Men's Basketball Opens MVC Play with Shockers Sunday Night
12/27/2008 3:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Next Game
Creighton (10-2, 0-0 MVC) and Wichita State (6-5, 0-0 MVC) open Missouri Valley Conference play in a rare Sunday night game, when the teams tangle at 7:05 pm on Dec. 28th.
The game will be played at Qwest Center Omaha (17,272) in Omaha, Neb.
Wichita State Shockers at Creighton Bluejays
Qwest Center Omaha ? Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.bigsports590.com
Television: KMTV (Omaha), Kansas Now 22 (Wichita)
Series History: Creighton leads, 49-39
Last Meeting: Creighton won 65-63 in Omaha on Feb. 2, 2008
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 Jimmy Motz will call the action. Sunday's game can also be heard on Sirius satellite radio, channel 123.
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
Sunday's game is the fourth of nine games scheduled for broadcast by KMTV this season. Travis Justice (play-by-play) and former Bluejay Nick Bahe (analyst) will announce.
Kansas Now 22 in Wichita is also televising the game.
Coordinates for the KMTV feed are below:
Satellite Coordinates: AMC5 K5 5H
Band: Digital KU
Downlink Freq.: 11865.13 Vertical
Data Rate: 5.5 Mbps
Symbol Rate: 3.979 Msps
Modulation: QPSK
FEC: 3/4
On-Air Talent: Travis Justice, Nick Bahe
Coordinates for the Kansas Now 22 feed are below:
Satellite Coordinates: AMC15K-04 B 9MHz
Band: KU
Confirmation: 34222 echo
Orbital Position: 105 Degrees West
Carrier: EchoStar
Bandwith: 9 MHz
Uplink Freq.: 14075.50 (V)
Downlink Freq.: 11775.50 Horizontal
Channel: B9
On-Air Talent: Bruce Haertl, Craig Steven
Video Webcast Information
Creighton University Athletics and Jump TV will present a live, pay-per-view video webcast of approximately 20 games this season, including Sunday. 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 KMTV telecast 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 home basketball games will 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 (10-2, 0-0 MVC)
Creighton has won seven straight games, including two earlier in the week in Las Vegas, and enters Missouri Valley Conference play with a 10-2 record.
The Bluejays return 10 lettermen and three starters from last year's 22-11 team that made an 11th straight postseason appearance, reaching the second round of the NIT.
Booker Woodfox leads the team and MVC with 17.8 points per game, 40 three-point baskets and 54.8 percent accuracy behind the arc. Woodfox has made 31-of-50 three-pointers (62.0 percent) over the past seven games and has topped CU in scoring each of the past six contests. He was named MVP of the Las Vegas Classic after scoring 50 points in two wins.
Also in double-figures is preseason all-MVC pick P'Allen Stinnett, who averages 12.4 points per game and is second on the team with 22 steals. Stinnett scored 22 points in last year's MVC opener against Illinois State.
On the defensive side, Josh Dotzler owns an MVC-best 35 steals. Kenny Lawson Jr. leads the MVC with 22 blocked shots and has also upped his averages to 9.2 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game.
Creighton shoots 44.5 percent from the floor, 38.7 percent from three-point territory and is also making 76.0 percent of its shots from the line.
Scouting Wichita State (6-5, 0-0 MVC)
Wichita State has won three straight games and upped its record to 6-5 as it enters league play.
The Shockers are 0-2 in true road games, losing to Texas Tech (72-69) and TCU (57-48), but did fare well in narrow neutral-site losses to #16 Georgetown (58-50) and #5 Michigan State (65-57). WSU owns wins over Florida A&M (77-53), Centenary (65-44), Gardner-Webb (76-64), Northern Arizona (58-53) and North Dakota (66-51) at home in addition to a 72-70 victory over Siena in Orlando, Fla.
Clevin Hannah averages a team-best 11.2 points per game and tops the club with 19 three-point baskets and 48 assists. Toure' Murry is close to scoring in double-figures, averaging 9.6 points per game, which ranks second among MVC freshmen.
WSU's only starter back is MVC rebounding leader Ramon Clemente, who averages 9.7 rebounds and 7.9 points per game.
WSU scores 63.7 points per game while allowing just 59.4 per contest. The Shockers shoot 42.8 percent from the field, 31.2 percent from three-point range and 65.4 percent at the line. WSU's +7.7 rebounding margin leads the MVC.
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 292-154 (.655) mark at Creighton and a career record of 375-221 (.629) in his 20th year as a NCAA Division I head coach when you add four seasons at Kansas State and one at Marshall. Tack on four years at the junior college level and Altman's overall record as a college head coach is 498-245 (.670).
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.
Wichita State is coached by Gregg Marshall (Randolph-Macon, 1985), who owns a 17-25 mark in his second year with the Shockers. That moves his career mark to 211-108 in 11 years, which includes a highly successful run at Winthrop. He is assisted by Earl Grant, Chris Jans and Marty Gross.
Las Vegas Classic Recap
Creighton won the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic thanks to wins over Fresno State (85-66) and DePaul (83-75) in Las Vegas, extending its current win streak to seven.
Booker Woodfox scored 50 points on 15-of-25 shooting from the field (including 9-15 from three-point range) in the two games to earn MVP honors.
Woodfox was joined by Kenny Lawson Jr. on the all-Tournament Team. Lawson averaged 13.5 points and tied his career-best with 15 points in the victory over Fresno State on Monday.
Series History vs. Wichita State
Creighton leads the all-time series with Wichita State by a 49-39 margin, including two wins by a combined five points last year.
Creighton has won the last 15 games in Omaha to own a 27-14 home record against the Shockers all-time.
The Bluejays have swept the season series with the Shockers in nine of the last 14 seasons. The Jays have also won 25-of-30 and 32-of-40 vs. the Shockers in recent seasons.
Altman is 27-6 all-time vs. Wichita State, including a 24-5 mark since coming to Creighton. Altman's 27 wins over Wichita State are five more victories than any other school he's beaten.
Altman is 2-0 against Gregg Marshall.
WSU's Last Win In Omaha Was A “Big Show”
With 15 straight losses to Creighton in Omaha, it's been a while since Wichita State has beaten the Bluejays away from home.
In fact, the last time the Shockers won in Omaha (Feb. 22, 1992), they got eight points and seven rebounds in a career-high 18 minutes off the bench from a center named Paul Wight.
Who is Paul Wight? He's well-known among wrestling diehards as “The Big Show”, where he is a former WWE and WCW heavyweight champion. He is listed by Wikipedia at 7'0” and 507 pounds.
Buzzer Beaters Galore
Five of the last six Creighton/Wichita State games have been decided in the final seconds.
On Jan. 28, 2006 in Omaha, Creighton's Anthony Tolliver hit a 15-foot baseline jumper as time expired to give the Bluejays a 57-55 win.
In the rematch on Feb. 14, 2006 in Wichita, Matt Braeuer drained a three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left in overtime to give the Shockers a 62-61 triumph.
On Jan. 15, 2007 in Wichita, Nate Funk's game-tying trey in the final seconds was blocked by PJ Couisnard as WSU won 62-59.
On Jan. 12, 2008 in Wichita, Gal Mekel missed a three-pointer as time expired as Creighton won, 68-65.
In the most recent meeting on Feb. 2, 2008 in Omaha, Creighton overcame a 54-39 deficit in the final nine minutes to win a 65-63 contest. Dane Watts scored the go-ahead tip-in with 16.7 seconds left, then took a charge on WSU guard Gal Mekel with 11.1 seconds remaining.
The only game in the previous three seasons between Creighton and Wichita State that hasn't been close was Creighton's 71-54 victory in Omaha on Feb. 24, 2007.
Keep The Shockers Under 70
Since arriving at Creighton, Dana Altman owns a 24-5 mark against Wichita State. One common theme for the Bluejays in those contests has been tenacious defense.
Creighton has allowed the Shockers to score 70 or more points in just five of those 29 games, of which WSU won three times. However, in the 24 matchups the Shockers scored under 70, they are 2-22 vs. Altman and the Bluejays. This trend also held true when Altman was at Kansas State, as the Shockers went 0-3 when scoring under 70 but 1-0 when they eclipsed the 70-point barrier.
Creighton has scored 71 or more points in 12 straight home games.
Dana Altman vs. Wichita State
at KSU at CU Total
WSU scores 69 or less 3-0 22-2 25-2
WSU scores 70+ 0-1 2-3 2-4
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades
Creighton and Wichita State have played 22 games decided by 12 points or less during the 29 matchups since Dana Altman became Bluejay coach. CU has gone 19-3 in those games. Altman also went 1-0 while at Kansas State in games vs. WSU decided by 12 points or less. Additionally, Altman is 12-2 in his career (11-2 at CU) in games vs. Wichita State decided by four points or less.
