Men's Basketball Faces League-Leading UNI on Sunday
2/6/2009 10:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Next Game
Creighton (18-6, 8-4 MVC) completes a two-game trek through Iowa when it plays a Sunday afternoon matinee at league-leading Northern Iowa (17-6, 11-1 MVC).
Tip off at McLeod Center (7,043) in Cedar Falls, Iowa, is scheduled for 1:05 pm.
Creighton Bluejays at Northern Iowa Panthers
McLeod Center (7,043) ? Cedar Falls, Iowa
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.bigsports590.com
Television: ESPN360.com (Nationally); KMTV (Omaha); CFU/Mediacom (Cedar Falls)
Series History: Creighton leads 25-12
Last Meeting: UNI won 69-66 on Jan. 6, 2009 in Omaha, Neb.
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“Big Sports 590” AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2008-09 season. The audio is also webcast live at www.bigsports590.com. T. Scott Marr and Kevin Sarver will call the action.
Sunday's game will also air on Sirius satellite radio channel 126.
For all home games, Big Sports 590 afternoon host Matt Perrault will host a call-in show focusing on the Bluejays, that leads into the pre-game show. Perrault will also take calls after home games, also on Big Sports 590.
Television Broadcast Information
Sunday's game is the eighth of nine games scheduled for broadcast by KMTV this season. Travis Justice (play-by-play) and former Bluejay Nick Bahe (analyst) will announce.
The game will also be aired on ESPN360.com.
Coordinates for the KMTV feed are below:
Satellite Coordinates: Galaxy 16 K10 10F
Band: Digital KU
Downlink Freq.: 11910.38 Vertical
Data Rate: 5.5 Mbps
Symbol Rate: 3.978 Msps
FEC: 3/4
On-Air Talent: Travis Justice, Nick Bahe
Video Webcast Information
Creighton University Athletics and Jump TV will present a live, pay-per-view video webcast of approximately 20 games this season, including Sunday's contest. To sign up for the webcast, fans can register by going directly to http://www.gocreighton.com. Cost for a season pass is $59.95. Single games are available for $6.95 each.
Once registered, fans will only need to log-in with their password on game night. The video streams the KMTV telecast of the game.
In order to view the webcast, users must have high speed Internet access (cable modem or DSL service) and Windows Media Player version 9.0 or above.
Live Stats Information
UNI Athletics plans to offer live stats for Sunday's game. Fans can go to www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Stats tab on the left-hand side of the page for the exact link.
Scouting Creighton (18-6, 8-4 MVC)
The preseason favorites in the Missouri Valley Conference have won 15 of their past 19 games and are 18-6 overall, including an 8-4 league mark that ties it for second place in the conference standings with Illinois State.
Senior guard Booker Woodfox leads the team with 16.3 points per game. He ranks second nationally in three-point percentage at 48.5 percent among players with 2.5 makes per game or better. His MVC-leading 88.5 percent accuracy rate from the free throw line also ranks 15th nationally.
Also scoring in double-figures is sophomore guard P'Allen Stinnett (13.1 ppg., 1.6 spg.). Stinnett is a preseason all-Valley pick after sweeping MVC Freshman and Newcomer of the Year honors last season.
Senior point guard Josh Dotzler owns an MVC-best 56 steals, while sophomore big man Kenny Lawson Jr. tops The Valley with 38 blocked shots.
Creighton shoots 44.1 percent from the floor, 39.0 percent from three-point territory and is also making 76.1 percent of its shots from the line.
The Bluejays return 10 lettermen and three starters from last year's 22-11 team that made an 11th straight postseason appearance, reaching the second round of the NIT.
Scouting Northern Iowa
Picked sixth in the MVC's preseason poll, Northern Iowa is 17-6 this season and leads the league with an 11-1 league mark.
The Panthers have won a school-record 11 straight games since opening MVC play with an overtime home loss to Indiana State. They head into the homestretch of conference play with a three-game cushion and only six games to play.
All five starters average more than nine points per game, a group led by big man Adam Koch (11.5 ppg., 4.8 rpg.). Koch also shoots 50 percent from the floor and has been to the line 133 times already.
Guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe has recovered from a medical redshirt last year to average 11.1 points and 2.6 assists per game. Also in double-figures is Ali Farokhmanesh (10.6 ppg.), who scored the final five points of UNI's win in Omaha last month.
Rounding out the high-scoring starting five is Johnny Moran (9.8 ppg.) and Jordan Eglseder (9.5 ppg., 5.9 rpg.). Moran had 22 points against Creighton last month and hit a game-winning three-pointer with 5.4 seconds left to beat Bradley on Tuesday night.
The Panthers shoot 47.0 percent from the field, 36.7 percent from three-point range and 73.9 percent at the line. UNI commits a league-low 11.5 turnovers per game, but also forces a league-low 11.1 miscues per game. The squad outrebounds teams by 1.4 caroms per contest.
UNI is 9-2 at home this season, losing overtime games to both Iowa State and Indiana State. The Panthers average 3,734 fans per home game at McLeod Center.
The Coaches
The dean of Missouri Valley Conference coaches, Creighton's Dana Altman (Eastern New Mexico, 1980) is in his 15th year as head coach of the Bluejays.
He owns a 300-158 (.655) mark at Creighton and a career record of 383-225 (.630) in his 20th year as a NCAA Division I head coach when you add four seasons at Kansas State and one at Marshall. Tack on four years at the junior college level and Altman's overall record as a college head coach is 506-249 (.670).
Creighton's all-time winningest coach, Altman has been named national, conference, regional or district coach of the year in 10 of his first 23 years as a head coach. The 2001 and 2002 MVC Coach of the Year was a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award in 2003. In 2004, Altman was named the Collegeinsider.com Jim Phelan National Mid-Season Coach of the Year. In March, 2007, Altman was named a coach on the MVC's All-Centennial Team.
Additionally, Altman has led Creighton to seven NCAA Tournaments and his teams have played in the postseason in 11 straight seasons. He is assisted by Brian Fish, Darian DeVries and Todd Eisner. Nick Bahe is the team's graduate manager.
Ben Jacobson (North Dakota, 1994) owns a 53-33 record in his third year as a head coach. Jacobson was promoted to head coach when Greg McDermott took the Iowa State job three summers ago. Jacobson is assisted by Ben Johnson, Kyle Green and P.J. Hogan.
The Series With Northern Iowa
Creighton leads the all-time series with Northern Iowa by a 25-12 count, though the Panthers own a 9-8 lead in Cedar Falls.
Despite UNI's 69-66 win in Omaha on Jan. 6th, Creighton has won nine of the last 10 and 20 of the last 24 meetings. Six of the last nine contests have been decided by nine points or less.
Dana Altman is 22-8 against UNI and 4-1 against Ben Jacobson.
A complete series history against Northern Iowa can be found on page 10 of this release.
Last Game Recap
Creighton outscored Drake 51-39 in the second half to post a 79-68 road win at the Knapp Center on Wednesday. The win was the 300th at Creighton for head coach Dana Altman. Booker Woodfox had 23 points to lead Creighton, while P'Allen Stinnett chipped in with 15 of his 17 points after the break. Drake was paced by 19 points from Jonathan Cox.
Altman Picks Up 300th Win With Jays
With Creighton's 79-68 win on Wednesday at Drake, Dana Altman became just the second coach in the 102-year history of the Missouri Valley Conference to win 300 games at one school. Altman, who owns a 300-158 mark with the Jays, joins Henry Iba (486 wins at Oklahoma A&M) in that elite group.
Below is a list of some of Altman's milestone wins at Creighton:
W-L Rec. Opponent Date Result
50-55 at Evansville 02/02/98 W 85-76
100-78 Western Illinois 11/20/00 W 96-50
150-95 vs. Notre Dame% 11/26/02 W 80-75
200-109 vs. Ohio State% 11/24/04 W 65-63 (OT)
250-136 Bradley 01/18/07 W 65-64
300-158 at Drake 02/04/09 W 79-68
%Guardians Classic (Kansas City, Mo.)
Rude Visitors
Creighton handed UNI its first-ever loss at McLeod Center, and is 2-0 all-time at the facility.
Creighton beat UNI 62-54 in Cedar Falls in 2007, scoring the game's first seven points and eventually taking a 20-4 lead after eight minutes. CU never trailed in the triumph.
Last season, Creighton used a 17-0 run spanning halftime to build a 45-28 lead. The Panthers would claw within four, but get no closer, as Nick Bahe's 15 points paced three Bluejays in double-figures.
Northern Iowa - Creighton Ties
Creighton assistant coach Darian DeVries played at Northern Iowa from 1994-98. He ranks 23rd on UNI's all-time scoring list with 1,084 points. He is a native of Aplington, Iowa. His younger sister, Jodi, was a second-team all-MVC volleyball player for the Panthers.
Creighton Athletic Director Bruce Rasmussen is a 1971 graduate of Northern Iowa. He is a native of Webster City, Iowa.
Andy Woodley, a strength and conditioning coach for the Creighton men's basketball team, played at Northern Iowa from 1998-2002. He is a 2002 graduate of UNI.
Valley Tourney Champs Collide
Sunday's meeting features five of the last seven champions of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, and seven of the last 10 titlists. Creighton has won crowns in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2007, while UNI won its only MVC tourney title in 2004.
This year's MVC Tournament will be held in St. Louis, Mo., from March 5-8.
Carter Named Valley Newcomer of the Week
Junior Justin Carter is this week's (Feb. 2nd) State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week.
