Men's Basketball Visits San Diego State on Wednesday
11/28/2011 1:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
2011-12 Creighton Men's Basketball
Game #6 at San Diego State • Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011 • 9:30 p.m. Central (7:30 pm PST)
Creighton Bluejays at San Diego State Aztecs
Viejas Arena (12,414) • San Diego, Calif.
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.am590espnradio.com
Television: The Mtn.
Series History: Creighton leads, 3-1
Last Meeting: Creighton won 79-61 in Omaha, Neb., on Jan. 3, 1974
Next Game
Creighton (5-0) faces its stiffest test yet when it travels to play a road game at San Diego State (7-1) on Wednesday, Nov. 30.
The contest is part of the third annual Mountain West/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge Series.
The contest take place in San Diego, Calif., at Viejas Arena (12,414) and begins at 9:30 pm Central (7:30 pm Pacific).
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“AM 590 - Omaha's ESPN Radio”) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2011-12 season, including Wednesday'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
Wednesday's game is not being video webcast.
Television Broadcast Information
Wednesday's game will be televised on The Mtn., the television network of the Mountain West Conference, with Ari Wolfe (play-by-play) and Dave Bollwinkel (analyst) on the call.
While the station isn't part of local cable packages in Omaha, it can be viewed on Channel 616 on DirecTV.
Coordinates are below:
Satellite: SES 2
Orbital Position: 87 degrees
Transponder: K 17 C+D
Uplink FREQ: 14349 (V)
Downlink FREQ: 12049 (H)
Symbol Rate: 10.5
Data Rate: 14.514706
FEC: 3/4
Video Compression: 4:2:0
Encoders: Tandberg
ET: 2130 - 0100 w/ 30 aprox
MT: 7:30 PM - 11:00 PM w/ 30 aprox
MTN Master Control: 201-735-2626
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, as well as Wednesday's game at San Diego State, can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
Ranked 22nd by the coaches and 26th by the Associated Press, Creighton is off to its first 5-0 start since 2007-08.
All of Creighton's wins have come by double-figures, including a 97-65 win over North Carolina A&T (Nov. 11), a 95-61 triumph over Chicago State (Nov. 13), a 70-60 win at UAB (Nov. 16) a 82-59 demolition of Iowa and last Friday's 104-81 victory over Campbell.
The Jays were picked to win the MVC after returning 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 averaging 23.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game this year, and is the first Bluejay since Kyle Korver (2002-03) with four straight games of 20 or more points.
The other two returning starters, senior guard Antoine Young (8.4 ppg., 4.8 apg.) and junior center Gregory Echenique (8.8 ppg., 6.0 rpg., 1.6 bpg.), are honorable-mention preseason all-Valley selections as well.
Jahenns Manigat (10.4 ppg.) finished up his freshman season strong and leads the team with 13 three-point baskets thus far.
All four newcomers to see action have had at least one game scoring in double-figures, including three from Gonzaga transfer Grant Gibbs (8.6 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 5.4 apg.).
Scouting San Diego State
Despite losing four starters off last season's 34-3 squad that reached the Sweet 16, San Diego State has continued its winning ways in 2011-12.
The Aztecs are off to a 7-1 start that includes road wins at Arizona and UCSB, as well as home wins over USC and Long Beach State. The only team to beat SDSU so far as been Baylor, 77-67, on Nov. 15 in Waco.
Chase Tapley leads the team with 16.5 points per game while also owning a team-best 22 steals and 23 three-point baskets.
Other men scoring in double-figures include Jamaal Franklin (15.7 ppg.), Xavier Thames (11.8 ppg.) and James Rahon (10.8 ppg.). Thames tops the club with 40 assists, while Garrett Green owns a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game.
As a team, the Aztecs average 71.4 points per game and allow 63.8 points per contest. SDSU shoots 44.2 percent from the floor, 32.8 percent from downtown and 63.4 percent at the line while outrebounding foes by 4.6 caroms per contest.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his second season as head coach at Creighton, where he owns a 28-16 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 308-211 in 18 seasons and is 177-147 in 11 Division I campaigns. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Steve Merfeld.
Steve Fisher (Illinois State, 1967) is in his 13th year as San Diego State head coach, where he owns a 239-153 record. When you include his run at Michigan, Fisher owns a 423-235 mark in 21 years as a head coach. He won a national title as interim head coach at Michigan in 1989, and was still leading the Wolverines two years later when the “Fab Five” arrived in Ann Arbor. Fisher is assisted by Brian Dutcher, Mark Fisher and Tony Bland.
The Series With San Diego State
Creighton owns a 3-1 lead all-time over San Diego State, though the teams have not met since 1974. The home team has won each of the previous four meetings.
