2007-08 Men's Basketball Year-End Recap

      Tradition never graduates.
      It's an old saying, but one that certainly applied to the 2007-08 Creighton men's basketball team. Despite the loss of four starters, including all-Valley performers Anthony Tolliver and Nate Funk from the 2006-07 team, the 2007-08 Creighton team paired an influx of newcomers with a few key veterans to extend numerous streaks that continued the program's status among the nation's elite.
      The Jays made their 11th straight postseason appearance while reaching the second round of the National Invitation Tournament. Creighton won 20 or more games for a 10th straight season while topping 22 or more wins for the eighth time in the last decade. Creighton also won 10 or more conference games for a 12th straight season, something only Kansas and Stanford can also currently claim on a nationwide basis.
      Through it all, Creighton remained a hot attraction both home and away. Creighton ranked 15th nationally with 15,333 fans per home game while drawing an MVC single-season mark with 276,000 total home fans.
      Creighton's final 22-11 record was the same as the season before, but the impact of nine newcomers who will return leaves renewed optimism for the future. Back for next year will be the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman and Newcomer of the Year (P'Allen Stinnett), as well as the Valley's Sixth Man of the Year and All-Bench Team Captain (Booker Woodfox).
      As can be expected from a young team, the 2007-08 campaign was a roller-coaster ride full of ups and downs. No game reflected that more than the season-opening game with Big East Conference member DePaul on Nov. 9.
Creighton fell behind 23-6 in the opening nine minutes as a shell-shocked crowd looked on. Back-to-back three-pointers by Chad Millard, then a steal and bucket by Millard keyed an 8-0 run that cut the deficit to four just four minutes later. CU trailed 38-32 at the break before Stinnett introduced himself with a breakout second half.
      Stinnett, held scoreless in the first half, scored 23 points in the second half on an array of dunks, lay-ups, three-pointers and free throws. His first basket, a fast-break lay-up with 18:09 left, gave CU its first lead of the season. His 23 points were the most by any Bluejay in a debut since 1969, and helped CU to its 11th straight win in a season-opener.
      After dispatching Mississippi Valley State, a crowd of 17,049 awaited for the annual in-state showdown with Nebraska. Creighton hit nine three-pointers in the first half, building a 47-20 halftime lead, to pick up an easy win over the Cornhuskers.
      The Jays improved to 5-0 with a Dec. 1 win in their road opener at Drexel, before losing their first game at #21 Xavier, Dec. 5, on a somber day. The teams played in Cincinnati just six hours after a horrifying mall shooting killed nine people in Omaha, a story that garnered national attention.
      Creighton returned home to win in overtime over Saint Joseph's to open a four-game win streak and head into the holiday break with a 9-1 mark.
      The Jays opened MVC play on Dec. 29 with a 13-point loss to Illinois State at Qwest Center Omaha. The loss was CU's first at home by double-digits since 1996, the nation's oldest such streak. CU dropped to 0-2 in the Valley for the first time under Dana Altman when it lost at Indiana State in its first road game of the conference season.
      Creighton would respond to the rare losing streak by winning its next five games. Stinnett hit a game-winning free throw in the final minute for a road win at Missouri State on Jan. 5, then repeat that feat a week later in a win at Wichita State.
      The Jays then suffered through their longest losing streak in four years when it dropped three straight games in late January. Upstart Drake took an overtime decision on Jan. 22 to hand the Jays their first home loss of the season. Rival Southern Illinois then used a late rally to overcome the Bluejays on Jan. 26 in a game televised nationally on ESPN2 with College Gameday in attendance. CU's three-game skid also included a loss in Des Moines to eventual league champion Drake.
