Gameday Pick ‘em #31: Illinois State (22-7; 11-6, 3rd in MVC)

The Pundits

“Illinois State formidable foe” (OWH)
“ISU men try to play spoiler at Creighton” (Pantagraph)
“Making points in other ways” (OWH)
“Parcells saying helped Bluejays” (OWH)
“Woodfox keys Creighton’s 9-game win streak” (Pantagraph)
“NCAA options are few for MVC teams” (OWH)

The Picks

This is it.

A sold-out Qwest Center. A national television audience tuning in on ESPN2. Three seniors playing what all of Bluejay Nation hopes is their last game in The Phone Booth. A 9-game winning streak that means almost nothing if a 10th win doesn’t materialize this afternoon.

Today is for a title. It is as simple as that. The same thing held true in 2002, when juniors Kyle Korver, Larry House, DeAnthony Bowden, and Terrell Taylor were the leading upperclassmen on a senior-less team. They needed a win at home against the Drake Bulldogs to post back-to-back regular season championships in the Missouri Valley Conference. They took a 39-30 lead into halftime, but the Jays allowed DU to shoot 57% in the second half and were outscored by 11 in last 20 minutes. They lost an outright title by 2 points, 75-73.

They still split a conference title that year, and of course went to St. Louis and rolled through the Arch Madness tournament. But that was Dana Altman’s last taste of a conference crown. Even his best team at CU, the squad that won 29 games the following year, didn’t win the Valley regular season title. But the day has come. Altman and the Jays can hang a banner this afternoon.

Since that loss to Drake on a senior-less Senior Night, the Jays have posted some memorable moments in the final regular season home game of the year.

• In 2003, Larry House poured in a career-high 28 points as Altman, Coach Red, and the rest of the Jays closed the Civic Auditorium for good in a complete pasting of Wichita State.
  
  
• In 2005, an emotional crowd took the time to honor Tyler McKinney at the end of a blowout against Indiana State; McKinney had battled a series eye issue and a few weeks later would lead the Jays into the NCAA tournament yet again.
  
  
• In 2007, the nucleus of Nate Funk, Anthony Tolliver, and Nick Porter each left the floor of the White Out against Wichita State to standing ovations during the last 1:30 of the game. Joining them was Manny Gakou, one of the more popular players among Jays fans for his infectious smile. Those seniors would then travel to St. Louis as the #2 seed and win three games in three days for a Valley tournament title.
  
  
• And last year, Cavel Witter made sure the seniors had the kind of night they had envisioned since starting their college careers. Witter’s 42-point performance against Bradley helped the Jays pull out a 111-110 double overtime thriller. The crowd didn’t mind staying at The Phone Booth late into the night to cheer intensely during and after the game, honor Nike Bahe, Dane Watts, and Pierce Hibma.
  
  

Those three bridged the gap from Altman’s last NCAA tournament team to what this season could be his next. But to do so Creighton is in the most difficult position possible; they must keep winning, with no letdowns. Listen to the “bracketologist” pundits all you want, but the fact remains that the only way Creighton will feel good about their chances to get into the Dance is to win this afternoon and then win three more games next week in St. Louis.

That scenario requires Altman’s Jays to win 13 straight games. Can they do it? Obviously, they need to worry about today’s game first. And that might be their most difficult one of the 4 they need to win.

Let’s put it bluntly: Illinois State owns the Jays recently. Moreover, Osiris Eldridge owns the Jays. The O-Hawk posted 28 points in his first game against Creighton, a loss in Omaha. Since then, he has tortured the Jays. He scored all 18 of his points in the second half in the teams’ second meeting his freshman year, a game during which the Jays fell for the Redbirds’ trap. And since that game, he has scored at least 15 points and grabbed at least 6 rebounds in each of the other three meetings between his ISU team and the Jays.

The good news: he’s been on a cold streak lately. Is he tiring? The bad news: just like a 13-game win streak is hard to achieve, watching Eldridge struggle for more than a couple games in a row just doesn’t seem to happen often.

To hang a banner, the Bluejays must stop the O-Hawk. Sure, inside play is important today — Dinma Odiakosa and Brandon Sampay seem to play well against the California Connection game in and game out — and we must guard Champ Oguchi tight all afternoon. But it starts and ends with Osiris. And if P’Allen Stinnett gets into a war of words with the solid Junior, as he did last year, it could spell a problem for the Jays on one of the biggest days in the program’s recent history.

Hang a banner, Jays. Take care of business.

It’s what we’ve been waiting for (see Kanye below for more…)


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A regular season title: “Is this what you’ve been waiting for?!”

Leading Scorer

Creighton Otter: Justin Carter (14)
Dance Cam Guy: Booker Woodfox (22)
Panon: Woodfox (23)
Mrs. Creighton Otter: Woodfox (23)
Mrs. Dance Cam Guy: Woodfox (16)

Margin

Creighton Otter: Jays by 4
Dance Cam Guy: Jays by 11
Panon: Jays by 8
Mrs. Creighton Otter: Jays by 9
Mrs. Dance Cam Guy: Jays by 8

Today In The Valley (Feb. 28)

Indiana State (9-20; 6-11, 9th) vs. Missouri State (11-18; 3-14, 10th)
1:00 p.m.
Hulman Center; Terre Haute, Indiana

Well, at least one team knows exactly when they will be playing in the Missouri Valley Tournament. Missouri State is locked in as the #10 seed and will be playing on Thursday, no matter what happens today. The Bears looked like they were going to pull off a huge upset against Valley co-leader Creighton on Tuesday night, but fell short after holding an 11-point halftime lead.

Cuonzo Martin and Kyle Weems might know their plans for 8:30 p.m. next Thursday night, but Indiana State doesn’t know if they’ll join the Bears at that time or show up to the Scottrade Center a little earlier that evening.

The Sycamores enter today’s game after dropping their first game in their last 6 contests, a close loss on the road at Wichita. Tonight the Sycamore fans say farewell to just one senior, Jay Tunnell. He has been a guiding light through the second half of MVC play this season, and he is on quite a roll offensively for the Trees.

Both teams want to end their regular seasons on a high note, with both knowing their places to some degree for next week’s Arch Madness.

Picks
Creighton Otter: Indiana State
Panon: Missouri State
Dance Cam Guy: Indiana State

~ Dance Cam Guy

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Northern Iowa (19-10; 13-4, t-1st) vs. Evansville (17-11; 8-9, t-5th)
7:30 p.m.
McLeod Center; Cedar Falls, Iowa
MVC TV

By the time this one tips off, the Panthers will know exactly where they stand and what they need to do to win a conference title. With Creighton playing in the afternoon, the Panthers can actually watch the game if they so choose. A loss by the Jays and the Panthers know a win will earn them an outright conference crown. A win by the Jays puts the pressure on the Panthers to match a CU victory.

The Panthers come in losing three of five in conference play and four of six overall. It easily could have been five of six overall, but a gutsy performance in Normal in double overtime allowed UNI to escape with a win on Illinois State’s Senior Night. Adam Koch’s game winning put-back as time expired was the difference after 50 minutes of play. UNI will need to play their best against an experienced Evansville team in an arena where they have already lost three conference games.

The Purple Aces have guaranteed themselves a pass on the Thursday night action as they can finish no lower than a #6 seed, with a possible #4 within reach. When these two teams met in Indiana, Shy Ely went 2-15 from the field and scored a season-low 7 points, Evansville scored just 47 points, and they lost by 11. You can bet anything a senior like Ely won’t be that cold from the field again. Fellow senior Jason Holsinger, an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American, is saving his best for last and will shoot better than 1-7 like he did in their first meeting.

Picks
Creighton Otter: Northern Iowa
Panon: Evansville
Dance Cam Guy: Evansville

~ Panon

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Southern Illinois (12-17; 7-10, t-7th) vs. Wichita State (15-14; 8-9, t-5th)
7:00 p.m.
SIU Arena; Carbondale, Illinois

A trio of Salukis will be saluted for their efforts on Senior Day at SIU Arena. For Tony Boyle and Wesley Clemmons, it will be their final game at home. For Bryan Mullins, it will be a final chance for him to be saluted by the Saluki fans for his hard work in a career that ended prematurely due to a stress fracture.

Senior Bryan Mullins, an ESPN Academic All-American, has shown he has worked just as hard off the court as on it. While just two seniors remain on the active roster, those three guys have seen the highs and lows in the Missouri Valley conference -- from a Sweet 16 appearance to potentially playing on Thursday night St. Louis.

Coach Greggggggggg Marshall should be a close second in Valley Coach of the Year behind UNI’s Ben Jacobsen. After starting 0-6 in the conference the Shockers have gone 8-3. The Jays are the only team with a better record over that stretch, going 9-2 (UNI has also gone 8-3). The Shocker starters play a lot of minutes. The Salukis have a short bench. Whoever lasts longer will be able to pull this one out. The winner avoids Thursday. I guess you have to find a silver lining in a less than exciting season.

Picks
Creighton Otter: Southern Illinois
Panon: Southern Illinois
Dance Cam Guy: Wichita State

~ Panon

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Bradley (16-13; 9-8, 4th) vs. Drake (17-13; 7-10, t-7th)
7:00 p.m.
Carver Arena; Peoria, Illinois

The Braves say goodbye to four seniors tonight in Peoria. They have avoided the play-in games for yet another season but will be stuck in a familiar place next Thursday when they play as either the #4 or #5 seed in the MVC postseason tournament.

It has been an up and down season for Bradley, but they are still in a decent position to make a run through Arch Madness. They’ve done it before from the 4-5 spot, and they’re good enough to possibly do it again.

The Bulldogs joins the Bears and Sycamores as teams that already have booked their reservations for Thursday night in St. Louis. It has been quite a precipitous downturn for last year’s regular season and tournament champion Bulldogs. But this Bulldog squad has been more up and down than a January Creighton team. A win over the Bluejays (in Omaha) and a home loss on Senior Night to a depleted Southern Illinois team just make you scratch your head.