Creighton head coach Greg McDermott is 0-1 in his career against SDSU, losing his first game as a Division I head coach to the Aztecs on Nov. 16, 2001, in Lubbock, Texas.
He is also 0-1 against Steve Fisher. Fisher has never faced Creighton.
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 made its first 13 field goal attempts and led 32-14 after nine minutes in an eventual 104-81 victory over previously unbeaten Campbell on Friday. The victory gave Creighton the Dale Howard Classic title.
Doug McDermott led Creighton with 31 points and 11 rebounds, while the Fighting Camels were paced by Eric Griffin's 29 points and 14 rebounds.
The MWC/MVC Challenge Series
Wednesday's game is the first of eight to be played this year that is part of the third annual Mountain West/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge.
The MVC won the series 5-4 in 2009, while the MWC claimed an 8-1 series win last fall.
Creighton has played and lost to a ranked MWC team that would reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons. The Jays lost 66-61 at No. 19 New Mexico in 2009, then fell 77-65 to No. 21 BYU last year in Omaha.
2011 Challenge Series
Nov. 30 Creighton at San Diego State
Dec. 3 Air Force at Drake
Dec. 3 Indiana State at Boise State
Dec. 3 Colorado State at UNI
Dec. 3 Missouri State at New Mexico
Dec. 3 TCU at Evansville
Dec. 3 Bradley at Wyoming
Dec. 4 UNLV at Wichita State
Projected Dates for Future Challenge Series
2012 -- Nov. 28 - Dec. 2
Ranked Or Not?
Creighton is 22nd in this week's USA Today Coaches poll, but among those getting votes to finish 26th in the Associated Press poll of writers.
Before entering at No. 25 last week, it was the first time the Jays had been ranked in the top-25 of the coaches poll since March 12, 2007, when it was 24th.
Creighton was last in the AP poll the week of Nov. 13, 2006, when it was 20th.
For the sake of Creighton's records and consistency, the school recognizes the Associated Press poll, which can be found in great detail on page 165 of the Creighton men's basketball media guide.
About The Aztecs Palace
Viejas Arena has always been a challenging venue for teams to visit, and never more so than in recent seasons. San Diego State is 86-11 in Viejas Arena in the past seven years, including a 38-2 mark in its last 40 games there.
Last year the team had 13 sellouts (12,414) in 15 games, and this year's club is averaging 11,960 fans per home contest. Creighton's last true road win in front of a crowd of 12,000 or larger came Dec. 11, 2004.
Red Hot Night
Creighton scorched the CenturyLink Center Omaha nets on Wednesday in its 104-81 win vs. Campbell.
The Jays made their first 13 field goal attempts from the floor during a dizzying display that included four three-pointers and two other traditional three-point plays. The scoring frenzy helped CU to a 32-14 lead after nine minutes and well on their way to another double-digit win.
For the evening, Creighton shot a school-record 70.4 percent on the night, the ninth-best mark in MVC history. Creighton's previous best shooting night came on Feb. 3, 2010, when CU made 66.7 percent (28-of-42) to beat Evansville.
Jays Hit 90, Again
Through games of Sunday, Creighton ranks first nationally with 23.2 assists per game, fourth in scoring average (89.6 ppg.), fourth in field goal percentage (54.2 percent), sixth in three-point percentage (.451), and seventh with a +24.4 scoring margin.
The Jays have surpassed 90 points three times already this season, after having done so just once in the previous three campaigns.
Creighton's 104 points vs. Campbell are tied for sixth-most in the country this season versus a Division I foe, trailing only outputs by Kentucky (108), Central Arkansas (107), Florida (107), Ohio State (107) and Villanova (106).
Creighton's 104 points vs. Campbell improved the Jays to 44-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more. It was CU's most points scored in regulation since a 110-73 win vs. Houston Baptist on Dec. 17, 2007.
Creighton last scored 100 points in back-to-back games on Jan. 29 and Feb. 2, 1966.
Upping The Antoine
Senior point guard Antoine Young continues to ascend up a few Creighton charts.
He's just 50 points from becoming Creighton's 35th member of the 1,000 point club, and his 373 assists rank eighth-most in Bluejay annals.
Within the next month, Young figures to join Ryan Sears and Vernon Moore as the only Bluejays in history with at least 1,000 points and 400 career assists.
Most Career Assists (Since 1970-71)
Ast. Name Years
570 Ryan Sears 1997-01
549 Ralph Bobik 1971-74
458 Randy Eccker 1974-78
430 Tyler McKinney 2001-05
418 Vernon Moore 1981-85
388 Josh Dotzler 2005-09
382 Duan Cole 1987-92
349 Antoine Young 2008-Pres.
332 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
323 Nate Funk 2002-07
More Records Fall
Among the CenturyLink Center Omaha records that Creighton set on Nov. 25 vs. Campbell were for field goals made (38, tie), field goal percentage for a game (70.4 percent), assists (30) and three-point percentage (66.7 percent, tie).
