Men's Basketball Takes First Road Trip To Face Drexel
11/30/2007 4:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Next Game
Creighton (4-0) hits the road for the first time this season when it travels to Philadelphia, Pa., for a game with Drexel (5-2, 0-1 Colonial Athletic Association).
The game will be played at the John A. Daskalakis Athletic Center (2,500) and begin at 4:30 pm Eastern (3:30 pm Central).
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“Big Sports 590” AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2007-08 season. The audio is also webcast live at www.bigsports590.com. T. Scott Marr and Len Gordy will call the action.
Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game at Drexel will be televised in both Philadelphia and Omaha, with Scott Graham and Rob Kennedy on the call.
The game can be seen in Omaha on Cox Channel 2, while the game can be seen in Philadelphia on CN8.
Coordinates are as follows:
Satellite: AMC 05 (Ku) Dig
Transponder: 08 - Ch B&C
Orbital Slot: 79? WL
Bandwith: 18 MHz
Uplink Freq: 14226 (V)
Downlink Freq: 11926 (H)
FEC: 3/4
Symbol Rate: 14.0625
Video Webcast Available
For just $4.95, Drexel will provide a video webcast of the game on it's website at http://www.drexeldragons.com/member/bridge.asp?url=/member/aa_signup.aspx
Live Stats Information
Drexel will be providing free live stats on its website for Saturday's game. Fans can go to http://livestats.internetconsult.com/drexel/mbball/ to view them.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 4-0 after beating DePaul (74-62), Mississippi Valley State (76-46), Nebraska (74-62) and Savannah State (78-52) at home to open the season.
The Bluejays return six lettermen and one starter from last year's team that finished 22-11 and advanced to its seventh NCAA Tournament in the past nine seasons.
Senior forward Dane Watts, owner of 90 consecutive starts, is by far the most experienced player on the roster. Watts averaged 9.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last year, and this year he leads the team with 14.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
Also scoring in double-digits is newcomer P'Allen Stinnett (13.5 ppg.). Stinnett raised eyebrows with 23 points in his debut and ranks second on the team with 13 assists and seven steals.
The Bluejays are outscoring the opposition by a 20-point average (75.5-55.5) and are outrebounding teams by 6.0 caroms per contest.
Scouting Drexel
Drexel is 5-2 on the season, but coming in after a surprsingly one-sided 85-38 loss at CAA rival George Mason on Thursday night.
The Dragons, who went 23-9 overall last year and just missed an at-large selection in the NCAA Tournament, return 10 lettermen and two starters from that squad.
Tramayne Hawthorne leads the team with 14.0 points, 4.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
The center of attention, literally, is big man Frank Elegar. The 6'9” all-CAA senior averages 13.7 points and 7.3 rebounds while also topping the club with 15 blocked shots. However, the big man was scoreless in 17 minutes against George Mason, his first game under five points in the past two seasons.
Also scoring in double-figures is sixth man Gerald Colds, who averages 11.1 points per game thanks in part to 52.6 percent shooting from three-point range in 38 attempts.
Drexel and its opponents both score 62.3 points per game. The Dragons have been outrebounded by 4.5 caroms per contest and shoot 44.2 percent from the floor, 39.7 percent from downtown and 56.7 percent at the line.
The Coaches
The dean of Missouri Valley Conference coaches, Creighton's Dana Altman (Eastern New Mexico, 1980) is in his 14th year as head coach of the Bluejays. He owns a 264-141 (.652) mark at CU and a career record of 347-208 (.625) in 19 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 22 previous 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. In March, 2007, Altman was named a coach on the MVC's All-Centennial Team.
Additionally, Altman has led Creighton to seven NCAA Tournaments and his teams have played in the postseason in 10 straight seasons. He is assisted by Brian Fish, Darian DeVries and Mike Maker. Nick Earnest is the team's film coordinator.
James “Bruiser” Flint (Saint Joseph's, 1987) is in his seventh season with Drexel, where he owns a 111-76 record. He previously was head coach at at Massachusetts from 1996-2001 and owns a career mark of 197-148. Flint is assisted by Geoff Arnold, Mike Connors and Tony Chiles.
The Series With Drexel
Drexel beat Creighton, 64-58, on Feb. 17, 2007, in the only meeting so far. The game was nationally televised by ESPN2 and played in front of the largest crowd in state history (17,607).
Dana Altman is 0-1 against Drexel but is 6-1 overall against Colonial Athletic Association teams. Altman is 0-1 against Bruiser Flint.
