Men's Basketball Hosts Delta Devils on Tuesday
12/1/2008 5:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Next Game
Creighton (3-2) looks to end a two-game losing streak on Tuesday night when it hosts a team with a losing skid of its own, Mississippi Valley State (0-8).
Tip time at Qwest Center Omaha (17,272) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7:05 pm.
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“Big Sports 590” AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2008-09 season. The audio is also webcast live at www.bigsports590.com. T. Scott Marr and Nick Bahe will call the action.
For all home games Big Sports 590 afternoon host Matt Perrault will host a call-in show focusing on the Bluejays, that leads into the pre-game show. Perrault will also take calls after the game, also on Big Sports 590.
Television Broadcast Information
Tuesday's game will not be televised.
Video Webcast Available
Creighton University Athletics and Jump TV will present a live, pay-per-view video webcast of approximately 20 games this season, including Tuesday. To sign up for the webcast, fans can register by going directly to http://www.gocreighton.com. Cost for a season pass is $59.95. Single games are available for $6.95 each.
Once registered, fans will only need to log-in with their password on game night. The video streams the Qwest Center Omaha in-house feed of the game.
In order to view the webcast, users must have high speed Internet access (cable modem or DSL service) and Windows Media Player version 9.0 or above.
Live Stats Information
All Creighton basketball games are scheduled to have live stats this season. Fans can go to www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Stats tab on the left-hand side of the page.
Scouting Creighton (3-2)
After a 3-0 start, Creighton suffered a pair of final possession two-point losses last week on the road against Arkansas-Little Rock (71-69) and Nebraska (54-52).
The Bluejays return 10 lettermen and three starters from last year's 22-11 team that made an 11th straight postseason appearance.
Three guards are averaging more than 12 points per game, and each one had a game of 25 points or more to their credit in November.
Booker Woodfox averages a team-best 13.2 points per game and is also shooting a team-best 87.5 percent at the line.
Cavel Witter scores 12.6 points per game and is tied for the team lead with 11 assists. Also in double-figures is P'Allen Stinnett, who averages 13.0 points per game and is tied for second on the team with seven steals.
On the defensive side, Josh Dotzler owns an MVC-best 14 steals. Kenny Lawson Jr. ranks second in the MVC with 10 blocked shots and has also upped his averages to 9.3 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game.
Creighton has shot 43.0 percent from the floor, 37.4 percent from three-point territory and is also making 78.3 percent of its shots from the line.
Scouting Mississippi Valley State (0-8)
An NCAA Tournament team last year after winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament, Mississippi Valley State is winless in eight games, all away from home, against some of the nation's top schools.
The Delta Devils have lost to three Pacific-10 Conference schools (Arizona State, Washington State and Arizona), a pair of Big 12 Conference schools (Iowa State and Oklahoma), and also fallen to James Madison, Montana and Georgia.
In the eight losses, MVSU has been outscored 81.9-53.6, been outrebounded 40.1-28.5 and allowed opponents to shoot 54 percent from the floor while making only 34.4 percent of its own attempts.
Shannon Behling has topped the team in scoring in six of the eight games so far and enters as the team's top scorer at 14.3 points per game. He has drained 18 three-point baskets and his 45.9 percent from the field overall makes him the only Delta Devil to shoot better than 38 percent from the floor.
Also averaging in double-figures are Dwayne Harmason (10.0) and Eric Petty (10.0). Petty leads the squad in rebounding with 7.6 per game while Harmason is the top playmaker with 24 assists and 12 steals thus far.
The Coaches
The dean of Missouri Valley Conference coaches, Creighton's Dana Altman (Eastern New Mexico, 1980) is in his 15th year as head coach of the Bluejays. He owns a 285-154 (.649) mark at CU and a career record of 368-221 (.625) in his 20th year as a 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 first 23 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 11 straight seasons. He is assisted by Brian Fish, Darian DeVries and Todd Eisner. Nick Bahe is the team's graduate manager.
Mississippi Valley State is coached by Sean Woods (Kentucky, 1992). Woods, 0-8 in his first year as a head coach, is a former assistant coach at TCU. He is assisted by Dylan Howard and Chico Potts.
Woods is best known for hitting a shot with 2.1 seconds left in overtime that gave Kentucky a one-point lead over Duke in the 1992 Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament. Woods' heroics were overshadowed moments later when Duke's Christian Laettner caught a long pass from Grant Hill and hit a fadeaway 15-footer at the buzzer to win what many consider the greatest college basketball game of all-time.
The Series With Mississippi Valley State
Creighton is 6-0 all-time against Mississippi Valley State, including a 5-0 mark in Omaha. The Bluejays have outscored MVSU by an average of 80.2 to 58.9 in those games, which includes a 76-46 win by CU last November.
Dana Altman is 16-0 all-time against teams currently in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and 6-0 against MVSU. He has never faced Sean Woods.
Last Meeting vs. MVSU Recap
Dane Watts hit 10-of-12 shots and scored a then-career-high 26 points to lead Creighton to a 76-46 win over Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 17, 2007. The Jays led 36-22 at the break and led by nine or more throughout the second half. Watts also led all players with nine rebounds.
Creighton's Last Game Recap
Nebraska's Ade Dagunduro made a lay-up with 2.7 seconds left as the hosts Huskers topped Creighton, 54-52, on Saturday. The Bluejays led 31-18 at half before NU opened the second half with a 27-7 run to retake the lead. CU's Josh Dotzler tied the game on a three-pointer with 17.9 seconds left before Dagunduro's game-winner.
Creighton was led by 10 points and nine rebounds from Kenny Lawson Jr. Steve Harley led NU with 18 points.
Turnover Trouble
Creighton had a season-high 24 turnovers against Nebraska, with five different players owning three or more miscues.
The 24 turnovers rank as the most by a Bluejay squad since Nov. 18, 2001, when it had 25 in a season-opening win over North Carolina A&T.
It also gave the Jays a little bit of their own medicine. While beating Nebraska 70-44 on Dec. 11, 2005, the Jays forced an NU-record 31 turnovers.
Lose Two, Then At Home?
Creighton can extend an amazing trend on Tuesday with a win over Mississippi Valley State.
In the last 12 seasons, Creighton has played 21 home games in which it brought in a losing streak of two games or more.
In each case, Creighton won the home game.
Creighton won 15 of those 21 home games by 10 points or more, including eight by 20 points or more. The average margin in those wins has been 17.2 points, as CU has outscored foes 75.2-58.0 in those scenarios.
Below is a chart showing CU's games since 1997-98 in which it took to its home court with a losing streak of two games or more.
L Streak Home Game Opp. Score Date
3 UMKC W 81-59 11/14/97
2 Grambling State W 67-51 12/03/97
2 Indiana State W 80-67 01/15/98
4 Towson State W 93-48 11/14/98
2 #18 Oklahoma State W 66-60 12/20/98
2 Northern Iowa W 77-60 02/10/99
2 Colorado State W 74-51 12/06/00
2 Indiana State W 81-72 01/11/01
2 N. Carolina A&T W 72-51 11/18/01
2 Nebraska W 76-70 12/12/01
2 Miss. Valley State W 90-65 12/29/01
3 Wichita State W 75-61 03/01/04
2 Alcorn State W 74-40 11/15/04
2 Bradley W 71-62 12/28/04
2 Nebraska W 70-44 12/11/05
2 Illinois State W 71-52 01/05/06
2 Fresno State W 67-62 02/18/06
2 Akron W 71-60 03/16/06
2 Wichita State W 71-54 02/24/07
2 Wichita State W 65-63 02/02/08
2 Missouri State W 88-67 02/19/08
Home Win Streak Reaches Nine
Creighton has won nine straight home games dating to last year, and a victory on Tuesday would be the fifth different time Creighton has won 10 straight home games in Dana Altman's 15-year tenure. Before Altman's arrival CU hadn't had a home win streak of nine or more since 1979-80.
Below is a list of the longest home win streaks under Altman:
Streak Dates Snapped By
28* 11/17/02 to 2/4/04 So. Illinois, 61-60
20 2/28/00 to 12/16/01 Xavier, 72-65
16 2/9/05 to 1/31/06 So. Illinois, 74-67
12 1/21/98 to 12/30/98 Evansville, 84-79
9 1/23/99 to 12/12/99 Missouri State, 59-58
9 2/24/07 to 12/22/07 Illinois State, 80-67
9 2/2/08 to Present ? ? ?
*ties school record (also Jan. 12, 1917 to Feb. 11, 1920)
Non-Conference Losing Streaks Rare
Creighton will attempt to end a two-game losing streak on Tuesday against Mississippi Valley State.
