2004-2005 Creighton Basketball Season Preview

Where are we?

There is nothing I look forward to more than the start of the Creighton basketball season. I have seen so many Jays games, yet I still can’t wait to show up early for Opening Night and watch warm-ups. Each season, I usually have some idea of what to expect for the upcoming season -- which players to watch, which opponents to look forward to seeing, what the race for the Missouri Valley Conference championship will look like. Each season except this one.

I thought I knew what to expect last year. It didn’t really surprise me when the Jays won their first dozen games last year -- the non-conference schedule was fairly manageable, with San Diego and Nebraska at home. Last season, everyone in Omaha knew that the frontcourt would be the focus of the offense, and Dana Altman made sure that Michael Grimes, Brody Deren, and Joe Dabbert got their touches. Except that is not really what Creighton basketball is.

Creighton hoops, and for that matter Valley basketball, has primarily been guard-dominated. So, I guess I should have been prepared for the slower brand of ball played last year. I should have seen the incessant pounding of the ball into the paint coming, but I refused to believe that Altman would change his entire offensive strategy just because he had a few big men down low.

I should have seen the confusion and congestion in the lane coming -- the lack of solid perimeter passing after Tyler McKinney bowed out of the season due to his eye injury. But I remained blinded by my love of Jays hoops and my endearment to Altman’s coaching style.

But to say last season didn’t go as expected is an understatement. With two minutes to go in the NIT home game against Nebraska last March, I had started filling out my ticket requests for the supposed second-round home game the Jays were almost assured of hosting. Without naming names, a few of the Jays forgot about running out the clock and not fouling when your team is winning late, and the Jays lost on a tip-in to the hated Huskers.

Between the 12-0 start and the season-ending loss to the ‘Skers, Creighton was about as consistent as Omaha weather. But now, the sunshine is back, and Jays hoops is upon us. And this time, no one can honestly make “expert picks” for this team.

The Young and the Restless

There are really never any “old” college basketball players -- except, of course, Cookie Belcher -- but this year’s team doesn’t exactly ooze Division IA experience. However, there are veterans at the leadership positions, and that means if the increasingly talented Jays can learn the ropes of D-I hoops early enough, this season has a chance to be special. A look at the 2004-2005 Creighton Bluejays, by position:

Backcourt

The point guard position is where last season’s collapse started, but it is also where this year’s hopes spring from. When then-junior McKinney first experienced trouble with his right eye, Creighton’s experience at the point guard position went from slim to none. Junior college transfer Johnny Mathies tried to pick up from where McKinney left off, but his clear lack of familiarity with Altman’s offense hurt the Jays in Valley play. And as it was feared that Tyler might have played his final game as a Jay, Creighton fans began wondering if Altman would be able to find help for Mathies for the 2004-2005 season. Things changed for the better last summer.

McKinney’s eye healed quicker than expected, and he was cleared to play a few weeks before fall conditioning started. Mathies is quicker on defense and has the ability to create shots for himself, but everyone knows this is Tyler’s team. He is an unassuming leader, and while his point totals are not flashy, he is an anomaly for this Jays team -- consistent in almost every facet of his play. With Tyler back at the point, Johnny becomes a wonderful player in the backup role. Not only can Johnny play lock-down defense on the other guards in the Valley, but he also showed the ability to score in bunches last year -- hitting double figures nine times -- and has a full year of experience in Altman’s system.

If the point guards on this team serve as the steady and reliable leaders of the offense (Tyler) and the defense (Johnny), then the shooting guards add the flare (and more importantly, the scoring threat). Junior Nate Funk, senior Kellen Miliner, and newcomers Nick Porter and Pierce Hibma each bring the ability to score and create for teammates on the offensive end. However, their biggest contribution as a whole may be on the defensive end of the court.

Funk and Miliner are the obvious scorers on this team, with Funk set for the type of breakthrough season seen from recent Jays stars Kyle Korver (’03) and Rodney Buford (’99). While that is talented and successful company to be included with, Funk looks like he wouldn’t want it any other way. After putting on about 15 lbs. of muscle during the off-season, Nate is finally big enough to play the type of slashing offensive game he has shown hints of in the past. Everyone in the Valley knows about Nate’s three-point shooting and ability to hit the open jumper, but now teams must defend against a player that will not be satisfied to just sit outside the three-point arc and throw up bombs.