Carter helped Creighton to an undefeated week, leading the team with 29 points (14.5 ppg.), 15 rebounds (7.5 rpg.) and six steals (3.0 spg.) in double-digit wins over Indiana State and Missouri State. Carter made 10-of-15 shots from the field (66.7 percent), including 2-of-4 from three-point range (50 percent) while also draining 7-of-9 shots from the line (77.8 percent).
He opened his week with career-highs of 17 points, four steals and two blocked shots while tying his best with eight rebounds in a 73-62 win over Indiana State on Jan. 27. In Sunday's comeback victory over Missouri State, Carter had 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 24-point win after trailing by 10 points early.
Second Half P'layer?
Sophomore P'Allen Stinnett has scored a total of two first half points in the past three games, only to respond in the second half by scoring in double-figures each time.
Stinnett was 0-for-2 in the first half of the wins over Indiana State and Missouri State, but shot 10-of-13 (76.9 percent) while scoring a combined 25 points in those same games after intermission. He scored 13 points in the final nine minutes of last Tuesday's win over Indiana State, then scored 12 points in as many minutes on Sunday vs. Missouri State.
On Wednesday at Drake, Stinnett had two points at half before scoring 15 points after intermission.
Perhaps as a result of Stinnett's improved scoring output, Creighton outscored those foes by two points in the first half but by 44 points in the second half of the past three games.
Stinnett tops the Bluejay team with 13 different halves of 10 points or more this year, but only two contests with 10 or more points in both halves of the same game.
Stinnett Stinnett Opp., Date 1st half pts. 2nd half pts.
Indiana State, 1/27 0 13
Missouri State, 2/1 0 12
Drake, 2/4 2 15
Check The Book's
Booker Woodfox has scored 20 or more points seven times this season, but his 23 points at Drake on Wednesday were the first time over the 20-point barrier in Valley action this season.
Creighton is 9-1 when Woodfox scores 20 or more points in his Bluejay career.
Woodfox also made five three-pointers at Drake, the fifth time this year and seventh time in his career he's done that. Creighton is 6-1 all-time when Woodfox makes at least five treys.
BracketBuster Opponent Named
Creighton will play George Mason on Saturday, Feb. 21st as part of the ESPNU BracketBusters event. The Jays will learn its start time and television coverage on Monday.
Creighton is 2-0 all-time against the Patriots, having beaten them in both 2005 and 2006.
As required by the event, Creighton will play at game at George Mason next season.
Biggest Road Wins
Creighton has won each of its last two Valley road games by double-digits. That's a first for the program since the 2002-03 season.
The Bluejays have not won three straight MVC road games by double-figures since 1943, a feat they will look to attain on Sunday in Cedar Falls.
Creighton's 79-57 win at Evansville on Jan. 20th ranked as the school's fourth-largest victory margin ever out of 364 Valley road games played. In fact, since 1933, the Jays had only posted one Valley road win by 22 points or more, a 28-point win in 2003 at Indiana State.
The 22-point victory at Evansville matched the largest in the MVC this season by a road team in a conference game, as UNI defeated Drake 81-59 on Jan. 17th.
Below is a list of CU's all-time Valley road wins by 22 points or more:
Largest MVC Road Win Margins, CU History
Score Margin Opponent Date
46-16 +30 at Morningside 2/16/1925
74-46 +28 at Indiana State 1/29/2003
43-17 +26 at Drake 1/15/1932
79-57 +22 at Evansville 1/20/2009
Iowa Road Sweep?
With a win on Sunday, Creighton would pick up road wins at both Drake and Northern Iowa in the same year for the fourth time in five seasons, and seventh time in the past 12 years. Creighton also accomplished the feat in 1997-98, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.
A win over UNI on Sunday would mark the first time Creighton has beaten the same opponent on the road in five straight seasons since topping Washington (Mo.) five years in a row from 1936-40.
Road Reversal
Creighton has played six MVC road contests this year, but five of its results have been the opposite of how in did in those road trips last season.
In the six Valley venues Creighton lost in last season, it is 5-1, with a Feb. 14 game vs. Southern Illinois looming.
In the three Valley cities Creighton won in last year, it is 0-1 with games remaining Sunday at UNI and Feb. 24 at Missouri State.
Opponent 2007-08 2008-09
at Bradley BU 87-59 CU 73-64
at Drake DU 75-65 CU 79-68
at Evansville UE 60-56 CU 79-57
at Illinois State ILS 68-54 ILS 86-64
at Indiana State INS 62-54 CU 79-61
at Missouri State CU 50-49 Feb. 24th
at Northern Iowa CU 68-59 Sunday
at Southern Illinois SIU 48-44 Feb. 14th
at Wichita State CU 68-65 WSU 74-61
Streak Busters?
Northern Iowa has won a school-record 11 straight games. The last time Creighton snapped a win streak of 11 games or longer was March 4, 2007, when it ended Southern Illinois 13-game streak in the MVC Tournament finals.
Paint It Blue
Creighton has outscored its opponents in the paint in each of the past three games, all Bluejay victories.
It marks an incredible turnaround from the previous 11 games in which it never once had a game where it scored more paint points.
Creighton post players Kenton Walker, Justin Carter, Casey Harriman and Kenny Lawson Jr. have combined for 90 points, 62 rebounds and 12 blocks the past three games.
Sunday Sunshine
Creighton has won 12 straight games played on Sunday's, including a 3-0 mark this season.
The streak started with a 70-60 win over Wichita State on March 6, 2005 in the semifinals of the MVC Tournament.
Historically After 12 MVC Games
The last time that Creighton was 8-4 after 12 MVC games was the 2000-01 season, when it closed out the year with six straight wins to claim the Valley title at 14-4.
This is the 14th straight season that Creighton has had a league record of .500 or better after 12 games, and each of the previous 13 campaigns the Jays would also go .500 or better in its final six contests as well.
Year W-L After 12 W-L Final 6
2008-09 8-4 ---
2007-08 7-5 3-3
2006-07 9-3 4-2
2005-06 9-3 3-3
2004-05 6-6 5-1
2003-04 9-3 3-3
2002-03 11-1 4-2
2001-02 10-2 4-2
2000-01 8-4 6-0
1999-00 7-5 4-2
1998-99 7-5 4-2
1997-98 8-4 4-2
1996-97 7-5 3-3
1995-96 6-6 3-3
1994-95 3-9 1-5
Total 115-65 (.639) 51-33 (.607)
Give Me Five (Or More) From 3
Creighton has made five or more three-pointers in each of its 24 games this season, tied for the nation's eighth-longest active streak. Lower that threshold to four or more three-pointers and the Bluejay streak would stretch to 57 consecutive games, which ranks ninth nationally.
Consecutive Games, 5+ 3-Pointers, Teams
Courtesy STATS Inc. (through 2/5)
Rank No. Team Next Game
1. 47 Portland State 2/8
2. 44 Auburn 2/7
3. 31 VMI 2/7
4. 28 Cornell 2/6
5. 27 Eastern Kentucky 2/7
6. 26 Hartford 2/9
7. 25 Miami (Fla.) 2/7
8. 24 Creighton 2/8
24 Wisconsin 2/8
Consecutive Games, 4+ 3-Pointers, Teams
Courtesy STATS Inc. (through 2/5)
Rank No. Team Next Game
1. 88 Lafayette 2/7
2. 86 Belmont 2/6
86 Davidson 2/7
4. 72 Eastern Kentucky 2/7
5. 65 Liberty 2/7
6. 62 Drake 2/7
62 Michigan 2/7
8. 61 Portland State 2/8
9. 57 Creighton 2/8
10. 55 Valparaiso 2/7
55 Utah Valley 2/9
Woodfox From Distance
Booker Woodfox has made a three-pointer in 20 straight games, a streak that began on Nov. 25, 2008 at UALR. The last CU player with a three-point streak that long was Johnny Mathies, who also compiled a trey in 20 consecutive games from Dec. 22, 2004 to Feb. 28, 2005.
Woodfox's streak is the longest active streak in the MVC and 23rd-longest nationally according to STATS Inc.
Consecutive Games With A 3-Pointer, Individuals
Courtesy STATS Inc. (through 2/5)
Rank No. Name, Team Next Game
1. 52 Roge'r Guignard, UT-Arlington 2/7
2. 38 Austin Kenon, VMI 2/7
3. 34 Josh Akognon, Cal St Fullerton 2/7
4. 32 Craig Moore, Northwestern 2/7
5. 28 Talor Battle, Penn State 2/8
6. 27 Tyrone Lewis, Niagara 2/6
27 LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor 2/7
8. 25 Ryan Schneider, Marist 2/7
25 Jack McClinton, Miami Fla. 2/7
25 Jimmy Baron, Rhode Island 2/8
11. 24 Ryan Wittman, Cornell 2/6
24 Matthew Dotson, Belmont 2/6
24 Jodie Meeks, Kentucky 2/10
24 Chase Adams, Centenary 2/7
15. 23 Jamarco Warren, Charleston So. 2/7
23 Ravern Johnson, Mississippi St. 2/7
17. 22 Adam Teague, Navy 2/7
22 Sean Ogirri, Wyoming 2/7
22 Robert Vaden, UAB 2/7
22 Jared Stohl, Portland 2/12
21. 21 David Holston, Chicago State 2/7
21 T.J. Campbell, Portland 2/12
23. 20 Booker Woodfox, Creighton 2/8
20 Grayson Flittner, Gardner-Webb 2/7
20 Nick Calathes, Florida 2/10
Lucky Numbers?
Creighton has scored exactly 79 points in three of its five Valley road wins this season, including each of the past two. Creighton has won eight straight games in which it has scored exactly 79 points dating to an 85-79 overtime loss at UNI in 2001-02.
Creighton is 12-1 in game 13 of its MVC season in the previous 13 years, losing only in 1998-99 at Wichita State. Sunday will be the Jays' 13th Valley contest of the season.