Dana Altman vs. Wichita State
at KSU at CU Total
Game decided by 4 or less 1-0 11-2 12-2
Game decided by 12 or less 1-0 18-3 19-3
Game decided by 13 or more 2-1 5-2 7-3
Window Dressing?
The battle for the boards figures to be a key factor in Sunday's game. Creighton has been outrebounded by 2.4 caroms per contest, while Wichita State leads the MVC with a +7.7 advantage on the glass per game this season.
Creighton has been outrebounded in seven of 12 games to date, with six of those backboard beatings being by 10 or more.
The last time Creighton faced Wichita State in Omaha, the Shockers outrebounded CU 36-19. Now-graduated senior Dane Watts was the only Bluejay with four or more rebounds that evening, finishing with five.
Conference Openers Have Gone Well
Creighton coach Dana Altman is 10-4 in Missouri Valley Conference openers, including an 8-2 record in the last 10 years.
Altman is 11-3 in Creighton's first home game of the Missouri Valley Conference slate and his clubs have won nine of its last 10 games that opened conference play at home.
The last MVC team to win the regular-season crown without winning its regular-season MVC opener was the 1992-93 Illinois State team. In fact, each of the last 13 regular-season champs in the MVC have opened 2-0 or better in league play.
Each of the six previous MVC preseason favorites have won their first home league game of the season.
In the last six years, the eventual MVC regular-season champion has gone a combined 52-2 in league play at home.
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 (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.
Holiday Wish Usually Granted
Sunday is Creighton's first game after the Dec. 25 Christmas holiday. Creighton has won the first game it has played following the break in seven of the past eight years. They've outscored foes by an average of 77.8-64.8, as seen below:
First Game After Christmas, Last 8 Years
Date Opponent Result
12/30/00 Evansville W 87-57
12/29/01 Mississippi Valley State W 90-65
12/29/02 Southeast Missouri State W 93-70
12/30/03 Missouri State W 59-54
12/28/04 Bradley W 71-62
12/28/05 Missouri State W 78-56
12/30/06 Missouri State W 77-74
12/29/07 Illinois State L 67-80
Sunday Night Basketball?
Creighton doesn't play many Sunday night games, especially at Qwest Center Omaha. However, when it does, they've never lost. Sunday's night game against Wichita State will be just the fourth to start after 4 pm on a Sunday night in the six-year history of Qwest Center Omaha.
Creighton defeated Southern Illinois, 72-53, on Feb. 10, 2008 in a 6 pm start. Creighton defeated Xavier, 61-59, on Dec. 18, 2005 in a 7 pm start. Creighton defeated Drake, 78-67, on Jan. 11, 2004 in a 6 pm start.
Seven In A Row
Creighton takes a seven-game win streak into Sunday night's game against Wichita State.
The Bluejays have had at least one five-game win streak in 12 straight seasons, and 19 such streaks overall in the 15-year tenure of Dana Altman.
Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the postseason all 14 previous times they've had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the postseason all six times they haven't.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest win streaks under Dana Altman. The current seven-game win streak is tied for the seventh-longest streak under Altman, and five behind the 12 straight to open the 2003-04 campaign.
Creighton's Longest Win Streaks Under Dana Altman
W's Dates Postseason?
12 Nov. 22, 2003-Jan. 11, 2004 NIT
11 Jan. 27-March 3, 2001 NCAA
10 Nov. 17-Dec. 29, 2002 NCAA
9 Jan. 21-Feb. 16, 1998 NIT
9 Nov. 22-Dec. 21, 1999 NCAA
8 Feb. 16-March 7, 2005 NCAA
7 Feb. 17-Mar. 11, 1999 NCAA
7 Dec. 6, 2000-Jan. 2, 2001 NCAA
7 Jan. 9-Jan. 30, 2002 NCAA
7 Nov. 15-Dec. 4, 2004 NCAA
7 Dec. 2, 2008-Present ? ? ?
Winning By Double-Digits
Creighton had won six straight games by double-digits, before an eight-point win over DePaul on Tuesday.
Before that stretch, Creighton had not had six straight wins by 10 points or more since February 2-22, 1965.
Comparison To Past Years After 12 Games
Below is a comparison after 12 games of this year's team to that of the past two teams, as well as the memorable 2002-03 squad that finished 29-5, with season-bests in bold:
Statistic 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 2002-03
W-L Record 10-2 9-3 8-4 11-1
FG% .445 .468 .433 .520
3FG% .387 .365 .314 .420
3FG/Game 8.8 8.3 5.8 9.7
FT% .760 .715 .738 .667
Reb. Margin -2.4 +5.7 +2.1 +1.7
Assists 174 195 162 223
Turnovers 159 186 148 166
Blocks 44 35 29 57
Steals 122 118 76 112
PPG Scored 76.9 77.4 68.0 83.8
PPG Allowed 63.0 63.6 61.8 62.6
Off To Another Strong Start
Creighton is 10-2 after its 12th game of the season. This is the team's 12th straight year of a 7-5 or better mark after 12 games.
Each of the three previous times CU has been exactly 10-2 at that point in the season, it has reached the NCAA Tournament (2000-01, 1998-99 and 1980-81).
Creighton has made the postseason after each of its eight previous 10-2 starts or better in the past 50 years.
Statistical Leaders, Nationally
Through games of Dec. 21st, Booker Woodfox ranked fourth in three-point field goal percentage (53.4%), 46th in three-pointers per game (3.1), 58th in free-throw percentage (85.7%) and 93rd in field goal percentage (52.0 percent).
Josh Dotzler ranked eighth with 3.1 steals per game. Kenny Lawson Jr. was 65th with 1.9 blocked shots per game. P'Allen Stinnett was 77th with 2.0 steals per game. Cavel Witter ranked 97th with his 83.7 percent free-throw percentage.
As a team, Creighton ranked in the top-35 nationally in steals per game (8th), turnover margin (12th), three-pointers per game (21st), three-point field goal percentage defense (31st), free-throw percentage (35th), three-point field goal percentage (35th) and scoring margin (35th).
Steal Leader
KenPom.com, a college basketball website dedicated to statistics, ranks Creighton guard Josh Dotzler among its best defenders. The website calculates that Dotzler earns a steal on 7.8 percent of all defensive possessions that he's in the game for, the nation's best figure.
The same website ranks Booker Woodfox fourth in offensive rating, a calculation of a player's offensive efficiency from two-point range, three-point range and the free-throw line, as well as scarcity of turnovers per minute played.
Early Home Success
This is the fifth time in the six-year history of Qwest Center Omaha that the Bluejays have won their first seven home games, a feat also accomplished in the final year of the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
With a win on Sunday, Creighton would open 8-0 at home for the sixth time in the past seven years.
The 2004-05 season remains the only exception in that span.
Home Win Streak Stands At 13
Creighton's 13-game home win streak is tied for 16th-longest nationally. Through games of Dec. 26th, the NCAA's complete list is below:
Rank Streak Team Next Home Game
1. 53 BYU 1/3
2. 43 Notre Dame 1/5
3. 36 Tennessee 12/29
4. 30 Kansas 12/30
5. 29 Georgetown 1/3
6. 25 Michigan State 1/6
7. 22 Utah State 12/29
8. 18 Lamar 12/29
18 Tulsa 12/30
10. 16 Davidson 1/3
16 Texas 1/2
12. 15 Portland State 1/8
13. 14 Louisville 12/27
14 Presbyterian 1/3
14 Connecticut 12/29
16. 13 Creighton 12/28
13 Arkansas 12/27
13 Clemson 1/3
13 Stanford 12/28
This marks the fourth different time Creighton has won 13 straight home games in Dana Altman's 15-year tenure. Before Altman's arrival CU hadn't had a home win streak of 10 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
13 2/2/08 to Present ? ? ?
12 1/21/98 to 12/30/98 Evansville, 84-79
*tied school record (also Jan. 12, 1917 to Feb. 11, 1920)
Heating Up In December
Booker Woodfox has been red-hot from the field in the past seven games. Woodfox has scored 147 points in 161 minutes in seven games this month, all Bluejay wins.
Woodfox is shooting 48-for-79 from the floor in that time (60.8 percent), including 31-of-50 (62.0 percent) from three-point land. Woodfox has also hit 20-of-22 free throws (90.9 percent) in December.
Woodfox Automatic At The Line Too
Not only has Booker Woodfox been lights-out from the field, but it's carried over to the free-throw line. Despite one of the nation's most unique pre-shot rituals, Woodfox has drained 19 straight free throws, a streak that started Dec. 6 at Saint Joseph's.
With a make in his next attempt from the line, Woodfox would be the first Bluejay with a streak of 20 or more since teammate Cavel Witter opened his career with 22 makes in a row last season. According to school records dating back to 1980, CU's longest streak of free throw makes is 32 by Michael Lindeman, done Jan. 23-Nov. 29, 2003.
