Creighton Bluejays: A Legacy of Basketball Excellence

The Creighton Bluejays men's basketball team, representing Creighton University, boasts a rich and storied history within the NCAA Division I college basketball landscape. As a competitor in the Big East Conference since the 2013 conference realignment, the Bluejays continue to build upon a foundation of success established over decades. Their home court, the CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska, serves as the backdrop for thrilling contests and passionate fan support. Before their tenure in the Big East, Creighton was a prominent member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) from 1976 to 2013, with earlier stints in the MVC from 1928 to 1948 and as an independent from 1948 to 1977. The team has made 23 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. In 2021, Creighton advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament for the first time, ultimately falling to Gonzaga in the Sweet Sixteen.

Early Years and the Schabinger Era

The early years of Creighton basketball saw Arthur Schabinger take the helm after Kearney's graduation. In 1923, he guided the team into its first conference, the North Central Conference, with his teams securing 4 titles in the league. In 1928, Shabinger led Creighton to another conference, the Missouri Valley Conference. Arthur A. Schabinger, Creighton's winningest men's basketball coach for 75 years, played a crucial role in building the program. During his tenure from 1922 to 1935, Schabinger posted an impressive 165-66 record.

The "Little Giant": Eddie Hickey's Impact

Eddie Hickey assumed leadership of the program for the 1935-36 season. A Nebraska native and Creighton University School of Law graduate, Hickey, despite his stature at 5'5", was a dynamic figure. Known as "The Little Giant," Hickey had quarterbacked Creighton University football in the Roaring 20's. Hickey was a master of the fast break and winning. He immediately led the Bluejays to the Missouri Valley title in his first season. His 'controlled fast break' featured an explosive movement that required the ball not to hit the floor. Hickey led the Jays to new heights by the early 1940s, featuring 1943 Consensus First Team All American Ed Beisser and his high powered offense. Hickey led the Jays to their first NCAA tournament and two National Invitation Tournaments, including a Final Four (Third-place game winner) in 1942, when the NIT was bigger than the NCAA tournament. World War II briefly suspended Creighton's basketball program, and Hickey returned for one year after the war before moving on to St. Louis. His nine seasons at Creighton yielded a 126-71 record and four conference titles, setting the stage for further success at St. Louis and Marquette.

Post-War Transition and the Search for Stability

The post-war era brought change and relative mediocrity for the Bluejays. Julius 'Duce' Belford, later the athletic director, coached the Jays immediately after the war. Creighton would leave the Missouri Valley Conference and switch from Division I to Division III during this era. The Jays would not find success at this new level. Belford finished with a 56-83 record over six seasons. His successors would not fare better. Sebastian 'Subby' Salerno took the reins in 1952 and left three years later. Salerno finished with a 30-45 record. Theron Thomsen replaced Salerno and found some success. After eight losing seasons, Thomsen's 1956-57 Bluejays would post a 15-6 mark. However, the Jays would slide back toward mediocrity finishing 10-12 and 13-9 in the following two seasons.

Red McManus and the Rise to National Prominence

John J. 'Red' McManus arrived at Creighton after a successful career at St. Ambrose Academy and a year as head freshman and assistant varsity coach at Iowa. The 1959-60 Bluejays were a far cry from the previous year's team. Whereas the team had previously utilized a slow methodical type of basketball, McManus brought a fast break offense and a box zone defense. Utilizing sharp recruiting and tough coaching, Red quickly had the Bluejays back on the road to becoming a national power. The 1961-62 Creighton Bluejays men's basketball team finished 21-5 and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the 1962 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, winning the third spot in the NCAA Regional. The 1963-64 Bluejays finished with a 22-7 record, a record for most wins in a season. All-American and team captain Paul Silas rounded his collegiate basketball career by leading the team back to the Sweet Sixteen in the 1964 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. McManus continued to coach at Creighton until 1969, becoming the third-winningest coach in school history with a 138-118 record. Red McManus was a colorful character and a respected gentleman off the court. He rebuilt the Jays' schedules into coast-to-coast clashes with the nation's top basketball powers. His teams got NCAA post-season tourney bids in 1962 and 1964, and his players included professionals Paul Silas, Neil Johnson, Elton McGriff, Bob Portman and Wally Anderzunas.

