QWEST CENTER OMAHA What Others Have Said About Qwest Center Omaha ATTENDANCE “It's noon Sunday in Omaha, Neb., and you've got to see this place. Creighton's home arena, the Qwest Center Omaha, is as impressive a facility as you'll find in college bas- ketball. It doesn't have the charm of the Phog, but this place is immaculate, and enormous. The gym holds 15,500 (now 17,272), and it's only a small part of the building. It's almost a sellout, too. Nearly 15,000 people watch Creighton beat Drake, a sentence that deserves to be read again. These peo- ple love Creighton basketball. The Bluejays play hard and smart, and they play in basketball's most underrated league, the Missouri Valley Conference.” - Gregg Doyel, cbs.sport- sline.com (Jan. 10, 2006) “Creighton finished 20th among all Division I schools with an average of 13,900 fans per game - a jump of more than 2,692 from the previous season. That's better than reigning national champion Florida (10,851) and a host of other major programs, including Texas (13,024), Oklahoma (11 , 8 0 5 ) , Oklahoma State (11,591), Michigan (10,690), Pittsburgh (10,624) and Villanova (9,949).” - Andrew Skwara, rivals.com (Aug. 11, 2006) THE ARENA “Creighton is the league’s crown jewel. It boasts an NBA- caliber arena, the Qwest Center Omaha, where the Bluejays average 14,387 fans.” - Stewart Mandel, Sports Illustrated (Feb. 20, 2006) THE ATMOSPHERE “The crowd did a great job. And there’s no doubt in my mind that the energy they provided gave us a chance to win the game.” - Dana Altman, quoted by Steve Pivovar, Omaha World-Herald (Nov. 28, 2005) “I told them there’d be a lot of people in the stands but it wouldn’t be loud. I lied to them. It was loud. Their crowd really kept their kids motivated and into the game. That makes it a tough building to play in now.” - Mark Turgeon, quoted by Steve Pivovar, Omaha World-Herald (Feb. 10, 2006) “Their fans are amazing. It’s a lot of fun playing here.” - Bryan Mullins, quoted by Steve Pivovar, Omaha World-Herald (Jan. 22, 2007) “I’m five feet away from (referee) Gerry Pollard calling timeout, and he can’t even hear me. That’s an unbelievable environment, one that’s a cred- it to what Coach Altman has created here. When you come here, you have to play your best.” - Chris Lowery, quoted by Steve Pivovar, Omaha World-Herald (Jan. 22, 2007) 2 CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY QWEST CENTER OMAHA Located just 2.5 miles from Eppley Airfield and a few blocks April, 2004. from the historic Old Market, Creighton’s home for men’s basket- Money for Qwest Center Omaha came from private dona- ball is Qwest Center Omaha. The facility is located on a 421-acre tions, taxes and projected revenue from the facility. site of the former Union Pacific Railroad yards. Qwest is paying $14 million over 15 years for the naming Built for $291 million and finished in the fall of 2003, the facil- rights to the arena. ity is a key element in the continued renovation and development In July of 2004, it was announced that Qwest Center Omaha of Omaha’s riverfront. will host the first and second round sessions of the 2008 NCAA Among the amenities at Qwest Center Omaha are seven lock- Division I Men’s Basketball Championships. The facility will also er rooms, five dressing rooms and a media interview room. The host the 2008 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championships, the Creighton locker room contains secure, wood-paneled lockers and 2008 US Olympic Team Trials for Swimming and the 2010 NCAA is located just a short walk off the court. Wrestling Championships. Daktronics, Inc. is responsible for the $2.1 million scoreboard The facility has also hosted concerts by bands such as The which hangs from the arena center. The scoreboard is more than Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, U2, KISS, Aerosmith, Simon & 16 feet in height and approximately 38 feet in diameter. Daktronics, Garfunkel, Prince, Dave Matthews Band, Van Halen, ZZ Top, Cher, Inc.’s integrated system includes a custom eight-sided scoreboard Britney Spears, Alan Jackson, Elton John and The Who. with ProStar® video displays, two large ProAd® digital advertising More than 1,700 new seats were added to the upper deck on and information displays, auxiliary scoreboards, two-sided the North side of the building during the summer of 2006, moving shot/game clocks, locker room clocks, and ticket window displays. capacity to 17,272 for basketball. Twelve permanent concession stands and 20 free-standing kiosks help feed crowds of up to 17,272 for basketball and 18,300 for concerts. Qwest Center Omaha provides more than 194,000 square feet of exhibition space, and the Exhibit Hall can hold dinners for up to 15,000 people at once. Downtown Omaha’s 40-story First National Bank Tower could be laid down inside the length of the exhibit space. Attached to the facility via a skywalk is the eight-story, 450- room Hilton Omaha hotel. That $71-million building opened in Qwest Center Omaha Facts Cost . .