Men's Basketball Visits Bradley on Wednesday
1/26/2010 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game #21 at Bradley • Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010 • 7:05 p.m.
Creighton Bluejays at Bradley Braves
Carver Arena (11,164) • Peoria, Ill.
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.bigsports590.com
Television: Comcast Spotlight (Illinois); Cox 2 (Omaha)
Series History: Series tied, 39-39
Last Meeting: Creighton won 79-65 on Feb. 11, 2009 in Omaha, Neb.
Next Game
Creighton (10-10, 5-4 MVC) opens the second half of the Missouri Valley Conference schedule on Wednesday when it travels to Peoria, Ill., to take on Bradley (10-9, 5-4 MVC).
Tip-off at Carver Arena (11,164) is scheduled for 7:05 pm.
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“Big Sports 590” AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2009-10 season. The audio is also webcast live at www.bigsports590.com. T. Scott Marr and Nick Bahe will call the action.
Television Broadcast Information
Wednesday's game will be televised by Comcast Spotlight, which airs on the Comcast cable system, channel 74 throughout Central Illinois and is also picked up in the Chicagoland area on channel 102.
The game will also air in Omaha on Cox Cable channel 2 thanks to an agreement between Creighton and Cox Cable.
Frank Bussone (play-by-play), former Bradley coach Dick Versace (analyst) and former Bradley guard Danny Adams (sideline) will announce.
Below are the coordinates for Wednesday's game with Bradley:
AMC 15
Transponder K1
Slot D9
Downlink 11733.5 V
Symbol Rate 4.232
FEC 3/4
Video Webcast Information
Wednesday's game will be video webcast by Bradley. To sign up to purchase, fans can visit BU website at www.bradleybraves.com, then select “Bradley All-Access” on the top right side.
Subscribers to Creighton's annual or monthly pass on www.gocreighton.com should have the Bradley game added to their subscription and be able to receive the video feed at no additional cost thanks to an agreement between Creighton and Bradley.
Live Stats Information
All Creighton basketball games will have live stats this season. Fans can go to www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Stats tab on the left-hand side of the page.
Scouting Bradley
Bradley is 10-9 on the season and enters Wednesday night with a three-game winning streak. Like Creighton, Bradley is 5-4 in MVC play and part of a four-way tie for third place.
The Braves are 6-3 at Carver Arena (with losses to Western Carolina, Loyola (Chicago) and Southern Illinois), where it averages 9,160 fans per home game.
Bradley is the only school in the MVC with four players averaging in double-figures, a quartet led by Andrew Warren (14.8 ppg.). Warren also owns a team-high 41 three-point baskets.
Also in double-figures are Taylor Brown (13.4 ppg., 6.4 rpg.), Sam Maniscalco (11.9 ppg.) and Chris Roberts (10.0 ppg.).
A fifth starter, Will Egolf, averages 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while rejecting a team-best 17 blocked shots.
Bradley averages 67.6 points per game while allowing 68.0 per contest. The Braves shoot 43.9 percent from the field, 36.5 percent from three-point range and 70 percent at the line.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 10-10 on the season, including a 9-1 mark at Qwest Center Omaha and a 1-9 record at all other venues.
The Bluejays are 5-4 in the league, with losses to Northern Iowa, Illinois State, Indiana State and Wichita State as well as wins over Missouri State, Wichita State, Southern Illinois, Evansville and Drake.
The Bluejays returned eight lettermen and three starters from last year's team that went 27-8 and made a 12th straight postseason appearance.
Junior center Kenny Lawson Jr. leads the team in scoring (12.5 ppg.), rebounding (6.7 rpg.) and blocked shots (1.6 bpg).
Four other men average between 7.5 and 9.2 points per game, a group consisting of P'Allen Stinnett (9.2), Justin Carter (8.9), Darryl Ashford (8.7) and Cavel Witter (7.5).
Creighton averages 69.2 points per game and shoots 43.4 percent from the floor, 31.6 percent from downtown and 69.0 percent at the line. It holds opponents to 67.8 points per game and 40.8 percent shooting. The Jays have been outrebounded by 1.0 boards per game.
The Coaches
The dean of Missouri Valley Conference coaches, Creighton's Dana Altman (Eastern New Mexico, 1980) is in his 16th year as head coach of the Bluejays. He owns a 319-170 (.652) mark at CU and a career record of 402-237 (.629) in his 21st year 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 24 years as a head coach at all levels. 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 12 straight seasons. He is assisted by Brian Fish, Darian DeVries and Todd Eisner. Mike Jones is the team's graduate manager.
Jim Les (Bradley, 1986) owns a 136-114 record in his eighth year at his alma mater, which also doubles as his career record. Les was named 1986 MVC Player of the Year and played seven seasons in the NBA. He is assisted by Eric Buescher, Alvin Brooks III and Kyle Vogt.
The Series With Bradley
Creighton and Bradley have split 78 all-time meetings, but the Jays have won 16 of the past 19 meetings.
The Braves lead 24-14 in Peoria all-time, but the Jays have won six of their past eight trips to Carver Arena.
In the last 27 meetings between the schools, Creighton is 15-1 when holding Bradley to 65 points or less but 4-7 when it allows more than 65 points. Creighton has also won the last 20 meetings when it scores 70 points or more against BU.
Creighton coach Dana Altman is 20-13 all-time against Bradley and 13-3 against Jim Les.
A complete series history against Bradley can be found on page seven of this release.
Toughest Thing In Basketball
Did you realize that Creighton has as many true road wins this season as the combined total of true road wins by Duke, North Carolina and Connecticut this year?
It's often been said that winning on the road is the toughest thing to do in college sports, and this year's Creighton team has found that out.
After going 8-4 on the road last winter, Creighton is currently 1-6 in true road games this year.
The Bluejays have plenty of company in their struggles away from home, as 29 BCS schools (of 73 BCS schools total) enter the week with one or fewer true road wins this season: Teams in italic are receiving votes in this week's AP poll.
BCS Schools, 1 or Less True Road Wins, 2009-10
(Through Jan. 25, 2010)
School Home W-L Road W-L
Stanford 9-2 0-7
DePaul 6-3 0-6
Washington 12-1 0-5
Marquette 9-2 0-5
Rutgers 8-4 0-5
Georgia 8-2 0-5
#19 Connecticut 12-1 0-3
Arkansas 8-7 0-3
LSU 9-4 0-3
North Carolina 11-2 0-3
Colorado 9-1 1-6
#20 Ohio State 12-0 1-5
Michigan 8-2 1-5
Penn State 6-4 1-5
South Carolina 8-2 1-5
Missouri 12-0 1-4
Louisville 11-3 1-4
Cincinnati 10-1 1-4
Southern California 8-3 1-4
Minnesota 10-1 1-4
Oklahoma 9-0 1-4
Iowa 7-6 1-4
Nebraska 10-2 1-4
St. John's 7-3 1-4
#8 Duke 11-0 1-3
Texas A&M 11-0 1-3
Notre Dame 13-2 1-2
Indiana 7-5 1-2
UCLA 8-4 1-2
Stinnett Suspended Indefinitely
Junior guard P'Allen Stinnett has been suspended from the Creighton basketball team indefinitely, coach Dana Altman announced on Jan. 25th, due to conduct not acceptable to the team.
