Men's Basketball Seeks 20th Win Wednesday at Illinois State
2/25/2008 3:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Next Game
Creighton (19-8, 9-7 MVC) looks to reach the 20-win mark for the 10th straight season when it travels to Normal, Ill., to play in its final MVC road game of the season against Illinois State (20-8, 11-5 MVC).
Tip-off at Redbird Arena (10,200) is set for 7:05 pm.
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“Big Sports 590” AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2007-08 season. The audio is also webcast live at www.bigsports590.com. T. Scott Marr and Kevin Sarver will call the action.
Television Broadcast Information
Wednesday's game is the ninth and final game scheduled for broadcast by KMTV this season. Travis Justice (play-by-play) and Jimmy Motz (analyst) will announce. Coordinates for KMTV's broadcast are as follows:
Galaxy 26
Transponder 1-D
KU Digital
Downlink Freq. - 11721 Vertical
Video Webcast Available
Creighton University Athletics, Jump TV and Cox High Speed Internet will present a live, pay-per-view video webcast of at least 14 games this season, including Wednesday. To sign up for the video webcast, fans can register by going directly to http://www.gocreighton.com. Single games are available for $6.95 each.
Once registered, fans will only need to log-in with their password on game night.
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
Illinois State is doing live stats for Wednesday's game. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Stats tab on the left-hand side of the page to access the link to ISU's site.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 19-8 on the season, including a 9-7 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play, where they are tied for fourth in the league standings.
The 2007-08 Creighton team boasts just one returning starter from last year's MVC Tournament champion squad that finished 22-11 and played in the NCAA's for the seventh time in nine years.
That starter is leading rebounder and second-leading scorer Dane Watts (11.6 ppg., 6.6 rpg.), who is expected to make his 114th consecutive start on Wednesday. Watts also leads the team with 25 blocked shots.
Freshman guard P'Allen Stinnett averages a team-high 12.3 points per game, which jumps to 13.0 ppg. in MVC action.
Creighton's bench averages 36.5 points per contest (second-most nationally) and has outscored the starting five by 44 points this year.
The Bluejays are 14-2 at home this season, including non-conference wins over DePaul, Nebraska and Saint Joseph's. CU averages 15,737 fans per home game after ranking 13th nationally in attendance last year (15,909).
As a team, Creighton averages 71.3 points per game while allowing 62.9. The Jays also own a +2.9 advantage on the glass. CU shoots 45.2 percent from the floor, 38.1 percent on three-pointers and 72.0 percent at the line.
Scouting Illinois State
Illinois State beat Wright State on Sunday to clinch its first 20-win season since 2000-01. The Redbirds, now 20-8 overall, are also alone in second place with a 11-5 MVC record.
Osiris Eldridge, the 2007 MVC Freshman of the Year, leads ISU with 16.0 points per game. He tops all league players with 16.6 points per game in league play.
Inside, senior big man Anthony Slack averages 10.1 points and also leads the team with 6.5 rebounds per game and 1.42 blocks per game. He is shooting 69.3 percent from the field and remains on pace to shatter the league record in that category set by Creighton's Vernon Moore in 1984-85.
Boo Richardson averages 3.8 assists per game as the team's point guard, while Iowa Western transfer Emmanuel Holloway has stepped in to replace Dom Johnson (tonsillectomy) in the backcourt.
Illinois State averages 67.3 points per game while allowing just 60.1 per contest. The Redbirds shoot a league-best 46.5 percent from the floor, 38.5 percent from three-point range and a league-low 63.8 percent at the line.
The Coaches
The dean of Missouri Valley Conference coaches, Creighton's Dana Altman (Eastern New Mexico, 1980) is in his 14th year as head coach of the Bluejays. He owns a 279-149 (.652) mark at CU and a career record of 362-216 (.626) in 19 years as a NCAA Division I head coach.
Creighton's all-time winningest coach, Altman has been named national, conference, regional or district coach of the year in 10 of his 22 previous years as a head coach. The 2001 and 2002 MVC Coach of the Year was a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award in 2003. In 2004, Altman was named the Collegeinsider.com Jim Phelan National Mid-Season Coach of the Year. In March, 2007, Altman was named a coach on the MVC's All-Centennial Team.
Additionally, Altman has led Creighton to seven NCAA Tournaments and his teams have played in the postseason in 10 straight seasons. He is assisted by Brian Fish, Darian DeVries and Mike Maker. Nick Earnest is the team's film coordinator.
Illinois State is led by Tim Jankovich, who is 20-8 in his first year with the Redbirds. That moves his career mark to 72-65 in five years overall. Jankovich has also been an assistant coach at Kansas and Illinois and a head coach at North Texas. He is assisted by Rob Judson, Anthony Beane and Paris Parham.
Series History
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Creighton by a 35-23 margin, but the Bluejays have won 12 of the last 16 meetings.
Illinois State owns a 21-6 lead in games played in Normal, but the Jays have won four of the past six.
Creighton coach Dana Altman is 16-13 all-time against Illinois State and 0-1 against Tim Jankovich-led teams.
Last Game Recap
Booker Woodfox hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 26.5 seconds left and Creighton followed with a defensive stand in a 65-64 road win at Oral Roberts on Saturday. Dane Watts led Creighton with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Woodfox had 14 points. ORU was paced by 17 bench points from Robert Jarvis.
20 Overall Wins x 9 Years = MVC History
Creighton is the only school in the 101-year history of the Missouri Valley Conference to post nine straight 20-win campaigns. No other school owns more than six straight.
Creighton is one of nine teams nationally with 20 or more wins in each of last nine seasons. That list consists of Arizona, Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kent State, Kentucky and Syracuse.
Schools from the above list still seeking to continue that streak this year are shown below:
Team Current W-L Next Game
Creighton 19-8 Feb. 27 at Illinois State
Syracuse 17-11 March 1 vs. Pittsburgh
Kentucky 15-10 Feb. 27 vs. Mississippi
10 Conference Wins x 11 Seasons
Last year Creighton extended its MVC record by winning 10 or more league games for an 11th consecutive season. Prior to Dana Altman's arrival, the Bluejays had 10 or more conference wins in only six different seasons all-time.
On a national basis, the only teams with at least 11 straight years of 10 or more league wins are Arizona (22), South Carolina State (14), Stanford (13), Kansas (13) and Creighton (11).
Schools from the above list still seeking to continue that streak this year are shown below:
Team Current Conf. W-L Games Left/Next
Kansas 9-3 4/Feb. 27
Creighton 9-7 2/Feb. 27
Arizona 7-7 4/Feb. 28
S. Carolina St. 6-7 3/Feb. 25
Postseason x 10
Creighton has made either the NIT or NCAA in 10 consecutive seasons, tied for the longest streak of postseason bids in MVC history. It matches the 10 straight from 1966 to 1975 by Louisville.
The only 12 schools to make the postseason in each of the last 10 years are Arizona, Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Stanford and Syracuse.
Creighton, which also boasts a men's soccer team with 16 straight NCAA appearances, is the nation's only school with 10 straight postseason appearances in both men's basketball and men's soccer.
Race For Second Place
Though Drake clinched the MVC regular-season title 10 days ago, the race for second place remains a tight one.
Four teams (Illinois State, Southern Illinois, Creighton and Bradley) still can finish as high as second place, and each of those four teams play two other teams fighting for that coveted slot.
The second seed has been pure gold when it comes to recent MVC Tournaments, having claimed five of the last six Arch Madness titles. On the other hand, the third and fourth seeds have combined for just two championship game appearances in the last nine years.
Though its broken down in greater detail on the bottom of page five, here's a look at what's left for the teams in the fight for second place:
Team MVC W-L Remaining Schedule
Illinois State 11-5 F27-CU M1-@SIU
Southern Illinois 10-6 F26-BU M1-ILS
Creighton 9-7 F27-@ILS M1-BU
Bradley 9-7 F26-@SIU M1-@CU
Cardiac Kids
Creighton has won four games this year in which it has trailed or been tied at some point in the final minute. Most recently, Creighton trailed 64-62 at Oral Roberts on Saturday before a Booker Woodfox three-pointer with 26.5 ticks left provided the winning points in a 65-64 win.
Margin Opponent Date
-4 Saint Joseph's Dec. 9
0 at Missouri State Jan. 5
-1 Wichita State Feb. 2
-2 at Oral Roberts Feb. 23
Coach vs. Player x 2
Wednesday will feature two coaches facing a former player of theirs now on the other sideline.
Creighton senior guard Nick Bahe played two seasons (2003-05) under the tutelage of Tim Jankovich when the two were at the University of Kansas. Jankovich was an assistant coach for the Jayhawks at the time.
Additionally, Illinois State assistant coach Anthony Beane played for current Creighton head coach Dana Altman when the pair were at Kansas State from 1991-94. Beane was named 1992 Big Eight Newcomer of the Year and was twice an all-conference selection at K-State.
Power Surge For Watts
Dane Watts had a solid all-around game in the win over Missouri State on Tuesday. Watts had 14 points, seven rebounds, four steals, three assists and three blocked shots in 30 minutes of play. He made 6-of-8 shots from the floor and also hit both free throws. His three blocks tied a career-high, while his four steals were a season high.
He followed that up with team-leading totals of 18 points and eight rebounds in the win at Oral Roberts on Saturday.
A senior from Warrensburg, Mo., Watts needs 25 rebounds to move into the top-10 of Creighton's rebounding charts for a career. He currently has 652 career rebounds.
February Game With March Implications
Need a reason why Wednesday's Creighton at Illinois State game will be important? In 10 of the last 13 years, the winner of the Creighton at Illinois State game has earned a postseason bid. The loser has made just five postseason appearances.