Each team will be looking to take a win down to the tournament, but neither team will be 100% satisfied with their 2008-2009 season.

Picks
Creighton Otter: Bradley
Panon: Drake
Dance Cam Guy: Drake

~ Dance Cam Guy

“The Square,” by Panon

What’s the big deal with regular season conference championships? Depending on who you ask, in today’s age of college basketball, the importance of regular season conference titles gets smaller and smaller. Thanks to the roll of cable TV, the pricey bidding war for the rights to air the NCAA tournament, and the publicity “Cinderella” teams get receive every year for their incredible David-and-Goliath stories, “people” forget who won titles during the regular season.

(“People,” for the sake of this argument, doesn’t mean “people who follow a particular team closely, die-hard fans. “People” means the general college basketball-consuming viewerscape.)

Dana Altman’s run of postseason appearances over the last 11 years is impressive enough to make many, many non-BCS programs jealous. Heck, it is enough to make most BCS schools green with envy, too.

Many pundits, from the local level to the highest reaches of national media and his own peers, have noted the incredible job he has done at Creighton during his tenure in Omaha. By and large, he brings in student athletes who are not only terrific basketball players but also have the character to match.

People want two things: a winning team, and a group of kids they can genuinely root for. Because he provides this for a city full of basketball fans, the program (including the university, the city of Omaha as a basketball supporter, and of course himself) has experienced increased levels of exposure during the past decade.

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding: or in this case, the mini donuts. The crowds Altman’s team attracts to the Qwest Center night in and night out are remarkable. Looking back 6 years ago, when I was graduating from Creighton, we in the first iteration of Altman’s Army were ecstatic if some of the end zone seats in the upper bowl were full and the Civic drew around 6,000 or 7,000 for a game. That was, of course, at the beginning of the magical 2002-2003 season, which changed the face of CU hoops in the basketball mainstream seemingly for good.

But since critics get paid to criticize, and they have to find something to complain about regarding Altman’s time on the Hilltop, what is the one glaring fault they find with Dana’s regime? His lack of regular season conference titles.

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It took Dana Altman 7 seasons to capture his first regular season Valley title: He went from 7-19 and tied for 9th in the conference in 1994-1995 to 24-8 and the top of the Missouri Valley Conference in 2000-2001. He went from making the NIT (1997-1998) to being invited to the Big Dance (7 times, including 5 straight trips from 1998 to 2003).

Not only were fans getting into Bluejay basketball again, they were becoming accustomed to traveling to Arch Madness in St. Louis every year. Why? Because Altman’s teams seemed deadliest when given the mission to win 3 games in 3 days for a trip to the NCAA tournament.

Altman’s only true regular season champion (00-01) actually was the only team during his tenure to garner an at-large bid to the Big Dance; that squad lost in the semifinals of Arch Madness. To get to the premier postseason tournament, Altman and the Jays have won 6 of the last 10 MVC postseason conference tournaments.

A new era of Bluejay basketball had begun. Not only were Jays fans expecting winning teams year in and year out, they were expecting NCAA tournament bids (whether it be at-large or by winning in St. Louis). Fans, media, and I’m sure the coaching staff and players themselves continue to set the bar higher and higher for Creighton’s basketball program. After making 7 NCAA tournament appearances (and receiving 4 NIT bids) in the past decade and being considered one of the best non-BCS programs in the country, the logical next step is to snag a few wins in the Big Dance. Altman’s teams have won 2 games in the tournament (vs. Louisville in 1999 and vs. Florida in 2002) and suffered their fair amount of heartbreaking losses, but the overall record in the NCAA tournament does not live up to some fans’ expectations.

But do these expectations for future postseason success (a Gonzaga- or George Mason-like run, for instance) outweigh hope for regular season championships? Do regular season crowns really matter?

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Dana has recruited a lot of talented players while at Creighton. Most have gone on to be professionals in something other than sports. Why do they come to CU? Yes, the academics are important, as is the atmosphere of the arena on game night. Large crowds are important, but winning trumps all. And the ultimate sign of success in college basketball is playing in the NCAA tournament.

What does winning mean? A majority of a team’s games? An MVC title? An Arch Madness title? Year in and year out, with the ways teams change and rosters turn over due to graduation, winning might not mean the same thing to different teams. But everyone wants to play in the NCAA tournament. That is the end goal for every college hoops team.

The lone senior on this year’s Jays squad to have not played in the NCAA tournament is Booker Woodfox. You can bet that every man on the team, from his fellow seniors Josh Dotzler and Dustin Sitzmann to freshman redshirt Josh Jones, want to get Booker (as well as themselves) a chance to participate in March Madness.

And this where I pull some logic from an old math teacher from back in the day. A square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not a square. Just follow me here. Making the NCAA tournament (the square) can be accomplished by winning the regular season MVC title (the rectangle) — the regular season Valley champ has made the NCAA tournament each year since 1993. But winning the regular season crown (the rectangle) does not guarantee you a spot in the NCAA tournament (the square).

A square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not a square. The Big Dance can be made winning the regular season title, but winning the regular season title doesn’t mean you will automatically make the tournament.

Dana is the Dean of the Valley, yet his most high-profile success stories focus on exciting sweeps in St. Louis. He has an outright title in his pocket (00-01) and another shared regular season championship the next season (01-02). In 2002 they won both the regular season crown and Arch Madness, but in 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005, and 2007 Altman’s Jays had to win 3 games in 3 days to assure themselves a spot in the Big Dance. It has become a rite of spring, watching the Jays storm the court in St. Louis. Why else would fans flock there every March instead of spending spring break on the beach?

But is relying on this relative crap shoot — Brian Fish talked at great lengths last night during the Creighton Sports Hour on Big Sports 590 about the amount of luck that needs to go a team’s way to win in Arch Madness — a realistic expectation for fans? If the end goal is the square, why get so worked up about the rectangle?

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Dana Altman’s 15 years at Creighton ranks 16th longest nationally for one coach at a single school. Let’s compare him to another Dean of a conference, someone who has been at his program for 14 years.

While Dana has secured his 11th straight season of 20 or more wins, this coach has accomplished that feat in 10 of his team’s last 12 seasons.

Altman has posted 13 straight seasons of 10 or more conference wins; this coach has done it 10 of the past 12 seasons.

High expectations are part of this coach’s school and fan base as well. Dana has managed two regular season conference titles while at Creighton but an astonishing 6 Valley tournament titles. This coach has four regular season titles but just two conference tournament titles.

Their fan bases love these coaches. But naturally, people still want more from them, regardless of what they’ve done already. They don’t have to worry about job security; rather, the schools often worry about them leaving for other challenges. After a 24-hour stint down south, we’ve seen Altman make his commitment to Omaha; this coach has had many opportunities to leave but, like Dana, like’s the state he grew up in.

Do fans want more regular season conference titles from both (rectangles)? Yes. But will they take NCAA tournament appearances (squares) instead, no matter how they get there? I do, and I will. And more tournament wins, of course! While Dana’s last regular season conference title came in 2002, this coach hasn’t won one since 2001. Why’s he still around? Well this coach has been to one Final Four since his last regular season conference title. No, it’s not Jim Larranaga. This coach has been to the tournament every year for the past 11 years, and his team is a lock to make it an even dozen this season. This coach is considered one of the best in the country.

Who is this coach?

Tom Izzo of Michigan State. That’s right, with all the success the Spartans have had, they haven’t won a regular season title since 2001 and a conference tournament title since 2000. Obviously, there are two major differences (among dozens of others): Izzo coaches at a BCS school with the resources of a small military; and he has turned those resources into a 2000 National Championship and four trips to the Final Four since 1999.

I am in no way, shape, or form suggesting that Altman and Izzo share anything more in common than just heavy expectations and a drought in conference titles. And while those are an important measuring stick for coaches and programs, I’m sure Sparty and the rest of the Izzone focus more on Tom’s postseason success than on the lack of Big 10 hardware adorning the already-cramped trophy cases in the Breslin Center.

The Spartans, like the Jays, are in the heat of a conference race themselves. With three games to go Izzo’s Michigan State team is one game ahead of Matt Painter and the Purdue Boilermakers with 3 games to play. Their magic number is 3 as they try to bring a Big Ten basketball crown back to East Lansing, which would be their first in 8 years.

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The Tale of the Tape

Regardless of whether or not we agree on what is more important — a regular season MVC title or just making to the NCAA tournament any way possible — we can agree that the landscape facing these two coaches is completely different. Sure, Izzo and his players and the rest of the MSU program want to win a regular season Big 10 crown and a Big 10 tourney title. But they don’t have to sweat out a postseason birth right now.

Altman’s Jays are not in the tournament right now; don’t “eat the cheese” being set out in front of you right now by local media and web-based “bracketologists.” And barring a tournament win in St. Louis they most likely won’t make the NCAA tournament (again, don’t believe the hype right now that they are any closer to the good side of the bubble).

Relying on the rectangle won’t work this year, even though it would be great to hang a banner. To capture the square the Jays will need to play as well or better next week in Arch Madness than they’ve played during their current 9-game win streak. Whether that is fair makes no difference. And whether that lessens the successes of this season does not matter, either.

We are not Michigan State, and Dana is not Tom Izzo. Dana would not sit face-to-face with Ron Burgundy. Dana probably wouldn’t call out Erin Andrews on national television. We face the same struggles but in much different situations. And whether that makes the expectations unfair for Altman’s teams year in and year out is not important. They are there. Now go get the square any way you have to.

Lunchtime Look at the Valley

Evansville hung on for the win last night at home against Bradley. Southern Illinois hung on, too, albeit to a scarce road win at Drake. And with those two outcomes in the books, things are shaping up a bit more clearly for fans of the Missouri Valley Conference regarding next week’s Arch Madness event in St. Louis.

Let’s take a look this lunch hour at what is set in stone for next week’s tournament (please note that all of these seed projections are from www.MVC-Sports.com:

Drake is back where they belong. OK, that’s probably not fair. The Bulldogs don’t belong in that spot, per se, but it does suit them based on what MVC fans outside of Des Moines have come to expect from DU.