Stinnett is the team's second-leading scorer at 9.2 points per game and has started 15-of-20 contests this season.
Slimmest of Margins
Creighton has won its last four home games by four points (Drake), two points (Southern Illinois), one point (Wichita State) and four points (Missouri State).
This is the first time since 1945-46 that Creighton won four consecutive home games that were each decided by four points or less.
Creighton is 25-8 all-time at Qwest Center Omaha in games decided by five points or less.
Walking A Fine Line
Creighton entered Sunday's game vs. Missouri State last in the Missouri Valley Conference in free throw shooting at 68.1 percent.
Against the Bears, Creighton was a perfect 15-for-15 in the second half, and made its final 19 attempts of the game.
Creighton's 15-for-15 second half marksmanship at the line was its most free throws made without a miss for any of the 978 halves Creighton has played under Dana Altman. The previous best was also against Missouri State, as CU went 14-of-14 at the line in the second half of a Feb. 28, 1999 MVC Tournament semifinal game against the Bears.
Creighton's 19 straight free throws made as a team are its longest stretch of the season, three more than a stretch of 16 in a row on Dec. 16-19.
Most Consecutive FT's Made, Team, 2009-10
Consec. FT's Date(s)
19 Jan. 24, 2010 - Present
16 Dec. 16-19, 2009
12 Dec. 6, 2009
10 Nov. 17-22, 2009
8 Nov. 29, 2009
Deans of The Valley
Wednesday's game features The Valley's two longest-tenured coaches: Creighton's Dana Altman (319 wins at Creighton in 16 seasons) and Bradley's Jim Les (136 wins in eight years) have combined to win 455 games at their respective schools, while the league's other eight head coaches have combined for 426 wins with their respective teams in 26 seasons.
Ready For A Run?
Last year at the midway point, Creighton was 5-4 in the MVC, three games behind Valley leader Northern Iowa, heading into a Jan. 27 game. Creighton would win its final nine conference games and tie for the league's regular-season crown.
This year, Creighton is once again 5-4 in the MVC, three games behind Valley leader Northern Iowa, heading into a Jan. 27 game.
Against this year's remaining Valley slate (@Bradley, @ Drake, @Missouri State, @UNI and @Southern Illinois and home games vs. Evansville, Indiana State, Illinois State and Bradley), Creighton's 2008-09 team was a perfect 9-0.
Two of Creighton's last three MVC regular-season titles came after the team started 5-4 and finished 9-0 in conference action.
Captain Charge
Casey Harriman has taken 15 of the 28 charges taken by Creighton this season, doing so while playing in just 17 games this winter. Over the previous seven seasons, the Bluejays have averaged taking 49.2 per year.
Below is a list of the CU players that have taken charges since the 2002-03 season, as well as season and career leaders since '02-03.:
Name 2002-08 '08-09 '09-10 Total
Casey Harriman 17 8 15 40
Antoine Young n/a 4 3 7
Darryl Ashford n/a n/a 3 3
Justin Carter n/a 9 2 11
Andrew Bock n/a n/a 2 2
Wayne Runnels n/a n/a 2 2
Cavel Witter 3 0 1 4
Chad Millard 7 4 0 11
P'Allen Stinnett 5 4 0 9
Kenny Lawson Jr. 2 4 0 6
Kaleb Korver 0 3 0 3
Former Players 264 11 n/a 275
Total 298 47 28 373
Most Charges Taken, Season
(since 2002-03)
Charges Name Year
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
15 Casey Harriman 2009-10
Most Charges Taken, Career
(since 2002-03)
Charges Name Year(s)
49 Anthony Tolliver 2003-07
43 Dane Watts 2004-08
40 Casey Harriman 2007-Pres.
24 Joe Dabbert 2002-04
22 Mike Grimes 2002-04
21 Tyler McKinney 2002-05
Ashford Burning It Up
Darryl Ashford had a pair of strong offensive performances last week, scoring 11 points at Illinois State and following that with 15 points in the triumph over Missouri State.
Ashford made four key free throws in the final 40 seconds of the Missouri State win to ice the victory.
He is shooting 83.3 percent from the stripe in the final five minutes of games, well ahead of the 64.7 percent accuracy he displays in the first 35 minutes of games.
Breakout Games vs. Bradley
A pair of Bluejay point guards have experienced break-out games in the past against Bradley.
Last year Antoine Young broke into double-figures for the first time in his career with 13 points in a Jan. 10 road win at Bradley.
In 2008, Cavel Witter had a Qwest Center Omaha record 42 points (double his previous high) in a 111-110 double-overtime win over Bradley, then followed it up with 15 points and eight assists in a four-point MVC Tourney victory over the Braves six days later.
Lawson Jr. Goes For 20 Points
Kenny Lawson Jr. scored 20 points on Sunday vs. Missouri State, his second 20-point game of the season and of his career. He previously had a career-high 25 points in a win over Nebraska on December 6, 2009.
Creighton has not had a forward or center with consecutive games of 20 or more points since Anthony Tolliver on Dec. 30, 2006 and Jan. 1, 2007.
Over .500 In The MVC, Again
Creighton has been better than .500 in either the first or second-half of the league season in 28 straight trips through the league.
Creighton's 28 consecutive halves above .500 in league play is easily the Valley's longest active streak, far ahead of Illinois State (5), Northern Iowa (4), Wichita State (2), Bradley (1) and Drake (1).
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
2009-10 5-4 0-0 so far
2008-09 5-4 9-0
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 89-55 (.618) 88-47 (.652)
What's Your Twenty?
Creighton has been .500 or better after 20 games in each of the last 15 seasons, a streak it extended to 15 with a win on Sunday.
In fact, prior to this season, Creighton had won at least 13 of its first 20 games in 12 straight seasons, going on to reach the postseason each time.
Here's a look at Creighton's record after 20 games in the 16 seasons under Dana Altman.
Creighton -- First 20 Games Under Dana Altman
Year First 20 W-L Final W-L Postseason
2009-10 10-10 ? ? ? ? ? ?
2008-09 15-5 27-8 NIT
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 ---
Make-or-Break Week?
Wednesday begins an important four-day stretch for Creighton as it looks to separate itself from the four-team logjam of 5-4 squads in the MVC standings.
Each of Creighton's next two opponents, Bradley and Drake, also enter this week with 5-4 league marks.
Assists Lead To Wins
Creighton has had 10 or more assists in each of its last eight trips to Peoria.
That's a good omen, because each of the last six times that this year's Creighton team has had 10 or more assists, it has won.
Creighton has lost its last five games this year when it has finished with a single-digit assist total.
