Basketball: Creighton senior content to make plays

The pass that zipped between two defenders to a wide-open player underneath the basket caused an observer to do a double take.

Did Justin Carter just laser that one home?

“It's about making plays,'' the Creighton senior said proudly.

Carter did a lot of things for the Bluejays last season, his first at Creighton. He led the team in rebounds with a 5.5 average. He scored 8.1 points a game, 9.1 in league games. He brought some much-needed toughness to a team that too often liked to depend on finesse.

What the 6-foot-4 Carter didn't show last season was the kind of slick passing he's displaying in summer pickup games. He did finish tied for third last season in assists (62) but most came by following coach Dana Altman's credo of simple plays.

At a recent pickup session, there was nothing simple about some of the passes he threw to teammates. Carter connected on a half-court-length bounce pass to a teammate on a fast break. He repeatedly slipped the ball inside to open teammates, sometimes completing the hookup with sleight-of-hand precision.

Carter said he's looking forward to showing off his passing skills as he shifts from playing power forward to being more of a small forward-big guard this season. He grew up playing a swing role but took on a more inside presence last season to fill needs the Bluejays had up front.

Creighton brought in two players — junior-college transfer Wayne Runnels and incoming freshman Ethan Wragge — who are physically better suited for the forward spot. Runnels, the all-time leading rebounder at Northern Oklahoma College, stands 6-6 and weighs 215. Wragge is 6-8 and 215, and reminds outsiders of former Bluejay Dane Watts with his mix of inside-outside skills.

Creighton also returns 6-8 Chad Millard, whose skill-set is more suited to the forward spot but who might have to spend a lot of his time backing up Kenny Lawson at center.

Regardless, there appears an opportunity for Carter to get more time at the wing spot in Creighton's offense.

“I'm behind that 100 percent,'' Carter said. “I'm feeling more comfortable at that spot. It gives me a chance to score a little more, to make more plays and still maintain what I've done here already.

“Last year, I just tried to work hard and do whatever Coach asked me to do to fulfill the role we needed. Moving to the wing spot will give me a chance to get back on the open floor, and I like that idea.''

For his part, Altman is a bit more non-committal when asked if Carter is going to be seeing more time on the perimeter than in the paint.

“I don't know if where guys are playing now will be where they wind up next season,'' he said. “There are a lot of things that will be decided in September and October. This is a team that is going to be a work in progress, especially early as we try to figure out how to make up for the loss of Booker and Josh.''

Booker Woodfox and Josh Dotzler are the two starters lost from last season's 27-8 team. Woodfox led the Bluejays in scoring (15.8 points per game) while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from 3-point range. Dotzler, a three-year starter, was among the national leaders in assists-to-turnovers ratio (3.5-to-1) while leading the Bluejays with 121 assists.

Creighton will be looking to P'Allen Stinnett, Lawson and Carter to take up some of the scoring slack left by Woodfox's departure. Stinnett finished second in scoring last season with a 12.5 average, while Lawson was third at 8.5.

Carter was a highly productive scorer as a sophomore at Fullerton College, averaging 20.4 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the field and 47 percent from 3-point range. He struggled offensively early last season but came on during the second half of the season.

“It was a matter of getting comfortable,'' Carter said.

In order to improve his game, Carter is trying to add a degree of difficulty to his pickup work as he often guards Cavel Witter, one of Creighton's quickest players. The matchup benefits both players, Witter said.

“He's going to have to guard someone quicker, and that's me in general,'' Witter said. “I'm going to have to guard someone bigger, and that's him in general. We're making each other better.''

Creighton has a glut of guards and wing players, but the Bluejays don't exactly have one similar to Carter.

“Last year, Justin had to go down low and bang because that's what we needed him to do,'' Witter said. “But we all know he's a guard. He's a guard who can rebound really well. Man, can he ever rebound. That would be a big bonus for us, having a big guard who could really hit the boards.''

Contact the writer:

679-2298, steve.pivovar@owh.com