Men's Basketball Notes For Tuesday's NIT Game With Rhode Island
3/17/2008 3:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Next Game
Creighton (21-10) makes its league-record 11th consecutive postseason appearance on Tuesday night when it hosts Rhode Island (21-11) in a 9 pm (Central) game at Qwest Center Omaha (17,272) in Omaha, Neb.
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 Jimmy Motz will call the action.
Big Sports 590 afternoon host Matt Perrault will host a call-in show focusing on the Bluejays, starting at 90 minutes prior to tipoff that leads into the pre-game show. Perrault will also take calls after the game, also on Big Sports 590.
Television Broadcast Information
Tuesday's game will be televised by ESPNU. Announcers and coordinates were not available on late Sunday night when these notes went to print.
Ticket Information
Creighton season ticket holders will be able to purchase their same seat locations for Tuesday night's NIT first-round game by stopping by Qwest Center Omaha ticket windows on Monday, March 17 from 9:00 a.m., to 8:00 p.m., or Tuesday, March 18 from 9:00 a.m. to noon (Phone orders from CU season ticket holders for Tuesday's NIT tickets cannot be accepted).
As per NIT rule, there are no complimentary tickets. Ticket prices will be $30 each for lower bowl table seats, $20 each for all other lower bowl seats and $10 each for all upper bowl seats (adult or youth).
The Qwest Center Omaha ticket office will accept personal checks for NIT game ticket payment ? made payable to Creighton Athletics ? in addition to cash or credit cards (Visa, Mastercard or Discover).
Seats that haven't been purchased by season ticket holders by noon on Tuesday, March 18 will be made available to the general public via Ticketmaster starting at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18.
CU season ticket holders stopping by the Qwest Center Omaha ticket office to purchase tickets for Tuesday night's NIT game on Monday (9 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and Tuesday (9 a.m. to noon) should park in either of venue's two curb-cuts on 10th Street.
Video Webcast Information
Tuesday's game will not be video webcast.
Live Stats Information
The game will have live stats. Fans can go to www.gocreighton.com and look for the Live Stats graphic for the exact link.
Scouting Creighton
This season's Creighton team has extended three league records that showcase the team's dominance over the past decade. This is Creighton's 12th straight season with 10 or more league wins, 11th straight postseason bid and 10th straight 20-win season.
The Jays are 21-10 overall after finishing fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 10-8 mark.
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 (11.5 ppg., 6.3 rpg.), who is expected to make his 118th consecutive start on Tuesday. Watts also leads the team with 29 blocked shots.
Freshman guard P'Allen Stinnett averages a team-high 12.4 points per game and is the fifth player in MVC history to sweep the league's MVC Freshman and Newcomer of the Year Awards.
The Jays boast two other difference-makers off the bench. Booker Woodfox is the third-leading scorer with 9.4 points per game and has scored in double-figures in a league-best 13 straight contests.
Cavel Witter averages 9.0 points per game and had a career-high and Qwest Center Omaha record with 42 points against Bradley on March 1st.
Creighton's bench averages 37.3 points per contest (second-most nationally) and has outscored the starting five by 82 points this year.
The Bluejays were 15-2 at home this season, including non-conference wins over DePaul, Nebraska and Saint Joseph's. CU averaged 15,768 fans per home game, which ranks 15th nationally.
As a team, Creighton averages 72.0 points per game while allowing 65.2. The Jays also own a +1.7 advantage on the glass. CU shoots 45.1 percent from the floor, 37.0 percent on three-pointers and 71.9 percent at the line.
Scouting Rhode Island
Rhode Island is 21-11 on the year but has lost seven of their last eight games since a 20-4 start that moved them into the top-25 for four weeks.
Rhode Island is 5-6 on the road, including a 91-89 win at Syracuse on Dec. 8th.
The Rams are led by all Atlantic-10 performer Will Daniels, who averages 18.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
Also scoring in double-figures for URI is Jimmy Baron (14.3 ppg.) and Parafait Bitee (12.0 ppg., 4.8 apg.).
The Rams average 80.8 points per game and shoot 47.1 percent from the field, 38 percent from three-point range and 69.5 percent at the line while outrebounding teams by 2.5 caroms per contest. URI allows 74.4 points per contest.
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 281-151 (.650) mark at CU and a career record of 364-218 (.625) 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.
Jim Baron (St. Bonaventure, 1977) owns a 108-105 record in his seventh season at Rhode Island. Baron, who was previously head coach at St. Francis (Pa.) (1987-92) and St. Bonaventure (1992-2001) owns a 314-307 head coaching record in 21 years overall. He is assisted by Kevin Clark, Pat Skerry and Pat Clarke.
Series History
Creighton and Rhode Island have never met.
Dana Altman has never faced Rhode Island nor coach Jim Baron.
The Bluejays are 1-1 this season against teams from the Atlantic-10. The Jays lost at Xavier on Dec. 5 (79-66) before beating Saint Joseph's (90-84 OT) in Omaha four days later.
MVC Tournament Recap
Creighton went 1-1 at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, beating Bradley (74-70) on March 7 before falling a day later to eventual tournament champion Drake (75-67).
The Bluejays had four players score in double-figures both games, led by P'Allen Stinnett's 15.5 scoring average.