Tough To Play With A Lead
Creighton bolted to an 11-0 lead at Illinois State last Wednesday, only to eventually fall 71-62.
It was the first time that Creighton scored the first 10 points of any game since March 17, 2005. On that day, the Bluejays led 10-0 against West Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Creighton lost that game too, 63-61.
Home Cooking
Creighton is 48-11 at home all-time at Qwest Center Omaha in MVC games (.814), compared to a 29-29 (.500) 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 seven-year old Qwest Center Omaha. The other four Valley schools (BU, UE, INS, WSU) have an Omaha losing streak of 10 or longer.
Below is a look at Creighton's current home winning streaks over current league foes:
Opponent CU Home Win Streak CU W-L at QCO
Bradley Won 11 6-0
Drake Won 1 5-2
Evansville Won 10 6-0
Illinois State Won 1 4-2
Indiana State Won 10 6-0
Missouri State Won 5 6-1
Northern Iowa Lost 2 5-2
So. Illinois Won 3 3-4
Wichita State Won 17 7-0
Carter Cleans The Glass
Senior Justin Carter grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds in last Wednesday's game at Illinois State. It was the most boards he had snared in a game since pulling down 15 caroms in last season's finale against Kentucky.
Tolliver Returns to NBA
Former Bluejay center Anthony Tolliver has been called up to the NBA for the second time this season, signing a contract with Golden State last Sunday. Previously this year he played in two games for Portland. He has also spent time on NBA rosters with Cleveland, San Antonio and Charlotte since graduating from Creighton to all-Valley acclaim in 2007.
Tolliver collected double-doubles in his first two starts with Golden State (12 points and 10 rebounds vs. New Jersey; 19 points and 11 rebounds at Phoenix). He is now averaging 10.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest for the Warriors.
He joins former All-American Kyle Korver as former Bluejays currently in the NBA. Korver plays for the Utah Jazz, and is averaging 5.2 points and 1.2 rebounds per game this year.
Comparing AT to P'OB
How impressive is Anthony Tolliver's four-game start with Golden State? Let's compare to fellow Valley alum Patrick O'Bryant, who went to Bradley.
In four games (on his first 10-day contract) with Golden State, Tolliver has 41 points and 32 rebounds in 118 minutes. He has had two double-doubles and a single-game high of 19 points.
In 40 career games with Golden State (after being selected with the ninth overall pick in 2006), O'Bryant had 66 points and 50 rebounds in 217 total minutes. He has never had an NBA double-double or scored more than 16 points in any game.
And in case you were wondering, in five head-to-head meetings in college, O'Bryant averaged 8.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks compared to Tolliver's 12.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks. Tolliver's CU team won three of those five games.
Stinnett Tied For Second
P'Allen Stinnett is now tied for second place on the all-time Qwest Center Omaha scoring list with 586 points. Stinnett is currently tied with Johnny Mathies (2003-06) and Dane Watts (2004-08) for second on that list. Nate Funk owns the record with 735 points.
Qwest Center Omaha, Most Career Points
Rk. Name, Years Points (Games)
1. Nate Funk, 2003-07 735 (47)
2. Johnny Mathies, 2003-06 586 (49)
Dane Watts, 2004-08 586 (65)
P'Allen Stinnett, 2007-Pres. 586 (47)
5. Anthony Tolliver, 2003-07 507 (61)
6. Cavel Witter, 2007-Pres. 463 (46)
7. Booker Woodfox, 2007-09 462 (37)
8. Kenny Lawson Jr., 2006-Pres. 411 (49)
9. Nick Porter, 2005-07 325 (31)
Kellen Miliner, 2003-05 325 (32)
League's Best, At Home
Since Qwest Center Omaha opened in the 2003-04 season, Creighton owns the most home wins (93) and best home winning percentage (.845) among all Missouri Valley Conference schools. Wednesday's opponent, Bradley, ranks fourth with 82 home victories in that span.
In MVC-only action, Creighton's 48 home wins and .828 home winning percentage both are the best in The Valley in that time.
MVC Home Records, Since 2003-04
School All Home MVC Home
Creighton 93-17 48-10
Missouri State 84-26 39-19
Wichita State 83-25 41-17
Bradley 82-24 39-18
Southern Illinois 79-15 47-10
Illinois State 77-27 35-23
Northern Iowa 77-22 42-16
Drake 66-38 31-26
Evansville 57-43 25-33
Indiana State 56-37 27-31
Stinnett Goes Over 1,000 Points
P'Allen Stinnett surpassed the 1,000-point milestone with a pair of free throws on Jan. 16th against Wichita State. Stinnett is the 33rd player in Bluejay history to reach that milestone, and currently ranks 31st with 1,024 career points.
Rank 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
25. 1,115 Doug Brookins 1972-75
1,115 Daryl Stovall 1978-82
27. 1,106 Kenny Evans 1982-87
28. 1,093 Tim Powers 1964-67
29. 1,050 Reggie Morris 1982-86
30. 1,031 Johnny Mathies 2003-06
31. 1,024 P'Allen Stinnett 2007-Pres.
32. 1,023 Rod Mason 1986-88
Room To Grow
With eight returners (P'Allen Stinnett, Kenny Lawson Jr., Justin Carter, Cavel Witter, Antoine Young, Kaleb Korver, Casey Harriman and Chad Millard) back from last year's 27-8 team, one of the expected strengths of this year's squad was to be its offensive productivity.
However, despite increased playing time compared to last year, those same eight men have seen their numbers decrease across the board, shooting 0.1 percent lower from the field, 5.8 percent lower from three-point range and 5.9 percent lower from the line, which has led to that group averaging 0.3 fewer points per game in 0.4 more minutes per game.
Stat 2008-09 2009-10
FG-FGA 578-1340 320-745
FG% .431 .430
3FG-3FGA 176-509 74-257
3FG% .346 .288
FT-FTA 410-555 223-328
FT% .739 .680
Games Played 268 150
Points 1742 937
PPG 6.5 6.2
Minutes 4901 2806
MPG 18.3 18.7
Young With The Winner
Antoine Young delivered Creighton's first game-winning shot of the season, connecting on a six-foot shot from the right side of the lane to beat Southern Illinois on Jan. 13th, 71-69.
It was the first time that Creighton hit a game-winning shot in the final five seconds of a game since Booker Woodfox's buzzer-beater to top Wichita State last March 6. Woodfox hit a shot as time expired to beat the Shockers, 63-62.
Creighton hadn't won a game after being in that kind of situation (with the ball in a tie game with less than 10 seconds left) since Nov. 25, 2006. On that day Dane Watts made two free throws with 7.5 seconds left to beat George Mason, 58-56.
Millard Scores Six Points
Chad Millard entered its Jan. 13th game vs. Southern Illinois with two points in 45 minutes spread out over 13 games this season.
Against Southern Illinois, Millard converted a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays to score six points in his first three minutes on the floor, providing a spark and some aggressiveness for a team badly in need of both traits.
