Men's Basketball Visits Cornhuskers on Sunday
12/2/2010 4:09:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game #8 • Creighton at Nebraska • Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 • 1:05 p.m.
Creighton Bluejays at Nebraska Cornhuskers
Bob Devaney Sports Center (13,595) • Lincoln, Neb.
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.bigsports590.com
Television: FSN Midwest/ESPN Full Court
Series History: Nebraska leads, 24-19
Last Meeting: Creighton won 67-61 in Omaha, Neb., on Dec. 6, 2009
Next Game
Creighton (4-3) renews its I-80 rivalry with Nebraska (5-2) on Sunday. Tip-off at the Bob Devaney Sports Center (13,595) in Lincoln, Neb., is set for 1:05 pm.
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“Big Sports 590” AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2010-11 season. T. Scott Marr and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.bigsports590.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Sunday's game will be televised by Fox Sports Midwest, with Greg Sharpe and Eric Piatkowski on the call. The game will also air on DirecTV channel 680 and Dish channel 447, and is also scheduled to be carried by ESPN Full Court.
Video Webcast Information
Sunday's game is scheduled to be carried on ESPN Full Court, which means that in most locations a video webcast of the game will be carried on ESPN3.com.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Stats tab on the left-hand side of the page for links the exact link.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
After a 3-0 start, Creighton has dropped three of its past four games to fall to 4-3 on the year. The Bluejays, picked fourth in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll, have outscored opponents 105-52 at the line through seven games.
Freshman forward Doug McDermott (15.1 ppg., 5.9 rpg.) is one of two players in the MVC to score in double-figures every game this winter. Recipient of the MVC Newcomer of the Week award each of the past three weeks, McDermott stated his case for a fourth straight honor with a 20 point, 12 rebound showing vs. No. 21 BYU on Wednesday.
Junior guard Antoine Young (14.4 ppg., 3.6 rpg., 4.0 apg.) has carried Creighton at times and leads the squad in assists, steals, three-pointers and free throws.
Preseason MVC Player of the Year Kenny Lawson Jr. is Creighton's force in the paint, averaging 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds on the season.
Off the bench, Wayne Runnels (5.9 ppg., 5.9 rpg.) and Jahenns Manigat (5.6 ppg.) provide energy and some firepower.
Scouting Nebraska
Nebraska is 5-2 on the young season, including a 4-0 mark at home. The Cornhuskers own wins over South Dakota, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Hofstra, USC and Jackson State, but lost neutral site games vs. Vanderbilt and Davidson.
Senior point guard Lance Jeter (10.0 ppg., 4.1 apg.) leads the team in scoring and assists.
Four of NU's next top-five scorers stand 6'9” or taller. Christian Standhardinger averages 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds, Jorge Brian Diaz averages 9.1 points and 3.7 rebounds, Brandon Ubel averages 7.0 points and 3.7 rebounds, while Andre Almeida averages 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest.
Nebraska scores 67.6 points per game while allowing just 57.0 per game. The Huskers shoot 49.7 percent from the floor, 32.7 percent from downtown and 69.6 percent at the stripe.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his first season as head coach at Creighton, but is no stranger to coaching in the state of Nebraska or in the Missouri Valley Conference. McDermott was hired in April after spending the previous four seasons as head coach at Iowa State (2006-10). He has also been a head coach at Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000).
McDermott owns a head coaching record of 284-198 in 17 seasons, a 153-134 mark in 10 Division I years and a 4-3 mark at Creighton.
He is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Steve Merfeld.
Kenneth “Doc” Sadler (Arkansas, 1982) owns a 75-60 mark in his fifth season with the Cornhuskers, moving his career record to 123-78 overall in seven seasons as a head coach. He is assisted by Chris Croft, Wes Flanigan and Tracy Webster.
The Series With Nebraska
Creighton has won nine of the past 11 regular-season match-ups, but Nebraska owns a 24-19 all-time lead in the series vs. Creighton. The Cornhuskers own a 15-5 edge in Lincoln all-time.
Creighton won four of the first seven meetings in the history of the series before a 45-year break where the in-state rivals did not play each other. The series has been played at least once each season since 1977 and is CU's longest running non-conference series by a landslide.
The home team has won each of the last five meetings in the series since Kellen Miliner's last-second shot helped Creighton beat the Huskers, 50-48, in 2004 in Lincoln. In fact, two of the past three meetings in Lincoln have been decided in the final two seconds.
Kenneth “Doc” Sadler is 2-2 all-time vs. Creighton.
Greg McDermott is 6-2 all-time vs. Nebraska, and also 6-2 against Sadler. McDermott has gone 2-2 in Lincoln against the Huskers.
Last Game Recap
BYU went on a 10-0 run after Creighton tied the game at 51, helping the No. 21 Cougars to a 77-65 victory at Qwest Center Omaha on Wednesday. Brandon Davies had a career-high 24 points, including BYU's final 13 points in the triumph. Creighton was paced by 20 points and 12 rebounds from freshman Doug McDermott.
Alumni Weekend Coming Up
Creighton will host its first men's basketball alumni weekend since 2003 next weekend in conjunction with the game vs. Saint Joseph's.
Below is a schedule of Saturday's events that are open to the public for those that are interested.