Notably, either Illinois State or Creighton has been in the postseason in each of the last 13 years. The list is below:
Creighton at Illinois State, Last 13 Years
Year Winner/Postseason Loser/Postseason
?06-07 ISU CU (NCAA)
?05-06 ISU CU (NIT)
?04-05 CU (NCAA) ISU
?03-04 CU (NIT) ISU
?02-03 CU (NCAA) ISU
?01-02 CU (NCAA) ISU
?00-01 ISU (NIT) CU (NCAA)
?99-00 CU (NCAA) ISU
?98-99 ISU CU (NCAA)
?97-98 ISU (NCAA) CU (NIT)
?96-97 ISU (NCAA) CU
?95-96 ISU (NIT) CU
?94-95 ISU (NIT) CU
Won By One
Creighton has won 12 of its last 17 games decided by one point, improving to 14-11 under Dana Altman in such contests. Even more impressive is the fact that Creighton has won 10 of its last 11 games away from home that have been decided by a single point.
CU is 17-7 under Altman in the game after a one-point contest, including a 12-2 mark in the past 14.
Creighton's One-Point Games Under Dana Altman
Date Winner Loser Score
02/23/08 Creighton at Oral Roberts 65-64
01/05/08 Creighton at Missouri State 50-49
01/20/07 So. Illinois at Creighton 58-57
03/20/06 Miami (Fla.) at Creighton@ 53-52
02/14/06 at Wichita State Creighton 62-61 (OT)
11/26/05 at Creighton Dayton 91-90 (2OT)
02/09/05 at Creighton Northern Iowa 83-82
01/15/05 Creighton at Northern Iowa 67-66
11/30/04 Creighton at Xavier 73-72
03/06/04 Nebraska at Creighton 71-70
02/07/04 So. Illinois at Creighton 61-60
01/07/04 Creighton at Illinois State 56-55
03/09/03 Creighton Wichita State# 70-69
03/08/03 Creighton Indiana State# 57-56
02/22/03 at Creighton Fresno State 67-66
03/15/02 Creighton #15 Florida$ 83-82 (2OT)
02/06/02 Creighton at Indiana State 64-63
12/29/99 Missouri State at Creighton 59-58
12/04/99 Creighton at Baylor 77-76 (OT)
01/17/99 Indiana State at Creighton 70-69
02/20/97 at Creighton Wichita State 59-58
12/21/96 at Houston Creighton 74-73
11/30/96 #24 Minnesota Creighton% 64-63
02/24/96 at Missouri St. Creighton 67-66
02/17/96 Northern Iowa at Creighton 58-57 (OT)
#MVC Tournament in St. Louis, Mo.
$NCAA Tournament in Chicago, Ill.
%San Juan Shootout in Caguas, Puerto Rico
@National Invitation Tournament in Omaha, Neb.
Woodfox Takes Newcomer Award, Again
Booker Woodfox has been named this week's MVC Newcomer of the Week. Woodfox averaged 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in wins over Missouri State and Oral Roberts last week. Against ORU, his three-pointer with 26.5 seconds left gave Creighton a 65-64 lead that held up as the winning baskets.
Creighton has now won a whopping nine MVC Newcomer of the Week awards this season, which have been spread among five individuals.
Blue Out For Bradley Planned
Creighton Athletic officials are asking fans to wear a blue shirt to the team's March 1 game vs. Bradley, in order to create a “blue-out” effect. The game starts at 7:05 pm and is not slated for television in Omaha.
Bluejay seniors Nick Bahe, Pierce Hibma and Dane Watts will be honored following the game as part of CU's Senior Day festivities.
Double-Double For Watts
Dane Watts had 13 points and 11 rebounds in the loss at Bradley on Feb. 16. That marked his second double-double this season and the fifth of his career.
His 13 points were his most since scoring a baker's dozen on Jan. 22 against Drake. His 11 rebounds were a season-high and one shy of his career-high of 12, done four times previously.
Watts is the only current Bluejay to record a double-double at the Division I level.
Streaking, Nationally
According to STATS Inc., Booker Woodfox's active streak of nine straight games off the bench with 10 points or more leads the nation's bench players and is also tops among all MVC players, as seen below:
Bench Players, Active Streaks of 10+ Pts.
Rk. Name, School Stk. Next
1. Booker Woodfox, Creighton 9 2/27
Darrion Griffin, Jackson State 9 3/1
Active Streaks of 10+ Pts., All MVC Players
Rk. Name, School Stk. Next
1. Booker Woodfox, CU 9 2/27
Josh Young, DU 9 2/26
3. P'Allen Stinnett, CU 8 2/27
4. Deven Mitchell, MSU 7 2/26
5. Justin Fuehrmeyer, MSU 6 2/26
Jeremy Crouch, BU 6 2/26
Microwave Man
Booker Woodfox has had 10 or more points in nine straight games, all off the bench. He is CU's first player with nine straight games of 10 points or more since Nate Funk ended his career with 24 straight games of double-digit scoring last season.
Last year, the Jays got 10 or more points from one player off the bench just three times all season...once each from Pierce Hibma, Isaac Miles and Nick Bahe.
Creighton owns 30 double-figure scoring games this season off the bench, compared to a total of 30 during the last three years combined.
Below is a breakdown of double-digit scoring games off the bench, over the previous seven seasons (current players in bold italics):
Name ?02 ?03 ?04 ?05 ?06 ?07 ?08 Total
M. Grimes 6 14 - - - - - 20
T. Taylor 19 - - - - - - 19
K. Miliner - 3 10 6 - - - 19
J. Dabbert 4 5 8 - - - - 17
B. Woodfox - - - - - - 12 12
D. Bowden 2 9 - - - - - 11
J. Mathies - - 4 4 - - - 8
P. Stinnett - - - - - - 8 8
J. Motz 1 - - 3 3 - - 7
N. Funk - 4 - - 2 - - 6
C. Witter - - - - - - 6 6
J. Day - - - 3 - - - 3
P. Hibma - - - 1 1 1 - 3
B. Deren 3 - - - - - - 3
I. Caro 2 - - - - - - 2
D. Watts - - - 2 - - - 2
K. Lawson - - - - - - 2 2
L. House 1 - - - - - - 1
Kyle Korver 1 - - - - - - 1
A. Collier 1 - - - - - - 1
N. Porter - - - - 1 - - 1
B. Nengsu - - - - 1 - - 1
N. Bahe - - - - - 1 - 1
I. Miles - - - - - 1 - 1
K. Walker - - - - - - 1 1
Kaleb Korver - - - - - - 1 1
Total 40 35 22 19 8 3 30 157
Game To Go With The Name
Super sub Booker Woodfox has scored in double-figures in nine straight games, the longest streak by any Bluejay player this season. That's helped to move the junior into third on the team with 8.9 points per game this season.
Woodfox matched his career-high with 20 points against Southern Illinois on Feb. 10, including 16 in the first half as CU built a 19-point halftime lead.
Woodfox is averaging 14.2 points per game in the last nine games, hitting 54.8 percent from the field (46-84), 50.0 percent from three-point land (16-32) and 90.9 percent at the line (20-22) in that time.
Playing With Confidence
Booker Woodfox needed about a month to settle in, but ever since Dec. 15, he has been red-hot. Woodfox has hit 52.6 percent of his three-point attempts in the past 20 games, while also more than doubling his scoring average as well.
Statistic First 7 Games Since Dec. 15
FG-FGA 11-38 70-133
FG% .289 .526
3FG-3FGA 4-19 38-71
3FG% .211 .535
FT-FTA 5-6 30-39
FT% .833 .769
Rebounds 9 39
Rebounds Per Game 1.3 2.0
Assists 7 26
Turnovers 8 13
Points 31 208
Points Per Game 4.4 10.4
Free Throw Defense Lacking
One common trend in three of Creighton's last five losses has been poor defense at the free-throw line.
On Feb. 13, Evansville made 30-of-32 free-throws (93.8 percent), including 26 straight at one point. Shy Ely was 18-of-18 at the line, the nation's most attempts without a miss this season.
On Jan. 30, Drake went 15-of-16 (93.8 percent) against Creighton from the line. In that contest the Bulldogs made their first 15 shots at the stripe before missing their final try.
Drake also was near-perfect on Jan. 22, hitting 17-of-18 (94.4 percent) at the line against the Jays. The Bulldogs made their first 15 shots at the line before a miss, then made their final two.
Five teams have shot 90 percent or better at the line against Creighton this season (the three above, Xavier and Missouri State on Feb. 19). All but Missouri State would beat the Jays.
Creighton's opponents shoot 70.4 percent from the stripe when the Jays win, but raise that mark to 77.4 percent when beating the Jays. When Creighton wins, it shoots 73.5 percent at the line. When Creighton loses, it shoots 65.7 percent at the line.
Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Some of Creighton's recent wins have continued five impressive streaks.
Creighton has won 35 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has won 39 straight games when scoring 72 points or more dating to Jan. 29, 2005.
The Bluejays have won 57 consecutive games when scoring 80 points or more, dating to Feb. 19, 2000.
Creighton has also won 43 straight games when scoring 90 points or more, dating to Jan. 11, 1988.
Creighton has won 14 straight when scoring 100 points or more, dating to Feb. 26, 1977.
Freshmen Scoring Leaders
P'Allen Stinnett led Creighton in scoring on Jan. 5, Jan. 9 and Jan. 12. He became the first Bluejay freshman to accomplish that feat in three straight games since Rodney Buford during the 1995-96 season. Buford led the Jays in scoring in five straight games from Jan. 27-Feb. 8.
