"You don't just turn it on and off like a light switch. Our habits are bad, our approach to games and practice are bad, and we've been talking about it for weeks. There's only so much the coaching staff can do. Hopefully, the players will put some pressure on each other and start being accountable...We had no attention to detail on the offensive end. We made no effort to communicate anything defensively and gave up a lot of easy shots. We had no physical play on the boards, and we committed 20 turnovers. Poor free-throw shooting showed a lack of focus. All that shows how much work we have to do." -Dana Altman, 11/13/06
There's nothing quite like a Dana Altman press conference to let you know just how bad the team is, how much work they have to do, how Evansville and Illinois State are better than their preseason rankings. And like clockwork, in Monday morning's World-Herald game preview, Coach Altman delivered a doozy. Apparently, the team is terrible, they've already tuned out the coaches, they're not accountable for their sloppy play, et-cetera et-cetera.
Clearly, Creighton was destined to lose to Mississippi Valley State, a team picked for 7th place in the worst conference in America, the SWAC. Clearly.
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Then a funny thing happened. The season tipped off, and to turn around a phrase from Coach Altman, they turned it on like a light switch. The Jays started quick, used a 15-2 run to go up 30-16 at the half, and then ran off 48 second-half points including a 13-3 run to begin the half. They led by more than 30 points for nearly the entire second half.
The hustle on both ends of the court was night and day from a week ago. Nearly every shot was contested. The players crashed the boards. The offense was more in flow than last week, and created open looks. Everywhere you looked, the Jays were improved over last week's UNO game. Well, except for actually knocking down shots. They shot just 29% in the first half, before "heating up" and shooting 39% by the end of the night.
Now, Mississippi Valley State is not a good team. So before we get too far ahead of ourselves here, remember that UNO is very likely a tougher opponent, Division II or not, than MVSU.
Still, it was the sort of opener you had to kind of expect. I've seen enough Exhibition games to know that Altman uses them more to work new players in, get veterans minutes in different positions, and to prove to his team how much work they have to do. Then they generally turn things on and blow out their first opponent. Monday night was no different.
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Nick Bahe, the Kansas transfer, started but was relieved by the Freshman from KC, Isacc Miles, at about the same time as the Combo Plate and pitcher of Margaritas from Michaels kicked in. Which is to say, at the 17 minute mark of the game. Miles would lead the team in minutes with 29, and looked nothing like a Freshman. The offense had some trouble getting into a flow, but he had only 1 turnover while dishing out 3 assists.
Kenny Lawson, another Freshman, had some SOLID minutes, pulling down 5 boards -- 4 offensive -- in just 11 minutes. He was in on seemingly every play. And when Lawson and Tolliver were on the floor at the same time? There was NO CHANCE of anyone taking the ball to the hole. Two 6-9 players contesting every shot is tough to compete against.
Nate Funk struggled with his shot, but you know it'll come. Keep shooting the rock. Truthfully, if the worst thing you can say about this night is that they shot poorly -- and in my opinion, it is the worst you can say -- then this was a great effort. Because you know the shots will fall eventually. Seriously, to win by almost as many points (36) as your shooting percentage (39)? That's crazy.
If they continue to play with desire and heart on defense, continue to crash the boards, and continue breaking Bahe and Miles into the point guard role, imagine what might be when the team starts shooting like we all know they can. Then you throw JD into the mix whenever he returns, and this team will have an excellent chance to be something special.
I'd be remiss if I didn't note that JD dressed for the game, and warmed up with the team. He jumped up from the bench to congratulate players during timeouts, and generally looked like a basketball player again -- instead of a guy in street clothes at the end of the bench. Speculation will run rampant now that over when he'll see game action. My completely outsider prediction: he's on track for a December 6 return at Dayton.
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Before the game, my buddy Dick and his wife joined me for dinner down the street at Michaels. This is always dominant because when you get downtown at 5:30, you can park on the street for free and then walk a couple blocks to the Q after dinner. It is also dominant because you can't beat the Combination Platter of one taco, one burrito, rice and beans. This meal has never failed me when consuming it before a game.
Although to be fair, the Jays are now 41-9 at the Qwest Center all time, so not many meals have failed me. That damn Famous Dave's before the Southern Illinois game last year? I have not eaten there since.
The seats next to me are some of those corporate jobs that are rarely used. Seriously, I can count on my two hands the number of times over the first 50 games of the Qwest Center that someone has sat in those seats. So since I know so many people with worse seats, I will generally call them mid-game and invite them down if no one shows up. Tonight was no exception, as I called Dick and his wife to move down from the upper bowl. Got to get people closer to the action so the noise level gets amp'd up, right?
Glad to see the triumphant return of Random High Five Guy between Sections 112 & 113. If you're not familiar with RHFG, he sits down close to the court in 112 but will run up and down the steps giving out high-fives after big plays. He was back in full force Monday night. We sit near the aisle in row 4 of 113, so I exchange high-fives with him every time he makes the rounds. Good times.
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If you haven't been to Otter's Creighton blog, you need to go right now. Seriously, stop reading my silliness and go read his Season Preview. I had the opportunity to meet Otter this summer in the midst of working on the Tunnelwalk video for both Soccer and Basketball, and he's a good guy. Check out his site, his preview article is a great read.
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Now, then, its time to raise a pint glass of generic Mountain Dew mixed with some Jim Beam (testing the limits of the "Any drink tastes good after a win" theory") to tonight's Heee-Haw Soft Drink Player Of The Game:
Isacc Miles. Coming off the bench, Miles ran the offense for 29 minutes and committed just one turnover. His athleticism and up-tempo style, and most importantly, ball-control ability, helped the Jays to pull away on a night when their shooting was ice cold.
You bet.
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