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 16 straight NCAA appearances, is the nation's only school with 11 straight postseason appearances in both men's basketball and men's soccer.
Creighton's NIT History
Creighton is playing in its ninth National Invitation Tournament, owning a 3-8 all-time record in the event. The Jays were last in the NIT in 2006, when it went 1-1 and was eliminated by Miami (Fla.).
Creighton owns a 1-4 home record, an 0-2 road record and a 2-2 neutral-site record in games played at Madison Square Garden.
This is Creighton's fourth NIT appearance under Dana Altman, who is 1-3 in NIT games at Creighton and 5-6 in his career when you include two NIT appearances while at Kansas State.
1942 (2-1) in New York City, N.Y.
3/16 Creighton 59, West Texas A&M 58
3/23 W. Kentucky 49, Creighton 36
3/25 Creighton 48, Toledo 46
1943 (0-1) in New York City, N.Y.
3/18 Washington & Jefferson 43, Creighton 42
1977 (0-1) in Omaha, Neb.
3/08 Illinois State 65, Creighton 58
1984 (0-1) in Omaha, Neb.
3/15 Nebraska 56, Creighton 54
1990 (0-1) in Chicago, Ill.
3/16 DePaul 89, Creighton 72
1998 (0-1) in Milwaukee, Wis.
3/11 Marquette 80, Creighton 68
2004 (0-1) in Omaha, Neb.
3/16 Nebraska 71, Creighton 70
2006 (1-1) in Omaha, Neb.
3/16 Creighton 71, Akron 60
3/20 Miami (Fla.) 53, Creighton 52
Common Opponents
Creighton and Rhode Island have played two common opponents this season. The Bluejays were 1-1 in those games, while the Rams went 0-2 in those contests.
Opponent Creighton Rhode Island
Xavier XU 79-66 XU 81-77
Saint Joseph's CU 90-84 (ot) SJU 90-83
Against Postseason Opponents
Creighton and Rhode Island have both played a bunch of games versus teams that qualified for the NIT or NCAA Tournament this season (pairings for the CBI were incomplete Sunday night). Creighton went 3-6 in those contests, while URI was 0-3.
Against NIT qualifiers, Creighton was 2-1, while URI was 3-5.
vs. NIT Qualifiers
Opponent Creighton Rhode Island
Nebraska CU 74-62
Southern Illinois SIU 48-44
CU 72-53
UAB URI 74-69
Syracuse URI 91-89
Dayton UD 92-83
URI 82-70
Massachusetts UMASS 78-76
UMASS 98-91
Charlotte UNCC 74-64
UNCC 75-73
vs. NCAA Qualifiers
Opponent Creighton Rhode Island
Miss. Valley St. CU 76-46
Xavier XU 79-66 XU 81-77
Saint Joseph's CU 90-84 (ot) SJU 90-83
Oral Roberts CU 65-64
Illinois State ILS 80-67
ILS 68-54
Drake DU 68-60 (ot)
DU 75-65
DU 75-67
Temple TU 92-89 (ot)
Connections With Rhode Island
Creighton and Rhode Island don't appear to have any connections at first glance.
A Busy Week On The Hilltop
Creighton's NIT game on Tuesday is just one of numerous events going on in the school's athletic programs this week.
Creighton and the Missouri Valley Conference are co-hosts of the NCAA Tournament first- and second-round games, which start Thursday at Qwest Center Omaha.
Creighton's baseball team is hosting Northern Colorado on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Creighton's softball team is hosting a doubleheader against Iowa State on Tuesday.
Creighton's women's basketball team, which won 20 games and reached the MVC Tournament semifinals, was expected to earn a postseason bid on Monday evening as well.
Heartbreak Hotel
Five of Creighton's last six postseason runs have included a game that was decided in the final seconds, including the past four seasons.
Last season Creighton had the ball for a final shot in a tie game against Nevada in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Nate Funk's shot attempt missed, and a tip-in try was also not converted. The Jays would lose 77-71 in overtime.
In the 2006 NIT, Miami (Fla.) guard Guilermo Diaz drained a free throw with 2.6 seconds left to beat Creighton 53-52. A last-second shot attempt by Bluejay senior Johnny Mathies was knocked out of his hands.
In the 2005 NCAA Tourney, Funk had his three-point try with seven seconds left blocked by Tyrone Sally, and Sally raced downcourt for a breakaway dunk with 2.4 seconds left to give West Virginia a 63-61 win. Funk's three-point try from the corner missed at the buzzer.
In 2004, Creighton fell 71-70 to Nebraska in the NIT. The Jays led nearly the entire second half before NU's go-ahead basket with 12 seconds left. Nate Funk's game-winning jumper from 18-feet away was blocked by Husker guard Jake Muhleisen.
In 2002, Creighton beat #15 Florida, 83-82, in Chicago. Terrell Taylor hit a game-winning trey with 0.2 seconds left in double-overtime, his final three of 28 points after a scoreless first half.
