Take your pick: Funk vs. Woodfox

[Banter Danny]

By Heath Gunderson

Welcome to a new feature here at BluejayBanter.com. It's called "take your pick." We are going to look at legends of the Creighton basketball program over the last 20 years and discuss who you would rather have on your Creighton roster if you could only have one of them. Today's installment is a battle between former guards Nate Funk and Booker Woodfox. Since Woodfox was a junior college transfer and only played two season for the Bluejays, we are just going look at both players' junior and senior seasons.

Let's start with the 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard from Sioux City, Iowa, Nate Funk. During his junior season, he led the Jays in scoring at 17.8 points per game and in rebounding with 5.1 rebounds per game. That season, Creighton finished with a 23-11 record, an MVC tournament title and another appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Creighton's season eventually ended in a loss to West Virginia in a game where Funk had 23 points and 6 rebounds. He was first-team all-MVC and runner-up for MVC Player of the Year. Funk also hit a game-winning shot to steal a victory on the road at Northern Iowa that season. He shot an impressive 51 percent from the field, 47 percent from 3-point range and 82 percent from the free throw line.

The next season Funk injured his shoulder diving for a loose ball at DePaul and would miss the next five games. He returned to play two conference games and then had season-ending shoulder surgery. He only played in six total games that season and was granted a medical redshirt. Even though his season was shortened, he did set his career high 38 points in a double-overtime win against Dayton at home, where he also hit the game-winning shot with 5.7 seconds left.

Funk led the Jays to a 22-11 record as a fifth-year senior in the 2006-07 season. The team won another MVC Tournament title and made another NCAA Tournament appearance. There, Funk scored 23 points in an overtime loss to Nevada. Overall, Funk's numbers dipped a little his senior season. Funk shot 48 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range. He did average 17.7 points per game, which is right on par with his junior season, but he only averaged 3.5 rebounds per game. Funk was once again named to the all-MVC team and was runner-up for MVC Player of the Year.

Booker Woodfox was a 6-foot-1, 185-pound guard from Texas who played for the Jays from 2007 through 2009. Woodfox averaged 9.6 points per game and 2.2 rebounds per game his junior season, when he came off the bench and won the MVC sixth man of the year. Creighton went 22-11 that season and eventually lost to Florida in the NIT. Woodfox shot 44 percent from the field, 42 percent from the 3-point line and 73 percent from the free throw line. Woodfox led the team with 56 3-pointers made and really played his best basketball toward the end of the season. Woodfox scored in double-figures in 14 of the last 15 games, even as he was coming off the bench.

Woodfox played even better his senior season and led the Jays to a 27-8 record ? this was the year the Jays disappointingly missed the NCAA Tournament and eventually lost to Kentucky in the NIT. However, Woodfox raised his shooting percentage from the field (48 percent), from 3-land (48 percent) and from the free throw line (87 percent). That season Woodfox would up his scoring average to 15.8 points per game and average 2.5 rebounds per game. He led the MVC in 3-point field goal shooting percentage and was named MVC Player of the Year as well as an honorable-mention All-American by the Associated Press. And who can forget that game-winning shot against Wichita State in the MVC tournament?

There you have it, one former Jay in Funk who led his team to two NCAA tournament appearances against an MVC Player of the Year in Booker Woodfox ? two of Creighton's best-eve jump shooters. So who would you take to be on your team if you could only have one? Why? Post your thoughts below.

This post was edited on 8/11 5:15 PM by Banter Danny

 

[ShooterU]

Both were great players that showed up big in clutch moments. The shot Funk made at the buzzer at UNI and of course the shot Booker hit against Wichita St at MVC tournament are shots I'll remember forever. That being said I will give the nod to Funk. Funk had a little bit more of an all around game could create his own shot and get to the rack a little more consistently. People also underestimate how good Funk was as a defender by the time he was a senior he really developed into a defensive stopper. Definitely two of my all time favorite Jays and can't go wrong in picking either of these guys.

 

[HuskerWisdom]

Two great players who I loved watching. I think there are circumstances where you would pick Woodfox (e.g., if you had a nice team built up and absolutely needed the best shooter available), but if I didn't know what the rest of the team was going to look like I'd take Funk. This is because of his versatility. He could play the 2 at a high level, but could also handle well enough to play the 1 and in some circumstances the 3 in an 3-guard lineup. He added more on the boards and defensively and that ability to play around the court and to play defense tips it to Funk as my choice.

 

[gtmoBlueUNCOMP]

Woodfox, for 3.

 

[Banter Tim]

This is one of many good match ups that Heath has for you.

