Sorry, didn't mean to call you stupid. It's just that everyone is so worked up about this Orlando debacle. It was bad, sure, and I don't mean to detract from the awfulness of the Jays' showing. However, it's also important not to overreact. If you're in a huff, I'm here to tell you that the situation is not as dire as it seems. It's way early, and Altman teams have rebounded from slow starts before. Just last year, the Jays recovered from a woeful Valley start to take a share of the regular season title. There is plenty that the team needs to work on, but a poor showing in November doesn't mean they're toast. Here's why:
Lots of newcomers: Altman's system is famously difficult to learn on both ends of the court, particularly the press defenses and offensive set plays. The most-used players must have crazy endurance, and they all must be able to play at maximum effort for several minutes at a time. This all takes time to develop, especially on defense. When teams use a lot of risky gambits like the full-court press, there's little margin for a error. A mistake leads to a layup, period. While players like Wragge and Runnels are ready to help on offense right now, the same guys will hamper what Altman can do on defense until they master his principles. Then remember that Creighton's best defender (Josh Dotzler) is gone, and one can see why the Jays are having problems.
Lack of leadership: Here's the other thing Dotzler provided in spades. He was the unequivocal floor leader last season, and that is a gaping void a year later. Justin Carter was annointed the leader in the media over the offseason, but any such pronouncement before the games begin is wishful thinking at best. I love Carter, but the truth is that neither he nor anyone else has assumed command of this team. College players need a peer to help hold them accountable; the coach can't do it alone, because he's relatively isolated. At Creighton, as is typical, the basketball players spend most of their time among each other. That's where the real leadership work gets done. And on the court, of course. The lack of it results in disorganization and aimlessness, especially during the home stretches of games, on the road, and after the opponent has made a big run. Any of that sound familiar? The good news is that this is not a surprise. Leadership takes even longer to develop than a press defense, and again, it's simply too early to declare the Jays a hapless band of individualistic laggards, as many people have all but done.
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Friday, December 4, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Missouri Valley Preview: Drake
The preview is ordered according to Rush the Court's preseason rankings, and will now appear each Wednesday as we approach the conference season. Drake is No. 183.
Drake had a magical 2007-08 season, as everything came together around a tough group of seniors and a ready-for-prime-time coach who knew how to use his talent. I'm still wrapping my head around it. But of course, last year the Bulldogs returned to their traditional straggling ways. After a promising 4-1 Valley start, Drake suffered an atrocious string of defeats, salvaged only by fluky home wins over the Jays and Northern Iowa. Even worse, several key players are gone, including versatile forward Jonathan Cox and scrappy sixth-man John Michael Hall (I hated that little brat). One thing Drake does have is an identity, built around the Joshes Young and Parker, two small, quick guards who can break down a defense and find the open man. The only problem is the lack of shooters to fill the open spots on the court when those two get inside. Last year, the Bulldogs chucked up a three 45.9% of the time, good for 10th most in the entire country. But Cox was their best and most prolific shooter, so someone will have to fill that void. Parker shot 43% last year from distance, but their next most voluminous guy was Adam Templeton at 32%. Yes, this is still a team in search of consistently good play, and this season will tell us whether Drake is at least headed in the right direction.
Drake had a magical 2007-08 season, as everything came together around a tough group of seniors and a ready-for-prime-time coach who knew how to use his talent. I'm still wrapping my head around it. But of course, last year the Bulldogs returned to their traditional straggling ways. After a promising 4-1 Valley start, Drake suffered an atrocious string of defeats, salvaged only by fluky home wins over the Jays and Northern Iowa. Even worse, several key players are gone, including versatile forward Jonathan Cox and scrappy sixth-man John Michael Hall (I hated that little brat). One thing Drake does have is an identity, built around the Joshes Young and Parker, two small, quick guards who can break down a defense and find the open man. The only problem is the lack of shooters to fill the open spots on the court when those two get inside. Last year, the Bulldogs chucked up a three 45.9% of the time, good for 10th most in the entire country. But Cox was their best and most prolific shooter, so someone will have to fill that void. Parker shot 43% last year from distance, but their next most voluminous guy was Adam Templeton at 32%. Yes, this is still a team in search of consistently good play, and this season will tell us whether Drake is at least headed in the right direction.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Snap Reaction: Dayton
The Jays played an inspired game to open up the season in raucous Dayton. The 10-point margin does not indicate the competitiveness of this game. Creighton had plenty of opportunities to win, or at least extend to a comfortable lead, after they caught fire midway through the first half. Wayne Runnels was perfect in the first 20, and Stinnett and Witter also produced on the offensive end. Meanwhile, the Flyers were cold from outside and couldn't crack the Jays' tight zone.
