Men's Basketball Takes on Iowa on Sunday in Des Moines
11/18/2011 11:08:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game #4 vs. Iowa • Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011 • 3:00 p.m.
Creighton Bluejays vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
Wells Fargo Arena (16,110) • Des Moines, Iowa
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.am590espnradio.com
Television: BTN
Series History: Iowa leads 14-10
Last Meeting: Iowa won 69-56 on March 15, 2001 in Uniondale, N.Y.
Next Game
Creighton (3-0) resumes play in the Dale Howard Classic with a neutral-site game against Iowa (3-0), their first meeting since 2001.
Sunday's game tips at 3 pm and will be played at Wells Fargo Arena (16,110) in Des Moines, Iowa.
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“AM 590 - Omaha's ESPN Radio”) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2011-12 season, including Sunday's game. T. Scott Marr and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action.
The audio is also webcast live at www.AM590espnradio.com.
Video Webcast Available
Sunday's game vs. Iowa will be video webcast on the Big Ten Network's 2 Go platform at http://www.btn2go.com/btn2go/FAQ.jsp.
The webcast is NOT part of the Jays Video webcast package available on GoCreighton.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Sunday's game will be televised by the Big Ten Network (BTN), with Brian Anderson and Kenyon Murray on the call.
On Cox Cable in Omaha, BTN is channel 1080 (high-definition) or channel 80 (standard-definition). Coordinates are below:
Primary Transmission: Digital KU Band
Video Format: HD 16:9 720p/59.94
Satellite: SES-2
D/L Frequency: 12180.000 V
Data Rate: 41.47 MSPS
Compression Ratio: 4:2:0
Transponder: 24
U/L Frequency: 14480.000 H
Symbol Rate: 29.999564
FEC: 3/4 QPSK
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Stats tab on the left-hand side of the page for links the exact link.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 3-0 on the young season after lopsided home victories over North Carolina A&T (97-65) and Chicago State (95-61) last weekend and a 70-60 win at defending Conference USA champion UAB on Wednesday.
The Jays return 10 lettermen and three starters from last year's 23-16 team that reached the championship series of the College Basketball Invitational.
After leading the team in scoring and rebounding as a freshman, sophomore forward Doug McDermott enters the 2011-12 season with preseason all-MVC and All-America hype. He's leading the team in points (20.3 ppg.) and rebounds (6.3) once again this year, and scored 27 in the win over UAB.
The other two returning starters, senior guard Antoine Young (8.7 ppg., 3.7 apg.) and junior center Gregory Echenique (6.7 ppg., 6.7 rpg., 1.7 bpg.), are honorable-mention preseason all-Valley selections as well.
Jahenns Manigat (13.0 ppg.) finished up his freshman season strong and carried it over last weekend, making five three-pointers in the first two victories to start the season.
All four newcomers to see action have had at least one game in double-figures, including two from Gonzaga transfer Grant Gibbs (8.7 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 4.7 apg.).
Scouting Iowa
Iowa is 3-0 on the season after posting lopsided home wins over Chicago State (96-53), North Carolina A&T (95-79) and Northern Illinois (88-55).
Five men are scoring in double-figures for the Hawkeyes; Matt Gatens (16.3 ppg.), Eric May (15.3 ppg.), Melsahn Basabe (12.3 ppg., 5.7 rpg.), Zach McCabe (11.0 ppg.) and Aaron White (10.0 ppg., 6.0 rpg.).
Bryce Cartwright, who led the Big Ten in assists per conference game last season, averages 6.0 points and a team-high 6.3 assists per game.
Iowa returns four starters and 11 lettermen from last year's team that finished 11-20.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his second season as head coach at Creighton, where he owns a 26-16 mark. McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000). He owns a career mark of 306-211 in 18 seasons and is 175-147 in 11 Division I campaigns. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Steve Merfeld.
Fran McCaffrey (Pennsylvania, 1982) is 14-20 in his second year at Iowa, which moves his career record to 265-197 in 16 years as a head coach. He was previously head coach at Lehigh, UNC Greensboro and Siena. McCaffrey is assisted by Kirk Speraw, Sherman Dillard and Andrew Francis.