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The Eddie Sutton Era and the "Travelin' Jays"

One of college basketball's legendary coaches, Eddie Sutton, got his first Division I head coaching job at Creighton. Sutton left College of Southern Idaho in 1969 to coach at Creighton. It was with the Bluejays that he made his first coaching appearance in the NCAA tournament in 1974. Sutton's career coincided with the apex of the Travelin’ Jays Era. Red McManus coined the phrase "border to border and coast to coast" in 1959 when he began the Travelin’ Jays era, but it was under Eddie Sutton that the philosophy really bore fruit and gained the Jays national recognition. During his last three years at Creighton, the Bluejays played in 36 cities and 20 states, logged more than 65,000 miles in the air, made a South American jaunt (entertaining the Chile national team at home in exchange), and visited Hawaii. Sutton was a Tulsa native, and in 1974 a bidding war commenced between Oral Roberts, Duke, and Arkansas for Sutton's services. Over an illustrious 37 year coaching career, Sutton compiled an 804-328 record, putting him eighth on the all-time Division I wins list.

Tom Apke and a Return to the MVC

Assistant coach Tom Apke took over for the departing Sutton. Apke planned to run the same defensive schemes Sutton had: namely, a fierce man-to-man base defense, with a 2-3 zone as a change-up. The offense was where major changes were made. Apke looked to run a fast break at every opportunity, taking advantage of every shot opportunity. The news media was pessimistic as Apke entered his first season. Prognostications grew even worse after Mike Heck, Creighton's first 7 footer and a rising star, suddenly died because of an enlarged heart after the first game of the season. Apke led Creighton back to the Missouri Valley Conference in 1977 after 29 years of independence. He found instant success winning the 1978 conference regular and conference tournament titles and advancing to the 1978 NCAA tournament. After the 1980-81 season, Apke accepted the head coaching position at Colorado. Apke spent 17 years in all at Creighton - four as a player, six as an assistant coach and seven as head coach. He is the only coach in school history to have led Creighton to the NCAA Tournament in his first season with the team (1974-75).

Willis Reed: NBA Star at the Helm

Sutton and Apke's departures upset Creighton officials who yearned to make the program 'big time'. Officials hinted that the new head coach would be a 'big name' hire. Former New York Knicks great Willis Reed fit the bill. After being fired in 1978 after a season and a fraction as the Knicks' coach, Reed was determined to prove himself as a coach. Longtime assistant coach Tom Broshnihan, who had been around since Sutton, was seen as the rightful heir to the Creighton head coaching job. A sizable segment of the fan-base criticized Reed as lacking experience in college coaching and recruiting. High school basketball in Nebraska produced a record number of prospects prior to Willis Reed's first season. Reed was unable to sign any of the blue-chips, including Ron Kellogg and Dave Hoppen. Coming off Tom Apke's impressive 21-9 season featuring an NCAA appearance, Reed's inaugural 7-20 mark added fuel to the fire. Reed proved himself as a recruiter that off-season. Considered by many scouts to be the top prospect in the country, Benoit Benjamin was sought by 350 colleges. Benjamin came from a single-mother home and looked for a father figure, preferably a college coach who had played center. Benjamin's signing gave Reed instant credibility as a recruiter. Despite the landmark signing, the Jays would again struggle in 1982-83 finishing with an 8-19 record. Coach Reed worked with Benjamin over the off-season. Benoit came back as a sophomore in 1983-84 and dominated college basketball. The Bluejays would reach the NIT that year finishing 17-14. The 1984-85 season team would win 20 games. As a junior during the 1984-85 season, Benoit Benjamin led all of NCAA Division I in blocked shots and was the nation's second-leading rebounder. Benoit Benjamin would leave for the NBA following the season. A two-time AP All-America center for the Bluejays, Benoit Benjamin would begin a 15-year NBA career in 1985 as the third overall draft pick in the first round by the Los Angeles Clippers. He would go down as the all-time leader for blocked shots in Missouri Valley Conference history with 411 rejections. Willis Reed resigned as coach of the Creighton University basketball team after the 1984-85 season. He compiled a 52-65 record at Creighton. His 1984-85 Bluejays were 20-12 but lost their last six games.