Leading Scorer, Again
Booker Woodfox has led Creighton in scoring each of the last six games, averaging 22.2 points per game in that time. In Dana Altman's 15-year tenure, Creighton's only longer streaks have been by Rodney Buford, who did it three times.
Consec. Games as Leading Scorer, Under Altman
Games Name Dates
8 Rodney Buford Jan. 27-Feb. 17, 1997
8 Rodney Buford Feb. 23-Dec. 2, 1998
7 Rodney Buford Jan. 2-20, 1997
6 Rodney Buford Dec. 12, 1998-Jan. 4, 1999
6 Kyle Korver Feb. 12 - March 1, 2003
6 Nate Funk Feb. 1-19, 2005
6 Nate Funk Jan. 12-27, 2007
6 Booker Woodfox Dec. 6, 2008-Present
What A Year!
Booker Woodfox has shown his shooting proficiency during the entire calendar year of 2008. His accuracy from the field, three-point line and free-throw line have all jumped by 13 percent or more, while his scoring average has jumped 8.6 points per game when compared to his 2007 figures.
Below is a comparison of his first 11 games from last year (the year 2007), compared to his games since the calendar turned to 2008.
Statistic 2007 2008
Games 11 34
FG-FGA 19-56 157-318
FG% .339 .494
3FG-3FGA 12-33 84-172
3FG% .364 .488
FT-FTA 8-12 74-90
FT% .667 .822
Rebounds 17 95
Rebounds Per Game 1.5 2.8
Assists 12 48
Turnovers 11 32
Points 58 472
Points Per Game 5.3 13.9
Can't Stop This (Wood)Fox
Booker Woodfox continues to hit three-pointers at an amazing clip, as evidenced by his 54.8 percent accuracy (40-73) from long-range through 12 games.
Creighton's last player to make 40 or more three-pointers in the season's first 12 games was Kyle Korver, who hit 56 treys in the first 12 games of the 2002-03 campaign. Korver hit 54.4 percent of his three-pointers (103 attempts) in the first 12 games and finished the season with an MVC-record 129 treys on the year.
Woodfox's league-best 17.8 points per game is also the most by a Bluejay after 12 games since Korver's 19.8 scoring average in that same 2002-03 season. Korver would end up being named MVC Player of the Year and a second-team All-American.
Woodfox is one of 18 players who made 40 or more three-pointers through games of Dec. 25th. He is the only one, however, who has made 48 percent or more of those attempts.
Woodfox has made a three-pointer in each half during all seven games of CU's current win streak. That gives him a streak of 14 straight halves of at least one three-pointer.
Additionally, Woodfox has made two or more three-pointers and hit at least half of his three-point attempts in seven straight games.
Woodfox Scores 20, Again
Booker Woodfox has posted back-to-back 20-point performances, giving him five different games this season of at least 20 points.
Creighton's last player to post three straight games of 20 or more points was Kyle Korver, who had four straight from Dec. 21, 2002 to Jan. 5, 2003.
Book It!
Helped by his 31-of-50 effort from downtown in the past seven games (62.0 percent), Booker Woodfox is 40-of-73 (54.8 percent) from three-point range this season.
For his career, he is 96-of-205, which computes to 46.8 percent, putting him ahead of noted marksman Kyle Korver. The only previous player in CU history to shoot better than 44.2 percent from three-point range in their career was two-time MVC Player of the Year Korver, who made 45.3 percent from downtown while hitting 371-of-819 from long-range.
Creighton's 3-Point Percentage Leaders, Career
(Minimum 100 Attempts)
Pct. Name, Years 3FGM-FGA
.4683 Booker Woodfox, 2007-Present 95-205
.4530 Kyle Korver, 1999-03 371-819
.4415 Rod Mason, 1986-88 132-299
.4404 Nerijus Karlikanovas, 1998-00 48-109
.4306 Michael Lindeman, 2000-04 62-144
.4293 Duan Cole, 1987-92 176-410
.4065 Nate Funk, 2002-07 200-492
.4053 Matt West, 1996-00 92-227
.4051 Matt Petty, 1989-93 143-353
.4017 Darin Plautz, 1989-91 94-234
Heavy Lumber For Woodfox
Booker Woodfox had a career-high in several categories during CU's 69-58 win at Saint Joseph's on Dec. 6. Woodfox had career-highs with 29 points, nine field goals and seven three-pointers while also matching his previous best with seven rebounds.
The seven three-pointers by Woodfox were the most by a Creighton player since Nate Funk made seven trifectas at Nebraska on Nov. 18, 2006.
Additionally, he is the first player in Creighton history to make at least seven three-pointers while shooting 75 percent or better from behind the arc in the same game. Below is a list of Creighton players to make seven treys in a game.
Creighton's Most 3-Pointers Made, Single-Game
3FG-A Name, Opponent Date
9-14 Kyle Korver vs. Evansville 01/15/03
8-13 Tad Ackerman at Drake 01/23/95
8-15 Terrell Taylor vs. Florida 03/15/02
8-13 Kyle Korver at Xavier 12/31/02
7-12 Gary Swain vs. Nebraska-Omaha 12/11/86
7-10 Ryan Sears vs. Wyoming 12/06/97
7-11 Kyle Korver vs. Notre Dame 11/26/02
7-15 Kyle Korver vs. Fresno State 02/22/03
7-11 Nate Funk at Nebraska 11/18/06
7-9 Booker Woodfox at Saint Joseph's 12/06/08
Woodfox Named MVC Player of the Week
Creighton University guard Booker Woodfox was named the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Dec. 8th. Woodfox, a senior guard from Lewisville, Texas, was the third different Bluejay to win the award in the first four weeks of the season (joining P'Allen Stinnett & Cavel Witter).
Woodfox scored 43 points in 44 minutes while averaging 21.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game as Creighton posted a pair of double-digit victories against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago. He made 14-of-20 shots from the field (70 percent), including 10-of-14 from three-point range (71.4 percent) while also making 71.4 percent (5-7) of his shots at the line.
Woodfox had a career-high with 29 points in CU's win on Saturday against Saint Joseph's while also tying his personal-best with seven rebounds. He drained 9-of-13 shots overall, including 7-of-9 tries from three-point territory. Woodfox became the only player in CU history to make at least seven three-pointers while converting 75 percent or more of his attempts from long-range in the same game.
Woodfox began his week with 14 points in 17 minutes of a 24-point win over Mississippi Valley State, hitting 5-of-7 shots from the floor and 3-of-5 from downtown.
This was the first time Woodfox has been named MVC Player of the Week, though he did earn three MVC Newcomer of the Week accolades last season.
Don't Let Me Down
Last week's Las Vegas Classic was the third regular-season tournament that Creighton has won under Dana Altman, joining the Guardians Classic in both 2002 and 2004.
The Jays would follow-up both tournament titles with a victory in their subsequent game. In 2002 CU opened MVC play with a 13-point road win at Northern Iowa, while in 2004 the Jays used a late basket from Tyler McKinney to defeat Xavier by one point at Cintas Center in Cincinnati.
Higher & Higher
Despite an off-shooting night (3-of-11), Cavel Witter had career-bests in three other key categories to help Creighton to a win against Fresno State on Dec. 22nd. Witter had career-highs with nine assists, six rebounds and five steals.
Impressively, Witter only had one turnover on the offensive end. His previous bests in those categories had been eight assists (twice last year), five rebounds (four times) and four steals (twice).
Also matching a career-high last Monday night was sophomore center Kenny Lawson Jr., who scored 15 points for the third time in his young career, and Justin Carter, who tied his best with seven rebounds.
Crowds Increase For League Action
Compared to its non-conference crowds, Creighton's attendance has increased in MVC action each of the previous eight years:
Creighton's Yearly Home Attendance
Year Non-MVC Games MVC Games Change
2000-01 7,132 7,268 +2%
2001-02 6,333 6,800 +7%
2002-03 7,401 8,996 +22%
2003-04 11,467 12,443 +9%
2004-05 9,926 12,207 +23%
2005-06 13,404 14,343 +7%
2006-07 15,471 16,153 +4%
2007-08 14,544 16,122 +10%
2008-09 15,844 so far ? ? ? --
Turnovers Tell The Story
Creighton forced 20 Northern Colorado turnovers on Dec. 13, converting those into 37 points. The Jays then forced 29 turnovers by Southern on Dec. 15th, converting those into 34 points.
The 37 points off turnovers against Northern Colorado were the most since CU started tracking the stat six years ago.
Additionally, Creighton's +28 margin in points off turnovers against Southern (34-6) were its best mark in the past six years.
Creighton owns a +6.8 turnover margin through 12 games this season and continues to excel at both forcing turnovers while limiting its own miscues.
The Jays have had an advantage of 10 turnovers or more in six games this season, including each of the past four. During the past four games, Creighton has forced 88 turnovers while making just 37 themselves, which has led to a 122-33 differential in points off turnovers.