The Series With Iowa
Iowa leads the all-time series with Creighton by a 14-10 margin, but the Bluejays have won four of the past six meetings.
The team's last meeting (March 15, 2001) was also the only previous neutral-site meeting, as Iowa won 69-56 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Uniondale, N.Y.
Creighton has reached the NCAA Tournament each of the last four seasons it has played the Hawkeyes.
Creighton head coach Greg McDermott is 5-4 all-time against Iowa, but has never faced Fran McCaffrey.
Last Season Recap
Creighton finished 23-16 on the season, winning a program-record four postseason games before falling in the best-of-three championship series in the College Basketball Invitational. Creighton's 10-8 league mark was good for a tie for fourth place, the Jays 14th straight year of a fourth-place finish or better.
Individually, Doug McDermott was a first-team all-MVC pick and led the team in scoring and rebounding during a standout freshman season that also saw him sweep MVC Freshman and Newcomer of the Year accolades. Antoine Young was named second-team all-MVC, while both McDermott and Jahenns Manigat were named to the MVC's All-Freshman Team. In addition, Manigat was named to the MVC's All-Bench Team, and Gregory Echenique was selected to the MVC's All-Newcomer and All-Defensive Team.
Last Game Recap
Creighton snapped UAB's 38-game regular-season home non-conference win streak with a 70-60 road win at the defending Conference USA champs. Creighton led 32-25 at half and by as much as 12 points before UAB rallied to take the lead. The Jays embarked on a 12-3 run late in the game to go ahead 62-52, and UAB got no closer than five points the rest of the way.
Doug McDermott had 27 points while Grant Gibbs had five points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the win.
Looking To Go 4-0
With a win on Sunday, Creighton will start 4-0 for the first time since the 2007-08 season. Each of Creighton's last seven teams to start 4-0 have reached the postseason.
The 2007-08 campaign was also the last time that Creighton won each of its first three games by double-figures.
Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception.
Creighton has three 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 includes junior Grant Gibbs (Marion), sophomore Doug McDermott (Ames) and redshirt freshman 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 553 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Big Ten, Big Time
Creighton will play three teams from the Big Ten Conference (Iowa, Nebraska and Northwestern) this season. The Bluejays host both Nebraska (Dec. 4) and Northwestern (Dec. 22) after playing Iowa in Des Moines on Sunday.
This is the first year Creighton has hosted two games against Big Ten competition since 1939, and the first time since 1936 CU has hosted different Big Ten teams in the same season.
Unbelievably, Creighton has hosted just one Big Ten team since 1973 (Iowa in 1999).
Since 2000, Creighton has played just five games against Big Ten teams at the time of the game. Four of those games were at neutral sites, three were against ranked teams, and two of those games went to overtime.
Each of Creighton's last two wins in regulation against a Big Ten team came against Iowa. The Jays beat the No. 23 Hawkeyes on Nov. 27, 1999 in Omaha, and won at Iowa on Nov. 25, 1998. Creighton owns three wins in 12 games against the Big Ten since 1973.
Creighton vs. Big Ten Teams, Since 1973
Score Opponent Date
11/28/10 at Northwestern L 52-65
11/26/09 vs. #15 Michigan L 76-83 (OT)
11/24/04 vs. Ohio State W 65-63 (OT)
03/17/02 vs. #13 Illinois L 60-72
03/15/01 vs. #24 Iowa L 56-69
11/27/99 Iowa W 85-76
11/25/98 at Iowa W 75-73
11/30/96 vs. #24 Minnesota L 63-64
12/27/91 vs. Northwestern L 57-76
12/01/90 at Iowa L 77-83
12/27/75 vs. #20 Minnesota L 74-80
12/20/74 at #2 Indiana L 53-71
Point, Counterpoint
Creighton's Antoine Young led the Missouri Valley Conference with 5.0 assists per game last season, while Iowa's Bryce Cartwright led the Big Ten in league contests with 6.83 assists per game. On Sunday the two senior floor generals will meet head-to-head for the first time.