Saturday, Dec. 11
3:30 pm Alumni Basketball Game (D.J. Sokol Arena)
4:30 pm Getting Blue Pep Rally (D.J. Sokol Arena)
5:00 pm Pre-Game Party (Billy Blues Alumni Grill)
7:05 pm CU vs. St. Joseph's (Qwest Center Omaha)
Harstad To Be Honored Next Saturday
Already inducted into both the Creighton Athletics (2002) and Missouri Valley Conference (2008) Hall of Fame's, former Creighton men's basketball standout Bob Harstad will be honored during Creighton's Dec. 11 game vs. Saint Joseph's.
Harstad's jersey will be retired during a ceremony scheduled for halftime. The Loveland, Colo., native wore No. 30 during his career from 1987-91 with the Jays, but the number will still be available for current (such as Antoine Young) and future Bluejays to wear.
The only other previous players to have their jersey's retired in Creighton men's basketball history are Bob Portman (#33), Paul Silas (#35) and Bob Gibson (#45).
Harstad is one of only four MVC players -- Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson, Indiana State's Larry Bird and Wichita State's Xavier McDaniel -- to score 2,000 points (2,110) and grab 1,000 or more rebounds (1,126).
A first-team All-MVC choice from 1989 to 1991, he was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Player of the Year in 1990 and earned State Farm MVC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors in 1991.
He led CU to regular-season titles and postseason tournament crowns in 1989 and 1991. He also powered the Jays to two NCAA Tournament appearances and a win over New Mexico State in the first round in 1991.
BCS Bracket Buster
Some of Creighton's most thrilling victories in recent seasons have been against teams from the six major college football BCS Conferences. Creighton owns a 22-16 mark in the past 13 seasons.
Among CU's victims in that time have been Nebraska (10 times), DePaul (twice), Florida (twice), Iowa (twice), Baylor (twice), Oklahoma State (once), Notre Dame (once), Providence (once), Missouri (once) and Ohio State (once).
Nebraska Natives
Creighton owns five players from the state of Nebraska; Antoine Young (Bellevue), Josh Jones (Omaha), Taylor Stormberg (Omaha), Ross Ferrarini (Omaha) and Matt Dorwart (Sidney) are in-state products. Those five men have combined for 118 of Creighton's points.
Bluejay video coordinator Nathan Wieseler is also a Nebraska native, having grown up in North Platte, Neb.
Nebraska also has five student-athletes that hail from the state, though Ravenna native Drake Beranek is the only one who has scored.
Seeing Blue And Red
Sophomore guard Ross Ferrarini will become one of the rare individuals to see the Creighton/Nebraska rivalry from both sides.
Ferrarini spent his first year of college at Nebraska, redshirting for the Cornhuskers.
He then went to Creighton last fall, and was forced to sit out the season due to the transfer. This season, he has played in two games for the Bluejays, grabbing one rebound and missing a three-point try in four minutes of work.
The last former player to be associated with both sides of the Creighton/Nebraska men's basketball rivalry was Jake Muhleisen. Muhleisen played four seasons at Nebraska before becoming a graduate manager at Creighton.
Of course, the most prominent current basketball link between the two school's is on the women's basketball side, where Connie Yori runs the Husker program. She starred at Creighton from 1982-86 and later served as Creighton's head women's basketball coach from 1992-2002.
Keeping It Fresh
The 20 points scored by Doug McDermott on Wednesday vs. BYU were the most by a Bluejay freshman since Ethan Wragge scored 21 points against Xavier on Nov. 27, 2009.
Shades Of The Dynamic Duo
Doug McDermott's 20 points and 12 rebounds vs. No. 21 BYU on Wednesday were special numbers for any player, but even moreso considering he's just a freshman.
Creighton had not had a freshman record a double-double since Bob Harstad had 18 points and 13 rebounds at No. 14 Bradley on March 9, 1988.
The last Bluejay freshman to have at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in the same game was Chad Gallagher, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds vs. Nebraska-Kearney on Jan. 20, 1988.
In addition, McDermott joined both Harstad and Gallagher as the only Bluejay freshmen in the last 25 years to record a double-double within the team's first seven games of the year. Both Harstad and Gallagher did it early in their 1987-88 freshman campaigns.
Double Trouble
Before falling 65-52 to Northwestern on Sunday and 77-65 to No. 21 on BYU on Wednesday, it had been a while since Creighton had lost consecutive games, each by double-digits.
In fact, you'd have to go all the way back to the end of the 2000-01 season, when CU lost by 13 against Indiana State in the MVC Tournament semifinals, then by an identical amount in an NCAA Tournament setback to No. 24 Iowa.
Creighton seeks to avoid a streak of three straight losses by double-digits on Sunday, something it hasn't done since 1994-95.
Rare Losing Streak
Since 2000-01, Creighton has lost consecutive games on just 24 occasions (including the current skid), but only three of those streaks stretched to three or longer.
Creighton's last losing streak of four straight games was Dec. 23, 1999 - Jan. 6, 2000. That Creighton team finished 23-10 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Lawson Dominated Last Year
Last season saw Kenny Lawson Jr. dominate Creighton's 67-61 victory over Nebraska, as he finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. The big man made 7-of-13 shots from the floor and 11-of-12 free throws in the game.