Last Meeting With Drexel
Drexel beat Creighton, 64-58, in Omaha in the lone meeting to date. The Dragons used a 12-0 run midway through the second half to overcome a sellout crowd (17,607) and beat the Bluejays.
Dominick Mejia had 17 of his game-high 20 points in the second half, while Frank Elegar had 19 points for the Dragons.
Anthony Tolliver had 15 points before fouling out to lead Creighton, while Dane Watts and Nate Funk each had 13 points.
Last Game Recap
Creighton tied a school-record with 18 steals and had 60 points off the bench in a 78-52 victory over Savannah State on Thursday. The Bluejays took leads of 9-0, 14-2 and 22-4 in the opening minutes and never trailed. P'Allen Stinnett led CU with 13 points, while Raye Bailey topped the Tigers with 11 points.
Road Openers Under Altman
Creighton has gone 9-4 under Dana Altman in its' first game of the season away from home. Three of the road openers (all wins) came on a neutral floor in Kansas City. CU has won four of its last five openers away from home, falling only last year at Nebraska.
In Creighton's first true road game under Altman, the Jays are 8-5.
City of Brotherly Love
Philadelphia is known as the “City of Brotherly Love”, so one can only hope that the Philly natives grant a warm reception to Bluejay freshman guard Kaleb Korver.
Kaleb is the younger brother of Philadelphia 76ers forward Kyle Korver, who starred at Creighton from 1999-2003.
Kyle still holds the MVC record with 371 career three-point baskets and ranks fifth in school history with 1,801 career points. He led the Jays to a 29-5 record in 2002-03, averaging 17.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while earning All-America honors.
When Creighton played Drexel in February, Kyle flew back to Omaha to watch the game while also autographing bobblehead dolls that supported his Kyle Korver Foundation.
Against Postseason Teams?
Drexel will mark the third team Creighton has faced this year that participated in the postseason last spring.
The Jays defeated DePaul on Nov. 9 by a 74-62 score and Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 17 by a 76-46 margin.
Drexel also participated in last year's NIT, though many felt its late-February road win at Creighton was enough to land them an at-large bid in the NCAA's.
BracketBuster Return
Saturday's game at Drexel is part of the return trip guaranteed as part of the BracketBuster contract. Creighton is 3-2 in the first meeting, but just 1-3 in the BracketBuster rematches the following season.
Opponent First Game Rematch
Fresno State, ?03 W 67-66 W 70-62 (OT)
Kent State, ?04 L 55-70 L 58-67
Chattanooga, ?05 W 100-68 L 64-69
Fresno State, ?06 W 67-62 L 54-69
Drexel, ?07 L 58-64 Saturday
3-0 Start, Again
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in nine of the last 10 seasons, including this year's 4-0 open. Last year's team that started 2-1 is the lone exception in the past decade.
Each of Creighton's 3-0 starts under Dana Altman have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Thanks in large part to the quick starts to open the year, Creighton has not taken the floor with a losing record since December 3, 1997 when it faced Grambling. Saturday will be the 317th game in a row the Jays have played with a record of .500 or better.
Quaker State Notes
Creighton has not played a game in the state of Pennsylvania since a Feb. 25, 1973 loss at Duquesne in Pittsburgh. Two days prior to that Creighton beat Saint Francis (Pa.) in Loretto.
Creighton's last men's basketball player from the state was Gregory Brandon, who finished his playing career in 1984. It is worth noting that 1993-94 freshman Rick Steele played his senior year of high school in New Castle, Pa., but claimed Texas as his home state.
Heck Of A Bench
Creighton's bench has scored 54 more points than the starting five this year, outscoring them 173-129.
Creighton has scored 36 or more bench points every game this fall, compared to a high of 30 for last year's team. This year's team averages 43.2 points per game off the pine.
Last year's club had 356 bench points for the entire season, an average of 10.8 points per game.
Creighton's 60 points off the bench against Savannah State was its most since 61 points on Nov. 17, 2002 against Texas-Arlington.
Both Creighton's starters and the opposing starters have scored 129 points to date. However, CU's bench has outscored the opposition's bench by a whopping 173-93 margin, which amounts to a 20 point per game differential.
Stat Starters Bench
Points 129 173
Minutes 402 398
FG% .448 .477
3FG% .425 .385
FT% .667 .621
Rebounds 70 76
Assists 32 31
Steals 24 29
Double-Digit Victors
Each of Creighton's first four wins have been by 12 points or more, including identical 74-62 wins over both DePaul and Nebraska.
Creighton last opened with four straight double-digit home wins in 2003-04, when it had four straight wins of 20 points or more to start the year.
CU opened 2003-04 with a 12-0 record. That season, like this one, also followed a preseason trip to Canada.
