Men's Basketball Hosts Bradley on Wednesday
1/17/2011 6:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game #20 • Bradley at Creighton • Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011 • 7:05 p.m.
Bradley Braves at Creighton Bluejays
Qwest Center Omaha (17,260) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.bigsports590.com
Television: NET Nebraska (Nebraska); WTVP (Peoria)
Series History: Creighton leads, 41-40
Last Meeting: Bradley won 81-62 on March 5, 2010 in St. Louis, Mo.
Next Game
Creighton (12-7, 4-3 MVC) returns home to host Bradley (6-12, 0-7 MVC) in the first meeting between the schools since the 2010 MVC Tournament quarterfinals.
Wednesday's game will tip at 7:05 pm and take place at Qwest Center Omaha (17,260) in Omaha, Neb.
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 Brody Deren will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.bigsports590.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Wednesday's game against Bradley will air statewide on NET and NET-HD (Cox Channel 12 and 712 in Omaha), as well as on ESPN Full Court. Kevin Kugler and Nick Bahe will announce.
Broadcast outlets still needing coordinates will need to contact NET for authorization. Out-of-town sports bars and homes are best off getting the game off the ESPN Full Court feed.
Video Webcast Information
A free video webcast of Wednesday's game will be available. Fans can go to http://netnebraska.org/television/stream to view the NET-HD broadcast on-line, as well as 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.
Updates are also provided on the athletic department's Twitter page (@gocreighton).
Scouting Creighton
Creighton has a new coach, but the winning ways that became common in the last decade have been continued under Greg McDermott. This year's edition is off to an 12-7 start, including a 4-3 league record that already includes Valley road wins at Illinois State, Southern Illinois and Evansville.
Freshman forward Doug McDermott (13.4 ppg., 6.9 rpg.) leads Creighton in both scoring and rebounding this season. He was named recipient of the MVC Newcomer of the Week award each of the first four weeks this season, as well as January 3rd. He's been in double-figures in 15 of 19 contests to date, including three double-doubles.
Junior guard Antoine Young (12.9 ppg., 3.0 rpg., 4.4 apg.) has carried Creighton at times and leads the squad in assists, steals, minutes and free throws.
Preseason MVC Player of the Year Kenny Lawson Jr. averages 10.4 points and 6.2 rebounds on the season. He scored 30 points and snared 18 rebounds vs. Saint Joseph's on Dec. 11 to earn National Jesuit Player of the Week accolades.
New on the scene is big man Gregory Echenique (11.1 ppg., 4.7 rpg., 1.8 bpg.). He's made an immediate impact as Creighton has won seven of the 10 games since he became eligible on Dec. 17th.
Creighton averages 66.3 points per game while allowing 63.0 per contest. The Bluejays own an impressive 260/212 assist/turnover ratio.
The Bluejays, picked fourth in the preseason MVC poll, have outscored opponents 258-146 at the line through 19 games.
Scouting Bradley
Bradley is 6-12 on the season, but has lost 12 of the past 14 games after a 4-0 start. Bradley's 0-7 league start is its worst in its 59-year history in The Valley.
Picked fifth in the preseason MVC poll, the Braves have been decimated by injuries. Preseason all-MVC candidates Sam Maniscalco (ankle) and Taylor Brown (cardiac testing) are both taking medical redshirts, robbing the Braves of two talented weapons.
Andrew Warren has stepped up as Bradley's leader, leading the MVC with 18.9 points per game, 2.5 three-pointers per game, 36.4 minutes per game and 91.1 percent accuracy at the line. The do-it-all senior swingman also is second in the MVC in steals (1.4) and 10th in rebounding per game (5.7).
Another player to keep an eye on is Dodie Dunson, who averages 10.6 points per game and tops the club with 54 assists.
As a team, Bradley averages 63.2 points per game while allowing 68.2 per contest. The Braves shoot 41.0 percent from the field and 71.9 percent at the line.
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 292-202 in 17 seasons, a 161-138 mark in 10 Division I years and a 12-7 mark in his first year at Creighton.
He is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Steve Merfeld.
Jim Les (Bradley, 1986) owns a 148-132 record in his ninth year at his alma mater, which also doubles as his career record. Les was named 1986 MVC Player of the Year and played seven seasons in the NBA. He is assisted by Jim Platt, Willie Scott and Kyle Vogt.
Series History With Bradley
Creighton leads the all-time series with Bradley by a narrow 41-40 margin. Much of that difference has been made up in the past 10 years, as the Jays have won 18 of the past 22 meetings.
Creighton is 24-13 in Omaha vs. Bradley all-time, including 12 straight home victories. All but three of those 12 wins have been by 11 or more points.
In the last 30 meetings between the schools, Creighton is 15-1 when holding Bradley to 65 points or less but 6-8 when it allows more than 65 points. Creighton has also won the last 22 meetings when it scores 70 points or more against BU.
Creighton coach Greg McDermott is 6-7 all-time against Bradley (5-1 in home games) and 4-7 against Jim Les.
Creighton's series history vs. Bradley can be found on page seven of these notes.
Last Game Recap
Creighton fell 61-59 to Indiana State on a tip-in by Carl Richard at the buzzer, who flipped in an over-the-shoulder toss of Jake Odum's airballed three-pointer. Doug McDermott led Creighton with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Aaron Carter had a career-high 20 points, including six three-pointers, to pace the Sycamores.
Breakout Games vs. Bradley
Three Bluejay guards have experienced break-out games in the past three years against Bradley.
Last year in Peoria Josh Jones, in his first dose of extended playing time, had a then-career-high with 13 points in 21 minutes in a win at Bradley.
In 2009 Antoine Young broke into double-figures for the first time in his career with 13 points in a Jan. 10 road win at Bradley.
