Creighton 74, Illinois State 70
Champions
The Creighton Bluejays are regular season champions of the Missouri Valley Conference.
I’ve never been able to write those words on this blog before. I started keeping this semi-regular report of Creighton basketball seasons when the 2004-2005 season tipped off, and this is Dana Altman’s first regular season title since the 2001-2002 season.
That both this and the previous titles were co-championships with Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois, respectively, matters little right now. This blog has celebrated two Arch Madness titles and NCAA tournament trips and plenty of regular season and NIT wins worth writing a few hundred words about. But for the first time, we get to share our thoughts not about what a regular season title would mean but what it does mean.
And the fact is, five weeks ago I didn’t think this would be the season when we would be able to share those kinds of thoughts. I’m glad I was wrong.
---
We wanted to help stimulate the economy. That, and fill in gapping hole in our living room.
Following Christmas, Mrs. Creighton Otter and I took advantage of some of Warren Buffett’s generosity and picked up a new chair for our TV room. The space that had been chewed up by a perfectly decorated Christmas tree was begging for a permanent resident after said Xmas Tree hit the huge Tupperware container for the next 10 months.
The understated yet supremely comfortable corner chair needed some breaking in, so for the past few months I’ve written most of the entries in this blog while lounging in our latest addition to our furniture collection.
On the afternoon of January 24, though, no writing was taking place in the chair; just a lot of venting. My favorite in-laws in the world were in town that weekend to watch Drake visit the Qwest Center. The Jays had payback on their minds for the three losses the Bulldogs dealt to Creighton last season.
The particulars of that game were much like yesterday’s CU-Illinois State tilt; the 1:00 p.m. start, a little more than 17,100 people in the building, and a sunny yet bitterly cold day for Creighton hoops. However, the Jays stayed cold the entire game, shooting just 30% and letting a 6-point halftime lead dissipate into a 12-point loss. It remains Creighton’s most notable blemish on an otherwise solid season record. (One could argue that the loss at Wichita State is worse based solely on RPI figures, but that was on the road. I hate home losses more than anything.)
My family and I spent the hours immediately following that loss stewing back in the apartment living room, verbalizing our frustrations about anything and everything that seemingly was going wrong with this year’s Jays squad. At 5-4 in the conference at the halfway mark, it was time for a progress report. Needless to say, the grades wouldn’t have made a Creighton faculty member proud. I was busy again breaking in the new chair; this time, with decidedly negative emotion.
The conversation continued down the street, as we enjoyed a solid supper at the Brazenhead. As a few Guinness were poured, a few more frustrations foamed to the top of our conversation during the meal.
A 9-game win streak following two 2-point losses on the road in late November had allowed me to elevate my expectations that this team would be the one: the one to win a regular season title; the one to bring home another Arch Madness crown; the one to make a name for Creighton in the NCAA tournament. But as I stared at a baked potato on the plate, I figured those hopes were half-baked wishes now, at best. Sure, the Jays still had the team in the MVC best built for the tournament in St. Louis. But they couldn’t catch Northern Iowa atop the conference standings.
And then they did.
---
I’m the first to admit when I’m wrong, and I was wrong about what this team had left in the tank for the second half of the MVC season. Wrong, too, was my assessment that we couldn’t catch Northern Iowa. However, I’m sure any of you would agree that it took some outside help for the last 5 weeks to go how they have.
The day after Creighton lost at home to Drake, UNI went to Springfield and took care of Missouri State on ESPNU, 78-69. That win put the Panthers 8-1 in MVC play, and they would go on to win their next three games. With an 11-1 conference record and all of the confidence in the world on their side, the Panthers played host on a Sunday afternoon to the Bluejays — a team that had won two home games and a roadie in Des Moines following the weekend of January 24-25 MVC play. We all know who won that afternoon.
---
Since that CU win in Cedar Falls, the Panthers have gone 3-3. Creighton hasn’t lost. And they sit tied for a conference title. After the loss to Drake, the Jays have won 10 straight games. The 10th, and most critical/scary/anticipated/fulfilling, win came yesterday at home against Illinois State.
The afternoon, a day to honor the three seniors on this CU squad, was anti-climatic to a degree. The Panthers played the last game of the night in the Valley yesterday, whereas CU and the Redbirds tipped off from a raucous Phone Booth in the early afternoon. It would have been great for the UNI game to be taking place at the same time, with 17,000-plus Jays fans cheering or booing not only what was happening inside the Q but in Cedar Falls, too.
Scoreboard watching aside, it had to be calming for Creighton to know that no matter what happened in the other Valley games, a win would give them (at least part of) the title. What transpired yesterday afternoon was just a really good college basketball game, one with championship implications and a championship-type atmosphere.
The lead changed sides seven times. The Jays narrowly led the Redbirds in paint points (28-24), second-chance points (12-9), fast break points (12-7), and bench points (19-16). But in a game that featured a lopsided true rebounding advantage for Illinois State (37-26) and 10 made 3-pointers for the visitors, it was Creighton’s defense that paved the way for a win and, in turn, a regular season championship.
