Senior Day
First, don't forget that tomorrow's Creighton men's basketball game is planned as a white out, so be there early and wear WHITE. The arena is currently sold out and the place should be packed.
I'm sure I don't really need to mention this but tomorrow's game is very important for the Jays. A win puts them a lot closer to reaching the NCAA tournament but a loss could be the final pin prick in the Jays' bubble, barring an MVC tournament championship. Read Nick's article about it here. The crowd will be ready and I am sure the seniors will be ready too. It's as much of a must win as the Jays have had all year.
With all of that being said, it's time to get a bit sappy. As a senior with many fond memories of Jays basketball over the past four years, tomorrow will be a very bittersweet moment for me. I'm happy to see the season end, ready for Arch Madness and all that St. Louis has to offer, and for the tantalizing prospect of an NCAA tournament appearance, but it could be one of the last Creighton games I see in person, at least for the forseeable future. Jays basketball has very much been a part of my time at Creighton. It's been four years of fun during one of the biggest growth periods during the program's history. I have seen Qwest Center crowds big and small, big victories and heartbreaking losses (Can any senior not hate the Salukis? 0-8 is definitely not fun) but, in the end, it was a great time, win or lose. I can remember going to games my sophomore year (2004-2005) with a half-empty student section and I remember 17,000-plus fans screaming at the Sycamores, Salukis and Dragons over the past few weeks. The Jays and student section have come a long way. So here are my top five Jays moments of the past four years:
5. Creighton 79, San Diego 44 - Jays win in the first game played at the Qwest Center Omaha. This was my first taste of Creighton basketball live and I was hooked.
4. Southern Illinois 61, Creighton 60 - Sure, it was a loss and a tough one at that, but it was also the most memorable game of the 2003-04 season and one of the most memorable in Qwest Center history. This was an ESPN2 game, students were waiting in line very early for this one and it was great game. The atmosphere at this game was one of the best over all four years.
3. 2005 Arch Madness tournament - The only tournament championship over the past three years also happened to be the only trip to St. Louis that I have missed (some say I am cursed at Jays games on the road, 0-3). This would probably rate higher but watching the game late on a Monday night at my aunt's house in Pennsylvania just doesn't hold the same muster as being there.
2. Creighton 70, Nebraska 44 - Creighton defeats Nebraska in a big way at home with only eight scholarship players suiting up. This win didn't really matter much when all was said and done, but bragging rights over the hated Huskers, and in resounding fashion, are always fun to have. This was one of the most fun games to attend at the Qwest.
1. Creighton 57, Wichita State 55 - Anthony Tolliver's buzzer-beater was one of the craziest moments in recent Jays memory. Everyone in the place went nuts, myself included. I had never seen a buzzer-beater live and it provided a bright spot for a year that ended rather dreary. This moment was great but I definitely hope that something over the next month will bump it off the list - MVC tournament championship, NCAA tournament win.
Maybe those dreams are a bit lofty for a team that appears to be running out of hope, but you never know. These four years have been great, to say the least.