Altman In The NIT
Creighton coach Dana Altman is making his sixth appearance in the NIT, and fourth with the Bluejays. Altman owns a 5-6 record in the NIT and a 1-3 mark at Creighton. Below is a list of the games his teams have played in:
Date Result
03/20/06 Miami (Fla.) 53, at Creighton 52
03/16/06 at Creighton 71, Akron 60
03/16/04 Nebraska 71, at Creighton 70
03/11/98 at Marquette 80, Creighton 68
03/30/94 Siena 92, Kansas State 79 (in New York)
03/28/94 Vanderbilt 82, Kansas State 76 (in New York)
03/24/94 at Kansas State 115, Fresno State 77
03/22/94 at Kansas State 66, Gonzaga 64
03/17/94 at Kansas State 78, Mississippi State 67
03/23/92 at Notre Dame 64, Kansas State 47
03/18/92 at Kansas State 85, Western Kentucky 74
Altman Goes From Manhattan To Manhattan
Dana Altman's 1994 Kansas State team won three straight home games in Manhattan, Kansas to advance to the NIT Final Four, which is played in Manhattan, New York at the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. Bluejay assistant coach Brian Fish was also a film coordinator on that team.
Helping key Kansas State's 1994 run to the NIT Final Four was a masterful quarterfinal round performance by Askia Jones. Jones scored 62 points while draining 14-of-18 three-pointers in a 38-point win over Fresno State. Jones made 11 treys in the second half, including nine straight at one point. Jones' 62 points remain the 12th-most points in a game in NCAA history and rank second in postseason tournament history.
More Trips To New York, Too
Two other members of the Creighton program have reached the Final Four of the NIT in New York City as well.
Creighton assistant coach Mike Maker was an assistant coach on last year's champion, West Virginia.
Additionally, Chad Millard's Louisville team reached the semifinals of the NIT in 2005-06 before he transferred to Creighton.
Recent NIT History for the MVC
The MVC went 1-2 in NIT action last season, with Bradley beating Providence for the only win.
The last MVC school to win the men's NIT championship was the 1982 Bradley team that beat American, Syracuse, Tulane, Oklahoma and Purdue en route to the title.
The MVC has had a women's team reach the Final Four of the WNIT (held at campus sites) three of the last five seasons. The 2003 Creighton's women's team lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Auburn, while the 2004 Creighton women's team won the WNIT. In 2005, Missouri State's women's team won the WNIT.
Non-Conference Home Success
Creighton owns a 70-12 (.854) record in non-conference home games under Dana Altman. Equally impressive, CU is 30-5 (.857) in non-conference home games since moving to Qwest Center Omaha.
During CU's active string of 11 straight postseason bids, the Bluejays are 61-7 (.897) in home games against non-conference foes.
Can It Get Any Better?
March, 2008 may prove to be the best month in Qwest Center Omaha's young history.
Creighton opened the month with a thrilling 111-110 double-overtime win over Bradley that some local media ranked among the state's best sporting events this century.
A week later, Nebraska-Omaha hockey won its first-round playoff series with a 2-1 triple-overtime win over Alaska in the eighth-longest game in NCAA history.
Last Friday, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band rocked a sold-out Qwest Center Omaha.
After Tuesday night's Creighton home game, the facility will host six NCAA Tournament games over three days as part of a spectacle that many are calling the biggest sporting event this city has ever seen.
Later this year the building will host the US Olympic Swimming Trials and the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship.
Converting Turnovers In Points = Wins
One common theme when Creighton is successful is that they have had an advantage in “points off turnovers” in many of those contests.
For the season, Creighton is 16-4 when scoring more points off turnovers than its opponent. In the last four years, Creighton is 60-10 when winning this category.
Inside Game Still A Priority
Though it's often overlooked by the school's traditionally strong perimeter game, Creighton's inside game continues to be a focal point that often dictates CU's success.
When scoring 28 or more points in the paint this season, Creighton is 13-2 this season. Since the school started tracking points in the paint five years ago, CU is 52-8 when scoring 28 or more in the paint.
Slow Out Of The Gate
Creighton has trailed at the half in 10 of its last 12 postseason games under Dana Altman. The Jays 40-26 lead over Akron in 2006 and 32-31 lead over Nevada last year stand as the only exceptions. It is worth noting that in eight of those 12 games, CU tied or outscored the opposition in the second half.
Year Opponent 1st Half 2nd Half W-L
2007 Nevada 32-31 27-28 L
2006 Miami (Fla.) 19-29 33-24 L
2006 Akron 40-26 31-34 W
2005 West Virginia 31-33 30-30 L
2004 Nebraska 29-35 41-36 L
2003 Central Michigan 22-38 51-41 L
2002 Illinois 26-31 34-41 L
2002 Florida 31-38 38-31 W
2001 Iowa 30-32 26-37 L
2000 Auburn 25-40 44-32 L
1999 Maryland 32-45 31-30 L
1999 Louisville 23-31 39-27 W
20 Overall Wins x 10 Years = MVC History
Creighton is the only school in the 101-year history of the Missouri Valley Conference to post 10 straight 20-win campaigns. No other school owns more than six straight.
Creighton entered this season as 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
Arizona 19-14 March 20 vs. West Virginia
Syracuse 19-13 March 18 vs. Robert Morris
Kentucky 18-12 March 20 vs. Marquette
10 Conference Wins x 12 Seasons
The March 1 win over Bradley extended Creighton's 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 that will enter 2008-09 with at least 12 straight years of 10 or more league wins will be Stanford (14), Kansas (14) and Creighton (12).