The Valley's Only Unbeaten
Creighton (4-0) enters this weekend as the only undefeated team in the Missouri Valley Conference, and one of 29 schools nationwide without a loss.
The list of undefeated teams, through games of Thursday, is as follows: Duke, North Carolina, Clemson, Miami (Fla.), Boston College, Duquesne, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Georgetown, Texas A&M, Kansas, Texas, Baylor, CSU-Northridge, Memphis, Butler, Creighton, New Mexico, UCLA, Washington State, California, Holy Cross, Vanderbilt, Mississippi, Texas-Arlington, Sam Houston State, New Orleans and St. Mary's (Calif.).
Stealing A Share Of The Record
Creighton tied a school-record on Thursday night against Savannah State, recording 18 steals in its 26-point victory.
The 18 steals matches the amount recorded on Dec. 18, 1991 at Cleveland State, and later matched on Dec. 12, 1999 against Illinois State.
Josh Dotzler had four steals, three others had three steals, Pierce Hibma had two steals and three others had one steal apiece.
Halftime Advantage
Creighton's 47-20 halftime lead over Nebraska is the second-largest intermission margin in the five-year history of Qwest Center Omaha. Creighton led Alcorn State 39-11 on Nov. 15, 2004 for the largest halftime margin.
The Jays have led by 10 or more points at half in 11-of-14 November games at Qwest Center Omaha all-time.
Below is a list of Creighton's top halftime leads and deficits at Qwest Center Omaha:
CU's Largest Halftime Leads at Qwest Center
Margin Score Opponent Date
28 39-11 Alcorn State 11/15/04
27 47-20 Nebraska 11/24/07
23 41-18 St. Bonaventure 11/29/03
21 42-21 Bethune Cookman 12/03/03
20 31-11 Nebraska 12/11/05
20 37-17 San Diego 11/22/03
CU's Largest Halftime Deficits at Qwest Center
Margin Score Opponent Date
-14 34-48 Evansville 02/07/07
-11 27-38 Indiana State 02/22/06
-10 19-29 Miami (Fla.) 03/20/06
-10 28-38 Bradley 01/18/06
-9 34-43 Missouri State 02/05/05
November Reign
Creighton is 34-3 in regular-season November games since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
Dana Altman is 26-0 in November home games at Creighton. CU's last home loss in November came in 1989, when it fell to Coppin State on Nov. 27.
40-Point Halves = Wins
Creighton scored 47 points in the first half of its Nov. 29 win over Savannah State. The last time a Bluejay team exceeded that figure by intermission was when it scored 48 against Drake on Jan. 8, 2006.
Dating to Jan. 29, 2005, Creighton has won its last 29 games when it scores at least 40 points in a half.
Worth Noting
Creighton's regular radio analyst on the road, assistant athletics director Kevin Sarver, will not be making the trip to Philadelphia due to his administrative duties associated with the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament third-round game the Jays are hosting on Saturday night against Illinois-Chicago.
It is the first road game Sarver has missed since Nov. 22, 2005, a 72-52 road win at CAA member George Mason.
Fear not Drexel fans, as George Mason would recover from that setback to put together a memorable run to the Final Four.
Len Gordy, CU's Diversity and Inclusion Officer and a former Bluejay assistant, will take Sarver's place on the broadcast with T. Scott Marr.
Seniors Step Up By Stepping Back
Creighton's senior triumvirate of Nick Bahe, Pierce Hibma and Dane Watts entered last Saturday's game vs. Nebraska a collective 0-for-7 from three-point land on the young season.
The seniors stepped up against the Huskers through, drilling all seven three-point attempts they tried in the first half of the victory.
Dotzler Goes For 5-5-5
Junior point guard Josh Dotzler had five steals, five assists and five fouls in Creighton's 74-62 win over Nebraska last Saturday.
The five steals tied a career-high, done twice previously, while his five fouls marked his first disqualification in 52 career games.
Creighton outscored Nebraska by a team-best 16 points with Dotzler on the court, a figure that was compiled in 23 minutes.
Five Figure Crowds
Creighton hosted 17,607 fans for its Feb. 17, 2007 home game versus Drexel. Not only was it the largest home crowd in Creighton history, but for any basketball game in state history as well.
Creighton has played 79 straight home games in front of crowds of 8,000 fans or more and 48 in a row at home before 10,000 fans or more.
By comparison, Creighton had a total of 39,093 home fans in Dana Altman's first year on the Hilltop, an average of 2,792 per game.