Creighton has not dropped three non-conference games in a row since Dec. 19-28, 1995.
Today's Fun Fact
Creighton has won eight straight games played on December 2nd, last losing to No. 8 Kansas State on Dec. 2, 1964.
Creighton is 13-2 all-time on December 2nd.
Emerging Big Man?
Kenny Lawson Jr. had a solid week as he settles into the role of Creighton's top post man. Lawson Jr. led Creighton by averaging 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots last week, hitting 11-of-15 shots from the field (73.3 percent). Lawson tied a career-high with 15 points at UALR before turning in a 10-point, nine-rebound, four-block contest at Nebraska.
Road Heartbreak
Creighton lost a pair of road games last week, falling by two points against both UALR (71-69) and Nebraska (54-52).
Against Arkansas-Little Rock, Mike Smith's putback with 7.1 seconds left proved to be the winning points, while against Nebraska, it was Ade Dagunduro's basket with 2.7 seconds left that proved decisive.
Students from both schools rushed the floor after beating the MVC's preseason favorite.
Creighton had not lost consecutive games by three points or less since Dec. 29, 1999 and Jan. 2, 2000.
Creighton had not lost consecutive games by three points or less in which the score was tied (or the lead changed) in the final 15 seconds since March 10 and 15, 1984.
On March 10, 1984, Tulsa's Ricky Ross hit a jumper with two seconds left to give the Hurricane a 70-68 overtime win in the MVC Tournament finals in Tulsa.
Five days later in Omaha, Creighton lost a 56-54 game to Nebraska in the NIT. In that game, with the score tied and 10 seconds left, CU's Benoit Benjamin was issued a technical foul. Nebraska's Dave Hoppen and Curtis Moore would each drain a free throw in the closing seconds to preserve NU's win.
Halftime Leads Usually Safe
Another uncharacteristic trait from Creighton's losses last week were its inability to hold halftime leads against UALR (39-32) and Nebraska (31-18).
Before last week, Creighton had been 135-9 under Dana Altman when leading by seven points or more at halftime, including 17 straight wins.
Additionally, Altman had been 75-1 when leading by 13 or more points at the intermission, including 42 straight wins.
Creighton had not lost consecutive games in which it led at halftime since Jan. 22 and 26, 2008. The Jays have not blown a halftime lead in three consecutive games since Dec. 29, 1999 through Jan. 6, 2000.
This season has been anything but normal though, as Creighton is 1-2 when leading at halftime but 2-0 when trailing at the break.
Run Of Postseason Opponents Continues
Six of Creighton's first eight opponents this year reached the postseason, including Tuesday's foe, Mississippi Valley State.
The Delta Devils won the SWAC Tournament last year and join Oral Roberts and Saint Joseph's among NCAA teams on this year's non-conference slate.
Also, New Mexico, Nebraska and Dayton each played in the NIT last spring.
Jays Against Winless Teams
Creighton's opponent on Tuesday, Mississippi Valley State, is 0-8 on the season. The Bluejays have won 19 straight games against teams that are winless, dating to a Nov. 22, 1996 loss at Wyoming in the 1996-97 season-opener for both teams.
Creighton vs. Winless Teams, Since 11/24/96
Opp. W-L Opponent CU Result Date
0-1 UMKC W 70-68 11/25/96
0-0 UMKC W 81-59 11/14/97
0-0 Towson W 93-48 11/14/98
0-1 at UMKC W 79-58 11/18/98
0-1 at Miss. Valley St. W 70-62 11/22/99
0-3 at Georgia State W 58-54 12/01/99
0-1 Western Illinois W 96-50 11/20/00
0-1 North Carolina A&T W 72-51 11/18/01
0-0 Texas-Arlington W 106-50 11/17/02
0-3 San Diego W 79-44 11/22/03
0-1 Bethune-Cookman W 69-49 12/03/03
0-0 Alcorn State W 74-40 11/15/04
0-0 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 83-58 11/20/04
0-0 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 87-55 11/19/05
0-1 Miss. Valley State W 78-42 11/13/06
0-4 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 74-39 11/29/06
0-0 DePaul W 74-62 11/09/07
0-2 Miss. Valley State W 76-46 11/17/07
0-2 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 82-50 11/20/08
Birthday Boy
Cavel Witter turned 21 on December 1st (Monday). Last year Witter scored 20 points on his 20th birthday, a 72-48 win at Drexel.
Witter Named MVC Player of the Week
Cavel Witter was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 25 for his work in wins against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and four-time defending Summit League champ Oral Roberts..
Witter averaged 20.0 points, 2.5 steals, 2.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game off the bench while leading Creighton in scoring.
He shot 68.8 percent from the floor (11-16), including 66.7 percent from three-point range (6-9) while also hitting 80 percent (12-15) at the line.
It was Witter's first career honor as MVC Player of the Week, though he did earn MVC Newcomer of the Week honors twice last season.
Sitzmann Was Scholar-Athlete of the Week
Senior guard Dustin Sitzmann was last week's Prairie Farms/MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week.
A senior from LeMars, Iowa, Sitzmann scored in consecutive games for the first time in his Bluejay career, as CU defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff (82-50) on Nov. 20 and Oral Roberts (87-65) on Nov. 22.
Sitzmann, who has a 3.871 cumulative grade-point average in exercise science, made 2-of-3 shots from the field (66.7 percent). He played a combined seven minutes in the victories, as CU improved to 26-2 all-time in games in which he's appeared.
Witter Gets A Start
Cavel Witter made the first start of his career last Tuesday at UALR, moving into the line-up in place of P'Allen Stinnett.
Witter had 11 points and four assists against the Trojans in 29 minutes of play.
Witter had come off the bench for the first 36 games of his career, averaging 9.6 points per game while earning a spot on the 2007-08 MVC All-Bench Team in that time.
Battle of the Backboards
The rebound differential has been 10 or more in all five Creighton games this season, with the Jays winning that board battle twice.
Creighton was outrebounded 46-26 in its loss at Arkansas-Little Rock last Tuesday. The Bluejays had not been out-rebounded by 20 since Feb. 27, 2008, when Illinois State won the boards 45-24 in a 68-54 victory over CU.
Creighton has lost the rebound battle by 20 or more three times in the past 15 years, losing all three games. On the other hand, CU is 8-1 in the past 15 years when winning the rebound battle by 20 or more rebounds.
Large Lead Doesn't Hold Up
Creighton was unable to hang onto a 34-18 lead against Arkansas-Little Rock last Tuesday.
Prior to Tuesday, Creighton had not lost a game in which it led by 16 points or more since Feb. 2, 2002, when it lost to Southern Illinois, 79-77 after leading 43-27 late in the first half.
By comparison, Creighton had won seven games since then after trailing by 16 points or more, including five since 2006 alone.
Jays Were 3-0 Once Again
Saturday's win against Oral Roberts on Nov. 22nd gave Creighton a 3-0 start for the 10th time in the past 11 seasons. The 2006-07 team that started 2-1 is the lone exception in the past decade.
Each of Creighton's previous 3-0 starts under Dana Altman have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Creighton has not taken the floor with a losing record since December 3, 1997 when it faced Grambling. Tuesday will be the 350th game in a row the Jays have played with a record of .500 or better.
3 Players, 20 Points, First 3 Games
Creighton has had three different players score 20 or more points during its first three contests this winter. P'Allen Stinnett (30) and Booker Woodfox (26) did it against New Mexico, while Cavel Witter (25) did it against Oral Roberts.
This is the first time it's happened in Dana Altman's 15-year tenure at Creighton, as well as the first time its happened at Creighton in at least 30 years.
Harriman Nets Career Highs
Casey Harriman had a pair of career-highs in its Nov. 22 win over Oral Roberts. The sophomore forward had 10 points and six rebounds in his 14 minutes, career-bests for points and rebounds.
Earlier in the week, Harriman tied a career-best with three steals against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Double-Double Eludes Lawson
Sophomore Kenny Lawson Jr. hasn't notched a double-double in his young career, but he's been steadily getting closer.
Lawson, who had nine rebounds and 10 points against Nebraska, owns six career games of at least eight points and eight boards in his career. CU has won five of those games, outscoring foes by an average of 80.2-64.0.
Creighton is 12-4 when Lawson has five rebounds or more, but 15-9 in games he's appeared in and snared less than five caroms.
25 Points Off The Bench, Again
Cavel Witter scored 25 points off the bench in CU's Nov. 22 win over Oral Roberts.
It marked the second time in his career he's done that, as the junior guard torched Bradley for a Qwest Center Omaha record 42 points on March 1, 2008, in a double-overtime win over Bradley.
Before Witter, Creighton had not had a player score 25 points or more off the bench since March of 2002.