Creighton's current streak of four straight games with 10 turnovers or less marks just the second time in Dana Altman's 15-year tenure his team has done that. CU also had four consecutive games with 10, nine, 10 and 10 turnovers on Feb. 8-17, 1997.
Dotzler Top 10 in Assists & Steals
After seven previous games with exactly five steals in his career, Josh Dotzler had a career-best six steals on Dec. 13 against Northern Colorado.
Creighton turned all six of those steals into points, scoring 13 points on its ensuing possessions.
Dotzler's 161 career steals ranks fifth in CU history, just 11 behind Kyle Korver for fourth place.
Dotzler's 302 career assists places him 10th in Creighton history, just ahead of Korver's 294.
Dotzler is one of four players in CU history with more than 150 steals and 300 career assists, joining Ryan Sears, Duan Cole and Latrell Wrightsell.
Steals (Since 1979-80)
Stl. Name Years
283 Ryan Sears 1997-01
195 Rodney Buford 1995-99
186 Duan Cole 1987-92
172 Kyle Korver 1999-03
161 Josh Dotzler 2005-Pres.
157 Johnny Mathies 2003-06
Assists (Since 1970-71)
Ast. Name Years
570 Ryan Sears 1997-01
549 Ralph Bobik 1971-74
458 Randy Eccker 1974-78
430 Tyler McKinney 2001-05
418 Vernon Moore 1981-85
382 Duan Cole 1987-92
332 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
323 Nate Funk 2002-07
317 Latrell Wrightsell 1988-92
302 Josh Dotzler 2005-Pres.
294 Kyle Korver 1999-03
Korver Nets Career Highs
Sophomore Kaleb Korver has set career-highs in most statistical categories during two of his past three games. Korver had career-highs with 12 points, five rebounds and four three-point baskets in the Dec. 10 win over Dayton.
On Dec. 13 against Southern, Korver had career-highs with 25 minutes, 14 points and two steals, while also matching his Dayton effort by making four trifectas.
Korver has made 14-of-23 treys in the past six games (60.9 percent). In his past eight games off the bench, Korver is 19-of-32 from downtown, an impressive 59.4 percent.
Big Blue Wave
Eleven different players are averaging 10.1 minutes per game or more this season for Creighton, with no player seeing more than 25 minutes per game.
Creighton has had at least 10 players average 10.7 minutes per game or more in each of previous three seasons, as well.
Creighton has not used anyone for more than 32 minutes in any game this year. By comparison, seven individuals throughout the MVC average 32.1 minutes per game or more.
Stinnett & Woodfox Reach 500 Points
Sophomore P'Allen Stinnett became the 12th player to score 500 or more points in their first two seasons at Creighton under Dana Altman.
However, the only one to do it in fewer than the 40 games Stinnett needed is CU's all-time leading scorer, Rodney Buford, who needed just 35 games.
Senior guard Booker Woodfox reached 500 career points in his 44th game on Dec. 22 against Fresno State, tied for third-quickest in the Altman era.
500+Points In First 2 Years Under Dana Altman
Name Games to 500 pts. Date
Rodney Buford 35 12/7/96 vs. UNI
P'Allen Stinnett 40 12/10/08 vs. Dayton
Doug Swenson 44 1/20/99 at Evansville
Booker Woodfox 44 12/22/08 vs. Fresno St.
Kyle Korver 48 1/11/01 vs. Indiana St.
Tad Ackerman 48 2/8/96 at So. Illinois
Edward St. Fleur 49 1/30/97 at Missouri St.
Ryan Sears 51 2/14/99 at Illinois St.
Nick Porter 54 2/7/07 vs. Evansville
Johnny Mathies 55 2/16/05 at Wichita St.
Brody Deren 56 2/12/03 vs. Missouri St.
Terrell Taylor 59 2/17/01 vs. Wyoming
Larry House 59 2/22/03 vs. Fresno St.
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 x 12
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).
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in a league-best 478 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993 when Rick Johnson was coach.
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 (Sioux City) and Michael Lindeman (Iowa Falls).
Creighton has played at least one Iowa native in 454 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Stealing The Show
P'Allen Stinnett had seven steals against Southern University on Dec. 15th, three more than his previous best.
Stinnett's seven steals tied a Qwest Center Omaha record for thefts by a Creighton player in a single game. Johnny Mathies previously had seven steals on Feb. 22, 2006 against Indiana State.
His seven swipes also matched the most in a single-game by a Creighton player in the 15-year tenure under Dana Altman, done four times previously.
Stinnett is one of nine players with seven or more steals in a game, while Latrell Wrightsell and Rodney Buford have both done it twice. The Creighton record for steals in a game is nine by Michael Johnson on Dec. 14, 1981 vs. Saint Joseph's.
Walker Nabs Double-Double
Sophomore center Kenton Walker became the only current member of the Creighton team to record a double-double, when he recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench against Mississippi Valley State on December 2nd.
Walker's 10 points tied for the second-highest scoring output of his young career, while his 10 rebounds were one more of his previous career-best.
Road Heartbreak
Both of Creighton's losses this year have come by two points on the road, losing to 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.
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 18 charges in 12 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
Casey Harriman n/a 17 4 21
Josh Dotzler 4 5 3 12
Justin Carter n/a n/a 3 3
Chad Millard n/a 7 2 9
Kaleb Korver n/a 0 2 2
Kenton Walker n/a 3 1 4
Booker Woodfox n/a 2 1 3
Kenny Lawson Jr. 0 2 1 3
Antoine Young n/a n/a 1 1
P'Allen Stinnett n/a 5 0 5
Cavel Witter n/a 3 0 3
Dustin Sitzmann 0 1 0 1
Former Players 226 17 n/a 243
Total 230 62 18 310
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.
Jays Were 3-0 Once Again
Creighton's win against Oral Roberts on Nov. 22nd gave it 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. Sunday will be the 357th game in a row the Jays have played with a record of .500 or better.
3 Players, 20 Points, First 3 Games
Creighton 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.
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 10 rebounds and nine points against Saint Joseph's on Dec. 6, owns seven career games of at least eight points and eight boards in his career. CU has won six of those games, outscoring foes by an average of 78.6-63.1.
Creighton is 16-4 in Lawson's career when he has five rebounds or more, but 18-9 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 86-50 in televised games in the last seven seasons, including a 32-20 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.
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.
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 44 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has won 50 straight games when scoring 72 points or more dating to Jan. 29, 2005.
The Bluejays have won 65 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?
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.
Creighton was 17-4 when scoring more points off turnovers than its opponent last year. In the last five years, Creighton is 71-11 when winning this category, including an 10-1 mark this winter.
Paint Points
Since Creighton started tracking points in the paint six years ago, CU is 58-9 in games when scoring 28 or more points in the paint.
NBA Presence
Two former Creighton players are on NBA rosters. Kyle Korver (1999-2003) plays for Utah, while Anthony Tolliver (2003-07) played for San Antonio.
Tolliver is averaging 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game with San Antonio.
Korver is averaging 8.0 points in 21.4 minutes per game off the bench for Utah. He is shooting 43.1 percent from three-point range for the Jazz.
Jays Among Attendance Leaders, Again
This year's Creighton team is averaging 15,844 fans per game.
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
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
Altman Passing Coaching Legends
Dana Altman continues to pass some of the coaching greats in MVC history in two categories. Altman's 292 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. 292 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
Qwest To Be The Best
Creighton has played 88 regular and post-season contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time. The Bluejays own a 75-13 (.852) record all-time at the facility, including a perfect 15-0 figure on Wednesday's. The 13 losses have been by a combined 70 points.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 6,535-5,439 in games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.5 points per game.
The Jays have led wire-to-wire 19 different times.
Mid-Week Masters
After the win over Dayton on Dec. 10, Creighton has still never lost a game at Qwest Center Omaha played on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, going a combined 22-0 on those dates.
Creighton is 15-0 on Wednesday's, 6-0 on Thursday's and 1-0 on Friday's at the six-year old facility.
?W'inning Edge
Creighton's men's and women's basketball teams have been nearly unbeatable at home in recent seasons, going a combined 202-44 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 7-0 3-3 10-3
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 118-16 84-28 202-44
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 36-of-38 and 46 of its last 50 games.
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.
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
Double-Digit Comebacks at Home
Creighton has fallen behind by double-digits in 22 of its 88 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
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.
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 354 of the team's 923 points (38.4 percent). Take out the season-opening win over New Mexico and that number rises to 345-of-841 points (41.0 percent).
Creighton's bench has scored 51 points in two different games this season and 41 or more three times.
This year's Creighton team has produced 11 double-digit scoring games off the bench, including five from Cavel Witter.
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.
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, 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.
Morrison Stadium also sells tickets (in-person only) from 9:00 am-4:30 pm weekdays.
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.
Creighton sold an MVC-record 13,615 season tickets for this year. The previous MVC record had been the 12,888 season-tickets Creighton fans bought for the 2007-08 season.