Kellen led the Jays with 50 three-point field goals last year, and finished with a 9.8 ppg scoring average. Most importantly, the Valley selected Kellen for the all-MVC Bench team, which highlighted the kind of spark he proved to be off the pine for the Jays last year. Kellen brings athleticism, great leaping ability, and good court awareness to the shooting guard spot, and he will be able to display these traits in a starting role in the Jays’ three-guard starting lineup this season.

Rounding out the shooting guard spot are redshirt freshman Pierce Hibma and junior college transfer Nick Porter. Both Pierce and Nick have yet to play in a Division I game, but both have done some outstanding things offensively in the past. Pierce was a two-time All State choice in Iowa during high school, while Nick gained All State honors in Nevada in high school and earned all-tournament honors after averaging 18 ppg in last year’s California Junior College championship tournament. Both will see limited minutes, as Pierce continues to adjust early to the speed of the college game and Porter works himself into shape following knee surgery in August.

Frontcourt

Speaking of new guys, do you recognize any of these names? Jeffery Day? Dennis Howard? Dane Watts? Steve Smith? For all accounts and purposes, this could be the lineup for a Journey tribute band. But in fact, this is the future Jays frontcourt. There will be no #21, #22, #34, or #43 on the floor for the Jays this year. You may not recognize these names, but these four post players have significance for the short- and long-term future of Creighton basketball.

Jeff Day and Dennis Howard are juniors arriving to Creighton through completely different circumstances. Day has played at the highest level of D-I, as he started his career at the University of Washington in the Pac-10. He played as a freshman and sophomore, but left the Huskies program after being declared academically ineligible. Day took last year off from college hoops, focusing his time on bringing up his grades. He did just that, and he immediately steps into the starting center spot for the Jays.

Howard came to Creighton from a junior college in Colorado, after scoring more than 30 points a game his senior year of high school in Ft. Worth, Texas. At 6’7”, 200 lbs., Howard gives the Jays a potential scoring threat and athletic presence at the wing, something Korver and Buford gave Altman’s most successful teams. Dennis will have to work quickly, though, because he only has two seasons under Altman whereas Korver and Buford spent four years at CU.

Dane Watts and Steve Smith are true freshmen from Missouri and South Dakota, respectively. Smith has been bothered by a foot injury and did not suit up for the Jays’ exhibition game against EA Sports. Watts features a strong body, a sweet shooting touch, and a tenacity that reminds me of a young Bob Harstad.

It has yet to be seen how Altman will use these four newcomers in conjunction with Jimmy Motz, Quincy Henderson, and Anthony Tolliver -- post players that have already seen minutes in their careers.

Motz started at the lone forward spot in the exhibition game, and looks to be an important role player for the Jays this season. Motz’s three-point shooting is deft, especially for a 6’7” forward, and if he can stay healthy he should put up career-best numbers. He was pulled out of a redshirt season during his freshman year but then missed his second season at Creighton due to ankle surgery. He played sparingly last year, but looks for increased minutes and responsibilities this season.

Quincy also used a redshirt, and last season saw time as a second-year freshman. Q is very athletic and plays great defense, but did not see many opportunities to show his offensive skills.

Anthony Tolliver was a recruiting score for the Jays, as his high school team won the state tournament at the highest level in Missouri as a senior. Anthony is listed at 6’8” and has put a few pounds on his frame, but injuries have slowed his progress in Altman’s system -- he broke his hand last year during preseason conditioning and is just getting back from a broken foot sustained in practice.

Prognosis -- Growth

Now that we are all caught up on the current look of the Jays, what can we expect? First of all, expect the Jays to flourish defensively. This team is quicker than any of Dana’s past teams, and while not exceptionally big, they feature guys with long arms and good hops. Guys like Day and Howard will allow Dana to press repeatedly, while solid on-the-ball defenders like Funk, Miliner, and Mathies provide shutdown defense from the perimeter.

Offensively, the Jays will encorporate an inside-out attack featuring the long-range shooting and dribble penetration of Funk and Miliner. This is where Day needs to provide experience, and where guys like Howard, Motz, and Watts need to capitalize on defenses crashing down on the Jays’ shooters.

The talent is in place, and Tyler’s invaluable leadership brings Altman’s presence to the floor. If this team can learn the ropes during the Guardian Classic and a non-conference schedule lacking marquee opponents, the Jays have the chance to finish in the top half of the Valley. Funk will make his case for first-team all-MVC honors, and something tells me that Day will make a strong run for Valley newcomer of the year.

No matter what the final record, it will be fun to watch this team mature. Obviously, there will be growing pains, but maybe that is the only thing Jays fans should come to expect this season.