Men's Basketball Hosts Sycamores For Saturday's Pink Out
1/27/2011 5:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game #23 • Indiana State at Creighton • Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011 • 2:05 p.m. Central
Indiana State Sycamores at Creighton Bluejays
Qwest Center Omaha (17,260) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.bigsports590.com
Television: KMTV; ESPN Full Court
Series History: Creighton leads, 49-24
Last Time: Indiana State won, 61-59, on Jan. 16, 2011 in Terre Haute, Ind.
Next Game
Creighton (13-9, 5-5 MVC) will play five of its final eight Missouri Valley Conference games at home, starting with Saturday's game against third-place Indiana State (12-9, 7-3 MVC).
Tip-off is scheduled for 2:05 pm from Qwest Center Omaha (17,260) in Omaha, Neb.
Pink Out Coming Up On Saturday
Creighton fans are encouraged to wear pink shirts for cancer awareness when head coach Greg McDermott and the Bluejays host Indiana State on Saturday afternoon.
The promotion is one in which college basketball coaches nationwide will wear sneakers with their sideline attire to raise cancer awareness and remind fans that by making healthy lifestyle choices, such as regular exercise and a healthy diet, they can reduce their own cancer risk. Coaches vs. Cancer is a collaboration of the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
Official “Pink Out” t-shirts are available for purchase at the following Lawlor's Custom Sportswear locations: Westroads Mall, Oakview Mall, Shadow Lake Town Center and the Superstore located at 84th & J Streets.
Creighton players will be wearing special shoes with pink coloring, and coaches from both schools will wear sneakers with their suits as part of the national Coaches vs. Cancer awareness campaign.
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 Jimmy Motz will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.bigsports590.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game will be the seventh of eight games televised by KMTV this season, with Travis Justice and Nick Bahe on the call. It will also be on ESPN Full Court.
Satellite coordinates are as follows:
Galaxy 16 6 Analog
U/L - 14120 H
D/L - 11820 V
Video Webcast Information
Creighton University Athletics and NeuLion will present a live, pay-per-view video webcast of about 15 games this year, including Saturday.
To sign up for the video webcast, fans can register at http://www.gocreighton.com. Cost for a monthly pass is $10.95 and a four-month pass is $34.95.
Once registered, fans will only need to log-in with their password on game night. The video stream, which will include an audio simulcast of the Big Sports 590 (or KMTV) broadcast, begins approximately 15 minutes before tipoff featuring live video of Qwest Center Omaha and the audio of the Big Sports 590 pre-game show.
The game will also be webcast free of charge at http://www.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 brings a 13-9 record into Saturday's game, which includes a 5-5 league record. The Bluejays have lost five of eight since a season-high six-game win streak from Dec. 11-Jan. 1.
Freshman Doug McDermott, son of new head coach Greg McDermott, leads Creighton in both scoring (13.7 ppg.) and rebounding (7.3 rpg.). He's been in double-figures in 18 of 22 games and owns eight or more rebounds in each of the last nine games.
Second on the team in scoring is junior point guard Antoine Young. Young averages 13.2 points per game and leads the MVC in assists (99), assist/turnover ratio (2.36) and minutes (801).
Giving the Jays a big tandem inside is sophomore Gregory Echenique (11.2 pp., 4.8 rpg., 2.0 bpg.) and senior Kenny Lawson Jr. (10.0 ppg., 5.8 rpg.). Lawson was voted preseason MVC Player of the Year and has paced the league in blocked shots each of the past two seasons.
Creighton owns an impressive 300/254 assist/turnover ratio and has made more free throws (295) than the opposition has attempted (286).
Scouting Indiana State
Winners of its last six of its last eight games, Indiana State brings a 12-9 record into Sunday's game vs. Creighton. The Sycamores are 7-3 in the MVC despite consecutive losses to Wichita State and Evansville in the past week.
Leading the Sycamores in scoring on the season is Dwayne Lathan (12.2 ppg., 4.8 rpg.), though an early-January injury has dropped that average to 7.4 points per game in league play.