10 Largest Home Crowds, Creighton & State History
Att. Opp. Result Date
17,607 Drexel L 58-64 02/17/07
17,459 Southern Illinois L 57-58 01/20/07
17,283 Indiana State W 71-55 01/27/07
17,110 Wichita State W 71-54 02/24/07
17,049 Nebraska W 74-62 11/24/07
16,730 Miss. Valley St. W 76-46 11/17/07
16,339 Bradley W 65-54 01/18/07
16,315 Drake W 79-56 01/09/07
16,104 DePaul W 74-62 11/09/07
15,872 #24 Xavier W 73-67 12/09/06
Balancing Act
Creighton has 11 players averaging more than 11 minutes per game, as it continues to mix and match its substitution patters in search of the optimum result.
Four players average between 7.3-14.0 points per game, five others average between 4.0-6.0 points per game, and four players average between 2.0-3.3 points per game.
Aaron Brandt is the only Bluejay that is scoreless to date.
Cashing In At The Line
Sophomore guard Cavel Witter has made each of his first 12 free throw attempts, including a perfect 6-of-6 effort last Saturday.
Witter's 12 straight made free throws to start his career matches the best by a Creighton newcomer since Kellen Miliner made 12 straight before his initial miss on Jan. 15, 2003 vs. Evansville.
That same season sophomore guard Tyler McKinney drained 13 straight before missing on Dec. 21, 2002 at Nebraska.
According to available records since 1980, the school record for free throws made to start a season is 20 in a row by Kyle Korver, who didn't miss in his junior season until Dec. 4, 2001 at TCU.
Milestone Man
Dane Watts played in the 100th game of his Bluejay career last Saturday. On Thursday, the senior forward reached the 500-carom milestone in his career. He grabbed six boards and now had 504 career rebounds.
Watts, who leads CU with 7.5 rebounds per game this year, has now grabbed two boards or more in 29 straight games.
Watts ranks seventh among active MVC players with 836 career points and fifth with 504 career rebounds.
MegaWatts
Dane Watts scored a career-high 26 points against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 17. Watts scored 15 of the Jays first 21 points, then added 11 more points after intermission.
Watts made 10-of-12 shots from the field and 6-of-8 shots from the free-throw line to score his 26 points. He did not attempt a three-point shot for the first time since Feb. 18, 2006, snapping a streak of 39 straight games with at least one hoist from behind the arc.
Watts' only other previous game with at least 20 points came on Dec. 22, 2006, when he scored 21 points in Creighton's 80-72 win over Houston.
Jays Ink Pair of Recruits
Creighton signed a pair of left-handed guards on Nov. 14, the first day of the fall signing period.
Antoine Young is an all-state guard from Bellevue West HS in the south Omaha suburb of Bellevue. A 6'0” guard, Young averaged 20.6 points per game last year for the state-runner up. He is coached by Doug Woodard.
Josh Jones is an all-state guard from Omaha Central HS. A 6'2” shooting guard, Jones has helped lead Central to back-to-back state titles. He averaged 18.0 points per game as a junior and is coached by Eric Behrens.
Jones and Young have previously been summer AAU teammates with the Omaha Crusaders.
Defense, Defense
Creighton is allowing just 55.5 points per game, best in the MVC this year and 18th nationally through games played Thursday. This marks the sixth straight season the Jays have allowed less than 65 points per game. Each of CU's last 12 opponents have been held to 65 points or less in regulation, dating to last year.
Creighton head coach Dana Altman is 40-0 in his Division I coaching career when allowing 50 points or less.
P'henomenal Debut
P'Allen Stinnett's 23 points on Nov. 9 against DePaul were the most by a Bluejay in their first game since Cyril Baptiste scored 24 points on Dec. 1, 1969 against Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Stinnett's 23 points were the most by any Creighton player in a season-opener since Rodney Buford tipped off his senior campaign with 24 points against Towson State on Nov. 14, 1998.
Below is a list of how Stinnett's debut compares with some other notable names in Bluejay history.
Name, Yr. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Min. Result
Stinnett, 2007 23 4 3 3 26 W 74-62
Tolliver, 2003 0 1 2 0 7 W 79-44
Funk, 2002 3 5 4 1 21 W 106-50
Kyle Korver, 1999 2 2 0 1 10 W 70-62
Buford, 1995 3 4 0 0 19 W 63-59
Harstad, 1987 4 5 1 1 21 L 49-70
Gallagher, 1987 10 3 0 0 37 L 49-70
Benjamin, 1982 14 4 1 0 22 W 98-54
McKenna, 1977 14 3 7 ? ? W 95-66
Harmon, 1971 21 7 ? ? ? W 74-62
C. Baptiste, 1969 24 17 ? ? ? W 84-62
Portman, 1966 9 ? ? ? ? W 78-76
Silas, 1961 22 29 ? ? ? W 85-51
Gibson, 1954 19 ? ? ? ? W 66-51
Not Half Bad
P'Allen Stinnett scored all 23 of his points in the second half of Creighton's 74-62 win over DePaul on Nov. 9. The last Bluejay player to score 23 points or more in one half (without the aid of overtimes) was Kyle Korver, who had 26 of his 32 points in the second half of a game at #19 Xavier on Dec. 31, 2002.