      The Jays turned things around to win three straight home games, topping Wichita State, UNI and Southern Illinois. The win over Wichita State featured a comeback from 15 points down with nine minutes to play, while the victory over the Salukis snapped a four-game home losing streak to SIU.
      As the season went on, the contributions from Woodfox amplified. Woodfox would be the hero in CU's one-point win at Oral Roberts, hitting a go-ahead three-pointer in the final 30 seconds in the ESPN BracketBusters event.
      Creighton's regular-season finale was a game for the ages. Needing a win over Bradley to extend their streak of 20-win seasons and 10 MVC-win seasons, Creighton picked up a 111-110 double-overtime victory on Senior Night. Sophomore Cavel Witter, held scoreless two weeks earlier against the Braves, erupted for a Qwest Center Omaha record 42 points.
      The victory gave CU the fourth-seed in the Valley Tournament, where they met Bradley for the third time in as many weeks. Creighton would open defense of their MVC Tournament title with a four-point win over Bradley before losing to Drake for the third time, 75-67, in the Valley semi's.
      Creighton was selected as a three-seed for the National Invitation Tournament, and hosted Rhode Island in the first round.
      Rhode Island led 70-58 with 3:06 to play, but could not stop a furious Bluejay comeback. Stinnett scored five points and Woodfox six during an 11-2 run that got the Jays within three heading into the final minute. After two free throws from Witter and a URI free throw made it a two-point game with 11 seconds to play, Witter once again became the hero. Stinnett attracted a triple-team and kicked out to Witter, who drained a three-pointer with four seconds left to give CU the one-point win and send the incredulous crowd into a lasting frenzy.
      The momentum would not carry into the second round, where CU went on the road to face two-time defending NCAA Tournament champion Florida. The Gators bolted to a big lead and were never threatened in a 28-point win, ending CU's season.
      Stinnett became CU's first freshman to lead the team in scoring since 1996, averaging 12.6 points per game while sweeping the Valley's Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year accolades. Stinnett would earn honorable-mention all-MVC honors as well.
      Also scoring in double-figures (11.3 ppg.) and leading the team in rebounding (6.4 rpg.) was senior Dane Watts. Watts would end his career with 119 consecutive starts while also finishing ninth in Bluejay history with 686 career rebounds.
      The MVC Sixth Man of the Year, Woodfox scored in double-figures in 14 straight games late in the year, an impressive streak for the junior reserve guard. He ended up averaging 9.6 points per game and was a threat to score anytime he touched the ball.
      Witter also used a late surge to average 9.1 points per game. He showed a knack for taking over games down the stretch late in the year, and was named to the MVC's All-Bench Team.
      Fifth on the team in scoring was big man Kenny Lawson Jr. Lawson averaged 5.9 points and was second on the team with 4.2 rebounds per game. He was named to the Valley's All-Freshman Team.
      Three backcourt veterans who supplied a steady hand all year long were seniors Nick Bahe and Pierce Hibma and junior Josh Dotzler. Bahe's 42 three-point baskets were second on the team while Dotzler's 118 assists led CU. Both Bahe and Dotzler started all 33 games. Hibma started 16 games and had a career-high 17 points in the overtime win over Saint Joseph's.
      Throughout the season, Creighton employed one of the nation's top benches. CU's bench, in fact, actually would outscore the starting five over the course of the campaign by 76 points. Twelve different players would average more than seven minutes per game.
      The future would appear bright for the program. Seniors Bahe, Hibma and Watts will be missed, but 73 percent of the scoring and 66 percent of the rebounding will return in the fall.

Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“Big Sports 590” AM) broadcasted all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2007-08 season. T. Scott Marr did play-by-play for all the games, while Travis Justice (home), Kevin Sarver (road) and Jimmy Motz (some of each) handled analyst duties. All games, other than NIT contests not allowed, were also webcast live at www.bigsports590.com.

The Coach
The dean of Missouri Valley Conference coaches, Creighton's Dana Altman (Eastern New Mexico, 1980) finished his 14th year as head coach of the Bluejays. He owns a 282-152 (.650) mark at CU and a career record of 365-219 (.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 23 years as a head coach. The 2001 and 2002 MVC Coach of the Year was a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award in 2003. In 2004, Altman was named the Collegeinsider.com Jim Phelan National Mid-Season Coach of the Year. In March, 2007, Altman was named a coach on the MVC's All-Centennial Team.
Additionally, Altman has led Creighton to seven NCAA Tournaments and his teams have played in the postseason in 11 straight seasons. He was assisted by Brian Fish, Darian DeVries and Mike Maker. Nick Earnest was the team's film coordinator.

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.

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 is one of seven teams nationally with 20 or more wins in each of last 10 seasons. That list consists of Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kent State and Syracuse.

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).

Hibma Named Scholar-Athlete
Senior Pierce Hibma was named to the Athletic Directors Association I-AAA Scholar-Athlete honorable-mention team following the season.
Creighton's seven overall honorees in the six-year history of the awards are a record, two more than Gonzaga and Green Bay.
Basketball players from all Division I-AAA ADA member institutions were eligible for these prestigious awards. Each of the nominees was required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study, a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletics credentials, have reached sophomore athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. He must also have participated in 50 percent of the games played.

Jays Among Attendance Leaders, Again
Creighton ranked 15th nationally, averaging 15,333 fans per game during the 2007-08 season.
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 Creighton Sports Information.
2007-08 Attendance Leaders
Rk. School Average Upcoming
1. Kentucky 22,554 None
2. North Carolina 20,497 None
3. Syracuse 20,345 None
4. Tennessee 20,267 None
5. Louisville 19,481 None
6. Maryland 17,950 None
7. Wisconsin 17,190 None
8. Arkansas 17,148 None
9. Indiana 16,876 None
10. Memphis 16,748 None
11. Illinois 16,618 None
12. Ohio State 16,587 None
13. Kansas 16,409 None
14. Marquette 16,329 None
15. Creighton 15,333 None
16. North Carolina State 15,043 None
17. Michigan State 14,759 None
18. New Mexico 14,361 None

MVC Attendance Record Falls
Creighton broke the MVC's single-season record for single-season home attendance with 276,000 fans in 2007-08. 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 was close to that, averaging 15,333 fans per home game.
Highest Season Home Attendance, MVC History
Home Att. School Year
276,000 Creighton 2007-08
236,313 Creighton 2005-06
222,728 Creighton 2006-07
192,258 Creighton 2003-04
191,440 Louisville 1974-75

Highest Average Attendance, MVC History
Ave. Att. School Year
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
15,333 Creighton 2007-08
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
12,016 Creighton 2003-04

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).

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 33 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 outscored its own starting five by a 1,218-1,142 margin. The 51.61 percent of scoring coming from CU's bench was the nation's best mark, according to the good folks at STATS Inc.
Percentage of Points Scored by Bench
Source: STATS -- Chicago
Rk. Team Start% Bench%
1. Creighton 48.39 51.61
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 56.45 43.55
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 scored 31 or more bench points in 22 of 33 games this year, compared to a high of 30 for last year's team. This year's team averaged 36.9 points per game off the pine, the second-highest mark nationally.
Bench Scoring Per Game
Source: STATS -- Chicago
Rk. Team G Bench PPG
1. Texas State 29 42.79
2. Creighton 33 36.91
3. Southeast Missouri State 31 35.52
4. Buffalo 30 34.13
5. Cal State Northridge 30 33.97
6. Duquesne 30 33.50
7. Central Michigan 31 31.71
8. Belmont 34 29.71
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 outscored the opposition's bench by a 1,218-651 margin, which amounted to a +17.2 point per game differential.
Almost as improbable is that Creighton's bench has almost as many points as the opponent's starters, trailing just 1,526-1,218.
Here's a breakdown of CU's starters and bench this season:
Stat CU Starters CU Bench
Points 1,142 1,218
Minutes 3,598 3,102
FG% .442 .452
3FG% .355 .376
FT% .730 .708
Rebounds 607 451
Assists 248 225
Steals 137 108

Reserves Putting Up Some Points
Creighton owned three of the MVC's top five point-scorers among those players that did not start a game this season.
Booker Woodfox led all such players with 317 points, with teammate Cavel Witter not far behind with 301 points.
In fact, according to information provided by STATS Inc., the Jays were the nation's only team with two different players to score 300 or more points off the bench in 2007-08.
Most Points Without a Start, MVC Players
Pts. Name, School
313 Booker Woodfox, Creighton
301 Cavel Witter, Creighton
217 JT Durley, Wichita State
115 John Michael Hall, Drake
115 Casey Harriman, Creighton