The Jays are in the top 50 nationwide in steals per game (8.2) and in the top 20 in total steals. Yesterday Creighton swiped 11 steals (including 7 by CU starters, with Booker Woodfox grabbing a career-high 3 himself) and forced 17 Redbird turnovers. The Jays, on the other hand, protected the ball and coughed the ball up just 8 times.
In the game’s most telling stat, CU outscored Illinois State 24-6 off of turnovers. In what is quickly becoming a hallmark of Altman’s team this season, the Jays force 16.3 turnovers per game, which puts them in the top one-third of Division 1 teams in causing opponents’ miscues.
Booker Woodfox scored 20 points, but only hit 1 of 3 3-pointers. His dazzling array of pull-up jump shots, leaners in the lane, and 5 free throws pushed his per-game scoring average to 15.9 for the season, putting him second in the Valley in scoring behind Shy Ely’s 18.3 points per game.
But while the Redbirds were paying loads of attention to the senior from Lewisville, Texas, they couldn’t stop P’Allen Stinnett. He, too, scored 20 points, on 6-8 shooting. Most importantly, he kept attacking the basket. He shot 10 free throws (making 7), just the third time all year he has gone to the charity stripe 10 or more times in a game. That’s something he’ll need to continue to do next week if the Jays want to win Arch Madness.
He and Woodfox each played 27 minutes, by far the most court time for any Jays on the afternoon. The Redbirds, on the other hand, continue to employ pretty much 6 players. But that’s alright: the Illinois State players had plenty of time to rest following the game, hearing from the outside of their locker room the thank-you speeches and post-game celebration of the seniors’ (hopefully) last home game and a conference title share.
---
That Altman has been able to lead this team back from a 5-4 record while keeping his substitution strategies in place should not be lost on anyone. Many of the teams in this league seem to be stone-footed right now, tired from another brutal run through the Valley. Altman has 11 players averaging between 10 and 26 minutes of playing time per game. Everyone is getting a chance to be a difference maker, and that makes this team different than any other in the MVC.
So as I type this in our new chair, I can’t help but feel good about both the last 5 weeks and the next couple on tap for the Jays. They seemed poised to do what not a lot of us thought was possible back in late January. And they seem ready to do it their way.
This team, regardless of how long it took, looks broken in. And like our new chair, I’m really starting to feel comfortable about their chances to hang banners. They put one up with their win yesterday, and hopefully one week from now they’ll be hoisting another.
The Creighton Bluejays are regular season champions of the Missouri Valley Conference.
I’ve never been able to write those words on this blog before. I started keeping this semi-regular report of Creighton basketball seasons when the 2004-2005 season tipped off, and this is Dana Altman’s first regular season title since the 2001-2002 season.
That both this and the previous titles were co-championships with Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois, respectively, matters little right now. This blog has celebrated two Arch Madness titles and NCAA tournament trips and plenty of regular season and NIT wins worth writing a few hundred words about. But for the first time, we get to share our thoughts not about what a regular season title would mean but what it does mean.
And the fact is, five weeks ago I didn’t think this would be the season when we would be able to share those kinds of thoughts. I’m glad I was wrong.
---
We wanted to help stimulate the economy. That, and fill in gapping hole in our living room.
Following Christmas, Mrs. Creighton Otter and I took advantage of some of Warren Buffett’s generosity and picked up a new chair for our TV room. The space that had been chewed up by a perfectly decorated Christmas tree was begging for a permanent resident after said Xmas Tree hit the huge Tupperware container for the next 10 months.
The understated yet supremely comfortable corner chair needed some breaking in, so for the past few months I’ve written most of the entries in this blog while lounging in our latest addition to our furniture collection.
On the afternoon of January 24, though, no writing was taking place in the chair; just a lot of venting. My favorite in-laws in the world were in town that weekend to watch Drake visit the Qwest Center. The Jays had payback on their minds for the three losses the Bulldogs dealt to Creighton last season.
The particulars of that game were much like yesterday’s CU-Illinois State tilt; the 1:00 p.m. start, a little more than 17,100 people in the building, and a sunny yet bitterly cold day for Creighton hoops. However, the Jays stayed cold the entire game, shooting just 30% and letting a 6-point halftime lead dissipate into a 12-point loss. It remains Creighton’s most notable blemish on an otherwise solid season record. (One could argue that the loss at Wichita State is worse based solely on RPI figures, but that was on the road. I hate home losses more than anything.)
My family and I spent the hours immediately following that loss stewing back in the apartment living room, verbalizing our frustrations about anything and everything that seemingly was going wrong with this year’s Jays squad. At 5-4 in the conference at the halfway mark, it was time for a progress report. Needless to say, the grades wouldn’t have made a Creighton faculty member proud. I was busy again breaking in the new chair; this time, with decidedly negative emotion.
The conversation continued down the street, as we enjoyed a solid supper at the Brazenhead. As a few Guinness were poured, a few more frustrations foamed to the top of our conversation during the meal.