Stinnett also has become the first Bluejay freshman with eight straight games of 10 or more points (from Jan. 30-present) since Rodney Buford had 17 straight games of 10 or more points from Jan. 3-Feb. 21, 1996.
Creighton has had at least one freshman lead the team in scoring 12 of 27 games to date, and had nine games in which a sophomore or junior newcomer had at least a share of the team scoring lead, including all ties.
Stinnett Takes Over Scoring Lead
Freshman P'Allen Stinnett has taken over the team scoring lead, with 17 more points than Dane Watts to date (331-314).
Should Stinnett's scoring average lead (12.3 ppg.) hold up, he'd become the first Bluejay freshman to top the team in that category since Rodney Buford (14.5 ppg.) in 1995-96.
Stinnett Off To A Good Start
P'Allen Stinnett has scored 331 points in his first 27 games as a Bluejay, good for 12.3 ppg. That ranks as the most by any CU player in their first 27 games since Rodney Buford scored 392 points to open his 1995-96 campaign. Buford went on to become Creighton's all-time leading scorer and was a four-time all-Valley first- or second-team pick.
Putting it in perspective, former Bluejay Anthony Tolliver scored just 22 points all of his freshman season. Tolliver ended with 1,004 career points and was named second-team all-MVC (2005-06) and first-team all-MVC (2006-07) before graduating last May.
Below is a list of first-year stats at Creighton for its MVC All-Newcomer and MVC All-Freshman Team honorees since the awards started in 1985-86. Notably, no CU newcomer has averaged 10 or more points per game since 1997-98.
Year Name, Class PPG RPG MPG
?86-87 Rod Mason, Jr. 13.3 3.7 35.5
?87-88 Chad Gallagher, Fr. 11.4 5.3 28.6
?87-88 Bob Harstad, Fr. 9.0 8.5 30.5
?87-88 James Farr, Jr. 12.7 2.9 34.9
?93-94 Nate King, Jr. 15.7 9.0 32.8
?95-96 Rodney Buford, Fr. 14.5 4.2 25.9
?97-98 Ryan Sears, Fr. 10.5 3.0 32.1
?97-98 Doug Swenson, Jr. 11.3 4.4 20.0
?99-00 Kyle Korver, Fr. 8.8 3.1 18.2
?99-00 Terrell Taylor, Fr. 7.4 2.6 16.9
?01-02 Brody Deren, So. 9.9 5.1 23.2
?04-05 Dane Watts, Fr. 6.9 3.0 18.8
?05-06 Nick Porter, Jr. 9.6 4.9 26.2
?05-06 Josh Dotzler, Fr. 6.4 2.0 32.7
?06-07 Isacc Miles, Fr. 6.1 2.1 22.1
Comparing The Last 3 Years
Below is a comparison of Creighton after 27 games the past three years. Notably, this year's team scores more points and shoots better from the field, but also turns the ball over more than past clubs. Opponents are also shooting free throws at a significantly better clip than past years.
Statistic (after 27 G) 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08
Scoring Offense 67.1 67.5 71.3
Scoring Defense 61.4 61.4 62.9
Scoring Margin +5.7 +6.1 +8.4
FG Percentage .424 .448 .452
3FG Percentage .367 .344 .381
FT Percentage .683 .752 .720
Opp. FG Percentage .412 .422 .413
Opp. 3FG Percentage .338 .358 .355
Opp. FT Percentage .686 .674 .728
3FG Made 195 174 225
Rebound Margin -0.4 +2.3 +2.9
Assists 360 367 400
Turnovers 357 352 390
Blocks 89 69 91
Steals 222 169 213
Same Start, Same Finish?
Creighton has been 19-8 after 27 games two of the last three seasons.
Last year the team regrouped to finish 22-11 and reach the NCAA's.
Below is a look at Creighton's record after 27 games in the past 11 years.
Year After 27 W-L (MVC) Final W-L (NCAA/NIT)
2007-08 19-8 (9-7) ???
2006-07 18-9 (12-4) 22-11/13-5 (NCAA)
2005-06 19-8 (12-6) 20-10/12-6 (NIT)
2004-05 17-10 (8-7) 23-11/11-7 (NCAA)
2003-04 20-7 (12-6) 20-9/12-6 (NIT)
2002-03 24-3 (13-2) 29-5/15-3 (NCAA)
2001-02 19-8 (14-4) 23-9/14-4 (NCAA)
2000-01 21-6 (12-4) 24-8/14-4 (NCAA)
1999-00 18-9 (9-7) 23-10/11-7 (NCAA)
1998-99 19-8 (11-7) 22-9/11-7 (NCAA)
1997-98 18-9 (12-6) 18-10/12-6 (NIT)
Silver Lining?
Feb. 13 was Creighton's ninth loss all-time in 28 meetings with Evansville.
Each of the last five seasons that Creighton lost a game to Evansville, the Bluejays went on to reach the NCAA Tournament later that same year.
Eight Is Enough For Witter
Sophomore Cavel Witter dished a career-high eight assists in the road game at Evansville on Feb. 13.
Witter has 24 assists in the past six games, an average of 4.0 per game. Prior to this six-game stretch, Witter had owned just one game with more than three assists in CU's first 21 contests.
Valley Honors Two More Jays
P'Allen Stinnett was named the MVC Player of the Week, while Booker Woodfox repeated as MVC Newcomer of the Week, the league office announced on Feb. 11th.
Stinnett averaged 19.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in wins over UNI and SIU. Stinnett had a career-high 24 points while adding six boards in 21 minutes against UNI. He then had 14 points in the win over the Salukis. This is the first MVC Player of the Week award for Stinnett.
Woodfox averaged 15.5 points in 18.5 minutes per game off the bench that week. Woodfox had 11 points in the win over UNI, then tied his career-high with 20 points against the Salukis. He hit 11-of-17 from the field (64.7 percent) on the week. It was Woodfox's second of three MVC Newcomer of the Week awards this year.
Reserves Putting Up Some Points
Creighton owns four of the MVC's top five point-getters among those players that have not started a game this season.
Booker Woodfox leads all such players with 239 points, with teammate Cavel Witter not far behind with 201 points.
Most Points Without a Start, MVC Players
Pts. Name, School
239 Booker Woodfox, Creighton
201 Cavel Witter, Creighton
201 JT Durley, Wichita State
110 Casey Harriman, Creighton
109 John Michael Hall, Drake
MVC Attendance Record Falls
Creighton has broken the MVC's single-season record for single-season home attendance with 251,795 fans and one home date left. The 2005-06 team drew 236,313 fans in 17 games to hold the old mark.
Creighton has set MVC average attendance records each of the past two seasons. Last year's club raised the bar by attracting 15,909 fans per game. This year's team is close to that, averaging 15,737.
Highest Season Home Attendance, MVC History
Home Att. School Year
251,795 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
15,737 Creighton 2007-08
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
12,016 Creighton 2003-04
Career High For Bahe
Senior guard Nick Bahe scored a career-high 17 points in Creighton's Feb. 13 game at Evansville. Bahe had eight of his points during a 14-2 run spanning the final minute of the first half and the first five minutes of the second half.
He tied a career-best with five three-point baskets in seven tries. He had made a total of just two three-pointers in CU's previous five contests.
By comparison, the rest of the Bluejay team was 0-for-13 from three-point range.
Career-High For Stinnett
Bluejay freshman P'Allen Stinnett torched Northern Iowa for a career-high 24 points on Feb. 5, including 17 in the first half. In fact, both Stinnett and Northern Iowa scored exactly 22 points in the game's first 23 minutes.
Stinnett's previous high had been 23 points against DePaul in the Nov. 9 season-opener.
His 24 points were the most by a Bluejay freshman in any game since Kyle Korver scored 25 against Bradley in the 2000 MVC Tournament quarterfinal.
Creighton outscored Northern Iowa by 32 points in the 21 minutes Stinnett was on the floor. That's the biggest positive plus/minus differential since Dane Watts made a +35 contribution in CU's Dec. 11, 2005 win over Nebraska. (For more plus/minus figures, see page 23 of this release).
3-Point Weapons
Creighton has nine different players that have made 10 or more three-pointers this season. Six of those men have made 38.9 percent or more of their attempts from long-range.
Creighton is just one of four teams with six different players to own 20 or more treys. That list, compiled by STATS Inc. on Feb. 10, consists of Creighton, Florida, Troy and Longwood.
For the season, Creighton's 8.33 three-pointers per game ranks third in the MVC this year and third-highest in school history.
Creighton has made 10 or more three-pointers in six of its last 13 games, and is 8-2 this year when making 10 or more three-pointers in a game.
When shooting 40 percent or better from three-point range, Creighton has won 14 straight, 30-of-31 and 40 of its last 43 games.
O Captain! My Captain!
Senior captain Dane Watts had three key plays in the final 20 seconds of Creighton's Feb. 2 win over Wichita State.
Watts tipped in P'Allen Stinnett's miss with 16.7 seconds left, giving CU its first lead of the second half at 63-62.
He then was in position defensively to draw a charge on Gal Mekel with 11.1 seconds left.
Then, with 0.5 seconds left and CU clinging to a 65-63 lead, Watts grabbed the rebound on JT Durley's intentional miss of a free throw to prevent a last-second tip-in attempt by the Shockers.
Comeback Kids
Creighton trailed 54-39 with nine minutes to play against Wichita State on Feb. 2, only to close the game on a 26-9 run to win by two.
Twenty-four of CU's points in that flurry came from newcomers Booker Woodfox (8), Cavel Witter (10), Kenton Walker (2) and P'Allen Stinnett (4). The two points that didn't come from that quartet was the tip-in by Dane Watts that gave CU the lead with 16.7 seconds left.