On the other end of the floor, NU post players Ryan Anderson, Brandon Ubel, Jorge Brian Diaz and Quincy Hankins-Cole combined for 19 points total.
A Strong Fall
Creighton has already placed three teams into the NCAA Tournament during the 2010-11 school year, as Bluejay teams in women's soccer, men's soccer and women's volleyball have all made the “Big Dance” within the past month.
On a national basis, only 10 schools nationally can say this, an elite list that consists of Creighton, California, Duke, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio State, Penn, Penn State and UCLA.
All-Tournament Honors
Both Doug McDermott and Antoine Young were named to the All-Tournament Team of the recently completed Global Sports Hy-Vee Challenge.
McDermott averaged a team-high 15.0 points per game in the event, shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 9-for-9 at the line. He also added six assist, a steal and a block.
Young averaged 13.8 points per game and added 16 assists and seven steals. He shot 44.1 percent from the floor, 50 percent from three-point range and 79.2 percent at the line.
Iowa State won the event with a 4-0 record, while Creighton finished 3-1.
Iowa State's Diante Garrett was named tournament MVP, while Melvin Ejim (Iowa State), Cameron Jones (Northern Arizona) and Spencer Dixon (Kennesaw State) were also honored on the squad with McDermott and Young.
I Am Iron Man
Antoine Young logged all 40 minutes in last Sunday's game at Northwestern. He was the first Creighton player to play from tip to buzzer, without a rest, since Ryan Sears on March 15, 2001 vs. Iowa. Since then, Creighton had played 329 games.
Streaks Snapped By BYU
Creighton had won 36 straight Wednesday home games, including 23-0 all-time at Qwest Center Omaha, before losing to No. 21 BYU earlier this week. Creighton had not lost a home game on Wednesday since Jan. 12, 2000 vs. #19 Tulsa.
The loss to BYU also snapped Creighton's 26-game home win streak in non-conference regular-season games.
McDermott Chalks Up Third Straight Honor
Doug McDermott has been named MVC Newcomer of the Week for a third straight week.
In the eight-year history of the league, the only other player to claim three consecutive MVC Newcomer of the Week awards had been Bradley's Marcellus Sommerville in 2003-04.
Sommerville won the award six times during his debut season in the league. McDermott's three honors thus far are tied for second-most ever for an entire season with seven others, including former Bluejays Booker Woodfox and P'Allen Stinnett, as well as current Creighton Director of Basketball Operations Erik Crawford.
Ashford Waking Up
Darryl Ashford's nickname is “Sleepy”, but the senior from Houston opened some eyes with his play in his first two games after moving into the starting line-up.
In those initial two starts, Ashford averaged 15.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists while making 12-of-18 from the floor (66.7 percent) and 6-of-8 from downtown (75.0 percent).
Ashford tied his career-high with 17 points vs. Iowa State on Nov. 21, then had a career-high with six assists on Nov. 26 in a win over Kennesaw State.
Ashford was held scoreless in 28 minutes at Northwestern, though he did still contribute five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal.
He then had 12 points, tied his high with seven rebounds, and a career-best three blocked shots in a career-high 37 minutes vs. No. 21 BYU on Wednesday.
Toe The Line
Through games of last Sunday, Creighton ranked sixth nationally in free-throw percentage, making 79.8 percent of its shots at the line. A 10-for-12 showing on Wednesday vs. BYU upped that marksmanship to 80.2 percent.
Helping the improvement from last year's that shot 72.0 percent overall has been the marksmanship of freshmen Doug McDermott and Jahenns Manigat. Those two newcomers are a combined 21-for-21 at the stripe this season.
Rare Freshman Start
With his start on Nov. 12, Doug McDermott became the first Creighton freshman to start the season-opener since Ryan Sears in 1997-98. Sears would go on to earn MVC Freshman of the Year honors, starting all 124 games of his Bluejay career and remains the MVC's all-time leader with 283 steals. Sears also dished a Creighton-record 570 career assists.
Doubling Up From The Start
Doug McDermott has scored 10 or more points in all seven games this season. The last previous Creighton player to start a career with 10 or more points in each of Creighton's first seven games was Benoit Benjamin, who had eight in a row to start the 1982-83 campaign.
McDermott is the first Bluejay to score 10 or more in six straight games to start the season since then-sophomore Rodney Buford in 1996-97.
The only two players in the MVC with 10 or more points in every game this year are McDermott and Missouri State big man Will Creekmore.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest double-figure scoring streaks to start a season since 1979-80.
Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games
To Start Year, Since 1979-80
Consec. Name, Class Year
all 32 Vernon Moore, Sr. 1984-85
28 Benoit Benjamin, Jr. 1984-85
27 Bob Harstad, Sr. 1990-91
16 Rod Mason, Sr. 1987-88
13 Rodney Buford, Sr. 1998-99
12 Gary Swain, Sr. 1986-87
10 Chad Gallagher, Sr. 1990-91
9 Rodney Buford, So. 1996-97
8 Benoit Benjamin, Fr. 1982-83
8 Gregory Brandon, Sr. 1983-84
7 Jim Honz, Jr. 1979-80
7 Doug McDermott, Fr. 2010-11
An Impressive Start
Freshman forward Doug McDermott led all players with 18 points in his Nov. 4 exhibition debut, making 6-of-9 shots from the field and grabbing a team-high seven rebounds. His 18 points were the most by a Bluejay in their exhibition debut since Rodney Buford scored 24 points on Nov. 14, 1995 vs. Poznan (Poland).