A transfer to Creighton after one year at Louisville, Millard started his first 12 games as a Bluejay in the 2007-08 season but has come off the bench in his past 59 appearances since then.
Beset by foot injuries throughout the fall, Millard hasn't let his limited playing time affect him. After that win, his comments in the press conference displayed some of the maturity one might expect from a fifth-year senior:
“As everyone knows, my career has been real up and down, battling injuries and stuff like that,'' Millard said. “To actually get in a game and have some meaningful minutes, it's an unbelievable feeling. And to come away with a win, it's a memory I'm going to have for the rest of my life.''
Stinnett Passes 1,000 Points
P'Allen Stinnett's free throw with 1:54 left in the first half against Wichita State made him the 33rd player in school history to reach 1,000 career points.
Stinnett, who reached the milestone in his 85th career game, currently ranks 31st in CU history with 1,024 career points.
Below is the top scorers of the Dana Altman era.
Most Points, Dana Altman Era (1994-Pres.)
No. Pts. Name, Games Years
1. 2,116 Rodney Buford (118 games) 1995-99
2. 1,801 Kyle Korver (128 games) 1999-03
3. 1,754 Nate Funk (135 games) 2002-07
4. 1,311 Ryan Sears (124 games) 1997-01
5. 1,238 Ben Walker (124 games) 1997-01
6. 1,152 Dane Watts (130 games) 2004-08
7. 1,031 Johnny Mathies (93 games) 2003-06
8. 1,024 P'Allen Stinnett (87 games) 2007-10
9. 1,004 Anthony Tolliver (124 games) 2003-07
Record Breaking Attendance
Creighton attracted 302,676 home fans last season, a figure that was the most in the 102-year history of the MVC. The Jays also set an MVC record in average attendance. Creighton averaged 15,930 fans (12th nationally), just ahead of the 15,909 average from 2006-07.
This year's Creighton team is averaging 15,958 fans per game so far, which ranks 10th nationally.
2009-10 Attendance Leaders (through 1/25/10)
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 24,073 1/30
2. Syracuse 20,292 2/2
3. Louisville 19,245 2/1
4. North Carolina 18,664 1/31
5. Tennessee 18,593 1/27
6. Wisconsin 17,230 2/2
7. Memphis 16,717 2/3
8. Kansas 16,481 2/6
9. Maryland 16,227 1/26
10. Creighton 15,958 2/3
11. Illinois 15,090 1/30
12. Marquette 14,888 1/26
13. Michigan State 14,759 1/30
14. Indiana 14,694 2/4
15. Texas 13,729 1/27
16. Purdue 13,416 1/28
17. Arizona 13,240 1/28
2008-09 Attendance Leaders
Rk. School Average
1. Kentucky 23,012
2. Syracuse 21,044
3. North Carolina 21,035
4. Tennessee 20,483
5. Louisville 19,397
6. Wisconsin 17,230
7. Maryland 17,048
8. Memphis 16,933
9. Kansas 16,350
10. Marquette 16,200
11. Arkansas 16,043
12. Creighton 15,930
13. Illinois 15,498
Highest Season Home Attendance, MVC History
Home Att. School Year
302,676 Creighton 2008-09
276,000 Creighton 2007-08
236,313 Creighton 2005-06
222,728 Creighton 2006-07
192,258 Creighton 2003-04
Highest Average Attendance, MVC History
Avg. Att. School Year
15,958 so far Creighton 2009-10
15,930 Creighton 2008-09
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
15,333 Creighton 2007-08
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
Carter Loses Knee Brace, Play Improves
Justin Carter played his first nine games of the season with a brace on his left knee, the result of a partially torn MCL suffered when his knee buckled during the exhibition season. During that time, Carter averaged 7.3 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 25-of-58 from the field (43.1 percent) and 10-of-21 at the line (47.6 percent).
Carter shed his knee brace on January 1st, and his play has picked up since then. In the past eight games, Carter has averaged 10.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest. He's shooting 30-of-55 from the field (54.5 percent) and 20-of-31 at the line (64.5 percent).
Altman Earns 400th Division I Win
Dana Altman earned his 400th win as a Division I head coach on Jan. 13 when his team beat the same club he topped for his 100th and 200th career Division I victories, Southern Illinois.
Altman owns a 402-237 record in 21 years as a Division I head coach, including 319 wins at Creighton, 68 wins at Kansas State and 15 wins at Marshall.
Altman has a 319-170 mark in 15 2/3 years at Creighton, an average of 20.4 wins per season. This is especially impressive when you consider that Creighton had just 24 wins total in the three seasons prior to his arrival.
Win # Game # Opponent Date
50 94 at UC-Santa Barbara 12/30/92
100 195 Southern Illinois 01/29/96
150 280 Illinois State 01/23/99
200 351 at Southern Illinois 02/10/01
250 414 Bradley 02/08/03
300 486 vs. Wichita State 03/06/05
350 559 Houston Baptist 12/17/07
400 636 Southern Illinois 01/13/10
20 Overall Wins x 11 Years = MVC History
Creighton is the only school in the 103-year history of the Missouri Valley Conference to post 11 straight 20-win campaigns, a figure it reached last season on Feb. 11 with a win over Bradley. No other Valley school has ever put together more than six straight 20-win seasons.
Creighton is one of six teams nationally with 20 or more wins in each of last 11 seasons. That list consists of Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse.
Postseason x 12
Creighton has made either the NIT or NCAA in 12 consecutive seasons, the longest streak of postseason bids in MVC history. It is two more than the 10 straight from 1966 to 1975 by Louisville.
The only 12 schools to make the postseason in each of the last 12 years are Arizona, Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Stanford and Syracuse.
10 Conference Wins x 13
Last season's Creighton team extended its MVC record by winning 10 or more league games for a 13th 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 other current school with at least 13 straight years of 10 or more league wins is Kansas (15).
Casey's Countdown
Casey Harriman has started each of Creighton's last eight games, and continues to prove his value on both ends of the court.
On Jan. 3rd in win over Evansville, Harriman had season-highs with seven points and five rebounds. Then on Jan. 6th in the win over Drake, Harriman had a new season-high with 10 points and tied his career-best with three baskets from three-point range.
On the defensive end of the court, Harriman leads Creighton with 15 charges taken this season.
18-11-7 In The Same Game?
Kenny Lawson Jr.rsquo;s monster game of 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocked shots at Evansville on Jan. 3rd hasn't been seen too often in the history of Creighton basketball.
To find the last player with to reach each of those categories in the same game, you'd have to go all the back way to Benoit Benjamin, who posted 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 blocked shots at Bradley on Feb. 12, 1985.
Most impressively, Lawson stepped up when Creighton needed it most at Evansville. The junior center had six points, four rebounds and three blocked shots in Creighton's game-ending 12-4 run, which spanned the final five minutes.
Block Party
Kenny Lawson Jr.'s seven blocked shots against Evansville on Jan. 3rd were two more than his previous high and the most by any player in The Valley this season.