Most Points Without a Start, All NCAA Players
Source -- STATS Inc.
Rk. Pts. Name, School
1. 468 Johnnie Bryant, Utah
2. 440 Danny Green, North Carolina
3. 430 Robert Jarvis, Oral Roberts
4. 421 LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor
5. 418 Jarryd Loyd, Valparaiso
6. 417 Deon Tresvant, Cal State-Northridge
7. 402 Kellen Allen, Long Island
8. 395 Jay Gavin, Marist
9. 390 Michael Deloach, Norfolk State
10. 385 Jon Scheyer, Duke
11. 364 Randy Culpepper, UTEP
12. 356 Terrence Oglesby, Clemson
13. 352 Brent Benson, Texas State
14. 344 Anthony Vereen, Texas-Arlington
15. 343 Kenny George, UNC-Asheville
16. 342 Austin Daye, Gonzaga
17. 340 Andrew Henke, Air Force
18. 325 Jon Avery, IUPUI
19. 313 Booker Woodfox, Creighton
20. 305 Wes Channels, Austin Peay
21. 304 Jarred Axon, Eastern Michigan
T22. 301 Cavel Witter, Creighton
T22. 301 Vincent Simpson, Hampton

Balancing Act
Creighton had 12 players average 7.2 minutes per game or more, with all of those men scoring at least 1.9 points per game as well. Six of Creighton's top eight scorers started less than 20 of CU's games this year. All 14 Bluejays on the roster have scored at least six points.

Non-Conference Home Success
Creighton owns a 71-12 (.855) record in non-conference home games under Dana Altman. Equally impressive, CU is 31-5 (.861) in non-conference home games since moving to Qwest Center Omaha.
During CU's active string of 11 straight postseason bids, the Bluejays are 62-7 (.899) in home games against non-conference foes.

Was Anyone Left?
Creighton returned just 24.7 percent of its scoring from last season's team. According to STATS Inc., that ranked 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

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 282 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. 282 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

Witter's World
Cavel Witter can score when it counts. He missed his first seven shots from the field before hitting his only basket, a go-ahead three-pointer, with 3.2 seconds left in the March 18 NIT win over Rhode Island. He also made seven free-throws and scored all 10 of his points in the game's final 9:25.
In the Jays previous game, Witter scored all 10 of his points in the final 3:50 of a loss to #20 Drake.
In CU's final regular-season game against Bradley, he scored 17 of his career-best 42 points in the overtime sessions.

Converting Turnovers In Points = Wins
One common theme when Creighton was successful is that they had had an advantage in “points off turnovers” in many of those contests.
For the season, Creighton was 17-4 when scoring more points off turnovers than its opponent. In the last four years, Creighton is 61-10 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 was 13-3 this season. Since the school started tracking points in the paint five years ago, CU is 52-9 when scoring 28 or more in the paint.

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 teams that didn't won the MVC Tournament.
The Bluejays won the MVC in 2000-01 and tied for the title in 2001-02. CU was second in the MVC in 1997-98 and 2006-07, tied for second in the MVC in 1998-99, 2003-04 and 2005-06, and finished tied for third in 2004-05. The 1999-00 club was fourth in the MVC, but won the MVC Tournament.
Creighton's MVC Finishes, Last 11 Years
1st Place 2000-01
Tied for First 2001-02 (won MVC Tourn.)
2nd Place 1997-98, 2002-03 (won MVC Tourn.), 2006-07 (won MVC Tourn.)
Tied for 2nd 1998-99 (won MVC Tourn.), 2003-04, 2005-06
Tied for 3rd Place 2004-05 (won MVC Tourn.)
4th Place 1999-00 (won MVC Tourn.); 2007-08

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 were the most by any reserve in the country this season. Below is the top-five of that list, as compiled by STATS Inc.
Most Points in a Game this year off Bench -- D-I Players only
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

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.

Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton's March 18 win over Rhode Island continued five impressive streaks.
Creighton has won 37 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has won 42 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.

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.