The last time Creighton and Iowa met (2001), the senior point guards that went head-to-head were former high school rivals Ryan Sears (Creighton/Ankeny HS) and Dean Oliver (Iowa/Mason City HS), two of the greatest point guards in each program's history.
#Winning
Doug McDermott won a pair of state titles at Wells Fargo Arena, as his Ames High School team posted undefeated campaigns in both 2008-09 (26-0) and 2009-10 (27-0) to become Iowa's first 4A team to repeat as undefeated state champions.
One of his teammates in high school was current North Carolina sophomore Harrison Barnes. Here's a look at the two sophomores and how they've performed in college:
Name McDermott Barnes
Points 642 614
PPG 15.3 15.7
Rebounds 299 226
RPG 7.1 5.8
FG-FGA 246-460 221-518
FG% .535 .427
3FG-3FGA 52-125 69-201
3FG% .416 .343
FT-FTA 98-130 103-139
FT% .754 .741
Fountains of Doug
Doug McDermott has scored 21 and 27 points in his last two games, respectively, giving him 20 or more points in his last nine games overall dating to last year.
Creighton has not had a player score 20 or more points in three straight games since Kyle Korver did it from Dec. 21, 2002 - Jan. 5, 2003.
A Point A Minute
A year ago at this time, Doug McDermott was still sneaking up on people as a baby-faced freshman. But after a record-setting freshman year and preseason acclaim on the Wooden and Naismith Award lists this fall, he's become priority number one on the opponent's scouting reports.
Despite the extra attention paid to him, he's scored more than a point per minute in the eight games in a Bluejay uniform this season. If you include four exhibition games in the Bahamas (97 points, 84 minutes), an exhibition win over Rockhurst (19 points, 22 minutes) and three regular-season contests (61 points, 69 minutes), he's scored a whopping 177 points in 175 minutes.
Doug McDermott By Game
Opponent Points Minutes
Bahamas All-Stars 27 18
Commonwealth Giants 29 26
Mailbot Cybots 26 24
Real Deal Shockers 15 16
Rockhurst 19 22
North Carolina A&T 13 17
Chicago State 21 20
UAB 27 32
Totals 177 175
Rewriting The Ending
Last year Creighton lost six different games in which it led by eight points or more in the second half. In Wednesday's road opener at UAB, Creighton took a 37-25 lead early in the second half, only to later fall behind 48-44 with 10:37 to play. This time around the Jays showed their evolution from last season by forging ahead and coming from behind to post the double-digit road win at Bartow Arena, 70-60.
Last year Creighton had only two second-half comebacks of four points or larger in the final 11 minutes of a game. The Jays trailed Northern Arizona by five with 8:39 left on Nov. 14, and trailed at Southern Illinois by seven points with 5:32 remaining on Jan. 7th.
Gibbs Comes Up Clutch
Junior guard Grant Gibbs finished with five points, seven rebounds, seven assists and no turnovers in Wednesday's win at UAB.
Gibbs was the first CU player with at least five points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the same game since Kyle Korver had six points, seven rebounds and eight assists in a win at Drake on Feb. 1, 2003.
Gibbs took over the last six minutes of the game, sinking a go-ahead three-pointer, snaring five rebounds, and dishing a key assist to a dunking Gregory Echenique.
The Great Gibbs-by
Grant Gibbs grew up about 40 minutes from Iowa City in nearby suburb of Marion, Iowa, where he attended Linn-Mar High School.
Gibbs is also no stranger to Wells Fargo Arena, where he's played nine times previously. He led Linn-Mar to a state title as a junior and a third-place finish as a senior, where he hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer in his final prep game.
Big Mac Land
Creighton head coach Doug McDermott is a native of Cascade, Iowa, and has previously served as head coach at both Northern Iowa (2001-06) and Iowa State (2006-10).
He is 5-4 in his career against Iowa, with the home team winning every meeting. He has never faced the Hawkeyes at a neutral site.