Creighton (10-2, 0-0 MVC) and Wichita State (6-5, 0-0 MVC) open Missouri Valley Conference play in a rare Sunday night game, when the teams tangle at 7:05 pm on Dec. 28th.
The game will be played at Qwest Center Omaha (17,272) in Omaha, Neb.
Wichita State Shockers at Creighton Bluejays
Qwest Center Omaha ? Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.bigsports590.com
Television: KMTV (Omaha), Kansas Now 22 (Wichita)
Series History: Creighton leads, 49-39
Last Meeting: Creighton won 65-63 in Omaha on Feb. 2, 2008
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 Jimmy Motz will call the action. Sunday's game can also be heard on Sirius satellite radio, channel 123.
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
Sunday's game is the fourth of nine games scheduled for broadcast by KMTV this season. Travis Justice (play-by-play) and former Bluejay Nick Bahe (analyst) will announce.
Kansas Now 22 in Wichita is also televising the game.
Coordinates for the KMTV feed are below:
Satellite Coordinates: AMC5 K5 5H
Band: Digital KU
Downlink Freq.: 11865.13 Vertical
Data Rate: 5.5 Mbps
Symbol Rate: 3.979 Msps
Modulation: QPSK
FEC: 3/4
On-Air Talent: Travis Justice, Nick Bahe
Coordinates for the Kansas Now 22 feed are below:
Satellite Coordinates: AMC15K-04 B 9MHz
Band: KU
Confirmation: 34222 echo
Orbital Position: 105 Degrees West
Carrier: EchoStar
Bandwith: 9 MHz
Uplink Freq.: 14075.50 (V)
Downlink Freq.: 11775.50 Horizontal
Channel: B9
On-Air Talent: Bruce Haertl, Craig Steven
Video Webcast Information
Creighton University Athletics and Jump TV will present a live, pay-per-view video webcast of approximately 20 games this season, including Sunday. 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 KMTV telecast 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 home basketball games will 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 (10-2, 0-0 MVC)
Creighton has won seven straight games, including two earlier in the week in Las Vegas, and enters Missouri Valley Conference play with a 10-2 record.
The Bluejays return 10 lettermen and three starters from last year's 22-11 team that made an 11th straight postseason appearance, reaching the second round of the NIT.
Booker Woodfox leads the team and MVC with 17.8 points per game, 40 three-point baskets and 54.8 percent accuracy behind the arc. Woodfox has made 31-of-50 three-pointers (62.0 percent) over the past seven games and has topped CU in scoring each of the past six contests. He was named MVP of the Las Vegas Classic after scoring 50 points in two wins.
Also in double-figures is preseason all-MVC pick P'Allen Stinnett, who averages 12.4 points per game and is second on the team with 22 steals. Stinnett scored 22 points in last year's MVC opener against Illinois State.
On the defensive side, Josh Dotzler owns an MVC-best 35 steals. Kenny Lawson Jr. leads the MVC with 22 blocked shots and has also upped his averages to 9.2 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game.
Creighton shoots 44.5 percent from the floor, 38.7 percent from three-point territory and is also making 76.0 percent of its shots from the line.
Scouting Wichita State (6-5, 0-0 MVC)
Wichita State has won three straight games and upped its record to 6-5 as it enters league play.
The Shockers are 0-2 in true road games, losing to Texas Tech (72-69) and TCU (57-48), but did fare well in narrow neutral-site losses to #16 Georgetown (58-50) and #5 Michigan State (65-57). WSU owns wins over Florida A&M (77-53), Centenary (65-44), Gardner-Webb (76-64), Northern Arizona (58-53) and North Dakota (66-51) at home in addition to a 72-70 victory over Siena in Orlando, Fla.
Clevin Hannah averages a team-best 11.2 points per game and tops the club with 19 three-point baskets and 48 assists. Toure' Murry is close to scoring in double-figures, averaging 9.6 points per game, which ranks second among MVC freshmen.
WSU's only starter back is MVC rebounding leader Ramon Clemente, who averages 9.7 rebounds and 7.9 points per game.
WSU scores 63.7 points per game while allowing just 59.4 per contest. The Shockers shoot 42.8 percent from the field, 31.2 percent from three-point range and 65.4 percent at the line. WSU's +7.7 rebounding margin leads the MVC.
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 292-154 (.655) mark at Creighton and a career record of 375-221 (.629) in his 20th year as a NCAA Division I head coach when you add four seasons at Kansas State and one at Marshall. Tack on four years at the junior college level and Altman's overall record as a college head coach is 498-245 (.670).
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.
Wichita State is coached by Gregg Marshall (Randolph-Macon, 1985), who owns a 17-25 mark in his second year with the Shockers. That moves his career mark to 211-108 in 11 years, which includes a highly successful run at Winthrop. He is assisted by Earl Grant, Chris Jans and Marty Gross.
Las Vegas Classic Recap
Creighton won the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic thanks to wins over Fresno State (85-66) and DePaul (83-75) in Las Vegas, extending its current win streak to seven.
Booker Woodfox scored 50 points on 15-of-25 shooting from the field (including 9-15 from three-point range) in the two games to earn MVP honors.
Woodfox was joined by Kenny Lawson Jr. on the all-Tournament Team. Lawson averaged 13.5 points and tied his career-best with 15 points in the victory over Fresno State on Monday.
Series History vs. Wichita State
Creighton leads the all-time series with Wichita State by a 49-39 margin, including two wins by a combined five points last year.
Creighton has won the last 15 games in Omaha to own a 27-14 home record against the Shockers all-time.
The Bluejays have swept the season series with the Shockers in nine of the last 14 seasons. The Jays have also won 25-of-30 and 32-of-40 vs. the Shockers in recent seasons.
Altman is 27-6 all-time vs. Wichita State, including a 24-5 mark since coming to Creighton. Altman's 27 wins over Wichita State are five more victories than any other school he's beaten.
Altman is 2-0 against Gregg Marshall.
WSU's Last Win In Omaha Was A “Big Show”
With 15 straight losses to Creighton in Omaha, it's been a while since Wichita State has beaten the Bluejays away from home.
In fact, the last time the Shockers won in Omaha (Feb. 22, 1992), they got eight points and seven rebounds in a career-high 18 minutes off the bench from a center named Paul Wight.
Who is Paul Wight? He's well-known among wrestling diehards as “The Big Show”, where he is a former WWE and WCW heavyweight champion. He is listed by Wikipedia at 7'0” and 507 pounds.
Buzzer Beaters Galore
Five of the last six Creighton/Wichita State games have been decided in the final seconds.
On Jan. 28, 2006 in Omaha, Creighton's Anthony Tolliver hit a 15-foot baseline jumper as time expired to give the Bluejays a 57-55 win.
In the rematch on Feb. 14, 2006 in Wichita, Matt Braeuer drained a three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left in overtime to give the Shockers a 62-61 triumph.
On Jan. 15, 2007 in Wichita, Nate Funk's game-tying trey in the final seconds was blocked by PJ Couisnard as WSU won 62-59.
On Jan. 12, 2008 in Wichita, Gal Mekel missed a three-pointer as time expired as Creighton won, 68-65.
In the most recent meeting on Feb. 2, 2008 in Omaha, Creighton overcame a 54-39 deficit in the final nine minutes to win a 65-63 contest. Dane Watts scored the go-ahead tip-in with 16.7 seconds left, then took a charge on WSU guard Gal Mekel with 11.1 seconds remaining.
The only game in the previous three seasons between Creighton and Wichita State that hasn't been close was Creighton's 71-54 victory in Omaha on Feb. 24, 2007.
Keep The Shockers Under 70
Since arriving at Creighton, Dana Altman owns a 24-5 mark against Wichita State. One common theme for the Bluejays in those contests has been tenacious defense.
Creighton has allowed the Shockers to score 70 or more points in just five of those 29 games, of which WSU won three times. However, in the 24 matchups the Shockers scored under 70, they are 2-22 vs. Altman and the Bluejays. This trend also held true when Altman was at Kansas State, as the Shockers went 0-3 when scoring under 70 but 1-0 when they eclipsed the 70-point barrier.
Creighton has scored 71 or more points in 12 straight home games.
Dana Altman vs. Wichita State
at KSU at CU Total
WSU scores 69 or less 3-0 22-2 25-2
WSU scores 70+ 0-1 2-3 2-4
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades
Creighton and Wichita State have played 22 games decided by 12 points or less during the 29 matchups since Dana Altman became Bluejay coach. CU has gone 19-3 in those games. Altman also went 1-0 while at Kansas State in games vs. WSU decided by 12 points or less. Additionally, Altman is 12-2 in his career (11-2 at CU) in games vs. Wichita State decided by four points or less.
