in the season-opening 74-40 victory.
The Huskers missed their first 11 two-point attempts and finished the first half just 1-of-18 (5.6 percent) from two-point range in the opening 20 minutes.
The last time CU allowed less than 11 points in a half was on March 6, 1984, when they gave up 10 first half points to Bradley.
Porter Scoring In Starting Role
Junior Nick Porter had 13 points on Dec. 11 against Nebraska in his second career start. This came just five days after the Compton, Calif., native had 10 points in his first start against Chattanooga.
Porter became the first Bluejay player to score 10 points in each of his first two starts since Kyle Korver did it in each of his first four starting roles in 2000. He scored 10 points or more in 17 of his 26 starts.
Turning Over A New Record
Creighton forced 31 Nebraska turnovers on Dec. 11th, most-ever by a Husker team. The last Bluejay opponent with more than 30 turnovers was North Carolina A&T, which had 33 miscues on Nov. 18, 2001.
More On Field Goal Percentages
Prior to Dec. 11th, Creighton hadn't won a game in which it shot less than 30 percent from the field since Dec. 22, 1988, when they beat Montana State 75-69 in overtime despite shooting just 28.4 percent (21-74).
Below is a list of all the teams to shoot less than 30 percent in a game, since Dana Altman came to CU 12 years ago. Notably, Dec. 11th was the first time both teams shot below 30 percent in the same game.
Poorest FG Pct. CU Opponents, Against Altman
Pct. Opponent FG-FGA Date Result
.266 CS-Sacramento 17-64 12/14/96 L 59-42
.266 Tulsa 17-64 01/17/96 L 72-59
.273 Western Illinois 15-55 11/20/00 L 96-50
.274 Nebraska 17-62 12/11/05 L 70-44
.286 Indiana State 20-70 01/05/95 L 70-63
.291 George Mason 16-55 11/22/05 L 72-52
Poorest FG Pct, Creighton, Under Altman
Pct. Opponent FG-FGA Date Result
.260 Evansville 13-50 01/24/01 L 61-52
.278 Illinois State 15-54 12/29/96 L 54-45
.279 Nebraska 17-61 01/08/97 L 71-52
.295 Missouri State 13-44 02/28/04 L 70-46
.295 Marquette 18-61 12/23/94 L 82-50
.297 Nebraska 19-64 12/11/05 W 70-44
Iowa Idols
Creighton's starting five against Chattanooga on Dec. 6 had a unique look to it. For the first time since March 1, 1997 (257 games), the Jays did not have an Iowa native in their starting line-up.
The streak covered every game of CU's eight previous postseason bids and began with the first game of the 1997-98 season.
More Iowa Talk
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception. Creighton has three players from Iowa on this season's team, continuing a long trend of relying on some of the Hawkeye State's top preps. CU's native Iowans this season include senior guard Nate Funk (Sioux City), sophomore guard Pierce Hibma (Pella) and freshman guard Dustin Sitzmann (LeMars).
With Funk sidelined by injury, Hibma and Sitzmann have been responsible for extending CU's streak of playing an Iowa native to 375 games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State when Rick Johnson was the Bluejay coach.
Mathies Plays Through Pain
Senior guard Johnny Mathies scored 24 points in the win over Dayton despite battling through severe cramps in his legs, arms and neck that forced him to the locker room while the game was decided late in the second overtime. The Louisville, Ky., native played a career-high 42 minutes, seven minutes more than his previous best, and hit 8-of-12 shots from the floor while also adding three steals.
The Charge Chart
Creighton took 45 charges this season, including five in a Feb. 4 overtime win at Drake. Highlighting that performance was a charge taken by Dane Watts with 4.4 seconds left and the score tied.
CU has now averaged 46.0 over the last four seasons. Below is a list of the charges that have been taken in that time:
Name 2002-05 ?˜05-06 Total
Anthony Tolliver 6 17 23
Dane Watts 8 7 15
Jimmy Motz 12 3 15
Johnny Mathies 11 3 14
Nate Funk 5 2 7
Nick Porter n/a 6 6
Josh Dotzler n/a 4 4
Jeffrey Day 1 1 2
Dominic Bishop n/a 2 2
Pierce Hibma 1 0 1
Former Players 95 n/a 95
Total 139 45 184
Overtime News & Notes
Creighton's 91-90 double-overtime win over Dayton on Nov. 26 improved CU's record in double-OT games to 9-1 since 1987. It was the longest game in the three-year history of Qwest Center OMAHA?„?.