With Saturday’s MVC games the last of the regular season, Drake will finish with either the #7 or #8 seed in the Valley tournament. After winning last year’s regular season and postseason crowns, the Bulldogs return to the play-in round. It is a familiar spot: DU kicked off the 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2001, 2000, and 1999 Arch Madness tournaments on the first day of action.

Do you think Drake and Indiana State just split hotel rooms? Kevin McKenna has his Sycamores on a hot streak during the second half of conference play. While the Trees are just 6-11 in MVC play, they won 5 straight until Tuesday’s loss at Wichita.

Still, Indiana State hasn’t avoided the play-in games since 2001, the year they upset the Bluejays in the MVC semifinals after winning the #4-#5 game. That’s right; the ISU faithful will need to get to St. Louis sometime Thursday for the 8th straight season if they want to guarantee themselves the chance to watch the Sycs participate in Arch Madness.

However, unlike in some years past, I’m sure neither UNI nor Creighton want to see Indiana State staring them down after a first-round win. That’s how well Coach Mac has his guys playing right now, their last tough road loss notwithstanding.

Missouri State will join Drake and Indiana State Thursday in the Gateway City. It is a situation unfamiliar to many of the MSU fans that support the school, most likely. The last time the Bears balled it up on the first day of the tournament was in 2001, the year after playing for a title against CU in the 2000 tournament finals.

In fact, Cuonzo Martin’s first trip to St. Louis as head coach of the Bears comes with the Bears locked into the 10th seed in the tournament, regardless of what happens this weekend. But look at it in a positive light, Bears fans: nowhere to go from here but upward and onward!

Leaving the play-in parade are the Purple Aces. For the first time since 2003, Evansville fans can take their time making the trek from Indiana to St. Louis. Thanks in large part to inspired play from seniors Shy Ely, Jason Holsinger, and Nate Garner down the stretch, the Aces will stay out of the opening round no matter what happens when they visit Northern Iowa on Saturday night.

With the extra day, I wonder if Pieter van Tongeren will take some time to visit the Arch.

Bradley fans probably have a routine revolving around the 2:35 p.m. quarterfinal game. And they should probably stick to that routine yet again this year, as the Braves are guaranteed a spot as either the #4 or #5 seed in next week’s tournament.

This is familiar territory for BU fans and coach Jim Les; 2009 marks the fourth straight Arch Madness featuring the Bradley Braves in the #4-#5 game. It is the spot from which the 2005-2006 Braves advanced to the Sweet 16. Most recently, it is the spot that featured a rematch from last year’s final regular season game for the Braves (a 111-110 double overtime loss at Creighton) … also a loss for the Braves.

Illinois State fans can take their time leaving Normal for St. Louis. No matter what happens during their trip to Omaha this weekend (for the most important game The Phone Booth has hosted since it opened in 2003), the Redbirds are destined for the last game of the night next Friday.

Osiris will have plenty of time to get the O-Hawk trimmed and looking good for the MVC TV cameras, because the earliest the Redbirds will tip off as the #3 seed in the quarterfinals will be 8:35 p.m. Will ISU fans leave work early on Friday and get down in plenty of time to pregame a bit, or will they flock to St. Louis Thursday night to start the revelry even earlier? Hopefully the students will pace themselves; an 8:35 p.m. start time can play tricks on the (not so sober) mind.

Southern Illinois and Wichita State square off Saturday for all the marbles. OK, that statement might have been true in seasons past, when both the Salukis and Shockers were jockeying for position at the top of the MVC standings. This year, the statement holds some truth, albeit not exactly the kind of position both programs expect to fight for each year.

The Shox travel to Carbondale looking to turn their 0-6 MVC start into a play-in game bye. The Salukis are hoping to pull off a win on Senior Day and somehow squeeze into either the #5 or #6 seed. Either way, it is simple for both teams: the loser of this weekend’s game will play on Thursday night. And no team has ever won the Arch Madness title after starting play on the first day of the tournament.

But if it could happen any year, something tells me it would be this one. And that, my friends, is sheer madness indeed.

Creighton 65, Missouri State 59

Surviving the Trap

February might be the shortest month of the year, but for college hoops fans it is a 28- (sometimes 29- ) day period packed tightly with meaningful hoops.

There are so many seasons within the season. So many streaks and slumps. Creighton’s in the midst of its second 9-game winning streak of the season, but that doesn’t mean things have been firing on all cylinders for each and every player. The mark of a good team is being able to have more than one go-to guy; having any number of players on a team that can make a big shot when needed, or grab a needed rebound, or just exert some hustle to gain the team an extra possession.

Last night’s win on the road against Missouri State, in a trap game to the tenth degree, was the tale of two role players who stepped up and did all of the above. And because of that, the Jays have a title chance on Saturday.

Witter Fights Back

Back in December, on Creighton’s first night in Las Vegas, Cavel Witter dropped a very point guard-like night on the Bulldogs: 9 assists, 5 steals, 6 rebounds, and 6 points (3-11 from the field) in 26 minutes. And while the Jays’ coaches were trying him at the off guard spot in some situations, Witter was primarily backing up Josh Dotzler at the point.

After that game Cavel continued to score — for awhile. But after it became clear to the coaches in practice that Antoine Young needed to start seeing more minutes as Valley play picked up, the freshman from Bellevue West slid into the lineup and took some of ‘Vel’s minutes at the point. Trying to adjust to the off guard spot proved a bit more difficult than the crowd imagined, I’m sure, at least when judging the success by points scored (a Dana Altman no-no, I know, but what else is a shooting guard supposed to do, right?).

From December 10 to January 10 he scored 9 or more points in 9 of 10 games (averaging 11.3 ppg). In his next 10 games, he hit double figures just once (and he took 12 shots to score 13 points … in the season-altering loss at home versus Drake). Everyone knows he can score, including Witter himself, but firing himself out of the slump became a month-long ordeal.

Until last week against Evansville. With their backs against the wall and trying feverishly to protect the home court, Dana Altman turned to Witter to take charge late in the game against the Purple Aces. He hit 7 of 8 free throws, played 23 minutes (his most court time in almost a month of games), and scored 15 points in a 5-point Jays win.

But he saved his best for the (second to) last game of the regular season. Dotzler couldn’t get past any defenders, let alone get clean looks against MSU. He also picked up some early fouls. Young rushed a couple of shots and needed some help on the court with leading the offense. Enter Witter, who in 23 minutes scored 11 points (5-8 from the field; just his 2nd above-50% shooting night since January 10) and dished an astounding 6 assists (4 in the second half) as he helped slay the Bears’ upset attempt.

In one sequence, he waited at the top of the key for a screen, slipped underneath to take the ball hard to the paint, drew contact from a MSU post player, finished the shot and drew a foul. Visibly excited and exerting a palpable amount of energy (maybe from some bottled-up frustration regarding the last month of play), he let out a primal scream and fluttered his jersey rapidly toward the student section. The embroidered “CREIGHTON” across his chest was the attention of his efforts, and it summed up nicely all that we hear as the public about Witter’s attitude. Throughout his tough winter he has kept working, kept playing for the team. Last night he saved the team.

Harriman Helps Out … Yet Again

Casey Harriman played 7 minutes in the first half last night. Didn’t notice it? Neither did I. He, like many of the Jays, was a non-factor in the first stanza against Missouri State. But he kept plugging away, much like his friend Cavel has this past month. And it paid off in the best of possible ways for both Harriman and his teammates.

In 10 second-half minutes, Harriman poured in three huge 3-pointers and a free throw. 10 points. 2 rebounds. 17 minutes of pristine play, an effort Altman needed from a man who redshirted during Creighton’s last late-season run to the postseason.

Harriman was one point off his season and career high for points. And while I can’t remember how meaningful this buckets felt at the time of this year’s win against Oral Roberts (when he had 10 points), I do recall how much more comfortable and relaxed he seemed on the floor during his great night against Evansville a few weeks ago (when he put up 11 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal).

But that was in a blowout, on a night when a lot of different guys chipped in offensively. Last night was a dog fight, and Casey fought like the bulldog that he his. Maybe it was the loud bark he voiced after his teammates repeatedly let Bear after Bear find the basket. Or maybe it was the quiet confidence he displayed when launching three of the biggest 3-pointers he’s taken this season (heck, in his short career). Either way, on a night when things seemed doomed for the Jays, he gave his team the energy needed to climb back from a double-digit deficit in the second half and claim the win.

A win that now puts Creighton’s first regular season championship in its own hands this Saturday at home, on Senior Day, in front of a national television audience, against Illinois State. Win that and you get to hang a banner. And if the Jays do just that, and they celebrate at the center of First National Bank Court inside a sold-out Phone Booth, you can bet Witter and Harriman will be doing so with a little extra pep in their steps. Without them, and their hard work all season, what is possible this weekend wouldn’t be just that … possible.

Today In The Valley (Feb. 25)

Evansville (16-11; 7-9, t-6th) vs. Bradley (16-12; 9-7, 4th)
7:00 p.m.
Roberts Stadium; Evansville, Indiana

Evansville, you’ve got an entire city — heck, a Bluejay Nation of fans — pulling for you. You are Creighton’s second favorite MVC team right now.

Obviously, CU has to take care of business against Illinois State on Saturday. That’s a scary proposition, considering the last four outcomes for the Jays against the Redbirds (hint: CU got throttled in all four games). But if Creighton can hold serve on Senior Day and the Purple Aces can travel to Cedar Falls and pick up a win, the Valley crown will be Creighton’s and only Creighton’s.

Tonight, though, the Aces celebrate their own Senior Night. And it will be an emotional one. Jason Holsinger, Shy Ely, and Nate Garner will wave goodbye to the Aces faithful. Those three players are the top 3 scorers on their team, the only such combination in the Valley this season.

Holsinger and Ely are first and second, respectively, in scoring among active players in the MVC. And they’ve been playing more and more like seniors wrapping up their careers. Ely has poured in four straight 20-plus point games while Holsinger has had three straight of his own. While Evansville has lost four of five senior games, they are 21 of 30 in all their years at the Division 1 level.