Stinnett Named Newcomer Of the Week
P'Allen Stinnett picked up the league's first MVC Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 9 after his extraordinary debut against DePaul.
Stinnett had 23 points, four rebounds, three steals and three assists in the 74-62 win over DePaul. His 23 points were the most in a Bluejay debut since Cyril Baptiste in 1969, while his 23 point second half was the most by a Creighton player in one half since Kyle Korver on Dec. 31, 2002 at #19 Xavier.
True Blue Brewster's Crew
Creighton's top two scorers on Nov. 9 against DePaul, freshman P'Allen Stinnett and sophomore Chad Millard, both spent a year of prep school at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H. Stinnett was there in 2006-07, while Millard was there in 2004-05.
Stinnett had 23 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Millard had 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block in the Jays 74-62 win over DePaul.
Is Anyone Left?
Creighton returned just 24.7 percent of its scoring from last season's team. According to STATS Inc., that ranks 10th-lowest nationally among Division I schools, as seen below.
Lowest Percentage of Points Returning
Source: STATS -- Chicago
Rk. School Last Year Return %
1. Long Beach State 2,575 85 3.3
2. Pepperdine 2,389 223 9.3
3. Colorado State 2,178 309 14.2
4. Florida 3,193 472 14.8
5. Louisiana Tech 1,922 354 18.4
6. Citadel 1,758 363 20.6
7. Eastern Washington 2,443 535 21.9
8. Southeastern Louisiana 2,050 501 24.4
9. Loyola Marymount 2,030 497 24.5
10. Creighton 2,220 548 24.7
90 and Counting...
Dane Watts has started Creighton's last 90 games, dating to his first start on Dec. 28, 2004.
That ranks as the MVC's longest active streak of consecutive starts, and is also seventh nationally according to STATS Inc. through Nov. 29.
Longest Active String of Consecutive Starts
Source: STATS -- Chicago
Rk. Name, School Streak Next
1. Jonathan Wallace, Georgetown 106 12/01
2. Dominique Kirk, Texas A&M 102 12/02
3. Antoine Agudio, Hofstra 98 12/01
Leon Williams, Ohio 98 12/02
5. Bryant Dunston, Fordham 97 12/02
6. William Byrd, Ark.-Pine Bluff 94 12/01
7. Dane Watts, Creighton 90 12/01
8. Gabe Moore, Indiana State 88 12/01
9. Mark Porter, Wagner 87 12/01
10. Jack Leasure, Coastal Carolina 83 12/07
Are You Experienced?
How much experience does senior Dane Watts have compared to the rest of the Creighton team? The chart below shows his stats at CU compared to those of all his teammates...combined.
Stat Watts Rest of Team
Starts 90 57
Blocks 26 18
FG Made 291 269
FG Attempts 644 629
3FG Made 113 110
3FG Attempts 304 289
FT Made 141 141
FT Attempts 210 213
Points 836 791
Off. Rebounds 157 111
Def. Rebounds 347 262
Rebounds 504 373
Fouls 241 284
Fouled Out 2 2
Turnovers 116 247
Preseason Poll
Creighton has been picked fourth in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll of coaches, beat writers, SID's and play-by-play men.
Southern Illinois was a unanimous selection with 39 first-place votes and a point total of 390. Bradley is second with 311 points while Missouri State is third with 283 points. Creighton comes in fourth with 266 points, just ahead of Illinois State's 235. Rounding out the bottom half is Wichita State (210), UNI (197), Indiana State (110), Drake (80) and Evansville (63).
The preseason all-MVC team does not include any Creighton players and is headed by preseason player of the year Randal Falker (Southern Illinois). Joining Falker on the first team are Eric Coleman (UNI), PJ Couisnard (Wichita State), Deven Mitchell (Missouri State) and Daniel Ruffin (Bradley). Honorable-mention picks include Jeremy Crouch (Bradley), Levi Dyer (Illinois State), Osiris Eldridge (Illinois State), Matt Shaw (Southern Illinois) and Bryan Mullins (Southern Illinois).