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)

Cardiac Kids
Creighton won six games this year in which it trailed or was tied at some point in the final minute. Most recently, Creighton trailed 72-69 with 14 seconds left before coming back to beat Rhode Island on March 18.
Margin Opponent Date
-5 Bradley March 1
-4 Saint Joseph's Dec. 9
-3 Rhode Island March 18
-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 had 686 career rebounds, ninth in CU history.

Qwest Center Omaha Hosted NCAA's
Qwest Center Omaha played host to the first-and-second round of the NCAA Tournament, March 20 and 22. The field included eventual national champion Kansas, which beat both Portland State and UNLV. Other teams sent to Omaha included Cal State Fullerton, Wisconsin, Kansas State, USC and Kent State.

Creighton's NIT History
Creighton played in its ninth National Invitation Tournament, and now owns a 4-9 all-time record in the event.
Creighton owns a 2-4 home record, an 0-3 road record and a 2-2 neutral-site record in games played at Madison Square Garden.
This was Creighton's fourth NIT appearance under Dana Altman, who is 2-4 in NIT games at Creighton.
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

2008 (1-0) in Omaha, Neb.
3/18 Creighton 74, Rhode Island 73
2008 (0-1) in Gainesville, Fla.
3/21 Florida 82, Creighton 54

Heartbreak Hotel
Six of Creighton's last seven postseasons have included a game that was decided in the final seconds, including the past five seasons.
This season saw Creighton rally from a 12-point deficit in the final 3:15 to stun Rhode Island, 74-73. Cavel Witter's three-pointer with 3.2 seconds left was the go-ahead basket.
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 made his sixth appearance in the NIT, and fourth with the Bluejays. Altman owns a 6-7 record in the NIT and a 2-4 mark at Creighton. Below is a list of the NIT games his teams have played in:
Date Result
03/21/08 at Florida 82, Creighton 54
03/18/08 at Creighton 74, Rhode Island 73
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

Microwave Man
Booker Woodfox had 10 or more points in 14 straight games, all off the bench, from Jan. 26 to March 18. He was CU's first player with 14 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 owned 41 double-figure scoring games this season off the bench, compared to a total of 30 during the previous 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 - - - - - - 17 17
D. Bowden 2 9 - - - - - 11
C. Witter - - - - - - 11 11
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 41 168

Playing With Confidence
Booker Woodfox needed about a month to settle in, but ever since Dec. 15, he has been red-hot. Woodfox hit 46.0 percent of his three-point attempts in the last 26 games, while also more than doubling his scoring average as well.
Statistic First 7 Games Since Dec. 15
FG-FGA 11-38 99-213
FG% .289 .465
3FG-3FGA 4-19 52-113
3FG% .211 .460
FT-FTA 5-6 36-50
FT% .833 .720
Rebounds 9 63
Rebounds Per Game 1.3 2.4
Assists 7 35
Turnovers 8 22
Points 31 286
Points Per Game 4.4 11.0

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 159 wins are 26th in that category.
Most Wins, Last Seven Years (since 2001-02)
Rank School W-L
1. Kansas 203-44
2. Duke 197-44
3. Memphis 196-50
4. Pittsburgh 190-51
5. Gonzaga 184-44
6. Florida 183-59
7. Illinois 179-63
Texas 179-62
9. Connecticut 177-58
10. Southern Illinois 173-61
11. Wisconsin 171-60
Xavier 171-62
Kentucky 171-63
Syracuse 171-70
15. Louisville 169-67
16. Kent State 167-65
North Carolina 167-69
18. Utah State 166-61
19. Western Kentucky 163-61
20. Nevada 162-66
Oklahoma 162-67
22. Butler 161-65
Arizona 161-70
24. Marquette 160-68
Ohio State 160-74
26. Creighton 159-66
27. Oklahoma State 158-75
28. Maryland 155-76

