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
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