In 2008, Cavel Witter had a Qwest Center Omaha record 42 points (double his previous high) in a 111-110 double-overtime win over Bradley, then followed it up with 15 points and eight assists in a four-point MVC Tourney victory over the Braves six days later.
Home Cooking
Creighton is 52-14 at home all-time at Qwest Center Omaha in MVC games (.788), compared to a 34-33 (.507) road record in the MVC during that stretch.
Only six MVC visiting schools (DU, ILS, MSU, UNI, SIU and WSU) have ever won a game in the eight-year old Qwest Center Omaha. The other three Valley schools (BU, UE, INS) have an Omaha losing streak of 10 or longer. Last Wednesday, Wichita State snapped a 17-game losing streak in Omaha that dated to 1992.
Below is a look at Creighton's current home winning streaks over current league foes:
Opponent CU Home Win Streak CU W-L at QCO
Bradley Won 12 7-0
Drake Won 2 6-2
Evansville Won 11 7-0
Illinois State Lost 1 4-3
Indiana State Won 11 7-0
Missouri State Lost 1 6-2
Northern Iowa Lost 2 5-2
So. Illinois Won 3 3-4
Wichita State Lost 1 7-1
Nearing The Top 10
Kenny Lawson Jr. is tied with Kyle Korver for 14th in Creighton history with 664 career rebounds. He's three shy of passing David Wesely for 13th place, and could move all the way up to 10th place with 14 more rebounds.
Rank Reb. Name Years
1. 1,751 Paul Silas 1961-64
2. 1,126 Bob Harstad 1987-91
3. 1,005 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
4. 979 Bob Portman 1966-69
5. 891 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
6. 716 Rodney Buford 1995-99
7. 709 Rick Apke 1975-78
8. 696 Wally Anderzunas 1965-67, 1968-69
9. 686 Dane Watts 2004-08
10. 677 Ted Wuebben 1971-74
677 Ben Walker 1997-01
12. 674 Tim Powers 1964-67
13. 666 David Wesely 1975-79
14. 664 Kyle Korver 1999-03
664 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pres.
Lawson Looking To Rebound
Kenny Lawson Jr. did not grab a rebound in 19 minutes of play at Indiana State. It was his first contest without a board since Feb. 2, 2008 vs. Wichita State during his freshman year.
Before Sunday, Lawson had owned four previous games this season with two rebounds or less. He's followed those subpar performances with a combined 42 rebounds in his next game, an average of 10.5 per game, including two such games with 12 or more caroms corralled.
A Freshman Who Rebounds
Freshman Doug McDermott isn't anywhere close to senior Kenny Lawson's career totals, but his 131 rebounds through 19 games this year are almost double the 66 caroms Lawson had through his first 19 career games.
McDermott has grabbed eight or more rebounds in each of the last six games, the first Bluejay to do so since Jerry Vanderheydt had eight straight from Dec. 1-29, 1993.
Jays Will Look For 10 Home Wins, Again
With a win Wednesday against Bradley, Creighton can win its 10th home game this season. Creighton has won 10 or more home games in 14 straight seasons, a streak they will push to 15 with its next home win.
The current streak is already a school-record, two more than the previous standard of 12 straight seasons from the 1969-70 season to the 1980-81 campaign with 10 or more home wins.
No Upsets Here
In the eight-year history of Qwest Center Omaha, Creighton owns a perfect 49-0 record against teams that enter the game with a record of .500 or worse. Bradley is 6-12 this year.
Of the 20 teams that have beaten Creighton at Qwest Center Omaha, eight reached the NIT, seven reached the NCAA's, one played in the CIT and two teams (Wyoming and Illinois State, both in 2004-05) did not make the postseason. Postseason play for the teams to win at Creighton this season (nationally-ranked BYU, Wichita State and Missouri State) seems likely.
Halftime Leads Haven't Held Up
Greg McDermott owns a 126-35 record at the Division I level when his teams own a halftime lead, but are just 31-93 when trailing at intermission.
Given that, it's somewhat remarkable that in each of Creighton's last five games, the team trailing at half has come back to win the game.
This is the first time in the last 30 years that Creighton played in five straight games that had the halftime leader not win the game.
Creighton is 10-5 when leading at half this year, but 2-2 when trailing at intermission.
What's Your Twenty?
Creighton has been .500 or better after 20 games in each of the last 16 seasons, including this season.
Creighton had won at least 13 of its first 20 games in 12 of the previous 13 seasons, something it can do again with a win on Wednesday.
Creighton -- First 20 Games, Last 16 Years
Year First 20 W-L Final W-L Postseason
2010-11 12-7 so far ? ? ? ? ? ?
2009-10 10-10 18-16 CIT
2008-09 15-5 27-8 NIT
2007-08 14-6 22-11 NIT
2006-07 13-7 22-11 NCAA
2005-06 15-5 20-10 NIT
2004-05 13-7 23-11 NCAA
2003-04 17-3 20-9 NIT
2002-03 18-2 29-5 NCAA
2001-02 14-6 23-9 NCAA
2000-01 14-6 24-8 NCAA
1999-00 14-6 23-10 NCAA
1998-99 14-6 22-9 NCAA
1997-98 14-6 18-10 NIT
1996-97 10-10 15-15 ---
1995-96 11-9 14-15 ---
300th Division I Game For McDermott
Wednesday will be the 300th game as a Division I head coach for Greg McDermott, who owns a 161-138 mark in such games so far.
He earned his 56th win in his 100th game over Illinois State on Jan. 3, 2005, and his 85th loss in his 200th game at Baylor on Jan. 12, 2008.
Dunson Faces Former Coach
Bradley guard Dodie Dunson averaged 5.2 points per game in 2006-07 while playing as a freshman at Iowa State. His coach with the Cyclones was Greg McDermott, currently the Creighton coach.