The last Creighton player with seven or more blocked shots in a game was Doug Swenson, who had eight rejections against UMKC on Nov. 18, 1998.
The last MVC player with seven or more blocks in a game was Bradley's Patrick O'Bryant, who had nine vs. Tennessee Tech on Feb. 18, 2006.
The Creighton record for blocks in a game by one player is 12, set by Benoit Benjamin at Bradley on Feb. 2, 1985.
As a team, Creighton's nine blocked shots were its most since it blocked nine shots against Evansville on Jan. 9, 2008 in a game played in Omaha. Lawson had three blocks in that game.
Creighton's Most Blocked Shots (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
116 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pres.
109 Doug Swenson 1997-99
Lawson Passes Board Test
Kenny Lawson Jr. had 14 rebounds in the Jan. 1st game at Indiana State. Not only was that a season-high, but it was also three more than his previous career-high of 11 boards. His 14 caroms are tied for second-most in the MVC this season.
Since Dana Altman took over 16 years ago, eight different Bluejays have had at least one game of 14 or more rebounds but no player has multiple games of 14 or more boards.
Most Rebounds, Game, Under Dana Altman
Reb. Name, Opponent Date
16 Donald Davenport vs. Missouri St. 1/21/95
15 Ben Walker at Baylor 12/4/99
15 Justin Carter vs. Kentucky 3/23/09
14 Rodney Buford vs. Northern Iowa 2/16/98
14 Doug Swenson vs. Towson 11/14/98
14 Brody Deren at Bradley 1/5/04
14 Anthony Tolliver at Bradley 1/31/07
14 Kenny Lawson Jr. at Indiana St. 1/1/10
Lawson Chasing Rebound Leaders Too
Kenny Lawson Jr. has 59 rebounds in his past eight games, upping his season average to 6.7 rebounds per game. Since Dana Altman took over 16 years ago, the only player to average at least 7.0 rebounds for a season is Rodney Buford, who did it twice.
Buford averaged 7.3 boards per game in 1997-98, then followed that up by averaging 7.2 caroms per contest the following season.
40 Percent Barometer
Creighton is holding opponents to 40.8 percent shooting from the floor this season, its second-best mark since the 1962-63 team held opponents to 39.3 percent shooting from the floor (706-1795).
Over the last 16 years, Creighton has been extremely successful when holding opponents to 40 percent or lower shooting from the field, sporting a 143-21 record, as seen below:
W-L Record When Opp. Under 40.0 FG%
Year When Opp. Under 40.0%
2009-10 5-4
2008-09 11-1
2007-08 10-2
2006-07 13-1
2005-06 10-3
2004-05 8-0
2003-04 8-1
2002-03 12-0
2001-02 9-1
2000-01 10-1
1999-00 11-0
1998-99 11-0
1997-98 8-1
1996-97 5-1
1995-96 8-4
1994-95 4-1
TOTAL 142-21
Decade Leaders
Creighton went an impressive 229-97 in the recently completed decade from Jan. 1, 2000 to Dec. 31, 2009.
Below is the stat leaders for the decade, with more detailed info available page 13 of these notes:
Category Stat Name
Games Played 135 Nate Funk
Games Started 119 Dane Watts
Minutes Played 3,686 Nate Funk
Points 1,754 Nate Funk
Points Per Game 14.9 Kyle Korver
Field Goals Made 621 Nate Funk
Field Goals Attempted 1,307 Nate Funk
Field Goal Percentage .635 Livan Pyfrom
3-Pt. Field Goals Made 360 Kyle Korver
3-Pt. Field Goal Attempts 779 Kyle Korver
3-Pt. Field Goal Pct. .468 Matt West
Free Throws Made 312 Nate Funk
Free Throws Attempted 410 Anthony Tolliver
Free Throw Pct. .894 Kyle Korver
Rebounds 686 Dane Watts
Rebounds Per Game 6.1 Ben Walker
Fouls 326 Dane Watts
Assists 430 Tyler McKinney
Blocked Shots 138 Brody Deren
Steals 196 Josh Dotzler
Among The Decade's Best, Nationally
Creighton ranked among the nation's best schools during the recently-ended decade (Jan. 1, 2000 to Dec. 31, 2009), ranking 22nd nationally with 229 wins and 21st with a .702 win percentage. Below are those lists, as tabulated by STATS Inc., and Creighton Sports Information.
Most Wins (Jan. 1, 2000 thru Dec. 31, 2009)
Rank School W-L
1. Duke 294-59
2. Kansas 284-67
3. Memphis 271-81
4. Gonzaga 266-64
5. Florida 260-87
6. Texas 256-89
7. Pittsburgh 255-84
8. Utah State 254-78
North Carolina 254-93
Syracuse 254-95
11. Illinois 253-92
Connecticut 253-87
13. Michigan State 249-95
14. Kentucky 246-93
15. Oklahoma 242-91
16. Xavier 239-92
17. Butler 236-87
Wisconsin 236-96
19. Kent State 234-101
20. Louisville 233-104
21. Arizona 232-104
22. Creighton 229-97
Oklahoma State 229-104
24. Western Kentucky 227-91
Ohio State 227-104
Best Win Percentage
(Jan. 1, 2000 thru Dec. 31, 2009)
Rank School W-L Win %
1. Duke 294-59 .833
2. Kansas 284-67 .809
3. Gonzaga 266-64 .806
4. Memphis 271-81 .770
5. Utah State 254-78 .765
6. Pittsburgh 255-84 .752
7. Florida 260-87 .749
8. Connecticut 253-87 .744
9. Texas 256-89 .742
10. Illinois 253-92 .733
11. North Carolina 254-93 .732
12. Butler 236-87 .731
13. Syracuse 254-95 .728
14. Oklahoma 242-91 .727
15. Kentucky 246-93 .726
16. Michigan State 249-95 .724
17. Xavier 239-92 .722
18. Western Kentucky 227-91 .714
19. Wisconsin 236-96 .711
20. Stanford 227-96 .703
21. Creighton 229-97 .702
22. Kent State 234-101 .699
23. Louisville 233-104 .691
24. Arizona 232-104 .690
25. Oklahoma State 229-104 .688
MVC Team of the Decade?
Below is the records for each MVC school for the recently completed decade (Jan. 1, 2000 to Dec. 31, 2009), ranked by overall winning percentage. Creighton led the MVC overall with 229 wins and a .702 win percentage in the decade, as well as nine postseason appearances, as can be seen by the numbers below through games of Dec. 31, 2009:
MVC Standings (Jan. 1, 2000 to Dec. 31, 2009)
MVC only All Games
Team W L Pct. W L Pct.
