Recently in 2008-09 Gameday Previews Category

Gameday: NIT Second Round - Kentucky

By
Max Univers
on March 23, 2009 12:04 PM |
Around Omaha, the buzz for tonight's game is palpable. Indeed, its been awhile since I've had so many random people ask me my opinion on the Jays game. I'll give you three examples. On Friday, I was at dinner and happened to have a Jays polo on and the waiter, the hostess, and two random patrons asked what I thought would happen on Monday night. On Saturday, I was at Target and had on a Creighton ballcap. The security guy at the door asked me about the game, as did the clerk who rang up my merchandise. And in the days since the matchup was finalized, I've gotten more emails from readers than at any time since the days leading up to the Jays-Salukis game in 2007.

So yeah, people are kinda excited. And it is a big game, make no mistake about it. Kentucky has played one true road game -- ONE -- against a team outside of the power-six conferences in the last decade. And they haven't played a road game in this part of the country, period, in at least 20 years (I got bored with the research when I got that far back and stopped). They may be downtrodden and in the midst of their worst season in two decades, but they're still Kentucky.

They're one of college basketball's glamour programs, second only to UCLA in championships won and second to no one in total victories. They have one of, if not the, most rabid fanbases in college sports. They have fans all over the country; those from nearby states are excited at the chance to see Kentucky play within driving distance and have been snatching up any and all available tickets to the game.

All of that said, it really sticks in my craw to hear people call this "Creighton's Super Bowl." No, it is not. Please, I beg you, stop saying that. It only goes to prove to the Jay Bilas' of the world that teams of Creighton's ilk deserve the second-class citizen treatment they receive. Don't believe me? Here's an email I got from a Kentucky fan on Saturday:

"I'm excited to see how Kentucky fares in this game. I have always been dubious of Doug Gottlieb and others when they claim that Southern Illinois, St. Mary's, and Creighton, among others, are as good as teams from the BCS leagues. They're not. Fact: you guys would struggle to finish .500 in the SEC or any other BCS league. But the argument that truly elite BCS programs never travel to play you on your courts is something I cannot refute. We don't. And it gives you mid-majors something to hold over us in an argument.

That's why Monday is an important litmus test for me. If Creighton is really as good as the guys on ESPN say they are, combined with the advantage of home court, they should win by 20 points. I mean, it should be a blowout. Kentucky is having the worst season in the 30 years I've followed them, and yet I really honestly believe they are still 10-15 points better than even the best of the aptly-named mid-major teams. So I look forward to your team proving my point, one way or the other."

Calling this Creighton's Super Bowl plays right into their hands, don't you see? Is it a big game? Sure it is. Am I marvelously excited for it? Absolutely. But truth be told, I was way more excited when Oklahoma State came here in 1998, or when Iowa came here in 1999, because both teams were ranked at the time of their visits.

It is NOT the biggest game in program history, nor will a victorious outcome somehow "validate" the program. Unfortunately, I feel I'm losing the battle here, and that most fans really do believe this is the biggest game ever. For that, I am sad, and I will shed a single tear into my Diet Pepsi that the NCAA is forcing me to drink at the game because of their Gameday Prohibition laws. Bastards.
Continue reading Gameday: NIT Second Round - Kentucky.

A Game Plan for Beating Kentucky

By
Max Univers
on March 22, 2009 8:58 PM |
Ah, Kentucky. The winningest program in the history of college basketball with 1,987 victories. Seven National Championships. 43 conference titles. 47 All-Americans. Too many NBA lottery picks to mention.

Its because of the facts in the paragraph above that the prevailing opinion seems to be that the Jays have to play their absolute best game to have a chance to win. That's unequivocally, absolutely, positively the most absurd thing I've heard all week. Yes, Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson are wonderful players, NBA lottery picks both. But the players who surround them are very average. The team finished fourth in an extraordinarily weak SEC. The Wildcats are seeded #4 in the NIT for a reason. They're a good team, not a great team. They're beatable. Notice I didn't say the Jays WILL win -- I merely said they CAN win. To think otherwise is simply untrue.

