Allow me to put on my blue-tinted glasses.
OK, now all the positives of the 2008-2009 Creighton men’s basketball team:
27-8 record, the second-highest win total ever.
Thirty-five games played, the most ever in school history. Nineteen of those were at home.
Booker Woodfox named Larry Bird Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year.
Wins over Dayton, St. Joseph’s, New Mexico, George Mason, Northern Iowa and two against Southern Illinois.
A chance to host Kentucky at the building which ranks 12th nationally in attendance (15,930 average).
Twelve returning players, including three starters for 2009-2010.
All right, glasses off.
This season ended on a sour note.
The Jays trailed by two with seven seconds left Monday night against Kentucky.
After a timeout, Woodfox popped open on the left side, took the pass and rose up a three.
All 16,984 in the Qwest Center held their breath.
For Jays fans, the exhale hurt.
“I thought he had it,” Dana Altman said. “We set it up for him. He’s made that shot so many times for us.”
But what a thrill ride this team took us on. A home opener that saw the Jays come from nine down with 3:30 left against New Mexico to win by seven. Two more wins before back-to-back, gut-wrenching losses on the road to Arkansas-Little Rock and Nebraska. The Jays followed that with a nine-game winning streak, beating St. Joe’s on the road, Dayton at home and winning the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic.
Conference play began with two wins, then a bad loss at Illinois State and home loss to eventual MVC co-champion Northern Iowa. Two more conference losses to Wichita State and Drake, then a 10-game winning streak that launched the Jays to their first MVC regular season championship since 2002.
Go to St. Louis and Woodfox nails a buzzer beater to beat the Shockers, my pick for favorite moment of the year.
We all know what happened the next day.
This campaign will be marked by what could have been. Conventional wisdom says if the Jays don’t give up the back-to-back buzzer beaters on the road, they end the season in the NCAA Tournament. The conference losses, especially the two drubbings by Illinois State, didn’t help any either.
Hit just three more free throws Monday and the Jays are hosting Notre Dame Wednesday with a trip to New York City on the line.
Now, we must turn our attention to the tremendous upside for next year.
Justin Carter, one of three returning seniors, took major strides against Kentucky and could have a POY-type season.
Antoine Young and Josh Jones could become like Harstad and Gallagher.
Kenny Lawson and Kenton Walker have their footwork down and will be beasts inside.
P’Allen Stinnett got over his early-season funk and should continue to be the emotional presence for the Jays, along with his highlight-reel dunks.
Korver, Harriman, Witter and Millard will welcome new recruits to the lineup as well.
As my Cubs-fan life has taught me, there’s always next year. I can’t wait ’til November.