Walk(er) This Way
Sophomore center Kenton Walker put together the best offensive game of his career in last Sunday's victory over Missouri State.
After missing his first two attempts, Walker hit seven of his last eight shots from the field en route to scoring a career-high 15 points.
Walker added five rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot in 21 minutes of floor time against the Bears.
Walker is averaging 4.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots per game in 13.6 minutes per contest. He shoots 50.7 percent from the floor, second-best on the team.
Room To Board
The rebound differential between Creighton and its opponent has stood at 10 or larger in 14 of the 24 games to date.
The Jays have won the boards by 10 or more five times (going 4-1), but lost on the glass by double-digits on nine occasions (going 5-4).
In the 10 games that the rebound discrepancy has been a single-digit, CU is 9-1.
Creighton is 11-1 when winning the rebound battle this year. Sunday's opponent, Northern Iowa, is 11-1 when winning the rebounding battle.
Creighton, which has outrebounded its past three opponents, has not won the rebounding battle in four consecutive MVC games since doing it in seven straight from Jan. 12-31, 2007.
According to research from sports information intern Rob Beuerlein on February 2nd, Creighton's -3.0 rebound margin ranked second-worst among teams nationally with 17 or more wins. VMI (-10.9) was the only other school with 17 wins or more and a rebounding margin worse than -1.1.
Road The Key To Success
College basketball is one of the ultimate home-court sports, as roughly two-thirds of all games are traditionally won by the host school. Creighton's postseason destination often seems to revolve around its success, or lack thereof, while playing on the road.
Consider the following evidence:
-Currently 4-2 on the MVC road, Creighton has now won three or more Valley road contests in 14 straight seasons.
-Since 2000-01, Creighton has gone to the NCAA Tournament all five times it has won five or more league road games, but visited the NIT each occasion it has earned four or fewer Valley road victories.
-Since 1977-78 (when Creighton rejoined the MVC) it has had five or more road wins nine times. Eight of those nine teams reached the NCAA's while the other reached the NIT. Of the 22 teams with four or less Valley road wins, three reached the NCAA's, four reached the NIT and 15 did not make the postseason.
-Additionally, Creighton currently has seven wins away from home (five road, two neutral). Each of the past eight times it has had seven or more wins away from home (road + neutral), the Jays have made the NCAA Tournament.
Jays Reach 10 Home Wins, Again
Last Tuesday's win over Indiana State was Creighton's 10th home win this season. Creighton has now won 10 or more home games in 13 straight seasons, setting a school-record.
Creighton previously won 10 or more home games in 12 straight seasons from the 1969-70 season to the 1980-81 campaign.
Attendance Remains Strong
Creighton has attracted 208,565 fans heading into its Feb. 11th home game vs. Bradley, a figure that ranks fourth in the 102-year history of the MVC. The only marks that are higher are the previous three Bluejay seasons.
The Jays are also on pace to set an MVC record in average attendance. Creighton is averaging 16,043 fans currently, just ahead of the 15,909 average from 2006-07.
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
208,565 Creighton 2008-09
192,258 Creighton 2003-04
191,440 Louisville 1974-75
Highest Average Attendance, MVC History
Avg. Att. School Year
16,043 so far Creighton 2008-09
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
15,333 Creighton 2007-08
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
Carter Carries Jays
Junior Justin Carter had one of his best all-around games on Jan. 27th in Creighton's victory over Indiana State.
Carter had career-highs with 17 points, four steals and two blocked shots. He also tied his previous best with eight rebounds.
Carter has taken over the team lead with 121 rebounds and ranks third with 41 assists while playing the power forward position.
Carter has started each of his first 24 games at Creighton. The last player that could say that was Ryan Sears, who started all 28 games as a freshman in 1997-98. Sears would go on to start all 124 games of his Bluejay career.
Consec. Starts To Open CU Career, Last 15 Years
Starts Name Years
124 Ryan Sears 1997-2001
59 Edward St. Fleur 1995-1997
42 Tad Ackerman 1994-1996
24 Justin Carter 2008-Present
Ball Control
Creighton point guards Josh Dotzler, Antoine Young and Cavel Witter have done an admirable job of taking care of the ball in the past four games, combining for just five turnovers in that span.
Against Drake on Wednesday, Young and Witter each had one turnover while Dotzler had none in a combined 50 minutes.
Against Missouri State on Feb. 1st, Dotzler and Young both had one turnover, giving the CU backcourt trio a combined two turnovers in 55 minutes.
The trio combined for seven assists in 60 minutes of action without a turnover in the win over Indiana State on Jan. 27th. One game earlier against Drake on Jan. 24th, Dotzler had the trio's lone turnover in 55 combined minutes.
7-Up
Creighton went 7-for-7 from the field in the final seven minutes of its Jan. 27 win over Indiana State, getting four baskets from P'Allen Stinnett and one each from Booker Woodfox, Antoine Young and Kenton Walker.
Creighton has shot 80-for-146 in the final seven minutes of regulation in its 18 wins this season, good for 54.8 percent. That figure includes Stinnett shooting 19-of-20 from two-point range (95 percent), and the team shooting 26-of-62 (41.9 percent) from three-point range in that time range.
On the other hand in the final seven minutes of its six losses, Creighton is 16-of-54 from the field (29.6 percent) and 5-of-26 from three-point range (19.2 percent). Stinnett is 0-for-9 from the field in the last seven minutes of CU's six losses this season.
Altman Passing Coaching Legends
Dana Altman continues to pass some of the coaching greats in MVC history in two categories. Altman's 300 wins at Creighton are third in MVC history, while his 166 triumphs in regular-season conference games are second-most in league history.
Both men above him, Henry Iba and Eddie Hickey, are in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Hickey will be entering the MVC Hall of Fame this March in conjunction with Arch Madness.
MVC Coaches--Most Wins In Conference Games
Wins Coach School(s)
1. 187 Henry Iba Oklahoma A&M
2. 166 Dana Altman Creighton
3. 163 Eddie Hickey Creighton & St. Louis
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. 300 Dana Altman Creighton
Second Half Turnaround?
Creighton fans are hoping this season turns around like the 2000-01 campaign did. That season, like this one, saw the preseason favorite Bluejays drop to 5-4 at the midway point after a loss on Jan. 24th.
The 2000-01 team would post a win on Jan. 27th to start an 11-game win streak that helped carry the team to the MVC regular-season title and eventual at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Future Game Times?
Below is the timeline for the selection processes for the 2009 ESPNU BracketBusters event on Friday-Saturday, February 20-21 and the Wildcard Weekend of Saturday, Feb. 28 on Fox and ESPN2.
For BracketBusters, ESPNU has already announced the television pairings for the 13-telecast package ? six games on ESPN2, five games on ESPNU and two games on ESPN360. The actual dates, times and networks for those match-ups, though, will not be announced until Monday, February 9. Creighton will play George Mason in the event this year, in Omaha.
In terms of the Wildcard Weekend, ESPN will make its men's basketball selection on Friday, February 6 for the Saturday, February 28 telecast. That game is slated to tip at 1:05 p.m. Central on ESPN2.
Once ESPN selects its telecast for that date, the league ? working in conjunction with Fox Sports Midwest ? will make its men's basketball selection on February 6 for its February 28 telecast at 7:35 pm. Central on Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Indiana, Fox Sports Kansas City and Comcast SportsNet Chicago.
All five men's games on February 28 ? Drake @ Bradley; Evansville @ UNI; Illinois State @ Creighton; Missouri State @ Indiana State; Wichita State @ Southern Illinois ? are eligible for consideration by ESPN and Fox Sports Midwest.
Over .500 Again
Creighton has been better than .500 in either the first or second-half of the league season in 27 straight trips through the league, including the first half this year.
Creighton's 27 consecutive halves above .500 in league play is easily the Valley's longest active streak, far ahead of Illinois State (3), Drake (3), Northern Iowa (2) and Bradley (2).
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
2008-09 5-4 3-0 so far
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 84-51 (.622) 82-47 (.636)
Home Cooking
Creighton is 41-10 at home all-time at Qwest Center Omaha in MVC games (.804), compared to a 25-26 (.490) road record in the MVC during that stretch.
Only five MVC visiting schools (DU, ILS, MSU, UNI, SIU) have ever won a game in the six-year old Qwest Center Omaha. In fact, four Valley schools have not won a game in Omaha since the decade started.
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 2 1/24/09
Evansville Won 9 1/04/99
Illinois State Lost 1 12/29/07
Indiana State Won 10 1/04/99
Missouri State Won 4 2/05/05
Northern Iowa Lost 1 1/6/09
So. Illinois Won 2 1/20/07
Wichita State Won 16 2/22/92
Big Shot Booker Strikes Again
Creighton's Booker Woodfox drained a go-ahead three-pointer with 21.4 seconds left in overtime against Southern Illinois on Jan. 14th. It was the second time in as many seasons that Woodfox hit a go-ahead three-pointer in the final 30 seconds of a one-point win, as he hit a game-winner to beat Oral Roberts with 26.5 seconds left last season.
Fellow teammate P'Allen Stinnett hit five different shots on Jan. 14th that gave CU the lead against Southern Illinois and now has 14 go-ahead baskets this year, two behind Kenny Lawson Jr.'s team-best 15.
Below is a list of Creighton's baskets that gave them a lead this season, as well as baskets that gave the team the lead for good.
