Coveted Cover
The 2011-2012 Creighton basketball season is on pace to be the year of the sophomores on the men’s and women’s teams. Sophomore Doug McDermott one was one the three Jays featured on the men’s media guide. In similar fashion, sophomore Carli Tritz, preseason All-MVC honoree, graces the cover of the women’s media guide along with lone senior DaNae Moore. The cover, a coveted spot usually reserved for upperclassmen or a team collage, could feature Tritz three times by the end of her playing career.
Feeling at Home at Sokol Arena
Just over four years after ground was broken, the Jays will start their third season in D.J. Sokol Arena. The arena is named after the late son of David and Peggy Sokol who passed away from Hodgkin’s disease in 1999.
Creighton’s record in the arena? 24-5. Jim Flanery’s Bluejays look to improve on that tonight when they host South Dakota.
New Faces and New Numbers
Three freshmen join the team this year:
- Sammy Jensen, Ames, IA
- Taylor Johnson, Platte City, MO
- Alexis Akin-Otiko, Bellevue, NE
Jays roster by class:
- 1 senior
- 2 juniors
- 5 sophomores
- 4 freshmen
There was one number change on the roster this season. Junior Ally Jensen went from #20 to #12.
Bluejays Roster by state:
- 1 Minnesota
- 2 Missouri
- 5 Nebraska
- 4 Iowa
Inside the Player Profiles
- DaNae Moore: has three nicknames, Dawn, Nae, and Donna. It must take some selective hearing to be able to reply to a handful of names you could be called.
- Jasmin Corbin: attended the same high school (Millard West) as former Bluejay Sam Schuett. If you haven’t noticed on the court, Jasmin’s one of, if not, the fastest players on the court. She was part of a record setting 4×100 relay team at Millard West.
- Ally Jensen: after playing with her sister, Sammy, in high school, they will be teammates again this season. Of the 47 field goals she made last year, 36 were from beyond the arc.
- McKenzie Fujan: Steve Nash is the athlete she admires most. So far this year, she’ll have to see highlights on YouTube or NBA TV reruns of old games because of the lockout.
- Jordan Garrison: owns Osceola (Missouri) High School’s career scoring mark, having scored more than 2,600 points.
- Alyssa Kamphaus: knows how to Dougie! She set a career high in points with 12 in a Valley win at Evansville, going 5-5 from the field including her only career 3-pointer.
- Sarah Nelson: was teammates with her sister last year Kellie. In a win at Illinois State, she set a career high with 17 points, going 7-10 from the field.
- Carli Tritz: from the same high school (Bishop Heelan in Sioux City, IA) as former men’s player Nate Funk. Besides being named Miss Iowa Basketball her senior year in high school, she also named to first-team all-state in volleyball and soccer in her high school career.
- Riley Norman: her father played basketball at the University of Iowa. In high school, she set a team record with 18 steals!
- Alexis Akin-Otiko: her father played basketball at Oral Roberts. She went to the same high school as former Bluejays Kristi and Kelsey Woodard.
- Sammy Jensen: joins her sister Ally on the team this season. Her high school team reached at least the semifinals and won the state title her sophomore season.
- Taylor Johnson: her sister Morgan is a junior at the University of Iowa, who Creighton had a preseason scrimmage against.
10’s & 20’s
The 2011-2012 season marks Flanery’s 10th as the head coach of the Bluejays. This year also marks the 20th year in the Missouri Valley Conference. Over those 20 years, the Jays racked up more wins than any other member of the Valley.
Coaching Records
Jim Flanery started the season dead even with previous coach Connie Yori in career wins (Flannery 170-86, Yori 170-85) and a couple percentage points behind (Flannery 0.594, Yori 0.596) in winning percentage. Yori and Flanery are first and second, respectively, in career winning percentage in Creighton history. After Yori, next up the career wins list is current athletic director Bruce Rasmussen. His career mark stands at 196-147 (now 198-148). At his current pace, Flannery can pass Rasmussen in January 2013.
Opponents
- The Bluejays will host #4 Notre Dame on Sunday, December 4, at 1 p.m. The Irish are led by preseason All-American Skylar Diggins. Last season at Notre Dame, the Bluejays fell 91-54.
- The Jays will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska to face former Bluejay head coach and current Husker coach Connie Yori. Last year in Omaha, the Huskers won 63-55.
- Saturday, February 4, the Bluejays host MVC preseason pick Missouri State. They are led by senior Casey Garrison, who averaged 18.2 ppg last year.
- Senior night’s opponent is Indiana State, on Sunday, February 19. The Sycamores are picked 5th in preseason poll, one spot behind Creighton.
March Madness
St. Charles, Missouri, once again plays host to the MVC Tournament — also known as “Chuck Madness.” The tournament runs March 8-11, one week after the men’s tournament in St. Louis. The semifinals and finals will be televised on Fox Sports Net with the earlier games available online at MVC Live.