McDermott was equally impressive on Nov. 12 vs. Alabama State, finishing with 16 points and seven rebounds on 7-of-13 shooting. McDermott's 16 points and seven rebounds made him the first Bluejay freshman since at least 1973 to have 15 or more points and five or more rebounds in the season-opener.
Below is a list of the most points after eight games by a Bluejay newcomer since 1993-94. Doug McDermott has scored 106 games through seven games thus far.
Most Points, Newcomer, First 8 Games Since 1993-94
Pts. Name, Class Year
119 Nate King, Jr. 1993-94
106 Doug McDermott, Fr. (thru 7) 2010-11
90 Ryan Sears, Fr. 1997-98
87 Rodney Buford, Fr. 1995-96
86 Tad Ackerman, Jr. 1994-95
86 P'Allen Stinnett, Fr. 2007-08
85 Terrell Taylor, Fr. 1999-00
81 Doug Swenson, Jr. 1997-98
81 Brody Deren, So. 2001-02
79 Darryl Ashford, Jr. 2009-10
76 Edward St. Fleur, Jr. 1995-96
65 Nick Porter, Jr. 2005-06
63 Ethan Wragge, Fr. 2009-10
High Octane Setback
Despite putting up 88 points vs. Iowa State on Nov. 21, Creighton still came up on the short end of the scoreboard. Prior to that, Creighton had won 37 straight games when scoring 88 points or more since losing on Feb. 12, 1994.
Fab Five
Creighton's starting line-up accounted for 86 of the team's 88 points on Nov. 21 vs. Iowa State. In fact, the only points off the bench came with 3:42 left on a Wayne Runnels putback.
All five of Creighton's starters had 12 points or more, becoming the first starting quintet in double-figures since Jan. 31, 2007 at Bradley.
Creighton's two bench points were its fewest since also scoring two bench points on Feb. 17, 2007 vs. Drexel.
Creighton's bench was much more effective on Friday vs. Kennesaw State, scoring 32 points against the Owls.
In Creighton's four wins, the bench has scored 95 points (23.8 ppg.), but in the three losses it's scored just 21 points (7.0 ppg.).
Big Men Can Shoot
One game after Kenny Lawson Jr. went 4-of-10 from three-point range vs. Iowa State, fellow center Wayne Runnels showed off his range vs. Kennesaw State.
Runnels drained his first career triple midway through the first half. Though it came in just his second attempt from downtown as a Bluejay, the senior did make 50 percent of his shots from long-range at the junior college level.
Helping Hands
Creighton dished 25 assists on its 29 made baskets on Friday vs. Kennesaw State, as seven players had multiple helpers.
It was the first time Creighton's had 25 assists in a game since Dec. 22, 2009 vs. Houston Baptist. In that game, Creighton also had exactly 25 assists on exactly 29 field goals.
Start of a Home & Home
This past Sunday's game was the first of a home-and-home series with Northwestern.
When Northwestern (as well as new Big Ten member Nebraska) play games at Creighton next season, it will be the first time that two current Big Ten schools will play at Creighton in the same season since 1939-40 (Michigan State on consecutive nights).
Big 10, Big 12, Big Time
Creighton plays two teams from the Big 12 Conference (Iowa State, Nebraska) and another from the Big Ten Conference (Northwestern) in 2010-11 this season, all away from home.
The last time the Jays played three Big Ten/Big 12 teams in pre-conference action was 2004-05. In that season, Creighton beat Missouri and Ohio State on a neutral floor and also won in Lincoln, Neb., against Nebraska.
Since 1997-98, Creighton is 14-5 against the Big 12 and 3-2 against Big Ten teams in regular-season play, including a combined 10 straight home wins against those two leagues.
'Tis The Season For Charity
Creighton has attacked the lane and the boards while racking up gaudy free throw numbers through seven games.
The Bluejays have shot 105-of-131 (80.2 percent) at the line through seven games, while its opponents are a combined 52-of-94 (55.3 percent) from the charity stripe.
All eight Creighton players with at least one attempt from the line are shooting 70.6 percent or better, quite an improvement from last year's team that shot 72.0 percent overall.
Triple Threats
The trio of Antoine Young, Kenny Lawson Jr. and Doug McDermott each scored in double-figures in each of Creighton's first four games this winter. No other Bluejay trio had done this in each of the first four games of a season since at least 1979-80.
Active Leader
Kenny Lawson Jr. leads all active Missouri Valley Conference players with 591 rebounds, 137 blocked shots and 95 games started.
He also ranks third on that list with 1,032 career points and became the 34th member of Creighton's 1,000 point club on Nov. 21 vs. Iowa State. The only active MVC players with more points than Lawson are Bradley teammates Sam Maniscalco (1,210) and Andrew Warren (1,144).
Below is a list of Creighton all-time scoring leaders, as well as how long it took the last 10 1,000 point scorers to reach that milestone.