Six Out Of 10 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns six league tournament titles in the last 10 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (8), Winthrop (8), Duke (7) and Creighton (6).
Creighton's 10 Valley Tournament titles are twice as many as the next closest school, Southern Illinois (5).
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, and two of the three 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 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
Game Tested
Senior Dane Watts has played in 128 games as a Bluejay, which puts him tied for second in Creighton history. Below is a list of the all-time Creighton leaders in games played:
GP Name Years
135 Nate Funk 2002-07
128 Bob Harstad 1987-91
128 Kyle Korver 1999-03
128 Dane Watts 2004-Present
127 Joe Dabbert 2000-04
Witter Wonderland
Cavel Witter's career-high 42 points against Bradley on March 1 was noteworthy for numerous reasons.
Witter's 42 points were double his previous career-high of 21 points against Indiana State on Jan. 19, 2008.
Witter's 42 points were the most by any Missouri Valley Conference player since Indiana State's Nate Green scored 45 points against Eastern Illinois on Dec. 19,1999.
Witter's 42 points were the most by a sophomore in any game this year nationally.
According to ESPN.com, Witter became one of three players nationally to score 40 or more points off the bench this season.
Witter's 42 points were the most by a Creighton player since Benoit Benjamin had 45 vs. Indiana State on Jan. 19, 1985.
Witter's 42 points were the most by a Creighton player ever in the month of March.
Witter's 42 points were tied for eighth-most in Creighton history.
Witter's 42 points made him the first Creighton player with at least 40 points since Rodney Buford had 40 on Dec. 30, 1996 vs. Bradley.
Witter's 42 points was a Qwest Center Omaha record, four more than Nate Funk's 38 points on Nov. 26, 2005 vs. Dayton.
Witter's 42 points came just two weeks to the day after he was held scoreless in the first meeting against Bradley.
Thirty-Point Bluejays
Cavel Witter is one of five Creighton players in the Dana Altman era to score 30 points or more in a game, and one of two to score 40 or more under Altman (joining Rodney Buford). The other four players that did it were Nate Funk, Johnny Mathies, Kyle Korver and Buford.
The most points an Altman player has ever scored in a game was 62, which Kansas State's Askia Jones did in only 28 minutes against Fresno State on March 24, 1994, in an NIT quarterfinal. Jones hit an incredible 11 three-pointers in the second half of that game, and finished 14-of-18 from three-point range.
Below is the list of Creighton's 30-point games since Altman became head coach:
Pts. Name Opp. Date Result
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 St. 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 So. Illinois 02/05/98 W 91-73
30 Rodney Buford @No. Iowa 12/30/97 W 83-75
30 Rodney Buford Missouri St. 02/15/97 L 82-88
Top Bench Effort This Year
Cavel Witter's 42 points off the bench on March 1 vs. Bradley are the most by any reserve in the country this season. Below is the top-10 of that list, as compiled by STATS Inc.
Most Points in a Game this year off Bench -- D-I Players only
Through games of 03/13/08
Source: STATS -- Chicago
Rank Name, School Date Pts.
1 Cavel Witter, Creighton 03/01/2008 42
2 Steven Rush, NC A&T 11/24/2007 40
Dane Brumagin, UMKC 12/06/2007 40
4 Reggie Williams, Va Military 11/14/2007 38
LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor 03/08/2008 38
6 Tyrone Shelley, Pepperdine 11/17/2007 34
Robert Jarvis, Oral Roberts 01/26/2008 34
8 Tywain McKee, Coppin State 11/23/2007 33
9 Frank Tolbert, Auburn 02/02/2008 32
10 Jaret Von Rosenberg, Hartford 11/24/2007 31
Deon Tresvant, Cal-Northridge 01/05/2008 31
Draelon Burns, DePaul 02/27/2008 31
More Qwest Center Omaha Records
The March 1 game between Creighton and Bradley rewrote many Qwest Center Omaha records.
Creighton's 111 points were a QCO record for one team, one more than the Jays total against Houston Baptist on Dec. 17, 2007.
The combined 221 points smashed the previous QCO record of 183 from the aforementioned Creighton (110)/Houston Baptist (73) game.
Bradley's 78 field goals attempted were seven more than the previous mark of 71 by Creighton against DePaul on Nov. 9, 2007.
The 48 minutes played by Bradley's Daniel Ruffin were a QCO record, one more minute than the 47 played by Dayton's Brian Roberts on Nov. 26, 2005.
Overtime News & Notes
Creighton's 111-110 double-overtime win over Bradley on March 1 improved the Bluejays to 46-43 all-time in games that have played at least one overtime, including a 24-12 mark at home.
The Bluejays are 4-2 at Qwest Center Omaha in overtime games, which includes a 2-0 mark in double-overtime contests.
Creighton is 13-5 in double-overtime games all-time, including an 8-1 home mark.
Dana Altman is 14-11 at Creighton in overtime games, including a 7-3 record in home games.
Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton's recent wins over Bradley continued five impressive streaks.
Creighton has won 36 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has won 41 straight games when scoring 72 points or more dating to Jan. 29, 2005.
The Bluejays have won 58 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.
To The Century Mark And Beyond
Creighton's 111 points on March 1 against Bradley were its most points in a game since 1985, and fifth-most in school history.