The 'Cats were three-buzzer beater losses to LSU, Louisville and South Carolina away from being a 7 or 8 seed in the "other" tournament. But the last I checked, a 7 or 8 seed is never deemed "unbeatable" in that tournament. If the Jays had made the "other" tournament and drew a 7 or 8 seed with Kentucky's talent but a different name on their jersey, would people be claiming the Jays would have to play their absolute best to even have a chance? I'm guessing no.

Kentucky is still Kentucky, because of all of the reasons outlined in the lead paragraph. But people seem to believe that the talent and success of previous Wildcat teams somehow has any bearing whatsoever on Monday's game. Guess what: it doesn't. None of those players will be suiting up for the game. The jersey will still say KENTUCKY across the front, but the players occupying those jerseys are not the unbeatable juggernaut of years past.

The Jays can win this game, and they don't have to play their absolute best game ever to do so. After the jump, we'll analyze how they can accomplish that.
Continue reading A Game Plan for Beating Kentucky.

Gameday: NIT First Round - Bowling Green

By
Max Univers
on March 18, 2009 6:44 AM |
The NIT is a funny tournament in that some years, you're clearly not an NCAA-tournament caliber team and you're glad for the extra games (2006, 2008). Some years, you're clearly not an NCAA-tournament caliber team but you wish the season would just end already (2004). And some years, you're a bubble team for the NCAA and didn't make the cut, so you're disappointed to be in the NIT (2009).

In a sense, the NIT can be more about which team cares to be there and less about who the more talented team is. You see it in lower-tier college bowl games all the time, where a clearly inferior team wins by three touchdowns over a big-name, heavily favored opponent that was disappointed at not playing in a bigger game. That's one of the keys to winning bowl game pick 'em sheets in your office: figuring out which teams in the lower-tier games actually care.

Hence our dilemma tonight. Creighton believed they were going to the NCAA Tournament, and now that they're in the NIT; many people -- players included, if the rumors are to be believed -- are not terribly excited to be there, and even less so to see Bowling Green as the opponent.

Look, I'm not hugely excited for the game, either. Part of it is that every damn time Creighton goes to the NIT, something awful happens that leaves me angry for two days.

In 2004, there was the Jake Muhleisen buzzer beater that gave Nebraska a 71-70 win and gave me nightmares for a week. Luckily my therapist, Dr. B. Light, is economically priced and always available. Four or five sessions later, I was over it.

In 2006, we had the Miami Debacle where the refs call the phantom foul on Dane Watts. Mayhem ensued, trash was thrown onto the court (although how anyone could tell the trash from the stands from the trash in striped shirts, I'll never know). Dana Altman chased the refs into the tunnel screaming bloody murder, and rumors of a certain Athletic Director allegedly taking a swing at said referees followed (for the record, those rumors were and are completely false, although it was and remains a fun rumor). Despite many sessions with my therapist, Dr. B. Light, I've yet to fully recover from this one. The Doctor's advice was to black it out as best I could, which I've mostly succeeded at doing until I stupidly brought it up just now. I've just broken a pencil in half on my desk. IDIOT.

In 2008, the Jays followed a buzzer-beater by Cavel Witter with an abomination in Gainesville, losing 82-54 and looking outclassed, outmanned and dominated. Only two sessions with Dr. B. Light were required to get over that one, because the game was over before halftime. However, three sessions with his assistant, the lovely Ms. Minnie Donutson, were prescribed and lustily enjoyed.

In 2009? My guess is Creighton wins tonight and Monday over Kentucky, then plays Notre Dame for the right to go to NYC. They're ahead all game, and in the last minute, Kenton Walker is called for a moving screen giving the Irish new life. On the other end, P'Allen is T'd up for hanging on the rim on the exclamation point dunk that should have sealed the win. Notre Dame wins on free throws. Dr. B. Light works overtime for days.