Creighton's 60 points in the first half were one shy of the highest scoring half in facility history.
Streaking Duo
A pair of Bluejays have long personal streaks going.
Gregory Echenique has blocked at least one shot in each of Creighton's last 17 games dating to Feb. 17, 2011. CU's last player with a swat in 17 straight games was Brody Deren from Feb. 4 - Dec. 6, 2003.
Ethan Wragge has made at least one three-pointer in each of his last 11 contests. That's the longest streak by a Bluejay since Josh Jones had 12 straight games with a triple from Feb. 13 - March 30, 2011.
Double-Digit Monsters
Not many teams are undefeated through games of Monday, and only eight of them have won their games by 10 or more points. Here's a list of schools to win every game by double-figures thus far:
Every Game Won By 10+ Points
School W-L Next Game
Saint Louis 6-0 11/29
Wisconsin 6-0 11/30
Indiana 6-0 11/30
Kentucky 6-0 12/1
Missouri 6-0 12/2
Baylor 5-0 11/29
Creighton 5-0 11/30
Auburn 3-0 11/28
Scoring In Numbers
Doug McDermott owns 117 points through five games, an average of 23.4 per contest that ranks fourth-most nationally (through Sunday).
He's the first Bluejay with 100 or more points in CU's first five games since Rodney Buford (102) in 1998-99.
He's the first Bluejay with 117 or more points in CU's first five games since Rod Mason (117) in 1987-88.
McDermott's 23.4 points per game would rank fourth-most in CU single-season history and would be the most since Bob Portman averaged 26.2 points per game in 1968-69.
McDermott's 23.4 points per game would make him the first MVC player over 20 points per game since Illinois State's Tarise Bryson (2000-01) and the most by a Valley player since Bradley's Curtis Stuckey (25.1 ppg.) in 1990-91.
The 30/30 Club?
Coming off a 31-point performance vs. Campbell, Doug McDermott could make some history on Wednesday. No Bluejay player has scored 30 points or more in consecutive games since Bob Harstad on Feb. 10-12, 1990.
Fresh Honor For Doug
Sophomore forward Doug McDermott was named MVC Player of the Week for the first time on Nov. 21 after averaging 25.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in two wins. He shot 63.6 percent from the field (21-33), including 5-of-7 from downtown (71.4 percent) and also sank 5-of-6 free throws (83.3 percent).
McDermott began his week with 27 points and seven rebounds in a 70-60 road win at defending Conference USA champion UAB, snapping the Blazers 38-game non-conference regular-season home winning streak. He made 11-of-18 field goals, 3-of-4 shots from downtown, and both free throws while going against a UAB front line that included Preseason C-USA Player of the Year Cameron Moore.
On Nov. 20th, McDermott returned to his home state and put on another impressive all-around display in an 82-59 demolition of Iowa. The sophomore had 18 of his game-high 25 points in the first half to help CU to a 45-29 intermission lead, and finished with 25 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes. He sank 10-of-15 field goal attempts, including 2-of-3 from deep, and also made 3-of-4 foul shots.
This was the first MVC Player of the Week accolade in McDermott's career, though he did set a league record last winter with seven MVC Newcomer of the Week awards.
Playing With The Huge Lead On The Road
In its commanding 82-59 win over Iowa on Nov. 20th, the Jays led by as large as 74-41 with 6:16 to play.
It was the largest lead for Creighton away from CenturyLink Center Omaha since March 10, 2003, when Creighton led Southern Illinois 59-26 with 13:16 remaining in the 2003 MVC Tournament final. The Jays went on to win that contest, 80-56.
A Bunch of Homers
Creighton's Nov. 25 win over Campbell was the school's 13th straight home victory dating to a Jan. 12, 2011 loss vs. Wichita State.
The wins have been by an average of 20.8 points, and 10 of those 13 victories have been by double-digits.
Here's a look at Creighton's home win streaks of 10 or longer at CenturyLink Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
Longest CenturyLink Center Home Win Streaks
No. Dates Snapped by
16 Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 31, 2006 Southern Illinois
14 Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008 Northern Iowa
13 Jan. 19, 2011 - Present ? ? ?
11 Nov. 22, 2003 - Feb. 43, 2004 Southern Illinois
High Five
Creighton's win vs. Campbell was the Jays fifth straight this season. The Bluejays have now had at least one five-game win streak in 14 of the last 15 seasons.
Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the NCAA's, NIT or CBI all 16 previous times they've had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the NCAA/NIT/CBI all seven times they haven't.