It marked Creighton's 42nd all-time game of 100 or more points. CU is 40-2 in those games.
CU's 111 points were its most since scoring 115-80 over Indiana State on Jan. 19, 1985.
Below is a list of Creighton's top-six 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
115-82 Memphis 02/02/1966
111-110 (2ot) Bradley 03/01/2008
110-73 Houston Baptist 12/17/2007
More Notes About 100 Points
Bradley became the first opponent to score 100 points or more against Creighton since Iowa State had 107 on Dec. 1, 1993.
Bradley's 110 points against Creighton on March 1 were the most allowed by the Jays since Iowa State rolled up 115 points on Dec. 12, 1987.
This was the fourth game in Creighton history that both teams scored 100 points or more (and first since Feb. 16, 1989), and first that saw both teams reach 110 or more in the same game.
Bradley's 110 points were the most ever allowed by Creighton in a Bluejay win.
The combined 221 points made it the highest-scoring game in Creighton history. The previous mark had been Utah State's 124-96 win over the Jays on Jan. 14, 1967 in Logan, Utah.
The combined 221 points tied it for the fourth-highest scoring conference game in MVC history.
20 Wins Is Important
Since the NCAA Tournament field was expanded to 64 teams (1984-85), 67 MVC teams have posted 20 wins prior to “Selection Sunday”. Forty-seven have reached the NCAA's, and another 19 were in the NIT. Only Creighton's 1985 team that went 20-12 has been left out of the postseason.
Over .500 Again
Creighton has been better than .500 in either the first or second-half of the league season in 26 straight trips through the league, including the both halves 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 5-4
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) 79-47 (.627)
Jays Among Attendance Leaders, Again
During the 2006-07 season, Creighton finished ranked 13th nationally in average attendance with 15,909 fans per game.
The Jays are doing well once again, currently ranking 15th nationally with 15,768 fans per home game.
Below is a list of the nation's attendance leaders, according to figures compiled by Creighton Sports Information, through games of March 16.
2007-08 Attendance Leaders
Rk. School Average Upcoming
1. Kentucky 22,554 None
2. Syracuse 21,164 3/18
3. North Carolina 20,497 None
4. Tennessee 20,267 None
5. Louisville 19,481 None
6. Maryland 17,950 NIT road
7. Ohio State 17,193 3/18
8. Wisconsin 17,190 None
9. Arkansas 17,148 None
10. Indiana 16,876 None
11. Memphis 16,748 None
12. Illinois 16,618 None
13. Kansas 16,409 None
14. Marquette 16,329 None
15. Creighton 15,768 3/18
16. North Carolina State 15,043 None
17. Michigan State 14,759 None
18. New Mexico 14,361 NIT road
MVC Attendance Record Falls
Creighton has broken the MVC's single-season record for single-season home attendance with 268,052 fans. The 2005-06 team 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. Last year's club raised the bar by attracting 15,909 fans per game. This year's team is close to that, averaging 15,768.
Highest Season Home Attendance, MVC History
Home Att. School Year
268,052 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
15,768 Creighton 2007-08
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
12,016 Creighton 2003-04
Cardiac Kids
Creighton has won five games this year in which it has trailed or been tied at some point in the final minute. Most recently, Creighton trailed 95-90 in overtime against Bradley on March 1, eventually forcing a second overtime, which they would win by one in.
Margin Opponent Date
-5 Bradley March 1
-4 Saint Joseph's Dec. 9
-2 at Oral Roberts Feb. 23
-1 Wichita State Feb. 2
Tie at Missouri State Jan. 5
Lawson Goes 7-For 7
Freshman Kenny Lawson Jr. had 14 points and seven rebounds in just 18 minutes against Bradley on March 1. He was perfect in seven field goal attempts, including a pair of dunks. Lawson's 14 points were one shy of a career high.
Power Surge For Watts
Dane Watts had a solid all-around game in the win over Missouri State on Feb. 19. 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 Feb. 23.
A senior from Warrensburg, Mo., Watts needs seven rebounds to move into the top-10 of Creighton's rebounding charts for a career. He currently has 670 career rebounds, 12th in CU history.
Streaking, Nationally
According to STATS Inc., Booker Woodfox's active streak of 13 straight games off the bench with 10 points or more leads the nation's bench players. It is also tops among all MVC players, as seen below:
Active Streaks of 10+ Pts., All MVC Players
Rk. Name, School Stk. Next
1. Booker Woodfox, CU 13 3/18
2. Deven Mitchell, MSU 11 Done
3. Jeremy Crouch, BU 9 3/19
Microwave Man
Booker Woodfox has had 10 or more points in 13 straight games, all off the bench. He is CU's first player with 13 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 38 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 - - - - - - 16 16
D. Bowden 2 9 - - - - - 11
C. Witter - - - - - - 9 9
J. Mathies - - 4 4 - - - 8
P. Stinnett - - - - - - 8 8
J. Motz 1 - - 3 3 - - 7
N. Funk - 4 - - 2 - - 6
J. Day - - - 3 - - - 3
P. Hibma - - - 1 1 1 - 3
B. Deren 3 - - - - - - 3
K. Lawson - - - - - - 3 3
I. Caro 2 - - - - - - 2
D. Watts - - - 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 38 165
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 49.0 percent of his three-point attempts in the past 24 games, while also more than doubling his scoring average as well.