Just kidding. But seriously, the NIT has usually not ended well for the Jays. After the jump, we'll get ready for Bowling Green.
Continue reading Gameday: NIT First Round - Bowling Green.

MVC Quarters Gameday: Wichita State

By
Max Univers
on March 6, 2009 12:39 PM |
Tonight, the Jays begin their quest for an unprecedented seventh MVC Tournament Title in 11 years, and their quarterfinal opponent is the Wichita State Shockers, who will be 22 hours removed from a play-in round win over Missouri State. They're the No. 2 seed, which is very good thing: the Jays are 16-2 all-time as the No. 2 seed, and have won the tournament the last four times they've been seeded there. And then there's this: the No. 2 seed has won at least one game in 10 straight tournaments, reached the final in nine of the previous 10 seasons and won the title in five of the previous seven years.

They stand at 25-6 overall, and probably need at least one win in St. Louis to feel good about their at-large chances for the NCAA Tournament should they not win the championship. Two wins would get them to 27-6 -- and NO TEAM HAS EVER BEEN LEFT OUT WITH 27 WINS. Not that the committee pays attention to such things (they don't), but its worth noting.

Arch Madness should be colloquially known as the Creighton Invitational. Why? The Jays have a 20-4 record in Arch Madness since 1999. They've reached the semifinals 8 of the past 10 years. They've won 12 straight games as the No. 2 seed. Dana Altman is 21-7 all-time in the tournament. Yup, the Jays have dominated it for over a decade. You bet.
Continue reading MVC Quarters Gameday: Wichita State.

Gameday: Illinois State

By
Max Univers
on February 28, 2009 1:55 AM |
Editors Note: The following was written at the conclusion of a night of pre-game partying at the Homy Inn and the Musette. Keep this in mind as you read. You bet.

Ah, Game 31. Back in November, various media outlets chose Creighton to be the standard-bearer for the league, the flag bearer, the Champion. A roller-coaster, up-and-down regular season appropriately wraps up today with an ultimate up-and-down game:

Cut down the nets, raise up a banner.

That's what's on the line, folks. Sure, its not the epic Thunderdome game I think a lot of us were hoping for, where both teams were fighting for the brass ring, winner take all -- but to use a mainstream media cliche, any time you get a chance to play for a championship, its awfully special.

While I reach for another slice of greasy pizza, feel free to point and laugh in my general direction for writing that last sentence. Not one of the finer moments in my writing life.

The situation today boils down to this: If Creighton wins, they clinch no worse than a tie for the championship, pending the outcome of the Northern Iowa-Evansville game tonight. That's good stuff, isn't it? Just think, six weeks ago there were mysterious unnamed Jaybackers being quoted in newspaper columns calling for Dana Altman's head, and nine straight wins later, the team is exactly where they were predicted to be on the last Saturday of the season. Namely, in first place, one win from a title.

For those of us who never lost faith, its particularly sweet. For those who did and are now back among the awesome people, welcome back. Now then...on to the fun stuff.
Continue reading Gameday: Illinois State.

Gameday: BracketBusters/George Mason

By
Max Univers
on February 21, 2009 12:23 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
Its impossible to convey my level of disgust for Bracket Buster Saturday, or as its called now, ESPNU BracketBusters. I hate it more than the Halloween Oreos with orange filling, and I hate those abhorrent holiday cookies quite a bit. I hate it because for one day every year, everything we spend 364 days fighting against gets pushed to the forefront. We spend all year trying the shed the mid-major label, and then by playing in this event, we get stuck with the label all over again. Did I mention I hate Bracket Busters?

It didn't always used to be this way. When the first Bracket Buster was held in 2003, I thought it was a great idea with great potential. Of course, like most things ESPN touches, they turned an amp that should only go to 11 all the way up to 20 and blew it up (in a bad way). Instead of inviting only those mid-major programs that are consistently solid, they invited entire conferences. Instead of a handful of hugely meaningful games, there's almost 50 games, only a handful of which still matter. 