Creighton had not rallied from a double-digit deficit in the final 10 minutes of a game since Dec. 30, 2006. On that night, Creighton trailed Missouri State 70-59 with 4:25 to play before ending the game on a 18-4 run. Watts also hit a shot in that game that gave CU the lead for good in the final minute.
Shots Falling For Harriman
Redshirt freshman Casey Harriman has quietly been shooting the heck out of the ball. Harriman has hit 13-of-22 three-point shots in the past 14 games, good for 59.1 percent from downtown.
Harriman's marksmanship has increased his three-point accuracy rate to 46.9 percent on the season. He is shooting 51.7 percent from downtown in MVC play.
Record Qwest
Dane Watts played in his 62nd career game at Qwest Center Omaha on Feb. 10 against Southern Illinois. That moved him past Anthony Tolliver for most games played in Qwest Center Omaha history. He has now played in 63 games at Qwest Center Omaha.
The only other player to play in more than 50 games is current senior teammate Pierce Hibma.
Watts' 574 career points at Qwest Center Omaha rank third in facility history. Nate Funk (2003-07) owns the record with 735 points in 47 games played, while Johnny Mathies (2003-06) had 586 points in 49 games played.
Watts Joins 1,000 Point Club
Creighton's Dane Watts scored 13 points on Jan. 22 against Drake, making him the 32nd player in school history to score 1,000 career points. Watts, who needed four points coming in, drained a three-pointer on CU's first possession and then surpassed the milestone with 11:57 to play in the first half on an elbow jumper.
Later in the game, Watts passed former teammate Anthony Tolliver and moved into 31st place on the CU scoring list. He now owns 1,094 career points, good for 27th in Bluejay history.
Watts has averaged 8.8 points in 124 career games, including 11.6 ppg. this year.
Creighton's 1,000 Point Scorers
Rk. Pts. Name Years
1. 2,116 Rodney Buford 1995-99
2. 2,110 Bob Harstad 1987-91
3. 1,983 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
4. 1,876 Bob Portman 1966-69
5. 1,801 Kyle Korver 1999-03
6. 1,754 Nate Funk 2002-07
7. 1,682 Rick Apke 1974-78
8. 1,661 Paul Silas 1961-64
9. 1,654 Vernon Moore 1981-85
10. 1,575 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
11. 1,526 John C. Johnson 1975-79
12. 1,500 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
13. 1,437 Eddie Cole 1951-55
14. 1,369 Gene Harmon 1971-74
15. 1,361 Duan Cole 1987-92
16. 1,309 Ryan Sears 1997-01
17. 1,303 Elton Tuttle 1951-54
18. 1,272 Bob Gibson 1954-57
19. 1,267 Wally Anderzunas 1965-67, 1968-69
20. 1,254 Gary Swain 1983-87
21. 1,238 Ben Walker 1997-01
22. 1,196 Ray Yost 1951-54
23. 1,172 Dick Harvey 1956-59
24. 1,115 Doug Brookins 1972-75
1,115 Daryl Stovall 1978-82
26. 1,106 Kenny Evans 1982-87
27. 1,094 Dane Watts 2004-08
28. 1,093 Tim Powers 1964-67
1,000 and 600
Dane Watts is one of 11 players in Creighton history to surpass 1,000 points and 600 career rebounds.
Of those 11 men, Watts has joined Rodney Buford, Kyle Korver and Ben Walker as the only ones to also make 100 or more three-pointers.
1,000 Points and 600 Rebounds, CU History
Pts. Reb. 3FG Name Years
2,116 716 212 Rodney Buford 1995-99
2,110 1,126 4 Bob Harstad 1987-91
1,983 891 12 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
1,876 979 0 Bob Portman 1966-69
1,801 664 371 Kyle Korver 1999-03
1,682 709 0 Rick Apke 1974-78
1,661 1,751 0 Paul Silas 1961-64
1,575 1,005 0 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
1,238 677 100 Ben Walker 1997-01
1,093 674 0 Tim Powers 1964-67
1,094 652 136 Dane Watts 2004-Pr.
On a national basis, STATS Inc. reports that Watts was one of nine players through games of Feb. 21 with more than 1,000 career points, 600 rebounds and 125 treys. That list is below:
Name, School Pts. Reb. 3FG
Reggie Williams, VMI 2,430 778 192
Jaycee Carroll, Utah State 2,339 639 345
Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky 2,068 607 228
Richard Roby, Colorado 1,876 605 204
Will Daniels, Rhode Island 1,572 630 131
Mike Green, Butler 1,536 644 132
J.R. Giddens, New Mexico 1,492 632 201
Dane Watts, Creighton 1,076 644 134
Terrence Williams, Louisville 1,012 601 130
113 and Counting So Far...
Dane Watts figures to make his 114th consecutive start on Wednesday, which dates to his first start on Dec. 28, 2004.
Watts' streak ranks as the MVC's longest active streak of consecutive starts, and is also fifth nationally according to STATS Inc. through Feb. 24.
Longest Active String of Consecutive Starts
Source: STATS -- Chicago ? Through Feb. 24, 2008
Rk. Name, School Streak Next
1. Jonathan Wallace, Georgetown 128 02/27
2. Dominique Kirk, Texas A&M 122 02/27
3. Leon Williams, Ohio 120 03/01
4. William Byrd, Ark.-Pine Bluff 114 02/25
5. Dane Watts, Creighton 113 02/27
6. Gabe Moore, Indiana State 110 02/27
7. Mark Porter, Wagner 107 02/28
All About The Bench-amins
Creighton's Dec. 20 win over North Carolina Central marked the third time this season that the Creighton bench had outscored the entire line-up of the other team.
In that game, Creighton's bench scored 61 points, while the North Carolina Central squad scored 54 total.
CU's bench has also outscored the entire teams from Savannah State (60-52) and Houston Baptist (77-73) this year.
Creighton's bench has outscored or equaled its starting line-up in 13 games this season.
Reserve Corps
Creighton's 77 bench points on Dec. 17 against Houston Baptist were its most in at least 20 years.
The 77 points is incredible when you consider that Dana Altman's 1994-95 Bluejay team (his first at Creighton) had a single-game season-high point total of 76.
Bench Press
Creighton's bench has outscored its own starting five by a 962-899 margin through 26 games. The 51.69 percent of scoring coming from CU's bench is the nation's second-best mark, through games of Feb. 21 according to Allan Spear at STATS Inc.
Percentage of Points Scored by Bench
Source: STATS -- Chicago ? Through Feb. 21
Rk. Team Start% Bench%
1. Texas State 48.27 51.73
2. Creighton 48.31 51.69
3. Buffalo 51.28 48.72
4. Southeast Missouri State 53.14 46.86
5. Louisiana-Lafayette 54.96 45.04
6. East Carolina 54.99 45.01
7. North Carolina A&T 55.12 44.88
8. Central Michigan 55.25 44.75
Creighton has scored 31 or more bench points in 18 of 27 games this year, compared to a high of 30 for last year's team. This year's team currently averages 36.5 points per game off the pine, the second-highest mark nationally through Feb. 21 as well.
Bench Scoring Per Game
Source: STATS -- Chicago ? Through Feb. 21
Rk. Team G Bench PPG
1. Texas State 25 43.16
2. Creighton 26 37.00
3. Southeast Missouri State 28 35.93
4. Duquesne 25 34.92
5. Buffalo 25 34.12
6. Cal State Northridge 24 33.71
7. North Carolina A&T 25 31.92
8. Central Michigan 25 31.40
Last year's Bluejay club had 356 bench points for the entire season, an average of 10.8 points per game.
Creighton's bench has outscored the opposition's bench by a 985-565 margin, which amounts to a +15.6 point per game differential.
Almost as improbable is that Creighton's bench has almost as many points as the opponent's starters, trailing just 1,134-985.
Here's a breakdown of CU's starters and bench this season:
Stat CU Starters CU Bench
Points 941 985
Minutes 2932 2518
FG% .444 .461
3FG% .359 .401
FT% .741 .701
Rebounds 495 369
Assists 216 184
Steals 122 91
Balancing Act
Creighton has 11 players averaging 9.2 minutes per game or more, with all of those men scoring at least 2.0 points per game as well. Six of Creighton's top eight scorers have started half or less of CU's games this year. All 14 Bluejays on the roster have scored at least six points.
7-Up
Creighton is one of the nation's most successful programs in the past seven years. Creighton's 156 wins are tied for 22nd in that category, through games of Feb. 24.
Most Wins, Last Seven Years (since 2001-02)
Rank School W-L Next
1. Kansas 192-44 2/27
Duke 192-41 2/27
3. Memphis 186-49 2/27
4. Pittsburgh 181-49 2/27
5. Gonzaga 180-42 2/25
6. Florida 179-54 2/27
7. Illinois 174-61 3/01
Connecticut 174-55 2/26
9. Texas 171-59 2/25
Southern Illinois 171-58 2/26
11. Kentucky 168-60 2/27
12. Syracuse 167-67 3/1
13. Xavier 165-59 3/1
14. Wisconsin 165-59 2/28
15. Louisville 164-64 2/28
16. Kent State 162-63 3/1
17. Utah State 161-59 2/28
18. Arizona 159-65 2/28
North Carolina 159-68 2/28
20. Nevada 158-64 2/28
21. Oklahoma 157-64 2/27
22. Creighton 156-63 2/27
Butler 156-64 2/28
Western Kentucky 156-60 2/27
25. Oklahoma State 155-71 2/26
Marquette 155-64 2/25
27. Ohio State 153-71 2/26
Maryland 153-72 2/28
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
Tenacious D
Creighton's 48-44 loss at Southern Illinois on Jan. 26 was CU's first loss when allowing 50 points or less since Jan. 7, 1993 at Eastern Illinois, snapping a streak of 38 straight wins.