A 9-game win streak following two 2-point losses on the road in late November had allowed me to elevate my expectations that this team would be the one: the one to win a regular season title; the one to bring home another Arch Madness crown; the one to make a name for Creighton in the NCAA tournament. But as I stared at a baked potato on the plate, I figured those hopes were half-baked wishes now, at best. Sure, the Jays still had the team in the MVC best built for the tournament in St. Louis. But they couldn’t catch Northern Iowa atop the conference standings.
And then they did.
---
I’m the first to admit when I’m wrong, and I was wrong about what this team had left in the tank for the second half of the MVC season. Wrong, too, was my assessment that we couldn’t catch Northern Iowa. However, I’m sure any of you would agree that it took some outside help for the last 5 weeks to go how they have.
The day after Creighton lost at home to Drake, UNI went to Springfield and took care of Missouri State on ESPNU, 78-69. That win put the Panthers 8-1 in MVC play, and they would go on to win their next three games. With an 11-1 conference record and all of the confidence in the world on their side, the Panthers played host on a Sunday afternoon to the Bluejays — a team that had won two home games and a roadie in Des Moines following the weekend of January 24-25 MVC play. We all know who won that afternoon.
---
Since that CU win in Cedar Falls, the Panthers have gone 3-3. Creighton hasn’t lost. And they sit tied for a conference title. After the loss to Drake, the Jays have won 10 straight games. The 10th, and most critical/scary/anticipated/fulfilling, win came yesterday at home against Illinois State.
The afternoon, a day to honor the three seniors on this CU squad, was anti-climatic to a degree. The Panthers played the last game of the night in the Valley yesterday, whereas CU and the Redbirds tipped off from a raucous Phone Booth in the early afternoon. It would have been great for the UNI game to be taking place at the same time, with 17,000-plus Jays fans cheering or booing not only what was happening inside the Q but in Cedar Falls, too.
Scoreboard watching aside, it had to be calming for Creighton to know that no matter what happened in the other Valley games, a win would give them (at least part of) the title. What transpired yesterday afternoon was just a really good college basketball game, one with championship implications and a championship-type atmosphere.
The lead changed sides seven times. The Jays narrowly led the Redbirds in paint points (28-24), second-chance points (12-9), fast break points (12-7), and bench points (19-16). But in a game that featured a lopsided true rebounding advantage for Illinois State (37-26) and 10 made 3-pointers for the visitors, it was Creighton’s defense that paved the way for a win and, in turn, a regular season championship.
The Jays are in the top 50 nationwide in steals per game (8.2) and in the top 20 in total steals. Yesterday Creighton swiped 11 steals (including 7 by CU starters, with Booker Woodfox grabbing a career-high 3 himself) and forced 17 Redbird turnovers. The Jays, on the other hand, protected the ball and coughed the ball up just 8 times.
In the game’s most telling stat, CU outscored Illinois State 24-6 off of turnovers. In what is quickly becoming a hallmark of Altman’s team this season, the Jays force 16.3 turnovers per game, which puts them in the top one-third of Division 1 teams in causing opponents’ miscues.
Booker Woodfox scored 20 points, but only hit 1 of 3 3-pointers. His dazzling array of pull-up jump shots, leaners in the lane, and 5 free throws pushed his per-game scoring average to 15.9 for the season, putting him second in the Valley in scoring behind Shy Ely’s 18.3 points per game.
But while the Redbirds were paying loads of attention to the senior from Lewisville, Texas, they couldn’t stop P’Allen Stinnett. He, too, scored 20 points, on 6-8 shooting. Most importantly, he kept attacking the basket. He shot 10 free throws (making 7), just the third time all year he has gone to the charity stripe 10 or more times in a game. That’s something he’ll need to continue to do next week if the Jays want to win Arch Madness.
He and Woodfox each played 27 minutes, by far the most court time for any Jays on the afternoon. The Redbirds, on the other hand, continue to employ pretty much 6 players. But that’s alright: the Illinois State players had plenty of time to rest following the game, hearing from the outside of their locker room the thank-you speeches and post-game celebration of the seniors’ (hopefully) last home game and a conference title share.
---
That Altman has been able to lead this team back from a 5-4 record while keeping his substitution strategies in place should not be lost on anyone. Many of the teams in this league seem to be stone-footed right now, tired from another brutal run through the Valley. Altman has 11 players averaging between 10 and 26 minutes of playing time per game. Everyone is getting a chance to be a difference maker, and that makes this team different than any other in the MVC.
So as I type this in our new chair, I can’t help but feel good about both the last 5 weeks and the next couple on tap for the Jays. They seemed poised to do what not a lot of us thought was possible back in late January. And they seem ready to do it their way.
This team, regardless of how long it took, looks broken in. And like our new chair, I’m really starting to feel comfortable about their chances to hang banners. They put one up with their win yesterday, and hopefully one week from now they’ll be hoisting another.
posted by Creighton Otter at 5:03 PM
1 Comments:
Great post Otter. Congrats to you, the Jays, and the entire CU Family on the 2008-09 MVC Regular Season Basketball Championship.
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