In the second half, Dayton coach Brian Gregory made excellent adjustments, getting his team to take the ball inside more often, and the smaller Creighton players had trouble stopping Chrises Wright and Johnson. Wright in particular was much improved from last year's Omaha disappointment. He's an absolute tank when he drives to the rim, and he even hit a couple from distance. The Jays, on the other hand, weren't as effective as Dayton's defense got downright sticky.
Look, this is a tough game to lose, no doubt. But I'm looking at all the bright spots and thinking this team has a real chance to win the Valley. The Dayton announcers continually insisted that the Jays will be a Top 25 team before the season is out. I'm still not sure about that, but without its leader, Justin Carter, this team showed a lot of heart and skill in perhaps the toughest opener any team in the nation will play.
In the second half, Dayton coach Brian Gregory made excellent adjustments, getting his team to take the ball inside more often, and the smaller Creighton players had trouble stopping Chrises Wright and Johnson. Wright in particular was much improved from last year's Omaha disappointment. He's an absolute tank when he drives to the rim, and he even hit a couple from distance. The Jays, on the other hand, weren't as effective as Dayton's defense got downright sticky.
Look, this is a tough game to lose, no doubt. But I'm looking at all the bright spots and thinking this team has a real chance to win the Valley. The Dayton announcers continually insisted that the Jays will be a Top 25 team before the season is out. I'm still not sure about that, but without its leader, Justin Carter, this team showed a lot of heart and skill in perhaps the toughest opener any team in the nation will play.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
What basketball (and Tyler McKinney) can teach us about proper hygiene
Please welcome our new contributor, Ashley!
In early March of 2004, Tyler McKinney - former Creighton point guard - learned that he had a nasty infection of Acanthamoeba keratitis. Acanthamoeba is a small parasite, only an amoeba, but it was enough to almost cost McKinney the ability to see out of his right eye. He endured two cornea transplants. He had to be administered an intravenous antimicrobial agent (pentamidine) that’s normally reserved for patients with severely depressed immune systems, such as from chemotherapy. How could something so serious happen? The answer: contact lenses. It’s believed that he acquired the parasite while in Canada where he used tap water to clean his contact lenses. The incidence of Acanthamoeba is normally quite small, but due to increased use of contacts, physicians and ophthalmologists are also seeing an increased rate of eye infections caused by that tiny little parasite. In fact, 85% of patients that have Acanthamoeba are contact-wearers.
In early March of 2004, Tyler McKinney - former Creighton point guard - learned that he had a nasty infection of Acanthamoeba keratitis. Acanthamoeba is a small parasite, only an amoeba, but it was enough to almost cost McKinney the ability to see out of his right eye. He endured two cornea transplants. He had to be administered an intravenous antimicrobial agent (pentamidine) that’s normally reserved for patients with severely depressed immune systems, such as from chemotherapy. How could something so serious happen? The answer: contact lenses. It’s believed that he acquired the parasite while in Canada where he used tap water to clean his contact lenses. The incidence of Acanthamoeba is normally quite small, but due to increased use of contacts, physicians and ophthalmologists are also seeing an increased rate of eye infections caused by that tiny little parasite. In fact, 85% of patients that have Acanthamoeba are contact-wearers.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Missouri Valley Preview: Missouri State
The preview is ordered according to Rush the Court's preseason rankings. Missouri State is No. 233.