Creighton hadn't lost a game when allowing 48 points or fewer since a 35-34 loss to Illinois State on Jan. 13, 1986.
Additionally, with the loss to Southern Illinois Dana Altman dropped to 43-1 in his Division I head coaching career when his teams allow 50 points or less.
Creighton is allowing 62.9 points per game so far. This marks the sixth straight season the Jays have allowed less than 65 points per game.
Over .500 Again
Creighton has been better than .500 in either the first or second-half of the league season in 25 straight trips through the league, including the first half this year.
Here's how Dana Altman's clubs have fared in the various halves of the MVC season since his arrival:
Year 1st Half 2nd Half
2007-08 5-4 4-3 so far
2006-07 6-3 7-2
2005-06 7-2 5-4
2004-05 5-4 6-3
2003-04 7-2 5-4
2002-03 8-1 7-2
2001-02 8-1 6-3
2000-01 5-4 9-0
1999-00 5-4 6-3
1998-99 6-3 5-4
1997-98 5-4 7-2
1996-97 5-4 5-4
1995-96 4-5 5-4
1994-95 3-6 1-8
Total 79-47 (.627) 78-46 (.629)
Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception. Creighton has four players from Iowa on this season's team, continuing a long trend of relying on some of the Hawkeye State's top preps. CU's native Iowans this season include senior Pierce Hibma (Pella), junior Dustin Sitzmann (LeMars) and freshmen Casey Harriman (Ida Grove) and Kaleb Korver (Pella). Other past notable Iowans include Kyle Korver (Pella), Ryan Sears (Ankeny), Brody Deren (Harlan), Tyler McKinney (Urbandale), Nate Funk (Sioux City) and Michael Lindeman (Iowa Falls).
Creighton has played at least one Iowa native in 436 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Consistent Challengers
One of the most impressive facets of the Dana Altman tenure is how often his teams have been in the running for the MVC regular-season title. Eight of his last 10 teams have finished either first or second in The Valley, and the two that didn't both won the MVC Tournament.
The Bluejays won the MVC in 2000-01 and tied for the title in 2001-02. CU was second in the MVC in 1997-98 and 2006-07, tied for second in the MVC in 1998-99, 2003-04 and 2005-06, and finished tied for third in 2004-05. The 1999-00 club was fourth in the MVC, but won the MVC Tournament.
Creighton's MVC Finishes, Last 10 Years
1st Place 2000-01
Tied for First 2001-02 (won MVC Tourn.)
2nd Place 1997-98, 2002-03 (won MVC Tourn.), 2006-07 (won MVC Tourn.)
Tied for 2nd 1998-99 (won MVC Tourn.), 2003-04, 2005-06
Tied for 3rd Place 2004-05 (won MVC Tourn.)
4th Place 1999-00 (won MVC Tourn.)
Decade (+1) of Dominance
Creighton has reached 10 straight postseasons, and is in the process of trying to extend that streak to 11.
In that time (since 1997-98), the Bluejays have dominated the Missouri Valley Conference to the tune of at least a .625 winning percentage against every foe except Southern Illinois, as seen below:
Opponent Altman at CU W-L Last 11 Years
Bradley 16-13 15-9
Drake 19-9 16-6
Evansville 19-9 17-6
Illinois State 16-13 16-8
Indiana State 22-10 19-7
Missouri State 22-14 20-8
Northern Iowa 22-7 20-3
Southern Illinois 15-16 11-14
Wichita State 24-5 19-5
Totals 175-96 (.646) 153-66 (.699)
Altman Passing Coaching Legends
Dana Altman continues to pass some of the coaching greats in MVC history in two categories. Altman's 279 wins at Creighton are third in MVC history, while his 157 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. 279 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. 157 Dana Altman Creighton
4. 126 Phog Allen Kansas
Overtime News & Notes
Creighton's 68-60 loss to Drake on Jan. 22 dropped the Bluejays to 45-43 all-time in overtime games, including a 23-12 mark at home.
Dana Altman is 13-11 at Creighton in overtime games, including a 6-3 record in home games. The Bluejays are 3-2 at Qwest Center Omaha in overtime games.
Lawson's Block Party
Kenny Lawson Jr. had a career-high five blocked shots against Indiana State on Jan. 19.
Each of the other three Bluejay freshmen with five blocked shots in a game during the past 25 years would eventually make the NBA.
Rodney Buford had five blocks against Drake on Feb. 26, 1996. Buford would end his career as Creighton's all-time leading scorer with 2,116 points.
Chad Gallagher had five blocks against Drake on Feb. 11, 1988. Gallagher would end his career second in CU history in both points (1,983) and blocked shots (183).
Benoit Benjamin had six different games with five blocks or more, including a high of eight on Feb. 19, 1983 against Drake. Benjamin still owns the MVC record with 411 career blocks.
Jays Get 10 Home Wins Again
Creighton's Jan. 19 win against Indiana State was its 10th home win this season. Creighton has now won 10 or more home games in 12 straight years. That ties a school-record, as Creighton previously won 10 or more home games in 12 straight seasons from the 1969-70 season to the 1980-81 campaign.
The Drive For Five
Creighton's has had a pair of five-game winning streaks this year, only to lose in their bid for a sixth straight victory each time.
The Bluejays have had at least one five-game win streak in each of the last 11 seasons, and 18 such streaks overall in the 14-year tenure of Dana Altman.
Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the postseason all 13 previous times they've had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the postseason all six times they haven't.
20 x 2 Off The Bench
Creighton had a pair of players score 20 or more points off the bench on Jan. 19 against Indiana State. Cavel Witter scored 21 points, while Booker Woodfox had 20 points off the pine.
According to STATS Inc., they are just the third pair of teammates this year to both have 20 bench points in the same game.
Troy's Brandon Hazzard (27 points) and Mario Telfair (20) did it on Dec. 17 against Jacksonville in a 98-80 win.
Likewise, VMI's Chavis Holmes (27) and Travis Holmes (25) also did it against Columbia Union College on Nov. 28 in a 156-91 victory.
The last time Creighton had two players with 20 or more points in the same game was Dec. 30, 2006, when Nate Funk (23) and Anthony Tolliver (20) both did it against Missouri State.
Creighton has now received six outbursts of 20 points or more off the bench this year, two each by Witter, Woodfox and P'Allen Stinnett.
Woodfox Shoots Up The Sycamores
Booker Woodfox went 6-of-7 from three-point range against Indiana State on Jan. 19, scoring a career-high 20 points. His six three-point baskets tied a Qwest Center Omaha high by a Bluejay (done twice previously), and were the team's most at any site since Nate Funk drained seven trifectas on Nov. 18, 2006 at Nebraska.
In two games against Indiana State, Woodfox has averaged 18.0 points per game and made 11-14 three-point tries (78.6 percent).
Woodfox ranks second on the team with 46.7 percent accuracy from three-point range, and leads the team with 42 trifectas.
The junior leads the MVC (which requires 1 3FG per game) in three-point percentage, hitting 46.7 percent of his shots from downtown (39-84).
Bahe, Bahe, Bahe
Senior guard Nick Bahe started his college career at the University of Kansas, so it's only fitting that his final game in the Sunflower State was a memorable effort.
Bahe scored 15 points, hitting 5-of-7 shots from the floor and 3-of-5 from downtown against Wichita State on Jan. 12. He also drained two free throws when Shocker head coach Gregg Marshall was whistled for a technical foul.
On Jan. 15, Bahe matched that with 15 more points in a road win at UNI. Bahe drained 5-of-9 shots, including two trifectas, as well as perfect 3-of-3 shooting at the line.
Bahe is shooting 41.78 percent from three-point range in his career (61-146), a figure that ranks sixth-best in CU history.
Career 3-Point Pct. (Minimum 100 Attempts)
Pct. Name, Years 3FGM-FGA
.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
.4178 Nick Bahe, 2006-Present 61-146
.4065 Nate Funk, 2002-07 200-492
.4053 Matt West, 1996-00 92-227
Home Cooking
Only four MVC visiting schools (DU, ILS, MSU, SIU) have ever won a game in the five-year old Qwest Center Omaha.
Below is a look at Creighton's current home winning streaks over current league foes:
Opponent CU Streak Last Opp. Win in Omaha
Bradley Won 9 1/17/98
Drake Lost 1 1/22/08
Evansville Won 9 1/04/99
Illinois State Lost 1 12/29/07
Indiana State Won 9 1/04/99
Missouri State Won 3 2/05/05
Northern Iowa Won 12 2/17/96
So. Illinois Won 1 1/20/07
Wichita State Won 15 2/22/92
Take Me Home, Country Road
Creighton is 36-8 at home all-time at Qwest Center Omaha in MVC games (.818), compared to a 21-23 (.477) road record in the MVC during that stretch.
Freshmen Starting Duo
Creighton has started two freshmen in nine of the last 11 games (nine times with P'Allen Stinnett and Kenny Lawson Jr., and once with Stinnett and Kenton Walker). It marks the first time CU has started two freshmen in the same game since Dec. 29, 2001, when both Jimmy Motz and Tyler McKinney started against Mississippi Valley State.
California Connection
Kenny Lawson Jr. and Kenton Walker, a pair of freshmen from the San Diego area, continue to play better as they gain collegiate experience.
The duo combined for 12 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks in 30 minutes on Jan. 22 against Drake.
For the season, the duo provides Creighton with 7.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 52.4 percent from the floor.
