Better practice, better Bluejays

Story out of the World Herald today on Creighton Basketball and their improved work ethic in practice recently. Whether they bring the consistency everyday remains to be seen:

Dana Altman has long been an advocate that perfect practice makes perfect. That's one reason the Creighton coach has told anyone who would listen the last couple of months that his basketball team wouldn't overcome its inconsistent ways until it started getting more consistent in practice.

Altman acknowledged after Wednesday's 79-68 win over Drake that he has seen some improvement in his players' approach to daily drills. Several players also said they sense a greater devotion to practice.

"Guys are going a lot harder, guys are showing up earlier and staying late after practice to get it done," guard P'Allen Stinnett said. "The attention to detail, and the focus during practice is a total 180. A lot of times, Coach would have to tell us not to walk from drill to drill."Now, guys are hustling from drill to drill.

Guys are picking each other up, we're talking to each other more in practice and in the locker room. We're just getting along much better. I don't know if that comes along with the winning, but it's definitely much better."

No player understands Altman's expectations better than Dotzler, the senior guard from Bellevue West. He said there's still room for improvement in practice.

"At times, we've done a better job and guys are working hard," Dotzler said. "But Coach wants consistency, and if we're going to make a run at this thing, we still need to be more consistent in practice."

Seeking Consistent Teamwork

The Creighton Bluejays had a nice win at Evansville Tuesday night after getting hammered at Wichita State the game before. Creighton has been up and down the majority of the year and is still trying to find consistency in terms of playing together

"It's just a matter of doing it, and I don't know why we come out one game ready to play and don't the next," said Creighton center Kenny Laswon. "I don't understand it. I'ts all about coming together as a team and playing with 100 percent effort. When that happens, you'll see stats fluctuate a little bit.

We know the feeling of playing as a team and going out there and fighting and getting a 'W'. It feels good. Then we go back to our same, bad , old habits. Hopefully, that doesn't happen. Again."

Said forward Casey Harriman: "That was Creighton. At least the team that plays Creighton basketball. It just makes you feel like you wish you could go back and have a re-do against Wichita. We know we can play so well."

Said forward Justin Carter: "Focus, rebounding and getting stops is what it's all about for us. That's what we didn't do against Wichita, and that's what we foucsed on today."

Bluejays say flying united is best route

Good article here about Creighton basketball coming together and playing for each other. After a rough defeat at home against Northern Iowa last Tuesday, Creighton was on the road this past Saturday and defeated Bradley.

"It's all about team," Creighton center Kenton Walker said after the win. "We just went out there and played hard for each other."

"Even when we were down, nobody got frustrated, even with themselves," center Kenny Lawson said. "It's understandable that you get frustrated with yourself when you make a mistake. But I never saw anyone get mad at themselves.

"When someone made a mistake, we stuck together. We supported each other, and it was just a good feeling."

"We just have to remember that the more we stick together, the better off we're going to be as a team," guard Cavel Witter said. "We just have to stay focused and stay together. That's all it comes down to."

It wasn't as if the two losses had turned a Creighton team that had won its previous nine games into a dissension-wracked group that was at each other's throats. Instead, the players said the lack of togetherness showed up in more subtle ways.

"It was like when someone would make a mistake, guys wouldn't say anything positive or they'd look the other way," Witter said. "Guys weren't picking each other up. Against Bradley, we stayed positive with each other the entire game. That was a huge key for us."