Statistic First 7 Games Since Dec. 15
FG-FGA 11-38 89-184
FG% .289 .484
3FG-3FGA 4-19 48-98
3FG% .211 .490
FT-FTA 5-6 34-48
FT% .833 .708
Rebounds 9 59
Rebounds Per Game 1.3 2.5
Assists 7 34
Turnovers 8 19
Points 31 260
Points Per Game 4.4 10.8
Game To Go With The Name
Super sub Booker Woodfox has scored in double-figures in 13 straight games, the longest streak by any Bluejay player this season. That's helped to move the junior into third on the team with 9.4 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 13.8 points per game in the last 13 games, hitting 48.1 percent from the field (65-135), 44.1 percent from three-point land (26-59) and 77.4 percent at the line (24-31) in that time.
Reserves Putting Up Some Points
Creighton owns three of the MVC's top five point-scoers among those players that have not started a game this season.
Booker Woodfox leads all such players with 291 points, with teammate Cavel Witter not far behind with 278 points.
Most Points Without a Start, MVC Players
Pts. Name, School
291 Booker Woodfox, Creighton
278 Cavel Witter, Creighton
217 JT Durley, Wichita State
115 John Michael Hall, Drake
110 Casey Harriman, Creighton
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
7-Up
Creighton is one of the nation's most successful programs in the past seven years. Creighton's 158 wins are tied for 25th in that category, through games of March 17.
Most Wins, Last Seven Years (since 2001-02)
Rank School W-L Next
1. Kansas 199-44 3/20
2. Duke 196-43 3/20
3. Memphis 193-49 3/21
4. Pittsburgh 189-50 3/20
5. Gonzaga 184-43 3/21
6. Florida 180-58 3/19
7. Illinois 179-63 2008-09
8. Connecticut 177-57 3/21
9. Texas 176-61 3/21
10. Southern Illinois 172-60 3/18
11. Kentucky 171-62 3/20
12. Wisconsin 171-59 3/20
13. Syracuse 169-69 3/18
14. Xavier 168-61 3/20
15. Kent State 167-64 3/20
16. Louisville 166-66 3/21
Utah State 166-60 3/19
18. North Carolina 165-68 3/21
19. Nevada 162-65 3/18
20. Arizona 161-69 3/20
Western Kentucky 161-60 3/21
Oklahoma 161-66 3/21
23. Butler 160-64 3/21
24. Marquette 159-67 3/20
25. Creighton 158-65 3/18
Oklahoma State 158-74 3/18
27. Ohio State 155-74 3/18
28. Maryland 154-75 3/18
Free Throw Defense Lacking
One common trend in three of Creighton's last six 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 70.8 percent from the stripe when the Jays win, but raise that mark to 75.7 percent when beating the Jays. When Creighton wins, it shoots 73.5 percent at the line. When Creighton loses, it shoots 65.6 percent at the line.
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 became the first Bluejay freshman with eight straight games of 10 or more points (from Jan. 30-Feb. 23) 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 in 13 of 31 games to date, and had 12 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 28 more points than Dane Watts to date (385-357).
Should Stinnett's scoring average lead (12.4 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 385 points in his first 31 games as a Bluejay, good for 12.4 ppg. That ranks as the most by any CU newcomer since Rodney Buford scored 421 points in his 1995-96 freshman 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
?07-08 P'Allen Stinnett, Fr. 12.4 3.3 24.2
'07-08 Booker Woodfox, Jr. 9.4 2.2 16.9
?07-08 Kenny Lawson Jr., Fr. 6.1 4.3 15.5
Senior Citizens
March 1 marked the final regular-season home game in the career for seniors Pierce Hibma, Nick Bahe and Dane Watts. Over the past four years, Creighton is 86-42 with four 20-win seasons and four postseason appearances (two NCAA's, two NIT's) to date.
Hibma is a fifth-year senior who owns 304 points, 175 rebounds, 64 assists and 41 career steals. The Pella, Iowa native has made 27 starts in 118 games.
Bahe is in his third year with the program after transferring in from Kansas. The Lincoln, Neb., native has scored 284 points, grabbed 146 rebounds and dished 77 assists in 64 games at CU, which includes 33 starts.
Watts is in his fourth year with the Jays and ranks 24th in CU history with 1,137 points. He also has 670 rebounds, 96 assists, 72 steals and 53 blocked shots. Tuesday will be his 129th game, and he has made 117 consecutive starts.
All three men will graduate in May.
Comparing The Last 3 Years
Below is a comparison of Creighton in the last 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.
Statistics 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08
W-L Record 20-10 22-11 21-10
Postseason NIT NCAA NIT
Scoring Offense 66.1 67.3 72.0
Scoring Defense 60.8 60.9 65.2
Scoring Margin +5.2 +6.3 +6.8
FG Percentage .419 .445 .451
3FG Percentage .357 .338 .370
FT Percentage .689 .754 .719
Opp. FG Percentage .407 .416 .416
Opp. 3FG Percentage .332 .351 .356
Opp. FT Percentage .680 .698 .725
3FG Made 214 205 258
Rebound Margin -0.2 +1.8 +1.7
Assists 398 441 458
Turnovers 400 417 435
Blocks 94 83 112
Steals 236 210 233
Won By One
Creighton is 3-0 this year and has now won 13 of its last 18 games decided by one point, improving to 15-11 under Dana Altman in such contests. Even more impressive is the fact that Creighton has won 10 of its last 11 games away from Omaha that have been decided by a single point.