Bradley is looking to clinch the 4th seed for next week's tournament with a win. MVC Newcomer of the Week Chris Roberts scored a team-high 18 points in their BracketBuster win over Loyola of Chicago. They'll need a similar type of game against the Purple Aces, who are always tough at home.

Picks
Creighton Otter: Evansville
Panon: Evansville
Dance Cam Guy: Evansville

~ Panon

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Drake (17-12; 7-9, t-6th) vs. Southern Illinois (11-17; 6-10, 8th)
7:30 p.m.
Knapp Center; Des Moines, Iowa
MVC TV

Drake might be the hardest team in the MVC to figure out on a nightly basis. We know they have two proven all-Valley performers in Josh Young and Jonathan Cox. Other than that, however, it is a mystery to whether they’re going to beat the top team in the Valley on the road (they’ve won at CU and at UNI) or get blown out at home by some of the better teams in the league (vs. Illinois State and, to a degree, vs. CU). They are on a two-game win streak, including their BracketBuster win over Austin Peay, and can still finish as high as 4th in the conference.

Unfortunately for Saluki fans, Chris Lowery’s team isn’t hard to figure out at all. They’re running on fumes at this point. While they can still finish 5th in the league, they seem destined for a date with the play-in games next Thursday. How far the mighty have fallen, right?

They’ve lost 4 games in a row, and 6 of their last 7. Last weekend’s BracketBuster loss notwithstanding, it looks like Super Frosh Kevin Dillard is running out of gas — he has shot over 33% in just 1 of SIU’s previous 5 games. And Carlton Fay has been nowhere to be found during vast stretches of play in the second half of SIU’s conference slate.

Early in January, Drake’s win in Carbondale was seen as a sign that the Bulldogs might pick up where they left off in conference play last season. But with a wilting roster and a squad full of freshmen, the Salukis seem like sure marks for a Senior Night that promises to be emotional for Cox and some of the other upperclassmen Bulldogs.

Picks
Creighton Otter: Drake
Panon: Drake
Dance Cam Guy: Drake

~ Creighton Otter

Gameday Pick ‘em #30: Missouri State (11-17; 3-13, 10th in MVC)

The Pundits

“Jays put victory in rearview mirror” (OWH)
“Woodfox works and wows them” (OWH)
“Bears capture dramatic victory” (News-Leader)

The Picks

I catch some grief every once and awhile (OK, quite a lot) from Panon, Mr. and Mrs. Dance Cam Guy, and my wife because of my overly cautious worries regarding Creighton’s play. Translation: I get way too worked up over what I deem to be completely unsafe and surmountable leads late in games.

You know why? Because I think the Jays’ losses stick further into the recesses of my mind than do the wins. Is that sad and a bit twisted? Probably. Does that make for some restless post-loss drives home from downtown. Sure thing. Does that keep me on my toes for games like tonight’s? I’d like to think so.

Say what you will about their close losses, their sometimes stifling defense, and their obvious home court advantage (at least for this Senior Night game): Missouri State is, of all the teams CU should sweep in conference play this year, the team that matches up worst against the Bluejays. Again, just my opinion, but they are not deep (CU is). They post the worst scoring margin in MVC games. They shoot the worst in conference play, and allow their opponents to shoot the best. They are in the lower half of the Valley in 3-point shooting and 3-point defense. They are dead last in steals and have a negative turnover margin. About the only category in which they lead CU is rebounding margin (by a net of 5.2 rpg).

Still, this game scares me. You know why? Because I feel like I’ve seen it before … pretty recently, in fact.

(Un) Lucky #17

My lucky number is 17. Late in the 2006-2007 season, a year during which Creighton was a couple of plays away from taking on Memphis in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament, the 17th conference game was the cause of much consternation among the Jays’ faithful fans.

Headed into the final week of the season, Dana Altman’s team was still mathematically alive for a MVC crown. They were all set to host Wichita State on Senior Day at The Phone Booth on national television (ESPN2) the final weekend of the season; all they had to do was hit the road and play an Illinois State team that was under .500 in conference play.

Sound familiar?

Creighton led by 10 at halftime. They looked poised to put away the Redbirds, until a freshman by the name of Osiris Eldridge scored all of his 18 points in the second half. That output, combined with CU going 1-12 from 3-point range in the second 20 minutes, led to a 40-20 second half for ISU and a 10-point loss for the Jays.

Altman’s Jays rallied to beat the Shox during a White Out, but that loss to Illinois State cemented Creighton’s place as a #2 seed in St. Louis the following week and, more importantly, would have been the final nail in the coffin of CU’s at-large chances for an NCAA birth (had they not won Arch Madness that year, which they most certainly did).

Booker Woodfox and Josh Dotzler can’t let that happen again. Dotzler should remember the game well; he was there, playing (probably injured) 17 minutes and committing 3 turnovers. He missed his only 2 3-point shots (both in the fateful second half) and watched as Nate Funk and Anthony Tolliver suffered what would be their second-to-last loss of their CU careers.

This year’s Missouri State squad is akin to that Illinois State bunch. They have a few freshmen, Kyle Weems most notably, who have performed well in their previous game against CU. They have a date with the Thursday play-in round in St. Louis, a kiss of death for a team’s hopes for an Arch Madness title. And with Illinois State hosting Northern Iowa tonight in Normal, you can bet there will be more than a few Jays fans (and probably some Jays themselves) looking over their shoulders and trying to sneak a peek at the scoreboard at the JQH Arena.

Don’t worry about any other game but the one on the court in front of you. Leave no doubt about who the best team in the MVC is right now. MSU has just 3 conference wins all year, none against the top half of the league.

Leading Scorer

Creighton Otter: Antoine Young (13)
Dance Cam Guy: Justin Carter (15)
Panon: P’Allen Stinnett (17)
Mrs. Creighton Otter: Kenny Lawson (18)
Mrs. Dance Cam Guy: Booker Woodfox (21)

Margin

Creighton Otter: Jays by 11
Dance Cam Guy: Jays by 9
Panon: Jays by 7
Mrs. Creighton Otter: Jays by 17
Mrs. Dance Cam Guy: Jays by 16

Today In The Valley (Feb. 24)

Illinois State (22-6; 11-5, 2nd) vs. Northern Iowa (18-10; 12-4, t-1st)
7:00 p.m.
Redbird Arena; Normal, Illinois

There is a lot riding on Senior Night in Normal for both teams on the court (as well as a few playing in a couple other MVC cities this week). The Panthers hit the road with a quickly fading one-game lead over the Redbirds, and UNI is tied with Creighton for first place in the Valley with 2 games to go. The race for the regular season crown starts tonight for these three teams.

Northern Iowa is coming off its first 3-game losing streak of the season, falling to Siena on the road during BracketBuster Weekend by a score of 81-75. Their last-season stroll to mediocrity started with a home loss to CU earlier this month, and the Panthers have lost 4 of their last 5 games. They’ve simply allowed the Jays and Redbirds to make things interesting for the final week of the season.

Illinois State has been a different story. After a strong non-conference performance, as weak as it was schedule-wise, they tripped up a bit in the beginning of league play, losing to the likes of Indiana State and Wichita State in January. Tim Jankovich’s team has been able to turn it around when it needed to, winning five of their last six conference games in spite of some turmoil taking its toll on the Redbird roster.

Both teams control their own destiny for the rest of the season, where the team that wins out will be at least co-champion of the Valley. What an exciting time to be a MVC fan!

Picks
Creighton Otter: Illinois State
Panon: Illinois State
Dance Cam Guy: Illinois State

~ Dance Cam Guy

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Wichita State (14-14; 7-9, t-5th) vs. Indiana State (9-19; 6-10, t-8th)
7:00 p.m.
Koch Arena; Wichita, Kansas

Raise your hands if, after the first couple of weeks in conference play, you honestly thought these two teams would each have a shot of bypassing the play-in games next Thursday. Bueller? Bueller?

With teams 5-9 separated by nothing but merely the short length of time it takes Booker Woodfox to get his shot off, the possibilities for these two teams’ finales for the regular season range anywhere between 5th place (and a 4-5 game next Friday afternoon), 6th place (the late-night cap in the Scottrade Center next Friday evening), or in either of the two first-round games.

Indiana State owns two of the best road wins in MVC play: at Northern Iowa to start conference play and in Normal over the Redbirds just a few weeks ago. Wichita has done most of their MVC damage at home, with just one of their 7 conference wins coming on the road. Good thing they’re in the round tonight at Koch Arena.

If Jay Tunnell and the other Sycamore Snipers can keep hitting from long range they’ll have a fighter’s chance tonight. But if the athleticism of the Shox gets in their way on the boards and cutting through the lane, it could be a tough end to the Trees’ win streak.

Picks
Creighton Otter: Wichita State
Panon: Wichita State
Dance Cam Guy: Wichita State

~ Creighton Otter

Creighton 76, George Mason 63

Saturday Night Live

Three months ago, the Creighton Bluejays suffered through a week that might come to spell at-large doom for their chances of making the NCAA tournament barring a 3-win run through Arch Madness. In 2-point road losses against Arkansas-Little Rock and Nebraska, the Jays demonstrated some tell tale signs that they were akin to the not-ready-for-primetime players.

They just couldn’t put away two teams they should have beat. The loss against UALR featured their biggest lead in the season against a team to which they would eventually lose (16 points); the defeat in Lincoln featured their largest lead at halftime in a game they would eventually drop (13).

No more of that, at least not in recent weeks. They Creighton Bluejays are officially “on the bubble,” under “bubble watch,” and any other suds-related monikers that the dubious pundits from places like ESPN and CBS Sports confer on college hoops teams this time of year.

They are winning road games in which they blow out opponents (Southern Illinois). Starting at the front end of this streak, they took care of some home games against teams in the bottom half of the conference (vs. Indiana State; vs. Missouri State). They went on the road and won back to back games against a pesky Drake team and then league-leader Northern Iowa. And they survived contested efforts from Bradley and Evansville, two teams that left 100% effort on the floor in their visits to Omaha.

