The folks in the Creighton Sports Information office have forgotten more about CU sports than many of us will ever learn. The Robs and their staff spend much of their waking moments uncovering the statistical gems that define the different Bluejay programs.
So, as we’ve done before, White & Blue Review took some time to read through their handiwork and jot down some initial reactions to the facts and figures included in the 2009-2010 Men’s Basketball Media Guide. You can find the online version of the guide here, but the hard copy won’t be available for a few more weeks. Being the basketball nerds we are, though, we couldn’t wait to crack it open.
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Leave No Doubt
This is my personal mantra for the 2009-2010 season. Waiting for your name to be called as an at-large team just isn’t the way most college teams should want to make the NCAA Tournament. Leave no doubt, Bluejays: Creighton hasn’t won a MVC regular season title outright since 2000-2001. Sure, the Bluejays shared the title last season and in 2001-2002, and the school’s 14 total titles are beyond impressive. But to leave no doubt this season, the Bluejays must take the Valley outright and win their first postseason MVC title since 2007.
High expectations, sure, but surely these match what the players and coaches must expect of themselves after last season’s 27 wins and the shared MVC title. Just leave no doubt this time.
Nothing But With Nylon
The Bluejays haven’t climbed ladders, scissors in hand, in St. Louis since March 2007, their longest drought in recent memory. Creighton won MVC tournament championships five times in seven years from 1999 to 2005. NIT berths in 2004 and 2006 gave way to MVC tournament titles in 2005 and 2007, respectively. But the Bluejays haven’t hoisted hardware in the Gateway City the past two seasons, something that hasn’t happened since Rodney Buford and the 1998-1999 team returned Creighton to the NCAA Tournament.
Madness or Bust
Fairly or not, Creighton fans expect to watch the Bluejays during the televised basketball smorgasbord that is March Madness every season. And those fans no doubt have felt a bit empty the past two seasons; after playing in five straight NCAA Tournaments from 99-03 and seven of nine from 99-07, Dana Altman’s teams missed the madness the past two seasons.
Country-wide Cast
The media guide roster lists 15 Bluejays, 5 of which hail from Nebraska (3) or Iowa (2). Two Creighton players call California home, but everyone else comes from another part of the country. The Bluejays represent the east coast (Maryland and New Hampshire), the mighty Midwest (Colorado, Missouri, and the aforementioned heartland), the southwest (Texas, Oklahoma, and Nevada), and the left coast.
The Definitive Dozen
Only 12 schools can say their basketball teams’ experienced postseason play each of the past dozen years. Creighton joins Arizona (1), Duke (1), Florida (2), Gonzaga, Kansas (1), Kentucky (1), Maryland (1), Michigan State (1), Oklahoma State, Stanford, and Syracuse (1) on the list. These teams have combined to win 9 of the 12 national championships during this time. A guy can dream, can’t he?!
The Bluejays belong to an even more exclusive set of teams that includes five others from the Definitive Dozen; Creighton is one of just six teams nationally with 20 or more wins in each of the past 11 seasons. Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, and Syracuse can claim the same.
Ready for Their Close-up?
Creighton’s 2009-2010 schedule promises to be difficult, especially on the road. But don’t worry local Jays fans: as of today, you will be able to watch all but three of Creighton’s currently scheduled games either at Qwest Center Omaha or on local, regional, or national television.
Sure, you might have to head to your local Watering Hole to catch Creighton’s road game at New Mexico on December 19. But there will be television coverage for that road tilt at The Pit, along with roadies at Dayton (WHIO local in Dayton beamed to Omaha in some way); the Old Spice Classic games (the ESPN family of networks); and George Mason, Illinois State, Drake, and Missouri State (each part of KMTV’s local television package this season).
The three you won’t see? Two games the first weekend of the New Year, when the Bluejays travel to Indiana for games at Indiana State (January 1) and Evansville (January 3), and a January 27 contest at Bradley.
