10:17 p.m.: As he does every year, Creighton coach Dana Altman gathered his team around him Thursday afternoon and pointed to the Scottrade Center ceiling.
Banners hang from it, proclaiming the champions of past Missouri Valley tournaments. Creighton's name is listed 10 times, five more than any other school.
Altman goes through the little ritual to make sure his players sense what they're playing for when they take the court in the league tournament.
“I want our players to be proud of it,'' he said. “I want them to know what they're trying to represent. We've got a lot of former players coming back to this event. There is a little at stake here with our former players, our reputation.
“It's a great feeling to win this tournament. The teams that win this tournament remember it for a lifetime. It's a big-time tournament. I've watched it grow the last 15, 16 years. It's a heck of an event.
“I want our players to experience it. So we do talk about the past. Hopefully, our guys take pride in being part of it, and hopefully we'll figure out a way to get another one.''
Creighton begins its quest for another championship Friday at 2:35 p.m. when the Bluejays face Bradley in a quarterfinal game. A victory would be Creighton's 37th in tournament play. The Bluejays' 36-18 record is the best in league history.
This is the 20th season that the Valley has held its tournament in St. Louis. To recognize the milestone, the league had fans vote on the most memorable moments as well as a 20-year all-tournament team. The fans selected Kyle Korver as the top player in tournament history, and former Bluejays Nate Funk, Rodney Buford and Ryan Sears were also recognized on the 10-player all-star squad.
Funk's performance in leading Creighton to the 2007 championship was selected among the 20 most memorable moments. Two other Creighton-related moments — Bob Harstand's performance in the 1991 title game and Ryan Sears' all-around effort in the 2000 championship game — made the top eight.
“I'm not going to lie,'' Altman said. “I saw those and it felt really good. I hope it felt good for our fans. I know all of our players take a great deal of pride in that.''
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