This once-great Valley program has fallen on hard times after Barry Hinson was finally sent packing; he had some successful teams, but it was clear that after failing to pierce that NCAA tournament bubble, the Bears had shrunk away from the effort. Hinson didn't leave a lot for new coach Cuonzo Martin, and Missouri State finished last in the league despite plenty of experience and a couple talented youngsters. Injuries played a part, and it's possible the team simply underachieved with a first-year head coach, but that wouldn't bode well for the future either, as the Bears are now a much younger team with lots of new players. Make no mistake, this is a new team, and it will be interesting to see if the well-schooled Martin is able to make progress (read: not finish last) with this group, or if it will take longer - I believe he will get this program back on track eventually.
This once-great Valley program has fallen on hard times after Barry Hinson was finally sent packing; he had some successful teams, but it was clear that after failing to pierce that NCAA tournament bubble, the Bears had shrunk away from the effort. Hinson didn't leave a lot for new coach Cuonzo Martin, and Missouri State finished last in the league despite plenty of experience and a couple talented youngsters. Injuries played a part, and it's possible the team simply underachieved with a first-year head coach, but that wouldn't bode well for the future either, as the Bears are now a much younger team with lots of new players. Make no mistake, this is a new team, and it will be interesting to see if the well-schooled Martin is able to make progress (read: not finish last) with this group, or if it will take longer - I believe he will get this program back on track eventually.
Missouri Valley Preview: Evansville
The preview is ordered according to Rush the Court's preseason rankings. Evansville is No. 243.
Evansville was good last year? Well, so much for that. Evansville is no longer a Valley powerhouse, but for the past few seasons they were lucky enough to have both a big-time scorer (Shy Ely) and a three-point bomber with nearly unlimited range (Jason Holsinger - 13 ppg, 39% from three against Creighton). But the Purple Aces averaged a lousy 5.5 conference wins during those four years; while some of the blame for that falls on the previous regime, the results are still disappointing. So it should be a strange season in Evansville; last year's quick rise to legitimacy may raise expectations higher than they should be, given what has been lost (and given six true freshmen). However, the Aces also have a chance to shock the Valley if they can sustain that success. Just don't count on it.
Evansville was good last year? Well, so much for that. Evansville is no longer a Valley powerhouse, but for the past few seasons they were lucky enough to have both a big-time scorer (Shy Ely) and a three-point bomber with nearly unlimited range (Jason Holsinger - 13 ppg, 39% from three against Creighton). But the Purple Aces averaged a lousy 5.5 conference wins during those four years; while some of the blame for that falls on the previous regime, the results are still disappointing. So it should be a strange season in Evansville; last year's quick rise to legitimacy may raise expectations higher than they should be, given what has been lost (and given six true freshmen). However, the Aces also have a chance to shock the Valley if they can sustain that success. Just don't count on it.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The season is here! (Sort of.)
I've never gotten too into exhibition games. I always enjoy seeing the Jays in their game duds, of course, but really I'm just bummed that the game doesn't count. However, the games do provide a chance to see the newcomers. And this season, there are an awful lot of newcomers. Here's what I'm looking for from tonight's game (already in progress! woohoo!):
Friday, October 16, 2009
Links: the debut
Every blog has a perpetual links feature, right? So here's the debut of "Links," my ingeniously named links feature! These posts shall consist of anything interesting I find on the series of tubes (it's not a big truck!) about Creighton basketball.
Today's post brought to you by Ted Stevens.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
CollegeHoopsNet: Jays are No. 41
The optimism is spreading. Joel Welzer of CollegeHoopsNet, in the site's preseason countdown, predicts an NCAA tourney appearance and ranks the Jays tops in the Valley. While I like where this is going, the article makes some minor assumptions that I believe are still questions.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Chad Millard news
You know what that means.