Turing 21
Dana Altman finished his 20th season as a Division I head coach in 2008-2009. During one season at Marshall, four at Kansas State, and 15 at Creighton, Altman had his teams in the post season 75% of the time (8 trips to the NCAA Tournament, 7 to the NIT). He trails only Henry Iba and Eddie Hickey on the all-time wins list in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Fresh Face on the Pine
The Bluejays coaching staff welcomes a newcomer in 2009. Mike Jones begins his first season as a graduate assistant for Dana Altman. He comes to Creighton following an 11-year pro career in Europe and the Middle East and a two-year stint at Texas Christian University. At TCU, Jones played for an assistant by the name of Brian Fish, and he played well: Jones’ per-game averages of 19.5 points, 2.4 steals, and 5.0 assists rank in the top-10 of the Horned Frogs’ record books. With plenty of talented but young guards to mold, here’s hoping that Jones can teach them a little of what made him such a dynamic player for Billy Tubbs in the 90s.
Sittin’ Up In My Room
Although I’m sure most parents, academic advisors, and coaches would hope “class” would be their answer, but a resounding majority of Bluejays answered the “Favorite Spot on Campus” question in their bios with “my room.” Personally, I like Kenny Lawson’s answer: Old Gym. Practice makes perfect.
Unlucky #13
Much has been made among Bluejay backers about Chad Millard’s string of bad luck since transferring to Creighton from Louisville a few years ago. After setting his career high in points (15), field goals (5), 3-pointers (3), and assists (4) in his first game, his has been a Bluejay tenure filled with troublesome injuries. He suffered a concussion in the first game last season and sprained an ankle in the middle of January. He didn’t take a shot in the last nine games of the season; he didn’t score after Creighton’s January 6 game against Northern Iowa.
And now, he’s battling Bell’s palsy. Millard can’t seem to catch a break. Or can he? Right now he’s sporting a broken bone in his right foot, something that has restricted his preseason conditioning activities. That can’t make Creighton fans feel any better than Millard does; the Jays need him on the court during his senior season.
No Laughing Matter
Justin Carter’s bio lists “BET Comic View” as the senior’s favorite TV show, and his hobbies include “telling jokes.” There is nothing funny, though, about Carter’s importance to this year’s team. Lawson might be the most important person on the team due to the lack of low post height on the roster, but Carter’s efforts and success might be most imperative to Creighton breaking a two-season NCAA Tournament berth slump.
Carter grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds in the season-ending loss against Kentucky. His energy and tenacity were outstanding the entire night, manifest in the 7 offensive rebounds he corralled. Still, it was Carter’s two missed free throws with 36 seconds left — shots that could have given the Jays a three-point lead — that no doubt remain the lasting image fans have of the junior college transfer from the CU-UK game.
Carter now looks to join recent fellow JuCo transfers Booker Woodfox, Nick Porter, and Johnny Mathies as players who blossomed in their final years in the program. Carter actually had two double-digit rebound games in his last three (12 rebounds vs. Illinois State in the MVC semifinals), and word from the Hilltop this summer seems to imply that the senior from Maryland continues to improve.
Much has been made of the possibility that Carter might play more minutes at the small forward position, opening up a starting spot for Wayne Runnels to flex his rebounding prowess. But to be successful in Altman’s offense at the three, Carter must improve on his outside shooting (which got better as the season progressed last year) and display some of the offensive aggressiveness he showed brief glimpses of in the second half of last season. And don’t forget about the defensive side of the ball: many of the best players in the MVC this season will be playing the “3” and Carter’s on- and off-ball defense has to warrant increased minutes at that spot. If everything falls into place for Carter, opponents won’t be in the laughing mood.
Welcome Back, Witter
Much was made during the offseason of Cavel Witter leaving the team before his senior season and then asking to come back to Creighton. After the other roster shuffling came to a close and the summer progressed, it looked as though Witter would be back in the White and Blue, although whether he would be on scholarship seemed to be a question.
Well, Witter’s back, and he brings with him two things: certified credentials as a quality late-game shot maker, and the potential to prove his oft-frustrating junior season a fluke. No one will soon forget his clutch baskets against Rhode Island and Bradley in two of Creighton’s final four games in March 2008. And no one will forget his 42 points against the Braves on Senior Day that same year. But some of his minutes last season were extremely forgettable, and as Antoine Young emerged in the second half of the season Witter saw his production fade.