Three months after losing two games that are bad blemishes on their resume, the Jays have hit their stride. And last night at The Phone Booth, they had the crowd rolling in the aisles. With the lights of ESPNU shining bright off the Qwest Center floor and the TV cameras filming, it felt like Saturday Night Live.

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As we all know, the Jays are an ensemble cast. No single player averages more than 26 minutes per game, and 11 Bluejays average 10 minutes or more per game for the season. It took a few months but Dana Altman has clearly defined the roles and combinations his players now execute, and the chemistry on the court is palpable.

But if this is a talented cast of players who can all steal a scene or two here and there, then Booker Woodfox is the star of the show. His 22 points were magnificent; a dazzling array of jab-step jump shots, stagger-screen 3-pointers, and quick-release rips through the nylon nets. He missed two shots all night, hit 5 of his 6 3-point shots (now leading the nation with a 51.3% shooting percentage from long range), and threw a beautiful alley-oop pass to P’Allen Stinnett (in the video below).


Woodfox and Stinnett = perfect timing

The big guys continue to contribute. Kenny Lawson (10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 monster blocked shots) and Kenton Walker (7 points and 7 rebounds) keep getting better. Oh, and Antoine Young didn’t miss a shot last night. Speaking of getting better, right? Three months ago he wasn’t even on the radar for the Jays; now he is spelling Josh Dotzler at the point and bringing an air of quiet improvement (and a touch of offense) to Creighton’s lead guard position.

And just because you aren’t filling a stat sheet doesn’t mean you’re not doing your part. Justin Carter had an off-night offensively (1-5 from the field) but exhibited the energy and effort that CU fans have grown accustomed to during this 8-game win streak. Casey Harriman, Kaleb Korver, and Cavel Witter each came off the bench to score just a few points each but make some key plays both offensively and defensively.

And Stinnett, who didn’t have his best game offensively either (2-9 from the field), still grabbed 5 rebounds and dished a couple of assists. Twice during CU’s 8-game win streak Stinnett didn’t score in double figures; in both games (each 5-point efforts; at UNI being the other) he made other plays to help his team win.

This ensemble was ready for the glamour and the spotlight on Saturday night. And as they travel to Springfield on Tuesday and then head home for a Saturday matinee to close out the MVC regular season, they finally look like the MVC leaders many prognosticators picked them to be at the start of the year.

Gameday Pick ‘em #29: George Mason (18-8; 11-5, t-2nd in CAA)

The Pundits

“Jays, Patriots set for title race diversion” (OWH)
“George Mason relies on defense” (OWH)
“Struggles can’t sink Witter’s confidence” (OWH)
“George Mason at Creighton” (Washington Post)

The Picks

George, I feel like I’ve known you forever! Remember that time, early in your Final Four season, that Creighton beat you down on your home floor? That’s when we first met.

I turned my basketball attention to you after I watched as our team collapsed down the stretch that season, after Funk busted up a shoulder and Mullins tangled up with Dotzler and we limped to the end of the MVC season. After we played an NIT game at home that left everyone fuming.

You carried the torch for non-BCS schools everywhere as you collected the mascot heads of some of the biggest basketball factories in the country en route to a Final Four. It was a run that made CU fans think the unthinkable was possible.

We invited you to play in Omaha the next season, where you garnered applause during team introductions usually reserved for only the home team. We beat you by 2 points over Thanksgiving Weekend, during a season that many CU fans thought would be capped off by multiple NCAA tournament wins.

Welcome back to Omaha, George. A few weeks back, when this matchup was first announced, I wasn’t too thrilled. Not because I don’t like you, George, but because it seemed a tough matchup for a Jays team in the midst of some midseason struggles. But now? It is still a tough game for CU, but the Jays’ prospects have changed mightily during a 7-game win streak.

We are both playing for league titles now. Both teams sport RPIs in the 50s. It is truly the type of game that ESPN BracketBuster weekend was invented to showcase. Forget that the game is only on ESPNU tonight; it is an 8:30 p.m. start that will go up only against Oklahoma-Texas in terms of college hoops on at that time of night on the Family of Networks.

Forget Butler (slumping a bit) vs. Davidson (Curry-less for the past few games). Turn your eyes away from a possible stinker on the road for Northern Iowa (slumping even more than Butler) at Siena (a solid squad). For all intents and purposes, the CU-GMU game is the game to follow on a day full of intriguing mid-major matchups.

It is nice to have you back, George. We look forward to taking local product Justin Carter out to Virginia next season, when we hope to bring an all-time record of 3-0 against you with us.

Leading Scorer

Creighton Otter: Justin Carter (14)
Dance Cam Guy: Booker Woodfox (19)
Panon: P’Allen Stinnett (19)
Mrs. Creighton Otter: Woodfox (16)
Mrs. Dance Cam Guy: Woodfox (16)

Margin

Creighton Otter: Jays by 4
Dance Cam Guy: Jays by 12
Panon: Jays by 9
Mrs. Creighton Otter: Jays by 9
Mrs. Dance Cam Guy: Jays by 8

Today In The Valley (Feb. 21)

BracketBusters Saturday!

Indiana State (8-19; t-8th in MVC) vs. Toledo (5-21; 4th in MAC West)
1:00 p.m.
Hulman Center; Terre Haute, Indiana

This one should be a real-edge-of-your-seat, nonstop action basketball brawl (end sarcasm). OK, I might be stretching things a bit there.

This non-televised BracketBuster game will feature two mid-major teams looking to make something out of severely disappointing season. The two powerhouses have a combined 13 wins this year, are both in the bottom tier of their respective conferences.

Toledo was able to stop their seven game losing streak this week with a victory over Ball State, and Indiana State has had a few upsets that CU fans have been very excited about in the last few weeks.

If you are getting some chores done around the house and you can convince Cox to pick up www.ESPN360.com, then you may take a peek here and there to see how the Trees (10-point favorites at home) are holding up, but besides that, vacuuming may be more exciting.

~ Dance Cam Guy

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Siena (21-6; 1st in MAAC) vs. Northern Iowa (18-9; t-1st in MVC)
2:00 p.m.
Times Union Arena; Albany, New York
ESPN2

The Panthers are in for a tough game this afternoon. Not only are they taking on the Siena Saints on the road, they are also dealing with inconsistent play in losing three of four Valley games.

Will the slide continue today? Or will they make adjustments and regain the tough defense and balanced basketball that put them on top of the Valley? They’ve already shown a knack for winning road games; they’ll need a pre-slump effort to get that done today and snag a big BracketBuster win for the Valley.

~ Panon

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Wichita State (13-14; t-5th in MVC) vs. Cleveland State (20-8; (3rd in Horizon)
2:00 p.m.
Koch Arena; Wichita, Kansas

Here’s a shocker for the Shockers: Greggggggggg Marshall’s mad about something again. Ticked off at another perceived slight, this time by the folks that throw together the BracketBuster match-ups. His quote a few weeks ago, when the game against Cleveland State was announced:

“It doesn’t make sense to me why we’re playing Cleveland State,” he said Tuesday at news conference at Koch Arena. I don’t remember losing anything in Cleveland, but I do have to go back there next year. I was hoping for a warm destination or a warmer destination. I was also hoping for, if not that, an area that we recruit. I have never recruited Cleveland. We’ll just have to deal with it and play the Vikings when they arrive here in late February.”

Jeez, Gregggggggg. You’re such a gracious host. In all seriousness, though, the Shox will put their newfound home court winning ways to the test against a Vikings squad that is in the top 80 RPI-wise and has a road win over the (always overrated) Syracuse Orangemen.

WSU has lost just 3 games this season at home, and you can expect Marshall’s shoulder chip to carry over into the Koch Arena crowd.

~ Creighton Otter

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Evansville (15-11; t-5th in MVC) vs. Miami (Ohio) (t-2nd in MAC East)
2:30 p.m.
Roberts Stadium; Evansville, Indiana
ESPNU

In the second of three games on the Family of Networks today, the Purple Aces will host a rare men's and women's doubleheader (with the Lady Aces’ game to follow).

If the men play like they did in Omaha earlier this week, with the exception of a little more defense, they should be in good shape to come away with a home win on BracketBuster weekend. The Roberts Stadium crowd should provide enough assistance against a good Red Hawks team.

~ Panon

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Loyola (Chicago) (14-15; t-7th in Horizon) vs. Bradley (15-12; 4th in MVC)
3:00 p.m.
Gentile Center; Chicago, Illinois

This will not be the first meeting between these two BracketBuster opponents, as the in-state rivals will meet for the 45th time this afternoon (Bradley holds a 26-19 advantage in the series).

The Braves have been on the horizon quite a bit this season, as the game with the Ramblers will be their fourth Horizon opponent this season. This game will be a good game for the Braves as they gear up for the final week of conference play and try to at least stay in the 4-spot for the MVC tournament.

The Ramblers will be entering the game on a 2-game winning steak, including a huge win over then #15 Butler. Loyola has proven to be someone to watch out for come the Horizon League tournament, and they will be eager to get that automatic bid.

~ Dance Cam Guy

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Tennessee-Martin (19-6; 1st in Ohio Valley) vs. Missouri State (10-17; 10th in MVC)
6:00 p.m.
Skyhawk Center; Martin, Tennessee

Tennessee-Martin is good. Missouri State, not so much.

But the real reason to tune into this game (not on ESPN, as it won’t be on the Family of Networks) in any way possible is as simple as two words: Lester Hudson.

He is simply one of the most prolific players in college basketball over the past two seasons. In his third college basketball game he became the first men's player in Division I history to record a quadruple-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in a 116-74 win over Central Baptist College.


The game is awfully fluid for Lester Hudson

But basketball is easy compared with his off-the-court struggles in the past. Read about them here.

He averages 27.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 4.2 apg, 2.5 spg, shoots 46% from the field and 36% from 3-point range. And he’s an 87% free throw shooter.