Gave CU Lead Got Lead Last
Name Lead For Good 2 Minutes
Kenny Lawson Jr. 16 4 0
Booker Woodfox 15 5 1
P'Allen Stinnett 14 5 1
Justin Carter 7 2 0
Antoine Young 5 0 0
Chad Millard 3 1 0
Kaleb Korver 3 1 0
Cavel Witter 3 0 0
Casey Harriman 2 0 0
Kenton Walker 2 0 0
Josh Dotzler 1 0 1
Lawson's Blocked Shot Streak Lives On
Sophomore center Kenny Lawson Jr. owns a league-high 38 blocked shots. Lawson has a blocked shot in 21 of CU's 24 contests this season. Lawson owns 66 career blocked shots, moving him into 10th on CU's all-time list.
Most Blocked Shots, CU History, Since 1979-80
Blk. Name Years
411 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
183 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
138 Brody Deren 2001-04
136 Anthony Tolliver 2003-07
109 Doug Swenson 1997-99
104 Joe Dabbert 2000-04
79 Adam Reid 1994-97
76 Livan Pyfrom 1999-01
75 Jeffrey Day 2004-06
66 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pres.
59 Rodney Buford 1995-99
Blocking Bookends
Sophomore post men Kenny Lawson Jr. and Kenton Walker are both among the MVC leaders in blocked shots, albeit in two different categories.
Lawson's 38 blocked shots for the season are three more than his closest competition, Bradley's David Collins.
Walker and Collins share the Valley lead in conference play with 17 blocks each, while Lawson is close behind with 16 league swats.
Creighton's last player to lead the league in blocked shots for an entire season is Brody Deren, who had 56 swats during the 2002-03 season when he was also a sophomore.
Team of the Decade?
Below is the records for each MVC school since the start of the 2000-01 season, ranked by overall winning percentage. Creighton leads the MVC overall with 201 wins in the decade.
MVC Standings (2000-01 to 2/6/09)
MVC only All Games
Team W L Pct. W L Pct.
Creighton 109 47 .699 201 80 .715
Southern Illinois 115 41 .737 199 88 .693
Missouri State 85 71 .545 156 119 .567
Northern Iowa 81 75 .519 150 120 .556
Wichita State 80 76 .513 150 122 .551
Illinois State 72 84 .462 141 125 .530
Bradley 75 81 .481 146 132 .525
Drake 67 89 .429 132 132 .500
Evansville 51 105 .327 98 157 .384
Indiana State 45 111 .288 100 166 .376
Let's Start With Dotzler
Josh Dotzler has started each of Creighton's last 58 games, winning 40 of those starts. The streak dates back to the final contest of the 2006-07 campaign and is the longest active string in the Missouri Valley Conference.
For his career, Dotzler has made 85 starts, with CU winning 58 of them (68.2 percent).
Toe The Line
Creighton has also shot the ball well from the free-throw line, moving up to 11th nationally with its 76.1 percent rate from the charity stripe. That's even more impressive when you consider CU's 401 free throw makes are also tied for 15th nationally.
Creighton, North Carolina and Kentucky are the only teams in the country to rank in the top-15 in both free-throw makes and free-throw percentage.
Most Free Throw Makes, Nationally
Rank Team GP FTM FTA Pct.
1. Wyoming 22 466 630 .740
2. North Carolina 22 439 584 .752
3. Marquette 22 433 603 .718
4. Oklahoma 23 429 629 .682
5. Niagara 23 428 588 .728
6. Kentucky 23 426 538 .792
Vermont 23 426 599 .711
8. UTEP 21 425 596 .713
9. North Texas 22 421 593 .710
Washingotn 22 421 612 .688
11. Connecticut 22 417 600 .695
12. Florida Gulf Coast 25 415 595 .697
13. Xavier 22 413 607 .680
14. Chattanooga 23 407 630 .646
15. Creighton 24 401 527 .761
Best Free Throw Percentage, Nationally
Rank Team GP FTM FTA Pct.
1. UC Davis 21 335 414 .809
2. Green Bay 24 390 491 .794
3. Kentucky 23 426 538 .792
4. Southern Utah 22 355 449 .791
5. Utah 22 365 465 .785
6. Utah Valley 19 306 393 .779
7. Washington State 21 222 286 .776
8. Maryland 22 303 391 .775
9. Michigan 22 278 360 .772
10. Loyola (Md.) 24 400 522 .766
11. Creighton 24 401 527 .761
12. Lafayette 22 322 426 .756
13. Drake 24 371 492 .754
14. James Madison 24 374 496 .754
15. North Carolina 22 439 584 .752
One of Four
Creighton ranks 10th nationally with 202 three-pointers made and is 17th with its 39.0 percent marksmanship from three-point territory.
On a national basis, the only other schools to be in the top-20 of both categories is Oklahoma State, Green Bay and Notre Dame.
Most 3-Point Field Goal Makes, Nationally
Rank Team GP 3FG 3FGA 3Pct.
1. VMI 22 303 805 .376
2. Eastern Kentucky 23 238 612 .389
3. Davidson 23 225 600 .375
4. Liberty 24 222 628 .354
5. Portland State 23 219 586 .374
6. Belmont 21 211 580 .364
Troy 24 211 586 .360
8. Oklahoma State 21 208 520 .420
9. UNC-Wilmington 24 207 605 .342
10. Creighton 24 202 518 .390
11. Boston 22 199 542 .367
12. Michigan 23 198 608 .326
13. Hartford 24 196 593 .331
Illinois State 23 196 518 .378
Chattanooga 23 196 561 .349
Green Bay 24 196 518 .378
17. Drake 24 195 547 .356
St. Francis (NY) 22 195 537 .363
19. Butler 22 192 524 .366
20. Notre Dame 21 191 480 .398
Best 3-Point Field Goal Percentage, Nationally
Rank Team GP 3FG 3FGA 3Pct.
1. California 23 144 321 .449
2. North Dakota State 22 159 384 .414
3. Cornell 20 161 391 .412
4. New Mexico State 23 157 384 .409
5. Portland 23 185 455 .407
6. IPFW 23 152 375 .405
7. Green Bay 24 196 484 .405
8. Robert Morris 24 161 402 .400
9. Oklahoma State 21 208 520 .400
Xavier 22 146 365 .400
11. Northwestern 20 168 421 .399
12. Notre Dame 21 191 480 .398
13. Western Illinois 23 126 318 .396
14. New Mexico 23 167 424 .394
15. UC Irvine 22 145 369 .393
16. UCLA 22 165 420 .393
17. Creighton 24 202 518 .390
18. North Carolina 22 161 413 .390
19. Tennessee Tech 22 166 426 .390
20. Northern Colorado 24 165 424 .389
Cardiac Kids
Creighton's win over Southern Illinois on Jan. 14th marked the seventh time in the past two seasons that Creighton won in which it trailed or had been tied at some point in the final minute, but first time this season.
Five of those seven wins came at home, and three of the games featured a go-ahead three-pointer in the final 30 seconds.
Margin Opponent Date
-5 Bradley 3/1/08
-4 Saint Joseph's 12/9/07
-4 Southern Illinois 1/14/09
-3 Rhode Island 3/18/08
-2 at Oral Roberts 2/23/08
-1 Wichita State 2/2/08
Tie at Missouri State 1/5/08
Step Right Up Young Man
Antoine Young scored 27 points in his first 16 games with Creighton, but has since exploded to score 66 points over the past eight games.
That includes 13 points at Bradley and 12 points against both Indiana State and Wichita State.
Young delivered the best game of his fledgling career on Jan. 10th at Bradley. Young had a career-best 13 points while adding two assists and a team-high two steals in 21 minutes.
Young, who had entered the contest 0-for-11 from three-point range, also went 2-for-2 from downtown in the victory.
Fish Gets Call From Hall
Creighton University assistant coach Brian Fish has been named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Silver Anniversary Team. He and 16 other former Indiana high school basketball standouts will be honored at a dinner on March 25 in Indianapolis.
Fish will be the just the seventh graduate in Seymour High School history to be honored. To qualify for the honor, a player must have graduated high school 25 years ago.
Fish still holds Seymour career records for charges taken (42), free throws made (390) and free throws attempted, ranks second with 1,400 points and is fourth with 128 steals, 505 field goals made and 1,112 field goals attempted.
Altman Records 500th Win
Creighton head coach Dana Altman picked up his 500th win as a college head coach at all levels on New Year's Eve against Indiana State.
Altman owns a career record of 506-249 in 24 years as a head coach at the Division I and junior college levels. Altman owns 29 wins at Southeast Junior College (1982-83), 94 wins at Moberly Junior College (1983-86), 15 wins at Marshall (1989-90), 68 wins at Kansas State (1990-94) and 300 victories at Creighton (1994-Present).
Comparison To Past Years After 24 Games
Below is a comparison after 24 games of this year's team to that of last year's team, as well as the memorable 2002-03 squad that finished 29-5, and the 2000-01 team that also started 18-6 but would win the MVC regular-season title, with season-bests in bold:
Statistic 2008-09 2007-08 2002-03 2000-01
W-L Record 18-6 17-7 22-2 18-6
MVC W-L 8-4 8-6 12-1 10-4
FG% .441 .458 .517 .440
3FG% .390 .380 .409 .353
3FG/Game 8.4 8.4 8.8 7.6
FT% .761 .713 .687 .695
Reb. Margin -2.5 +3.5 +1.9 +1.7
Assists 331 359 429 362
Turnovers 307 361 331 332
Blocks 93 80 105 83
Steals 199 196 219 226
PPG Scored 74.0 71.4 82.5 73.1
PPG Allowed 64.6 61.7 64.8 63.6
Woodfox Automatic At The Line Too
Not only has Booker Woodfox been lights-out from the field, but it's carried over to the free-throw line. Despite one of the nation's most unique pre-shot rituals, Woodfox drained a Creighton-record 36 straight free throws from Dec. 6-Jan. 3rd.