Chad's awful injury luck continued, as he was struck down with a small fracture in his foot last weekend. And that was on top of his bizarre case of Bell's palsy, which causes facial paralysis. Seriously. The good news is that Millard told Steve Pivovar his Bell's is on the way out. The lost practice time will set Chad behind, but reports are that he's in good condition. He will need to be in order to return in time to be a factor when the season starts.
I'll have a longer post soon on Millard's crazy injury history.
Chad's awful injury luck continued, as he was struck down with a small fracture in his foot last weekend. And that was on top of his bizarre case of Bell's palsy, which causes facial paralysis. Seriously. The good news is that Millard told Steve Pivovar his Bell's is on the way out. The lost practice time will set Chad behind, but reports are that he's in good condition. He will need to be in order to return in time to be a factor when the season starts.
I'll have a longer post soon on Millard's crazy injury history.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
It's never too early for prognostication
The first guesses at the shape of this year's Valley race have been leaking out in the past several days. As expected, Northern Iowa is an early favorite to repeat as MVC champs. They return all five starters and should be the consensus No. 1 when all the preseason polls are out. The Panthers are even earning some national respect, as the Sporting News includes UNI in its preseason top 50 ranking. Creighton also gets some love from Blue Ribbon and guard-turned-sports-personality Nick Bahe.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Thanks for visiting Creighton Crazy
Welcome to the newest online home for Creighton basketball!
My name is Aaron, and I have loved the Jays ever since the days of Edward St. Fleur, Matt West, and of course Rodney Buford. Along with our beloved Dana Altman, and a nifty duo by the name of Sears and Walker, they turned around a lagging program and restored a legacy of excellence, built by men like Harstad, Gallagher, Benjamin, Portman, Sutton, and Silas.
It's good to be a Creighton fan, and excitement about the program is greater than ever. At this writing, the Jays are coming off a surprisingly good season in which a young team nearly made it to the Big Dance and took Kentucky to the wire in the NIT Second Round, in what was undoubtedly the greatest game yet played at the Qwest Center. But unfortunately, that game ultimately served as a reminder of what can still be accomplished.
Creighton fans harbor visions greater than just making the NCAA Tournament. We've watched other Valley teams make the Sweet 16, even though our team has outperformed them all during the past decade. This year, with a strong returning group and some intriguing recruits, anything less than a win or two in the Dance will be a disappointment.
There are lots of things to love about Bluejay basketball. Altman's Army. Dancing Grandma. Pressing teams into oblivion. P's heroics. A first-class arena. Passionate, loyal fans. A seemingly inexhaustible supply of Korvers. And we'll follow it all right here, with pragmatic and constructive opinions, fun features, statistical analysis, and historical reminiscences. Because the best program in the Missouri Valley deserves nothing less.
Get Creighton Crazy!
My name is Aaron, and I have loved the Jays ever since the days of Edward St. Fleur, Matt West, and of course Rodney Buford. Along with our beloved Dana Altman, and a nifty duo by the name of Sears and Walker, they turned around a lagging program and restored a legacy of excellence, built by men like Harstad, Gallagher, Benjamin, Portman, Sutton, and Silas.
It's good to be a Creighton fan, and excitement about the program is greater than ever. At this writing, the Jays are coming off a surprisingly good season in which a young team nearly made it to the Big Dance and took Kentucky to the wire in the NIT Second Round, in what was undoubtedly the greatest game yet played at the Qwest Center. But unfortunately, that game ultimately served as a reminder of what can still be accomplished.
Creighton fans harbor visions greater than just making the NCAA Tournament. We've watched other Valley teams make the Sweet 16, even though our team has outperformed them all during the past decade. This year, with a strong returning group and some intriguing recruits, anything less than a win or two in the Dance will be a disappointment.
There are lots of things to love about Bluejay basketball. Altman's Army. Dancing Grandma. Pressing teams into oblivion. P's heroics. A first-class arena. Passionate, loyal fans. A seemingly inexhaustible supply of Korvers. And we'll follow it all right here, with pragmatic and constructive opinions, fun features, statistical analysis, and historical reminiscences. Because the best program in the Missouri Valley deserves nothing less.
Get Creighton Crazy!
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