When I first came to Creighton in the fall of 1997, there was no bigger villain in the Missouri Valley than Steve Alford, especially in and around Omaha. Rivalries and great coaching showdowns are part of what makes college basketball great, and for my first two years here, Dana Altman and Steve Alford had some epic, EPIC battles.
You see, back in those days, Alford was more like his mentor Bob Knight than he is now. He was easily excitable and often temperamental, and when urged on by rowdy students and/or bad refereeing, he would pout, complain, swear, throw clipboards, and rack up technical fouls. It was all very entertaining for home and visiting crowds alike, who egged him on with equal vigor.
It was fun to root against a guy like that, especially when the rumors surfaced in January of 1998 that "someone" at SMS had asked the NCAA to investigate whether Creighton forward Nerijus Karlikanovas had accepted payment for playing overseas before enrolling in school. These allegations mysteriously cropped up days after Karlikanovas shot 4-5 from three-point range and torched the Bears for 20 points and 8 rebounds in a huge 72-70 win in Springfield.
Nerijus missed the next two games while the NCAA investigated, and his absence was a huge factor in the Jays suffering a one-point defeat at home to Indiana State, which may have cost them the regular season championship.
Whether it was sour grapes or he was acting on what he believed to be good information, Alford was no longer just the coach everyone loved to hate; his status as Public Enemy Number One in Omaha was cemented. He was booed lustily when his Bears came to Omaha in late February that year, and a big (for the time) crowd of 5300 cheered as the Jays stormed out to a 16-point lead, before nearly blowing it and holding on for a 79-76 win. A clearly rattled Karlikanovas shared barbs back and forth with the SMS bench all day, much to the delight of the student section.
In March, the teams met again in the semifinals of the MVC Tournament, and the Jays got big games from Rodney Buford and Ben Walker, taking a 12-point lead into the half. Alford was T'd up shortly after the second half began, upset with both his team's play and a perceived abundance of bad calls from the refs. The Jays beat them a third time, 78-70, as everyone in Omaha yukked it up over beating the coach they loved to hate.
After Alford took that SMS team to the Sweet 16, he bolted for Iowa, which was highly amusing to me having grown up in northwest Iowa as a Hawkeye fan. When
Alford brought his Iowa team to Omaha for the return game of a home-and-home that previous coach Tom Davis had signed, Alford made no bones about the fact that he was unhappy with the game. A column in the World-Herald by Tom Shatel even paraphrased Alford as saying he would never bring a team to Omaha again.
The game drew 9,374 to the old Civic, which at the time was the fifth largest crowd in Creighton history. Iowa was fresh off an upset of #1 UCONN in Madison Square Garden, and came into the game ranked 23rd. Best of all, our old friend didn't disappoint: Alford was T'd up as the game slipped away late in the second half. Star forward Jacob Jaacks even got in on the act, taunting the student section all day before yelling obscenities and having to be restrained after fouling out. It was one of the classic games of the Civic, and as I stormed the court with most of the student section behind me, I swore I heard Alford mutter he would never come back to Omaha.
On Sunday, he returns. The coach we loved to hate is back, and frankly, I can hardly contain my excitement.
You bet.
You see, back in those days, Alford was more like his mentor Bob Knight than he is now. He was easily excitable and often temperamental, and when urged on by rowdy students and/or bad refereeing, he would pout, complain, swear, throw clipboards, and rack up technical fouls. It was all very entertaining for home and visiting crowds alike, who egged him on with equal vigor.
It was fun to root against a guy like that, especially when the rumors surfaced in January of 1998 that "someone" at SMS had asked the NCAA to investigate whether Creighton forward Nerijus Karlikanovas had accepted payment for playing overseas before enrolling in school. These allegations mysteriously cropped up days after Karlikanovas shot 4-5 from three-point range and torched the Bears for 20 points and 8 rebounds in a huge 72-70 win in Springfield.
Nerijus missed the next two games while the NCAA investigated, and his absence was a huge factor in the Jays suffering a one-point defeat at home to Indiana State, which may have cost them the regular season championship.
Whether it was sour grapes or he was acting on what he believed to be good information, Alford was no longer just the coach everyone loved to hate; his status as Public Enemy Number One in Omaha was cemented. He was booed lustily when his Bears came to Omaha in late February that year, and a big (for the time) crowd of 5300 cheered as the Jays stormed out to a 16-point lead, before nearly blowing it and holding on for a 79-76 win. A clearly rattled Karlikanovas shared barbs back and forth with the SMS bench all day, much to the delight of the student section.
In March, the teams met again in the semifinals of the MVC Tournament, and the Jays got big games from Rodney Buford and Ben Walker, taking a 12-point lead into the half. Alford was T'd up shortly after the second half began, upset with both his team's play and a perceived abundance of bad calls from the refs. The Jays beat them a third time, 78-70, as everyone in Omaha yukked it up over beating the coach they loved to hate.