The 36 straight makes is four more than the previous Creighton record set by Michael Lindeman. The streak was seventh-longest in MVC history, and the longest in five years by a league player not named Blake Ahearn (Ahearn holds six of the 12 best streaks in MVC history).
For the season, Woodfox leads the MVC with 88.5 percent marksmanship from the line (77-87).
Most Consecutive Free Throws Made, MVC History
60 Blake Ahearn, MSU (12/20/03 - 2/14/04)
60 Blake Ahearn, MSU (12/19/04 - 2/28/05)
57 Vince Greene, ILS (1/18/04 - 11/30/04)
51 Blake Ahearn, MSU (12/15/05 - 1/29/06)
48 Marcus Wilson, Evansville (12/1/96 - 2/2/97)
44 James Gillingham, BU (2/8/03 - 2/25/03)
36 Booker Woodfox, CU (12/6/08 - 1/6/09)
35 Aaron Zobrist, Bradley (12/27/96 - 1/27/97)
34 Blake Ahearn, MSU (12/22/06 - 1/24/07)
32 Michael Lindeman, CU (1/23/03 - 12/3/03)
32 Blake Ahearn, MSU (11/17/03 - 12/20/03)
32 Josh Young, DU (11/19/08 - 12/12/08)
P For 3
Sophomore guard P'Allen Stinnett drained a three-pointer on the first possession of both halves, as well as a double-clutch banked trey at the first-half buzzer, en route to shooting 6-of-8 from three-point range at Indiana State on Dec. 31. The six three-pointers was a career-high for Stinnett, who opened his career with five three-pointers in the second half of a 2007 win over DePaul.
Stinnett is one of seven players on the current roster who have made three or more three-pointers in a game during their Bluejay career.
Nine-Game Win Streak Ended
Creighton had its longest win streak in nearly five years end when its nine-game win streak was snapped on Jan. 3rd at Illinois State.
The Bluejays have had at least one five-game win streak in 12 straight seasons, and 19 such streaks overall in the 15-year tenure of Dana Altman. Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the postseason all 14 previous times they've had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the postseason all six times they haven't.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest win streaks under Dana Altman.
Creighton's Longest Win Streaks Under Dana Altman
W's Dates Postseason?
12 Nov. 22, 2003-Jan. 11, 2004 NIT
11 Jan. 27-March 3, 2001 NCAA
10 Nov. 17-Dec. 29, 2002 NCAA
9 Jan. 21-Feb. 16, 1998 NIT
9 Nov. 22-Dec. 21, 1999 NCAA
9 Dec. 2-31, 2008 ? ? ?
A Perfect December
Creighton went 9-0 in December, closing out a perfect month with a Dec. 31 win at Indiana State. This marks Creighton's first-ever unbeaten month when playing nine games or more. Creighton's last previous undefeated December came in 2003-04, when the team went 7-0.
They Hit How Many?
Creighton drained 15-of-24 three-point attempts in its road win at Indiana State on Dec. 31st. The 15 three-pointers were tied for third-most ever, and the most by the Jays since they set a school and MVC record with a 20-of-30 display from downtown in a Feb. 19, 2005 win over Chattanooga.
Among games that Creighton has made 10 or more three-pointers all-time, Creighton's 62.5 percent shooting behind the arc was fourth-best in history, and its best since the 20-for-30 (66.7 percent) against Chattanooga.
Creighton is 20-0 all-time under Dana Altman when making 10 or more three-pointers and 54 percent or better of those attempts from downtown.
Creighton has made 10 three-pointers or more eight times this season, making at least 40 percent of its tries in seven of those contests.
Heating Up December
Booker Woodfox was red-hot from the field in the nine games played in December. Woodfox scored 180 points in 219 minutes in nine December games, all Bluejay wins. Woodfox shot 58-for-99 from the floor in that time (58.6 percent), including 35-of-60 (58.3 percent) from three-point land. Woodfox also hit 29-of-31 free throws (93.5 percent) in December.
Leading Scorer, Again
Booker Woodfox led Creighton in scoring during seven straight games from Dec. 6-28, averaging 21.3 points per game in that time. In Dana Altman's 15-year tenure, Creighton's only longer streak was by Rodney Buford, who twice had eight straight games.
Consec. Games as Leading Scorer, Under Altman
Games Name Dates
8 Rodney Buford Jan. 27-Feb. 17, 1997
8 Rodney Buford Feb. 23-Dec. 2, 1998
7 Rodney Buford Jan. 2-20, 1997
7 Booker Woodfox Dec. 6-28, 2008
What A Year!
Booker Woodfox showed his shooting proficiency during the entire calendar year of 2008. His accuracy from the field, three-point line and free-throw line all jumped by 12 percent or more, while his scoring average has jumped 8.7 points per game when compared to his 2007 figures.
Below is a comparison of his first 11 games from last year (the year 2007), compared to his games since the calendar turned to 2008 and now 2009.
Statistic 2007 2008 2009
Games 11 36 9
FG-FGA 19-56 167-338 40-101
FG% .339 .494 .396
3FG-3FGA 12-33 88-182 21-51
3FG% .364 .484 .412
FT-FTA 8-12 83-99 27-32
FT% .667 .838 .844
Rebounds 17 103 13
Rebounds Per Game 1.5 2.9 1.4
Assists 12 50 8
Turnovers 11 34 8
Points 58 505 128
Points Per Game 5.3 14.0 14.2
Book It!
Booker Woodfox is 65-of-134 (48.5 percent) from three-point range this season.
For his career, he is 121-of-266, which computes to 45.5 percent, just ahead of the school-record figure achieved by noted marksman Kyle Korver. The only previous player in CU history to shoot better than 44.2 percent from three-point range in their career was two-time MVC Player of the Year Korver, who made 45.3 percent from downtown while hitting 371-of-819 from long-range.
Creighton's 3-Point Percentage Leaders, Career
(Minimum 100 Attempts)
Pct. Name, Years 3FGM-FGA
.4549 Booker Woodfox, 2007-Present 121-266
.4530 Kyle Korver, 1999-03 371-819
.4415 Rod Mason, 1986-88 132-299
.4404 Nerijus Karlikanovas, 1998-00 48-109
.4306 Michael Lindeman, 2000-04 62-144
.4293 Duan Cole, 1987-92 176-410
.4065 Nate Funk, 2002-07 200-492
.4053 Matt West, 1996-00 92-227
.4051 Matt Petty, 1989-93 143-353
.4017 Darin Plautz, 1989-91 94-234
Woodfox's 65 three-point baskets are tied for 26th-most nationally. Woodfox is one of 66 players nationally who made 59 or more three-pointers through games of Feb. 5th, but the only man from that group to hit 48.2 percent or more of those attempts.
Heavy Lumber For Woodfox
Booker Woodfox had a career-high in several categories during CU's 69-58 win at Saint Joseph's on Dec. 6. Woodfox had career-highs with 29 points, nine field goals and seven three-pointers while also matching his previous best with seven rebounds.
The seven three-pointers by Woodfox were the most by a Creighton player since Nate Funk made seven trifectas at Nebraska on Nov. 18, 2006.
Additionally, he was the first player in Creighton history to make at least seven three-pointers while shooting 75 percent or better from behind the arc in the same game. Below is a list of Creighton players to make seven treys in a game.
Creighton's Most 3-Pointers Made, Single-Game
3FG-A Name, Opponent Date
9-14 Kyle Korver vs. Evansville 01/15/03
8-13 Tad Ackerman at Drake 01/23/95
8-15 Terrell Taylor vs. Florida 03/15/02
8-13 Kyle Korver at Xavier 12/31/02
7-12 Gary Swain vs. Nebraska-Omaha 12/11/86
7-10 Ryan Sears vs. Wyoming 12/06/97
7-11 Kyle Korver vs. Notre Dame 11/26/02
7-15 Kyle Korver vs. Fresno State 02/22/03
7-11 Nate Funk at Nebraska 11/18/06
7-9 Booker Woodfox at Saint Joseph's 12/06/08
MVC Preseason Poll
For the second time in three years, Creighton has been picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference in a preseason poll of coaches, beat writers, SID's and play-by-play men.
Creighton was picked first on 36 of the 39 ballots to earn 386 of a possible 390 points. Last year's favorite, Southern Illinois, earned two first-place votes and totaled 322 points for second place, just ahead of Illinois State, which garnered 309 points and the lone remaining first-place vote. Rounding out the rest of the poll was Drake (274), Bradley (219), UNI (186), Indiana State (137), Evansville (122), Wichita State (105) and Missouri State (85).
The preseason all-MVC team is headlined by preseason player of the year Osiris Eldridge (Illinois State). Joining Eldridge on the first team are P'Allen Stinnett (Creighton), Bryan Mullins (Southern Illinois) and the Drake tandem of Jonathan Cox and Josh Young. Honorable-mention picks include the Bradley pair of Theron Wilson and Andrew Warren, as well as the Evansville duo of Shy Ely and Jason Holsinger.
Steal Leader
KenPom.com, a college basketball website dedicated to statistics, ranks Creighton guard Josh Dotzler among its best defenders. The site calculates that Dotzler earns a steal on 6.3 percent of all defensive possessions that he's in the game for, the nation's second-best rate.
The same website ranks Booker Woodfox 22nd in offensive rating, a calculation of a player's offensive efficiency from two-point range, three-point range and the free-throw line, as well as scarcity of turnovers per minute played.