Creighton 125 54 .698 229 97 .702
Southern Illinois 130 50 .722 224 103 .685
Missouri State 97 82 .542 185 134 .580
Northern Iowa 92 89 .508 173 138 .556
Wichita State 88 92 .489 175 142 .552
Bradley 89 91 .494 171 150 .533
Illinois State 81 99 .450 161 146 .524
Drake 72 108 .400 145 162 .472
Indiana State 63 117 .350 129 178 .420
Evansville 62 118 .344 116 177 .396
Postseason Appearances by MVC Teams
(Since 1999-2000)
Team NCAA NIT CBI CIT Total
Creighton 6 4 0 0 10
Southern Illinois 6 2 0 0 8
Wichita State 1 3 1 0 5
Bradley 1 2 1 1 5
Northern Iowa 4 0 0 0 4
Missouri State 0 4 0 0 4
Illinois State 0 3 0 0 3
Indiana State 2 0 0 0 2
Drake 1 0 0 1 2
Evansville 0 0 0 1 1
Jays Pass 1.5 Million Fans at Qwest Center
Creighton moved over the 1.5 million fan mark at Qwest Center Omaha in its Dec. 29 home game vs. Northern Iowa.
Creighton has attracted 1,568,892 fans in 110 games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average of 14,263 per contest.
How impressive is that average? No other league school has ever drawn more than 13,675 fans per game for a season and none of the league's other nine current venues has a capacity of 11,600 or greater.
MVC Success After the 1/3 Mark
January 13th was Creighton's sixth MVC game of the season, marking the 1/3rd point of the league slate. The Bluejays have never had a losing record after exactly six league games under Dana Altman.
Currently at 5-4 in the league, Creighton has not been under .500 in league play after six games or more at any time since Jan. 17, 1998, when the team was 3-4. That squad responded with nine straight wins and advanced to the NIT.
It's About Time
Creighton is 10-3 in the Central Time Zone this season, 0-6 in games played in the Eastern Time Zone and 0-1 in the Mountain Time Zone. The Jays lost three times in Orlando, Fla., and single games at George Mason (in Fairfax, Va.), at Dayton (in Dayton, Ohio), at Indiana State (Terre Haute, Ind.) and at New Mexico (Albuquerque, N.M.).
Before this season, Creighton had not played five or more games in the Eastern Time Zone of the same season since 1970-71 under the direction of Eddie Sutton. That 1970-71 season saw them play one game each in Charlotte, N.C., South Bend, Ind., Olean, N.Y., Philadelphia, Pa., and two games in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Preseason MVC Poll
Creighton was picked second in the preseason poll of MVC coaches, SID's and media. Northern Iowa was a near-unanimous pick to win the league, garnering 38-of-39 first-place votes and 389 points overall.
Creighton was second with 336 points and the remaining first-place vote.
Illinois State (299), Southern Illinois (272) and Wichita State (216) rounded out the upper half of the league.
In sixth was Bradley (208), where it was followed by Indiana State (173), Drake (105), Missouri State (92) and Evansville (55).
Creighton junior guard P'Allen Stinnett is one of six men on the preseason all-MVC team. It's Stinnett's second straight year earning such an accolade. He's joined on the team by UNI's Kwadzo Ahelegbe and Adam Koch, SIU's Tony Freeman, Drake's Josh Young and preseason MVC Player of the Year Osiris Eldridge from Illinois State.
Witter Wonderland
Senior guard Cavel Witter had his two best shooting nights of the season in consecutive home games in late December.
On Dec. 22nd against Houston Baptist, he made 7-of-10 shots from the floor and finishing with a season-best 18 points. Witter tied a personal best with four three-pointers (done twice previously) and did not have a turnover in 20 minutes of action.
Witter then had 17 points, including 5-of-6 shooting from three-point range, to lead all scorers in the Northern Iowa game.
In his career, Creighton is 14-1 when Witter scores 14 or more points. Creighton has won those games by an average of 13.3 points per contest. Creighton is also 9-2 in games that Witter plays and does not commit a turnover.
Better To Give Than Receive
Creighton had 28 assists on its 32 baskets on Dec. 22 against Houston Baptist. Not only were the 28 helpers a season-high and Qwest Center Omaha record, but they were also the most by any Creighton team under the direction of Dana Altman. Creighton's 28 assists were its most since 29 assists against Southwest Missouri State on Feb. 10, 1991.
Call It A Comeback
Dana Altman frequently urges his team to play hard all 40 minutes regardless of the score, whether they are up 10 points or down 10 points. In recent seasons Bluejay fans have seen plenty of comebacks, many of which have favored CU.
Each of the last eight times Creighton has lost a game it led by 10 points or more, it has come away from home. In that same span, Creighton has won seven home games and one road game (at Missouri State, last season) after trailing by 10 points or more.
The Jays are 77-2 all-time at Qwest Center Omaha in games in which it has held a lead of 10 or more at any point, including 34 straight wins.
Creighton is also a mind-boggling 17-9 at Qwest Center Omaha in games in which it trails by 10 or more points at any juncture.
Creighton is 7-0 in Qwest Center Omaha games in which both teams own leads of 10 or more points, and 23-1 in games at Qwest Center Omaha in which there are no lead changes.
Below is a chart showing how many times Creighton (or its opponent) overcame a 10-point deficit to win a game in the past six years:
Comebacks From 10 Points Down, Last 6 Years
CU Comebacks Opp. Comebacks
2009-10 0 3
2008-09 4 2
2007-08 4 2
2006-07 2 2
2005-06 6 1
2004-05 5 3
Total 21 13
Lawson Produces 25 & 10
Kenny Lawson Jr. became the first player in The Valley to have 25 points and 10 rebounds in the same game this year when he produced those numbers in Creighton's seventh straight regular-season home win over Nebraska on Dec. 6th.
The 25 points were seven more than Lawson's previous best, and his 10 rebounds were a season-high.
He'd owned 11 previous games of at least eight points and eight rebounds in the same contest before finally notching his first double-double in his 77th career contest.
He currently is leading Creighton with 12.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
Lawson One Of Four
Kenny Lawson Jr. became the first Creighton player since 1992 to record 25 points and 10 rebounds in the same game against a school from one of the six major BCS football conferences. That dates back to when Mike Amos had 28 points and 17 rebounds against Nebraska.
Lawson was also just the fourth player in the Dana Altman era (1994-Present) with 25 points and 10 rebounds in the same game, joining Anthony Tolliver, Rodney Buford and Randall Crutcher. That list is below:
25 Points & 10 Rebounds, Under Altman
Name (Points, Rebounds) vs. Opp. Date
Kenny Lawson Jr. (25/10) vs. Nebraska 12/06/09
Anthony Tolliver (26/10) vs. Xavier 12/18/05
Rodney Buford (30/10) at Northern Iowa 12/30/97
Rodney Buford (28/11) at Drake 01/24/98
Randall Crutcher (25/12) at Illinois State 02/24/97
Junior Year, Game No. 7 A Big One
Creighton's last center, Anthony Tolliver, took a big step forward in his junior season, something that Kenny Lawson Jr. seems to be doing as well.
Tolliver's year-end stats in 30 games as a junior (13.2 ppg., 6.7 rpg.) are similar to those Lawson Jr. has put up (12.5 ppg., 6.7 rpg.) through 20 games.