After Alford took that SMS team to the Sweet 16, he bolted for Iowa, which was highly amusing to me having grown up in northwest Iowa as a Hawkeye fan. When
Alford brought his Iowa team to Omaha for the return game of a home-and-home that previous coach Tom Davis had signed, Alford made no bones about the fact that he was unhappy with the game. A column in the World-Herald by Tom Shatel even paraphrased Alford as saying he would never bring a team to Omaha again.
The game drew 9,374 to the old Civic, which at the time was the fifth largest crowd in Creighton history. Iowa was fresh off an upset of #1 UCONN in Madison Square Garden, and came into the game ranked 23rd. Best of all, our old friend didn't disappoint: Alford was T'd up as the game slipped away late in the second half. Star forward Jacob Jaacks even got in on the act, taunting the student section all day before yelling obscenities and having to be restrained after fouling out. It was one of the classic games of the Civic, and as I stormed the court with most of the student section behind me, I swore I heard Alford mutter he would never come back to Omaha.
On Sunday, he returns. The coach we loved to hate is back, and frankly, I can hardly contain my excitement.
You bet.
One Big Paragraph with Lots O'Dots(TM): New Mexico went 24-9 last year
and went to the NIT...they return four starters, but lost co-MWC player
of the year J.R. Giddens to the NBA...sharpshooter Chad Toppert has the
ability to give Jays fans nightmares, as he shoots 48 percent from
behind the arc and was second in the nation in three point
percentage...their recruiting class is ranked ninth nationally, with
three newcomers rated best in the Mountain West at their respective
positions...Steve Alford is 6-7 all time against Creighton, as he went
5-6 at Southwest Missouri State and split two games at Iowa...Alford
has only won one game in Omaha, however...New Mexico plays their home
games at The Pit, which has been rated as the loudest arena in college
basketball and is among the most hostile for visiting teams; Creighton
will play the Lobos there next year.
The last time they played: Creighton and New Mexico played a home-and-home series in 1966 and 1967, with the Lobos winning both games. Legendary coach Bob King, for whom the court at The Pit is named, beat the Jays in Omaha 79-68 in 1966, and 82-67 in Albuquerque the following year.
Game Notes:
Creighton Game Notes
New Mexico Game Notes
Gratuitous Linkage:
16 Funny Senior Portraits, and the reason behind them
Man, am I glad you guys don't have access to my Facebook page.
Official Gametime Snack: Mini Donuts. I walked past them last week, and while my head wanted them, my recently-upset stomach said "Easy, tiger, but I gotta call a Hall and Oates here and say No Can Do." This week, my head and my stomach will both be ready.
The totally random song I'd play right now if I were still a radio DJ: Don Johnson, "Heartbeat"
True story to segue you into that song: Steve Alford has always seemed to me to be the kind of guy who wishes he was Don Johnson. Not Nash Bridges Don Johnson. Miami Vice Don Johnson. Just look at the hair. The big question, though, is if Steve Alford is Sonny Crockett in his dreams, then who is Calderone in his nightmares? I leave that one to you, my millions of readers, to figure out.
Prediction: The Jays will get slaughtered on the boards, fall behind by double-digits early, and mount a furious comeback in the second half as once again, Dana Altman coaches circles around Steve Alford. A good, talented Lobos squad falls to an equally good Jays team, with the home court and superior coaching the difference. Jays 76, Lobos 74.
The last time they played: Creighton and New Mexico played a home-and-home series in 1966 and 1967, with the Lobos winning both games. Legendary coach Bob King, for whom the court at The Pit is named, beat the Jays in Omaha 79-68 in 1966, and 82-67 in Albuquerque the following year.
Game Notes:
Creighton Game Notes
New Mexico Game Notes
Gratuitous Linkage:
16 Funny Senior Portraits, and the reason behind them
Man, am I glad you guys don't have access to my Facebook page.
Official Gametime Snack: Mini Donuts. I walked past them last week, and while my head wanted them, my recently-upset stomach said "Easy, tiger, but I gotta call a Hall and Oates here and say No Can Do." This week, my head and my stomach will both be ready.
The totally random song I'd play right now if I were still a radio DJ: Don Johnson, "Heartbeat"
True story to segue you into that song: Steve Alford has always seemed to me to be the kind of guy who wishes he was Don Johnson. Not Nash Bridges Don Johnson. Miami Vice Don Johnson. Just look at the hair. The big question, though, is if Steve Alford is Sonny Crockett in his dreams, then who is Calderone in his nightmares? I leave that one to you, my millions of readers, to figure out.
Prediction: The Jays will get slaughtered on the boards, fall behind by double-digits early, and mount a furious comeback in the second half as once again, Dana Altman coaches circles around Steve Alford. A good, talented Lobos squad falls to an equally good Jays team, with the home court and superior coaching the difference. Jays 76, Lobos 74.