Television Records
Creighton is a combined 85-50 in televised games in the last seven seasons, including a 31-20 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, 6-2 in 2006-07 and 5-4 last year in KMTV-produced games. So far this year CU is 1-1 on KMTV.
The Jays are also 39-26 in games that air regionally or nationally in that time, including a 21-14 mark on MVC TV.
Creighton had 27-of-33 games on television last season. A minimum of 19 are slated for television this season.
MVC Preseason Poll
For the second time in three years, Creighton has been picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference in a preseason poll of coaches, beat writers, SID's and play-by-play men.
Creighton was picked first on 36 of the 39 ballots to earn 386 of a possible 390 points. Last year's favorite, Southern Illinois, earned two first-place votes and totaled 322 points for second place, just ahead of Illinois State, which garnered 309 points and the lone remaining first-place vote. Rounding out the rest of the poll was Drake (274), Bradley (219), UNI (186), Indiana State (137), Evansville (122), Wichita State (105) and Missouri State (85).
The preseason all-MVC team is headlined by preseason player of the year Osiris Eldridge (Illinois State). Joining Eldridge on the first team are P'Allen Stinnett
Dynamic Duo, Part II?
From 1987-91, Creighton big men Bob Harstad and Chad Gallagher were known as the “Dynamic Duo”. Both men were named MVC Player of the Year (Harstad in 1990, Gallagher in 1991) and finished their careers first and second in school history for points scored.
It's still quite early, but the Jays had quite the dynamic duo in the season-opening win over New Mexico when P'Allen Stinnett (30) and Booker Woodfox (26) both lit up the Lobos.
The current duo became the first Bluejay pair to score 25 points or more in the same game in the Dana Altman era.
CU hadn't had that happen since, you guessed it, Gallagher (29) and Harstad (26) did it against Bradley on Jan. 21, 1991.
Up, Up and Away
Creighton never trailed in its Nov. 20 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. In 84 all-time games at Qwest Center Omaha, the Jays have led wire-to-wire 18 different times.
Thirty-Point Bluejays
With 30 points on Nov. 16 against New Mexico, P'Allen Stinnett became one of six Creighton players in the Dana Altman era to score 30 points or more in a game. The other five players that did it were Cavel Witter, Nate Funk, Johnny Mathies, Kyle Korver and Rodney Buford.
Below is the list of Creighton's 30-point games since Altman became head coach:
Pts. Name Opp. Date Result
42 Cavel Witter Bradley 03/01/08 W 111-110
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 State 02/16/05 W 82-68
33 Nate Funk vs. Missouri St. 03/03/07 W 75-58
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 Southern Illinois 02/05/98 W 91-73
30 Rodney Buford @Northern Iowa 12/30/97 W 83-75
30 Rodney Buford Missouri State 02/15/97 L 82-88
30 P'Allen Stinnett New Mexico 11/16/08 W 82-75
What A Start!
The 2007-08 MVC Sixth Man of the Year, Booker Woodfox scored 26 points in his first career start against New Mexico on Nov. 16.
Woodfox's 26 points are the most by a Bluejay in their first career start since at least 1980.
Stinnett Named MVC Player of the Week
Creighton sophomore P'Allen Stinnett claimed MVC Player of the Week honors Nov. 17. Stinnett scored 21 of his career-high 30 points in the second half of a 82-75 come-from-behind victory over New Mexico while also adding four rebounds, an assist and a steal.
This is his second career MVC Player of the Week accolade, as he also won the award last season on Feb. 11, 2008. Stinnett also picked up three MVC Newcomer of the Week honors last year en route to sweeping Valley Newcomer and Freshman of the Year laurels.
P'henomenal Debut x 2
P'Allen Stinnett's 23 points last year 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 30 points in this year's opener were the most by a Creighton player in the season lid-lifter since Bob Harstad scored 38 points against Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 30, 1990.
Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton has won 40 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has won 45 straight games when scoring 72 points or more dating to Jan. 29, 2005.
The Bluejays have won 61 consecutive games when scoring 80 points or more, dating to Feb. 19, 2000.
Creighton has also won 44 straight games when scoring 90 points or more, dating to Jan. 11, 1988.
Creighton has won 15 straight when scoring 100 points or more, dating to Feb. 26, 1977.
Who Are Those Guys, Part I
Creighton also has two walk-ons practicing with the team that might suit up on but are not listed in the media guide.
No. 24 is Matt Dorwart, a 6-7 freshman forward from Sidney, Neb. Dorwart played at Sidney High School and averaged 8.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 38.5 percent from three-point range.
No. 40 Derek Sebastian is a 6-5 freshman guard/forward from Loveland, Colo. Sebastian played at Thompson Valley High School, where he averaged 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game last year.
Turning Point?
One common theme when Creighton is successful is that they have had an advantage in “points off turnovers” in many of those contests.
Last season, Creighton was 17-4 when scoring more points off turnovers than its opponent last year. In the last five years, Creighton is 64-11 when winning this category, including a 3-1 mark this winter.
The Charge Chart
Creighton took 62 charges last season, with Casey Harriman and Dane Watts sharing the team lead with 17 charges taken. Over the previous six seasons, the Bluejays have averaged 48.7 per year.
So far this season, Creighton has taken six charges in five games.
Below is a list of the Creighton players that have taken charges since the 2002-03 season:
Name 2002-07 ?07-08 ?08-09 Total
Justin Carter n/a n/a 2 2
Josh Dotzler 4 5 1 10
Booker Woodfox n/a 2 1 3
Kenny Lawson Jr. 0 2 1 3
Kaleb Korver n/a 0 1 1
Casey Harriman n/a 17 0 17
Chad Millard n/a 7 0 7
P'Allen Stinnett n/a 5 0 5
Kenton Walker n/a 3 0 3
Cavel Witter n/a 3 0 3
Dustin Sitzmann 0 1 0 1
Former Players 226 17 n/a 243
Total 230 62 6 298
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in a league-best 471 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993 when Rick Johnson was coach.
Recruits Inked
A pair of prep standouts signed letters-of-intent in November to join the Creighton men's basketball team next year.
Andrew Bock is a 6'1” guard from Eisenhower High School in Rialto, Calif. Bock averaged 18 points and eight assists per game while helping the Eagles to a 27-4 record. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Citrus Belt League last season.
Ethan Wragge (RAH-gy) is a 6'8” forward from Eden Prairie, Minn., where he attends Eden Prairie High School. He averaged 16 points and nine rebounds per game and owns the school record for three-point baskets made. He made 91 percent of his free-throw attempts last year. His team finished 19-9 last winter.
Both men will be freshmen and have four years of eligibility.
20 Overall Wins x 10 Years = MVC History
Creighton is the only school in the 102-year history of the Missouri Valley Conference to post 10 straight 20-win campaigns. No other school owns more than six straight.
Creighton is one of seven teams nationally with 20 or more wins in each of last 10 seasons. That list consists of Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kent State and Syracuse.
Postseason x 11
Creighton has made either the NIT or NCAA in 11 consecutive seasons, the longest streak of postseason bids in MVC history. It is one more than the 10 straight from 1966 to 1975 by Louisville.
The only 12 schools to make the postseason in each of the last 11 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 17 straight NCAA appearances, is the nation's only school with 11 straight postseason appearances in both men's basketball and men's soccer.
10 Conference Wins, Again
Last year Creighton extended its MVC record by winning 10 or more league games for a 12th 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 12 straight years of 10 or more league wins are Stanford (14), Kansas (14) and Creighton (12).
Jays Among Attendance Leaders, Again
Creighton ranked 15th nationally in attendance, averaging 15,333 fans per game during the 2007-08 season.
During the 2006-07 season, Creighton ranked 13th nationally in average attendance with 15,909 fans per game.
Below is a list of the nation's attendance leaders in 2007-08, as compiled by the NCAA.
2007-08 Attendance Leaders
Rk. School Average
1. Kentucky 22,554
2. North Carolina 20,497
3. Syracuse 20,345
4. Tennessee 20,267
5. Louisville 19,481
6. Maryland 17,950
7. Wisconsin 17,190
8. Arkansas 17,148
9. Indiana 16,876
10. Memphis 16,748
11. Illinois 16,618
12. Ohio State 16,587
13. Kansas 16,409
14. Marquette 16,239
15. Creighton 15,333
16. North Carolina State 15,043
17. Michigan State 14,759
18. New Mexico 14,361
MVC Attendance Record Falls
Creighton broke the MVC record for single-season home attendance with 276,000 fans in 2007-08, surpassing the 2005-06 team which drew 236,313 fans in 17 games to hold the old mark.