~ Creighton Otter

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Illinois-Chicago (13-14; t-7th in Horizon) vs. Southern Illinois (11-16; t-8th in MVC)
7:00 p.m.
UIC Pavilion; Chicago, Illinois

The Salukis are in survival mode today, just as they’ve been ever since losing Bryan Mullins to a stress fracture. SIU travels to Chicago with just 8 players suited up to see any meaningful minutes.

The Flames feature Josh Mayo, a terrific guard who averages 16.7 ppg and has put together a remarkable 4-year career at UIC. He scored 27 points in a win earlier this season against Northern Iowa, and 22 points in a 6-point loss at Redbird Arena vs. Illinois State.

~ Panon

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Drake (16-12; t-5th in MVC) vs. Austin Peay (15-11; 3rd in Ohio Valley)
7:00 p.m.
Knapp Center; Des Moines, Iowa

The Bulldogs go just about as far as Josh Young and Jonathan Cox take them game in and game out. Austin Peay’s Wes Channels and Drake Reed are the same way.

(And yes, I think it is hilarious that the Bulldogs are hosting a team with a kid named “Drake” on their squad.)

Young, a 6-1 guard, averages nearly 16 ppg and draws a lot of attention from opposing defenses. Channels, a 6-3 perimeter player, averages 17 ppg and causes much consternation for opponents, as well.

Cox, a 6-8 forward, pours in 12 ppg and grabs 8 rebounds per contest. He can step out and shoot the 3-pointer, as well. Reed, a 6-5 forward, averages a team-high 22 ppg and also grabs 7.7 rpg. He shoots 46% from 3-point range.

~ Creighton Otter

Today In The Valley (Feb. 20)

Niagara (21-7; 12-4 in MAAC) vs. Illinois State (22-5; 11-5 in MVC)
7:00 p.m.
Gallagher Arena; Lewiston, NY
ESPN2

Niagara just suffered their first loss in 8 games, but they come home to a sold out “Taps” Gallagher Arena to host Illinois State in the first televised game of BracketBusters weekend. Oh, did I mention they’re forecasting white out conditions for this sell out?

Illinois State is in a very tight Missouri Valley Conference race at the moment, sitting one game out of first place. But you can bet Tim Jankovich knows that this game could have some positive impact on a possible (but likely improbable) at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. With a very sad non-conference schedule under their belt, the Redbirds will need all the help they can get if they fall short in St. Louis.

Niagara will not be an easy opponent, and the Purple Eagle faithful have been looking forward to this game for a while. Should be a fun game to watch, as both teams have some great athletes they would love to show off on national television. Niagara boasts a similar scoring spread to the Redbirds, with 4 players in double figures and two more averaging slightly more than 7 points per game.

~ Dance Cam Guy

Creighton 89, Evansville 84

Sounds Like Madness

After climbing the stairs from the bottom of the lower bowl to the Qwest Center concourse hallway following an intense, nail-biter against Evansville, I heard a familiar sound.

No, it wasn’t the incessant whistle blowing from the (clueless) referees that controlled the game (in the most annoying way possible) all night long (seriously, from like the second or third possession of the game).

And no, it wasn’t the roars from a crowd of more than 16,000 Jays fans, a crowd that put up with inconsistent calls from the refs and some phenomenal individual performances from a few Purple Aces.

The sound I heard was a clap and chant – clap / clap / C U! / clap / clap / C U! – echoing through the concourse in a way that only seems to happen every March, in St. Louis. It was fitting because Creighton’s 5-point win over the Aces was reminiscent of so many efforts in Arch Madness that happen each and every year. And at the end of each season, for about the past 10 years, more times than not Creighton fans have streamed out of their seats and into the concourses of the Kiel/Savvis/Scottrade Center and unleashed the same clap and chant.

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Let’s get the Aces out of the deck first. Jason Holsinger (30 points) and Shy Ely (26) combined for more than half of Evansville’s 84 points. Two totally different players – Holsinger is a gunslinger unafraid to take any shot on the court, the further the better; Ely is long, lanky, and a potent scorer from anywhere inside the 3-point arc – but the same results: a tough matchup for the Jays last night.

But the other Aces were just as focused, if not as deadly offensively. Marty Simmons had his team energized and focused on pulling off the upset; for 39 minutes and 25 seconds, it looked like they could do it too. But in the end, the Jays just had too much depth and were solid yet again from the free throw line.

Still, kudos to UE. They’ve been riding seniors, Ely, Holsinger, and Nate Garner (8 points and 9 rebounds) all season, but they’ve suffered some close losses and are now in a three-way tie for 5th in the MVC with two games to go.

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But back to our guys. The Jays have won 7 straight and are positioning themselves for a great late-season run heading into St. Louis in a few weeks. After a mid-January swoon of sorts, Dana Altman’s team is firing on all cylinders (at least offensively) and following tonight’s last-second loss by Northern Iowa against Drake is in position to win the MVC regular season title. Raise your hand if you honestly thought this was possible with 10 days left in the season?

How are they doing it?

Things seem to be spreading out nicely for the Jays on the offensive end of the court. Altman’s rotations and substitution structure seems to be playing out in a way that is beneficial for the combinations of players on the court and for the ultimate goal of keeping everyone fresh and focused through the stretch run.

• 5 players in double figures, 2 more within one hoop of double figures vs. Evansville.
• 5 players in double figures, 1 more within one basket of double figures at SIU.
• 5 players in double figures, 1 more within a basket of double figures vs. Bradley.
• 2 players in double figures, 3 more within one hoop of double figures at Northern Iowa.
• 2 players in double figures, 2 more within a basket of double figures at Drake.
• 4 players in double figures against Missouri State.
• 4 players in double figures against Indiana State.

As we’ve seen during this streak, it isn’t just Booker Woodfox and P’Allen Stinnett carrying Creighton. And down the stretch against Evansville, the two tiniest guys in White and Blue came through the tough plays.

Antoine Young missed his first 6 shots of the game yet finished with a career-high 15 points (in just 16 minutes). He scored in a number of ways – some nice drives to the paint, a 3-pointer, and 2 clutch free throws in the final minutes – and put an exclamation point on the win with a two-handed dunk as time expired.

Cavel Witter, Young’s partner on the perimeter, also had a team-high 15 points. In his previous 6 games he scored 18 points. In those 6 games he took only 10 free throws; last night against UE he was 7-8 from the free throw line. Creighton’s been on this 7-game run without many good nights from Witter, who remains tied with Justin Carter and Kenny Lawson for the third best scoring average on the team (8.5 ppg).

Those two younger lead guards stepped in on a night when Josh Dotzler attempted 6 shots from the field (his second highest total this season), including 3 3-pointers (the most this season; he missed them all), and fouled out near the end of the second half. Still, he had 4 assists and just 1 turnover. That pushes his numbers to 32 assists and 4 turnovers during the 7-game win streak (that’s an 8-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, right?). For the season Dotzler posts a 3.16-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, good for 5th best in the nation.

So some people might look at his missed shots as being a negative last night, but I’m fine with them. We have enough guys who can score (see above); teams need to at least think Josh might shoot the ball. By attempting some shots from the perimeter it hopefully will keep teams from creeping up closer to Woodfox and Stinnett on the outside of the offense, or maybe even open up some passing lanes.

Speaking of Stinnett, he once again played a controlled, balanced game. I hate to sound surprised, but the way the Aces were bodying him up and pushing him around led me to believe he might revert to some past frustrations. But whether it is the new undershirt or just a new attitude toward that type of play, he picked his spots and provided some nice attempts for his teammates.

11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in a team-high 31 minutes (on a bum knee) is a great, if not outstanding, night for Stinnett. Better still, though, is that he has 2 or more assists in 8 of his last 9 games; like I’ve said in the past couple of recap blog posts, he will always be a focal point for opposing defenses. If he can continue to find the open man and make smart decisions with the ball, this team will continue to roll. Book it.

Speaking of unselfish play, Casey Harriman was on the positive end of some nice assists from Dotzler, Witter, and Kaleb Korver on his three 3-point baskets. From the beginning of 2009 to the middle of January Harriman struggled with his outside shot, going 0-6 in those two weeks. But since the loss at Wichita State, a game during which Altman rewarded his hustle and rebounding effort during a lost cause for the rest of the team, he has made 10 of 20 3-pointers, rediscovering the stroke that made him a crowd favorite as a freshman last season. He has really settled into his role on this team nicely.

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Speaking of nicely, that’s how I’m going to treat Josh Young and the rest of the Drake Bulldogs when we see them in St. Louis in a few weeks. They were able to go into Cedar Falls and pull out a win against the Panthers at Northern Iowa tonight. Down 1 with 5 seconds to play, Jordan Egelseder missed 2 free throws for UNI.

Sound familiar, Panther fans? I’m sure Booker Woodfox and the rest of the Jays don’t feel bad that poor shooting at the line cost you a home game.

With 2 conference games left Creighton and UNI are tied at the top of the MVC standings. That’s nice.

Today In The Valley (Feb. 18)

Northern Iowa (18-8; 12-3, 1st) vs. Drake (15-12; 6-9, t-7th)
7:00 p.m.
McCleod Center; Cedar Falls, Iowa

The Drake Bulldogs won't have to look far to find motivation for this game. They could consult a map, as UNI is one of their in-state rivals and one of Iowa’s Big Four college basketball programs.

They could look at the standings, as the Panthers are in first place and a Bulldog win mean taking down the top squad in the Valley. Meanwhile, Drake’s currently in 7th place in the MVC and trying to make a late push to stay out of the Thursday night play-in games in a few weeks. They need a win to try and keep pace with an Evansville team that lost last night and Wichita St., a squad that is currently one game ahead of DU.

Finally, they can look for revenge. Northern Iowa embarrassed Drake on national television one month ago, going into the Knapp Center and catching the Bulldogs sleeping in an 81-59 win.