Carl Richard averages 11.0 points and is second in the MVC with 7.6 rebounds per game, while Aaron Carter leads the Sycamores with 13.5 points per game in league play (and 8.7 ppg. overall).
Helping to run the squad is freshman Jake Odum. Odum averages 7.1 points, 4.0 assists and 3.4 rebounds while swiping a league-high 39 steals.
As a team, ISU averages 67.0 points while allowing 64.0 per game. The 'Trees are 3-6 in true road games, including a 93-83 triple-overtime setback at Wichita State last Saturday.
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 293-204 in 17 seasons, a 162-140 mark in 10 Division I years and a 13-9 mark in his first year at Creighton.
He is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Steve Merfeld.
Indiana State is coached by Greg Lansing (South Dakota, 1990), who owns a 12-9 mark in his first year with the Sycamores, which also doubles as his career mark. He was promoted to the top spot when Creighton Hall of Famer Kevin McKenna left his head coaching gig with ISU to become an assistant coach at Oregon in the summer of 2010. He is assisted by Lou Gudino, Deryl Cunningham and David Ragland.
Series History Against Indiana State
Creighton owns a 49-24 record all-time against Indiana State and has won 20 of the last 26 games in the series.
The Sycamores are seeking their first season sweep of the Jays since 1993.
The Bluejays lead the series 28-7 in 35 previous Omaha meetings, including 11 straight victories. ISU's last win at Creighton was Jan. 17, 1999 (70-69). Seven of the last nine Omaha meetings have been double-digit Bluejay victories, including the past four.
Seventeen of the last 35 meetings have been decided by six points or less, and the teams have played at least one game decided by eight points or less in 17 of the last 18 seasons, including ISU's buzzer-beating 61-59 win two weeks ago.
Greg McDermott is 8-4 in his career against Indiana State, including a 4-1 mark in home games.
McDermott is 0-1 against Greg Lansing.
Creighton's series history vs. Indiana State can be found on page seven of these notes.
Last Game Recap
Creighton fell at Northern Iowa on Wednesday, 71-66. Kwadzo Ahelegbe had a season-high with 26 points to lead the Panthers, while Creighton was paced by a career-high 23 points and four steals from Antoine Young.
Close Games With The Sycamores
Seventeen of the last 35 games between Creighton and Indiana State have been decided by six points or less. The teams have played a game decided by eight points or less in 17 of the last 18 seasons, including ISU's buzzer-beating 61-59 victory two weeks ago in Terre Haute.
Since 2003, Indiana State's five victories over the Jays have been by a combined 21 points (2, 2, 3, 6 and 8).
This year's Creighton team is 5-5 in games decided by six or less points this season.
Board Battle A Must Win
Creighton has posted better rebounding numbers against Indiana State than anyone else in The Valley in recent seasons.
The Sycamores have outrebounded Creighton just twice in the last 23 meetings, including the 38-32 margin in Terre Haute two weeks ago. Not surprisingly, the Jays are 17-6 in those 23 games vs. the Sycamores.
Greg McDermott's teams are 84-38 at the Division I level when outrebounding opponents.
Rare Combo Sinks Jays
Creighton lost on Wednesday at Northern Iowa despite shooting 50.0 percent from the field and owning a +11 edge on the glass.
The last time the Jays shot at least 50 percent from the field and were +10 on the glass in a loss was Jan. 12, 1985, when Nolan Richardson's Tulsa team topped Creighton by a near-identical 70-66 score. In that contest, Creighton shot 21-39 from the floor and won the battle of the boards, 48-36.
Take things a step further, and you'll see that Wednesday's game was historic. It was the first time since the inception of the three-point shot (1986-87) that Creighton lost despite shooting 50 percent or better from both the floor and three-point arc, and also winning the boards by 10 or more. Creighton had been 9-0 previously when doing that, winning those games by an average of 27.0 points.
On The Double
Freshman forward Doug McDermott owns five double-doubles this season, tied with Southern Illinois junior Mamadou Seck for the most in the MVC this season.
On Wednesday, McDermott was one rebound shy of becoming the first Bluejay with three straight double-doubles since Nate King in 1993-94.