Creighton has set MVC attendance (either average or total home fans) records each of the past three seasons. The 2006-07 club raised the bar by attracting 15,909 fans per game. Last year's team was close to that, averaging 15,333 fans per home game.
Highest Season Home Attendance, MVC History
Home Att. School Year
276,000 Creighton 2007-08
236,313 Creighton 2005-06
222,728 Creighton 2006-07
192,258 Creighton 2003-04
191,440 Louisville 1974-75
Highest Average Attendance, MVC History
Ave. Att. School Year
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
15,333 Creighton 2007-08
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
12,016 Creighton 2003-04
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 11 teams have finished either first or second in The Valley's regular-season race. Two of the three that didn't 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 11 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.); 2007-08
NBA Presence
Two former Creighton players are currently on NBA rosters. Kyle Korver (1999-2003) plays for Utah, while Anthony Tolliver (2003-07) plays for San Antonio.
Altman Passing Coaching Legends
Dana Altman continues to pass some of the coaching greats in MVC history in two categories. Altman's 285 wins at Creighton are third in MVC history, while his 158 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. 285 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. 158 Dana Altman Creighton
Paint Points
Creighton outscored each of its first three opponents in the paint this year before being dominated 44-12 in the lane by UALR.
Since the school started tracking points in the paint six years ago, CU is 55-9 in games when scoring 28 or more points in the paint.
Qwest To Be The Best
Creighton has played 84 regular and post-season contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time. The Bluejays own a 71-13 (.845) record all-time at the facility, including a perfect 14-0 figure on Wednesday's. The 13 losses have been by a combined 70 points.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 6,220-5,196 in games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.2 points per game.
?W'inning Edge
Creighton's men's and women's basketball teams have been nearly unbeatable at home in recent seasons, going a combined 195-43 in the last nine seasons. In fact, the men and women have both lost a home game in the same month just four times since March, 2000.
Creighton's Home Records, Last Nine Years
Year Men Women Combined
2008-09 3-0 1-2 4-2
2007-08 16-2 11-1 27-3
2006-07 12-2 7-7 19-9
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 114-16 82-27 196-43
3-Point Weapons
Creighton had nine different players that made 10 or more three-pointers last season. Five of those men made 39.3 percent or more of their attempts from long-range.
According to STATS Inc., Creighton, Duke, Marquette, New Mexico and Portland State were the nation's only teams with seven different players to own 20 or more treys. Of that group, CU was the only team with all seven players to make 24 or more three-pointers.
When shooting 40 percent or better from three-point range, Creighton has won 32-of-34 and 42 of its last 46 games.
Double-Digit Comebacks at Home
Creighton has fallen behind by double-digits in 22 of its 84 all-time home games all-time at Qwest Center Omaha. In 15 of those 22 games, the Bluejays came back to win.
Creighton's incredible streak of 181 straight games without a double-digit home loss (dating to Jan. 3, 1996) was snapped on Dec. 29, 2007 by Illinois State. That had ranked as the nation's oldest streak in that obscure category.
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
12/29/07 Illinois State 19 L 67-80
02/02/08 Wichita State 15 W 65-63
03/01/08 Bradley 12 W 111-110 2ot
03/18/08 Rhode Island 17 W 74-73
11/16/08 New Mexico 16 W 82-75
Double-Digit Comebacks
Including its season-opening win over New Mexico, Creighton has won after overcoming a double-digit deficit 27 times in the last nine seasons.
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
03/18/08 Rhode Island 17 W 74-73
11/16/08 New Mexico 16 W 82-75
02/04/06 at Drake 16 W 72-67 ot
01/26/03 TCU 16 W 89-79
02/02/08 Wichita State 15 W 65-63
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
01/07/04 at Illinois State 12 W 56-55
01/18/06 Bradley 12 W 80-76
03/01/08 Bradley 12 W 111-110 2ot
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
One of the Best Programs Around
Every five years since 1997, Basketball Times has evaluated the best of the best NCAA programs -- those that have won two-thirds of their games over the previous 10 season span. The 2007 edition of the report had 29 teams that met that qualification, including Creighton.
Those 29 schools were then ranked from 1-29 on categories like 10-year winning percentage, number of active NBA players, freshman graduation rate and US News & World Report's academic peer assessment score, as well as a subjective vote of 10 panelists who judged teams based on “program cleanliness” and “head coach ranking”.
Creighton finished an impressive seventh, trailing only Duke, North Carolina, Florida, Stanford, Gonzaga and Michigan State.
Basketball Times Overall Rankings
Rk. School Avg. Ranking
1. Duke 3.7
2. North Carolina 7.5
3. Florida 8.0
4. Stanford 8.8
5. Gonzaga 10.0
Michigan State 10.0
7. Creighton 10.2
8. Kansas 10.8
9. Xavier 11.5
10. Illinois 12.0
11. Arizona 13.5
12. Connecticut 13.7
13. Syracuse 14.5
14. Butler 14.8
15. College of Charleston 15.2
Southern Illinois 15.2
Texas 15.2
18. Kentucky 16.0
Pennsylvania 16.0
20. Maryland 17.3
21. Pittsburgh 17.5
22. Utah State 18.3
23. Kent State 18.8
24. Utah 20.2
25. Cincinnati 20.5
26. Murray State 20.7
Oklahoma 20.7
28. Oklahoma State 21.0
29. Memphis 23.0
Academically Tops In The MVC Too
Creighton ranks first in the Missouri Valley Conference in graduation success rate (94.7 percent) among all sports.
Also, for the fourth time in the six-year existence of the award, Creighton University has been recognized with the 2007-08 MVC All-Academic Award. Bluejay student-athletes posted a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average over the 2007-08 academic calendar. Creighton previously shared the award in 2003-04, and were the outright winners in 2004-05 and 2006-07.
Creighton had seven men's basketball players earn Dean's List (3.50 GPA or better) accolades last year, which helped the team to a 3.01 GPA overall.
Army of Iowans
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 Dustin Sitzmann (LeMars) and sophomores Casey Harriman (Ida Grove) and Kaleb Korver (Pella).
Other past notable Iowans include Kyle Korver and Pierce Hibma (Pella), Ryan Sears (Ankeny), Brody Deren (Harlan), Tyler McKinney (Urbandale), Nate Funk
Creighton has played at least one Iowa native in 447 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Bench Points Add Up
Creighton owned 41 different double-figure scoring games last season off the bench, compared to a total of 30 during the previous three years combined. In fact, there were only four (of 33) contests in which it didn't have a double-figure scorer off the bench.
Last year's team scored 18 or more bench points in every game but one, with a low of 13.
This year, the Bluejay bench has scored 142 of the team's 372 points (38.2 percent). Take out the season-opening win over New Mexico and that number rises to 133-of-290 points (45.9 percent).
Last Season Recap
Creighton put together a second consecutive 22-11 season last fall, reaching the second round of the NIT with a team featuring nine newcomers.
P'Allen Stinnett (12.6 ppg.) swept MVC Newcomer and Freshman of the Year honors after leading Creighton in scoring, while senior Dane Watts (11.3 ppg.) led the team with 6.4 rebounds per game.
Booker Woodfox (9.6 ppg.) was named MVC Sixth Man of the Year as the leader for a bench that outscored CU's starters by 76 points for the season.
Shuttle Service To Qwest Center Omaha
The State Farm Shuttle presented by the Creighton Birdcage and State Farm Insurance will provide complimentary transportation 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.
The shuttle will start 75 minutes before tip-off and shuttles will continue to operate the route during the game.
The three designated stops for pick-up around the CU campus are: 24th & California (nearside/southbound); 20th & Cass (nearside/eastbound) and at Billy Blue's Alumni Grill (outside the new Mike & Josie Harper Center in the turnaround which is on the east side of the building).
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 three stops at 24th & California Streets.
Mid-Week Maestro's
Creighton has never lost a game at Qwest Center Omaha on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, going a combined 21-0 on those dates.
Creighton is 14-0 on Wednesday's, 6-0 on Thursday's and 1-0 on Friday's at the six-year old facility.
Ticket Information
Single game tickets for regular-season home games went on sale on Nov. 11 at 10 am.
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 $12 for adults and $8 for youth ages 3-18 (children two and under are free). For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
As of November 14th Creighton had already sold 13,743 season tickets for this season. The previous MVC record was the 12,888 season-tickets Creighton fans bought for the 2007-08 season.
(Creighton), Bryan Mullins (Southern Illinois) and the Drake tandem of Jonathan Cox and Josh Young. Honorable-mention picks include the Bradley pair of Theron Wilson and Andrew Warren, as well as the Evansville duo of Shy Ely and Jason Holsinger. (Sioux City) and Michael Lindeman (Iowa Falls).
