12:59 a.m.: Catching up on some basketball-related items in between hours of research for The World-Herald’s book on Rosenblatt Stadium and counting the seconds until tip-off for the CIT game:

• Gregg Marshall doesn’t forget. Marshall has done a commendable job in his three seasons at Wichita State, taking the Shockers from losing in the Missouri Valley tournament play-in round his first season to playing for the championship in his third.

The Shockers’ second trip to St. Louis ended last season when Creighton’s Booker Woodfox made a buzzer-beating shot to beat Wichita State in the quarterfinals. Marshall still contends that time should had expired before Woodfox got his shot off after Creighton inbounded the ball with 1.9 seconds to play.

Marshall made mention of that, as well as his ejection for getting two technical fouls in the 2008 loss, in discussing his program’s progress following Sunday’s loss to Northern Iowa in the title game.

“Well, I think it's better than losing in the first round,’’ Marshall said. “Let's see, first year, I'm kicked out for spinning around on a knee without saying a word. That is pretty much the low point.

“Second year, we have the clock debacle. Everyone runs off the court, including the referees, and they’re asked to come back. We put more time on the clock and we lose in the quarterfinals on a great shot from Booker Woodfox after two dribbles and a ham sandwich.’’

“Then this year, we were able to win two games and get to the finals, so I think we’re making strides. I’ll take it. It’s a big improvement.’’

• Speaking of Woodfox, the former Bluejay is playing in Lebanon. He joined the Sagesse club in early February, and scored 25 points in one of his first games.

Before heading overseas, Woodfox had played briefly for Fort Wayne and Erie of the National Basketball Association’s Development League.

• Kyle Korver’s sense of humor is as keen as his shooting touch.

According to the Salt Lake Deseret News, Korver’s Utah Jazz teammate, Kyrylo Fosenko was unaware the Korver left the team last Friday to travel to St. Louis, where the former Creighton All-American was inducted into the Valley’s Hall of Fame.

Korver flew to St. Louis on a private jet following Utah’s game Thursday night. He stuck around long enough to watch brother Kaleb and Creighton play Bradley in the quarterfinals, then flew back to Salt Lake on a commercial flight.

Teammates welcomed Korver back at the team’s shootaround on Saturday.

“Fes didn’t know I was gone,’’ Korver said. “Everyone was saying, ‘Congratulations,’ and I told him I got married.’’

Fesenko apparently believed the joke. And Korver couldn’t stop laughing while repeating Fesenko’s stunned response in his version of a Ukrainian accent.

“He’s like (enter accent here), ‘Oh, I did not know!’ ’’ Korver said, busting up. “So for like 10 minutes (more fake accent), ‘I cannot believe you got married, Kyle.’ ’’

Korver finally ‘fessed up to Fes that he didn’t tie any knots.

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