CU is 18-8 under Altman in the game after a one-point contest, including a 13-3 mark in the past 16 such games.
Creighton's One-Point Games Under Dana Altman
Date Winner Loser Score
03/01/08 at Creighton Bradley 111-110 (2OT)
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 was named MVC Newcomer of the Week on Feb. 25. Woodfox averaged 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in wins over Missouri State and Oral Roberts. 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 10 MVC Newcomer of the Week awards this season, which have been spread among five individuals.
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.
Eight Is Enough For Witter
Sophomore Cavel Witter dished a career-high eight assists in the road game at Evansville on Feb. 13. He also had eight dimes on March 7 against Bradley at the Valley Tournament.
Witter has 44 assists in the past 10 games, an average of 4.4 per game. Prior to this seven-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.
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.
3-Point Weapons
Creighton has nine different players that have made 10 or more three-pointers this season. Five of those men have made 38.5 percent or more of their attempts from long-range.
Creighton and New Mexico are the nation's only teams with seven different players to own 20 or more treys.
For the season, Creighton's 8.32 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 seven of its last 17 games, and is 9-2 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.
Record Qwest
Dane Watts has played in 64 Qwest Center Omaha contests, more than any player in facility history.
Watts' 581 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 1,137 career points, good for 24th in Bluejay history.
Watts has averaged 8.9 points in 128 career games, including 11.5 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. 1,137 Dane Watts 2004-08
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
1,137 670 142 Dane Watts 2004-Pr.
1,093 674 0 Tim Powers 1964-67
On a national basis, STATS Inc. reports that Watts was one of three players through games of March 13 with more than 1,100 career points, 670 rebounds and 140 treys. That list is below:
Name, School Pts. Reb. 3FG
Reggie Williams, VMI 2,556 820 196
J.R. Giddens, New Mexico 1,599 679 202
Dane Watts, Creighton 1,137 670 142
117 and Counting So Far...
Dane Watts figures to make his 118th consecutive start on Tuesday, 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 March 16.
Longest Active String of Consecutive Starts
Source: STATS -- Chicago ? Through March 16, 2008
Rk. Name, School Streak Next
1. Jonathan Wallace, Georgetown 134 03/21
2. Dominique Kirk, Texas A&M 130 03/20
3. Leon Williams, Ohio 124 TBA
4. William Byrd, Ark.-Pine Bluff 119 None
5. Dane Watts, Creighton 117 03/18
High Voltage
Dane Watts has scored in double-figures in six of Creighton's last seven games. Watts has now scored in double-figures 53 times in his career. The Bluejays are 40-13 in those contests, including a 22-5 record when he pumps in 13 points or more.
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 15 of 31 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 Jays also scored 77 bench points in its March 1 win over Bradley.
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 1,157-1,075 margin through 31 games. The 51.84 percent of scoring coming from CU's bench was the nation's best mark, through games of March 13 according to Allan Spear at STATS Inc.
Percentage of Points Scored by Bench
Source: STATS -- Chicago ? Through March 13
Rk. Team Start% Bench%
1. Creighton 48.16 51.84
2. Texas State 48.78 51.22
3. Buffalo 52.28 47.72
4. Southeast Missouri State 53.62 46.38
5. Central Michigan 55.48 44.52
6. Louisiana-Lafayette 55.97 44.03
7. Cal State Northridge 56.60 43.40
8. North Carolina A&T 57.69 42.31
9. East Carolina 57.98 42.02
10. Arkansas-Little Rock 58.55 41.45
Creighton has scored 31 or more bench points in 21 of 31 games this year, compared to a high of 30 for last year's team. This year's team currently averages 37.3 points per game off the pine, the second-highest mark nationally through March 13 as well.
Bench Scoring Per Game
Source: STATS -- Chicago ? Through March 13
Rk. Team G Bench PPG
1. Texas State 29 42.79
2. Creighton 31 37.32
3. Southeast Missouri State 31 35.52
4. Buffalo 30 34.13
5. Cal State Northridge 29 34.00
6. Duquesne 30 33.50
7. Central Michigan 31 31.71
8. Belmont 33 29.70
9. North Carolina A&T 31 29.55
10. Long Island 30 29.07
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 1,157-599 margin, which amounts to a +18.0 point per game differential.
Almost as improbable is that Creighton's bench has almost as many points as the opponent's starters, trailing just 1,423-1,157.
Here's a breakdown of CU's starters and bench this season:
Stat CU Starters CU Bench
Points 1,075 1,157
Minutes 3,394 2,906
FG% .443 .460
3FG% .352 .385
FT% .735 .704
Rebounds 565 430
Assists 239 219
Steals 130 103
Balancing Act
Creighton has 12 players averaging 7.4 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 17 or less of CU's games this year. All 14 Bluejays on the roster have scored at least six points.
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.