As a team, Creighton's 10 double-doubles this season lead the Missouri Valley Conference, one more than the nine attained by Southern Illinois.
Most Double-Doubles, MVC Players, 2010-11
5 Doug McDermott, Creighton
5 Mamadou Seck, Southern Illinois
4 Kenny Lawson Jr., Creighton
4 Will Creekmore, Missouri State
4 Carl Richard, Indiana State
4 Gene Teague, Southern Illinois
3 Andrew Warren, Bradley
2 Kenneth Harris, Evansville
2 Lucas O'Rear, Northern Iowa
2 Kyle Weems, Missouri State
Most Double-Doubles, MVC Teams, 2010-11
10 Creighton
9 Southern Illinois
6 Missouri State
4 Indiana State
Lose One, Then At Home?
Creighton can extend an amazing trend on Saturday with a win over Indiana State.
Since December 25th, 2001, Creighton has played 57 home games in which it lost the previous game (at any venue). In all but three scenarios, Creighton won the subsequent home game.
Creighton has won 34 of those 57 home games by 10 points or more, including 15 by 20 points or more. The average margin in those games has been 13.4 points, as CU has outscored foes 4,365-3,601 in those scenarios.
Lose Two, Then At Home?
Creighton can extend a similar amazing trend on Saturday with a win over Indiana State.
In the last 14 seasons, Creighton has played 27 home games in which it brought in a losing streak of two games or more. In each case, Creighton won the home game.
Creighton won 19 of those 27 home games by 10 points or more, including 11 by 20 points or more. The average margin in those wins has been 16.89 points, as CU has outscored foes 75.85-58.96 in those scenarios.
Below is a chart showing CU's games since 1997-98 in which it took to its home court with a losing streak of two games or more.
L Streak Home Game Opp. Score Date
3 UMKC W 81-59 11/14/97
2 Grambling State W 67-51 12/03/97
2 Indiana State W 80-67 01/15/98
4 Towson State W 93-48 11/14/98
2 #18 Oklahoma State W 66-60 12/20/98
2 Northern Iowa W 77-60 02/10/99
2 Colorado State W 74-51 12/06/00
2 Indiana State W 81-72 01/11/01
2 N. Carolina A&T W 72-51 11/18/01
2 Nebraska W 76-70 12/12/01
2 Miss. Valley State W 90-65 12/29/01
3 Wichita State W 75-61 03/01/04
2 Alcorn State W 74-40 11/15/04
2 Bradley W 71-62 12/28/04
2 Nebraska W 70-44 12/11/05
2 Illinois State W 71-52 01/05/06
2 Fresno State W 67-62 02/18/06
2 Akron W 71-60 03/16/06
2 Wichita State W 71-54 02/24/07
3 Wichita State W 65-63 02/02/08
2 Missouri State W 88-67 02/19/08
2 Miss. Valley State W 82-58 12/02/08
2 Florida A&M W 78-53 11/17/09
3 Nebraska W 67-61 12/06/09
2 Loyola Chicago W 78-58 02/20/10
3 Saint Joseph's W 82-75 12/11/10
2 Bradley W 81-68 01/19/11
2 Indiana State ? ? ? Saturday
Bracket Buster Possibilities
Pairings for the ninth annual BracketBusters will be announced on Monday. Of the 57 games, six contests will air on ESPN2 and five more on ESPNU between Feb. 18-20.
A record 114 teams are participating this season, representing 15 conferences and one independent school.
Since the event's inception in 2003, the Missouri Valley Conference record has an eight-year record of 47-26, including a 7-3 mark in 2010. In BracketBusters-branded games (games aired on the TV package), The Valley has a 23-12 record.
Below is a list of the top-20 home and road teams, according to data through games of Jan. 26 provided by Jim Sukup of Collegiate Basketball News. It's worth noting that a team like Evansville moved up 27 spots (from 146 to 117) after beating the same Indiana State team that Creighton hosts on Saturday.