Creighton (3-2) looks to end a two-game losing streak on Tuesday night when it hosts a team with a losing skid of its own, Mississippi Valley State (0-8).
Tip time at Qwest Center Omaha (17,272) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7:05 pm.
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“Big Sports 590” AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2008-09 season. The audio is also webcast live at www.bigsports590.com. T. Scott Marr and Nick Bahe will call the action.
For all home games Big Sports 590 afternoon host Matt Perrault will host a call-in show focusing on the Bluejays, that leads into the pre-game show. Perrault will also take calls after the game, also on Big Sports 590.
Television Broadcast Information
Tuesday's game will not be televised.
Video Webcast Available
Creighton University Athletics and Jump TV will present a live, pay-per-view video webcast of approximately 20 games this season, including Tuesday. To sign up for the webcast, fans can register by going directly to http://www.gocreighton.com. Cost for a season pass is $59.95. Single games are available for $6.95 each.
Once registered, fans will only need to log-in with their password on game night. The video streams the Qwest Center Omaha in-house feed of the game.
In order to view the webcast, users must have high speed Internet access (cable modem or DSL service) and Windows Media Player version 9.0 or above.
Live Stats Information
All Creighton basketball games are scheduled to have live stats this season. Fans can go to www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Stats tab on the left-hand side of the page.
Scouting Creighton (3-2)
After a 3-0 start, Creighton suffered a pair of final possession two-point losses last week on the road against Arkansas-Little Rock (71-69) and Nebraska (54-52).
The Bluejays return 10 lettermen and three starters from last year's 22-11 team that made an 11th straight postseason appearance.
Three guards are averaging more than 12 points per game, and each one had a game of 25 points or more to their credit in November.
Booker Woodfox averages a team-best 13.2 points per game and is also shooting a team-best 87.5 percent at the line.
Cavel Witter scores 12.6 points per game and is tied for the team lead with 11 assists. Also in double-figures is P'Allen Stinnett, who averages 13.0 points per game and is tied for second on the team with seven steals.
On the defensive side, Josh Dotzler owns an MVC-best 14 steals. Kenny Lawson Jr. ranks second in the MVC with 10 blocked shots and has also upped his averages to 9.3 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game.
Creighton has shot 43.0 percent from the floor, 37.4 percent from three-point territory and is also making 78.3 percent of its shots from the line.
Scouting Mississippi Valley State (0-8)
An NCAA Tournament team last year after winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament, Mississippi Valley State is winless in eight games, all away from home, against some of the nation's top schools.
The Delta Devils have lost to three Pacific-10 Conference schools (Arizona State, Washington State and Arizona), a pair of Big 12 Conference schools (Iowa State and Oklahoma), and also fallen to James Madison, Montana and Georgia.
In the eight losses, MVSU has been outscored 81.9-53.6, been outrebounded 40.1-28.5 and allowed opponents to shoot 54 percent from the floor while making only 34.4 percent of its own attempts.
Shannon Behling has topped the team in scoring in six of the eight games so far and enters as the team's top scorer at 14.3 points per game. He has drained 18 three-point baskets and his 45.9 percent from the field overall makes him the only Delta Devil to shoot better than 38 percent from the floor.
Also averaging in double-figures are Dwayne Harmason (10.0) and Eric Petty (10.0). Petty leads the squad in rebounding with 7.6 per game while Harmason is the top playmaker with 24 assists and 12 steals thus far.
The Coaches
The dean of Missouri Valley Conference coaches, Creighton's Dana Altman (Eastern New Mexico, 1980) is in his 15th year as head coach of the Bluejays. He owns a 285-154 (.649) mark at CU and a career record of 368-221 (.625) in his 20th year as a 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 first 23 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 11 straight seasons. He is assisted by Brian Fish, Darian DeVries and Todd Eisner. Nick Bahe is the team's graduate manager.
Mississippi Valley State is coached by Sean Woods (Kentucky, 1992). Woods, 0-8 in his first year as a head coach, is a former assistant coach at TCU. He is assisted by Dylan Howard and Chico Potts.
Woods is best known for hitting a shot with 2.1 seconds left in overtime that gave Kentucky a one-point lead over Duke in the 1992 Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament. Woods' heroics were overshadowed moments later when Duke's Christian Laettner caught a long pass from Grant Hill and hit a fadeaway 15-footer at the buzzer to win what many consider the greatest college basketball game of all-time.
The Series With Mississippi Valley State
Creighton is 6-0 all-time against Mississippi Valley State, including a 5-0 mark in Omaha. The Bluejays have outscored MVSU by an average of 80.2 to 58.9 in those games, which includes a 76-46 win by CU last November.
Dana Altman is 16-0 all-time against teams currently in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and 6-0 against MVSU. He has never faced Sean Woods.
Last Meeting vs. MVSU Recap
Dane Watts hit 10-of-12 shots and scored a then-career-high 26 points to lead Creighton to a 76-46 win over Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 17, 2007. The Jays led 36-22 at the break and led by nine or more throughout the second half. Watts also led all players with nine rebounds.
Creighton's Last Game Recap
Nebraska's Ade Dagunduro made a lay-up with 2.7 seconds left as the hosts Huskers topped Creighton, 54-52, on Saturday. The Bluejays led 31-18 at half before NU opened the second half with a 27-7 run to retake the lead. CU's Josh Dotzler tied the game on a three-pointer with 17.9 seconds left before Dagunduro's game-winner.
Creighton was led by 10 points and nine rebounds from Kenny Lawson Jr. Steve Harley led NU with 18 points.
Turnover Trouble
Creighton had a season-high 24 turnovers against Nebraska, with five different players owning three or more miscues.
The 24 turnovers rank as the most by a Bluejay squad since Nov. 18, 2001, when it had 25 in a season-opening win over North Carolina A&T.
It also gave the Jays a little bit of their own medicine. While beating Nebraska 70-44 on Dec. 11, 2005, the Jays forced an NU-record 31 turnovers.
Lose Two, Then At Home?
Creighton can extend an amazing trend on Tuesday with a win over Mississippi Valley State.
In the last 12 seasons, Creighton has played 21 home games in which it brought in a losing streak of two games or more.
In each case, Creighton won the home game.
Creighton won 15 of those 21 home games by 10 points or more, including eight by 20 points or more. The average margin in those wins has been 17.2 points, as CU has outscored foes 75.2-58.0 in those scenarios.
Below is a chart showing CU's games since 1997-98 in which it took to its home court with a losing streak of two games or more.
L Streak Home Game Opp. Score Date
3 UMKC W 81-59 11/14/97
2 Grambling State W 67-51 12/03/97
2 Indiana State W 80-67 01/15/98
4 Towson State W 93-48 11/14/98
2 #18 Oklahoma State W 66-60 12/20/98
2 Northern Iowa W 77-60 02/10/99
2 Colorado State W 74-51 12/06/00
2 Indiana State W 81-72 01/11/01
2 N. Carolina A&T W 72-51 11/18/01
2 Nebraska W 76-70 12/12/01
2 Miss. Valley State W 90-65 12/29/01
3 Wichita State W 75-61 03/01/04
2 Alcorn State W 74-40 11/15/04
2 Bradley W 71-62 12/28/04
2 Nebraska W 70-44 12/11/05
2 Illinois State W 71-52 01/05/06
2 Fresno State W 67-62 02/18/06
2 Akron W 71-60 03/16/06
2 Wichita State W 71-54 02/24/07
2 Wichita State W 65-63 02/02/08
2 Missouri State W 88-67 02/19/08
Home Win Streak Reaches Nine
Creighton has won nine straight home games dating to last year, and a victory on Tuesday would be the fifth different time Creighton has won 10 straight home games in Dana Altman's 15-year tenure. Before Altman's arrival CU hadn't had a home win streak of nine or more since 1979-80.
Below is a list of the longest home win streaks under Altman:
Streak Dates Snapped By
28* 11/17/02 to 2/4/04 So. Illinois, 61-60
20 2/28/00 to 12/16/01 Xavier, 72-65
16 2/9/05 to 1/31/06 So. Illinois, 74-67
12 1/21/98 to 12/30/98 Evansville, 84-79
9 1/23/99 to 12/12/99 Missouri State, 59-58
9 2/24/07 to 12/22/07 Illinois State, 80-67
9 2/2/08 to Present ? ? ?
*ties school record (also Jan. 12, 1917 to Feb. 11, 1920)
Non-Conference Losing Streaks Rare
Creighton will attempt to end a two-game losing streak on Tuesday against Mississippi Valley State.
Creighton has not dropped three non-conference games in a row since Dec. 19-28, 1995.