The Panthers have lost a bit of their swagger during the past week or so, though. They come into tonight’s game the losers of 2 of their past 3. The trap game I mentioned last week came true in the form of a road loss in Wichita. A few weeks ago UNI seemed well on their way to a MVC crown; now they have two tough games remaining after tonight (at Illinois State; vs. Evansville) they must win with both Creighton and Illinois State breathing down their backs.

DU coach Mark Phelps has had his ups and downs in his first season in Des Moines. Lately it has been more down than up, though; he comes in losing 5 of 6 since Drake’s win in Omaha. That game lit a fire under the Bluejays, but the Bulldogs have seen theirs extinguished. Right now they're standing in 7th and tied in the loss column with Evansville. Their remaining Valley games are hosting Southern Illinois and at Bradley. There's still time, although it is running out, to make a run and play Friday in St. Louis.

Picks
Creighton Otter: Northern Iowa
Panon: Northern Iowa
Dance Cam Guy: Drake

~ Panon

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Southern Illinois (11-15; 6-9, t-7th) vs. Indiana State (7-19; 5-10, 9th)
7:00 p.m.
SIU Arena; Carbondale, Illinois

Indiana St. is riding a three-game win streak coming into Carbondale. Coach McKenna has his team playing its best ball late in the season. Maybe it's something he learned from Dana Altman? On the other end of the spectrum, the Salukis are struggling without senior Bryan Mullins. They have lost three of four and have slipped into a tie for 7th in the Valley and a half a game back of Evansville after the Purple Aces’ loss in Omaha last night.

During their win streak, the Sycamores won a dramatic game at Illinois State, held serve at home versus the Drake Bulldogs, and pulled out a roadie at Missouri State. In Springfield, Harry Marshall had 16 of his 19 points in the second half to lead them to victory, their first in Springfield since 1976. Senior Jay Tunnell has put on a shooting display as of late. In the two games against ISU and Drake, he combined for 53 points on 19-23 shooting, and a blazing 13-15 from 3-point land. Even Booker Woodfox has to be impressed with those numbers. The Sycamores’ last win in Carbondale was in February 2006, a win that snapped the Salukis 33-game home win streak.

Southern Illinois is coming off a big loss at home against Creighton. Their largest crowd of the season, 9,081, witnessed the shellacking. How will they respond? This young team could go in either of two directions. Will they put it behind them, move on, and finish the year strong? Or will they throw in the towel, consider the year over, and look forward to next year? A typical Chris Lowry team won't throw in the towel. Well, this isn't a typical Chris Lowry team. There are new and young players. There's a depleted roster due to transfers, injuries, and quitters. Will he find enough offense to pull out a win?

Picks
Creighton Otter: Indiana State
Panon: Indiana State
Dance Cam Guy: Indiana State

~ Panon

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Illinois State (21-5; 10-5, 3rd) vs. Wichita State (13-13; 7-8, 5th)
7:00 p.m.
Redbird Arena; Normal, Illinois

Greggggg Marshall takes his Surprising Shox on the road tonight to test their mettle (and their 7-2 record in the past 9 games) against the Illinois State Redbirds, one of their victims during their ascension from the bottom of the Valley to a possible top-6 seed in Arch Madness.

After starting conference play 0-6, the Shox beat the league’s 2nd-place teams in back-to-back games at Koch Arena (74-61 vs. Creighton on 1/17/09 and 64-58 vs. Illinois State on 1/21/09). They followed that with a last-second win versus Evansville (the heartbreak kids of this year’s MVC season), and have won 4 of their past 6 games.

They have only one conference win on the road, however, and tonight travel to Redbird Arena to face an ISU team that has lost only one conference game at home (Indiana State’s miraculous comeback in overtime). The Redbirds have had some adversity to overcome the past 10 days, with the loss to the Sycamores and the subsequent loss and the reinstatement of starting point guard Lloyd Phillips to “undisclosed personal reasons.” They blew a 20-plus point lead on the road at Evansville and had to rely on an Osiris Eldridge charge … errr, I mean … no call on a jump shot to clinch the victory in the waning seconds.

They responded to that near-miss with a thorough thrashing of Drake in Des Moines on Sunday in front of an ESPNU audience that just one week earlier had seen them give away a game against the visiting Trees. And with a road game this weekend for Bracket Buster Saturday, followed by two final MVC games against teams they currently trail in the standings (at home vs. UNI, on the road at CU), this seems like a possible trap game for the ‘Birds.

But I just don’t see it happening against a WSU that has yet to go to any of the toughest places to play on the road in conference and pick up a win.

Picks
Creighton Otter: Illinois State
Panon: Illinois State
Dance Cam Guy: Illinois State

~ Creighton Otter

Gameday Pick ‘em #28: Evansville (15-10; 7-8, t-5th in MVC)

The Pundits

“Improved inside play propels Jays” (OWH)
“Bluejays' focus on 'dangerous' Aces” (OWH)
“Aces face uphill battle tonight” (Courier Press)

The Picks

Creighton hasn’t lost to Evansville in Omaha since the 1998-1999 season, when the Purple Aces won the MVC and got an at-large bid (and a #11 seed) to the NCAA Tournament. That’s 9 consecutive years of entertaining Evansville without suffering a loss at either the Civic or the Qwest.

I’m not about to go back and revisit each of those 9 straight home wins versus the Aces, but I’ll venture out on a limb to sound the following warning: this is the most important home game against Evansville the Jays have played in the past decade.

I’m not speaking in hyperbolic tones. Ask Dana Altman. Ask the players. Heck, ask whomever you’re watching the game with tonight. It is as simple as this: to have a realistic chance to win the conference title in the regular season, the Jays simply cannot lose during the next 11 days.

Sounds easy enough, right? It’s Evansville … how hard could it be?

Well, the Aces boast a starting lineup that contains exactly what you need to pull off a late-season upset on the road: experienced playmakers and guards who have seen everything the Valley has to offer during their years in the conference. Oh, and one of those seniors is Shy Ely, arguably the best player in the MVC (and the conference’s leading scorer).

Sure, they have only won two MVC road games (against a listless Indiana State team before the Sycs turned on the jets toward the end of the season and on a last-second 3-pointer from half court at Drake). And sure, the Jays completely shut them down in Evansville a few weeks ago. But do not sleep on the Aces.

(This entire pep talk is invalid if Creighton comes out playing like they have the past 6 games. If that happens, this will be another typical CU slaughter against the Aces.)

Leading Scorer

Creighton Otter: P’Allen Stinnett (14)
Dance Cam Guy: Booker Woodfox (19)
Panon: Woodfox (16)
Mrs. Creighton Otter: Kenton Walker (18)
Mrs. Dance Cam Guy: Kenny Lawson (16)

Margin

Creighton Otter: Jays by 13
Dance Cam Guy: Jays by 15
Panon: Jays by 17
Mrs. Creighton Otter: Jays by 17
Mrs. Dance Cam Guy: Jays by 25

Today In The Valley (Feb. 17)

Bradley (14-12; 8-7, 4th) vs. Missouri State (10-16; 3-12, 10th)
7:00 p.m.
Carver Arena; Peoria, Illinois

Bradley will be playing for the past, present, and future tonight as they host the Bears. The Braves, who snapped a four game losing skid on Saturday with a victory over Evansville, will be looking to capture their 500th Missouri Valley Conference victory. By defeating MSU they will inch closer to closing out the season on a positive note and securing a top-6 seed at Arch Madness.

Missouri State, on the other hand, will hope some fans show up for their game on Thursday, March 5th, in the Gateway City. After a heartbreaking loss on Valentine’s Day to Indiana State, a game in which MSU held a 1-point lead with under a minute to play, the Bears will look to rebound against the Braves. Pride must drive their effort, as the Bears have dropped 5 of their past 6 games and are gasping for air as the season dwindles away.

Can Cuonzo Martin get his kids ready to play spoiler against a stronger, deeper, and more athletic bunch of Braves? The defensive intensity will be there for the Bears, but will that be enough for MSU to pull out a road win this late into the year?

Picks
Creighton Otter: Bradley
Panon: Bradley
Dance Cam Guy: Bradley

~ Dance Cam Guy

Creighton 82, Southern Illinois 60

My Bloody Valentine

I’m faced with a stinging question, one I honestly didn’t think would need to be answered for awhile. Is beating Southern Illinois in Carbondale worthy of more time, more energy, and a higher word count than anything else we put in this blog?

Bruce Weber wasn’t in SIU Arena yesterday. Kyle Korver wasn’t there, either (although someone who looks a little like the former two-time MVC POY made a rousing appearance). Piv mentioned before the game that Justin Carter’s flowing locks are reminiscent of those of former Bluejay tormentors Jammal Tatum and Randal Falker, but neither of those two were in the house yesterday either. Kent Williams was on the sidelines for another Missouri State loss, and not on the court on which he torched the Bluejays for a few years and made Dana Altman’s life miserable for at least a day or two.

The names and faces upon which the CU-SIU rivalry is built have changed. But while those on the court actually playing the games are different, the ghosts of previous trips to Carbondale are engrained in the collective consciousness of Creighton fans everywhere. Since sweeping the Salukis in SIU Arena during the 2000-2001 season, CU hadn’t left Carbondale victorious in 7 seasons. Except for the debacle in the second half of the 05-06 season, the games had been painfully close: the 7 losses came by an average of 6-plus points.

But not yesterday. Not only was the game not close, but it could have been much worse had CU seemingly not lost interest in batting around the wounded, sad little Saluki pups. Unlike their last meeting, the Jays didn’t need to rely on any crazy turn of events in the final minutes to pull out a heart-stopping win. Rather, the only recent CU-SIU game this resembled was the infamous 2003 Arch Madness title game. The halftime score that evening? 42-16 CU. Yesterday’s spread at intermission? 42-19.

Making Up for Lost Time

I talked with my dad right after the game, and was interested to hear his thoughts following the beat down. I caught some good-natured grief from friends I watched the game with when I kept voicing my frustration in the second half at how the Jays were not piling on SIU. I thought maybe I was being too vengeful on Valentine’s Day. But the first words out of my dad’s mouth were “we should have beat them by 30 or more.” He was frustrated, too! Arguably the nicest guy I know on Earth wanted MORE!