Home Teams Road Teams
31) Old Dominion 29) George Mason
40) St. Mary's 33) Cleveland State
43) Wichita State 38) Missouri State
58) Valparaiso 39) Utah State
61) Drexel 60) VCU
64) Northern Iowa 82) Vermont
71) James Madison 83) Kent State
91) Coll. of Charleston 92) Hofstra
103) Wright State 95) Iona
104) Long Beach State 100) Miami (Ohio)
110) Indiana State 101) Montana
115) Fairfield 119) Evansville
127) UC Santa Barbara 123) Morehead State
130) Buffalo 124) Austin Peay
142) Murray State 131) Northern Colorado
145) Liberty 132) Delaware
148) Rider 134) UW-Milwaukee
153) Akron 136) UW-Green Bay
156) New Mexico State 137) Creighton
158) Wofford 139) Ball State
167) Presbyterian 144) St. Peter's
169) UNC Wilmington 146) Pacific
171) Southern Illinois 149) Maine
177) Oral Roberts 154) Boise State
182) Winthrop 162) Idaho
Schedule Makes A Turn For Home
Creighton is one of three MVC teams that has played just four league home games, joining Missouri State and Evansville. That means five of its final eight league games will be at home.
On the other hand, Drake, Indiana State and Northern Iowa all have played six league home games, meaning five of their final eight league tilts will be away from home.
Return To Sender
Gregory Echenique leads the MVC with 19 rejections in league play, including a Valley season-high of seven last Saturday at Missouri State.
In an unusual twist, all 19 swats have come in CU's six league road games, as he's yet to record a rejection in any of CU's four Valley home tilts to date.
His seven blocks at Missouri State were the most by a Jay since Kenny Lawson Jr. at Evansville on Jan. 3, 2010.
Road Excitement
Creighton has played nine games away from home this season, with all but two being decided in the final minutes.
Creighton's Nov. 21 game vs. Iowa State in Des Moines saw ISU drain a 35-foot shot at the final horn to hand the Cyclones a 91-88 victory.
On Dec. 5, Creighton missed a three-pointer in the final 10 seconds that could have tied the score, going on to lose at Nebraska by five.
On Jan. 7 at Southern Illinois, Creighton had the ball with the score tied but could not score at the buzzer, forcing overtime. Once in OT, the Jays won by six.
Two days later at Evansville, Creighton won 74-69 when Ned Cox's game-tying jumper rimmed out with 20 seconds left.
More recently on Jan. 16 at Indiana State, Creighton missed a go-ahead three-pointer with 20 seconds left, and lost when Carl Richard tipped in a Jake Odum airball as time expired.
Creighton fell at Missouri State on Jan. 22 when Kyle Weems scored on a lay-up with 14.2 seconds left to give MSU a 67-66 win. Creighton would turn the ball over without attempting a shot in the final seconds.
Most recently, Creighton lost at Northern Iowa, 71-66. The Jays got within three points twice in the final three minutes, but UNI held off Creighton in the end.
Young Follows His Elders
Junior point guard Antoine Young has 24 assists in his last four games, giving him 253 for his career. Here's a look at how he compares in his career to some of his predecessors:
Name Young Dotzler McKinney Sears
Games 90 117 110 124
Starts 55 96 97 124
Points 699 422 570 1311
PPG 7.8 3.6 5.2 10.6
Assists 253 388 430 570
APG 2.8 3.3 3.9 4.6
Turnovers 124 200 188 252
A/TO Ratio 2.04 1.94 2.29 2.03
Steals 59 196 119 283
SPG 0.66 1.68 1.08 2.29
Minutes/Game 23.9 23.0 26.5 33.7
Jays Defend The Trey
Earlier in the season one of Creighton's bugaboos was its inability to slow down the opposition from three-point territory.
That weakness has turned around in league action, where Creighton's 31.0 percent three-point percentage defense ranks second-best in the MVC (Indiana State, 29.4%).
Last week alone, Creighton held Bradley and Missouri State to combined 4-of-25 proficiency from three-point range, good for a paltry 16 percent. UNI was 8-of-20 from downtown on Wednesday, good for 40 percent.
