Bluejays fly high—under the radar

Sporting News, The, Jan 13, 2003 by Mike DeCourcy

Right about the time point guard Tyler McKinneys last, desperate attempt at preserving Creighton's perfect season landed slightly off its mark, the Bluejays inevitable descent on college basketball's court of public opinion began. It is safer to dismiss them now that they aren't unbeaten. They are easy to ignore because almost none of their games are on national TV.

The shame of this is Creighton, regardless of what conference it calls home or how lightly its players were recruited, is one of the best teams. It remains to be seen what sub-grouping of "best" it will occupy--the best 16 or eight, perhaps? Or is it possible it will be one of the best four, though no mid-major program has reached the Final Four since Penn and Indiana State in 1979?

"I don't usually talk about my goals," says Kyle Korver, Creighton's star senior forward. "I tend to set them really, really high. Say if my goal's way up here, and we get right there, right there is going to be really, really good."

It was oddly fitting that a game that may be used against them in the polls provided ample evidence of the Bluejays' excellence. On the road against Xavier a few hours before 2003 arrived, Creighton fell short by a single basket in one of the finest games you'll never see.

There were 10,250 spectators celebrating New Year's Eve at Xavier's Cintas Center, but, as with most games involving the Bluejays, no television broadcast. Though various regional channels will carry some of their games ha the Missouri Valley Conference, anyone curious about this team is promised only two clear opportunities: January 18 against Southern Illinois on ESPN2 and February 22 against an undetermined opponent in ESPN's Bracket Buster event.

"Yeah, it's frustrating," Korver says. "We can't really do anything about it. I guess that kind of gives us a little bit of an edge. People still don't know us. They're not thinking we're that good."

Seeing Korver might convince some skeptics. He scored 32 points against Xavier even though Romain Sato, one of the nation's top perimeter defenders, guarded him almost flawlessly. With his substantial reach, strength and speed, the 6-5 Sato clung tightly to Korver through most of the game. Overcoming this level of defense was such a challenge that Korver brightly recognized the key was taking advantage of its absence.

When Xavier point guard Dedrick Finn had to switch over to Korver, things changed. Korver immediately launched his first successful 3-pointer from the left wing. Korver did the same thing moments later over XU center Will Caudle. After Sato unsuccessfully attempted to trap a Creighton ballhandler in the backcourt, the ball was forwarded to Korver for another long-range jumper.

As the Bluejays attempted to recover from a 10-point deficit in the final four minutes, Xavier defenders switched assignments when Creighton executed handoffs in its weave. That twice left Korver matched against All-American big man David West. Korver slung in 3-pointers each time, the second tying the game at 71 with 36 seconds left. That West won the game for Xavier by driving for a game-winning layup did not diminish the genius of Korver's performance.

Korver and West first met as counselors last July at the Nike All-American Camp, where Korver got his first full taste of competing exclusively with and against high-level talent. Coming from Pella, Iowa, he did not have the exposure to earn an invitation to this sort of camp in high school. The few who saw him wondered if he had enough athleticism to succeed in Division I. Creighton was wise to recognize his superior shooting skill.

Korver has been a regular since he was a freshman. As a junior and senior, he has been the Bluejays' leader in scoring, rebounding and assists. If he stopped shooting now--having made 56 of 103 from beyond the arc--he'd wind up 11th on the NCAA's career 3-point accuracy chart. Korver has become more than a stand-still shooter, and he showed that on one of his few baskets directly against Sato by catching the ball in the low post and spinning toward the corner for a turn-around jumper.

Creighton is a team of relative equals on which 10 guys average at least a dozen minutes but only Korver gets more than 22. Coach Dana Altman keeps the Bluejays pressing and attacking, forcing opponents to play at a pace his team's depth can sustain. That Korver plays and shoots more does not bother his teammates because he is just as eager to make a pass as a 3-pointer.

"He plays the game the way it's supposed to be played, and I think that's one of the reasons the rest of our team is unselfish," Altman says. "They see him being unselfish and think, `If he's scoring 18 a game (19.8) and he's unselfish, I better be.'"

Korver has responded, reluctantly but affirmatively, to the challenge of accepting more scoring responsibility.

"It's not like if I need to take more shots that you have to twist my arm. I will take them," Korver says. "I'd rather not. But this team needs me to take more. As long as they're good shots, I will take them."