Most Points, Creighton History
Rk. Pts. Name Years
1. 2,116 Rodney Buford 1995-99
2. 2,110 Bob Harstad 1987-91
3. 1,983 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
4. 1,876 Bob Portman 1966-69
5. 1,801 Kyle Korver 1999-03
6. 1,754 Nate Funk 2002-07
7. 1,682 Rick Apke 1974-78
8. 1,661 Paul Silas 1961-64
9. 1,654 Vernon Moore 1981-85
10. 1,575 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
11. 1,526 John C. Johnson 1975-79
12. 1,500 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
13. 1,437 Eddie Cole 1951-55
14. 1,369 Gene Harmon 1971-74
15. 1,361 Duan Cole 1987-92
16. 1,309 Ryan Sears 1997-01
17. 1,303 Elton Tuttle 1951-54
18. 1,272 Bob Gibson 1954-57
19. 1,267 Wally Anderzunas 1965-67, 1968-69
20. 1,254 Gary Swain 1983-87
21. 1,238 Ben Walker 1997-01
22. 1,196 Ray Yost 1951-54
23. 1,172 Dick Harvey 1956-59
24. 1,152 Dane Watts 2004-08
25. 1,116 Kenny Evans 1982-87
26. 1,115 Doug Brookins 1972-75
1,115 Daryl Stovall 1978-82
28. 1,093 Tim Powers 1964-67
29. 1,050 Reggie Morris 1982-86
30. 1,032 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pr.
31. 1,031 Johnny Mathies 2003-06
32. 1,024 P'Allen Stinnett 2007-10
33. 1,023 Rod Mason 1986-88
34. 1,004 Anthony Tolliver 2003-07
Games To 1,000 Points, Last 10 Bluejays
Name Games to 1,000 pts. Date
Kenny Lawson Jr. 108 11/21/10
P'Allen Stinnett 86 01/16/10
Dane Watts 115 01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver 124 03/16/07
Johnny Mathies 91 03/03/06
Nate Funk 92 02/28/05
Kyle Korver 81 01/30/02
Ben Walker 105 01/06/01
Ryan Sears 97 12/01/00
Rodney Buford 59 03/01/97
Lawson Up For Senior CLASS Award
Senior center Kenny Lawson Jr. is one of 30 candidates nationwide for the Senior CLASS Award. The award – presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year in 10 sports – focuses on the “Four C's” of classroom, character, community and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season and complete college education brings.
Lawson is the one of two MVC men's athletes named this year (joining Bradley guard Dodie Dunson), but the fourth Creighton candidate since 2003. Kyle Korver was a finalist for the award in 2003, while Anthony Tolliver was a finalist in 2007. Both were also named Senior CLASS All-Americans. In addition, Dane Watts was a candidate in 2008 but did not advance to the final stage.
Creighton, which also has Sam Schuett as a candidate for the women's award, is one of just five schools nationally (Creighton, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Lehigh and Duke) with a candidate on both the men's and women's side.
The 2011 men's candidate class includes three CoSIDA Academic All-Americans from a year ago, nine student-athletes on the preseason watch list for the John R. Wooden Award, 16 players with grade point averages of 3.0 and above and eight from teams ranked in the Associated Press preseason top 25. It also includes 2010-11 Creighton opponents Dodie Dunson (Bradley), Jimmer Fredette (BYU) and Cameron Jones (Northern Arizona).
Third Time's A Charm
Creighton has won each of its first three home games in 15 of the past 16 years, including this season.
Creighton's Nov. 17 win over Louisiana was the 17th straight season that the Jays won their third home game of the year.
Lawson Moves Up The Charts
With 11 points vs. Alabama State on Nov. 12, Kenny Lawson Jr. became the seventh player to score 500 or more points at Qwest Center Omaha. Lawson, who now stands at 539, ranks fifth in Qwest Center Omaha scoring history. Nate Funk holds the facility record with 735 career points.
Lawson (300 rebounds) also ranks in second place on the Qwest Center Omaha rebound list, trailing only Dane Watts (351).
Lawson had two blocks on Nov. 17 vs. Louisiana, giving him 72 in his career at Qwest Center Omaha. That's a facility record, one more than the former mark held by Anthony Tolliver. The top shot blockers in Bluejay history (at all sites) are listed below:
Most Blocked Shots, Creighton History
Blk. Name Years
411 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
183 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
138 Brody Deren 2001-04
137 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pres.
136 Anthony Tolliver 2003-07
The Four-Point Play
Few plays in basketball are as rare as the four-point play, which happen only when a player is fouled while making a three-point shot and then hits the ensuing free throw.
On Nov. 14 against Northern Arizona, senior Kaleb Korver did it midway through the first half. He became the first Bluejay to do record a four-point play since P'Allen Stinnett did it at Dayton on Nov. 14, 2009.
Before Stinnett's magic, Creighton had not had a player convert a four-point play in a regular-season game since Johnny Mathies vs. Evansville on Jan. 22, 2006.
According to Harvey Pollack's NBA Statistical Yearbook, Kaleb's older brother, Kyle Korver, has just three four-point plays to his credit in his eight-year NBA career.