Halftime Advantage
Creighton's 47-20 halftime lead over Nebraska on November 24 was the second-largest intermission margin in the five-year history of Qwest Center Omaha. Creighton led Alcorn State 39-11 on Nov. 15, 2004 for the largest halftime margin.
Below is a list of Creighton's top halftime leads and deficits at Qwest Center Omaha:
CU's Largest Halftime Leads at Qwest Center
Margin Score Opponent Date
28 39-11 Alcorn State 11/15/04
27 47-20 Nebraska 11/24/07
23 41-18 St. Bonaventure 11/29/03
21 42-21 Bethune Cookman 12/03/03
20 31-11 Nebraska 12/11/05
20 37-17 San Diego 11/22/03
CU's Largest Halftime Deficits at Qwest Center
Margin Score Opponent Date
-14 34-48 Evansville 02/07/07
-13 29-42 Illinois State 12/29/07
-12 21-33 Wichita State 02/02/08
-11 27-38 Indiana State 02/22/06
-10 19-29 Miami (Fla.) 03/20/06
-10 28-38 Bradley 01/18/06
Mid-Week Mastery
Creighton has never lost a game at Qwest Center Omaha on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, going a combined 20-0 on those dates.
Fourteen of those wins have come on a Wednesday, while five others were on Thursday's. Creighton's only Friday night home game since 1997 was this season's opening win over DePaul, giving the Jays a 1-0 home record on Friday night at the five-year old facility.
Stinnett Takes More Newcomer Honors
Freshman P'Allen Stinnett earned his second MVC Newcomer of the Week honor when he was selected on Jan. 7 for his play during the week of Dec. 30-Jan. 6.
Stinnett averaged 11.5 points per game in road games at Indiana State and Missouri State. He scored a game-high 18 points against the Bears, including the game-winning free throw with 56.9 seconds left in the Jays 50-49 win.
Stinnett repeated his honor one week later on Jan. 14, his third honor of the year. Stinnett averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game in wins over Evansville and Wichita State.
Woodfox Takes MVC Newcomer Honor
Booker Woodfox was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week on Feb. 4. Woodfox is the fifth different Bluejay to earn the league's newcomer award, which is a record.
Woodfox averaged 14.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in games against Drake and Wichita State. He hit 11-of-21 shots from the field (52.4 percent), including 50 percent from three-point range (5-10).
Woodfox had 19 points in 22 minutes at #16 Drake on Jan. 30, then had eight of his 10 points in the final nine minutes during CU's game-ending 26-9 run that saw the Jays overcome a 15-point deficit.
Getting Defensive
Creighton held Missouri State without a field goal for the final 10:07 of the first half, then without a basket for the first 2:15 of the second half. That 12:22 is the longest period without a field goal by any Bluejay opponent this season.
Creighton has 22 different stretches this season in which it has held an opponent without a field goal for more than five minutes in a row, as seen below:
CU Holding Opponents 5:00+ Without a FG (22)
Span Opponent, Date Half
12:22 at Missouri State, 1/5 Both
8:57 at Indiana State, 1/2 1st
8:43 at Drexel, 12/1 Both
7:53 at Northern Iowa, 1/15 Both
7:51 Arkansas-Little Rock, 12/22 1st
7:33 at Wichita State, 1/12 2nd
7:27 at Drexel, 12/1 1st
7:25 at Evansville, 2/13 1st
7:19 Savannah State, 11/29 Both
7:06 at Evansville, 2/13 Both
6:46 Mississippi Valley State, 11/17 2nd
6:41 North Carolina Central, 12/20 1st
6:33 Indiana State, 1/19 1st
5:40 at Southern Illinois, 1/26 1st
5:31 at Northern Iowa, 1/15 2nd
5:21 Nebraska, 11/24 1st
5:14 Southern Illinois, 2/10 1st
5:13 Arkansas-Little Rock, 12/22 2nd
5:12 Mississippi Valley State, 11/17 1st
5:11 at Indiana State, 1/2 2nd
5:11 Evansville, 1/9 Both
5:02 North Carolina Central, 12/20 2nd
10 x 10 Points
According to January 6 research by Navy men's basketball SID Chris Forman, Creighton's offensive diversity puts them in select company as one of six schools nationally to have 10 different players score 10 points in a game this year.
Wofford has 11 different players that have scored at least 10 points to lead all schools. Others with 10 players to score 10 points in a game, besides Creighton, include Duquesne, Navy, Southeast Missouri State, Belmont and Lipscomb.
To The Century Mark And Beyond
Creighton's 110 points on Dec. 17 against Houston Baptist were its most points in a game since 1985, and fourth-most in school history.
It marked Creighton's 41st all-time game of 100 or more points. CU is 39-2 in those games.
It marked Creighton's first 100 point game since a 100-68 win over Chattanooga on Feb. 19, 2005.
CU's 110 points were its most since scoring 115-80 over Indiana State on Jan. 19, 1985.
Below is a list of Creighton's top-five scoring games all-time. A complete list can be found on page 145 of the 2007-08 Creighton Men's Basketball Media Guide.
Score Opponent Date
124-94 Miami (Fla.) 02/10/1964
120-76 Nevada 12/21/1962
115-80 Indiana State 01/19/1985
110-73 Houston Baptist 12/17/2007
109-81 Wisconsin-Milwaukee 12/16/1967
40-Point Halves = Wins
Creighton scored 48 points in the first half of its Feb. 19 win over Missouri State.
Dating to Jan. 29, 2005, Creighton has won its last 39 games when it scores at least 40 points in a half.
Creighton's 61 points in the second half of its Dec. 20 win over Houston Baptist were its most in any half since scoring 63 in the second half of a 106-50 win over Texas-Arlington on Nov. 17, 2002.
Lawson Was MVC Newcomer of the Week
Redshirt freshman Kenny Lawson Jr. was named Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week on Dec. 26 for his performance from Dec. 17-24. Lawson averaged 12.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game off the bench while hitting 70.6 percent of his shots from the floor in three CU wins.
The Oceanside, Calif., native led Creighton in scoring on Dec. 17 and 20, with 15 points against Houston Baptist and 13 points vs. North Carolina Central, respectively.
Lawson became the first Bluejay freshman to lead Creighton in scoring during consecutive games since Terrell Taylor on Dec. 6 and Dec. 9, 1999. Like Lawson, Taylor did it while coming off the bench in both games he paced the team in scoring.
Plenty of Newcomer Awards
On Dec. 26, Kenny Lawson Jr. became the fourth different Bluejay to earn a MVC Newcomer of the Week Award in the first seven weeks of the season. Previously, P'Allen Stinnett (Nov. 12), Cavel Witter (Dec. 3) and Chad Millard (Dec. 10) had been honored.
Prior to this season, CU had only had three different individuals earn the honor at any time (Nick Porter and Josh Dotzler in 2005-06 and Isacc Miles last season).
On Feb. 4, Booker Woodfox became the fifth different Bluejay honored, most by one school in league history. Woodfox repeated the accolade on Feb. 11th.
Millard Named Newcomer of the Week
Sophomore Chad Millard was named the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week on Dec. 10. Millard averaged 9.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots in games against No. 21 Xavier and Saint Joseph's.
Millard helped key Creighton's win over Saint Joseph's with 13 points, seven rebounds and a career-high three blocked shots.
Seniors Score In Bunches
Creighton's seniors Nick Bahe, Pierce Hibma and Dane Watts were averaging 21.5 points per game combined heading into a Dec. 9 game with Saint Joseph's.
In the overtime win, they scored 60 of CU's 90 points. Hibma (17) and Watts (29) both exceeded their previous career-highs by three points each, while Bahe (14) was one shy of his career-best.
CU's seniors scored its final eight points of regulation and added 12 of the team's 20 points in overtime.
Watts Up For Senior CLASS Award
Creighton senior Dane Watts was one of 30 candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, which focuses on the “Four C's” of classroom, character, community and competition. He was not selected to be one of the 10 finalists for the award.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season and complete college education brings.
In addition to being a solid student in the classroom, the business management major is actively involved in the community. Watts is a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and in the summer of 2006 toured France with Athletes in Action.
Now in its seventh year for basketball, the award has developed into the nation's premier tribute for college seniors. Previous winners of the men's award include Juan Dixon of Maryland (2002), David West of Xavier (2003), Jameer Nelson of Saint Joseph's (2004), Wayne Simien of Kansas (2005), J.J. Redick of Duke (2006) and Alando Tucker of Wisconsin (2007).
Crowds Increase For League Action
Compared to its non-conference crowds, Creighton's attendance has increased in MVC action each of the previous seven 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 15,369 16,106 so far +5%
Five Figure Crowds
Creighton hosted 17,607 fans for its Feb. 17, 2007 home game versus Drexel. Not only was it the largest home crowd in Creighton history, but for any basketball game in state history as well.
Creighton has played 91 straight home games in front of crowds of 8,000 fans or more and 60 in a row at home before 10,000 fans or more.
By comparison, Creighton had a total of 39,093 home fans in Dana Altman's first year on the Hilltop, an average of 2,792 per game.
10 Largest Home Crowds, Creighton & State History
Att. Opp. Result Date
17,607 Drexel L 58-64 02/17/07
17,459 Southern Illinois L 57-58 01/20/07
17,371 Indiana State W 86-69 01/19/08
17,283 Indiana State W 71-55 01/27/07
17,110 Wichita State W 71-54 02/24/07
17,053 #22 Drake L 60-68 (ot) 01/22/08
17,049 Nebraska W 74-62 11/24/07
16,808 Illinois State L 67-80 12/29/07
16,730 Miss. Valley St. W 76-46 11/17/07
16,644 Wichita State W 65-63 02/02/08
3-0 Start, Again
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in nine of the last 10 seasons, including this year's 5-0 open before losing. Last year's team that started 2-1 is the lone exception in the past decade.