Dana Altman vs. Wichita State
at KSU at CU Total
Game decided by 4 or less 1-0 11-2 12-2
Game decided by 12 or less 1-0 18-3 19-3
Game decided by 13 or more 2-1 5-2 7-3
Window Dressing?
The battle for the boards figures to be a key factor in Sunday's game. Creighton has been outrebounded by 2.4 caroms per contest, while Wichita State leads the MVC with a +7.7 advantage on the glass per game this season.
Creighton has been outrebounded in seven of 12 games to date, with six of those backboard beatings being by 10 or more.
The last time Creighton faced Wichita State in Omaha, the Shockers outrebounded CU 36-19. Now-graduated senior Dane Watts was the only Bluejay with four or more rebounds that evening, finishing with five.
Conference Openers Have Gone Well
Creighton coach Dana Altman is 10-4 in Missouri Valley Conference openers, including an 8-2 record in the last 10 years.
Altman is 11-3 in Creighton's first home game of the Missouri Valley Conference slate and his clubs have won nine of its last 10 games that opened conference play at home.
The last MVC team to win the regular-season crown without winning its regular-season MVC opener was the 1992-93 Illinois State team. In fact, each of the last 13 regular-season champs in the MVC have opened 2-0 or better in league play.
Each of the six previous MVC preseason favorites have won their first home league game of the season.
In the last six years, the eventual MVC regular-season champion has gone a combined 52-2 in league play at home.
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 (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.
Holiday Wish Usually Granted
Sunday is Creighton's first game after the Dec. 25 Christmas holiday. Creighton has won the first game it has played following the break in seven of the past eight years. They've outscored foes by an average of 77.8-64.8, as seen below:
First Game After Christmas, Last 8 Years
Date Opponent Result
12/30/00 Evansville W 87-57
12/29/01 Mississippi Valley State W 90-65
12/29/02 Southeast Missouri State W 93-70
12/30/03 Missouri State W 59-54
12/28/04 Bradley W 71-62
12/28/05 Missouri State W 78-56
12/30/06 Missouri State W 77-74
12/29/07 Illinois State L 67-80
Sunday Night Basketball?
Creighton doesn't play many Sunday night games, especially at Qwest Center Omaha. However, when it does, they've never lost. Sunday's night game against Wichita State will be just the fourth to start after 4 pm on a Sunday night in the six-year history of Qwest Center Omaha.
Creighton defeated Southern Illinois, 72-53, on Feb. 10, 2008 in a 6 pm start. Creighton defeated Xavier, 61-59, on Dec. 18, 2005 in a 7 pm start. Creighton defeated Drake, 78-67, on Jan. 11, 2004 in a 6 pm start.
Seven In A Row
Creighton takes a seven-game win streak into Sunday night's game against Wichita State.
The Bluejays have had at least one five-game win streak in 12 straight seasons, and 19 such streaks overall in the 15-year tenure of Dana Altman.
Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the postseason all 14 previous times they've had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the postseason all six times they haven't.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest win streaks under Dana Altman. The current seven-game win streak is tied for the seventh-longest streak under Altman, and five behind the 12 straight to open the 2003-04 campaign.
Creighton's Longest Win Streaks Under Dana Altman
W's Dates Postseason?
12 Nov. 22, 2003-Jan. 11, 2004 NIT
11 Jan. 27-March 3, 2001 NCAA
10 Nov. 17-Dec. 29, 2002 NCAA
9 Jan. 21-Feb. 16, 1998 NIT
9 Nov. 22-Dec. 21, 1999 NCAA
8 Feb. 16-March 7, 2005 NCAA
7 Feb. 17-Mar. 11, 1999 NCAA
7 Dec. 6, 2000-Jan. 2, 2001 NCAA
7 Jan. 9-Jan. 30, 2002 NCAA
7 Nov. 15-Dec. 4, 2004 NCAA
7 Dec. 2, 2008-Present ? ? ?
Winning By Double-Digits
Creighton had won six straight games by double-digits, before an eight-point win over DePaul on Tuesday.
Before that stretch, Creighton had not had six straight wins by 10 points or more since February 2-22, 1965.
Comparison To Past Years After 12 Games
Below is a comparison after 12 games of this year's team to that of the past two teams, as well as the memorable 2002-03 squad that finished 29-5, with season-bests in bold:
Statistic 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 2002-03
W-L Record 10-2 9-3 8-4 11-1
FG% .445 .468 .433 .520
3FG% .387 .365 .314 .420
3FG/Game 8.8 8.3 5.8 9.7
FT% .760 .715 .738 .667
Reb. Margin -2.4 +5.7 +2.1 +1.7
Assists 174 195 162 223
Turnovers 159 186 148 166
Blocks 44 35 29 57
Steals 122 118 76 112
PPG Scored 76.9 77.4 68.0 83.8
PPG Allowed 63.0 63.6 61.8 62.6
Off To Another Strong Start
Creighton is 10-2 after its 12th game of the season. This is the team's 12th straight year of a 7-5 or better mark after 12 games.
Each of the three previous times CU has been exactly 10-2 at that point in the season, it has reached the NCAA Tournament (2000-01, 1998-99 and 1980-81).
Creighton has made the postseason after each of its eight previous 10-2 starts or better in the past 50 years.
Statistical Leaders, Nationally
Through games of Dec. 21st, Booker Woodfox ranked fourth in three-point field goal percentage (53.4%), 46th in three-pointers per game (3.1), 58th in free-throw percentage (85.7%) and 93rd in field goal percentage (52.0 percent).
Josh Dotzler ranked eighth with 3.1 steals per game. Kenny Lawson Jr. was 65th with 1.9 blocked shots per game. P'Allen Stinnett was 77th with 2.0 steals per game. Cavel Witter ranked 97th with his 83.7 percent free-throw percentage.
As a team, Creighton ranked in the top-35 nationally in steals per game (8th), turnover margin (12th), three-pointers per game (21st), three-point field goal percentage defense (31st), free-throw percentage (35th), three-point field goal percentage (35th) and scoring margin (35th).
Steal Leader
KenPom.com, a college basketball website dedicated to statistics, ranks Creighton guard Josh Dotzler among its best defenders. The website calculates that Dotzler earns a steal on 7.8 percent of all defensive possessions that he's in the game for, the nation's best figure.
The same website ranks Booker Woodfox fourth in offensive rating, a calculation of a player's offensive efficiency from two-point range, three-point range and the free-throw line, as well as scarcity of turnovers per minute played.
Early Home Success
This is the fifth time in the six-year history of Qwest Center Omaha that the Bluejays have won their first seven home games, a feat also accomplished in the final year of the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
With a win on Sunday, Creighton would open 8-0 at home for the sixth time in the past seven years.
The 2004-05 season remains the only exception in that span.
Home Win Streak Stands At 13
Creighton's 13-game home win streak is tied for 16th-longest nationally. Through games of Dec. 26th, the NCAA's complete list is below:
Rank Streak Team Next Home Game
1. 53 BYU 1/3
2. 43 Notre Dame 1/5
3. 36 Tennessee 12/29
4. 30 Kansas 12/30
5. 29 Georgetown 1/3
6. 25 Michigan State 1/6
7. 22 Utah State 12/29
8. 18 Lamar 12/29
18 Tulsa 12/30
10. 16 Davidson 1/3
16 Texas 1/2
12. 15 Portland State 1/8
13. 14 Louisville 12/27
14 Presbyterian 1/3
14 Connecticut 12/29
16. 13 Creighton 12/28
13 Arkansas 12/27
13 Clemson 1/3
13 Stanford 12/28
This marks the fourth different time Creighton has won 13 straight home games in Dana Altman's 15-year tenure. Before Altman's arrival CU hadn't had a home win streak of 10 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
13 2/2/08 to Present ? ? ?
12 1/21/98 to 12/30/98 Evansville, 84-79
*tied school record (also Jan. 12, 1917 to Feb. 11, 1920)
Heating Up In December
Booker Woodfox has been red-hot from the field in the past seven games. Woodfox has scored 147 points in 161 minutes in seven games this month, all Bluejay wins.
Woodfox is shooting 48-for-79 from the floor in that time (60.8 percent), including 31-of-50 (62.0 percent) from three-point land. Woodfox has also hit 20-of-22 free throws (90.9 percent) in December.
Woodfox Automatic At The Line Too
Not only has Booker Woodfox been lights-out from the field, but it's carried over to the free-throw line. Despite one of the nation's most unique pre-shot rituals, Woodfox has drained 19 straight free throws, a streak that started Dec. 6 at Saint Joseph's.
With a make in his next attempt from the line, Woodfox would be the first Bluejay with a streak of 20 or more since teammate Cavel Witter opened his career with 22 makes in a row last season. According to school records dating back to 1980, CU's longest streak of free throw makes is 32 by Michael Lindeman, done Jan. 23-Nov. 29, 2003.
Leading Scorer, Again
Booker Woodfox has led Creighton in scoring each of the last six games, averaging 22.2 points per game in that time. In Dana Altman's 15-year tenure, Creighton's only longer streaks have been by Rodney Buford, who did it three times.