Qwest To Be The Best, 101 Times Over
Creighton has played 120 regular and postseason contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time in its eight seasons at the facility.
The Bluejays own a 101-19 (.842) record all-time at the facility, including a 23-1 figure on Wednesday's, a 6-0 mark on Thursday's and a 3-0 mark on Friday's.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 8,842-7,502 in games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.2 points per game. The 19 losses have been by a combined 111 points (5.8 ppg.). Creighton has led wire-to-wire 25 different times.
Creighton's win on Nov. 17 vs. Louisiana was its 100th all-time at the facility, coming in just 118 games. By comparison, Creighton needed 138 games to reach 100 wins at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Big Shoes To Fill
Creighton's Greg McDermott replaced the school's all-time wins leader, Dana Altman, who was named head coach at Oregon in April. The winningest coach in school history, Altman was 327-176 in 16 years at Creighton, leading the program to seven NCAA Tournaments and 13 straight postseason bids.
Altman's win total ranks third in Missouri Valley Conference history and he was named coach of the Missouri Valley Conference's All-Centennial Team in 2007.
First Time Since 1921
It might seem hard to believe given the lineage of Creighton coaches (such as Eddie Sutton, Tony Barone, Dana Altman, Red McManus, Tom Apke, etc...) through the years, but Creighton's Nov. 17 night's win over Louisiana made Greg McDermott the first Creighton coach to start 3-0 on the Bluejay sidelines since 1921.
The only other men to start their Creighton careers 3-0 were the school's first three coaches. Thomas E. Mills started 6-0 in 1916-19, Eddie Mulholland started 5-0 in 1920-21, and after Mulholland abruptly resigned mid-season, Charles Kearney took over and was 3-0 before taking his first loss.
Doubling Up
Wayne Runnels had Creighton's first double-double of the season with his 17 point, 10 rebound performance on Nov. 14 vs. Northern Arizona. It was the senior's first double-double of his Creighton career.
Nov. 17 vs. Louisiana, senior Kenny Lawson Jr. had a double-dip with 15 points and 11 rebounds. It was the eighth double-double of Lawson's career. Lawson had his second double of the year (and ninth career) on Sunday with 11 points and 12 rebounds at Northwestern.
Doug McDermott became the third Bluejay along the front line to notch a double-double, when he had 20 points and 12 rebounds vs. BYU on Dec. 1.
Quick Starts Key To Playing in Postseason
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 11 of the past 13 seasons, including this season. Each of Creighton's last 11 3-0 starts have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Father/Son Duo
Doug McDermott is the only player in Creighton men's basketball history to play for his father, head coach Greg McDermott. The previous closest relationship between a player/coach had been when Rick Apke (1974-78) played for his older brother, head coach Tom Apke (1974-81).
Return Of The Mac
Greg McDermott is the 10th MVC head coach to coach at two different league schools and first since Ken Hayes got hired away from Tulsa to go to New Mexico State in 1975.
He is the first to go to a different league and coach there, then come back to the MVC.
McDermott went 90-63 in five years at Northern Iowa from 2001-06, advancing to the NCAA Tournament each of his final three seasons.
Preseason MVC Poll
Creighton has been picked fourth in the preseason poll of MVC coaches, SID's and media. Wichita State was a near-unanimous pick to win the league, garnering 33-of-39 first-place votes and 382 points overall.
Missouri State was second with 313 points and one first-place vote.
Northern Iowa (289, 1 first-place vote), Creighton (282) and Bradley (264, 2) rounded out the upper half of the league.
In sixth was Illinois State (165), where it was followed by Indiana State (136), Drake (120), Southern Illinois (120) and Evansville (73).
Creighton senior Kenny Lawson Jr. is one of five men on the preseason all-MVC team. He's joined on the team by UNI's Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Wichita State's Toure' Murry, Bradley's Sam Maniscalco and Missouri State's Kyle Weems.
Lawson was also named Preseason MVC Player of the Year. He is the third Bluejay to be honored since 2001, joining Kyle Korver (2002-03) and Nate Funk (2006-07).
Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns four starters (Kenny Lawson Jr., Antoine Young, Darryl Ashford and Casey Harriman) from last year's team that finished 18-16.
Creighton's roster contains players who made 123 starts a year ago, the first time the Jays have returned 120 or more starts since the 2006-07 team that was also the program's most recent to reach the NCAA Tournament.
Returning Returning Starts Final
Year Starters From Previous Year W-L
2010-11 4 123 ? ? ?
2009-10 3 106 18-16
2008-09 3 83 27-8
2007-08 1 44 22-11
2006-07 4 120 22-11
2005-06 4 134 20-10
2004-05 2 58 23-11
2003-04 3 101 20-9
2002-03 5 159 29-5
2001-02 2 65 23-9
2000-01 3 90 24-8
1999-00 3 84 23-10
1998-99 3 84 22-9
1997-98 4 72 18-10
1996-97 4 126 15-15
1995-96 4 100 14-15
1994-95 2 52 7-19
1993-94 3 73 7-22
1992-93 2 64 8-18
1991-92 2 51 9-19
1990-91 4 132 24-8
1989-90 4 127 21-12
1988-89 4 123 20-11
1987-88 3 83 16-16
1986-87 2 65 9-19
1985-86 1 48 12-16
1984-85 4 124 20-12
1983-84 3 72 17-14
1982-83 3 77 8-19
1981-82 2 78 7-20
1980-81 4 112 21-9
Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 11 of the last 12 seasons, an unprecedented feat in Missouri Valley Conference history that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
Just five schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 12 years: Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse.