When Creighton met Indiana State on Jan. 16, the Sycamores were 1-of-7 in the first half, but 9-for-13 from long-range in the second half to pull out the victory.
Nearing The Top 10
Kenny Lawson Jr. ranks 12th in Creighton history with 675 career rebounds. He's two boards shy from a spot in the top-10 in school history.
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. 675 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pres.
13. 674 Tim Powers 1964-67
A Freshman Who Rebounds
Freshman Doug McDermott isn't anywhere close to senior Kenny Lawson's career totals, but his 161 rebounds through 22 games this year are more than double the 75 caroms Lawson had through his first 22 career games.
McDermott has grabbed eight or more rebounds in each of the last nine games, the first Bluejay to do so since Benoit Benjamin's streak of 31 straight games of eight or more rebounds from March 8, 1984 to Feb. 20, 1985.
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 13-9 14-5
Games/Games Started 22/22 19/19
Points/Game 13.7 11.8
Rebounds/Game 7.3 5.2
Minutes/Game 30.0 27.2
FG-FGA 119-230 78-209
FG% .517 .373
3FG-3FGA 17-55 23-73
3FG% .309 .315
FT-FTA 47-63 46-64
FT% .746 .719
20-Point Games 2 0
10-Rebound Games 6 1
Double-Doubles 5 1
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. 26, 2011
Streak Name, School Next Game
19 J.J. Sullinger, Ohio State Jan. 29
19 Tobias Harris, Tennessee Jan. 29
18 Brandon Knight, Kentucky Jan. 29
18 Terrence Jones, Kentucky Jan. 29
18 Doug McDermott, Creighton Jan. 29
16 Eric Ferguson, Georgia Southern Jan. 31
16 Steven Roundtree, Oral Roberts Jan. 27
16 Trey Zeigler, Central Michigan Jan. 27
16 Tristan Thompson, Texas Jan. 29
16 Perry Jones, Baylor Jan. 29
Sports Illustrated Coverage
Sports Illustrated writer Luke Winn wrote a feature for the Jan. 20 edition of the magazine's college men's basketball pages that talks about Greg and Doug McDermott. Winn calls them “the most surprising father-son combination in Division I”.
The story can be found on-line at http://tinyurl.com/si-mcd-story.
JJ Fills It Up
Josh Jones tied his career-high with 14 points (set last season) on Jan. 19 vs. Bradley, which more than doubled his previous season best of six points.
Jones entered the evening just 3-of-22 (13.6 percent) from long-range in the first 19 games of the year, before his breakthrough with four treys in the first half on Jan. 19 vs. Bradley.
He followed up that game with seven points and two steals on Jan. 22 at Missouri State, then had nine points and two assists at Northern Iowa.
Since returning to the starting line-up on Jan. 19th, Jones has averaged 10.0 points per game on 52.4 percent shooting from the floor. He's made 7-of-15 treys in that time (46.7 percent), and now ranks sixth in the MVC with 47.6 percent accuracy from deep in league contests.
Korver Makes More Than 100 Treys
Kaleb Korver enters Saturday's game with 101 career three-pointers, most among active Bluejays. He has attempted 252 treys in his career, good for 40.08 percent.
Full House
This year Creighton is averaging 14,990 fans per home game, which ranks 11th nationally according to unofficial numbers crunched by the Creighton Sports Information office.
On Saturday, Creighton will surpass 200,000 home fans in a season for the sixth time. No other school in the history of the MVC has ever done so even once.
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 1/26)
Rk. School Average Next
1. Kentucky 23,245 1/29
2. Louisville 21,609 2/5
3. Syracuse 21,155 2/9
4. Tennessee 18,297 2/5
5. North Carolina 17,830 1/29
6. Wisconsin 17,230 2/1
7. Memphis 16,707 2/2
8. BYU 16,499 2/5
9. Kansas 16,300 1/29
10. Illinois 15,682 2/1
11. Creighton 14,990 1/29
12. Marquette 14,885 1/29
13. Michigan State 14,797 1/27
14. New Mexico 14,716 1/29
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
194,864 Creighton 2010-11
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
14,990 so far Creighton 2010-11
14,495 Creighton 2009-10
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
Dishing Dimes
Junior point guard Antoine Young had a career-high with nine assists on Jan. 16 at Indiana State, then surpassed that with 10 helpers in the Jan. 19 win over Bradley.