Still, he made three free throws with 3 seconds left to force overtime last season against Southern Illinois, a game the Jays would win in the extra period. He was second in the MVC in free-throw percentage (85.4%). He can get hot from the field and rack up points in a hurry. Still, his points per game, field goal percentage, and 3-point field goal percentage all dropped from his sophomore year to his junior season.
His story is one of the more intriguing on this year’s team. Here’s hoping it turns out like so many of us thought it would after his performance in the double-overtime thriller against Bradley nearly a year and a half ago.
Where Have You Gone, Woodfox?
Even as Booker Woodfox’s final shot as a Bluejay missed by just a few millimeters, one that would again have won a game for the Bluejays at the buzzer, many CU fans had to wonder where the long-range shooting would come from after Booker graduated.
Woodfox finished his Creighton career as the school’s all-time leader in 3-point field goal percentage (45.51%, just edging Kyle Korver for the mark). The fretting about who will knock down open looks or create their own shots could be put to rest by two current Bluejays — guys who are currently on the career top 10 list for 3-point field goal percentage, as well.
Kaleb Korver is currently 5th (43.48%) and Casey Harriman 8th (41.41%) for all-time long-range shooting percentage at CU. Korver was 3rd in the MVC in 3-point percentage last season (44.8%) and Harriman led the Valley in 3-point shooting in conference-only games (50%). And while the coaching staff brought in more young players with past junior college and high school success from 3-point range, Altman and the Bluejays will no doubt rely heavily on the experienced Harriman (3 years in the program) and Korver (2 years) to torch opponents from the perimeter.
Home Court Advantage
One of the things I’m most looking forward to this season is the potential for high school rivals/teammates Antoine Young and Josh Jones to share meaningful minutes on the Qwest Center court.
Jays fans got a taste, albeit fleeting, of what Young means to the future of the Creighton basketball program. A member of the MVC all-bench team as a true freshman, Young bid his time for the first half of last season before scoring 13 points in 21 minutes in a must-win situation on the road at Bradley. He played double-digit minutes every game that followed, and the Bluejays went 22-4 when he played 10 minutes or more last year.
I’ve heard more good things about Young’s development during the offseason than anyone else on the 2009-2010 Creighton roster, and it will be needed. The Bluejays waved goodbye to court leader and experienced point guard Josh Dotzler, and Creighton can only hope the transition of leadership from Dotzler to Young goes as smoothly at CU as it did when the two men were kids at Bellevue West.
And now Bluejay fans will see Young share the court with Jones, the man whose Central Eagles teams thwarted the Thunderbirds attempts at a state title year after year. Jones’ battles with a heart condition are well documented, but not nearly as frequently mentioned is his relationship with Young. While the two were rivals during high school, they played on the same AAU team (Omaha Crusaders) during summers.
They are one year apart eligibility-wise, but they both started their CU careers last season and now look to write their own chapter in Creighton’s ongoing success story. The Bluejays haven’t had two or more Omaha products start on an NCAA Tournament team since 1999-2000, when Westside’s Matt West and Central’s Donnie Johnson led Creighton to the Big Dance. Jones and Young most likely won’t start this season, but 09-10 hopefully will give Bluejay fans a more significant view of what the future holds for two local high school stars.
1K P
P’Allen Stinnett enters the 2009-2010 season with 841 points in 67 career games; an average of 12.6 points per game. He needs just 159 points to become the 33rd player in Creighton history to eclipse the 1,000 point mark. Using his career per-game average, Jays fans might reasonably expect the junior from Las Vegas to rack up his 1,000 career point at the start of MVC play against Northern Iowa (12/29) or Indiana State (1/1).
Sure, Stinnett is a dynamic scorer. But he has the potential to be so much more for Altman and the Bluejays. It is a question asked repeatedly by die-hard Jays fans and casual observers alike: when will Stinnett put everything together? An answer indicative of sooner rather than later might mean the difference between playing in the NIT for a third straight season and cracking the Dance Card for the first time since March 2007.