Tolliver had a career-high 26 points and 10 rebounds in the seventh game of his junior campaign, a home win over Xavier. Lawson had 25 points and 10 rebounds in the seventh game of his junior campaign on Dec. 6th, a home win over Nebraska.
Tolliver was named second-team all-MVC as a junior and first-team all-Valley as a senior. He finished his career with 1,004 points, 603 rebounds and 136 blocked shots.
Below are the numbers comparing Tolliver and Lawson by year, as well as through 90 career games.
Stat Tolliver Lawson Jr.
Freshman PPG 0.8 5.9
Freshman RPG 1.3 4.2
Freshman BPG 0.3 0.8
Sophomore PPG 4.2 8.5
Sophomore RPG 4.4 4.8
Sophomore BPG 0.7 1.6
Junior PPG 13.2 12.2
Junior RPG 6.7 6.9
Junior BPG 1.6 1.6
Points Thru 90 Games Played 552 756
Rebounds Thru 90 Games Played 375 451
Blocks Thru 90 Games Played 78 116
Wins Thru 90 Games Played 61 61
Road Warriors
The Missouri Valley Conference has recorded a 18-14 record in non-conference true road contests this year. The 18 road wins are already more than all of last year (10).
In recent history, road success has translated into multiple bids in the NCAA Tournament.
Recent MVC Non-Conference Road Records
2008-09 -- 10-24 (1 NCAA, 2 NIT, 3 CIT, 1 CBI)
2007-08 -- 18-26 (1 NCAA, 3 NIT, 1 CBI)
2006-07 -- 19-20 (2 NCAA, 2 NIT)
2005-06 -- 17-18 (4 NCAA, 2 NIT)
2004-05 -- 14-20 (3 NCAA, 2 NIT)
2003-04 -- 12-23 (2 NCAA, 2 NIT)
Winning From Within
Creighton beat Nebraska on Dec. 6th, despite making just 1-of-10 three-point shots. That snapped a streak of 74 straight games making four or more treys (the nation's fifth-longest active streak).
Creighton had made just one three-pointer in a game just once previously in Dana Altman's 16-year tenure at CU, on Jan. 20, 2007 vs. Southern Illinois.
Creighton's 521 straight games with at least one trifecta is the MVC's longest active streak.
20 Point Scorers Off The Bench
Creighton has had four individuals score more than 20 points this season (including Kenny Lawson Jr. twice), and two did it in a reserve role.
Justin Carter scored a career-high 21 points off the bench in the overtime setback to Michigan on Nov. 26th.
A day later, Ethan Wragge had a career-best 21 points off the bench against Xavier.
Before those two games, Creighton hadn't had a player score 20 points off the bench since Cavel Witter had 25 points against Oral Roberts on Nov. 22, 2008.
Welcome Back, Carter
Senior Justin Carter missed Creighton's first three regular-season games with a partially torn MCL in his left knee, but didn't waste any time making a difference in his return.
Carter played 24 minutes off the bench against No. 15 Michigan on Nov. 26th. He led CU with a career-high 21 points, making 10-of-15 shots from the floor, and also grabbed eight rebounds.
Keeping It Fresh
The 21 points scored by Ethan Wragge against Xavier were the most by a Bluejay freshman since P'Allen Stinnett had 22 points against Rhode Island on March 18, 2008. Stinnett had four games of 20 or more points as a freshman en route to sweeping MVC Freshman and Newcomer of the Year honors.
Wragge's 21 points came in just 17 minutes. That made him the first CU player to score more than 20 points in less than 20 minutes since Vernon Moore put up 21 points in 19 minutes against Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 24, 1984.
Wragge's five three-pointers against Xavier were the most by a CU freshman since Stinnett had five three-pointers in a season-opening win over DePaul on Nov. 9, 2007.
27 Wins in 2008-09
Creighton tied for 15th nationally with 27 wins in 2008-09, and were one of 24 schools with 27 or more wins last season.
Last season Creighton became the only school from a top-10 league to ever win 26 or more games by Selection Sunday and not receive an NCAA Tournament bid.
Wins Schools
34 North Carolina
33 Memphis
31 Missouri, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Connecticut,
Michigan State
30 Duke, Villanova, Oklahoma, Utah State
28 Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, Syracuse
27 Creighton, Davidson, LSU, Charleston, Siena Dayton, Purdue, Penn State, Kansas, Xavier
Looking To Fill Dotzler's Shoes
Just like he did four years ago at Bellevue (Neb.) West High School, Antoine Young is looking to fill the shoes of four-year starting point guard Josh Dotzler.
In two exhibition games this fall, Young tied for the team lead with three steals, and had 13 assists without a turnover. In regular-season action, Young has 55 assists and 28 turnovers, good for a 1.96 assist/turnover ratio.
Last year Dotzler led the MVC in steals (70) and steals per game (2.0 spg.) while ranking fourth in the nation with a 3.46/1 assist/turnover ratio.
Altman Among These Leaders
Creighton head coach Dana Altman ranks 11th nationally in Division I wins at his current school with 319. The 11 coaches on this list have combined for 5,043 wins, 12 national titles and 26 Final Four appearances.
Records below are through games of Jan. 25th.
Rk. W-L Name, School Next Game
1. 819-289 Jim Boeheim, Syracuse 1/30
2. 776-218 Mike Krzyzewski, Duke 1/27
3. 570-211 Jim Calhoun, Connecticut 1/27
4. 431-234 Gary Williams, Maryland 1/26
5. 376-269 Bob Thomason, Pacific 1/28
376-334 Fang Mitchell, Coppin State 1/30
7. 375-244 Bob McKillop, Davidson 1/28
8. 353-140 Tom Izzo, Michigan State 1/26
9. 325-271 Dave Loos, Austin Peay 1/28
10. 324-131 Billy Donovan, Florida 1/27
11. 319-170 Dana Altman, Creighton 1/27
Tenure? He's Got 16 Years
Dana Altman is the dean of MVC coaches, as he is in his 16th season as head coach at Creighton. His 16 years at CU ranks 15th-longest nationally among active Division I head coaches at one school. Below is that list:
Yrs. Name, School
34 Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
32 Dave Bike, Sacred Heart
30 Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
28 Don Maestri, Troy
26 Greg Kampe, Oakland
24 Rick Byrd, Belmont; Jim Calhoun, Connecticut; Ron “Fang” Mitchell, Coppin State; Vann Pettaway, Alabama A&M
22 Bob Thomason, Pacific
21 Bob McKillop, Davidson; Gary Williams, Maryland
20 Dave Loos, Austin Peay
17 Kirk Speraw, Central Florida
16 Dana Altman, Creighton; Ron Hunter, IUPUI; Rick Scruggs, Gardner-Webb
15 Tom Izzo, Michigan State; Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph's, Scott Nagy, South Dakota State; Fran O'Hanlon, Lafayette
Double-Digit Comebacks
Including four times last season, Creighton has won after overcoming a double-digit deficit 30 times in the last 10 seasons.