Each of Creighton's 3-0 starts under Dana Altman have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Thanks in large part to the quick starts to open the year, Creighton has not taken the floor with a losing record since December 3, 1997 when it faced Grambling.
Wednesday will be the 340th game in a row the Jays have played with a record of .500 or better.
P'henomenal Debut
P'Allen Stinnett's 23 points on Nov. 9 against DePaul were the most by a Bluejay in their first game since Cyril Baptiste scored 24 points on Dec. 1, 1969 against Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Stinnett's 23 points were the most by any Creighton player in a season-opener since Rodney Buford tipped off his senior campaign with 24 points against Towson State on Nov. 14, 1998.
Below is a list of how Stinnett's debut compares with some other notable names in Bluejay history.
Name, Yr. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Min. Result
Stinnett, 2007 23 4 3 3 26 W 74-62
Tolliver, 2003 0 1 2 0 7 W 79-44
Funk, 2002 3 5 4 1 21 W 106-50
Kyle Korver, 1999 2 2 0 1 10 W 70-62
Buford, 1995 3 4 0 0 19 W 63-59
Harstad, 1987 4 5 1 1 21 L 49-70
Gallagher, 1987 10 3 0 0 37 L 49-70
Benjamin, 1982 14 4 1 0 22 W 98-54
McKenna, 1977 14 3 7 ? ? W 95-66
Harmon, 1971 21 7 ? ? ? W 74-62
C. Baptiste, 1969 24 17 ? ? ? W 84-62
Portman, 1966 9 ? ? ? ? W 78-76
Silas, 1961 22 29 ? ? ? W 85-51
Gibson, 1954 19 ? ? ? ? W 66-51
Not Half Bad
P'Allen Stinnett scored all 23 of his points in the second half of Creighton's 74-62 win over DePaul on Nov. 9. The last Bluejay player to score 23 points or more in one half (without the aid of overtimes) was Kyle Korver, who had 26 of his 32 points in the second half of a game at #19 Xavier on Dec. 31, 2002.
Stinnett Named Newcomer Of the Week
P'Allen Stinnett picked up the league's first MVC Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 9 after his extraordinary debut against DePaul.
Stinnett had 23 points, four rebounds, three steals and three assists in the 74-62 win over DePaul. His 23 points were the most in a Bluejay debut since Cyril Baptiste in 1969, while his 23 point second half was the most by a Creighton player in one half since Kyle Korver on Dec. 31, 2002 at #19 Xavier.
Stinnett Shines Again
Freshman P'Allen Stinnett had 22 points against Illinois State on Dec. 29 in the first MVC game of his career. That ranked as the most by a Bluejay in an MVC debut since Rod Mason scored 23 points on Jan. 10, 1987 at Wichita State.
What's Your Twenty?
This is the 11th straight year that Creighton has won at least 13 of its first 20 games. Each of the previous 10 seasons it has done that, it reached the postseason. Here's a look at Creighton's record after 20 games in the 14 seasons under Dana Altman.
Year First 20 W-L Final W-L Postseason
2007-08 14-6 ??? ???
2006-07 13-7 22-11 NCAA
2005-06 15-5 20-10 NIT
2004-05 13-7 23-11 NCAA
2003-04 17-3 20-9 NIT
2002-03 18-2 29-5 NCAA
2001-02 14-6 23-9 NCAA
2000-01 14-6 24-8 NCAA
1999-00 14-6 23-10 NCAA
1998-99 14-6 22-9 NCAA
1997-98 14-6 18-10 NIT
1996-97 10-10 15-15 ---
1995-96 11-9 14-15 ---
1994-95 6-14 7-19 ---
Is Anyone Left?
Creighton returned just 24.7 percent of its scoring from last season's team. According to STATS Inc., that ranks 10th-lowest nationally among Division I schools, as seen below.
Lowest Percentage of Points Returning
Source: STATS -- Chicago
Rk. School Last Year Return %
1. Long Beach State 2,575 85 3.3
2. Pepperdine 2,389 223 9.3
3. Colorado State 2,178 309 14.2
4. Florida 3,193 472 14.8
5. Louisiana Tech 1,922 354 18.4
6. Citadel 1,758 363 20.6
7. Eastern Washington 2,443 535 21.9
8. Southeastern Louisiana 2,050 501 24.4
9. Loyola Marymount 2,030 497 24.5
10. Creighton 2,220 548 24.7
Are You Experienced?
How much experience does senior Dane Watts have compared to the rest of the his CU teammates? The chart below shows his stats at CU compared to all of his teammates...combined.
Stat Watts Rest of Team
Starts 113 149
Blocks 49 75
FG Made 374 741
FG Attempts 809 1,711
3FG Made 136 280
3FG Attempts 363 743
FT Made 202 393
FT Attempts 295 553
Points 1,094 2,157
Off. Rebounds 211 291
Def. Rebounds 441 659
Rebounds 652 950
Who Are These Guys?
Program sales are up as Creighton fans try to figure out who all the newcomers on the roster are this winter.
Creighton has just one regular starter back from last year, Dane Watts. The last time Creighton listed just one returning starter was all the way back in 1985-86, when Gary Swain was the lone returning starter.
Additionally, Creighton's returners accounted for just 44 games started last year. That's the fewest games started that are returning since at least the start of the 1980-81 campaign.
The Charge Chart
Creighton has taken 50 charges so far this season, including five on both Dec. 17 and Dec. 20.
Casey Harriman has taken at least one charge in nine of the past 15 games, and leads the club with 14 taken this year.
Over the previous five seasons, the Bluejays have averaged 46.0 per year. Below is a list of the charges that have been taken in that time:
Name 2002-06 ?06-07 ?07-08 Total
Casey Harriman n/a n/a 14 14
Dane Watts 15 11 12 38
Chad Millard n/a n/a 7 7
Josh Dotzler 4 0 5 9
P'Allen Stinnett n/a n/a 4 4
Kenton Walker n/a n/a 3 3
Kenny Lawson Jr. n/a 0 2 2
Cavel Witter n/a n/a 1 1
Dustin Sitzmann 0 0 1 1
Booker Woodfox n/a n/a 1 1
Pierce Hibma 1 2 0 3
Former Players 164 33 0 197
Total 184 46 50 280
National Stats Report
In the most recent national statistical report that came out on Feb. 21, the Bluejays were ranked in the top 50 in two team categories. Creighton ranked 34th with 8.4 three-pointers per game and 47th with a +8.7 scoring margin.
Individually, Josh Dotzler ranked 68th with a 2.0 assist/turnover ratio.
Cashing In At The Line
Sophomore guard Cavel Witter made each of his first 22 free throw attempts, including a perfect 10-of-10 effort at Drexel, before missing on Dec. 5 at Xavier.
Witter's 22 in a row was tied for the ninth-longest streak in Bluejay records, 10 makes shy of the school record set by Michael Lindeman. Lindeman made 32 in a row from Jan. 23 - Nov. 29, 2003.
Witter's 22 in a row was the best mark in school history to start a season, two better than Kyle Korver's 20 straight to open 2001-02.
Consecutive Free Throws Made (Since 1980)
FT Name Dates of Streak
32 Michael Lindeman Jan. 23-Nov. 29, 2003
28 Kyle Korver Jan. 27-March 15, 2001
27 Matt West Nov. 27, 1999-Jan. 15, 2000
Kyle Korver Jan. 29-Nov. 20, 2000
Nate Funk Dec. 30, 2006-Jan. 12, 2007
24 Rick Apke Jan. 22-Feb. 5, 1977
Rod Mason Jan. 28-Feb. 4, 1988
Kyle Korver Mar. 15-Dec. 4, 2001
22 Matt Petty Jan. 4-Feb. 4, 1993
Ryan Sears Feb. 22-Nov. 22, 1999
Nate Funk Feb. 26-Mar. 17, 2005
Cavel Witter Nov. 9-Dec. 1, 2007
Million Fan March
Jared Stickrod, a 10-year old from Omaha, was honored as the 1,000,000th Creighton basketball fan to Qwest Center Omaha on Jan. 19th. It came in CU's 74th game at the facility.
Stickrod received two season tickets for the 2008-09 season, a framed photo signed by Dana Altman and Dane Watts, a Creighton basketball jersey, a Creighton “Jays” flag, and an autographed basketball signed by the 2007-08 Creighton basketball team.
The Bluejays have hosted 1,082,429 fans in 79 all-time regular-season and NIT home games. The works out to an average of 13,702 fans per home contest in the five-year span of the 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 183-41 in the last eight 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 Eight Years
Year Men Women Combined
2007-08 14-2 9-1 23-3
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 109-16 79-25 188-41
Double-Digit Comebacks
Including its Feb. 2 win over Wichita State, Creighton has won after overcoming a double-digit deficit 24 times in the last eight seasons, including twice this year (also DePaul).