All In The Family
Creighton assistant coach Darian DeVries also has connections to the state of Iowa, as he's a native of Aplington, Iowa.
Darian's oldest brother, Jared DeVries, was a football standout at the University of Iowa and recently wrapped up a 12-year NFL career with the Detroit Lions. Their younger brother, Dusty DeVries, also played football at Iowa.
We Meet Again
Creighton's Doug McDermott and Iowa's Melsahn Basabe both lead their respective teams along the front line. As freshmen a year ago both men were key to their teams, as McDermott had nine double-doubles and Basabe had six.
Earlier this summer both men were invited to try out for Team USA's U19 National Team that competed in the FIBA World Championships in Latvia. McDermott made the team, started every game, and was third on the squad in both points and rebounds. Basabe was cut from the team.
Dale Howard Classic Info
The Dale Howard Classic includes 10 games and is a five-team, round-robin event. Below is a summary so far:
Dale Howard Classic Team Standings
Creighton 2-0
Iowa 2-0
Campbell 1-0
Chicago State 0-2
North Carolina A&T 0-3
Dale Howard Classic Game Results
Creighton 97, North Carolina A&T 65 (11/11)
Iowa 96, Chicago State 53 (11/11)
Creighton 95, Chicago State 61 (11/13)
Iowa 95, North Carolina A&T 79 (11/14)
Campbell 94, North Carolina A&T 66 (11/17)
Chicago State at North Carolina A&T (11/19)
Creighton vs. Iowa (11/20)
Campbell at Chicago State (11/21)
Campbell at Iowa (11/23)
Campbell at Creighton (11/25)
Scene Of The Crime
Sunday's game will mark Creighton's return to Wells Fargo Arena for first time since last November's heartbreaking loss to Iowa State.
Creighton and Iowa State were locked up in a high-scoring slugfest that eventually saw the Jays overcome a five-point deficit in the final minute to knot the score with 1.6 seconds left. ISU's Jamie Vanderbeken (a Greg McDermott recruit) would take a 55-foot inbounds pass, spin and dribble twice, before heaving a 35-foot three-pointer that swished through the net.
Video and photographic evidence later showed the shot came after the final buzzer, but without a replay monitor to review the call, the initial decision stood and the shot was counted, handing the Jays a painful loss.
A replay monitor will be courtside on Sunday.
Jays Reload
Creighton has four players that have made their Bluejay debut this month, and all four had at least one game scoring in double-figures.
Junior guard Grant Gibbs had games of 10 and 11 points, exceeding his high from Gonzaga of eight points. Redshirt freshman Will Artino had 13 points in his debut vs. North Carolina A&T. Looking at the true freshmen, Avery Dingman had 11 against the Aggies while Austin Chatman had 12 points in last Sunday's win over Chicago State.
McDermott Wins 25th at Creighton
Last Sunday's victory over Chicago State was the 25th on the Bluejay sideline for Greg McDermott. It came in his 41st game at Creighton, the quickest since Tom Apke earned his 25th win on Dec. 17, 1975 in his 34th game.
McDermott's 41 games needed to reach 25 wins is far superior to some other notable names in Creighton history who were under .500 when they won their 25th game, a list that includes Dana Altman (62nd game at CU), Tony Barone (63) and Willis Reed (69).
High Octane Offense
Creighton scored 97 points in its season-opener, then followed it up with 95 more in its second game. The 192 points are the most in program history through two games, four more than the 1973-74 and 2002-03 teams accumulated.
Both those teams would go on to reach the NCAA Tournament, as have the program's previous four teams that scored 90 or more in the season lid-lifter.
Before this past weekend, Creighton last scored 90 points in consecutive games in December of 2007 (90 vs. Saint Joseph's, 110 vs. Houston Baptist).
A Dash of Everything
Nicknamed “Dash” by teammate Antoine Young, freshman point guard Austin Chatman stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 12 points, six assists, four rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot on Sunday vs. Chicago State.