Creighton is one of six schools with 20 or more wins in 11 of the past 12 years. That list consists of Creighton, Kent State, Kentucky, Texas, Utah State and Xavier.
That's better than traditional powers Arizona, Connecticut, Memphis and Michigan State (10 each), ahead of Pittsburgh and Wisconsin (9 each) and even better than Louisville (8).
Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception.
Creighton has six players from Iowa on this season's team, continuing a long trend of relying on some of the Hawkeye State's top preps. CU's native Iowans this season include seniors Casey Harriman (Ida Grove) and Kaleb Korver (Pella) as well as redshirting sophomore Grant Gibbs (Marion) and freshmen Doug McDermott (Ames), Kody Ingle (Altoona) and Will Artino (Waukee).
Other past notable Iowans include Kyle Korver and Pierce Hibma (Pella), Ryan Sears (Ankeny), Brody Deren (Harlan), Tyler McKinney (Urbandale), Nate Funk (Sioux City) and Michael Lindeman (Iowa Falls).
Creighton has played at least one Iowa native in 518 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in a league-best 542 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. That's the longest active streak in the MVC.
10 Conference Wins x 14
Last season's Creighton team extended its MVC record by winning 10 or more league games for a 14th consecutive season.
On a national basis, the only other current school with at least 14 straight years of 10 or more league wins is Kansas (16).
Postseason x 13
Creighton has made the postseason in 13 consecutive seasons, the longest streak of postseason bids in MVC history.
The only 10 schools to make the postseason in each of the last 13 years are Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Oklahoma State and Syracuse.
Full House
Creighton averaged 14,495 fans per game, which ranked 15th nationally, in 2009-10. Creighton averaged 15,883 in 15 games at Qwest Center Omaha before two CIT crowds below 5,000 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium dropped the average precipitously.
Creighton has now finished in the top-15 of the national attendance leaders in each of the last four seasons.
2009-10 Attendance Leaders (FINAL)
Rk. School Average
1. Kentucky 24,111
2. Syracuse 22,152
3. Louisville 19,397
4. Tennessee 19,168
5. North Carolina 17,786
6. Wisconsin 17,230
7. Maryland 16,792
8. Memphis 16,498
9. Kansas 16,433
10. Marquette 15,617
11. Indiana 15,296
12. Illinois 14,870
13. Michigan State 14,759
14. Texas 14,629
15. Creighton 14,495
16. Ohio State 14,181
Highest Season Home Attendance, MVC History
Home Att. School Year
302,676 Creighton 2008-09
276,000 Creighton 2007-08
246,419 Creighton 2009-10
236,313 Creighton 2005-06
222,728 Creighton 2006-07
192,258 Creighton 2003-04
191,440 Louisville 1974-75
Highest Average Attendance, MVC History
Avg. Att. School Year
15,930 Creighton 2008-09
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
15,333 Creighton 2007-08
14,495 Creighton 2009-10
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
Jays Sweep Weekly Awards
Creighton swept the weekly awards handed out by the Missouri Valley Conference on Nov. 15, as Antoine Young was named MVC Player of the Week and Doug McDermott named MVC Newcomer of the Week.
Young averaged 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game in wins over Alabama State and Northern Arizona. He opened the year with 21 points against ASU while also grabbing a career-high seven rebounds. He scored the first four points and assisted a three-pointer in the 11-0 second half run that gave Creighton the lead for good. On Nov. 14, he had 11 points, four rebounds, three steals and three assists in a win over NAU.
McDermott averaged 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in his first weekend of play. He began his career with 16 points and seven rebounds against Alabama State, becoming the first freshman to start the opener since 1997-98. He then had 10 points in Creighton's 74-70 win over Northern Arizona.
McDermott repeated his honors on Nov. 22 after averaging 14.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in two games.
McDermott won his third straight award on Nov. 29 after averaging 16.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game vs. Kennesaw State and Northwestern, shooting 70 percent (14-20) from the floor.
McDermott is the second player in history to be named MVC Newcomer of the Week in three straight weeks, joining former Bradley star Marcellus Sommerville in 2003-04.
Consistent Challengers
Nine of Creighton's last 13 teams have finished either first or second in The Valley's regular-season race. Two of the four that didn't won the MVC Tournament.
The Bluejays won the MVC in 2000-01 and tied for the title in 2001-02 and 2008-09. CU was second in the MVC in 1997-98 and 2006-07, tied for second in the MVC in 1998-99, 2003-04 and 2005-06, and finished tied for third in 2004-05. The 1999-00 club was fourth in the MVC, but won the MVC Tournament.
Creighton's MVC Finishes, Last 13 Years
1st Place 2000-01
Tied for First 2001-02 (won MVC Tourn.), 2008-09
2nd Place 1997-98, 2002-03 (won MVC Tourn.), 2006-07 (won MVC Tourn.)