Consec. Games as Leading Scorer, Under Altman
Games Name Dates
8 Rodney Buford Jan. 27-Feb. 17, 1997
8 Rodney Buford Feb. 23-Dec. 2, 1998
7 Rodney Buford Jan. 2-20, 1997
6 Rodney Buford Dec. 12, 1998-Jan. 4, 1999
6 Kyle Korver Feb. 12 - March 1, 2003
6 Nate Funk Feb. 1-19, 2005
6 Nate Funk Jan. 12-27, 2007
6 Booker Woodfox Dec. 6, 2008-Present
What A Year!
Booker Woodfox has shown his shooting proficiency during the entire calendar year of 2008. His accuracy from the field, three-point line and free-throw line have all jumped by 13 percent or more, while his scoring average has jumped 8.6 points per game when compared to his 2007 figures.
Below is a comparison of his first 11 games from last year (the year 2007), compared to his games since the calendar turned to 2008.
Statistic 2007 2008
Games 11 34
FG-FGA 19-56 157-318
FG% .339 .494
3FG-3FGA 12-33 84-172
3FG% .364 .488
FT-FTA 8-12 74-90
FT% .667 .822
Rebounds 17 95
Rebounds Per Game 1.5 2.8
Assists 12 48
Turnovers 11 32
Points 58 472
Points Per Game 5.3 13.9
Can't Stop This (Wood)Fox
Booker Woodfox continues to hit three-pointers at an amazing clip, as evidenced by his 54.8 percent accuracy (40-73) from long-range through 12 games.
Creighton's last player to make 40 or more three-pointers in the season's first 12 games was Kyle Korver, who hit 56 treys in the first 12 games of the 2002-03 campaign. Korver hit 54.4 percent of his three-pointers (103 attempts) in the first 12 games and finished the season with an MVC-record 129 treys on the year.
Woodfox's league-best 17.8 points per game is also the most by a Bluejay after 12 games since Korver's 19.8 scoring average in that same 2002-03 season. Korver would end up being named MVC Player of the Year and a second-team All-American.
Woodfox is one of 18 players who made 40 or more three-pointers through games of Dec. 25th. He is the only one, however, who has made 48 percent or more of those attempts.
Woodfox has made a three-pointer in each half during all seven games of CU's current win streak. That gives him a streak of 14 straight halves of at least one three-pointer.
Additionally, Woodfox has made two or more three-pointers and hit at least half of his three-point attempts in seven straight games.
Woodfox Scores 20, Again
Booker Woodfox has posted back-to-back 20-point performances, giving him five different games this season of at least 20 points.
Creighton's last player to post three straight games of 20 or more points was Kyle Korver, who had four straight from Dec. 21, 2002 to Jan. 5, 2003.
Book It!
Helped by his 31-of-50 effort from downtown in the past seven games (62.0 percent), Booker Woodfox is 40-of-73 (54.8 percent) from three-point range this season.
For his career, he is 96-of-205, which computes to 46.8 percent, putting him ahead of noted marksman Kyle Korver. The only previous player in CU history to shoot better than 44.2 percent from three-point range in their career was two-time MVC Player of the Year Korver, who made 45.3 percent from downtown while hitting 371-of-819 from long-range.
Creighton's 3-Point Percentage Leaders, Career
(Minimum 100 Attempts)
Pct. Name, Years 3FGM-FGA
.4683 Booker Woodfox, 2007-Present 95-205
.4530 Kyle Korver, 1999-03 371-819
.4415 Rod Mason, 1986-88 132-299
.4404 Nerijus Karlikanovas, 1998-00 48-109
.4306 Michael Lindeman, 2000-04 62-144
.4293 Duan Cole, 1987-92 176-410
.4065 Nate Funk, 2002-07 200-492
.4053 Matt West, 1996-00 92-227
.4051 Matt Petty, 1989-93 143-353
.4017 Darin Plautz, 1989-91 94-234
Heavy Lumber For Woodfox
Booker Woodfox had a career-high in several categories during CU's 69-58 win at Saint Joseph's on Dec. 6. Woodfox had career-highs with 29 points, nine field goals and seven three-pointers while also matching his previous best with seven rebounds.
The seven three-pointers by Woodfox were the most by a Creighton player since Nate Funk made seven trifectas at Nebraska on Nov. 18, 2006.
Additionally, he is the first player in Creighton history to make at least seven three-pointers while shooting 75 percent or better from behind the arc in the same game. Below is a list of Creighton players to make seven treys in a game.
Creighton's Most 3-Pointers Made, Single-Game
3FG-A Name, Opponent Date
9-14 Kyle Korver vs. Evansville 01/15/03
8-13 Tad Ackerman at Drake 01/23/95
8-15 Terrell Taylor vs. Florida 03/15/02
8-13 Kyle Korver at Xavier 12/31/02
7-12 Gary Swain vs. Nebraska-Omaha 12/11/86
7-10 Ryan Sears vs. Wyoming 12/06/97
7-11 Kyle Korver vs. Notre Dame 11/26/02
7-15 Kyle Korver vs. Fresno State 02/22/03
7-11 Nate Funk at Nebraska 11/18/06
7-9 Booker Woodfox at Saint Joseph's 12/06/08
Woodfox Named MVC Player of the Week
Creighton University guard Booker Woodfox was named the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Dec. 8th. Woodfox, a senior guard from Lewisville, Texas, was the third different Bluejay to win the award in the first four weeks of the season (joining P'Allen Stinnett & Cavel Witter).
Woodfox scored 43 points in 44 minutes while averaging 21.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game as Creighton posted a pair of double-digit victories against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago. He made 14-of-20 shots from the field (70 percent), including 10-of-14 from three-point range (71.4 percent) while also making 71.4 percent (5-7) of his shots at the line.
Woodfox had a career-high with 29 points in CU's win on Saturday against Saint Joseph's while also tying his personal-best with seven rebounds. He drained 9-of-13 shots overall, including 7-of-9 tries from three-point territory. Woodfox became the only player in CU history to make at least seven three-pointers while converting 75 percent or more of his attempts from long-range in the same game.
Woodfox began his week with 14 points in 17 minutes of a 24-point win over Mississippi Valley State, hitting 5-of-7 shots from the floor and 3-of-5 from downtown.
This was the first time Woodfox has been named MVC Player of the Week, though he did earn three MVC Newcomer of the Week accolades last season.
Don't Let Me Down
Last week's Las Vegas Classic was the third regular-season tournament that Creighton has won under Dana Altman, joining the Guardians Classic in both 2002 and 2004.
The Jays would follow-up both tournament titles with a victory in their subsequent game. In 2002 CU opened MVC play with a 13-point road win at Northern Iowa, while in 2004 the Jays used a late basket from Tyler McKinney to defeat Xavier by one point at Cintas Center in Cincinnati.
Higher & Higher
Despite an off-shooting night (3-of-11), Cavel Witter had career-bests in three other key categories to help Creighton to a win against Fresno State on Dec. 22nd. Witter had career-highs with nine assists, six rebounds and five steals.
Impressively, Witter only had one turnover on the offensive end. His previous bests in those categories had been eight assists (twice last year), five rebounds (four times) and four steals (twice).
Also matching a career-high last Monday night was sophomore center Kenny Lawson Jr., who scored 15 points for the third time in his young career, and Justin Carter, who tied his best with seven rebounds.
Crowds Increase For League Action
Compared to its non-conference crowds, Creighton's attendance has increased in MVC action each of the previous eight years:
Creighton's Yearly Home Attendance
Year Non-MVC Games MVC Games Change
2000-01 7,132 7,268 +2%
2001-02 6,333 6,800 +7%
2002-03 7,401 8,996 +22%
2003-04 11,467 12,443 +9%
2004-05 9,926 12,207 +23%
2005-06 13,404 14,343 +7%
2006-07 15,471 16,153 +4%
2007-08 14,544 16,122 +10%
2008-09 15,844 so far ? ? ? --
Turnovers Tell The Story
Creighton forced 20 Northern Colorado turnovers on Dec. 13, converting those into 37 points. The Jays then forced 29 turnovers by Southern on Dec. 15th, converting those into 34 points.
The 37 points off turnovers against Northern Colorado were the most since CU started tracking the stat six years ago.
Additionally, Creighton's +28 margin in points off turnovers against Southern (34-6) were its best mark in the past six years.
Creighton owns a +6.8 turnover margin through 12 games this season and continues to excel at both forcing turnovers while limiting its own miscues.
The Jays have had an advantage of 10 turnovers or more in six games this season, including each of the past four. During the past four games, Creighton has forced 88 turnovers while making just 37 themselves, which has led to a 122-33 differential in points off turnovers.