Crowds Increase For League Action
Compared to its non-conference crowds, Creighton's attendance has increased in MVC action each of the previous eight years:
Creighton's Yearly Home Attendance
Year Non-MVC Games MVC Games Change
2000-01 7,132 7,268 +2%
2001-02 6,333 6,800 +7%
2002-03 7,401 8,996 +22%
2003-04 11,467 12,443 +9%
2004-05 9,926 12,207 +23%
2005-06 13,404 14,343 +7%
2006-07 15,471 16,153 +4%
2007-08 14,544 16,122 +10%
2008-09 15,844 so far 16,277 so far +2.7%
Statistical Leaders, Nationally
Through games of Feb. 1st, Booker Woodfox ranked second in three-point field goal percentage (47.6%), 15th in free-throw percentage (88.5%) and 57th in three-pointers per game (2.7). Josh Dotzler ranked 21st with a 2.56 assist/turnover ratio and 35th with 2.3 steals per game. Kenny Lawson Jr. was 85th with 1.7 blocked shots per game, Cavel Witter's 84.8 percent free-throw percentage ranked 53rd.
As a team, Creighton is ranked 10th in free-throw percentage (75.9), 14th in turnover margin (+4.1), 16th in three-point field-goal percentage (39.2) and 20th in three-point field goals per game (8.4).
Dotzler Top 10 in Assists & Steals
After seven previous games with exactly five steals in his career, Josh Dotzler had a career-best six steals on Dec. 13 against Northern Colorado. Creighton turned all six of those steals into points, scoring 13 points on its ensuing possessions.
Dotzler's 182 career steals ranks him for fourth in CU history. Dotzler's 342 career assists places him seventh in Creighton history, just ahead of current Indiana State coach Kevin McKenna from his playing days at CU.
Dotzler is one of four players in CU history with more than 150 steals and 300 career assists, joining Ryan Sears, Duan Cole and Latrell Wrightsell.
Steals (Since 1979-80)
Stl. Name Years
283 Ryan Sears 1997-01
195 Rodney Buford 1995-99
186 Duan Cole 1987-92
182 Josh Dotzler 2005-Pres.
172 Kyle Korver 1999-03
Assists (Since 1970-71)
Ast. Name Years
570 Ryan Sears 1997-01
549 Ralph Bobik 1971-74
458 Randy Eccker 1974-78
430 Tyler McKinney 2001-05
418 Vernon Moore 1981-85
382 Duan Cole 1987-92
342 Josh Dotzler 2005-Pres.
332 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception.
Creighton has three players from Iowa on this season's team, continuing a long trend of relying on some of the Hawkeye State's top preps. CU's native Iowans this season include senior Dustin Sitzmann (LeMars) and sophomores Casey Harriman (Ida Grove) and Kaleb Korver (Pella).
Other past notable Iowans include Kyle Korver and Pierce Hibma (Pella), Ryan Sears (Ankeny), Brody Deren (Harlan), Tyler McKinney (Urbandale), Nate Funk (Sioux City) and Michael Lindeman (Iowa Falls).
Creighton has played at least one Iowa native in 466 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Big Blue Wave
Eleven different players are averaging 11.6 minutes per game or more this season for Creighton, with no player seeing more than 25.8 minutes per game.
Creighton has had at least 10 players average 10.7 minutes per game or more in each of previous three seasons, as well.
Creighton has not used anyone for more than 32 minutes in any regulation-length game this year. By comparison, eight individuals throughout the MVC average 32 minutes per game or more.
Trio Reaches 500 Points in Year Two
Sophomore P'Allen Stinnett became the 12th player to score 500 or more points in their first two seasons at Creighton under Dana Altman.
However, the only one to do it in fewer than the 40 games Stinnett needed is CU's all-time leading scorer, Rodney Buford, who needed just 35 games.
Senior guard Booker Woodfox reached 500 career points in his 44th game on Dec. 22 against Fresno State, tied for third-quickest in the Altman era.
Junior guard Cavel Witter scored his 500th career point on Jan. 20th at Evansville, which was his 53rd career game.
500+Points In First 2 Years Under Dana Altman
Name Games to 500 pts. Date
Rodney Buford 35 12/7/96 vs. UNI
P'Allen Stinnett 40 12/10/08 vs. Dayton
Doug Swenson 44 1/20/99 at Evansville
Booker Woodfox 44 12/22/08 vs. Fresno St.
Kyle Korver 48 1/11/01 vs. Indiana St.
Tad Ackerman 48 2/8/96 at So. Illinois
Edward St. Fleur 49 1/30/97 at Missouri St.
Ryan Sears 51 2/14/99 at Illinois St.
Cavel Witter 53 1/20/09 at Evansville
Nick Porter 54 2/7/07 vs. Evansville
Johnny Mathies 55 2/16/05 at Wichita St.
Brody Deren 56 2/12/03 vs. Missouri St.
Terrell Taylor 59 2/17/01 vs. Wyoming
Larry House 59 2/22/03 vs. Fresno St.
Korver Adds Spark Off The Bench
Sophomore Kaleb Korver has made 25-of-49 three-point shots in his past 18 games off the bench, an impressive 51.0 percent.
Korver has not made a two-point basket since Jan. 2, 2008, and each of his last 39 field goals have been worth three points.
20 Overall Wins x 10 Years = MVC History
Creighton is the only school in the 102-year history of the Missouri Valley Conference to post 10 straight 20-win campaigns. No other school owns more than six straight.
Creighton is one of seven teams nationally with 20 or more wins in each of last 10 seasons. That list consists of Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kent State and Syracuse.
Postseason x 11
Creighton has made either the NIT or NCAA in 11 consecutive seasons, the longest streak of postseason bids in MVC history. It is one more than the 10 straight from 1966 to 1975 by Louisville.
The only 12 schools to make the postseason in each of the last 11 years are Arizona, Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Stanford and Syracuse.
Creighton, which also boasts a men's soccer team with 17 straight NCAA appearances, is the nation's only school with 11 straight postseason appearances in both men's basketball and men's soccer.
10 Conference Wins x 12
Last year Creighton extended its MVC record by winning 10 or more league games for a 12th consecutive season. Prior to Dana Altman's arrival, the Bluejays had 10 or more conference wins in only six different seasons all-time.
On a national basis, the only teams with at least 12 straight years of 10 or more league wins are Stanford (14), Kansas (14) and Creighton (12).
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in a league-best 489 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993 when Rick Johnson was coach.
The Charge Chart
Creighton took 62 charges last season, with Casey Harriman and Dane Watts sharing the team lead with 17 charges taken. Over the previous six seasons, the Bluejays have averaged 48.7 per year.
So far this season, Creighton has taken 34 charges in 24 games.
Below is a list of the Creighton players that have taken charges since the 2002-03 season:
Name 2002-07 ?07-08 ?08-09 Total
Casey Harriman n/a 17 7 24
Josh Dotzler 4 5 6 15
Chad Millard n/a 7 4 11
Justin Carter n/a n/a 4 4
P'Allen Stinnett n/a 5 3 8
Kenny Lawson Jr. 0 2 3 5
Kaleb Korver n/a 0 3 3
Antoine Young n/a n/a 2 2
Kenton Walker n/a 3 1 4
Booker Woodfox n/a 2 1 3
Cavel Witter n/a 3 0 3
Dustin Sitzmann 0 1 0 1
Former Players 226 17 n/a 243
Total 230 62 34 326
What's Your Twenty?
This was the 12th straight year that Creighton has won at least 13 of its first 20 games. Each of the previous 11 seasons it has done that, it reached the postseason. Here's a look at Creighton's record after 20 games in the 15 seasons under Dana Altman.
Creighton -- First 20 Games Under Dana Altman
Year First 20 W-L Final W-L Postseason
2008-09 15-5 ? ? ? ? ? ?
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 ---
Walker Nabs Double-Double
Sophomore center Kenton Walker became the only current member of the Creighton team to record a double-double, when he recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench against Mississippi Valley State on December 2nd.
Walker's 10 points tied for the second-highest scoring output of his young career, while his 10 rebounds were one more of his previous career-best.
Woodfox Was MVC Player of the Week #2
Senior guard Booker Woodfox was named State Farm MVC Player of the Week on Dec. 29 after averaging 22 points in three wins. He was 21-34 from the floor (61.8 percent), 11-19 from three-point range (57.9 percent) and perfect in 13 free throw attempts.
Woodfox opened the week by averaging 25 points to earn MVP honors in two wins at the Las Vegas Classic, including 26 points against DePaul. The Lewisville, Texas, native closed out his week with a team-best 16 points in a 12-point win over Wichita State.
It was the second time in December that Woodfox was honored (also Dec. 8th).
Woodfox Named MVC Player of the Week
Creighton University guard Booker Woodfox was named the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Dec. 8th. Woodfox, a senior guard from Lewisville, Texas, was the third different Bluejay to win the award in the first four weeks of the season (joining P'Allen Stinnett & Cavel Witter).
Woodfox scored 43 points in 44 minutes while averaging 21.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game as Creighton posted a pair of double-digit victories against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago. He made 14-of-20 shots from the field (70 percent), including 10-of-14 from three-point range (71.4 percent) while also making 71.4 percent (5-7) of his shots at the line.
Woodfox had a career-high with 29 points in CU's win against Saint Joseph's while also tying his personal-best with seven rebounds. He drained 9-of-13 shots overall, including 7-of-9 tries from three-point territory. Woodfox became the only player in CU history to make at least seven three-pointers while converting 75 percent or more of his attempts from long-range in the same game.
Woodfox began his week with 14 points in 17 minutes of a 24-point win over Mississippi Valley State, hitting 5-of-7 shots from the floor and 3-of-5 from downtown.
This was the first time Woodfox has been named MVC Player of the Week, though he did earn three MVC Newcomer of the Week accolades last season.
Witter Named MVC Player of the Week
Cavel Witter was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 25 for his work in wins against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and four-time defending Summit League champ Oral Roberts.
