Creighton guard P'Allen Stinnett says he has worked hard during the offseason at trying to become a better teammate and developing the maturity that could make him an improved player on the court.

Having read that, a segment of the Creighton fan base will pause, roll their eyes and say, “Heard that before.''

Perhaps this is the season those fans can start believing Stinnett.

“He's changed, on and off the court,'' teammate Kaleb Korver said. “There are times when everyone is going to have their little immaturity. But he's made a real step. He's not late to things, and he's trying to become more involved with the team.

“On the court, if you make a good pass to him, he'll let you know. He talks a lot more, and he's not as negative. If he makes a mistake, he'll take the blame. He's just much more mature.

Stinnett's coach, Dana Altman, has seen greater focus and commitment from the 6-foot-3 junior from Las Vegas.

“I think it will be seen in the regular season whether he's matured and made a big step,'' Altman said. “But he has worked harder on the weights. He's showing more focus and intensity in drills.

“He still lets some things bother him that shouldn't, but I think that's all part of the process.''

Stinnett has been a tantalizing mix of talent and turmoil since arriving on campus two seasons ago. He became the first freshman to lead the Bluejays in scoring since Rodney Buford in 1995-96, averaging 12.6 points and 1.6 steals during the 2007-08 season. He swept the Missouri Valley Conference freshman and newcomer of the year awards.

He also got tagged with four technical fouls, including one for throwing his mouthpiece during a Valley tournament game.

Last season, Stinnett finished second on the team in scoring with a 12.5 average and earned second-team All-Valley honors. He scored a career-high 30 points in helping Creighton rally in a season-opening win over New Mexico and had 29 points in a victory over Southern Illinois. He played hurt most of the second half of the season, refusing to let torn cartilage in his knee and a hernia force him out of the lineup.

He also had seven games in which he scored six points or fewer and in which he shot a combined 10 of 50 from the field. Altman held him out of an early season game with Nebraska for disciplinary reasons, and Stinnett picked up another three technicals during the season.

“I thought I had an outstanding freshman season,'' Stinnett said, “but last year I kind of let myself down, my team down and the fans as well.''

He wants to avoid a rerun this season. That's why Stinnett said he worked as hard during the offseason on harnessing his emotions as refining his jump shot.

Stinnett, who turned 22 last Thursday, said his goal this season is to be a complete player, and not just on the court.

“I'm focusing on giving myself to the team more,'' he said. “I did a little self-evaluation and talked to my teammates and coaches. I knew what I had to work on.

“It's more about wanting at this point. I want this to be a great team, and I realized I had to change some things, like my attitude. With that comes a great deal of focus and dedication.”

Stinnett knows that his good intentions haven't been tested in the fire of competition that the season will bring. Any adversity the Bluejays have faced in the first five days of preseason practice pales in comparison to what might happen a month from now.

“I'm making baby steps right now,'' he said. “I'm planning on nipping adversity in the bud so that when adversity does come during the season, I'll be prepared for it.''

One of the questions facing Creighton this season is whether this will be Stinnett's breakout season, the one when he consistently performs at a level that fulfills the potential that made him one of the Bluejays' most highly regarded recruits.

“I guess we'll just have to wait and see,'' Stinnett said, laughing. “I'm approaching this like I want it to be (a breakout season). I want to take the next step.''

Stinnett's teammates are hoping that he does.

“This definitely has the potential be a breakout season for him,'' Korver said. “It's all up to him. It's not just as easy as saying he wants it to happen. He has to continue to make steps every day.

“This is a process, not a one-and-done deal. If he does work at it, it's going to make us a better team.''

Contact the writer:

679-2298, steve.pivovar@owh.com

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