He's the first Creighton player with at least 12 points, six assists, four rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot in the same game since Kyle Korver in a memorable 80-56 rout of Southern Illinois in the 2003 MVC Tournament final. Korver had 12 point, 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block in that win over the Salukis en route to Tournament MVP honors.
Some Breathing Room
Last year every Creighton game was decided by 19 points or less, which only makes it more surprising that both of Creighton's first two games this winter were 30+ point blowouts.
Creighton last had consecutive wins by 30 or more points on Dec. 17 and 20, 2007.
The comfortable leads have given Greg McDermott a chance to rest some of his regulars, as no player played more than 26 minutes in either of the first two games. By comparison, last year Antoine Young played 27 minutes or more in every game but one, and averaged 35.7 minutes per contest.
Away From Home
For Creighton to reach some of its goals this season, it's going to have to improve upon its 7-27 record away from home the previous two years.
Before Wednesday's win at UAB, the Jays had lost their last nine true road games since a Jan. 9, 2011 win at Evansville, and hadn't won a non-conference true road game on Dec. 6, 2008 at Saint Joseph's.
Each of Creighton's last eight NCAA Tournament teams have won 10 or more games away from home, and seven of those teams had a winning record in true road contests.
Creighton last won consecutive games, both away from home, on Feb. 4 and Feb. 8, 2009, at Drake and at UNI.
The last eight times that Creighton won its first road/neutral game away from home, the Jays went on to make the postseason.
Three On The Way
Creighton launched 35 three-point shots in its Nov. 11 win over North Carolina A&T, tying a school-record set Feb. 1, 2011 at Bradley.
Creighton converted 14 of those three-point attempts, matching its most under Greg McDermott. The Jays also sank 14 trifectas in Des Moines last season on Nov. 21, 2010 in a game vs. Iowa State.
Creighton followed it up with 13-of-30 marksmanship from downtown in Sunday's victory over Chicago State.
This was the first time Creighton has combined to make 27 or more three-pointers in consecutive games since February of 2005.
It was also the first time that the Creighton men have made 13 or more trifectas in consecutive games. The Creighton women have done it twice, having done so in their first two games in 2009-10 as well as their first two games in 2004-05.
The Ultimate Question of Everything Is 42
Doug McDermott has started all 42 games of his career and enters Sunday's contest with 642 career points (15.3 ppg.).
By comparison, Creighton's all-time leading scorer, Rodney Buford, had 655 career points after 42 games (15.6 ppg.). However, Buford had “just” 474 points after the third game of his sophomore season (14.8 ppg.).
Bench Bonus
Creighton's bench scored 41 points on Nov. 11 vs. North Carolina A&T, including a pair of freshmen in double-figures (Will Artino, Avery Dingman).
The last time Creighton scored 40 or more points off the bench had been a 56-point effort vs. South Dakota on March 16, 2010, in an opening-round CIT game at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Creighton's bench scored 38 more points in last Sunday's win over Chicago State.
Canadian Bakin'
Jahenns Manigat had 18 points, three assists and three rebounds in the season-opening win over North Carolina A&T, then had 15 points and four assists in the win over Chicago State last Sunday. He sank five three-pointers in each of the victories.
The two victories improved Creighton to 11-0 all-time when Manigat dishes three or more assists and 6-1 when Manigat hits three or more three-pointers.
Big Margin
Creighton's 97-65 win on Nov. 11 vs. North Carolina A&T was its highest point total in a season-opener since the 2002-03 team opened with a 106-50 win over Texas-Arlington. That team went on to be 29-5.
Seven of Creighton's 16 all-time NCAA Tournament teams have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
Here's a look at Creighton's last five teams to score 90 or more in a season-opener.
Final Post-
Score Opponent Date W-L Season
97-65 N. Carolina A&T 11/11/11 ? ?