Free Throw Defense Lacking
One common trend in three of Creighton's last six losses was 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 70.2 percent from the stripe when the Jays win, but raise that mark to 76.2 percent when beating the Jays. When Creighton wins, it shoots 73.8 percent at the line. When Creighton loses, it shoots 65.2 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 had at least one freshman lead the team in scoring in 14 of 33 games, and had 14 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 scored 416 points in his 33 games as a Bluejay, good for 12.6 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.
Stinnett (12.6 ppg.) became the first Bluejay freshman to top the team in scoring since Buford (14.5 ppg.) in 1995-96.
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 had averaged 10 or more points per game since 1997-98 before Stinnett this season.
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. 12.6 3.4 24.4
'07-08 Booker Woodfox, Jr. 9.6 2.2 17.4
?07-08 Kenny Lawson Jr., Fr. 5.9 4.2 15.4

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 went 87-43 with four 20-win seasons and four postseason appearances (two NCAA's, two NIT's).
Hibma was a fifth-year senior who finished with 304 points, 179 rebounds, 64 assists and 41 career steals. The Pella, Iowa native made 27 starts in 120 games.
Bahe was in his third year with the program after transferring in from Kansas. The Lincoln, Neb., native has scored 292 points, grabbed 153 rebounds and dished 78 assists in 66 games at CU, which included 35 starts.
Watts was in his fourth year with the Jays and ranked 24th in CU history with 1,152 points. He also had 686 rebounds, 97 assists, 72 steals and 54 blocked shots. He played in 130 games,, including 119 consecutive starts to end his career.
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 scored more points and shot better from the field, but also turned the ball over more than past clubs. Opponents also shot free throws at a significantly better clip than past years.
Statistics 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08
W-L Record 20-10 22-11 22-11
Postseason NIT NCAA NIT
Scoring Offense 66.1 67.3 71.5
Scoring Defense 60.8 60.9 66.0
Scoring Margin +5.2 +6.3 +5.5
FG Percentage .419 .445 .447
3FG Percentage .357 .338 .366
FT Percentage .689 .754 .719
Opp. FG Percentage .407 .416 .420
Opp. 3FG Percentage .332 .351 .358
Opp. FT Percentage .680 .698 .724
3FG Made 214 205 274
Rebound Margin -0.2 +1.8 +1.4
Assists 398 441 473
Turnovers 400 417 469
Blocks 94 83 116
Steals 236 210 245

Won By One
Creighton was 4-0 this year and has now won 14 of its last 19 games decided by one point, improving to 16-11 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 18-9 under Altman in the game after a one-point contest, including a 13-4 mark in the past 17 such games.
Creighton's One-Point Games Under Dana Altman
Date Winner Loser Score
03/18/08 at Creighton Rhode Island 74-73
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.

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 had 48 assists in the last 12 games, an average of 4.0 per game. Prior to that 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.

3-Point Weapons
Creighton had nine different players that made 10 or more three-pointers this season. Five of those men made 39.3 percent or more of their attempts from long-range.
According to STATS Inc., Creighton, Duke, Marquette, New Mexico and Portland State were the nation's only teams with seven different players to own 20 or more treys. Of that group, CU was the only team with all seven players to make 24 or more three-pointers.
For the season, Creighton's 8.30 three-pointers per game ranked third in the MVC this year and third-highest in school history.
Creighton made 10 or more three-pointers in eight of its last 19 games, and was 10-2 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 15 straight, 31-of-32 and 41 of its last 44 games.

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.

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.

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 played in 65 Qwest Center Omaha contests, more than any player in facility history.
Watts' 586 career points at Qwest Center Omaha rank tied for second in facility history, matching the total of Johnny Mathies (2003-06) in 49 games played. Nate Funk (2003-07) owns the record with 735 points in 47 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 finished with 1,152 career points, good for 24th in Bluejay history.
Watts averaged 8.9 points in 130 career games, including 11.3 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. 1,152 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
1,152 686 144 Dane Watts 2004-Pr.
1,093 674 0 Tim Powers 1964-67

On a national basis, STATS Inc. reports that Watts was one of four active players to finish 2007-08 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
Jaycee Carroll, Utah State 2,522 680 369
J.R. Giddens, New Mexico 1,625 692 203
Dane Watts, Creighton 1,152 686 144