Today's Fun Fact
Creighton has won eight straight games played on December 2nd, last losing to No. 8 Kansas State on Dec. 2, 1964.
Creighton is 13-2 all-time on December 2nd.
Emerging Big Man?
Kenny Lawson Jr. had a solid week as he settles into the role of Creighton's top post man. Lawson Jr. led Creighton by averaging 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots last week, hitting 11-of-15 shots from the field (73.3 percent). Lawson tied a career-high with 15 points at UALR before turning in a 10-point, nine-rebound, four-block contest at Nebraska.
Road Heartbreak
Creighton lost a pair of road games last week, falling by two points against both UALR (71-69) and Nebraska (54-52).
Against Arkansas-Little Rock, Mike Smith's putback with 7.1 seconds left proved to be the winning points, while against Nebraska, it was Ade Dagunduro's basket with 2.7 seconds left that proved decisive.
Students from both schools rushed the floor after beating the MVC's preseason favorite.
Creighton had not lost consecutive games by three points or less since Dec. 29, 1999 and Jan. 2, 2000.
Creighton had not lost consecutive games by three points or less in which the score was tied (or the lead changed) in the final 15 seconds since March 10 and 15, 1984.
On March 10, 1984, Tulsa's Ricky Ross hit a jumper with two seconds left to give the Hurricane a 70-68 overtime win in the MVC Tournament finals in Tulsa.
Five days later in Omaha, Creighton lost a 56-54 game to Nebraska in the NIT. In that game, with the score tied and 10 seconds left, CU's Benoit Benjamin was issued a technical foul. Nebraska's Dave Hoppen and Curtis Moore would each drain a free throw in the closing seconds to preserve NU's win.
Halftime Leads Usually Safe
Another uncharacteristic trait from Creighton's losses last week were its inability to hold halftime leads against UALR (39-32) and Nebraska (31-18).
Before last week, Creighton had been 135-9 under Dana Altman when leading by seven points or more at halftime, including 17 straight wins.
Additionally, Altman had been 75-1 when leading by 13 or more points at the intermission, including 42 straight wins.
Creighton had not lost consecutive games in which it led at halftime since Jan. 22 and 26, 2008. The Jays have not blown a halftime lead in three consecutive games since Dec. 29, 1999 through Jan. 6, 2000.
This season has been anything but normal though, as Creighton is 1-2 when leading at halftime but 2-0 when trailing at the break.
Run Of Postseason Opponents Continues
Six of Creighton's first eight opponents this year reached the postseason, including Tuesday's foe, Mississippi Valley State.
The Delta Devils won the SWAC Tournament last year and join Oral Roberts and Saint Joseph's among NCAA teams on this year's non-conference slate.
Also, New Mexico, Nebraska and Dayton each played in the NIT last spring.
Jays Against Winless Teams
Creighton's opponent on Tuesday, Mississippi Valley State, is 0-8 on the season. The Bluejays have won 19 straight games against teams that are winless, dating to a Nov. 22, 1996 loss at Wyoming in the 1996-97 season-opener for both teams.
Creighton vs. Winless Teams, Since 11/24/96
Opp. W-L Opponent CU Result Date
0-1 UMKC W 70-68 11/25/96
0-0 UMKC W 81-59 11/14/97
0-0 Towson W 93-48 11/14/98
0-1 at UMKC W 79-58 11/18/98
0-1 at Miss. Valley St. W 70-62 11/22/99
0-3 at Georgia State W 58-54 12/01/99
0-1 Western Illinois W 96-50 11/20/00
0-1 North Carolina A&T W 72-51 11/18/01
0-0 Texas-Arlington W 106-50 11/17/02
0-3 San Diego W 79-44 11/22/03
0-1 Bethune-Cookman W 69-49 12/03/03
0-0 Alcorn State W 74-40 11/15/04
0-0 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 83-58 11/20/04
0-0 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 87-55 11/19/05
0-1 Miss. Valley State W 78-42 11/13/06
0-4 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 74-39 11/29/06
0-0 DePaul W 74-62 11/09/07
0-2 Miss. Valley State W 76-46 11/17/07
0-2 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 82-50 11/20/08
Birthday Boy
Cavel Witter turned 21 on December 1st (Monday). Last year Witter scored 20 points on his 20th birthday, a 72-48 win at Drexel.
Witter Named MVC Player of the Week
Cavel Witter was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 25 for his work in wins against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and four-time defending Summit League champ Oral Roberts..
Witter averaged 20.0 points, 2.5 steals, 2.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game off the bench while leading Creighton in scoring.
He shot 68.8 percent from the floor (11-16), including 66.7 percent from three-point range (6-9) while also hitting 80 percent (12-15) at the line.
It was Witter's first career honor as MVC Player of the Week, though he did earn MVC Newcomer of the Week honors twice last season.
Sitzmann Was Scholar-Athlete of the Week
Senior guard Dustin Sitzmann was last week's Prairie Farms/MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week.
A senior from LeMars, Iowa, Sitzmann scored in consecutive games for the first time in his Bluejay career, as CU defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff (82-50) on Nov. 20 and Oral Roberts (87-65) on Nov. 22.
Sitzmann, who has a 3.871 cumulative grade-point average in exercise science, made 2-of-3 shots from the field (66.7 percent). He played a combined seven minutes in the victories, as CU improved to 26-2 all-time in games in which he's appeared.
Witter Gets A Start
Cavel Witter made the first start of his career last Tuesday at UALR, moving into the line-up in place of P'Allen Stinnett.
Witter had 11 points and four assists against the Trojans in 29 minutes of play.
Witter had come off the bench for the first 36 games of his career, averaging 9.6 points per game while earning a spot on the 2007-08 MVC All-Bench Team in that time.
Battle of the Backboards
The rebound differential has been 10 or more in all five Creighton games this season, with the Jays winning that board battle twice.
Creighton was outrebounded 46-26 in its loss at Arkansas-Little Rock last Tuesday. The Bluejays had not been out-rebounded by 20 since Feb. 27, 2008, when Illinois State won the boards 45-24 in a 68-54 victory over CU.
Creighton has lost the rebound battle by 20 or more three times in the past 15 years, losing all three games. On the other hand, CU is 8-1 in the past 15 years when winning the rebound battle by 20 or more rebounds.
Large Lead Doesn't Hold Up
Creighton was unable to hang onto a 34-18 lead against Arkansas-Little Rock last Tuesday.
Prior to Tuesday, Creighton had not lost a game in which it led by 16 points or more since Feb. 2, 2002, when it lost to Southern Illinois, 79-77 after leading 43-27 late in the first half.
By comparison, Creighton had won seven games since then after trailing by 16 points or more, including five since 2006 alone.
Jays Were 3-0 Once Again
Saturday's win against Oral Roberts on Nov. 22nd gave Creighton a 3-0 start for the 10th time in the past 11 seasons. The 2006-07 team that started 2-1 is the lone exception in the past decade.
Each of Creighton's previous 3-0 starts under Dana Altman have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Creighton has not taken the floor with a losing record since December 3, 1997 when it faced Grambling. Tuesday will be the 350th game in a row the Jays have played with a record of .500 or better.
3 Players, 20 Points, First 3 Games
Creighton has had three different players score 20 or more points during its first three contests this winter. P'Allen Stinnett (30) and Booker Woodfox (26) did it against New Mexico, while Cavel Witter (25) did it against Oral Roberts.
This is the first time it's happened in Dana Altman's 15-year tenure at Creighton, as well as the first time its happened at Creighton in at least 30 years.
Harriman Nets Career Highs
Casey Harriman had a pair of career-highs in its Nov. 22 win over Oral Roberts. The sophomore forward had 10 points and six rebounds in his 14 minutes, career-bests for points and rebounds.
Earlier in the week, Harriman tied a career-best with three steals against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Double-Double Eludes Lawson
Sophomore Kenny Lawson Jr. hasn't notched a double-double in his young career, but he's been steadily getting closer.
Lawson, who had nine rebounds and 10 points against Nebraska, owns six career games of at least eight points and eight boards in his career. CU has won five of those games, outscoring foes by an average of 80.2-64.0.
Creighton is 12-4 when Lawson has five rebounds or more, but 15-9 in games he's appeared in and snared less than five caroms.
25 Points Off The Bench, Again
Cavel Witter scored 25 points off the bench in CU's Nov. 22 win over Oral Roberts.
It marked the second time in his career he's done that, as the junior guard torched Bradley for a Qwest Center Omaha record 42 points on March 1, 2008, in a double-overtime win over Bradley.
Before Witter, Creighton had not had a player score 25 points or more off the bench since March of 2002.