Does yesterday’s win make up for the last 7 road games, not to mention the other losses Altman’s teams endured in Omaha at the hands of Weber, Matt Painter, and Chris Lowery’s SIU squads? Not in the slightest. Is it special? Sure. Following no other win this season did I or Mrs. Creighton Otter receive text messages or phone calls from our fellow CU alumni praising the effort on national television of our beloved Bluejays. Say what you will about this season’s CU team: they are the team that stopped the skid against Southern Illinois. And they did it playing the way Jays fans — no matter how casual or die-hard they are in following the White and the Blue — are accustomed to seeing their Jays play. In fact, following the game Lowery said the same thing. "They're rolling right now," Lowery said. "Dana has them playing very hard, and he's gotten them back to where they're playing Creighton basketball."

What does “Creighton basketball” look like right now? Let’s examine the Jays’ current 6-game win streak through the lens of player development.

The Five Spot

Kenny Lawson and Kenton Walker (aka the California Connection) continue to improve as the season heads toward an apex. Not only have they each recorded career-highs in points during the past month, but the last few weeks have seen them combine for some great 40-minute efforts.

Against SIU they partnered to put up 24 points and grab 14 rebounds in 40 minutes. Walker didn’t miss from the field (5-5) and Lawson had 9 rebounds in just 19 minutes. It was similar to their 21-12 combo against Bradley last Wednesday. During the win streak, Walker is averaging 8.3 ppg and Lawson 8.2 ppg. On the boards, Walker’s at 4.5 rpg and Lawson 6.2 rpg during the 6-game winning streak.

Add it all up and you get almost 17 points and more than 10 rebounds per 40 minutes of combined play per game from the California Connection. That’s better than any other post player in the MVC, and a key reason why CU has come on strong since the end of January.

Guard Play on Point

Following the 14-point win against Bradley I wrote about the unselfishness from Josh Dotzler, P’Allen Stinnett, and the rest of the Jays during their win streak. Stinnett has 14 assists to 11 turnovers during the stretch, shooting 53% from the field and 35% from behind the arc on a bum knee. Against SIU he chose his spots carefully, going for 11 points and dishing 2 assists while not committing a turnover in 22 minutes. He took one bad shot; other than that he was cool, calm, and collected in a place that doesn’t exactly bring out the best in opponents.

Oh, and Antoine Young had a career-high 5 assists to just 1 turnover in 19 minutes. Add that to yet another stout performance from Booker Woodfox (15 points in 21 minutes) and a crowd-silencing performance from Kaleb Korver (14 points on 4 3-pointers and an offensive rebound/pull-up jumper, and you’ve got a great backcourt performance from the entire CU roster.

We’ve seen this Creighton team get hot for a few weeks in a row; they already own a 9-game winning streak earlier this season. And now they’ve picked the best time of the year to put together cohesive play. Taking into consideration the past two weeks of MVC games, they are currently the best team in the Valley. But because of a spotty January that won’t mean much unless they are the best team in the Valley at the end of the first week of March.

The quest continues. There are bigger games this season than this win in Carbondale, regardless of what it feels like the day after.

Today In The Valley (Feb. 15)

Drake (15-11; 6-8, 7th) vs. Illinois State (20-5; 9-5, 3rd)
6:00 p.m.
Knapp Center; Des Moines, Iowa
ESPNU

Coaches will tell you that neither they nor their teams can worry about what other schools in their conference do; we can only worry about ourselves and our effort, they say.

That might be true, but don’t tell that to the fan bases of these two schools (or any others in the Valley, for that matter). One perk of playing in the MVC ESPNU game on Sunday night is knowing what the rest of the Valley did during the weekend. And in a year featuring plenty of twists and turns among the conference’s teams, it leaves Bulldog and Redbird fans more than curious as to how their schools’ fortunes will play out following another crazy conference weekend.

The home court means so much in college hoops, as evidenced by Drake giving a little more than one point to ISU per Vegas. The Bulldogs pushed the Redbirds to the edge in Normal, dropping in defeat 65-61. Unfortunately for Josh Young and Bucky Cox, that loss started a downward spiral that finds DU 2-7 in their last 9 games.

Illinois State lost their point guard earlier in the week, then went out and lost a 26-point lead against Evansville. The mark of a solid team is bouncing back from difficulty, and Tim Jankovich’s Redbirds did just that (thanks to their most valuable player). After blowing a two-dozen point lead on the road in Evansville, Osiris Eldridge hit the game-winning bucket as time expired against the Purple Aces, allowing Illinois State to pick up a critical road win.

The Redbirds weren’t very deep before last week’s roster turnover, with Lloyd Phillips taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team, and now must replace their starting point guard (and also one of the MVC players who logged the most minutes per game). It will be critical for Drake to pressure the basketball for the full length of the court, as whomever plays point for ISU won’t be extremely comfortable doing so.

Picks
Creighton Otter: Drake
Panon: Illinois State
Dance Cam Guy: Illinois State

~ Creighton Otter

Gameday Pick ‘em #27: Southern Illinois (11-14; 6-8, t-6th)

The Pundits

“Jays aim to loosen Salukis’ big leash” (OWH)
“Dawgs look to Dillard” (The Southern)
“Justin Carter’s locks resemble old Bluejay foes” (OWH)

The Picks

It is Valentine’s Day, yet there is no love lost between Creighton and Southern Illinois. That these rivals would be pitted against one another on the national day of romance and love makes a mockery of what Cupid himself stands for.

I’ll put it this way: there will be some kids slinging some painful ammunition toward our Bluejays today in Carbondale, but it won’t be arrows with love attached to them.

But let’s be painfully honest: this is Creighton’s best chance to win in Carbondale for what has seemed like decades. CU hasn’t beaten the Dawgs in their home kennel since 2001. And while they’ve been close too many times to count, they are actually favored by Las Vegas headed into this afternoon’s nationally televised rivalry game.

SIU continues to fight injury problems and growing pains, issues that has left Chris Lowery’s team just 8 strong right now. CU has the deepest bench in the MVC, in comparison, and will most likely look to take the ball strong and pick up fouls on the foul Egyptian Dogs.

Hopefully the Jays can rally around one another and pull out the victory. The crimson that will surround them on their trip is not the traditional red hue associated with the day of love; rather, a darker shade reminiscent of the boiling blood shared amongst these two fan bases toward each of the programs.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Leading Scorer

Creighton Otter: Kenny Lawson (13)
Dance Cam Guy: P’Allen Stinnett (22)
Panon: Stinnett (16)
Mrs. Creighton Otter: Justin Carter (15)
Mrs. Dance Cam Guy: Booker Woodfox (18)


Margin

Creighton Otter: Jays by 5
Dance Cam Guy: Jays by 2
Panon: Jays by 8
Mrs. Creighton Otter: Jays by 12
Mrs. Dance Cam Guy: Jays by 8

Today In The Valley (Feb. 14)

Bradley (13-12; 7-7, t-4th) vs. Evansville (15-9; 7-7, t-4th)
1:00 p.m.
Carver Arena; Peoria, Illinois

Coming of a tough road loss is always a difficult task, especially in the Valley. Ideally a team would want to bounce back with a home game, and that’s what the Braves are looking to do this afternoon in Peoria.

Bradley played a tough Creighton team on Wednesday night in Omaha and looked to have a solid chance at the upset; they led at halftime (thanks in part to a crazy half court shot at the buzzer by Sam Maniscalco) and halfway through the second half. But Dana Altman earned his pay check once again as he rallied the Jays to a victory 79-65, giving the Braves their fourth loss in a row.

The Purple Aces also had a shot at the upset in their last game, albeit in a much different turn of events. They were down 26 points to Illinois State at home, and things were looking vaguely familiar to their 30-point loss earlier this season against the Redbirds. The Purple Aces were able to rally back but still fall short for a 2-point loss at home, thanks to some heroics by the O-Hawk.

These teams are tied for 4th place in the MVC and trying their hardest to stay out of the Thursday night games in St. Louis.

Picks
Creighton Otter: Bradley
Panon: Bradley
Dance Cam Guy: Bradley

~ Dance Cam Guy

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Missouri State (10-15; 3-11, 10th) vs. Indiana State (6-19; 4-10, 9th)
7:00 p.m.
JQH Arena; Springfield, Missouri
MVC TV

A two game losing streak has the MSU Bears in last place in the Valley. The bad part about this two game losing streak is that it happened at home.

Missouri State has always been known as a tough place to play, where the crowd is almost as intense as the Bears defense on the floor. And let us not forget the always intimidating Sign Guy. But with so many injuries this season as well as opening a new gym, the aura isn’t quite there right now.

Indiana State has been quite a story this year. They have spent the majority of the season in the basement of the Valley, but all of their wins have come over two of the top three MVC teams. Translation: the Sycamores can beat anyone on any given day. After a triumph over Illinois State at Redbird Arena in an overtime thriller last Sunday, the Trees beat Drake at home on Wednesday.

Picks
Creighton Otter: Indiana State
Panon: Indiana State
Dance Cam Guy: Indiana State

~ Dance Cam Guy

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Wichita State (12-13; 6-8, t-6th) vs. Northern Iowa (18-7; 12-2, 1st)
7:00 p.m.
Koch Arena; Wichita, Kansas

Two words for Northern Iowa: Trap Game.

A Saturday night tip-off in front of 10,000-plus Black and Gold clad rabid Shox fans? Check.

A home team coming off a crazy last-second win in their last game? Check.

A home team that has some size to counter a big frontline for the Panthers? Check.

A home team that after losing their first 6 MVC games has gone 6-2 since, including 5-0 at home? Check.

Northern Iowa beat the pants off of Chris Lowery and his 8-player roster midweek, but that was at home following their second conference loss of the season. Expect the trip to Kansas to be a bit more difficult than their sweep of SIU.

Picks
Creighton Otter: Wichita State
Panon: Northern Iowa
Dance Cam Guy: Wichita State

~ Creighton Otter