Tied for 2nd 1998-99 (won MVC Tourn.), 2003-04, 2005-06
Tied for 3rd Place 2004-05 (won MVC Tourn.)
4th Place 1999-00 (won MVC Tourn.); 2007-08; 2009-10
Learning From Past Losses
Creighton heads into the 2010-11 season looking to rebound from a quarterfinal round loss to Bradley in the 2010 MVC Tournament.
Each of Creighton's previous three quarterfinal round losses (1998, 2004, 2006) saw the Bluejays claim the Arch Madness crown the following spring.
Creighton's six conference tournament titles in the past 12 years trail only Gonzaga, Duke and Winthrop nationally.
Foreign Invasion
Creighton has a pair of foreigners on the roster for just the third time in school history with Canadian Jahenns Manigat and Venezuelan Gregory Echenique. Echenique is the nation's only returning Venezuelan who also played NCAA ball last season.
The last pair of simultaneous international teammates at Creighton was Brice Nengsu (Cameroon) and Manny Gakou (France) from 2005-07.
Creighton's other international players on record include Livan Pyfrom (1999-2001, Bahamas), Nerijus Karlikanovas (1998-2000, Lithuania) and Colin Lubsey (1992-93, Australia)
Team of the Decade?
Below is the records for each MVC school since the start of the 2000-01 season, ranked by overall winning percentage. Creighton leads the MVC overall with 228 wins in the decade, as well as 10 postseason appearances:
MVC Standings (2000-01 to end of 2009-10)
MVC only All Games
Team W L Pct. W L Pct.
Creighton 125 55 .694 228 98 .699
Southern Illinois 124 56 .689 217 108 .668
Northern Iowa 99 81 .550 186 130 .589
Wichita State 95 85 .528 181 137 .569
Missouri State 93 87 .517 181 138 .567
Bradley 87 93 .483 170 152 .528
Illinois State 86 94 .478 168 142 .542
Drake 76 104 .422 149 157 .487
Indiana State 59 121 .328 124 183 .404
Evansville 56 124 .311 110 184 .374
Postseason Appearances by MVC Teams
(Since 2000-01)
Team NCAA NIT CBI CIT Total
Creighton 5 4 0 1 10
Southern Illinois 6 1 0 0 7
Wichita State 1 4 1 0 6
Northern Iowa 5 0 0 0 5
Bradley 1 2 1 1 5
Missouri State 0 3 0 1 4
Illinois State 0 4 0 0 4
Indiana State 1 0 1 0 2
Drake 1 0 0 1 2
Evansville 0 0 0 1 1
Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton has won 68 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has also won 44 straight games when scoring 90 points or more, dating to Jan. 11, 1988.
Creighton has won 15 straight when scoring 100 points or more, dating to Feb. 26, 1977.
Last Season Recap
Creighton finished 18-16 on the season, winning a pair of games in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament before falling in the semifinals. Creighton's 10-8 league mark was good for fourth place, the Jays 13th straight year of a fourth-place finish or better.
Individually, Kenny Lawson Jr. was a second-team all-MVC pick and led the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. Justin Carter ranked second on the team in both scoring and rebounding, while Antoine Young topped the team in assists and steals.
Academically Tops In The MVC Too
For the sixth time in the eight-year existence of the award, Creighton University has been recognized with the 2009-10 MVC All-Academic Award. Bluejay student-athletes posted a 3.33 cumulative grade-point average over the 2009-10 academic calendar. Creighton previously shared the award in 2003-04, and were the outright winners in 2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09.
Creighton had four men's basketball players earn Dean's List (3.50 GPA or better) accolades last year; Matthew Dorwart, Kaleb Korver, Derek Sebastian and Taylor Stormberg.
NBA Jays
Kyle Korver and Anthony Tolliver give Creighton a pair of alums in the NBA for the third straight year.
Korver plays for the Chicago Bulls and is in his eighth year in the NBA, including previous stops in Philadelphia and Utah.
Tolliver plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves and is in his third year in the NBA, including previous stops with Cleveland, San Antonio, New Orleans, Portland and Golden State.
Creighton has now had an NBA player in 27 of the last 28 years, and 44 of 47 seasons since 1964-65.
Shuttle Service Provided Again
Chief Bus will provide complimentary shuttle service from the Creighton University campus to Qwest Center Omaha for all men's basketball home games this season. The service is available to all fans, not just Creighton students.
The shuttle will start 75 minutes before tip-off and shuttles will continue to operate the route during the game. The three designated stops for pick-up around the CU campus are: 24th & California (nearside/southbound); 20th & Cass (nearside/eastbound) and at Billy Blues Alumni Grill (outside the Mike & Josie Harper Center in the turnaround which is on the east side of the building).
The shuttle will then go eastbound on Capitol Avenue and then go north up 10th Street for drop-off at the Qwest Center Omaha convention center entrance. The route is designed for each shuttle driver to make a roundtrip every 15 minutes.
Following the game's conclusion, the shuttle will start at the Qwest Center Omaha convention center entrance on 10th Street and loop the original route with the first of three stops at 24th & California Streets.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2010-11 season went on sale on November 1st at 10 am.
Fans can purchase tickets in advance at Qwest Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any game and cost is $12 for adults and $8 for youth ages 3-18 (children two and under are free).
For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