Creighton has lost just one home game to go to overtime since Feb. 17, 1996 and is 44-41 all-time in overtime games, including an 12-9 mark under Dana Altman.
The longest game in Creighton history was a three-overtime epic that saw DePaul edge Creighton, 85-82, on Feb. 1, 1978 in Omaha.
Creighton's Last 10 Double-Overtime Games
11/26/05 at Creighton 91, Dayton 90 (2OT)
02/14/04 at Drake 78, Creighton 73 (2OT)
03/15/02 Creighton 83, #15 Florida 82 (2OT)#
11/27/01 at Creighton 94, #17 W. Kentucky 91 (2OT)
01/04/93 at Creighton 84, Montana 78 (2OT)
02/10/91 at Creighton 91, Missouri State 87 (2OT)
02/17/90 at Creighton 103, Wichita State 95 (2OT)
01/16/90 Creighton 99, at Iowa State 94 (2OT)
12/08/89 Creighton 98, Western Michigan 87 (2OT)$
02/04/88 at Creighton 94, Tulsa 92 (2OT)
$ Springfield, Mo.
# Chicago, Ill.
Porter Debuts With 10 Boards
Nick Porter had 10 rebounds and nine points in 17 minutes of action against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in his first Division I game. Porter's 10 rebounds are the most by a Creighton player in their debut according to box scores dating back to 1975.
A-Train Gets Passing Grade
No Creighton players has improved as much as junior center Anthony Tolliver. Tolliver had 11 points, nine rebounds and a career-best four assists in the win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. It was one of two times in his 91 career games he has led the Jays in assists.
Tolliver scored in double-figures in 23 of CU's games this season, including a career-high 26 points against Xavier. Entering the season, he had scored 10 or more just twice in his first two seasons.
Coming To America
Brice Nengsu (Cameroon) and Manny Gakou (France) were Creighton's first foreign players since Livan Pyfrom in 2001. Prior to this season, the only previous foreign players to play for the Jays had been Pyfrom (Bahamas, 1999-01), Nerijus Karlikanovas (Lithuania, 1998-00) and Colin Lubsey (Australia, 1992-93).
Preseason Poll Picks Jays Second
Creighton was picked second in a preseason poll of MVC coaches, SID's and league media. Creighton, which earned 15 first-place votes and 372 points, narrowly trailed Northern Iowa's 23 votes and 379 points in the second-closest voting ever. Rounding out the top five were Southern Illinois, Missouri State and Wichita State.
Northern Iowa guard Ben Jacobson earned one more vote than Creighton's Nate Funk for preseason player of year accolades, though both were on the five-person preseason all-MVC squad.
The Slimmest of Margins
Creighton has won 10 of its last 14 games decided by one point, improving to 12-10 under Dana Altman in such contests.
Creighton's eight-game winning streak in games away from home decided by a single point was snapped when CU fell 62-61 in overtime at Wichita State on Feb. 14th.
Date Winner Loser Score
03/20/06 Miami (Fla.) at Creighton 53-52
02/14/06 at Wichita St. Creighton 62-61 (OT)
11/26/05 at Creighton Dayton 91-90 (2OT)
02/09/05 at Creighton Northern Iowa 83-82
01/15/05 Creighton at Northern Iowa 67-66
11/30/04 Creighton at Xavier 73-72
03/06/04 Nebraska at Creighton 71-70
02/07/04 So. Illinois at Creighton 61-60
01/07/04 Creighton at Illinois State 56-55
03/09/03 Creighton Wichita State# 70-69
03/08/03 Creighton Indiana State# 57-56
02/22/03 at Creighton Fresno State 67-66
03/15/02 Creighton #15 Florida$ 83-82 (2OT)
02/06/02 Creighton at Indiana State 64-63
12/29/99 Missouri State at Creighton 59-58
12/04/99 Creighton at Baylor 77-76 (OT)
01/17/99 Indiana State at Creighton 70-69
02/20/97 at Creighton Wichita State 59-58
12/21/96 at Houston Creighton 74-73
11/30/96 #24 Minnesota Creighton% 64-63
02/24/96 at Missouri St. Creighton 67-66
02/17/96 Northern Iowa at Creighton 58-57 (OT)
#MVC Tournament in St. Louis, Mo.
$NCAA Tournament in Chicago, Ill.