Bradley also faced Iowa State (and McDermott) last season, but Dunson was sidelined by a pair of broken bones in his left forearm and did not play.
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).
Double-Digits For Doug
According to STATS Inc., Creighton freshman Doug McDermott was the nation's only freshman to open the 2010-11 season by scoring in double-figures in each of his team's first eight games.
Additionally, McDermott is among the national freshmen leaders in double-figure scoring games, as seen below:
Double-Figure Scoring Games, Freshmen
Source: STATS Inc. • Through Jan. 16, 2011
Streak Name, School Next Game
16 Brandon Knight, Kentucky Jan. 18
16 Terrence Jones, Kentucky Jan. 18
16 Tobias Harris, Tennessee Jan. 18
16 J.J. Sullinger, Ohio State Jan. 19
15 Doug McDermott, Creighton Jan. 19
15 Eric Ferguson, Georgia Southern Jan. 20
15 Steven Roundtree, Oral Roberts Jan. 22
14 Travis McKie, Wake Forest Jan. 19
14 Ray McCallum, Detroit Jan. 20
14 Trey Zeigler, Central Michigan Jan. 20
13 Perry Jones, Baylor Jan. 17
13 Tristan Thompson, Texas Jan. 19
13 Jeromie Hill, UTSA Jan. 19
12 Melvin Ejim, Iowa State Jan. 19
12 Mike Liabo, Tennessee-Martin Jan. 20
12 Patrick Miller, Tennessee State Jan. 20
12 Andre Stringer, LSU Jan. 22
Different Paths, Similar Results
Doug McDermott and Harrison Barnes helped lead Ames (Iowa) High School to back-to-back, undefeated state championships while in high school. Now both freshmen at the college level, McDermott is at Creighton and Barnes a preseason first-team All-America at North Carolina.
Stat McDermott Barnes
Team W-L 12-7 12-5
Games/Games Started 19/19 17/17
Points/Game 13.4 11.7
Rebounds/Game 6.9 5.3
Minutes/Game 29.6 27.2
FG-FGA 102-199 70-189
FG% .513 .370
3FG-3FGA 15-51 20-65
3FG% .294 .308
FT-FTA 35-48 39-54
FT% .729 .722
20-Point Games 2 0
10-Rebound Games 4 1
Double-Doubles 3 1
Home Losses Are Rare
Creighton has lost its last two home games, falling to Wichita State and Missouri State. It marks Creighton's first back-to-back Valley home losses since January, 1999.
Creighton has not lost three straight home games since February of 1996, and hasn't lost three straight Valley home games since a seven game skid in Valley home games that overlapped 1995-96.
Saddled with three home losses already, Creighton has history on its side. The last two Bluejay teams to finish with exactly three home losses (2008-09 and 2001-02) have won a share of the MVC regular-season title.
Full House
This year Creighton is averaging 15,030 fans per home game, which ranks 11th nationally according to unofficial numbers crunched by the Creighton Sports Information office.
In 2009-10, Creighton averaged 14,495 fans per game, which ranked 15th nationally. Creighton averaged 15,883 in 15 games at Qwest Center Omaha (which would have ranked 10th) before two CIT crowds below 5,000 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium dropped the average precipitously.
Creighton has finished in the top-15 of the national attendance leaders in each of the previous four seasons.
2010-11 Attendance Leaders (through 1/17)
Rk. School Average Next
1. Kentucky 23,245 1/29
2. Syracuse 22,152 1/22
3. Louisville 21,582 1/19
4. Tennessee 18,239 1/26
5. North Carolina 17,515 1/18
6. Wisconsin 17,230 1/20
7. Memphis 16,678 1/26
8. Kansas 16,300 1/22
9. BYU 15,660 1/18
10. Illinois 15,474 1/18
11. Creighton 15,030 1/19
12. Marquette 14,812 1/18
13. Michigan State 14,797 1/27
14. New Mexico 14,746 1/26
15. Indiana 14,506 1/27
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
15,030 so far Creighton 2010-11
14,495 Creighton 2009-10
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
Creighton Prep Alum Scores, Ends Drought
Taylor Stormberg scored his first points as a Bluejay when his two free throws with 1:18 left closed the scoring last Wednesday.
Incredibly for a hometown kid who attended a high school with as much athletic success as Creighton Prep, Stormberg's points marked the first by a former Junior Jay since Mark Johnson scored one point in a 98-77 win over West Texas State on Jan. 21, 1984.
Big Man Has Finesse
Creighton behemoth Gregory Echenique hasn't played in enough games (75 percent is required) to qualify for the MVC all-game leaders in field goal percentage, but he's running away with theat category in league-only contests.
Echenique has drained 67.6 percent of his shots in MVC action, 25-of-37. Missouri State center Will Creekmore is second to Echenique at 63.5 percent in Valley play.
In all games, Creekmore shoots a league-best 58.7 percent from the field.
Nationally, Mike Glover from Iona leads the nation with 65.9 percent marksmanship among players who make five or more field goals per game.
Bragging Rights To Kaleb
Kaleb Korver has spent much of his career trying to follow in the giant footsteps of older brother Kyle Korver, a two-time MVC Player of the Year and eight-year NBA veteran.
On January 7-9, Kaleb did some things his oldest brother never did in wins at Evansville and Southern Illinois.
Kaleb tied his career-high with 14 points in the Jan. 7 win at Southern Illinois. His brother was limited to 10 points in a loss his senior year in Carbondale.
Two days later, Kaleb had a career-best 15 points in a win at Evansville. Brother Kyle was held to a season-low five points on 1-of-12 shooting his senior year in a loss at Roberts Stadium.
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 240 wins in the decade, as well as 10 postseason appearances:
MVC Standings (start 2000-01 to Jan. 17, 2011)
MVC only All Games
Team W L Pct. W L Pct.
