Saturday, December 10, 2011

Snap Reaction: Saint Joseph's


I'm an optimist at heart, and games like this make me glad for that. In a noon road game halfway across the country against a very good team with a penetrating point guard and an athletic frontcourt, a game in which their shots weren't falling and the Joes were getting every roll, a game in which the officials were as inconsistent as you'll see (and didn't seem to understand simple concepts like "charging" and "travelling"), the Jays were still within 6 points with over a minute to go.

Think about that. A game in which everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and Creighton easily could have won it.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Bluejay Stats Breakdown


At various points throughout the season, I'll crunch the numbers and take a look at where the Jays stand using advanced metrics. Many of these come courtesy of statistician Ken Pomeroy's indispensable kenpom.com.


Thursday, December 1, 2011

I believe we just won that game


That was the chant in the Creighton locker room tonight. San Diego State's slogan is "I believe," and they've backed it up by going 41-4 since last season... entering tonight, that is.

"The Show" was in full force at Viejas Arena, and the Aztecs fed off the crowd's energy early. They shoved the Jays around under the boards and put the clamps on Run-DMD. Xavier Thames, the burly SDSU point guard, was getting into the lane at will. At one point, it was 31-14 for the Aztecs; the Jays called a timeout to regroup. A lesser team, maybe even last year's team, would have written this game off.


Monday, November 21, 2011

Jays exceed high expectations early


Creighton punctuated their 4-0 start with an impressive 82-59 beatdown of the Iowa Hawkeyes in Des Moines. This looks like a team on a mission, and it has all the ingredients to continue this success through non-conference and into Valley play. After beginning the season in the honorable mention section of the Top 25 polls, now the Jays are knocking on the door. I predict we'll see a number next to Creighton's name on Monday.

Now that head coach Greg McDermott has settled on his 10-man rotation, let's take a look at how each player fills a key role for Creighton, with an eye to how the season might progress. The excitement is in the air!


Monday, March 28, 2011

Jays send Altman packing


We came to see the Jays try to win a championship. We came to bid Kenny, Kaleb, and Wayne farewell. But really, we came to see Dana Altman. We needed catharsis. And the Bluejays obliged.

Dana Altman was cheered; not wildly, but respectfully. He strolled out from the visitor's tunnel as late as possible, and he hung his head as he slunk back in, seemingly refusing to acknowledge the crowd's appreciation. He squatted on the sidelines, and he lit into his team during timeouts. It was just like any Creighton game from the past 16 years, except Altman was on the other bench.

No matter. Tonight was our night, Creighton's night. The Jays exorcised any lingering demons from the Altman era with a convincing victory over his new team.

It was at times a dominant offensive performance. The shots were falling early, especially for Jahenns Manigat, and Creighton's interior defenders walled off Oregon's top scorer Joevan Catron throughout the first half. But the Jays often failed to secure the three-point line, and a Dana Altman team will make you pay for that.

Oregon's guards kept them in the game from long range, and the Ducks ran a very familiar press that gave Creighton some problems. It wasn't quite the vintage Altman attack (this is still a cobbled-together Oregon team), but the Ducks extended their defense to blunt the Jays' early scoring, and they used a tricky matchup zone to discombobulate McDermott's boys for long stretches.

In the end, though, it was the Jays' hustle, size, and superior offensive talent that won the day. Gregory Echenique had a couple monster second-half blocks, Manigat chased down a steal and threw a crosscourt pass from his backside, Antoine Young merely came back to the game after being knocked nearly unconscious by a teammate, Josh Jones played with confidence and nailed a dagger 3, and Doug McDermott sealed the win by dashing downcourt to block Singler's would-be layup and preserve a 6-point lead.

Can the Jays win a game in Oregon? Absolutely. The 3-game series is quite rare in college basketball. The Jays certainly don't want to stick around Eugene until Friday, so they'd better bring everything they have on Wednesday and put this thing away. And please, guard that three-point line!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

A proper goodbye: the case for cheering Dana Altman


Dana Altman left us twice. The first time, in April 2007, it was a sudden shock. Arkansas plucked him from Creighton out of the blue -- within a day he was going through the motions of his infamous "Pig Sooie" in Fayetteville, while fans in Omaha were still struggling to process it all. I was a year out of college. I had never known a Creighton coach other than Dana Altman.

But then he quit. What a whirlwind it was. The most pressing question was answered quickly -- could he come back to Creighton? Coach Altman's close relationship with Bruce Rasmussen and the athletic department ensured that he could indeed. Then our thoughts quickly turned to how we felt about him now. Would he come back? Would we want him back?

What we learned is that Altman's reservoir of goodwill in Omaha was seemingly bottomless. Creighton fans began to grasp the enormity of the task ahead -- trying to replace a legend, the greatest coach in team history. Dana Altman made Creighton basketball into a local power, a respectable and hard-working outfit that contended for titles every season. The team was thrilling; it played at a fast pace, and it pressed its opponents relentlessly, daring them to make a mistake. Creighton's best basketball teams entertained us and burnished the credentials of the entire university. It inspired pride throughout the city of Omaha.

How could we survive without the coach who made it all happen?


Friday, December 4, 2009

It's the Valley, stupid!


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.


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.


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.

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.


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.


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.


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.

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!