?W'inning Edge
Creighton's men's and women's basketball teams have been nearly unbeatable at home in recent seasons, going a combined 171-38 in the last eight 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 Eight Years
Year Men Women Combined
2007-08 4-0 2-0 6-0
2006-07 12-2 7-7 19-14
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 99-14 72-24 171-38
Double-Digit Comebacks
Including its Nov. 9 win over DePaul, Creighton has won after overcoming a double-digit deficit 23 times in the last eight seasons, including once this year.
Below is a list of those comebacks, listed by size of the margin overcome:
Overcoming Double Digit Deficits, Last 8 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
11/09/07 DePaul 17 W 74-62
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
02/07/07 Evansville 14 W 79-74
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
12/30/06 Missouri State 11 W 77-74
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
Double-Digit Comebacks
Creighton has fallen behind by double-digits in 17 of its 67 all-time home games all-time at Qwest Center Omaha. In 11 of those 17 games, the Bluejays came back to win.
Creighton has not lost a game at home by 10 or more points since Jan. 3, 1996 (Bradley), a span of 177 straight home games. That ranks as the nation's oldest streak without a double-digit home setback.
Double Digit Deficits at Qwest Center Omaha
Date Opponent Deficit Final Score
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
12/30/06 Missouri State 11 W 77-74
01/20/07 Southern Illinois 12 L 57-58
02/07/07 Evansville 14 W 79-74
11/09/07 DePaul 17 W 74-62
Who Are These Guys?
Program sales will be up as Creighton fans try to figure out who all the newcomers on the roster are this winter.
Creighton has just one regular starter back from last year, Dane Watts. The last time Creighton listed just one returning starter was all the way back in 1985-86, when Gary Swain was the lone returning starter.
Additionally, Creighton's returners accounted for just 44 games started last year. That's the fewest games started that are returning since at least the start of the 1980-81 campaign, as seen below:
Returning Returning Starts Final
Year Starters From Previous Year W-L
2007-08 1 44 ?
2006-07 4 120 22-11
2005-06 4 134 20-10
2004-05 2 58 23-11
2003-04 3 101 20-9
2002-03 5 159 29-5
2001-02 2 65 23-9
2000-01 3 90 24-8
1999-00 3 84 23-10
1998-99 3 84 22-9
1997-98 4 72 18-10
1996-97 4 126 15-15
1995-96 4 100 14-15
1994-95 2 52 7-19
1993-94 3 73 7-22
1992-93 2 64 8-18
1991-92 2 51 9-19
1990-91 4 132 24-8
1989-90 4 127 21-12
1988-89 4 123 20-11
1987-88 3 83 16-16
1986-87 2 65 9-19
1985-86 1 48 12-16
1984-85 4 124 20-12
1983-84 3 72 17-14
1982-83 3 77 8-19
1981-82 2 78 7-20
1980-81 4 112 21-9
The Charge Chart
Creighton has taken four charges so far this season. The charge taken by Josh Dotzler on Nov. 29 against Savannah State was CU's first by a Nebraska native since March 16, 2006 when Lincoln native Jimmy Motz took one.
Over the previous five seasons, the Bluejays have averaged 46.0 per year. Below is a list of the charges that have been taken in that time:
Name 2002-06 ?06-07 ?07-08 Total
Josh Dotzler 4 0 1 5
Chad Millard n/a n/a 1 1
Kenton Walker n/a n/a 1 1
Casey Harriman n/a n/a 1 1
Dane Watts 15 11 0 26
Pierce Hibma 1 2 0 3
Former Players 164 33 0 197
Total 184 46 4 234
Qwest To Be The Best
Creighton's has played 67 regular and post-season contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time. The Bluejays own a 56-11 (.836) record all-time at the facility, including a perfect 13-0 figure on Wednesday's. The 11 losses have been by a combined 49 points. CU has outscored its opponents 4,827-4,044 in games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average victory margin of 11.7 points per game.
10 Conference Wins x 11 Seasons
Last year Creighton extended its MVC record by winning 10 or more league games for an 11th consecutive season. 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 11 straight years of 10 or more league wins are Arizona (22), South Carolina State (14), Stanford (13), Kansas (13) and Creighton (11).
20 Overall Wins x 9 Years = MVC History
Creighton is the only school in the 101-year history of the Missouri Valley Conference to post nine straight 20-win campaigns. No other school owns more than six straight.
Creighton is one of nine teams nationally with 20 or more wins in each of last nine seasons. That list consists of Arizona, Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kent State, Kentucky and Syracuse.