I know what you're saying: "Excuse me, sir, but by inviting everyone, doesn't it allow surprise teams to participate?" Yeah, it does, but I don't care if Drake gets to participate the one year that they're relevant. I care about Creighton, and by inviting so many teams, inevitably the best teams wind up requesting "Home" games. When they only invited the consistently solid mid-major programs, half were at home, half were on the road. Whether you had a home or road game, your odds of an exciting matchup were roughly the same. Not anymore. Generally speaking, the programs you'd actually want to play, the programs that improve your schedule, all request home games. If you have a home game, you get either a one-year wonder, or a team that you don't want to play.

Is it any coincidence that the two most exciting matchups for CU came when they went on the road? Both the Kent State and Oral Roberts games were roadies, while Drexel, Chattanooga State, and Fresno State (TWICE!) have come to Omaha. Pardon me if I'm a tad underwhelmed by those home games.

Since Valley Commish Doug Elgin was one of the masterminds behind Bracket Busters and remains a huge proponent, the Valley isn't dropping out of this thing anytime soon. So it does me no good to complain. Bleh.
Continue reading Gameday: BracketBusters/George Mason.

Gameday: Evansville

By
Max Univers
on February 17, 2009 12:59 PM | | TrackBacks (0)
If last week's game against Bradley was a "trap" game -- sandwiched between two road wins and a game versus Southern Illinois -- what is tonight's game? A booby-trap game? Yes, lets go with that.

Evansville is a booby-trap game. Unless you're 12, you should not be snickering as you read that; this means you, Mr. Glypha.

With only four games left, they're all big, but the George Mason and Illinois State games are bigger in terms of recognition and resume-helping. Tonight and next Tuesday at Missouri State are booby traps. Watch out for 'em, or they'll sink your season.

Some time ago, Creighton visited Evansville. The Jays, 4-3 at the time, were scuffling. Actually, if you were in the mood to be gracious, you'd call it scuffling. Those possessing less ability to confer grace were calling them other things. I thought they'd struggle in that game, and might lose it. I predicted they'd lose, even, which I rarely do. So of course they went out and won by 22 points. Of course they did.

They've lost just once since then. 

In that game, Evansville native Don Mattingly sat at courtside to take in the throttling first hand. I remember this because mere days earlier, a friend of mine had purchased a lot of Aquaman Miniatures on eBay to give away as part of a promotion for his company. The auctioneer threw in a package of Don Mattingly Restaurant cards as a freebee. These were presumably cards from his own restaurant in Evansville, given and/or sold to patrons. Not knowing what to do with them, he asked if I wanted them.

Now, I haven't collected cards since I discovered girls didn't actually have cooties, oh, sometime around seventh grade. I declined his offer of free cards because I can't stand the Yankees, I don't know anyone who actually likes them, and they'd just wind up in a box in my basement with my other cards from years gone by. I was curious to see them, though, from a purely kitsch perspective. We graphic designers like that kind of stuff.

I don't know why I told you this story, so lets just move on, shall we?
Continue reading Gameday: Evansville.

Gameday: at Southern Illinois

By
Max Univers
on February 14, 2009 8:49 AM | | TrackBacks (0)
On Friday, I got an email from someone who told me he believed the Jays would walk into Carbondale today and get a 20+ point win. In any other game against any other team, his reasoning would be solid. Bryan Mullins, their senior leader and the lone remaining link to the glory years, is injured and hasn't played in two weeks. SIU is down to eight players (Fay, Boyle, Bocot, Booker, Evans, Clemmons, Dillard and Hare) and will likely start three freshman today. They're beaten down, in serious danger of facing the Thursday play-in round in St. Louis, and are completely out of contention for postseason play for the first time in a decade (unless they win in St. Louis, of course, God forbid.)

