Checking In with the Creighton Bluejays

Every week I have a choice - check in with a lesser-known team from last year's tournament pool, or check out someone who's surprising us this season. This week I've chosen to look back and catch up with the pride of Omaha, Nebraska - the Creighton Bluejays.



You should be rooting for Creighton, and I'll tell you why. Because if the Bluejays get back to the tournament, you'll have the joy of listening to the likes of Dick Stockton and Billy Packer as they try to forge a path through this roster of names: P'Allen Stinnett, Cavel Witter, Pierce Hibma, and the piece de resistance - Booker Woodfox. It will be heaven.

They also have another one of those darn Korvers. Big brother Kyle starred at Creighton before taking his shot to the NBA, and other brother Klayton toils for the Drake Bulldogs. Now it's freshman Kaleb donning blue in Omaha. They're like the first family of the MVC. This conference has been brought to you by the letter K and the number 3.

Last March was an up-and-down affair for Dana Altman's squad. Arch Madness went well, as they knocked off a much better Southern Illinois squad to nail down the auto-bid in St. Louis. March Madness was a letdown, as the Omaha boys held Nevada's Nick Fazekas to 38% shooting, but let Marcellus Kemp run wild, losing 77-71 to the Wolf Pack in the first round.

Then came coach Dana Altman's flirtation with the suddenly open Arkansas job, which honestly always seemed like a bad fit for a nice, mild-mannered guy who really looks like a Dana. Fortunately, he came home, got paid (not as much, of course), and should now be smart enough to finish his career at a school that loves him dearly.

What of this year? The beat goes on for Creighton. They're 3-0 and they've scheduled well, beating DePaul, Mississippi Valley State, and Nebraska while sleeping in their own beds every night. They'll play one more home game with Savannah State tonight, and then travel to Philadelphia for a fantastic mid-major tussle with Drexel of the CAA. They have Xavier on the road and St Joe's at home before diving into the MVC conference scrum.

With all of the coaching turnover in the Valley, I'd be very surprised if we didn't see Dana's boys take pride of place on the NCAA selection show come March. And if they have a couple of epic battles with the Salukis along the way, so much the better for college basketball, right?