Creighton 129 58 .690 240 105 .696
Southern Illinois 127 60 .679 226 117 .659
Northern Iowa 103 84 .551 199 136 .594
Wichita State 101 86 .540 196 140 .583
Missouri State 100 87 .535 196 141 .582
Illinois State 86 101 .460 176 152 .537
Bradley 87 100 .465 176 164 .518
Drake 78 109 .417 156 168 .481
Indiana State 65 122 .348 135 190 .415
Evansville 59 128 .316 119 192 .383
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
Good Starts = Good Finishes
Since 1993-94, only one team (Northern Iowa, a 2008-09 co-champion) has won at least a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title without winning its regular-season opener in league play.
In fact, 15 of the last 16 regular-season champs (or co-champs) have opened 2-0 or better in MVC play, with UNI in 2008-09 once again serving as the exception.
This year, the only three teams to start 2-0 in the MVC were Creighton, Missouri State and Wichita State.
Creighton has started 2-0 in MVC play 18 times previously. Incredibly, Creighton has ended up finishing first or second in the MVC in all 18 of those seasons, reaching the NCAA or NIT in 12 of the 13 years since postseason play started.
Five of the past six times the Jays started 2-0 and lost its third league game (as it did this year), Creighton won at least a share of the regular-season title.
Below is a list of Creighton's 2-0 starts in MVC play.
Year MVC Start MVC Finish Postseason
2010-11 2-0 ?? ??
2008-09 2-0 14-4 (T-1st) NIT
2006-07 2-0 13-5 (2nd) NCAA
2003-04 4-0 12-6 (T-2nd) NIT
2002-03 7-0 15-3 (2nd) NCAA
2001-02 2-0 14-4 (T-1st) NCAA
2000-01 2-0 14-4 (1st) NCAA
1988-89 5-0 11-3 (1st) NCAA
1980-81 4-0 11-5 (T-2nd) NCAA
1979-80 3-0 9-7 (T-2nd) --
1977-78 2-0 12-4 (1st) NCAA
1942-43 10-0 10-0 (1st) NIT
1941-42 4-0 9-1 (T-1st) NIT
1940-41 2-0 9-3 (1st) NCAA
1936-37 2-0 8-4 (2nd) no tourneys yet
1933-34 2-0 7-3 (2nd) no tourneys yet
1931-32 8-0 8-0 (1st) no tourneys yet
1929-30 2-0 6-2 (T-1st) no tourneys yet
1928-29 3-0 4-1 (2nd) no tourneys yet
Road Success
Creighton already owns road wins at Illinois State, Southern Illinois and Evansville, matching its three MVC road victories total from a season ago.
This year marked the first time that Creighton has started 3-0 on the MVC road since 2002-03, when Steve Merfeld's Evansville squad snapped that streak. Merfeld is now a Bluejay assistant.
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 20 games by a Bluejay newcomer since 1993-94. Doug McDermott has scored 254 games through 19 games thus far. Nate King had 293 games through 19 games.
Most Points, Newcomer, First 20 Games Since 1993-94
Pts. Name, Class Year
311 Nate King, Jr. 1993-94
265 Rodney Buford, Fr. 1995-96
254 Doug McDermott, Fr. (thru 19) 2010-11
248 Tad Ackerman, Jr. 1994-95
218 P'Allen Stinnett, Fr. 2007-08
212 Ryan Sears, Fr. 1997-98
211 Doug Swenson, Jr. 1997-98
210 Brody Deren, So. 2001-02
Diversity From Three
Creighton has seven different players who have made at least 12 three-pointers this season.
According to STATS Inc., the only schools in the country that could say that (through Jan. 10, 2011) were Creighton and VMI.
Rare Comeback Against Jays
Creighton had won 49 straight home games in which it had owned a lead of 10 or more at any point in the game, before blowing a 31-20 lead against Missouri State on Jan. 4th.
In fact, the 11-point rally matched the largest comeback in Qwest Center Omaha history by a visiting team, previously done by Drexel in 2007.
Creighton had been 9-0 all-time in games at Qwest Center Omaha in contests that saw both teams claim double-digit leads previously.
The last time Creighton lost a lead came after leading by 12 or more points at home came on Super Bowl Sunday in 2002 (Feb. 3, 2002), when SIU overcame a 16-point first-half deficit (and 48-34 at half) to beat the Jays, 79-77, on two free throws by Kent Williams with 0.3 seconds left. Williams is currently an assistant on for Missouri State.
Little Mac, Big Production
Doug McDermott had a season-high 28 points in a Jan. 1 win vs. Drake, the most by a Bluejay freshman since Ryan Sears poured in 29 vs. Wyoming on Dec. 6, 1997. The Jays have not had a freshman score 30 points in a game since Rodney Buford lit up Illinois State for 36 points on Feb. 5, 1996.
Double-Double Duo
Kenny Lawson Jr. had 14 points and 16 rebounds, while Doug McDermott had 28 points and 10 rebounds, as Creighton topped Drake on January 1.
It marked the first time Creighton had two double-doubles in the same game since Lawson (17/11) and Justin Carter (10/13) did so vs. Bradley on March 5, 2010 in the State Farm MVC Tournament.
Ironically, each of the previous two times Creighton had two men with a double-double in the same game, it had lost. The last Bluejay win with two double-doubles was Feb. 1, 1999, when Rodney Buford (11/11) and Doug Swenson (19/10) double-dipped at SIU.
Lock 'Em Up
Creighton has held the opposition's leading scorer below their average (entering that game) in 14 of the last 18 games.
Andrew Warren's 18.9 points per game paces Bradley.