Creighton's current streak of four straight games with 10 turnovers or less marks just the second time in Dana Altman's 15-year tenure his team has done that. CU also had four consecutive games with 10, nine, 10 and 10 turnovers on Feb. 8-17, 1997.
Dotzler Top 10 in Assists & Steals
After seven previous games with exactly five steals in his career, Josh Dotzler had a career-best six steals on Dec. 13 against Northern Colorado.
Creighton turned all six of those steals into points, scoring 13 points on its ensuing possessions.
Dotzler's 161 career steals ranks fifth in CU history, just 11 behind Kyle Korver for fourth place.
Dotzler's 302 career assists places him 10th in Creighton history, just ahead of Korver's 294.
Dotzler is one of four players in CU history with more than 150 steals and 300 career assists, joining Ryan Sears, Duan Cole and Latrell Wrightsell.
Steals (Since 1979-80)
Stl. Name Years
283 Ryan Sears 1997-01
195 Rodney Buford 1995-99
186 Duan Cole 1987-92
172 Kyle Korver 1999-03
161 Josh Dotzler 2005-Pres.
157 Johnny Mathies 2003-06
Assists (Since 1970-71)
Ast. Name Years
570 Ryan Sears 1997-01
549 Ralph Bobik 1971-74
458 Randy Eccker 1974-78
430 Tyler McKinney 2001-05
418 Vernon Moore 1981-85
382 Duan Cole 1987-92
332 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
323 Nate Funk 2002-07
317 Latrell Wrightsell 1988-92
302 Josh Dotzler 2005-Pres.
294 Kyle Korver 1999-03
Korver Nets Career Highs
Sophomore Kaleb Korver has set career-highs in most statistical categories during two of his past three games. Korver had career-highs with 12 points, five rebounds and four three-point baskets in the Dec. 10 win over Dayton.
On Dec. 13 against Southern, Korver had career-highs with 25 minutes, 14 points and two steals, while also matching his Dayton effort by making four trifectas.
Korver has made 14-of-23 treys in the past six games (60.9 percent). In his past eight games off the bench, Korver is 19-of-32 from downtown, an impressive 59.4 percent.
Big Blue Wave
Eleven different players are averaging 10.1 minutes per game or more this season for Creighton, with no player seeing more than 25 minutes per game.
Creighton has had at least 10 players average 10.7 minutes per game or more in each of previous three seasons, as well.
Creighton has not used anyone for more than 32 minutes in any game this year. By comparison, seven individuals throughout the MVC average 32.1 minutes per game or more.
Stinnett & Woodfox Reach 500 Points
Sophomore P'Allen Stinnett became the 12th player to score 500 or more points in their first two seasons at Creighton under Dana Altman.
However, the only one to do it in fewer than the 40 games Stinnett needed is CU's all-time leading scorer, Rodney Buford, who needed just 35 games.
Senior guard Booker Woodfox reached 500 career points in his 44th game on Dec. 22 against Fresno State, tied for third-quickest in the Altman era.
500+Points In First 2 Years Under Dana Altman
Name Games to 500 pts. Date
Rodney Buford 35 12/7/96 vs. UNI
P'Allen Stinnett 40 12/10/08 vs. Dayton
Doug Swenson 44 1/20/99 at Evansville
Booker Woodfox 44 12/22/08 vs. Fresno St.
Kyle Korver 48 1/11/01 vs. Indiana St.
Tad Ackerman 48 2/8/96 at So. Illinois
Edward St. Fleur 49 1/30/97 at Missouri St.
Ryan Sears 51 2/14/99 at Illinois St.
Nick Porter 54 2/7/07 vs. Evansville
Johnny Mathies 55 2/16/05 at Wichita St.
Brody Deren 56 2/12/03 vs. Missouri St.
Terrell Taylor 59 2/17/01 vs. Wyoming
Larry House 59 2/22/03 vs. Fresno St.
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 x 12
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).
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in a league-best 478 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993 when Rick Johnson was coach.
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 (Sioux City) and Michael Lindeman (Iowa Falls).
Creighton has played at least one Iowa native in 454 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Stealing The Show
P'Allen Stinnett had seven steals against Southern University on Dec. 15th, three more than his previous best.
Stinnett's seven steals tied a Qwest Center Omaha record for thefts by a Creighton player in a single game. Johnny Mathies previously had seven steals on Feb. 22, 2006 against Indiana State.
His seven swipes also matched the most in a single-game by a Creighton player in the 15-year tenure under Dana Altman, done four times previously.
Stinnett is one of nine players with seven or more steals in a game, while Latrell Wrightsell and Rodney Buford have both done it twice. The Creighton record for steals in a game is nine by Michael Johnson on Dec. 14, 1981 vs. Saint Joseph's.
Walker Nabs Double-Double
Sophomore center Kenton Walker became the only current member of the Creighton team to record a double-double, when he recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench against Mississippi Valley State on December 2nd.
Walker's 10 points tied for the second-highest scoring output of his young career, while his 10 rebounds were one more of his previous career-best.
Road Heartbreak
Both of Creighton's losses this year have come by two points on the road, losing to 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.
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 18 charges in 12 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
Casey Harriman n/a 17 4 21
Josh Dotzler 4 5 3 12
Justin Carter n/a n/a 3 3
Chad Millard n/a 7 2 9
Kaleb Korver n/a 0 2 2
Kenton Walker n/a 3 1 4
Booker Woodfox n/a 2 1 3
Kenny Lawson Jr. 0 2 1 3
Antoine Young n/a n/a 1 1
P'Allen Stinnett n/a 5 0 5
Cavel Witter n/a 3 0 3
Dustin Sitzmann 0 1 0 1
Former Players 226 17 n/a 243
Total 230 62 18 310
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.
Jays Were 3-0 Once Again
Creighton's win against Oral Roberts on Nov. 22nd gave it 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. Sunday will be the 357th game in a row the Jays have played with a record of .500 or better.
3 Players, 20 Points, First 3 Games
Creighton 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.
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 10 rebounds and nine points against Saint Joseph's on Dec. 6, owns seven career games of at least eight points and eight boards in his career. CU has won six of those games, outscoring foes by an average of 78.6-63.1.
Creighton is 16-4 in Lawson's career when he has five rebounds or more, but 18-9 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 86-50 in televised games in the last seven seasons, including a 32-20 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.
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.
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 44 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has won 50 straight games when scoring 72 points or more dating to Jan. 29, 2005.
The Bluejays have won 65 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?
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.
Creighton was 17-4 when scoring more points off turnovers than its opponent last year. In the last five years, Creighton is 71-11 when winning this category, including an 10-1 mark this winter.
Paint Points
Since Creighton started tracking points in the paint six years ago, CU is 58-9 in games when scoring 28 or more points in the paint.
NBA Presence
Two former Creighton players are on NBA rosters. Kyle Korver (1999-2003) plays for Utah, while Anthony Tolliver (2003-07) played for San Antonio.
Tolliver is averaging 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game with San Antonio.
Korver is averaging 8.0 points in 21.4 minutes per game off the bench for Utah. He is shooting 43.1 percent from three-point range for the Jazz.
Jays Among Attendance Leaders, Again
This year's Creighton team is averaging 15,844 fans per game.
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
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
Altman Passing Coaching Legends
Dana Altman continues to pass some of the coaching greats in MVC history in two categories. Altman's 292 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. 292 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
Qwest To Be The Best
Creighton has played 88 regular and post-season contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time. The Bluejays own a 75-13 (.852) record all-time at the facility, including a perfect 15-0 figure on Wednesday's. The 13 losses have been by a combined 70 points.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 6,535-5,439 in games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.5 points per game.
The Jays have led wire-to-wire 19 different times.
Mid-Week Masters
After the win over Dayton on Dec. 10, Creighton has still never lost a game at Qwest Center Omaha played on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, going a combined 22-0 on those dates.
Creighton is 15-0 on Wednesday's, 6-0 on Thursday's and 1-0 on Friday's at the six-year old facility.
?W'inning Edge
Creighton's men's and women's basketball teams have been nearly unbeatable at home in recent seasons, going a combined 202-44 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 7-0 3-3 10-3
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 118-16 84-28 202-44
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 36-of-38 and 46 of its last 50 games.
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.
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
Double-Digit Comebacks at Home
Creighton has fallen behind by double-digits in 22 of its 88 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
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.
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 354 of the team's 923 points (38.4 percent). Take out the season-opening win over New Mexico and that number rises to 345-of-841 points (41.0 percent).
Creighton's bench has scored 51 points in two different games this season and 41 or more three times.
This year's Creighton team has produced 11 double-digit scoring games off the bench, including five from Cavel Witter.
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.
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, 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.
Morrison Stadium also sells tickets (in-person only) from 9:00 am-4:30 pm weekdays.
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.
Creighton sold an MVC-record 13,615 season tickets for this year. The previous MVC record had been the 12,888 season-tickets Creighton fans bought for the 2007-08 season.
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