Television Records
Creighton is a combined 85-50 in televised games in the last seven seasons, including a 31-20 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, 6-2 in 2006-07 and 5-4 last year in KMTV-produced games. So far this year CU is 1-1 on KMTV.
The Jays are also 39-26 in games that air regionally or nationally in that time, including a 21-14 mark on MVC TV.
Creighton had 27-of-33 games on television last season. A minimum of 19 are slated for television this season.
MVC Preseason Poll
For the second time in three years, Creighton has been picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference in a preseason poll of coaches, beat writers, SID's and play-by-play men.
Creighton was picked first on 36 of the 39 ballots to earn 386 of a possible 390 points. Last year's favorite, Southern Illinois, earned two first-place votes and totaled 322 points for second place, just ahead of Illinois State, which garnered 309 points and the lone remaining first-place vote. Rounding out the rest of the poll was Drake (274), Bradley (219), UNI (186), Indiana State (137), Evansville (122), Wichita State (105) and Missouri State (85).
The preseason all-MVC team is headlined by preseason player of the year Osiris Eldridge (Illinois State). Joining Eldridge on the first team are P'Allen Stinnett
Dynamic Duo, Part II?
From 1987-91, Creighton big men Bob Harstad and Chad Gallagher were known as the “Dynamic Duo”. Both men were named MVC Player of the Year (Harstad in 1990, Gallagher in 1991) and finished their careers first and second in school history for points scored.
It's still quite early, but the Jays had quite the dynamic duo in the season-opening win over New Mexico when P'Allen Stinnett (30) and Booker Woodfox (26) both lit up the Lobos.
The current duo became the first Bluejay pair to score 25 points or more in the same game in the Dana Altman era.
CU hadn't had that happen since, you guessed it, Gallagher (29) and Harstad (26) did it against Bradley on Jan. 21, 1991.
Up, Up and Away
Creighton never trailed in its Nov. 20 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. In 84 all-time games at Qwest Center Omaha, the Jays have led wire-to-wire 18 different times.
Thirty-Point Bluejays
With 30 points on Nov. 16 against New Mexico, P'Allen Stinnett became one of six Creighton players in the Dana Altman era to score 30 points or more in a game. The other five players that did it were Cavel Witter, Nate Funk, Johnny Mathies, Kyle Korver and Rodney Buford.
Below is the list of Creighton's 30-point games since Altman became head coach:
Pts. Name Opp. Date Result
42 Cavel Witter Bradley 03/01/08 W 111-110
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 State 02/16/05 W 82-68
33 Nate Funk vs. Missouri St. 03/03/07 W 75-58
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 Southern Illinois 02/05/98 W 91-73
30 Rodney Buford @Northern Iowa 12/30/97 W 83-75
30 Rodney Buford Missouri State 02/15/97 L 82-88
30 P'Allen Stinnett New Mexico 11/16/08 W 82-75
What A Start!
The 2007-08 MVC Sixth Man of the Year, Booker Woodfox scored 26 points in his first career start against New Mexico on Nov. 16.
Woodfox's 26 points are the most by a Bluejay in their first career start since at least 1980.
Stinnett Named MVC Player of the Week
Creighton sophomore P'Allen Stinnett claimed MVC Player of the Week honors Nov. 17. Stinnett scored 21 of his career-high 30 points in the second half of a 82-75 come-from-behind victory over New Mexico while also adding four rebounds, an assist and a steal.
This is his second career MVC Player of the Week accolade, as he also won the award last season on Feb. 11, 2008. Stinnett also picked up three MVC Newcomer of the Week honors last year en route to sweeping Valley Newcomer and Freshman of the Year laurels.
P'henomenal Debut x 2
P'Allen Stinnett's 23 points last year 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 30 points in this year's opener were the most by a Creighton player in the season lid-lifter since Bob Harstad scored 38 points against Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 30, 1990.
Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton has won 40 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has won 45 straight games when scoring 72 points or more dating to Jan. 29, 2005.
The Bluejays have won 61 consecutive games when scoring 80 points or more, dating to Feb. 19, 2000.
Creighton has also won 44 straight games when scoring 90 points or more, dating to Jan. 11, 1988.
Creighton has won 15 straight when scoring 100 points or more, dating to Feb. 26, 1977.
Who Are Those Guys, Part I
Creighton also has two walk-ons practicing with the team that might suit up on but are not listed in the media guide.
No. 24 is Matt Dorwart, a 6-7 freshman forward from Sidney, Neb. Dorwart played at Sidney High School and averaged 8.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 38.5 percent from three-point range.
No. 40 Derek Sebastian is a 6-5 freshman guard/forward from Loveland, Colo. Sebastian played at Thompson Valley High School, where he averaged 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game last year.
Turning Point?
One common theme when Creighton is successful is that they have had an advantage in “points off turnovers” in many of those contests.
Last season, Creighton was 17-4 when scoring more points off turnovers than its opponent last year. In the last five years, Creighton is 64-11 when winning this category, including a 3-1 mark this winter.
The Charge Chart
Creighton took 62 charges last season, with Casey Harriman and Dane Watts sharing the team lead with 17 charges taken. Over the previous six seasons, the Bluejays have averaged 48.7 per year.
So far this season, Creighton has taken six charges in five games.
Below is a list of the Creighton players that have taken charges since the 2002-03 season:
Name 2002-07 ?07-08 ?08-09 Total
Justin Carter n/a n/a 2 2
Josh Dotzler 4 5 1 10
Booker Woodfox n/a 2 1 3
Kenny Lawson Jr. 0 2 1 3
Kaleb Korver n/a 0 1 1
Casey Harriman n/a 17 0 17
Chad Millard n/a 7 0 7
P'Allen Stinnett n/a 5 0 5
Kenton Walker n/a 3 0 3
Cavel Witter n/a 3 0 3
Dustin Sitzmann 0 1 0 1
Former Players 226 17 n/a 243
Total 230 62 6 298
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in a league-best 471 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993 when Rick Johnson was coach.
Recruits Inked
A pair of prep standouts signed letters-of-intent in November to join the Creighton men's basketball team next year.
Andrew Bock is a 6'1” guard from Eisenhower High School in Rialto, Calif. Bock averaged 18 points and eight assists per game while helping the Eagles to a 27-4 record. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Citrus Belt League last season.
Ethan Wragge (RAH-gy) is a 6'8” forward from Eden Prairie, Minn., where he attends Eden Prairie High School. He averaged 16 points and nine rebounds per game and owns the school record for three-point baskets made. He made 91 percent of his free-throw attempts last year. His team finished 19-9 last winter.
Both men will be freshmen and have four years of eligibility.
20 Overall Wins x 10 Years = MVC History
Creighton is the only school in the 102-year history of the Missouri Valley Conference to post 10 straight 20-win campaigns. No other school owns more than six straight.
Creighton is one of seven teams nationally with 20 or more wins in each of last 10 seasons. That list consists of Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kent State and Syracuse.
Postseason x 11
Creighton has made either the NIT or NCAA in 11 consecutive seasons, the longest streak of postseason bids in MVC history. It is one more than the 10 straight from 1966 to 1975 by Louisville.
The only 12 schools to make the postseason in each of the last 11 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 17 straight NCAA appearances, is the nation's only school with 11 straight postseason appearances in both men's basketball and men's soccer.
10 Conference Wins, Again
Last year Creighton extended its MVC record by winning 10 or more league games for a 12th 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 12 straight years of 10 or more league wins are Stanford (14), Kansas (14) and Creighton (12).
Jays Among Attendance Leaders, Again
Creighton ranked 15th nationally in attendance, averaging 15,333 fans per game during the 2007-08 season.
During the 2006-07 season, Creighton ranked 13th nationally in average attendance with 15,909 fans per game.
Below is a list of the nation's attendance leaders in 2007-08, as compiled by the NCAA.
2007-08 Attendance Leaders
Rk. School Average
1. Kentucky 22,554
2. North Carolina 20,497
3. Syracuse 20,345
4. Tennessee 20,267
5. Louisville 19,481
6. Maryland 17,950
7. Wisconsin 17,190
8. Arkansas 17,148
9. Indiana 16,876
10. Memphis 16,748
11. Illinois 16,618
12. Ohio State 16,587
13. Kansas 16,409
14. Marquette 16,239
15. Creighton 15,333
16. North Carolina State 15,043
17. Michigan State 14,759
18. New Mexico 14,361
MVC Attendance Record Falls
Creighton broke the MVC record for single-season home attendance with 276,000 fans in 2007-08, surpassing the 2005-06 team which drew 236,313 fans in 17 games to hold the old mark.
Creighton has set MVC attendance (either average or total home fans) records each of the past three seasons. The 2006-07 club raised the bar by attracting 15,909 fans per game. Last year's team was close to that, averaging 15,333 fans per home game.