119 Straight Starts For Watts
Dane Watts started the final 119 games of his career, a streak that began with his first start on Dec. 28, 2004.
Watts' streak ranked as the MVC's longest active streak of consecutive starts, and finished the season tied for fourth-longest nationally according to STATS Inc.
Longest Active String of Consecutive Starts
Source: STATS -- Chicago
Rk. Name, School Streak
1. Jonathan Wallace, Georgetown 136
2. Dominique Kirk, Texas A&M 132
3. Leon Williams, Ohio 126
4. Dane Watts, Creighton 119
William Byrd, Ark.-Pine Bluff 119

Game Tested
Senior Dane Watts played in 130 games as a Bluejay, which puts him 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
130 Dane Watts 2004-08
128 Bob Harstad 1987-91
128 Kyle Korver 1999-03
127 Joe Dabbert 2000-04

High Voltage
Dane Watts scored in double-figures in seven of Creighton's last nine games. Watts scored in double-figures 54 times in his career. The Bluejays were 40-14 in those contests, including a 22-5 record when he pumped in 13 points or more.

Dunk You Very Much
Creighton recorded 52 dunks during the 2007-08 season. Kenny Lawson Jr. and P'Allen Stinnett tied for team-high honors with 19 each. Dane Watts had 10, Kenton Walker had six and Chad Millard had two as well.

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.

Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception. Creighton had 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 442 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.

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 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 before this year that 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 received eight outbursts of 20 points or more off the bench this year, three each by Witter and Woodfox and two by 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 then-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 44.8 percent accuracy from three-point range, and leads the team with 56 trifectas.
The junior ranked fifth in the MVC (which requires 1 3FG per game) in three-point percentage, hitting 42.4 percent of his shots from downtown (56-132).

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 won a whopping 10 MVC Newcomer of the Week awards this season, which were spread among five individuals.

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 started two freshmen in 15 of the last 17 games (14 times with P'Allen Stinnett and Kenny Lawson Jr., and once with Stinnett and Kenton Walker).
It marked 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 provided Creighton with 7.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 53.9 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 (won) 11/15/04
27 47-20 Nebraska (won) 11/24/07
23 41-18 St. Bonaventure (won) 11/29/03
21 42-21 Bethune Cookman (won) 12/03/03
20 31-11 Nebraska (won) 12/11/05
20 37-17 San Diego (won) 11/22/03

CU's Largest Halftime Deficits at Qwest Center
Margin Score Opponent Date
-15 30-45 Rhode Island (won) 03/18/08
-14 34-48 Evansville (won) 02/07/07
-13 29-42 Illinois State 12/29/07
-12 21-33 Wichita State (won) 02/02/08
-11 27-38 Indiana State (won) 02/22/06
-10 19-29 Miami (Fla.) 03/20/06
-10 28-38 Bradley (won) 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 was the longest period without a field goal by any Bluejay opponent this season.
Creighton had 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

40-Point Halves = Wins
Dating to Jan. 29, 2005, Creighton has won 42 of its last 43 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.

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 14,544 16,122 +10%

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 7,900 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 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.
Creighton has taken the floor in 345 straight games in a row 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 22-11 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 ---

Are You Experienced?
How much experience did 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 119 173
Blocks 54 95
FG Made 393 844
FG Attempts 845 1,850
3FG Made 144 312
3FG Attempts 378 847
FT Made 212 456
FT Attempts 310 641
Points 1,152 2,533
Off. Rebounds 221 337
Def. Rebounds 465 773
Rebounds 686 1,110

Who Are These Guys?
Program sales were up as Creighton fans tried to figure out who all the newcomers on the roster were this winter.
Creighton had 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.

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.

The Charge Chart
Creighton took 62 charges this season, including five on both Dec. 17 and Dec. 20.
Casey Harriman and Dane Watts shared the team lead with 17 charges taken this year.
Over the previous five seasons, the Bluejays had 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
Dane Watts 15 11 17 43
Casey Harriman n/a n/a 17 17
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
Cavel Witter n/a n/a 3 3
Kenny Lawson Jr. n/a 0 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 62 292

More Charge Info
Casey Harriman and Dane Watts took a team-high 17 charges this year, tied for second-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
17 Casey Harriman 2007-08
17 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 1,106,634 fans in 81 all-time regular-season and NIT home games. The works out to an average of 13,662 fans per home contest in the five-year span of the facility.