106-50 Texas-Arlington 11/17/02 29-5 NCAA
96-50 Western Illinois 11/20/00 24-8 NCAA
93-48 Towson State 11/14/98 22-9 NCAA
93-47 UT-San Antonio 11/30/90 24-8 NCAA
Passing Fancy
Creighton's 28 assists (on 33 field goals) vs. North Carolina A&T were its most in a game since dishing 28 assists vs. Houston Baptist (on 32 FG) on December 22, 2009. The figure also ties a CenturyLink Center Omaha record for one game.
The Jays tied that mark last Sunday with 28 more assists (on 33 field goals) vs. Chicago State.
Creighton was credited with 10 assists on 27 baskets at UAB on Wednesday, and has now assisted on 66-of-93 of its field goals this season (71.0 percent).
Last season Creighton's top passing output was 25 assists in a win over Kennesaw State, and the Jays dished on 60.7 percent of its field goals for the season.
A Bunch of Homers
Sunday's win over Chicago State was the school's 12th straight home victory dating to a Jan. 12, 2011 loss vs. Wichita State.
The wins have been by an average of 20.6 points, and nine of those 12 victories have been by double-digits.
November Reign
Creighton has won 37 straight regular-season November home games. CU's last home loss in November came in 1989, when it fell to Coppin State on Nov. 27.
Overall, Creighton is 45-11 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
Creighton has also won 32 straight non-conference, regular-season, home games against unranked foes since falling to Drexel on Feb. 17, 2007.
In Tournament Play?
Creighton is 2-0 in the Dale Howard Classic, and is looking to win its fourth-ever tournament title in a regular-season event. The Jays claimed titles in the Guardians Classic in both 2002 and 2004 and the Las Vegas Classic crown in 2008.
Creighton has also won a record 10 MVC Tournament titles.
Wednesday's game at UAB is not part of the Dale Howard Classic.
Quick Starts Key To Playing in Postseason
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 11 of the previous 13 seasons, something it did again this year. Each of Creighton's last 12 3-0 starts have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Bahamas Boost
Creighton got a head start to the 2011-12 season thanks to a four-game exhibition tour of the Bahamas in mid-August. The trip, which included CU's four scholarship freshmen, also included 10 valuable practices in the off-season.
Creighton won all four games on its tour by double-digits, outscoring foes by an average of 27.5 points per game.
Doug McDermott led the Jays in scoring (24.3 ppg.), Will Artino led the team in rebounding (11.0 rpg.), Geoff Groselle topped the squad with 10 blocked shots, and Austin Chatman had a team-best 30 assists.
Each of Creighton's last three teams to take a foreign trip have started the season strong. The 2007-08 and 2003-04 teams both went to Vancouver, with CU's 2007-08 team starting the regular-season 5-0, and the '03-04 squad opening 12-0. The Jays also toured Europe in the spring of 1998, with CU opening 6-0 to begin the 1998-99 campaign.
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).
Other known father/son player/head coach duos this winter include Ray/Ray McCallum Jr. (Detroit), Jim/Tyler Les (UC Davis), Ernie/Trey Ziegler (Central Michigan), Louis/Chauncey Orr (Bowling Green), Dave/Jordan Boots (South Dakota) and Jim/Billy Molinari (Western Illinois).
Preseason MVC Poll
Creighton was picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference in the preseason poll of league coaches, SID's and media. The Bluejays earned 29-of-40 first-place votes and 389 points overall.
Wichita State was second with 350 points and seven first-place votes, while Indiana State was third with 331 points and got four first-place votes.
Northern Iowa (245) and Evansville (234) rounded out the upper half of the league.
In sixth was defending regular-season champ Missouri State (216), where it was followed by Drake (159), Illinois State (111), Southern Illinois (90) and Bradley (75).
Creighton sophomore Doug McDermott is one of five men on the preseason all-MVC team. He's joined on the team by Wichita State's Toure' Murry, Missouri State's Kyle Weems, Indiana State's Jake Odum and Evansville's Colt Ryan. Weems was also named Preseason MVC Player of the Year.
Silas To Enter MVC Hall of Fame
Paul Silas will enter the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame on March 2, 2012, during a banquet at the State Farm MVC Tournament in St. Louis, Mo.