Witter averaged 20.0 points, 2.5 steals, 2.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game off the bench while leading Creighton in scoring.
He shot 68.8 percent from the floor (11-16), including 66.7 percent from three-point range (6-9) while also hitting 80 percent (12-15) at the line.
It was Witter's first career honor as MVC Player of the Week, though he did earn MVC Newcomer of the Week honors twice last season.
Sitzmann Was Scholar-Athlete of the Week
Senior guard Dustin Sitzmann was named Prairie Farms/MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week on Nov. 26.
A senior from LeMars, Iowa, Sitzmann scored in consecutive games for the first time in his Bluejay career, as CU defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff (82-50) on Nov. 20 and Oral Roberts (87-65) on Nov. 22.
Sitzmann, who has a 3.871 cumulative grade-point average in exercise science, made 2-of-3 shots from the field (66.7 percent). He played a combined seven minutes in the victories.
Jays Were 3-0 Once Again
Creighton's win against Oral Roberts on Nov. 22nd gave it a 3-0 start for the 10th time in the past 11 seasons. The 2006-07 team that started 2-1 is the lone exception in the past decade.
Each of Creighton's previous 3-0 starts under Dana Altman have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Creighton has not taken the floor with a losing record since December 3, 1997 when it faced Grambling. Sunday will be the 369th game in a row the Jays have played with a record of .500 or better.
3 Players, 20 Points, First 3 Games
Creighton had three different players score 20 or more points during its first three contests this winter. P'Allen Stinnett (30) and Booker Woodfox (26) did it against New Mexico, while Cavel Witter (25) did it against Oral Roberts.
This is the first time it's happened in Dana Altman's 15-year tenure at Creighton, as well as the first time its happened at Creighton in at least 30 years.
Double-Double Eludes Lawson
Sophomore Kenny Lawson Jr. hasn't notched a double-double in his young career, but he's been steadily getting closer.
Lawson, who had 10 points and eight rebounds at Bradley on Jan. 10, owns eight career games of at least eight points and eight boards in his career. CU has won seven of those games, outscoring foes by an average of 77.9-63.2.
Creighton is 20-4 in Lawson's career when he has five rebounds or more, but 22-13 in games he's appeared in and snared less than five caroms.
25 Points Off The Bench, Again
Cavel Witter scored 25 points off the bench in CU's Nov. 22 win over Oral Roberts.
It marked the second time in his career he's done that, as the junior guard torched Bradley for a Qwest Center Omaha record 42 points on March 1, 2008, in a double-overtime win over Bradley.
Before Witter, Creighton had not had a player score 25 points or more off the bench since March of 2002.
Television Records
Creighton is a combined 93-54 in televised games in the last seven seasons, including a 34-22 mark on KMTV-produced games (which does not include CU's record in NCAA Tournament games on KMTV). Creighton went 4-2 in games aired on KMTV in 2002-03, 6-3 in 2003-04, 4-5 in 2004-05, 5-3 in 2005-06, 6-2 in 2006-07 and 5-4 last year in KMTV-produced games. So far this year CU is 4-3 on KMTV.
The Jays are also 41-28 in games that air regionally or nationally in that time, including a 22-16 mark on MVC TV.
Creighton had 27-of-33 games on television last season. A minimum of 22 are slated for television this season, including all but one MVC game.
What A Start!
The 2007-08 MVC Sixth Man of the Year, Booker Woodfox scored 26 points in his first career start against New Mexico on Nov. 16.
Woodfox's 26 points are the most by a Bluejay in their first career start since at least 1980.
Dynamic Duo, Part II?
From 1987-91, Creighton big men Bob Harstad and Chad Gallagher were known as the “Dynamic Duo”. Both men were named MVC Player of the Year (Harstad in 1990, Gallagher in 1991) and finished their careers first and second in school history for points scored.
It's still quite early, but the Jays had quite the dynamic duo in the season-opening win over New Mexico when P'Allen Stinnett (30) and Booker Woodfox (26) both lit up the Lobos.
The current duo became the first Bluejay pair to score 25 points or more in the same game in the Dana Altman era.
CU hadn't had that happen since, you guessed it, Gallagher (29) and Harstad (26) did it against Bradley on Jan. 21, 1991.
Thirty-Point Bluejays
With 30 points on Nov. 16 against New Mexico, P'Allen Stinnett became one of six Creighton players in the Dana Altman era to score 30 points or more in a game. The other five players that did it were Cavel Witter, Nate Funk, Johnny Mathies, Kyle Korver and Rodney Buford.
Below is the list of Creighton's 30-point games since Altman became head coach:
Pts. Name Opp. Date Result
42 Cavel Witter Bradley 03/01/08 W 111-110
40 Rodney Buford Bradley 12/30/98 W 65-44
38 Nate Funk Dayton 11/26/05 W 91-90
36 Rodney Buford Illinois St. 02/05/96 L 72-74
35 Nate Funk @Wichita State 02/16/05 W 82-68
33 Nate Funk vs. Missouri St. 03/03/07 W 75-58
32 Kyle Korver @Xavier 12/31/02 L 73-75
32 Johnny Mathies Drake 01/08/06 W 82-69
31 Kyle Korver Evansville 01/15/03 W 93-56
30 Rodney Buford Southern Illinois 02/05/98 W 91-73
30 Rodney Buford @Northern Iowa 12/30/97 W 83-75
30 Rodney Buford Missouri State 02/15/97 L 82-88
30 P'Allen Stinnett New Mexico 11/16/08 W 82-75
Stinnett Named MVC Player of the Week
Creighton sophomore P'Allen Stinnett claimed MVC Player of the Week honors Nov. 17. Stinnett scored 21 of his career-high 30 points in the second half of a 82-75 come-from-behind victory over New Mexico while also adding four rebounds, an assist and a steal.
This was his second career MVC Player of the Week accolade, as he also won the award last season on Feb. 11, 2008. Stinnett also picked up three MVC Newcomer of the Week honors last year en route to sweeping Valley Newcomer and Freshman of the Year laurels.
P'henomenal Debut x 2
P'Allen Stinnett's 23 points last year against DePaul were the most by a Bluejay in their first game since Cyril Baptiste scored 24 points on Dec. 1, 1969 against Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Stinnett's 30 points in this year's opener were the most by a Creighton player in the season lid-lifter since Bob Harstad scored 38 points against Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 30, 1990.
Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton has won 48 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has won 57 straight games when scoring 72 points or more at all sites dating to Jan. 29, 2005.
The Bluejays have won 65 consecutive games when scoring 80 points or more, dating to Feb. 19, 2000.
Creighton has also won 44 straight games when scoring 90 points or more, dating to Jan. 11, 1988.
Creighton has won 15 straight when scoring 100 points or more, dating to Feb. 26, 1977.
Who Are Those Guys?
Creighton also has two walk-ons practicing with the team that might suit up on but are not listed in the media guide.
No. 24 is Matt Dorwart, a 6-7 freshman forward from Sidney, Neb. Dorwart played at Sidney High School and averaged 8.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 38.5 percent from three-point range.
No. 40 Derek Sebastian is a 6-5 freshman guard/forward from Loveland, Colo. Sebastian played at Thompson Valley High School, where he averaged 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game last year.
Turning Point?
One common theme when Creighton is successful is that they have had an advantage in “points off turnovers” in many of those contests.
Creighton was 17-4 when scoring more points off turnovers than its opponent last year. In the last five years, Creighton is 78-13 when winning this category, including an 17-3 mark this winter.
Paint Points
Since Creighton started tracking points in the paint six years ago, CU is 59-9 in games when scoring 28 or more points in the paint.
Largest...Crowd...Ever...
Creighton drew its largest crowd, a record crowd for the state of Nebraska, and a record for a league game in its win against Wichita State on Dec. 28, 2008 as 17,954 attended the game at Qwest Center Omaha. That bettered the previous Creighton single-game mark (17,607 vs. Drexel - 2/17/07).
Louisville formerly held the league's single-game attendance record for a regular-season conference game (17,661 vs. Cincinnati, Feb. 22, 1969).
Jays Among Attendance Leaders, Again
This year's Creighton team is averaging 16,043fans per game, which puts them on pace for a league record for home attendance.
Creighton ranked 15th nationally in attendance, averaging 15,333 fans per game during the 2007-08 season.
During the 2006-07 season, Creighton ranked 13th nationally in average attendance with 15,909 fans per game.
Below is a list of the nation's attendance leaders in 2007-08, as compiled by the NCAA.
2007-08 Attendance Leaders
Rk. School Average
1. Kentucky 22,554
2. North Carolina 20,497
3. Syracuse 20,345
4. Tennessee 20,267
5. Louisville 19,481
6. Maryland 17,950
7. Wisconsin 17,190
8. Arkansas 17,148
9. Indiana 16,876
10. Memphis 16,748
11. Illinois 16,618
12. Ohio State 16,587
13. Kansas 16,409
14. Marquette 16,239
15. Creighton 15,333
16. North Carolina State 15,043
NBA Presence
Two former Creighton players have spent time on NBA rosters this season. Kyle Korver (1999-2003) plays for Utah, while Anthony Tolliver (2003-07) has spent time this season with both San Antonio and New Orleans.
Tolliver averaged 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.9 minutes during 19 games with San Antonio. He was cut by the Spurs on January 7th but resurfaced in the NBA on Jan. 21st when he signed a 10-day contract with the Hornets. He did not appear with the Hornets and has returned to playing for the Des Moines Energy in the NBA D-League.
Korver is averaging 8.2 points in 22.3 minutes per game off the bench for Utah. He is shooting 35.0 percent from three-point range for the Jazz.