The Tony Barone Era and the "Dynamic Duo"

Inheriting Reed's team was fiery Tony Barone. His 1985-86 team posted a 12-16 record, finishing tied for fifth in the Valley. Coach Barone's second team would fare even worse finishing 9-19. During the off-season, Creighton would bring in a talented class of freshman including Bob Harstad and Chad Gallagher. The pair would go down in Creighton lore as the Dynamic Duo. The 1988-89 team would be Tony Barone's breakthrough team. Creighton surprised everyone outside Omaha and claimed its first regular season MVC championship in 11 years. The Bluejays would cap the season by winning the MVC conference tournament in epic fashion. The conference championship saw Harstad lead the Jays over Southern Illinois 79-77. The game was punctuated by a James Farr game winner with 2 seconds remaining. Creighton followed up their NCAA Tournament berth in 1988-89 by winning more games overall than the year before, going 21-12 in 1989-90. The consensus favorite to repeat as MVC champions, they got off to a good start, as they scored wins over Iowa State and Notre Dame before going on the road and taking #5 Missouri to the wire. They would finish tied for second in the conference and bow out of the conference tournament semifinals. Juniors Bob Harstad and Chad Gallagher would have break out seasons. Harstad would win the 1990 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Award. Expectation were high entering the Dynamic Duo's senior season. The 1990-91 Creighton Bluejays finished as one of the school's all-time best, finishing 24-8. The Jays claimed both the regular season and conference tournament crowns before advancing to the second round of the 1991 NCAA tournament. Chad Gallagher was named the 1991 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. Gallagher and Harstad both rank in the top five all-time in both scoring and rebounding for Creighton.

Rick Johnson's Brief Tenure

Assistant coach Rick Johnson was promoted to head coach following Tony Barone's departure. Johnson's tenure at Creighton was a struggle. His teams finished with progressively worse records. He left after the 1993-94 season in which the team posted a 7-22 mark.

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The Dana Altman Era: Rebuilding a Powerhouse

Dana Altman, a Wilber, Nebraska native, left his position as head coach at Kansas State for Creighton in 1994. Altman immediately went to work rejuvenating the program. He struggled at first posting a 7-19 record in his first year. That off-season, Altman signed Rodney Buford. Altman's Jays improved to 14-15 and 15-15 the following two seasons. After the 1996-97 season, coach Altman brought in talented prospects Ryan Sears and Ben Walker. The two, along with Buford, would help rebuild Creighton into a college basketball power. The 1997-98 team finished 18-10 and reached the NIT. The 1998-99 team would finish second in the Valley and reach the 1999 NCAA tournament after claiming the MVC conference tournament title. The Jays reached the second round following a 62-58 first-round victory over Louisville. The 1999-2000 would repeat as MVC conference tournament champions, earning a berth in the 2000 NCAA tournament. Led by Juniors Ryan Sears and Ben Walker and MVC Newcomer of the Year Kyle Korver, the Jays would finish with a 23-10 record. The 2000-01 team improved to 24-8 and won the first Missouri Valley Conference regular season title in 9 seasons. Senior guards Ryan Sears and Ben Walker finished their careers with another trip to the NCAA tournament. Creighton's field marshal, Sears started every game of his 4-year career and finished each of his four seasons with more steals than turnovers. The 2001-02 team was replacing both Ben Walker and Ryan Sears and defending a regular season MVC crown, yet behind Kyle Korver's brilliance, they shared the league title and won the MVC Tournament while having a nearly identical record as the year before at 23-9. Korver's deadly 3-point shooting forced many teams to employ a box and one defense against the Creighton star. Despite the added attention, Korver scored 20 or more points 10 times. The Creighton-Southern Illinois Rivalry reached its peak during the early 2000s. Korver scored a combined 49 points in two regular season losses before leading the Jays to victory over the Salukis 84-76 in the conference championship game. Kyle Korver was named the 2002 MVC Player of the Year. In the 2002 NCAA Tournament, the Jays vanquished Florida in the first round. The Bluejay bandwagon was growing and the Jays consistently sold out the 9,377 capacity Civic. Expectations were at a record high entering the 2002-03 season. Creighton would live up to most of them, setting a school record for wins. The team went 29-5 and was ranked in the top 25 most of the season. Kyle Korver would be chosen by ESPN's Dick Vitale as the 2002-03 Midseason National Player of the Year. Korver would set a school record with nine three-pointers against Evansville and repeat as MVC conference Player of the Year. The Jays would finish second in the Valley behind rivals Southern Illinois, but once again knock off the Salukis in the conference championship game throttling them 80-56. Two-time league Player of the Year Kyle Korver ranks as one of the top players in Creighton and Missouri Valley Conference history. Korver finished his career tied for sixth in NCAA history with 371 three-pointers while placing 14th in accuracy at 45.3 percent from long-range. Korver helped lead Creighton's return to the top-25 and garnered unprecedented attention for his all-around play. He had a successful NBA career after Creighton.

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