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 65.2 points per game so far. The Jays have allowed less than 65 points per game in each of the previous five seasons, but would need to hold a team under 58 points to move that average under 65.0 ppg.
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 440 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Decade (+1) of Dominance
Creighton has reached 11 straight postseasons, the longest streak in MVC history.
In that time (since 1997-98), the Bluejays have dominated the Missouri Valley Conference to the tune of at least a .640 winning percentage against every foe except Southern Illinois, as seen below:
Opponent Altman at CU W-L Last 11 Years
Bradley 18-13 17-9
Drake 19-10 16-7
Evansville 19-9 17-6
Illinois State 16-14 16-9
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 177-98 (.644) 155-68 (.695)
Altman Passing Coaching Legends
Dana Altman continues to pass some of the coaching greats in MVC history in two categories. Altman's 281 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. 281 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
4. 126 Phog Allen Kansas
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 14 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 seven outbursts of 20 points or more off the bench this year, three by Witter and two each from 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 first on the team with 44.4 percent accuracy from three-point range, and leads the team with 52 trifectas.
The junior ranks second in the MVC (which requires 1 3FG per game) in three-point percentage, hitting 44.4 percent of his shots from downtown (52-117).
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 40.37 percent from three-point range in his career (65-161), a figure that ranks ninth-best in CU history.
Career 3-Point Pct. (Minimum 100 Attempts)
Pct. Name, Years 3FGM-FGA
.4530 Kyle Korver, 1999-03 371-819
.4444 Booker Woodfox, 2007-Present 52-117
.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
.4037 Nick Bahe, 2006-Present 65-161
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 10 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 37-8 at home all-time at Qwest Center Omaha in MVC games (.823), compared to a 21-24 (.467) road record in the MVC during that stretch.
Freshmen Starting Duo
Creighton has started two freshmen in 13 of the last 15 games (12 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 8.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 54.4 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 23 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 (23)
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
5:02 Bradley, 3/1 Both
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.
40-Point Halves = Wins
Dating to Jan. 29, 2005, Creighton has won its last 41 of its last 42 games when it scores at least 40 points in a half. The only exception was a March 8, 2008 loss to Drake after it scored 46 in the second 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 and also won Feb. 26th.
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.
Crowds Increase For League Action
Compared to its non-conference crowds, Creighton's attendance has increased in MVC action each of the last 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 15,369 16,122 +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 92 straight home games in front of crowds of 8,000 fans or more and 61 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.
Tuesday will be the 344th game in a row the Jays have played with a record of .500 or better.
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.
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
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 last 11 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 ??? NIT
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 117 165
Blocks 53 92
FG Made 389 801
FG Attempts 835 1,737
3FG Made 142 298
3FG Attempts 374 801
FT Made 207 443
FT Attempts 305 621
Points 1,137 2,420
Off. Rebounds 219 321
Def. Rebounds 451 742
Rebounds 670 1,063
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 59 charges so far this season, including five on both Dec. 17 and Dec. 20.
Casey Harriman has taken at least one charge in 11 of the past 19 games, and shares the team lead with 16 taken this year with Dane Watts.
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 16 16
Dane Watts 15 11 16 42
Chad Millard n/a n/a 7 7
Josh Dotzler 4 0 5 9
P'Allen Stinnett n/a n/a 5 5
Kenton Walker n/a n/a 3 3
Kenny Lawson Jr. n/a 0 2 2
Cavel Witter n/a n/a 2 2
Booker Woodfox n/a n/a 2 2
Dustin Sitzmann 0 0 1 1
Pierce Hibma 1 2 0 3
Former Players 164 33 0 197
Total 184 46 59 289
More Charge Info
Casey Harriman and Dane Watts have taken a team-high 16 charges this year, tied for fourth-most of any Jays players in the past six seasons. Since 2002-03, the following players have taken 10 or more charges in a season:
Most Charges Taken, Season (since 2002-03)
23 Anthony Tolliver 2006-07
17 Mike Grimes 2002-03
17 Anthony Tolliver 2005-06
16 Casey Harriman 2007-08
16 Dane Watts 2007-08
13 Joe Dabbert 2002-03
11 Joe Dabbert 2003-04
11 Tyler McKinney 2004-05
11 Dane Watts 2006-07
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 1,098,686 fans in 80 all-time regular-season and NIT home games. The works out to an average of 13,734 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 186-41 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 15-2 11-1 26-3
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 110-16 81-25 191-41
Double-Digit Comebacks
Creighton has fallen behind by double-digits in 20 of its 80 all-time home games all-time at Qwest Center Omaha. In 13 of those 20 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
Double-Digit Comebacks
Including its March 1 win over Bradley, Creighton has won after overcoming a double-digit deficit 25 times in the last eight seasons, including three times this year (also DePaul and Wichita State).
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
01/07/04 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
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).
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 112 assists, 29 more than any other Bluejay.
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 80 regular and post-season contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time. The Bluejays own a 67-13 (.838) 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 5,895-4,935 in games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.0 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
Television Records
Creighton is a combined 84-46 in televised games in the last six seasons, including a 30-19 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 38-24 in games that air regionally or nationally in that time, including a 21-14 mark on MVC TV.
Creighton had 28-of-33 games on television last season. Twenty-three regular-season games were on television this season.
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one trifecta in a league-best 464 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.