This is a tough one for me and I think some don't remember just how good Booker was and how much he carried that team. I saw some tweets that said they would take Nate everyday and twice on Sundays. I think you are underestimating just how good Booker was, how he was at times unstoppable and forgetting the fact that he was MVP in the league during a time when there were some really good players--Osirus of Ill St comes to mind. I wonder where Booker would stand in the minds of CU fans had he made the last second shot against Kentucky. Two big game winners would have been tough to beat.

Nate had the most beautiful jump shot and really was an underrated rebounder. Some mention the game winner against UNI but he had several other chances where he did not come up big. There were a few other times where he did not make the best decisions. This match up is tough as Nate played all four years and Booker only two. Everyone talks about the Dayton game where Nate basically willed us to a win scoring 15 points in the two overtimes. But the game I think that stands out the most was his 33 points against Misouri State in the MVC semi finals--the year the Saturday session was sold out. That was an unbelievable performance and I can still hear the Jays fans chanting "MVP" as that game wore down. (I believe he lost that to Tatum of SIU that year)

It's a close one for me but I'm going with Nate. The area that put him over the top for me was his leadership-while not a loud rah rah guy, I can remember several instances where he showed leadership skills in making that team successful. But a good match up for the first of our many "take your pick"
This post was edited on 8/12 11:21 AM by Banter Tim

 

[banter heath]

I think this is a good matchup and what Booker did his senior year was very underrated.

Keep in mind that Booker won MVC Player of the Year his senior year and put up those great numbers while only averaging 25 minutes a game.

I think Defense and Rebounding go to Funk for sure but if I have to have one of those two take a big shot for Creighton I am taking Booker Woodfox every time.

 

[Mightyskid]

Except against Kentucky.....

 

[cujaysfan]

I'd take Nate - just because of his versatility and four year contributions - and that's no slighting of book wood.

it's kind of funny that while nate was a great shooter - he had a terrific mid-range game. and that while Booker was an outstanding shooter - he'll always be remembered for that mid-range-shocker-killing-1.9-second-dagger

also wanna point out that Funk got screwed out of MVC POY. i think he got hit with a jay backlash after korv dominated the awards for a couple of years.

 

[Jays03]

Gotta go with Nate on this one. My logic is while they both had great senior years Nate's junior year was way better then Booker's junior year.

 

[Banter Tim]

Screwed out of the MVP is a little strong CUjaysfan. While Nate was deserving Tatum had an exceptional year as well and was the best player on the team that won the MVC regular season. I too thought all along that Nate was better than Jamal, until about mid way through the senoir season. The more I warched of Tatum, the more I liked his game. If Nate just hits one of those last second shots in the NCAA's he would be one of CU's all time legends, right up there with Dougie, Korver, Portman,Silas, Buford and Harstad.

 

[banter heath]

Originally posted by Banter Tim:

Screwed out of the MVP is a little strong CUjaysfan. While Nate was deserving Tatum had an exceptional year as well and was the best player on the team that won the MVC regular season. I too thought all along that Nate was better than Jamal, until about mid way through the senoir season. The more I warched of Tatum, the more I liked his game. If Nate just hits one of those last second shots in the NCAA's he would be one of CU's all time legends, right up there with Dougie, Korver, Portman,Silas, Buford and Harstad.

And everyone is sweating Booker because he missed against Kentucky in the NIT. Don't get me wrong Nate Funk is one of my all time favorite Creighton players but he missed quite a few shots at the end of games and the ball was always in his hands. Dana would have him run the clock down and then try to take his guy one on one.

 

[bluejay4life]

I'm going to go with Nate, but it is only because of his versatility. If I needed an offensive spark plug on the team, then I would pick Booker every time. Nate's defense gives him the edge IMO. On an unrelated point, Dana always had Nate take the last shot at the end of games. But, I actually think that was a mistake. I watched Nick Porter be unstoppable on drives towards the end of that season. He would either get fouled or score. Yet, when it came to the last shot, Dana always had the ball in Nate's hand.

 

[banter heath]

Originally posted by bluejay4life:
I'm going to go with Nate, but it is only because of his versatility. If I needed an offensive spark plug on the team, then I would pick Booker every time. Nate's defense gives him the edge IMO. On an unrelated point, Dana always had Nate take the last shot at the end of games. But, I actually think that was a mistake. I watched Nick Porter be unstoppable on drives towards the end of that season. He would either get fouled or score. Yet, when it came to the last shot, Dana always had the ball in Nate's hand.

Agreed! Porter was pretty tough to stop but didn't have a very good jumper. I didn't mind so much Nate taking the shot but I wish they would've ran some sort of play at the end of games. Instead they just waited at the top of the key until the clock ran down and hoped Nate could take his guy. It was frustrating.