Young became Creighton's first player with consecutive games of nine or more assists since Edward St. Fleur had nine in games on both Jan. 16 and Jan. 18, 1997.
The 10 dimes by Young on Jan. 19 matched a Qwest Center Omaha record by a Creighton player, and were the most by a Creighton player (regardless of site) since Josh Dotzler also had 10 assists on Dec. 9, 2007 vs. Saint Joseph's.
Building A Lead
Creighton's 49-25 lead at halftime on Jan. 19 in its last home game was its largest halftime lead at Qwest Center Omaha since a 47-20 advantage over Nebraska on Nov. 24, 2007.
Creighton's 49 points in the first half was its most at Qwest Center Omaha by intermission since Houston Baptist also had 49 on Dec. 17, 2007.
Lawson Off The Bench?
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 started 92 straight games (10th-longest nationally according to STATS Inc.) from March 7, 2008 until Jan. 16, 2011, before coming off the bench on Jan. 19 vs. Bradley.
Despite his recent role as a reserve, Lawson still leads all active Valley players with 107 career starts.
No Upsets Here
In the eight-year history of Qwest Center Omaha, Creighton owns a perfect 50-0 record against teams that enter the game with a record of .500 or worse.
Of the 21 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.
What's Your Twenty?
Creighton has been .500 or better after 20 games in each of the last 16 seasons, including this season.
Even more impressive, Creighton has won 13 of its first 20 games in 13 of the last 14 seasons.
Creighton -- First 20 Games, Last 16 Years
Year First 20 W-L Final W-L Postseason
2010-11 13-7 ? ? ? ? ? ?
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 ---
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.
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
Looking To Go Over .500, Again
Creighton has been better than .500 in either the first or second-half of the league season in 30 straight trips through the league, including this year's first half.
Creighton's 30 consecutive halves above .500 in league play is easily the Valley's longest active streak, far ahead of Northern Iowa (6), Wichita State (4), Indiana State (2) and Missouri State (1).
Here's how Creighton's teams have fared in the various halves of the MVC season since 1995-96. Notably, this is the fourth straight season Creighton has been 5-4 at the midway point. In 2008-09 (as well as in 2000-01), Creighton went 9-0 in the second half of the Valley slate.
Year 1st Half 2nd Half
2010-11 5-4 0-1 so far
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 94-59 (.606) 93-52 (.641)
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 the interim head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats.
Home Cooking
Creighton is 53-14 at home all-time at Qwest Center Omaha in MVC games (.791), compared to a 34-35 (.493) 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.
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 13 8-0
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
Jays Earn 10 Home Wins, Again
The Jan. 19 win against Bradley was Creighton's 10th home victory this season. Creighton has now won 10 or more home games in 15 straight seasons.
The streak is a school-record, three 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.
Lawson Was Up For Senior CLASS Award
Senior center Kenny Lawson Jr. was 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. He did not make the list of the 10 finalists.
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).
Home Losses Are Rare
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.
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 on Jan. 12 vs. Wichita State.
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 67.3 percent of his shots in MVC action, 37-of-55. Evansville center Pieter van Tongeren is second to Echenique at 64.0 percent in Valley play.
In all games, van Tongeren shoots a league-best 65.3 percent from the field.
Nationally, Mike Glover from Iona leads the nation with 63.9 percent marksmanship among players who make five or more field goals per game.
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 241 wins in the decade, as well as 10 postseason appearances:
MVC Standings (start 2000-01 to Jan. 27, 2011)
MVC only All Games
Team W L Pct. W L Pct.
