Creighton 78, Savannah State 52; Creighton 72, Drexel 48

Waves of Mutilation

The title of this post refers to one of my favorite songs from the seminal band The Pixies. And while I can safely bet that Black Francis, Kim Deal, and the rest of the band didn’t have hoops in mind when penning “Wave of Mutilation,” I can’t help but hum the tune and have the title in my mind while watching this year’s Creighton Bluejay basketball team.

After last season’s bitter ending in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Creighton’s roster experienced what seemed like constant change for the remainder of the spring. Dana Altman left Creighton for Arkansas, a move he negated almost faster than you could say “Wal-Mart”. Isaac Miles transferred to Murray State. Brice Nengsu left the team, too. With Altman back in the head office, the coaching staff needed to almost completely overhaul a roster while keeping the bar of expectations set at another 20-win season and some sort of postseason play.

That’s why I found it exciting, if not a little strange, when assistant coach Brian Fish made an appearance on a local radio station last spring raving about the new recruits who would step on campus this fall. His most important point, after talking about each individual’s strengths and areas for improvement, was that there was an increased level of athletic and explosive basketball players on the horizon for Jays fans to get to know and love, and that the sheer number of quality players the staff planned to bring into the program was going to allow Altman to implement the style of defense he prefers to play.

Hence, the waves of mutilation. Altman is using every part of his healthy, balanced, and talented roster to relentlessly force opponents into submission. Last season, four Bluejays (I think you can probably guess who they are) averaged 28 minutes played per game or more. This season, 11 Jays are averaging more than 10 minutes of action per game; the four most frequently-playing Jays average just more than 20 minute of action per game.

This reliance on the entire bench for strong blasts of concentrated energy and defensive intensity is paying immediate positive dividends and has translated into a 5-0 start for the young Jays. Altman and his coaches continue to say they are still about six or seven games away from cementing a more permanent selection of playing combinations and individual roles and responsibilities, but this team’s identity right now is one of pressure defense.

Simply, they are mutilating teams with their constant waves of defenders, whether it is in the full-court press, tight man-to-man pressure, or continually improving match-up zone looks. For the season, the Jays have forced opponents into an average of 23 turnovers per game, including a season-high 29 turnovers against Drexel yesterday.

(Interestingly, the 29 turnovers committed by the Dragons matches the per-game average of turnovers caused by the 1972-1973 Jays team, which holds the school record for most opponents turnovers caused in a season — 758 in 26 games.)


Just like The Pixies, the Jays have thrown waves of mutilation at opponents all season

The storylines for the wins against Savannah State and at Drexel are simple: Savannah State was a trap game sandwiched between an emotional win against rival Nebraska and Creighton’s first road trip of the season; Drexel was that first road test, in a return visit for last season’s Bracket Buster debacle. Instead of addressing each game individually, let’s review how each player on the Jays roster added their own effort to Altman’s waves of mutilation of the Tigers and the Dragons.

In order of most minutes played per game to least per game:

P’Allen Stinnett
(Season essentials so far: 23.4 minutes, 12.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.2 steals per game)

Stinnett had another sensational throw-down against Savannah State, following up his monstrous victimization of Nebraska’s Shang Ping last week. This one was an ally-oop from Booker Woodfox, during which Stinnett seemed to keep elevating even after receiving the basketball in mid-air along the baseline. He tallied 13 points against the Tigers to lead the team in scoring, as well.

The shots were not falling as easily for P’Allen during his trip to P’hilly. He went just 3-11 from the field, including 1-6 from three-point range, and grabbed just one rebound in 24 minutes of action. However, that didn’t stop him from playing defense. He led the team with 4 steals on a day when all they seemingly needed to do was pressure Drexel into handing the Jays easy shots in transition. But Stinnett’s day was not without flare; his one assist was a perfectly placed quick pass in transition to a Bluejay lay-up.

Stinnett didn't posterize anyone against Drexel, but his defense was suffocating

Josh Dotzler
(23.0 minutes, 3.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.8 steals per game)

For as long as Dotzler has been a fixture of the Creighton program, he is still somewhat of an enigma on the court. He is a junior, but he has only been fully healthy for a small sample size of his playing career. He’s missed almost an entire season’s worth of games due to numerous injuries, while members of both the fan base and the local media continue to wonder out loud whether or not he is providing enough offense in relation to the minutes he plays.

Will Dotzler ever be mistaken for Rodney Buford? No, but that’s not the kind of game Altman needs from his veteran point guard. Dotzler’s accumulated a 2.10 assist-to-turnover ratio so far this season, good enough for the sixth best ratio among MVC players through the weekend.

That being said, Josh didn’t have his best game against Savannah State on Thursday. He was 0-5 from the field and had as many assists (2) as turnovers (2). However, he had 4 of Creighton’s 18 steals, and he only played 17 minutes in the blowout. That rest, and his experience as a court leader for Altman, paid great rewards for the Jays at Drexel. Dotzler dished 7 assists and committed only 2 turnovers in 26 minutes of play against the Dragons, while adding 2 steals and some solid defensive pressure during the rout.

Radio hosts and others looking for reasons to put Josh on the bench should watch the game tape and realize that among the reasons he is on the floor is his ability to play at the pace Altman wants, whatever that pace might be.

Dotzler contributes on offense even though he doesn't score many points

Dane Watts
(22.8 minutes, 13.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1 steal per game)

Watts has quietly waited to take over his team as a leader for the past three seasons. After being a steady contributor for each of the past three years, this year was finally Watts’ time to be “the guy”. He’s thought to be one of the best returning players in the Valley this season; at least, that’s what Jays fans think. However, when the preseason All-Valley teams hit the papers before the season started, Watts’ name was nowhere to be found. Not even in the Honorable Mentions section.

Dane may or may not have been upset by that lack of acknowledgement, but plenty of Jays fans were. And so far this season, Dane’s play is backing up all of us who thought he was overlooked by those coaches and media “in the know” who compose those lists. He got to rest a bit against the Tigers, logging just 16 minutes and collecting 6 points and 6 rebounds. But against the Dragons, he was noticeable for doing almost everything needed to help his team win.

In this case, the box score doesn’t do the young man’s effort justice. Watts scored 10 points and grabbed 6 boards in 20 minutes of action, but his defensive effort against Drexel’s post players (in particular, star Frank Elegar) set the tone for the slaying of the Dragons. Even the local television broadcasters seemed enamored by Watts’ do-everything attitude and effort, commenting numerous times about his ability to keep a play going for this teammates with getting his hands on loose basketballs and tipping them out to his guards.

Later this week, Watts returns to the place where his Jays career really took off. The last time Creighton played at Xavier, Watts was a few games into his freshman season. In a 73-72 win, he poured in 18 points in 23 minutes on 7-10 shooting from the field. Xavier didn’t have an answer for him; heck, they probably didn’t even know who he was. CU fans didn’t expect that kind of game from him that night three years ago, but they do now. If Watts can deliver a similar performance, the Jays will have a decent shot to upset the Musketeers on their home court on Wednesday night.


Watts sends a message against DePaul earlier in the year


Coming tomorrow … more player profiles, including a look back at Cavel Witter’s wonderful weekend