Avg. Pts. Name, Opp. Date
15.0 12 Cameron Jones, N. Arizona Nov. 14
19.0 6 David Perez, Louisiana Nov. 17
16.3 10 Scott Christopherson, Iowa State Nov. 21
18.2 10 Markeith Cummings, Kennesaw St. Nov. 26
22.7 23 John Shurna, Northwestern Nov. 28
24.8 13 Jimmer Fredette, BYU Dec. 1
10.0 12 Lance Jeter, Nebraska Dec. 5
18.8 17 Carl Jones, St. Joseph's Dec. 11
15.0 22 Broderick Gilchrest, Idaho State Dec. 18
17.9 15 Matt Lander, Western Illinois Dec. 20
11.2 9 Jeffrey Merritt, Samford Dec. 22
11.2 5 Austin Hill, Illinois State Dec. 29
13.8 7 Rayvonte Rice, Drake Jan. 1
16.4 14 Kyle Weems, Missouri State Jan. 4
11.1 6 Gene Teague, Southern Illinois Jan. 7
16.2 16 Colt Ryan, Evansville Jan. 9
11.6 13 David Kyles, Wichita State Jan. 12
13.8 2 Dwayne Lathan, Indiana State Jan. 16
Chairmen Of The Boards
Preseason MVC Player of the Year Kenny Lawson Jr. and freshman Doug McDermott are having two of the best rebounding seasons by a Bluejay in more than a decade.
Lawson averages 6.2 rebounds per game, while McDermott averages 6.9 per contest.
Those rebound per game averages are just behind the 7.3 per game by Rodney Buford in 1997-98 for the best by a Bluejay in the past 17 seasons. The Jays have not had a player average more than 7.4 rebounds per game since Nate King averaged 9.0 rebounds per game in 1993-94.
Lawson's 16 rebounds on Jan. 1 were the second-most by a Bluejay in the last 15 years, trailing only the 18 caroms he corralled on Dec. 11, 2010 vs. Saint Joseph's.
Lawson owns 357 career rebounds at Qwest Center Omaha, six ahead of the previous facility record total of 351 amassed by Dane Watts from 2004-08.
Harriman Opts For Surgery
Plagued by a pair of partially torn labrums, among other maladies, senior forward Casey Harriman elected to have season-ending shoulder surgery on January 5th.
Harriman made the decision on January 3rd, but was given once last chance to play. He played in the final minute of a 12-point home loss to Missouri State, receiving standing ovations both when he checked in, then again 19 seconds later when he checked out.
Harriman played 13 minutes total in six games this season, finishing with two points and two rebounds. For his career, Harriman started 16 of 104 games played and finishes with 336 points, 242 rebounds and 44 charges taken.
Freshman Showdown, Round One
Creighton's Jan. 1 game vs. Drake featured the top-two scoring freshmen in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Drake's Rayvonte Rice entered the game ranked sixth in the MVC with 13.8 points per game and second with 1.4 steals per contest, while Creighton's Doug McDermott was 10th in the MVC with 12.1 points per contest.
Not only did McDermott's team win the game, but he won the individual battle as well. McDermott had 28 points and 10 rebounds, while Rice was held to seven points on 2-of-11 shooting.
On A Roll
During its recently-completed six-game win streak, Creighton held opponents to 55.3 points per game, and 37.8 percent shooting from the floor. In addition, Creighton outrebounded teams by 9.5 boards per game, and outscored the opposition 86-45 at the line.
The Bluejays have now put together at least one five-game win streak in 13 of the last 14 seasons.
Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the NCAA's or NIT all 15 previous times they've had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the NCAA/NIT all seven times they haven't.
Greg McDermott Off To 12-7 Start
Greg McDermott is off to a 12-7 start after 19 games of his first season on the Creighton sideline.
The last Bluejay coach to start 12-7 or better after 19 games, was Tom Apke, who was 15-4 in 1974-75. Apke is also the most recent Bluejay coach to win his first two MVC games, having done that once CU rejoined The Valley in 1977-78.
McDermott has led Creighton to its recently-ended six-game win streak. His longest win streak while at Iowa State the previous four seasons was six (done twice), while his longest win streak while coaching Northern Iowa from 2001-06 was eight, done in the 2003-04 campaign.
Earlier this year McDermott became Creighton's first coach to start his first year 3-0 since Charles Kearney in 1921.
A Sketch on Ech
Gregory Echenique has made an immediate impact for Creighton, as the Jays are 7-3 since he became eligible on December 17th.
With the big Venezuelan in the line-up, Creighton has held the opposition to 58.8 points per game (compared to 67.7 per game before he became active) and 40.6 percent shooting from the floor (compared to 43.2 percent).
In addition, Creighton has outrebounded foes by 4.1 rebounds per game, compared to a +1.0 advantage before he arrived.
The Echenique Effect
While the addition of Gregory Echenique's 11.1 points per game to the line-up has been a big boost, he's made a similar impact on the defensive end of the floor in the lane. Echenique has blocked 18 shots, already good enough to lead the team.
Clearing The Line
Gregory Echenique proved to be an immovable object in the post on Dec. 20, and there was nothing that an undersized Western Illinois team could do about it.
Echenique attempted 14 free throws, most in the MVC by any player this year, and most by a Bluejay in any game since Dane Watts attempted 15 free throws on Dec. 9, 2007.
Creighton won that game despite its starting five not making any free throws, the first time it did that since Nov. 29, 2007 vs. Savannah State.
Impact Player
Gregory Echenique scored 12 points in his Creighton debut on Dec. 18 vs. Idaho St., then added 16 more on Dec. 20 vs. Western Illinois.
Echenique was just the third Creighton player in the last 15 years to start with 12 points or more in each of his first two games, joining Darryl Ashford (2009-10) and Edward St. Fleur (1995-96).
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).
Revenge Games
A win on Jan. 1 gave Creighton a 2-0 league start, with wins over Illinois State and Drake.
In the last four years, the only two MVC schools that own a winning record vs. Creighton have been Illinois State and Drake, as seen below.