Silas played for Creighton from 1961-64 and averaged 20.5 points and 21.6 rebounds per game during his college career. He is one of five men in NCAA history to average a “20/20”, joining Bill Russell, Julius Erving, Artis Gilmore and Kermit Washington.
He owns more rebounds than any NCAA player in the last 55 years, including 22 different games of 25 or more rebounds.
Silas played 16 seasons in the NBA and has won 390 additional contests as an NBA head coach with the Clippers, Hornets, Cavaliers and Bobcats organizations.
Jays Getting Votes
Creighton received enough votes in the preseason USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches poll to be ranked 33rd nationally. It's the first time Creighton has received votes since the 2009-10 preseason poll, and CU's highest ranking since being 29th on March 2, 2009.
The Associated Press preseason poll had Creighton 34th, with 12 points to rank among those receiving votes. It is the first time Creighton has received votes since March 9, 2009, and the highest CU has been since ranking 26th on March 2, 2009.
In the first update of the polls released on Monday, Creighton was 33rd in the AP poll and 32nd in the coaches poll. Both are a one-spot jump from the preseason poll.
McDermott On Preseason Lists
Sophomore forward Doug McDermott is one of 50 players nationwide named to the 2011-12 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list, as well as the Naismith preseason watch list. He was the only MVC player honored on either list.
McDermott is the first player from Creighton named to a Wooden Award list since the spring of 2003, when Kyle Korver was one of 22 finalists for the award. However, Korver never received preseason acclaim in his career from the Wooden Award voters.
McDermott is Creighton's first player on the preseason Naismith list since Nate Funk prior to the 2006-07 campaign.
10 Conference Wins x 15
Last season's Creighton team extended its MVC record by winning 10 or more league games for a 15th consecutive season.
On a national basis, the only other current school with at least 15 straight years of 10 or more league wins is Kansas (17).
Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 12 of the last 13 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 13 years: Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse.
Creighton is one of six schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 12 of the past 13 years. That list consists of Creighton, Kent State, Kentucky, Texas, Utah State and Xavier.
That's better than traditional powers Arizona, Connecticut and Memphis (11 each) and also ahead of Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin (10 each).
Postseason x 14
Creighton has made the postseason in 14 consecutive seasons, the longest streak of postseason bids in MVC history.
The only nine schools to make the postseason in each of the last 14 years are Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Oklahoma State and Syracuse.
Full House
Last year Creighton averaged 13,507 fans per home game, which ranked 22nd nationally. The program ranked 14th at the end of the regular-season with an average of 15,026 before four CBI home games brought down the average.
Creighton surpassed 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.
Creighton has finished in the top-25 of the national attendance leaders in each of the previous five seasons, and averaging 14,568 fans at home so far this season.
2010-11 Attendance Leaders (Final)
Rk. School Average
1. Kentucky 23,603
2. Syracuse 22,312
3. Louisville 21,832
4. North Carolina 19,144
5. Tennessee 18,952
6. BYU 18,714
7. Wisconsin 17,230
8. Memphis 16,768
9. Kansas 16,436
10. Illinois 15,851
11. Marquette 15,586
12. Indiana 15,259
13. Ohio State 15,125
14. Maryland 14,910
15. Michigan State 14,797
16. New Mexico 14,570
17. Purdue 13,916
18. Vanderbilt 13,802
19. North Carolina State 13,779
20. Arizona 13,680
21. Texas 13,669
22. Creighton 13,507
23. UNLV 13,253
24. Minnesota 13,241
25. Georgetown 12,675
Highest Season Home Attendance, MVC History
Home Att. School Year
302,676 Creighton 2008-09
297,161 Creighton 2010-11
276,000 Creighton 2007-08
246,419 Creighton 2009-10
236,313 Creighton 2005-06
222,728 Creighton 2006-07
192,258 Creighton 2003-04
191,440 Louisville 1974-75
Highest Average Attendance, MVC History
Avg. Att. School Year
15,930 Creighton 2008-09
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
15,333 Creighton 2007-08
14,568 Creighton 2011-12
14,495 Creighton 2009-10
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
13,507 Creighton 2010-11
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Besides a trip to the Bahamas, two Creighton players stayed busy competing internationally this summer.