But for these two teams, none of that matters. Come tip off, this will be a war, a bloodbath, a high-intensity defensive struggle for 40 minutes. It always is. Some of Creighton's best teams of the last 20 years have failed to win in Carbondale. They haven't won there since Kyle Korver's sophomore season -- February 10, 2001. Yes, I remember that date. When its your biggest rival and you haven't won in their building in seven tries, you remember.

So yes, the Jays have more players, more experience, more momentum and more to play for. But SIU has the always-hostile home crowd, which will be sold out as it always is for Creighton. They've owned us at SIU Arena since 2001, and both teams know it. If the game is close in the second half, doubt could start to creep into the Jays heads. That's what happens when you haven't won in a place in so long.

I could envision Kevin Dillard going nuts and scoring 30 points. I've had nightmares for a week that Carlton Fay will have an out-of-body experience and believe that he is Brad Korn for a day. Know this: SIU is not going to roll over and play dead. Not against Creighton. They'll leave it all on the court today, and if the Jays are to win, they have to want it more. They have to hustle, they have to be tough, they have to defend, they have to rebound.

Even then, it may not be enough if Bryan Mullins pulls a Willis Reed and comes hobbling out of the tunnel during a timeout in the second half, checks into the game and makes a couple of threes to beat Creighton one last time.

God help us all if that happens. There will not be enough mini donuts and Bud Light if that happens. There will not be enough.
Continue reading Gameday: at Southern Illinois.

Gameday: Bradley

By
Max Univers
on February 11, 2009 7:07 AM | | TrackBacks (0)
The Jays return home tonight to host the Bradley Braves, a team who comes into the game with records of 13-11 and 7-6 in the league. These two teams' first meeting turned out to be an interesting juncture in the Braves season, as they entered that game with a 4-0 record in the league. Their loss to the Jays that day was the beginning of a 3-6 slide that has dropped them into a tie for fourth place and on the edge of the Thursday Play-In game in St. Louis.

As for Creighton, they're playing their most impressive basketball of the season and are coming off two solid road wins that put them in position to get their 20th win of the year tonight. More important that extending their streaks of 20 wins overall and 10 in the league, however, is winning to keep pace with the suddenly-catchable Northern Iowa. Even if UNI doesn't falter down the stretch, second place and an advantageous seed in St. Louis is Creighton's to lose. Win out, and its theirs.

The streaks seem to be the story heading into this game, however, garnering Rodney Buford his first appearance on the cover -- above the fold no less -- of the Omaha World-Herald in almost a decade. A photo montage of the great players in the Altman era graced the banner at the top of the paper this morning, dubbing the era the Roaring Twenties. A win tonight gives them 20 wins for the 11th straight year, and 10 conference wins for the 13th straight year.

No MVC school has ever recorded more than six straight 20 win seasons. Only Stanford and Kansas have longer streaks of 10 or more conference wins.

Attendance has been another major story this week, although the focus of the story seems to be misguided. A front-page sports section story on Tuesday delved into the sparse student section attendance in recent games, particularly the Indiana State and Missouri State games.  The reported attendance for Missouri State was just under 250 students, leaving 650 empty seats. It looked terrible on TV to have so many empty seats so close to the court, especially when the rest of the arena was pretty full.

Student attendance is an issue at lots of schools, and with an undergraduate enrollment of roughly 3,700 getting 900 students to come is an impressive percentage. Some games things will transpire to make the number lower. I wish the A.D. could do something different with ticket distribution so that those seats could be filled in by someone. There's thousands of people in the far reaches of the upper bowl getting nosebleeds that I'm sure would sacrifice their mini donut privileges for a year to sit closer to the court.

No, the real shame with how the attendance story was focused is that the most interesting news was buried at the bottom in a notes section -- Creighton's average attendance this season puts them in 10th place nationally. This of course gives even more ammunition to the haters, who for whatever reason -- jealousy, ignorance, or douchebaggery -- refuse to believe the numbers are legit.