Highest Season Home Attendance, MVC History
Home Att. School Year
276,000 Creighton 2007-08
236,313 Creighton 2005-06
222,728 Creighton 2006-07
192,258 Creighton 2003-04
191,440 Louisville 1974-75
Highest Average Attendance, MVC History
Ave. Att. School Year
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
15,333 Creighton 2007-08
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
12,016 Creighton 2003-04
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 11 teams have finished either first or second in The Valley's regular-season race. Two of the three that didn't 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 11 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.); 2007-08
NBA Presence
Two former Creighton players are currently on NBA rosters. Kyle Korver (1999-2003) plays for Utah, while Anthony Tolliver (2003-07) plays for San Antonio.
Altman Passing Coaching Legends
Dana Altman continues to pass some of the coaching greats in MVC history in two categories. Altman's 285 wins at Creighton are third in MVC history, while his 158 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. 285 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. 158 Dana Altman Creighton
Paint Points
Creighton outscored each of its first three opponents in the paint this year before being dominated 44-12 in the lane by UALR.
Since the school started tracking points in the paint six years ago, CU is 55-9 in games when scoring 28 or more points in the paint.
Qwest To Be The Best
Creighton has played 84 regular and post-season contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time. The Bluejays own a 71-13 (.845) record all-time at the facility, including a perfect 14-0 figure on Wednesday's. The 13 losses have been by a combined 70 points.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 6,220-5,196 in games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.2 points per game.
?W'inning Edge
Creighton's men's and women's basketball teams have been nearly unbeatable at home in recent seasons, going a combined 195-43 in the last nine seasons. In fact, the men and women have both lost a home game in the same month just four times since March, 2000.
Creighton's Home Records, Last Nine Years
Year Men Women Combined
2008-09 3-0 1-2 4-2
2007-08 16-2 11-1 27-3
2006-07 12-2 7-7 19-9
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 114-16 82-27 196-43
3-Point Weapons
Creighton had nine different players that made 10 or more three-pointers last season. Five of those men made 39.3 percent or more of their attempts from long-range.
According to STATS Inc., Creighton, Duke, Marquette, New Mexico and Portland State were the nation's only teams with seven different players to own 20 or more treys. Of that group, CU was the only team with all seven players to make 24 or more three-pointers.
When shooting 40 percent or better from three-point range, Creighton has won 32-of-34 and 42 of its last 46 games.
Double-Digit Comebacks at Home
Creighton has fallen behind by double-digits in 22 of its 84 all-time home games all-time at Qwest Center Omaha. In 15 of those 22 games, the Bluejays came back to win.
Creighton's incredible streak of 181 straight games without a double-digit home loss (dating to Jan. 3, 1996) was snapped on Dec. 29, 2007 by Illinois State. That had ranked as the nation's oldest streak in that obscure category.
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
12/29/07 Illinois State 19 L 67-80
02/02/08 Wichita State 15 W 65-63
03/01/08 Bradley 12 W 111-110 2ot
03/18/08 Rhode Island 17 W 74-73
11/16/08 New Mexico 16 W 82-75
Double-Digit Comebacks
Including its season-opening win over New Mexico, Creighton has won after overcoming a double-digit deficit 27 times in the last nine seasons.
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
03/18/08 Rhode Island 17 W 74-73
11/16/08 New Mexico 16 W 82-75
02/04/06 at Drake 16 W 72-67 ot
01/26/03 TCU 16 W 89-79
02/02/08 Wichita State 15 W 65-63
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
01/07/04 at Illinois State 12 W 56-55
01/18/06 Bradley 12 W 80-76
03/01/08 Bradley 12 W 111-110 2ot
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
One of the Best Programs Around
Every five years since 1997, Basketball Times has evaluated the best of the best NCAA programs -- those that have won two-thirds of their games over the previous 10 season span. The 2007 edition of the report had 29 teams that met that qualification, including Creighton.
Those 29 schools were then ranked from 1-29 on categories like 10-year winning percentage, number of active NBA players, freshman graduation rate and US News & World Report's academic peer assessment score, as well as a subjective vote of 10 panelists who judged teams based on “program cleanliness” and “head coach ranking”.
Creighton finished an impressive seventh, trailing only Duke, North Carolina, Florida, Stanford, Gonzaga and Michigan State.
Basketball Times Overall Rankings
Rk. School Avg. Ranking
1. Duke 3.7
2. North Carolina 7.5
3. Florida 8.0
4. Stanford 8.8
5. Gonzaga 10.0
Michigan State 10.0
7. Creighton 10.2
8. Kansas 10.8
9. Xavier 11.5
10. Illinois 12.0
11. Arizona 13.5
12. Connecticut 13.7
13. Syracuse 14.5
14. Butler 14.8
15. College of Charleston 15.2
Southern Illinois 15.2
Texas 15.2
18. Kentucky 16.0
Pennsylvania 16.0
20. Maryland 17.3
21. Pittsburgh 17.5
22. Utah State 18.3
23. Kent State 18.8
24. Utah 20.2
25. Cincinnati 20.5
26. Murray State 20.7
Oklahoma 20.7
28. Oklahoma State 21.0
29. Memphis 23.0
Academically Tops In The MVC Too
Creighton ranks first in the Missouri Valley Conference in graduation success rate (94.7 percent) among all sports.
Also, for the fourth time in the six-year existence of the award, Creighton University has been recognized with the 2007-08 MVC All-Academic Award. Bluejay student-athletes posted a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average over the 2007-08 academic calendar. Creighton previously shared the award in 2003-04, and were the outright winners in 2004-05 and 2006-07.
Creighton had seven men's basketball players earn Dean's List (3.50 GPA or better) accolades last year, which helped the team to a 3.01 GPA overall.
Army of Iowans
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 Dustin Sitzmann (LeMars) and sophomores Casey Harriman (Ida Grove) and Kaleb Korver (Pella).
Other past notable Iowans include Kyle Korver and Pierce Hibma (Pella), Ryan Sears (Ankeny), Brody Deren (Harlan), Tyler McKinney (Urbandale), Nate Funk
Creighton has played at least one Iowa native in 447 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Bench Points Add Up
Creighton owned 41 different double-figure scoring games last season off the bench, compared to a total of 30 during the previous three years combined. In fact, there were only four (of 33) contests in which it didn't have a double-figure scorer off the bench.
Last year's team scored 18 or more bench points in every game but one, with a low of 13.
This year, the Bluejay bench has scored 142 of the team's 372 points (38.2 percent). Take out the season-opening win over New Mexico and that number rises to 133-of-290 points (45.9 percent).
Last Season Recap
Creighton put together a second consecutive 22-11 season last fall, reaching the second round of the NIT with a team featuring nine newcomers.
P'Allen Stinnett (12.6 ppg.) swept MVC Newcomer and Freshman of the Year honors after leading Creighton in scoring, while senior Dane Watts (11.3 ppg.) led the team with 6.4 rebounds per game.
Booker Woodfox (9.6 ppg.) was named MVC Sixth Man of the Year as the leader for a bench that outscored CU's starters by 76 points for the season.
Shuttle Service To Qwest Center Omaha
The State Farm Shuttle presented by the Creighton Birdcage and State Farm Insurance will provide complimentary transportation 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.
The shuttle will start 75 minutes before tip-off and shuttles will continue to operate the route during the game.
The three designated stops for pick-up around the CU campus are: 24th & California (nearside/southbound); 20th & Cass (nearside/eastbound) and at Billy Blue's Alumni Grill (outside the new Mike & Josie Harper Center in the turnaround which is on the east side of the building).
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 three stops at 24th & California Streets.
Mid-Week Maestro's
Creighton has never lost a game at Qwest Center Omaha on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, going a combined 21-0 on those dates.
Creighton is 14-0 on Wednesday's, 6-0 on Thursday's and 1-0 on Friday's at the six-year old facility.
Ticket Information
Single game tickets for regular-season home games went on sale on Nov. 11 at 10 am.
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 $12 for adults and $8 for youth ages 3-18 (children two and under are free). For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
As of November 14th Creighton had already sold 13,743 season tickets for this season. The previous MVC record was the 12,888 season-tickets Creighton fans bought for the 2007-08 season.
(Creighton), Bryan Mullins (Southern Illinois) and the Drake tandem of Jonathan Cox and Josh Young. Honorable-mention picks include the Bradley pair of Theron Wilson and Andrew Warren, as well as the Evansville duo of Shy Ely and Jason Holsinger. (Sioux City) and Michael Lindeman (Iowa Falls).
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballMeet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Ty Davis
Friday, August 15