Doug McDermott played for Team USA at the U19 World Championships, which were held in Riga, Latvia. McDermott started every game for coach Paul Hewitt's team and was third on the club in both points (11.3) and rebounds (6.1) per game, while topping the squad with 13 three-point baskets. Despite a 7-2 record and wins over the eventual gold and silver medalist teams, his team finished fifth overall after being upset by Russia in the quarterfinal round.
Gregory Echenique played for coach Eric Musselman on the Venezuelan National Team, alongside the likes of former Maryland star and current Memphis Grizzlies guard Greivis Vasquez. In head-to-head battles against NBA veterans such as Luis Scola (Argentina), Al Horford (Dominican Republic), Joel Anthony (Canada) and Andres Nocioni (Argentina), Echenique averaged 6.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in eight games while helping Venezuela to fifth place at the FIBA Americas Tournament in Argentina. Venezuela's success advanced it to a 12-team Olympic qualifier next spring, of which the top three teams will make the 2012 Olympics in London.
Consistent Challengers
Nine of Creighton's last 14 teams have finished either first or second in The Valley's regular-season race. Two of the five 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, and last year's club tied for fourth place.
Creighton's MVC Finishes, Last 14 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
Tied for 4th Place 2010-11
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in a league-best 577 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. That's the longest active streak in the MVC.
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 139 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in nine seasons at the facility.
The Bluejays own an 118-21 (.849) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday or Friday.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 10,281-8,718 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.2 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 30 different times, including once this season.
Team of the Millennium?
Below is the records for each MVC school since the start of the 2000-01 season (not including any 2011-12 results), ranked by overall winning percentage. Creighton leads the MVC overall with 251 wins in the millennium, as well as 11 postseason appearances:
MVC Standings (start 2000-01 to end of 2010-11)
MVC only All Games
Team W L Pct. W L Pct.
Creighton 135 63 .682 251 114 .688
Southern Illinois 129 69 .652 230 127 .644
Wichita State 109 89 .551 211 145 .593
Northern Iowa 109 89 .551 206 144 .589
Missouri State 108 90 .545 207 147 .585
Illinois State 90 108 .455 180 161 .528
Bradley 91 107 .460 182 172 .514
Drake 83 115 .419 162 175 .481
Indiana State 71 127 .359 144 197 .422
Evansville 65 133 .328 126 200 .387
Postseason Appearances by MVC Teams
(Since 2000-01)
Team NCAA NIT CBI CIT Total
Creighton 5 4 1 1 11
Southern Illinois 6 1 0 0 7
Wichita State 1 5 1 0 7
Northern Iowa 5 0 0 1 6
Bradley 1 2 1 1 5
Missouri State 0 4 0 1 5
Illinois State 0 4 0 0 4
Indiana State 2 0 1 0 3
Drake 1 0 0 1 2
Evansville 0 0 1 1 2
Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton has won 81 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has also won 47 straight games when scoring 90 points or more, dating to Jan. 11, 1988.
Creighton has won 16 straight when scoring 100 points or more, dating to Feb. 26, 1977.
Academically Tops In The MVC Too
For the seventh time in the nine-year existence of the award, Creighton University has been recognized with the 2010-11 MVC All-Academic Award. Bluejay student-athletes posted a 3.33 cumulative grade-point average over the 2010-11 academic calendar. Creighton previously shared the award in 2003-04, and were the outright winners in 2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Creighton had three men's basketball players earn Dean's List (3.50 GPA or better) accolades last year; Kaleb Korver, Derek Sebastian and Taylor Stormberg.
Shuttle Service Provided Again
Chief Bus will provide complimentary shuttle service from the Creighton University campus to CenturyLink 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 CenturyLink 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 CenturyLink 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 2011-12 season went on sale on October 31st at 10 am.
Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CenturyLink 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.