Creighton 130 60 .684 241 107 .693
Southern Illinois 128 62 .674 227 119 .656
Northern Iowa 106 84 .558 202 136 .598
Wichita State 103 87 .542 198 141 .584
Missouri State 102 88 .537 198 142 .582
Illinois State 88 102 .463 178 153 .538
Bradley 87 103 .458 176 167 .513
Drake 79 111 .416 157 170 .480
Indiana State 66 124 .347 136 192 .415
Evansville 61 129 .321 121 193 .385
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 22 games by a Bluejay newcomer since 1993-94.
Most Points, Newcomer, First 22 Games Since 1993-94
Pts. Name, Class Year
342 Nate King, Jr. 1993-94
322 Rodney Buford, Fr. 1995-96
302 Doug McDermott, Fr. 2010-11
264 Tad Ackerman, Jr. 1994-95
252 P'Allen Stinnett, Fr. 2007-08
241 Ryan Sears, Fr. 1997-98
235 Doug Swenson, Jr. 1997-98
221 Brody Deren, So. 2001-02
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.
Chairman Of The Boards
Freshman Doug McDermott is having one of the best rebounding seasons by a Bluejay in more than a decade. McDermott averages 7.3 per contest.
Those rebound per game averages are equal to 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.
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.
A Sketch on Ech
Gregory Echenique has made an immediate impact for Creighton, as the Jays are 8-4 since he became eligible on December 17th.
With the big Venezuelan in the line-up, Creighton has held the opposition to 61.1 points per game (compared to 67.7 per game before he became active) and 41.2 percent shooting from the floor (compared to 43.2 percent).
In addition, Creighton has outrebounded foes by +3.7 rebounds per game, compared to a +1.0 advantage before he arrived.
The Echenique Effect
While the addition of Gregory Echenique's 11.2 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 26 shots, already good enough to lead the team and rank second-most in The Valley.
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).
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 13-5 over the past two seasons when Jones scores five or more points.
Four-Headed Monster
Creighton has four players currently averaging in double-figures; Antoine Young (13.2), Doug McDermott (13.7), Kenny Lawson Jr. (10.0) and Gregory Echenique (11.2).
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. He now owns the top two efforts this season in the MVC, with seven blocks at Missouri State (Jan. 22) after six at Indiana State (Jan. 16).
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 (128 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-128 all-time in its first shot of the game at Qwest Center Omaha, including a 3-for-13 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 four 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.
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 30.0 percent (24-80) from downtown.
At the line, Young entered the year as a 64.3 percent shooter (101-157). He's currently at 76.5 percent from the stripe (75-98).
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 leads the league in minutes played (801), assists (99), assists per game (4.5) and in assist/turnover ratio (2.36).
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 26 of his past 28 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.
That made Korver 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 37th nationally with a 1.23 assist/turnover ratio and also ranked 34th with 74.1 percent accuracy from the free throw line.
Even more impressive, the Jays are 21st 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 five 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 six Newcomer of the Week honors (he also won it on Jan. 3 and Jan. 24) thus far are tied for the most ever for an entire season in league history. Bradley's Marcellus Sommerville also 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, and again on Jan. 26 at Northern Iowa. 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 36.4 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.
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 13 wins, the bench has scored 268 points (20.6 ppg.), but in the nine losses it's scored just 89 points total (9.9 ppg.), with a high of 16.
Active Leader
Kenny Lawson Jr. leads all active Missouri Valley Conference players with 675 rebounds, 146 blocked shots and 107 games started.
He also ranks third on that list with 1,173 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 (1,419) 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. 1,173 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pr.
24. 1,172 Dick Harvey 1956-59
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 633, ranks second in Qwest Center Omaha scoring history. Nate Funk holds the facility record with 735 career points.
Lawson (364 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
'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 295-of-400 (73.8 percent) at the line, while its opponents are a combined 182-of-286 (63.6 percent) from the charity stripe.
Every Creighton player with at least one attempt from the line are shooting 64.0 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, 107 Times Over
Creighton has played 128 regular and postseason contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time in its eight seasons at the facility.
The Bluejays own a 107-21 (.836) record all-time at the facility, including a 25-2 figure on Wednesday's, a 6-0 mark on Thursday's and a 3-0 mark on Friday's.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 9,371-7,984 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 533 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 557 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.
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).
Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton has won 71 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.