$291 million Seating Capacity . .18,300 (Concerts), 17,272 (Basketball) Architect . .DLR Group Square Footage . .1,100,000 square feet Arena Height . .90 feet Adjoining Hotel . .Hilton Omaha (450 rooms) Construction Timeline . .March 2001-September 2003 Luxury Suites . .32 Parking . .4,500 parking spaces on the premises First Private Event . .Grand Funk Railroad (Concert) First Public Event . .River City Roundup (Rodeo) First Basketball Game . .Minnesota vs. Atlanta (NBA Exhibition) First Regular-Season CU Game . .Creighton 79, San Diego 44 BLUEJAY BASKETBALL 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Creighton’s 2007 MVC Tournament title was its sixth in the past nine years and 10th overall. Pierce Hibma cuts down the net at the MVC Tourney. Table of Contents Publication Credits General Information 2006-07 Plus/Minus Chart 72 The 2007-08 men’s basketball media guide Qwest Center Omaha IFC-3 2006-07 Game-by-Game Comparisons 73 is a production of the Creighton Sports Table of Contents 4 2006-07 MVC Review 74-76 Information Office. 2007-08 Roster and Quick Facts 5 2006-07 Game-By-Game Box Scores 77-83 Interior design, writing and editing by 2007-08 Preseason Notebook 6 2006-07 Honor Roll & Awards 83 Sports Information Director Rob Anderson 2007-08 Season Outlook 7 2006-07 MVC Tournament Champs 84 Media Information 8-9 using an iMac with QuarkXPress 6.1 and Athletics Department Directory 10 The Record Book Adobe PhotoShop CS3 software. Team Records & Last Time It Happened 86 Editorial assistance provided by Assistant The Coaching Staff Single-Game Records 87 Sports Information Director Rob Simms, Head Coach Dana Altman 12-14 Single-Season Records 88 intern Brent Elsasser, Assistant Athletics Assistant Coach Darian DeVries 15 Career Records 89 Assistant Coach Brian Fish 16 1,000-Point Club 90-93 Director Kevin Sarver, Creighton Public Assistant Coach Mike Maker 17 All-Time Bluejay Roster 94-96 Relations and the Creighton basketball Diversity & Inclusion Officer Len Gordy 18 Retired Jerseys 97 staff. Additional research and data entry Film Coordinator Nick Earnest 19 Annual Results and Statistics 98-99 provided by student assistants Dewey Basketball Support Staff 20 All-Time Coaching Ledger 99 Kennison, Peter Della Penna and Mike Annual Leaders 100-102 The Players Creighton Players In The Pros 103-104 Manning. #34 Nick Bahe 22-23 Creighton Basketball Glossary 105-109 On the front cover: Bluejay seniors Dane #20 Pierce Hibma 24-25 Qwest Center Omaha Records 110-112 Watts (top left), Pierce Hibma (far left) and #50 Dane Watts 26-27 Creighton’s MVC Tournament History 113-116 Nick Bahe (right). #12 Josh Dotzler 28-29 On the back cover: Josh Dotzler. #5 Dustin Sitzmann 30-31 Postseason History #42 Aaron Brandt 32 NCAA Tournament Player Stats 118-119 Outside cover design by Damon #32 Casey Harriman, #15 Kaleb Korver 33 Postseason Tournament Scores 120 Andersen of Creative Reservoir. #25 Kenny Lawson 34 NCAA Tournament Teams 121-132 P h o t o g r a p h y provided by Eric Francis, #13 Chad Millard 35 National Invitation Tournament Teams 133-134 Rick Anderson, Colin Conces, Creighton #10 P’Allen Stinnett, #41 Kenton Walker 36 All-Time Results 136-143 University Media Services, Dave Weaver, #3 Cavel Witter, #14 Booker Woodfox 37 Overtime Game History 144 Career Game-by-Game Statistics 38-42 100-Point Games 145 Brett Hansbauer, Scott Bruhn, Doug DeVoe, Career Stats vs. Opponents 43-44 Creighton and the AP Poll 146 B r a n d o n McKenna, Mark Lauer, MECA, Philadelphia 76ers, Dr. Doug Ramos, West 2007-08 Opponent Information About Creighton University Virginia University Athletics, Creighton Non-Conference Opponents 46-50 Creighton University At A Glance 148-149 University Archives, Jay Metzger, Kent MVC Opponents 51-59 President Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J. 150 All-Time Series Results 61 Director of Athletics Bruce Rasmussen 151 Horner/NBAE/Getty Images, Ted Gosen, Results vs. 2007-08 Opponents 62-64 Habitat For Humanity 152 New Orleans Hornets and NBA photos. MVC Composite Schedule 65 Creighton Academics 153 Printing by MultiAd in Peoria, Ill. State Farm MVC Tournament Info 66 The Missouri Valley Conference 154 Additional Copies $10 payable to Omaha, Nebraska 155 Creighton Athletics. Mail to Rob Anderson, 2006-07 Season Review Radio / TV Roster 156 2006-07 Final Statistics & Results 68 Sports Information, 2500 California Plaza, 2006-07 Game-by-Game Leaders 69 Omaha, NE 68178.