Creighton vs. MVC Schools, Last Four Years
Opponent Creighton Record vs. Opponent
Evansville 6-1
Southern Illinois 6-1
Bradley 6-2
Indiana State 4-3
Wichita State 5-3
Missouri State 5-3
Northern Iowa 3-3
Drake 3-5
Illinois State 2-6
Qwest Center Records Fall
Creighton set one Qwest Center Omaha record and tied another in its Dec. 22 home win over Samford.
Creighton set a building record by outrebounding the Bulldogs 45-19. That mark was Creighton's largest margin since an identical +26 differential over Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 29, 2001 back when it played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Creighton also held Samford to a season-low 40 points, which tied the fewest points ever in a Qwest Center Omaha game. Alcorn State also had 40 on Nov. 15, 2004.
Defensive Gem
Creighton held Samford to just 40 points on December 22nd. That was the best defensive effort by the Bluejays since limiting Indiana State to 38 points in an MVC Tournament quarterfinal victory on March 2, 2007.
Creighton, which held Jim Molinari's Western Illinois club to 47 points on Dec. 20, held consecutive opponents under 50 points for the first time since Dec. 3-6, 2003.
The 87 points allowed over those two games was the best stretch by Creighton in any set of back-to-back games since Dec. 5-9, 1958 (86).
Josh Jones Provides Offensive Boost
Sophomore Josh Jones entered the Dec. 29 game at Illinois State mired in a 9-of-38 shooting slump to start the season, including 0-of-16 from three-point range.
Against the Redbirds, Jones hit 2-of-3 shots from long-range, and he tied his season-high with six points. The Jays outscored ISU 15-10 in the 8:51 with Jones on the floor.
Creighton is 12-3 over the past two seasons when Jones scores five or more points.
Looking To Go Over .500, Again
Creighton has been better than .500 in either the first or second-half of the league season in 29 straight trips through the league.
Creighton's 29 consecutive halves above .500 in league play is easily the Valley's longest active streak, far ahead of Illinois State (6), Northern Iowa (5), Wichita State (3) and Indiana State (1).
Here's how Creighton's teams have fared in the various halves of the MVC season since 1995-96.
Year 1st Half 2nd Half
2010-11 4-3 so far 0-0
2009-10 5-4 5-4
2008-09 5-4 9-0
2007-08 5-4 5-4
2006-07 6-3 7-2
2005-06 7-2 5-4
2004-05 5-4 6-3
2003-04 7-2 5-4
2002-03 8-1 7-2
2001-02 8-1 6-3
2000-01 5-4 9-0
1999-00 5-4 6-3
1998-99 6-3 5-4
1997-98 5-4 7-2
1996-97 5-4 5-4
1995-96 4-5 5-4
Total 93-58 (.616) 93-51 (.646)
Lawson A Fixture
Senior center Kenny Lawson Jr. made his 100th career start on Dec. 22 vs. Samford, the first Bluejay to reach that mark since Dane Watts on Jan. 9, 2008 vs. Evansville.
Lawson has started 92 straight games (and 107 games in his career overall) since stepping aside on Senior Night in 2008, a 111-110 double-overtime win over Bradley.
Also in building that night were assistant coach Steve Merfeld (then with Bradley as an assistant) and Gregory Echenique, who made an unofficial visit to Creighton that evening.
Four-Headed Monster
Creighton has four players currently averaging in double-figures; Antoine Young (12.9), Doug McDermott (13.4), Kenny Lawson Jr. (10.4) and Gregory Echenique (11.1).
It's been 10 years since Creighton last had a team with four men to average in double-figures over the course of an entire season.
Creighton's 2000-01 team got double-digit scoring from Kyle Korver (14.6), Ben Walker (12.3), Ryan Sears (11.0) and Terrell Taylor (10.4). That team finished 24-8 overall and is the program's last to win an MVC outright regular-season title.
Echenique Debuts
Dec. 18 marked Creighton's first game with the services of Gregory Echenique, who was an ineligible transfer until Dec. 17. He became eligible at the end of Creighton's fall semester.
Echenique, a 6'9”, 270-pound center, came to Creighton after spending three semesters at Rutgers from 2008-09. He averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots per game in 39 contests with the Scarlet Knights, which included 37 starts and an average of 27.5 minutes per game.
He had 12 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots in 18 minutes vs. Idaho State in his Creighton debut. He followed that up with 16 points, four rebounds and four blocked shots in 21 minutes vs. Western Illinois. At the time, Echenique's four blocked shots on Dec. 20 were tied for the most in the MVC in any game this year by one player.
Red-Hot Start
Creighton made its first eight field goal attempts from the field to open its Dec. 18 win over Idaho State, with six of those shots coming from long-range. That helped Creighton build a 22-13 lead which it never surrendered.
Interestingly, it was the second straight game that Creighton had a stretch of six straight three-point attempts that were all made, having done it on six straight possessions vs. Saint Joseph's.
In eight seasons of games at Qwest Center Omaha (127 games), Creighton's best had been 6-for-6 starts from the floor vs. High Point (Dec. 2, 2004) and Illinois State (Jan. 22, 2005).
In fact, this was just the seventh occasion all-time that Creighton had started as well as 4-for-4 from the field.
Creighton is 51-for-127 all-time in its first shot of the game at Qwest Center Omaha, including a 3-for-12 mark this winter.
No TV, No Problem
Creighton is a perfect 45-0 in regular-season non-televised games at Qwest Center Omaha.
Creighton has also won 26 straight non-televised home games at Qwest Center Omaha, dating to a March 20, 2006 loss to Miami (Fla.) in the NIT.
Each of Creighton's next five home games are slated for television. A decision on potential coverage for the regular-season finale on Feb. 26 vs. Northern Iowa will be made in early February.