Qwest To Be The Best
Creighton's has played 81 regular and post-season contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time. The Bluejays own a 68-13 (.840) 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 5,969-5,008 in games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.8 points per game.

?W'inning Edge
Creighton's men's and women's basketball teams have been nearly unbeatable at home in recent seasons, going a combined 187-41 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 16-2 11-1 27-3
2006-07 12-2 7-7 19-9
2005-06 15-2 5-7 20-9
2004-05 11-5 12-3 23-8
2003-04 14-2 12-1 26-3
2002-03 17-0 13-1 30-1
2001-02 12-3 11-1 23-4
2000-01 14-0 10-4 24-4
TOTALS 111-16 81-25 192-41

Double-Digit Comebacks
Creighton has fallen behind by double-digits in 21 of its 81 all-time home games all-time at Qwest Center Omaha. In 14 of those 21 games, the Bluejays came back to win.
Creighton's incredible streak of 181 straight games without a double-digit home loss (dating to Jan. 3, 1996) was snapped on Dec. 29, 2007 by Illinois State. That had ranked as the nation's oldest streak in that obscure category.
Double Digit Deficits at Qwest Center Omaha
Date Opponent Deficit Final Score
12/30/03 Missouri State 10 W 59-54
12/04/04 High Point 13 W 79-60
12/07/04 Kent State 16 L 58-67
12/18/04 Wyoming 13 L 64-68
02/01/05 Wichita State 10 W 73-69
02/05/05 Missouri State 15 L 71-79
11/26/05 Dayton 11 W 91-90 2ot
12/18/05 Xavier 10 W 61-59
01/18/06 Bradley 12 W 80-76
01/28/06 Wichita State 19 W 57-55
02/11/06 Southern Illinois 14 L 67-74
02/22/06 Indiana State 14 W 67-62
03/20/06 Miami (Fla.) 12 L 52-53
12/30/06 Missouri State 11 W 77-74
01/20/07 Southern Illinois 12 L 57-58
02/07/07 Evansville 14 W 79-74
11/09/07 DePaul 17 W 74-62
12/29/07 Illinois State 19 L 67-80
02/02/08 Wichita State 15 W 65-63
03/01/08 Bradley 12 W 111-110 2ot
03/18/08 Rhode Island 17 W 74-73

Double-Digit Comebacks
Including its March 18 win over Rhode Island, Creighton has won after overcoming a double-digit deficit 26 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
03/18/08 Rhode Island 17 W 74-73
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 Was 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 led Creighton with 118 assists, 31 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.

Television Records
Creighton is a combined 85-47 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 39-25 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. This year 27-of-33 games were on television.

Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one trifecta in a league-best 466 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.

Preseason Poll
Creighton was 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).

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 were able to 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 were available for any game and cost was $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 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 was available to all fans, not just Creighton students. Round-trip cost was $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 started one-hour before tip-off and at least two buses continued to operate the route during the game.
The designated stops for pick-up around the CU campus were: 24th and Cuming (farside/southbound); 24th & California (nearside/southbound); 20th & Cass (nearside/eastbound) and 18th & Cass (nearside/eastbound by the Morrison Stadium). The shuttle then went eastbound on Capitol Avenue and went north up 10th Street for drop-off at the Qwest Center Omaha Arena entrance.
The route was designed for each shuttle driver to make a roundtrip every 15 minutes. Following the game's conclusion, the shuttle started at the Qwest Center Omaha Arena entrance on 10th Street and looped the original route with the first of four stops at 24th & Cuming Streets.

Players Mentioned

Nick Bahe

Josh Dotzler

Nate Funk

Manny Gakou

Casey Harriman

Pierce Hibma

Kaleb Korver

Kenny Lawson Jr.

Kevin McKenna

Chad Millard

Nick Porter

Dustin Sitzmann

P'Allen Stinnett

Anthony Tolliver

Kenton Walker

Dane Watts

Cavel Witter

Booker Woodfox

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