Consistent Challengers
One of the most impressive facets of the Dana Altman tenure is how often his teams have been in the running for the MVC regular-season title. Eight of his last 11 teams have finished either first or second in The Valley's regular-season race. Two of the three that didn't won the MVC Tournament.
The Bluejays won the MVC in 2000-01 and tied for the title in 2001-02. CU was second in the MVC in 1997-98 and 2006-07, tied for second in the MVC in 1998-99, 2003-04 and 2005-06, and finished tied for third in 2004-05. The 1999-00 club was fourth in the MVC, but won the MVC Tournament.
Creighton's MVC Finishes, Last 11 Years
1st Place 2000-01
Tied for First 2001-02 (won MVC Tourn.)
2nd Place 1997-98, 2002-03 (won MVC Tourn.), 2006-07 (won MVC Tourn.)
Tied for 2nd 1998-99 (won MVC Tourn.), 2003-04, 2005-06
Tied for 3rd Place 2004-05 (won MVC Tourn.)
4th Place 1999-00 (won MVC Tourn.); 2007-08
Qwest To Be The Best
Creighton has played 94 regular and post-season contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time. The Bluejays own a 79-15 (.840) record all-time at the facility, including a perfect 16-0 figure on Wednesday's, a 6-0 mark on Thursday's and a 1-0 mark on Friday's. The 15 losses have been by a combined 85 points.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 6,952-5,823 in games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.0 points per game.
The Jays have led wire-to-wire 19 different times.
?W'inning Edge
Creighton's men's and women's basketball teams have been nearly unbeatable at home in recent seasons, going a combined 210-46 in the last nine seasons. In fact, the men and women have both lost a home game in the same month just four times since March, 2000.
Creighton's Home Records, Last Nine Years
Year Men Women Combined
2008-09 11-2 7-3 18-5
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 122-18 88-28 210-46
One of the Best Programs Around
Every five years since 1997, Basketball Times has evaluated the best of the best NCAA programs -- those that have won two-thirds of their games over the previous 10 season span. The 2007 edition of the report had 29 teams that met that qualification, including Creighton.
Those 29 schools were then ranked from 1-29 on categories like 10-year winning percentage, number of active NBA players, freshman graduation rate and US News & World Report's academic peer assessment score, as well as a subjective vote of 10 panelists who judged teams based on “program cleanliness” and “head coach ranking”.
Creighton finished an impressive seventh, trailing only Duke, North Carolina, Florida, Stanford, Gonzaga and Michigan State.
Basketball Times Overall Rankings
Rk. School Avg. Ranking
1. Duke 3.7
2. North Carolina 7.5
3. Florida 8.0
4. Stanford 8.8
5. Gonzaga 10.0
Michigan State 10.0
7. Creighton 10.2
8. Kansas 10.8
9. Xavier 11.5
10. Illinois 12.0
11. Arizona 13.5
12. Connecticut 13.7
13. Syracuse 14.5
14. Butler 14.8
15. College of Charleston 15.2
Southern Illinois 15.2
Texas 15.2
18. Kentucky 16.0
Pennsylvania 16.0
20. Maryland 17.3
21. Pittsburgh 17.5
22. Utah State 18.3
23. Kent State 18.8
24. Utah 20.2
25. Cincinnati 20.5
26. Murray State 20.7
Oklahoma 20.7
28. Oklahoma State 21.0
29. Memphis 23.0
Double-Digit Comebacks at Home
Creighton has fallen behind by double-digits in 24 of its 94 all-time home games all-time at Qwest Center Omaha. In 16 of those 24 games, the Bluejays came back to win.
Creighton's incredible streak of 181 straight games without a double-digit home loss (dating to Jan. 3, 1996) was snapped on Dec. 29, 2007 by Illinois State. That had ranked as the nation's oldest streak in that obscure category.
Double Digit Deficits at Qwest Center Omaha
Date Opponent Deficit Final Score
12/30/03 Missouri State 10 W 59-54
12/04/04 High Point 13 W 79-60
12/07/04 Kent State 16 L 58-67
12/18/04 Wyoming 13 L 64-68
02/01/05 Wichita State 10 W 73-69
02/05/05 Missouri State 15 L 71-79
11/26/05 Dayton 11 W 91-90 2ot
12/18/05 Xavier 10 W 61-59
01/18/06 Bradley 12 W 80-76
01/28/06 Wichita State 19 W 57-55
02/11/06 Southern Illinois 14 L 67-74
02/22/06 Indiana State 14 W 67-62
03/20/06 Miami (Fla.) 12 L 52-53
12/30/06 Missouri State 11 W 77-74
01/20/07 Southern Illinois 12 L 57-58
02/07/07 Evansville 14 W 79-74
11/09/07 DePaul 17 W 74-62
12/29/07 Illinois State 19 L 67-80
02/02/08 Wichita State 15 W 65-63
03/01/08 Bradley 12 W 111-110 2ot
03/18/08 Rhode Island 17 W 74-73
11/16/08 New Mexico 16 W 82-75
01/24/09 Drake 14 L 62-74
02/01/09 Missouri State 10 W 75-51
Double-Digit Comebacks
Including twice this season, Creighton has won after overcoming a double-digit deficit 28 times in the last nine seasons.
Below is a list of those comebacks, listed by size of the margin overcome:
Overcoming Double Digit Deficits, Last 9 Years
Date Opponent Deficit Final Score
01/28/06 Wichita State 19 W 57-55
11/27/01 Western Kentucky 18 W 95-91 2ot
02/12/03 Missouri State 17 W 70-67 ot
11/09/07 DePaul 17 W 74-62
03/18/08 Rhode Island 17 W 74-73
11/16/08 New Mexico 16 W 82-75
02/04/06 at Drake 16 W 72-67 ot
01/26/03 TCU 16 W 89-79
02/02/08 Wichita State 15 W 65-63
02/22/06 Indiana State 14 W 67-62
02/07/07 Evansville 14 W 79-74
12/04/04 High Point 13 W 79-60
03/09/03 vs. Wichita State 13 W 70-69
01/18/03 Southern Illinois 13 W 85-76
02/04/01 at Indiana State 13 W 77-71
01/07/04 at Illinois State 12 W 56-55
01/18/06 Bradley 12 W 80-76
03/01/08 Bradley 12 W 111-110 2ot
12/30/06 Missouri State 11 W 77-74
11/26/05 Dayton 11 W 91-90 2ot
01/15/05 at Northern Iowa 11 W 67-66
11/30/04 at Xavier 11 W 73-72
03/15/02 vs. #15 Florida 11 W 83-82 2ot
12/18/05 Xavier 10 W 61-59
02/16/05 at Wichita State 10 W 82-68
02/01/05 Wichita State 10 W 73-69
12/30/03 Missouri State 10 W 59-54
02/01/09 Missouri State 10 W 75-51
Academically Tops In The MVC Too
Creighton ranks first in the Missouri Valley Conference in graduation success rate (94.7 percent) among all sports.
Also, for the fourth time in the six-year existence of the award, Creighton University has been recognized with the 2007-08 MVC All-Academic Award. Bluejay student-athletes posted a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average over the 2007-08 academic calendar. Creighton previously shared the award in 2003-04, and were the outright winners in 2004-05 and 2006-07.
Creighton had seven men's basketball players earn Dean's List (3.50 GPA or better) accolades last year, which helped the team to a 3.01 GPA overall.
Bench Points Add Up
Creighton owned 41 different double-figure scoring games last season off the bench, compared to a total of 30 during the previous three years combined. In fact, there were only four (of 33) contests in which it didn't have a double-figure scorer off the bench.
Last year's team scored 18 or more bench points in every game but one, with a low of 13.
This year, the Bluejay bench has scored 645 of the team's 1,775 points (36.3 percent).
Creighton's bench has scored 51 points in two different games this season and 41 or more three times.
This year's Creighton team has produced 22 double-digit scoring games off the bench, including 10 such efforts from Cavel Witter.
Recruits Inked
A pair of prep standouts signed letters-of-intent in November to join the Creighton men's basketball team next year.
Andrew Bock is a 6'1” guard from Eisenhower High School in Rialto, Calif. Bock averaged 18 points and eight assists per game while helping the Eagles to a 27-4 record. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Citrus Belt League last season.
Ethan Wragge (RAH-gy) is a 6'8” forward from Eden Prairie, Minn., where he attends Eden Prairie High School. He averaged 16 points and nine rebounds per game and owns the school record for three-point baskets made. He made 91 percent of his free-throw attempts last year. His team finished 19-9 last winter.
Both men will be freshmen and have four years of eligibility.
Last Season Recap
Creighton put together a second consecutive 22-11 season last fall, reaching the second round of the NIT with a team featuring nine newcomers.
P'Allen Stinnett (12.6 ppg.) swept MVC Newcomer and Freshman of the Year honors after leading Creighton in scoring, while senior Dane Watts (11.3 ppg.) led the team with 6.4 rebounds per game.
Booker Woodfox (9.6 ppg.) was named MVC Sixth Man of the Year as the leader for a bench that outscored CU's starters by 76 points for the season.
Ticket Information
Single game tickets for regular-season home games went on sale on Nov. 11 at 10 am.
Fans can purchase tickets in advance at Qwest Center Omaha Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (402) 422-1212.
Morrison Stadium also sells tickets (in-person only) from 9:00 am-4:30 pm weekdays.
Only upper bowl seats will be available for any game and cost is $12 for adults and $8 for youth ages 3-18 (children two and under are free). For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
Creighton sold an MVC-record 13,615 season tickets for this year. The previous MVC record had been the 12,888 season-tickets Creighton fans bought for the 2007-08 season.