Qwest For 9,000 Ended By Wragge
Creighton has scored 9,290 points all-time at Qwest Center Omaha, surpassing 9,000 points in the building on Dec. 20 after a lay-up by Ethan Wragge vs. Western Illinois. Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 9,290-7,916 in 127 career games in the eight-year old facility.
Creighton is now 8-1 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone, as seen below:
Date Pts-Opp (QCO Game #) Who/How vs. Opp.
02/18/04 1,000-787 (14) Lindeman FG vs. Indiana State
02/05/05 2,000-1,696 (28) Funk FG vs. Missouri St.
01/18/06 3,000-2,504 (41) Watts FT vs. Bradley
01/09/07 4,000-3,359 (56) Tolliver FG vs. Drake
12/17/07 5,000-4,174 (69) Korver 3FG vs. Hou. Baptist
11/16/08 6,000-5,048 (82) Dotzler FG vs. New Mexico
02/11/09 7,000-5,870 (95) Witter 3FG vs. Bradley
01/16/10 8,000-6,750 (109) Young FG vs. Wichita State
12/20/10 9,000-7,645 (123) Wragge FG vs. W. Illinois
Practice Pays Off
Antoine Young is frequently the last player in the gym after practice, staying late to work on his shot. The dedication is clearly paying off.
Young entered this season a career 25.6 percent shooter from three-point range (23-90). Already this season, he's at 29.2 percent (21-72) from downtown.
At the line, Young entered the year as a 64.3 percent shooter (101-157). He's currently at 77.4 percent from the stripe (65-84).
Young connected on a career-high four three-point attempts vs. Idaho State on Dec. 18. His 4-for-4 shooting from downtown was a Qwest Center Omaha record for three-point shots without a miss by a Bluejay, eclipsing previous 3-for-3 displays by Johnny Mathies, Pierce Hibma, Dane Watts and Booker Woodfox.
Likewise, his 10-for-10 marksmanship from the line on Jan. 1 vs. Drake was a Qwest Center Omaha record for most free throws in a game without a miss.
Young Gets Better With Age
Junior point guard Antoine Young had seven assists vs. Idaho State on Dec. 20, most by any Bluejay in a game this season.
Young ranks second in the MVC in assists per game (4.4) and leads the league in minutes played (686) and in assist/turnover ratio (2.40).
Young, who had six assists at Nebraska, five helpers vs. Saint Joseph's, seven dimes vs. Idaho State and five assists vs. Western Illinois, became the first Bluejay player since 2005 to have four straight games of five or more assists. Josh Dotzler (from Nov. 22-Dec. 6, 2005) was the last to turn the trick.
Before his three assist, four turnover game vs. Missouri State on Jan. 4th Young had played 29 games since last having a negative assist/turnover ratio. He has three or more assists in 24 of his past 25 games.
Korver A Distributor, Too
Kaleb Korver is giving Antoine Young a run for his money as a distributor this season. The two men are Creighton's only players to each have at least one assist in every game this fall.
Korver, a senior from Pella, Iowa, tied his career-high with back-to-back games of six assists on Dec. 11 and Dec. 18.
Korver was the first Bluejay with consecutive games of six assists or more since March 1-7, 2008, when Cavel Witter did it in consecutive games vs. Bradley.
A Fan Of The A-10
Sophomore Ethan Wragge had a career-high of 22 points on Dec. 11 vs. Saint Joseph's, eclipsing his previous best of 21 that came last year in 17 minutes vs. fellow Atlantic-10 power Xavier.
Just like the game against Xavier, Wragge had his points in fewer than 20 minutes of playing time. When he did it last season, he became the first CU player to score more than 20 points in less than 20 minutes since Vernon Moore put up 21 points in 19 minutes against Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 24, 1984.
In three career games against the Atlantic-10 Conference, Wragge has scored 54 points (18.0 ppg.) in 48 minutes (16.0 mpg.) of play, connecting on 14-of-24 three-point attempts (58.3 percent) and 18-of-28 shots overall (64.3 percent).
Solid Stretch
Ethan Wragge will be hard-pressed to have a better four-minute stretch than what he had on Dec. 11 in a win over Saint Joseph's.
Wragge drained consecutive three-pointers with 15:55, 15:10, 13:56, 13:06 and 12:26 left in the second half. He also assisted on a Kaleb Korver trey at the 13:29 mark, and took a charge with 13:13 remaining.
Ball Security
Creighton entered this week ranked 39th nationally with a 1.23 assist/turnover ratio and also ranked 36th with 73.9 percent accuracy from the free throw line.
Even more impressive, the Jays are 14th nationally in fewest turnovers per game, at just 11.2.
Creighton also ranks third in the country in fewest fouls per game at just 14.4 hacks per contest.
Shades Of The Dynamic Duo
Doug McDermott's 20 points and 12 rebounds vs. No. 21 BYU on Dec. 1 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.
When McDermott had 28 points and 10 rebounds vs. Drake on Jan. 1, it marked the first points by a Bluejay freshman since Ryan Sears had 29 points on Dec. 6, 1997 vs. Wyoming.
McDermott owns three double-doubles this winter.
McDermott Chalks Up Four Straight Honors
Doug McDermott was named MVC Newcomer of the Week for a fourth straight week on Dec. 6th.
In the 104-year history of the league, McDermott is the only basketball (men's or women's) player to win Player or Newcomer of the Week in four consecutive weeks.
McDermott's five Newcomer of the Week honors (he also won it on Jan. 3) thus far are second-most ever for an entire season in league history. Bradley's Marcellus Sommerville won the award six times during his debut season in the league in 2003-04.
Lawson Named Player of the Week
Creighton senior Kenny Lawson Jr. was named MVC Player of the Week on December 13 following his career-highs of 30 points and 18 rebounds in a win over Saint Joseph's. He played a career-high 34 minutes and also registered a season-best three blocked shots.