Look, to be sure, when you see the Top 10 Creighton is the name that makes you do a double-take. Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Syracuse, Louisville, Memphis, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Kansas read like a whos-who of College Hoops. Then you see Creighton on the list. Behind them are Arkansas, Marquette, Illinois, Ohio State and Indiana.

This is astounding, isn't it? Yet somehow we find ourselves having to defend being tenth in attendance, like we're supposed to be modest about it and apologize for averaging 16,000 a night. Nebraska fans claim people who go are really Husker fans that only go to drink beer. Iowa State fans claim people who go are too dumb to have figured out the product is inferior.

Excuse me, why does Creighton have to defend 16,000 people coming out to their games? This is a fact that should be celebrated, not defended. I'm sorry, my language is going to take a temporary diversion into saltytown...

Why the (expletive) does it matter what people's reasons are for going to the games? The fact of the (expletive) matter is, they're going, they're spending money -- yes, sometimes on beer -- and they're watching basketball. Some of them get their tickets for free, some of them come late and leave early, some of them don't care who wins the game. But the fact of the (expletive) (expletive) matter is, Creighton's averaging over 16,000 a game, they've been over 15,000 for four years now, and those numbers are probably not going to decrease any time soon. I'm sorry your team doesn't draw as well, but that's not my (expletive) problem and I'm done (expletive) defending the fact that CU draws so well. (expletive) (expletive) (expletive).

Whew. Someday I'll have to let you all know how I really feel about this. Until then...on to the fun stuff, after the jump.
Continue reading Gameday: Bradley.

Gameday: at Drake

By
Max Univers
on February 4, 2009 7:27 AM | | TrackBacks (0)
Perhaps I was a bit too optimistic earlier this week in my recap of the Missouri State game, because it seems like I'm the only one who thinks the scenario I laid out for the final eight games is possible. Your emails told me so. Here's my favorite of the bunch (oh, and everything in quotes is sic'd):

"Hey Polyfro/Max, can I have some of what you're drinking? what about the Jays play through 23 games gives you confidence they can suddenly reel off 6 wins in 8 games?

The Jays took a dump in the paint against both Drake and Northern Iowa at home, so how can you say with a straight face that the Jays will beat both of them this week on the road? how can you think they will win at Southern Illinois? we haven't won their since Ryan Sears was still running the point. how can you think the Jays can beat Illinois State, when all the evidence we have points to them being a quicker, more athletic, taller version of us? please explain your self."

First of all, if I'm going to give you some of what I'm drinking, I'm going to have to ask to see your ID, because this ain't Kool-Aid junior. Its Pabst Blue Ribbon, and its delicious. Normally I wouldn't offer a cold brew to someone who had just torched me, but the world you live in seems so negative and awful that I think you need it more than I do. Here, take the rest of the case. And you're welcome.

You know, he does raise a good point though. What about the Jays performance through 23 games gives me reason to believe in them now? Nothing, as their inconsistency means they're just as likely to come out and dominate Drake tonight as they are to come out flat and lose by 15. I just have a feeling they've turned a corner and they're ready to sprint down the straight-away. I might be wrong. But if I'm right...
Continue reading Gameday: at Drake.
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About the Author

Max Univers (not his real name) is a graphic designer and author of two books, neither of which you’ve probably heard of. A 2001 graduate of Creighton University’s Journalism program, Max takes time out of his busy nightlife to share his thoughts on Jays hoops here during the season.

Why Univers? Its his favorite font, plus it just sounds really cool as a surname.

Why Polyfro? Years and years ago, Max had a giant afro wig that he wore as part of a Halloween costume. Not wishing to retire its giant fro awesomeness after the holiday, he began wearing the wig out in public as part of his everyday ensemble. One night at a dance club, the DJ called out the moniker over the soundsystem. Max thought it sounded cool, and purchased the URL shortly thereafter.

More questions? Send me an email: max-at-polyfro-dot-com. I like jokes, story tips, and generally all correspondence involving Bluejay athletics. Emails that point out how stupid I am and/or where I should go after I die are not encouraged.

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