%San Juan Shootout, Caguas, Puerto Rico
3-0 The Way To Go
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) each of the last eight seasons. The only other school to start 3-0 each of the last eight seasons is Pittsburgh.
Each of Creighton's 3-0 starts under Dana Altman have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Television Records
Creighton is a combined 48-29 in televised games in the last four seasons, including a 19-13 mark on KM3. Creighton went 4-2 in games aired on KM3 in 2002-03, 6-3 in 2003-04, 4-5 in 2004-05 and 5-3 in 2005-06 on KM3-produced games.
The Jays are also 22-15 in games that air regionally or nationally in that time, including a 14-10 mark on MVC TV.
Nifty at 50 (Percent)
Since coming to Creighton, head coach Dana Altman's teams are 91-3 when his teams make at least half of their shots from the field. The Jays had won 51 straight games when shooting 50 percent or better, dating to a Jan. 23, 2000 game at Evansville, before falling to Southern Illinois on Jan. 9, 2005. CU's other loss in that scenario was a 73-71 overtime loss to Missouri on Dec. 1, 1996.
Qwest To Be The Best
Creighton owns a 40-9 (.816) record all-time while playing at Qwest Center OMAHA, including a perfect 11-0 figure on Wednesday's. The nine losses have been by a combined 42 points. CU has outscored its opponents 3,540-3,001 in games at Qwest Center OMAHA, an average victory margin of 11.0 points per game.
Creighton is 97-15 in the last six years when leading at the half, including a 63-5 home record in such contests. Three of those home losses were against Southern Illinois after wasting halftime leads.
Two Dead, But One Home Streak Still Alive
Creighton had two of its three long home streaks snapped in a season-ending 53-52 loss to Miami (Fla.).
Creighton's streak of 57 points in 144 straight home games was snapped when the Jays scored just 52 points against Miami (Fla.). That streak dated to a 54-45 loss to Illinois State on Dec. 29, 1996.
Before its 19-point first half against Miami, Creighton had also scored at least 22 points in every half of every home game since Feb. 16, 2000 vs. Indiana State. That streak spanned a stretch of 193 consecutive halves at home.
The only streak still alive after the game was its streak since last losing by 10 points in a home game. Creighton has not lost at home by double-digits in 159 straight contests, dating to a 75-62 loss to Bradley on Jan. 3, 1996. That ranks as the nation's oldest streak without a double-digit home loss.
?˜W'inning Edge
Creighton's men's and women's basketball teams have been nearly unbeatable at home in recent seasons, going a combined 146-29 in the last six seasons. In fact, the men and women have both lost a home game in the same month just three times since March, 2000.
Creighton's Home Records, Last Six Years
Year Men Women Combined
2005-06 15-2 5-7 20-9
2004-05 11-5 12-3 23-8
2003-04 14-2 12-1 26-3
2002-03 17-0 13-1 30-1
2001-02 12-3 11-1 23-4
2000-01 14-0 10-4 24-4
TOTALS 83-12 63-17 146-29
Men's & Women's Success
Creighton entered this year as one of four schools nationally to have 19 wins in both men's and women's basketball in each of the previous four years. That elite list consists of Connecticut, Creighton, Duke and Texas.
According to STATS Inc., Creighton entered this year as one of 14 schools to place both the men's and women's basketball squads in the postseason in each of the last four years as well. That list consists of Boston College, Connecticut, Creighton, Duke, Iowa, LSU, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Stanford, Texas, Texas Tech, UNLV and Villanova.
Long-Distance Streaks Alive
Creighton has made at least two three-point baskets in 390 consecutive games, including every game under the direction of coach Dana Altman. The last time they had just one three-pointer was a 74-70 win over Florida A&M on Dec. 22, 1993.
Overall, Creighton has made at least one trifecta in a league-best 400 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois St. on Feb. 20, 1993 when Rick Johnson was coach.
Rule of 70
Creighton is 177-44 all-time under Dana Altman and 79-14 in the last four seasons when holding opponents under 70 points.
Altman is 35-0 in his Division I coaching career when holding opponents to 50 points or less.
Jays Ink California Big Man
Creighton signed one player, Kenny Lawson, in the fall signing period. Lawson is a 6-8, 215 pound power forward from Vista High School in Vista, Calif. He averaged 16 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots per game as a junior. Lawson has spent the last two summers on one of the nation's top AAU teams, EBO.
Ticket Information
Creighton sold a school-record 10,474 season tickets this season. The previous mark was the 9,380 season-tickets bought for the 2004-05 season.