Below is a list of those comebacks, listed by size of the margin overcome:
Overcoming Double Digit Deficits, Last 10 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
03/18/09 Bowling Green 14 W 73-71
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
02/24/09 at Missouri State 13 W 65-59
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
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. Nine of his last 12 teams have finished either first or second in The Valley's regular-season race. Two of the four that didn't won the MVC Tournament.
The Bluejays won the MVC in 2000-01 and tied for the title in 2001-02 and 2008-09. 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 12 Years
1st Place 2000-01
Tied for First 2001-02 (won MVC Tourn.), 2008-09
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
The Four-Point Play
Few plays in basketball are as rare as the four-point play, which happen only when a player is fouled while making a three-point shot and then hits the ensuing free throw.
On Nov. 4th against Missouri Western State, P'Allen Stinnett pulled off that rare feat with 13:17 left in the second half.
Stinnett then did it again at Dayton in the season-opener on Nov. 14.
Before Stinnett's magic, Creighton had not had a player convert a four-point play in a regular-season game since Johnny Mathies vs. Evansville on Jan. 22, 2006.
Altman Passing Coaching Legends
Dana Altman continues to pass some of the coaching greats in MVC history in two categories. Altman's 319 wins at Creighton are third in MVC history, while his 177 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 entered the MVC Hall of Fame last March in conjunction with Arch Madness.
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. 319 Dana Altman Creighton
MVC Coaches--Most Wins In Conference Games
Wins Coach School(s)
1. 187 Henry Iba Oklahoma A&M
2. 177 Dana Altman Creighton
3. 163 Eddie Hickey Creighton & St. Louis
Runnels Rebounds Into History
Junior transfer Wayne Runnels became the first Creighton player in 40 seasons to grab nine or more rebounds in each of his first two games as a Bluejay.
Believe it or not, that 1969-70 season saw three different men open their careers with consecutive games of nine or more rebounds.
Cyril Baptiste had five straight such games, Denny Bresnahan had three such games and Nate Stephens had at least two such games to begin their Creighton career.
Dance Regulars
Creighton is one of 20 schools to have appeared in multiple NCAA Tournaments during each of the past five decades.
Multiple NCAA Appearances, Last 5 Decades
Team 60's 70's 80's 90's 00's
Arizona State 4 2 2 2 2
BYU 2 3 5 5 7
Creighton 2 3 2 2 6
DePaul 2 3 9 2 2
Duke 4 2 7 9 10
Kansas 3 4 6 10 10
Kentucky 6 7 9 8 9
Louisville 4 6 8 7 7
Marquette 3 9 3 4 6
North Carolina 3 6 10 10 8
Princeton 7 2 4 6 2
Providence 3 5 2 3 2
Temple 2 3 5 10 4
Texas Tech 2 2 2 2 4
UCLA 7 10 5 10 8
Utah 3 3 3 7 6
UTEP 4 2 6 2 2
Villanova 3 4 8 6 5
Weber State 2 6 2 2 2
Western Kentucky 4 4 4 3 5
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 521 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. That's the longest active streak in the MVC.
Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception.
Creighton had two 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 juniors 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 497 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
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
Qwest To Be The Best
Creighton has played 110 regular and postseason contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time in seven seasons at the facility.
The Bluejays own an 93-17 (.845) record all-time at the facility, including a perfect 21-0 figure on Wednesday's, a 6-0 mark on Thursday's and a 1-0 mark on Friday's.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 8,122-6,863 in games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.4 points per game. The 17 losses have been by a combined 95 points (5.6 ppg.). Creighton has led wire-to-wire 23 different times, including four times this year.
Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton has won 60 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
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.
Coat, Food Drives A Success
The generosity of some Creighton Basketball fans has paid big dividends for the Siena Francis House in the preseason. More than 675 pounds of food and around 250 coats were collected in separate events connected with Bluejay basketball.
The food drives took place on both Oct. 24 and Oct. 31 as part of the open practices hosted at D.J. Sokol Arena in the Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center. Fans were invited to bring canned goods or other perishable items prior to both events. More than 675 pounds of food were collected.
On Nov. 8th as part of the team's exhibition game against Nebraska-Omaha, fans could exchange new or slightly used coats for two tickets to Creighton's regular-season home opener on Nov. 17 against Florida A&M. Around 250 coats were gathered. Nu-Trend Cleaners then donated to the cause by cleaning of all coats before they were delivered to the Siena Francis House on Nov. 9th.
The Siena Francis House is Nebraska's largest shelter, serving homeless men, women and children for over 30 years.
Creighton also raised more than $11,000 in funds for those affected by the Haiti earthquake on Jan. 16th.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2009-10 season went on sale on October 26th at 10 am.
Fans can purchase tickets in advance at Qwest Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. 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). Tickets for the Dec. 6 Nebraska game will be $20 for adults and youth.
For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
Last Season Recap
Creighton went 27-8 and won a share of the MVC regular-season title for the first time since 2001-02. The Jays were then selected to the NIT, where it defeated Bowling Green before falling to Kentucky.
Senior Booker Woodfox was named MVC Player of the Year after averaging 15.8 points and ranking second nationally with 47.6 percent marksmanship from three-point range.
Fellow senior Josh Dotzler led CU in assists and led the MVC in steals while earning a spot on the Valley's All-Defensive Team.
Justin Carter returns after leading Creighton with 5.5 rebounds per contest, while P'Allen Stinnett is the team's top returning scorer after scoring at a 12.5 points per game clip.
Creighton averaged an MVC-record 15,930 fans per game last season, 12th-best nationally.
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 fifth time in the seven-year existence of the award, Creighton University has been recognized with the 2008-09 MVC All-Academic Award. Bluejay student-athletes posted a 3.32 cumulative grade-point average over the 2008-09 academic calendar. Creighton previously shared the award in 2003-04, and were the outright winners in 2004-05, 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Creighton had three men's basketball players earn Dean's List (3.50 GPA or better) accolades last year.
Shuttle Service Provided Again
Chief Bus will provide complimentary shuttle service from the Creighton University campus to Qwest Center Omaha for all men's basketball home games this season. The service is available to all fans, not just Creighton students.
The shuttle will start 75 minutes before tip-off and shuttles will continue to operate the route during the game. The three designated stops for pick-up around the CU campus are: 24th & California (nearside/southbound); 20th & Cass (nearside/eastbound) and at Billy Blues Alumni Grill (outside the Mike & Josie Harper Center in the turnaround which is on the east side of the building).
The shuttle will then go eastbound on Capitol Avenue and then go north up 10th Street for drop-off at the Qwest Center Omaha convention center entrance. The route is designed for each shuttle driver to make a roundtrip every 15 minutes.
Following the game's conclusion, the shuttle will start at the Qwest Center Omaha convention center entrance on 10th Street and loop the original route with the first of three stops at 24th & California Streets.