This was the first MVC Player of the Week honor of Lawson's career.
Laying Down The Law
Kenny Lawson Jr.'s 30-point, 18-rebound game vs. Saint Joseph's on Dec. 11 kept the pages of the Bluejay record book busy.
His 18 rebounds were the most by a Bluejay since Bob Harstad had 20 rebounds on Jan. 23, 1989. Harstad, ironically, had his jersey retired at halftime and spoke to the team before its pre-game shootaround earlier on Saturday.
His 18 rebounds were also a Qwest Center Omaha record, three more than the previous mark set by Creighton's Justin Carter (vs. Kentucky) and by Akron's Romeo Travis (vs. Creighton).
Lawson's 30 points were the most by a Bluejay since P'Allen Stinnett had 30 points against New Mexico on Nov. 16, 2008.
Lawson was the first Bluejay with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in the same game since Rodney Buford had 30 points and 10 rebounds at Northern Iowa on Dec. 30, 1997.
Lawson was the first Bluejay with at least 30 points and 18 rebounds in the same game since Feb. 7, 1983, when Gregory Brandon had 32 points and 18 rebounds in a win over West Texas State.
Lawson is believed to be the first player in the MVC with a game of 30 points and 18 rebounds since Wichita State's Xavier McDaniel had 33 points and 22 rebounds on Feb. 23, 1985 against Bradley.
Finally, Lawson had 14 points and 11 rebounds in the second half alone. The last Bluejay with a double-double in one half was Brody Deren, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the second half of a Jan. 5, 2004 win at Bradley.
All-Tournament Honors
Both Doug McDermott and Antoine Young were named to the All-Tournament Team of the 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 Creighton's Nov. 28 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.
Young is second in the MVC with 36.1 minutes per game this season. Young's minutes per game average is the most by a Bluejay since Matt Petty averaged 39.1 minutes per game in 1992-93.
Toe The Line
Creighton is second in the MVC in free-throw percentage, making 73.9 percent of its shots at the line.
By comparison, no Bluejay opponent has had a single-game mark better than 78.9 percent.
Oddly, Creighton's “free-throw defense” has also been exceptional this season. Bluejay opponents are shooting just 60.8 percent from the line, (third-worst/best) nationally.
Doubling Up From The Start
Doug McDermott scored 10 or more points in each of his first eight games this season. The last previous Creighton player to start a career with 10 or more points in each of the first eight games was Benoit Benjamin in 1982-83, who had also eight in a row to start his career.
McDermott was the first Bluejay (of any class) to score 10 or more in eight straight games to start the season since then-senior Rodney Buford in 1998-99 had 13 in a row.
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
8 Doug McDermott, Fr. 2010-11
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.
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.
Creighton men's basketball has seven NCAA Tournament appearances in the past 12 years, most in the MVC in that time.
Harstad Honored on Dec. 11
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 was honored during the Dec. 11 game vs. Saint Joseph's.
Harstad's jersey was retired during a halftime ceremony. 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 -- joining 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.
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.
In Creighton's 12 wins, the bench has scored 239 points (19.9 ppg.), but in the seven losses it's scored just 71 points total (10.1 ppg.), with a high of 16.
Active Leader
Kenny Lawson Jr. leads all active Missouri Valley Conference players with 664 rebounds, 146 blocked shots and 107 games started.
He also ranks third on that list with 1,150 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 Andrew Warren (1,360) and Sam Maniscalco (1,210).
Below is a list of Creighton all-time scoring leaders:
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. 1,150 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pr.
26. 1,116 Kenny Evans 1982-87
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 623, ranks second in Qwest Center Omaha scoring history. Nate Funk holds the facility record with 735 career points.
Lawson (357 rebounds) is atop the Qwest Center Omaha rebound list, just ahead of Dane Watts (351).
Lawson also owns 78 blocks in his career at Qwest Center Omaha. That's a facility record, seven 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
146 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pres.
138 Brody Deren 2001-04
136 Anthony Tolliver 2003-07
Helping Hands
Creighton dished 25 assists on its 29 made baskets on Nov. 26 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.
'Tis The Season For Charity
Creighton has attacked the lane and the boards while racking up gaudy free throw numbers thus far.
The Bluejays have shot 258-of-349 (73.9 percent) at the line, while its opponents are a combined 146-of-240 (60.8 percent) from the charity stripe.
Ten of the 11 Creighton players with at least one attempt from the line are shooting 66.7 percent or better, leading to the improvement from last year's team that shot 72.0 percent overall.
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, 106 Times Over
Creighton has played 127 regular and postseason contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time in its eight seasons at the facility.
The Bluejays own a 106-21 (.835) record all-time at the facility, including a 24-2 figure on Wednesday's, a 6-0 mark on Thursday's and a 3-0 mark on Friday's.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 9,290-7,916 in games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average margin of 10.8 points per game. The 21 losses have been by a combined 137 points (6.5 ppg.). Creighton has led wire-to-wire 26 different times, including once this winter.
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.
Creighton is also a mind-boggling 19-12 at Qwest Center Omaha in games in which it trails by 10 or more points at any juncture.
Creighton is 9-1 in Qwest Center Omaha games in which both teams own leads of 10 or more points, and 26-1 in games at Qwest Center Omaha in which there are no lead changes.
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.
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.
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
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) 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 530 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
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).
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.
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 554 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. That's the longest active streak in the MVC.
UNLV, Vanderbilt and Kentucky are the only three schools that have made at least one three-point basket since the rule was adopted prior to the 1986 campaign.
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.
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 made it 4-for-4 on Dec. 6th, earning the honor after averaging 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in losses to No. 21 BYU and Nebraska.
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).
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.
In addition, Creighton alum Paul Silas is currently interim head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats.
Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton has won 70 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.
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).
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.
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.