Below is a list of those comebacks, listed by size of the margin overcome:
Overcoming Double Digit Deficits, Last 8 Years
Date Opponent Deficit Final Score
01/28/06 Wichita State 19 W 57-55
11/27/01 Western Kentucky 18 W 95-91 2ot
02/12/03 Missouri State 17 W 70-67 ot
11/09/07 DePaul 17 W 74-62
02/04/06 at Drake 16 W 72-67 ot
01/26/03 TCU 16 W 89-79
02/02/08 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
01/18/06 Bradley 12 W 80-76
01/07/04 at Illinois State 12 W 56-55
12/30/06 Missouri State 11 W 77-74
11/26/05 Dayton 11 W 91-90 2ot
01/15/05 at Northern Iowa 11 W 67-66
11/30/04 at Xavier 11 W 73-72
03/15/02 vs. #15 Florida 11 W 83-82 2ot
12/18/05 Xavier 10 W 61-59
02/16/05 at Wichita State 10 W 82-68
02/01/05 Wichita State 10 W 73-69
12/30/03 Missouri State 10 W 59-54
Double-Digit Comebacks
Creighton has fallen behind by double-digits in 19 of its 79 all-time home games all-time at Qwest Center Omaha. In 12 of those 19 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
Helping Hand
Junior point guard Josh Dotzler tied a career-high with 10 assists in the win over Saint Joseph's on Dec. 9.
Dotzler's performance matched his 10 assists in a Feb. 4, 2006 overtime win at Drake. Dotzler's 10 dimes were also the most in Qwest Center Omaha history by a Creighton player.
For the season, Dotzler leads Creighton with 103 assists, nearly double that of any other Bluejay.
Hammons Success = MVC Champs = NCAA?
Including Jan. 5th, Creighton has won just six times in 21 tries at Missouri State all-time.
Even better, each of those previous five Bluejay teams to win in Springfield went on to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and reach the NCAA Tournament that March.
This year marks just the second time (joining 1998-99) that Creighton has won at Missouri State, Wichita State and Northern Iowa in the same season. The last MVC team to do it in the same season was Southern Illinois in 2002-03.
More Defensive Excellence
When Creighton bolted to a 29-15 halftime lead on Jan. 5 at Missouri State, it helped set a couple of Hammons Student Center records.
Missouri State's 15 points in the first half were its fewest in the 32-year history of Hammons Student Center, which has hosted 486 games. MSU's previous low had been 19 against Arkansas on Dec. 18, 1983.
It was also MSU's lowest scoring half at any site since they got 14 points at Purdue on Dec. 23, 1991.
Missouri State's 4-of-22 shooting in the first half (18.2 percent) was the lowest marksmanship by a Bluejay opponent in a half since Nebraska was just 4-of-26 (15.4 percent) in the first half of a loss to Creighton on Dec. 11, 2005.
Preseason Poll
Creighton has been picked fourth in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll of coaches, beat writers, SID's and play-by-play men.
Southern Illinois was a unanimous selection with 39 first-place votes and a point total of 390. Bradley is second with 311 points while Missouri State is third with 283 points. Creighton comes in fourth with 266 points, just ahead of Illinois State's 235. Rounding out the bottom half is Wichita State (210), UNI (197), Indiana State (110), Drake (80) and Evansville (63).
The preseason all-MVC team does not include any Creighton players and is headed by preseason player of the year Randal Falker (Southern Illinois). Joining Falker on the first team are Eric Coleman (UNI), PJ Couisnard (Wichita State), Deven Mitchell (Missouri State) and Daniel Ruffin (Bradley). Honorable-mention picks include Jeremy Crouch (Bradley), Levi Dyer (Illinois State), Osiris Eldridge (Illinois State), Matt Shaw (Southern Illinois) and Bryan Mullins (Southern Illinois).
Qwest To Be The Best
Creighton's has played 79 regular and post-season contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time. The Bluejays own a 66-13 (.835) record all-time at the facility, including a perfect 14-0 figure on Wednesday's. The 13 losses have been by a combined 70 points. CU has outscored its opponents 5,784-4,825 in games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.1 points per game.
Jays Were Among Attendance Leaders
During the 2006-07 season, Creighton finished ranked 13th nationally in average attendance with 15,909 fans per game. Below is a list of the nation's attendance leaders, according to figures compiled by the NCAA.
2006-07 Attendance Leaders
Rk. School Avg.
1. Kentucky 23,421
2. Syracuse 21,516
3. North Carolina 20,693
4. Tennessee 19,661
5. Louisville 18,488
6. Ohio State 17,530
7. Wisconsin 17,190
8. Maryland 16,822
9. Arkansas 16,720
10. Illinois 16,618
11. Indiana 16,474
12. Kansas 16,300
13. Creighton 15,909
14. Marquette 15,345
15. Michigan State 14,759
Nothing Mid-Major About The Valley
The 2006-07 campaign marked the ninth consecutive season that the Missouri Valley Conference has had multiple bids to the NCAA Tournament, as two teams were in the Big Dance.
The only leagues to send at least two teams to the last nine NCAA Tourney's (since 1998-99) are the ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, MVC, SEC and Pac-10.
Television Records
Creighton is a combined 83-44 in televised games in the last six seasons, including a 30-18 mark on KMTV-produced games (which does not include CU's record in NCAA Tournament games on KMTV). Creighton went 4-2 in games aired on KMTV in 2002-03, 6-3 in 2003-04, 4-5 in 2004-05, 5-3 in 2005-06 and 6-2 in 2006-07 in KMTV-produced games.
The Jays are also 37-23 in games that air regionally or nationally in that time, including a 20-13 mark on MVC TV.
Creighton had 28-of-33 games on television last season. Twenty-three regular-season games are slated for television this season.
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one trifecta in a league-best 460 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993 when Rick Johnson was coach.
Jays Ink Pair of Recruits
Creighton signed a pair of left-handed guards on Nov. 14, the first day of the fall signing period.
Antoine Young is an all-state guard from Bellevue West HS in the south Omaha suburb of Bellevue. A 6'0” guard, Young averaged 20.6 points per game last year for the state-runner up. He is coached by Doug Woodard.
Josh Jones is an all-state guard from Omaha Central HS. A 6'2” shooting guard, Jones has helped lead Central to back-to-back state titles. He averaged 18.0 points per game as a junior and is coached by Eric Behrens.
Jones and Young have previously been summer AAU teammates with the Omaha Crusaders.
Stealing A Share Of The Record
Creighton tied a school-record on Nov. 29 against Savannah State, recording 18 steals in its 26-point victory.
The 18 steals matched the amount recorded on Dec. 18, 1991 at Cleveland State, and later matched on Dec. 12, 1999 against Illinois State.
Last Season Recap
Led by seniors Nate Funk, Manny Gakou, Nick Porter and Anthony Tolliver, Creighton went 22-11 and advanced to its seventh NCAA Tournament in the past nine years last winter.
Creighton was ranked a best-ever 19th in the preseason Associated Press poll last year, but lost several games early and was just 4-3 before a second-place finish in Honolulu at the Rainbow Classic.
The Bluejays would then open MVC play with a 5-1 record, eventually finishing second with a 13-5 league mark.
The second-seeded Bluejays then won the State Farm MVC Tournament in St. Louis with victories over Indiana State, Missouri State and #11 Southern Illinois, earning a 10-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Funk, Tolliver and Porter were all named to the all-Tournament Team.
Shipped to New Orleans, La., to take on #15 Nevada, Creighton dropped a 77-71 overtime game to the Wolf Pack in the first round of the NCAA's.
Funk and Tolliver gave Creighton its first pair of first-team all-MVC teammates since 1991. Funk led the Jays in scoring (17.7 ppg.) and assists (3.0 apg.), while Tolliver topped the team in rebounding (6.7 rpg.) and blocked shots (1.72 bpg.).
Creighton was 15th nationally with its school-record 75.4 percent accuracy at the free-throw line and ranked 23rd nationally, allowing just 60.9 points per game. The Jays also ranked 13th nationally with an MVC-record 15,909 fans per home game.
The 2006-07 campaign marked Creighton's 10th-straight postseason bid and ninth-straight 20-win season.
Canada Trip Recap
Creighton spent Labor Day weekend in Calgary, winning five games in three days. Creighton beat Saskatchewan twice (87-82 and 92-66), Calgary twice (85-77 and 97-78) and Lethbridge once (88-49).
Eleven different Creighton players started at least once, and all 14 Jays scored at least nine points over the course of the weekend.
Dane Watts led Creighton in scoring with 16.0 points per game while also adding 6.4 rebounds per contest. Kenny Lawson Jr. averaged 14.0 points and led the team with 6.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots per game. Josh Dotzler paced the club with 19 assists and 14 steals.
The foreign trip, which is allowed once every four years, was Creighton's first since the 2003-04 trip to Vancouver. That Creighton team opened the season 12-0.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets went on sale on Nov. 7th. Fans can purchase tickets in advance at Qwest Center Omaha Box Office, the Omaha Civic Auditorium Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (402) 422-1212. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any game and cost is $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 a record 12,888 season tickets for this season. The previous mark was the 12,126 season-tickets bought for the 2006-07 season.
Shuttle Service To Qwest Center Omaha
Metro Area Transit and Creighton University have partnered again this year to provide shuttle bus service from the CU campus to Qwest Center Omaha for all men's basketball home games this season.
The service is available to all fans, not just Creighton students. Round-trip cost is $1.00 for Creighton students with identification; $1.00 for children under the age of 18; $1.00 for senior citizens and $2.00 for adults. The shuttle will start one-hour before tip-off and at least two buses will continue to operate the route during the game.
The designated stops for pick-up around the CU campus are: 24th and Cuming (farside/southbound); 24th & California (nearside/southbound); 20th & Cass (nearside/eastbound) and 18th & Cass (nearside/eastbound by the Morrison Stadium). The shuttle will then go eastbound on Capitol Avenue and then go north up 10th Street for drop-off at the Qwest Center Omaha Arena entrance.
The route is designed for each shuttle driver to make a roundtrip every 15 minutes. Following the game's conclusion, the shuttle will start at the Qwest Center Omaha Arena entrance on 10th Street and loop the original route with the first of four stops at 24th & Cuming Streets.