Postseason x 10
Creighton has made either the NIT or NCAA in 10 consecutive seasons, tied for the longest streak of postseason bids in MVC history. It matches the 10 straight from 1966 to 1975 by Louisville.
The only 12 schools to make the postseason in each of the last 10 years are Arizona, Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Stanford and Syracuse.
Creighton, which also boasts a men's soccer team with 16 straight NCAA appearances, is the nation's only school with 10 straight postseason appearances in both men's basketball and men's soccer.
Six Out Of Nine Tourney Titles
Creighton owns six league tournament titles in the last nine years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (8), Duke (7), Winthrop (7) and Creighton (6).
Creighton's 10 Valley Tournament titles are twice as many as the next closest school, Southern Illinois (5).
Nothing Mid-Major About The Valley
The 2006-07 campaign marked the ninth consecutive season that the Missouri Valley Conference has had multiple bids to the NCAA Tournament, as two teams were in the Big Dance.
The only leagues to send at least two teams to the last nine NCAA Tourney's (since 1998-99) are the ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, MVC, SEC and Pac-10.
Jays Were Among Attendance Leaders
During the 2006-07 season, Creighton finished ranked 13th nationally in average attendance with 15,909 fans per game. Below is a list of the nation's attendance leaders, according to figures compiled by the NCAA.
2006-07 Attendance Leaders
Rk. School Avg.
1. Kentucky 23,421
2. Syracuse 21,516
3. North Carolina 20,693
4. Tennessee 19,661
5. Louisville 18,488
6. Ohio State 17,530
7. Wisconsin 17,190
8. Maryland 16,822
9. Arkansas 16,720
10. Illinois 16,618
11. Indiana 16,474
12. Kansas 16,300
13. Creighton 15,909
14. Marquette 15,345
15. Michigan State 14,759
MVC's Top Crowds Ever
Creighton has set MVC attendance records each of the past two seasons. In 2005-06 the program attracted a league-record 236,313 fans, smashing the previous league mark of 192,258 the Bluejays set in 2003-04. Last season, Creighton set a mark with 15,909 fans per average home game.
Below are the top average home attendance totals in MVC history.
Ave. Att. School Year
16,074 Creighton 2007-08
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
12,016 Creighton 2003-04
12,009 Louisville 1967-68
Consistent Challengers
One of the most impressive facets of the Dana Altman tenure is how often his teams have been in the running for the MVC regular-season title. Eight of his last 10 teams have finished either first or second in The Valley, and the two that didn't both won the MVC Tournament.
The Bluejays won the MVC in 2000-01 and tied for the title in 2001-02. CU was second in the MVC in 1997-98 and 2006-07, tied for second in the MVC in 1998-99, 2003-04 and 2005-06, and finished tied for third in 2004-05. The 1999-00 club was fourth in the MVC, but won the MVC Tournament.
Creighton's MVC Finishes, Last 10 Years
1st Place 2000-01
Tied for First 2001-02 (won MVC Tourn.)
2nd Place 1997-98, 2002-03 (won MVC Tourn.), 2006-07 (won MVC Tourn.)
Tied for 2nd 1998-99 (won MVC Tourn.), 2003-04, 2005-06
Tied for 3rd Place 2004-05 (won MVC Tourn.)
4th Place 1999-00 (won MVC Tourn.)
Redshirt Nation
Creighton redshirted four members of the team in 2006-07 who were able to practice with a Bluejay team that finished 22-11.
Chad Millard sat out as a transfer after playing in 2005-06 at Louisville. He has three years of eligibility left.
Kenny Lawson Jr. played in two November games, but was bothered by knee tendinitis the rest of the year. The freshman, who averaged 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in two brief stints, retains four years of eligibility.
Two other freshmen did not play a single minute, Casey Harriman and Aaron Brandt. Both men will have four years left to play at Creighton.
Television Records
Creighton is a combined 69-38 in televised games in the last six seasons, including a 27-15 mark on KMTV-produced games (which does not include CU's record in NCAA Tournament games on KMTV). Creighton went 4-2 in games aired on KMTV in 2002-03, 6-3 in 2003-04, 4-5 in 2004-05, 5-3 in 2005-06 and 6-2 in 2006-07 in KMTV-produced games.
The Jays are also 31-20 in games that air regionally or nationally in that time, including a 19-11 mark on MVC TV.
Creighton had 28-of-33 games on television last season. A minimum of 21, and possibly as many as 23, regular-season games are slated for television this season.
Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception. Creighton has four 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 Pierce Hibma (Pella), junior Dustin Sitzmann (LeMars) and freshmen Casey Harriman (Ida Grove) and Kaleb Korver (Pella). Other past notable Iowans include Kyle Korver (Pella), Ryan Sears (Ankeny), Brody Deren (Harlan), Tyler McKinney (Urbandale), Nate Funk (Sioux City) and Michael Lindeman (Iowa Falls).
Creighton has played at least one Iowa native in 413 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Altman Passing Coaching Legends
Dana Altman continues to pass some of the coaching greats in MVC history in two categories. Altman's 264 wins at Creighton are third in MVC history, while his 148 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.
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. 264 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. 148 Dana Altman Creighton
4. 126 Phog Allen Kansas
Long-Distance Streaks Alive
Creighton has made at least one trifecta in a league-best 437 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois St. on Feb. 20, 1993 when Rick Johnson was coach.
Creighton had its streak of 408 straight games with two or more treys snapped on Jan. 20, 2007 against Southern Illinois when it finished 1-of-8 from downtown.
Last Season Recap
Led by seniors Nate Funk, Manny Gakou, Nick Porter and Anthony Tolliver, Creighton went 22-11 and advanced to its seventh NCAA Tournament in the past nine years last winter.
Creighton was ranked a best-ever 19th in the preseason Associated Press poll last year, but lost several games early and was just 4-3 before a second-place finish in Honolulu at the Rainbow Classic.
The Bluejays would then open MVC play with a 5-1 record, eventually finishing second with a 13-5 league mark.
The second-seeded Bluejays then won the State Farm MVC Tournament in St. Louis with victories over Indiana State, Missouri State and #11 Southern Illinois, earning a 10-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Funk, Tolliver and Porter were all named to the all-Tournament Team.
Shipped to New Orleans, La., to take on #15 Nevada, Creighton dropped a 77-71 overtime game to the Wolf Pack in the first round of the NCAA's.
Funk and Tolliver gave Creighton its first pair of first-team all-MVC teammates since 1991. Funk led the Jays in scoring (17.7 ppg.) and assists (3.0 apg.), while Tolliver topped the team in rebounding (6.7 rpg.) and blocked shots (1.72 bpg.).
Creighton was 15th nationally with its school-record 75.4 percent accuracy at the free-throw line and ranked 23rd nationally, allowing just 60.9 points per game. The Jays also ranked 13th nationally with an MVC-record 15,909 fans per home game.
The 2006-07 campaign marked Creighton's 10th-straight postseason bid and ninth-straight 20-win season.
Canada Trip Recap
Creighton spent Labor Day weekend in Calgary, winning five games in three days. Creighton beat Saskatchewan twice (87-82 and 92-66), Calgary twice (85-77 and 97-78) and Lethbridge once (88-49).
Eleven different Creighton players started at least once, and all 14 Jays scored at least nine points over the course of the weekend.
Dane Watts led Creighton in scoring with 16.0 points per game while also adding 6.4 rebounds per contest. Kenny Lawson Jr. averaged 14.0 points and led the team with 6.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots per game. Josh Dotzler paced the club with 19 assists and 14 steals.
The foreign trip, which is allowed once every four years, was Creighton's first since the 2003-04 trip to Vancouver. That Creighton team opened the season 12-0.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets went on sale on Nov. 7th. Fans can purchase tickets in advance at Qwest Center Omaha Box Office, the Omaha Civic Auditorium Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (402) 422-1212. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any game and cost is $11 for adults and $7 for youth ages 3-18 (children two and under are free). For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
Creighton sold a record 12,844 season tickets for this season. The previous mark was the 12,126 season-tickets bought for the 2006-07 season.
Shuttle Service To Qwest Center Omaha
Metro Area Transit and Creighton University have partnered again this year to provide shuttle bus service from the CU campus to Qwest Center Omaha for all men's basketball home games this season.
The service is available to all fans, not just Creighton students. Round-trip cost is $1.00 for Creighton students with identification; $1.00 for children under the age of 18; $1.00 for senior citizens and $2.00 for adults. The shuttle will start one-hour before tip-off and at least two buses will continue to operate the route during the game.
The designated stops for pick-up around the CU campus are: 24th and Cuming (farside/southbound); 24th & California (nearside/southbound); 20th & Cass (nearside/eastbound) and 18th & Cass (nearside/eastbound by the Morrison Stadium). The shuttle will then go eastbound on Capitol Avenue and then go north up 10th Street for drop-off at the Qwest Center Omaha Arena entrance.
The route is designed for each shuttle driver to make a roundtrip every 15 minutes. Following the game's conclusion, the shuttle will start at the Qwest Center Omaha Arena entrance on 10th Street and loop the original route with the first of four stops at 24th & Cuming Streets.