5-0 Start Leads to Great Things
Sunday's win over Iowa means Creighton has started 5-0 for the first time since the 2007-08 season. Each of Creighton's last seven teams to start 5-0 have reached the postseason.
Creighton last started 6-0 in 2004-05, a season that culminated in the NCAA Tournament.
The 2007-08 campaign was also the last time that Creighton won each of its first five games by double-figures. Creighton hasn't won each of its first six games by double-figures since 1928-29.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
True freshman Avery Dingman showed his range from distance against Iowa on Nov. 20, making all four of his three-point attempts to score a career-high 14 points in just 11 minutes of action.
Dingman is one of eight Creighton players in the last 20 years to make all of his three-pointers with four or more attempts, and just the second player in that span (joining Corie Brandon in 1997) to do it away from home.
4-4 or Better From 3-Point Range (since 1992-93)
4-4 Avery Dingman vs. Iowa 11/20/11
4-4 Josh Jones vs. Davidson 03/21/10
4-4 Antoine Young vs. Idaho State 12/18/10
6-6 Kyle Korver vs. Texas-Arlington 11/17/02
5-5 Michael Lindeman vs. Bradley 02/08/03
5-5 Ben Walker vs. Evansville 02/28/00
4-4 Corie Brandon at Northern Iowa 12/30/97
4-4 Matt Petty vs. Tulsa 02/06/93
Fountains of Doug
Doug McDermott has scored 21, 27, 25 and 31 points in his last four games, respectively, giving him 20 or more points in seven of his last 11 games overall dating to last year.
With his 31 points in the 23-point win over Campbell, McDermott became the first Bluejay with 20 or more points in four straight games since Kyle Korver did it from Dec. 21, 2002 - Jan. 5, 2003. No Bluejay has scored 20 or more points in five straight games since Rodney Buford from Feb. 28-Nov. 25, 1998.
Really Dynamic Duo
It's hard to fathom, but two of the best sophomore nationally were high school teammates at Ames (Iowa) High School two years ago.
Creighton's Doug McDermott and North Carolina phenom Harrison Barnes won a pair of state titles for a Ames High School team that 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 champs.
Here's a look at the two sophomores and how they've performed in college:
Name McDermott Barnes
Points 698 684
PPG 15.9 15.9
Rebounds 319 245
RPG 7.3 5.7
FG-FGA 269-494 247-573
FG% .545 .431
3FG-3FGA 58-134 72-210
3FG% .433 .343
FT-FTA 102-135 118-162
FT% .756 .728
Nearly 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 almost a point per minute in nine 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 five regular-season contests (117 points, 128 minutes), he's scored 233 points in 234 minutes.
Doug McDermott, Game-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
Iowa 25 28
Campbell 31 31
Totals 233 234
Doug vs. Rodney After 44 Games
Doug McDermott has started all 44 games of his career and enters Wednesday's contest with 698 career points (15.9 ppg.).
By comparison, Creighton's all-time leading scorer, Rodney Buford, had 696 career points after 44 games (15.8 ppg.). However, Buford had “just” 497 points after fifth game of his sophomore season (14.6 ppg.).
All-Around Doug
Doug McDermott finished his remarkable freshman season with 581 points, 280 rebounds and 47 three-point baskets last year.
According to research by STATS Inc., the last two freshmen to attain 525 points, 270 rebounds and 40 three-pointers in a season were über-freshmen Kevin Durant (Texas) in 2006-07 and Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse) in 2002-03.
The previous two men before them to do so, Quentin Richardson (1998-99 at DePaul) and Eddie Griffin (2000-01 at Seton Hall), like Durant and Anthony, were also named the National Freshman of the Year.
Below is the list, compiled by STATS Inc., of all 15 Division I players since 1996-97 to have McDermott's levels of at least 581 points, 280 rebounds and 47 three-pointers in one season:
581+ Pts., 280+ Reb., 47+ 3FG Since 1996-97
Source: STATS Inc. & Creighton Sports Info
Name, School Year 3FG Reb. Pts.
Kevin Durant, Texas 2006-07 82 390 903
Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse 2002-03 56 349 778
Shane Battier, Duke 2000-01 124 285 778
Kyle Singler, Duke 2009-10 85 280 707
Keith Van Horn, Utah 1996-97 58 303 705
Ryan Anderson, Cal 2007-08 64 328 697
Matt Harpring, Ga. Tech 1997-98 52 302 691
Rasual Butler, LaSalle 2001-02 57 283 670
Brian Heinle, CS-Northridge 2000-01 52 293 646
Jamine Peterson, Providence 2009-10 51 315 609
James Posey, Xavier 1998-99 48 322 609
Kyle Singler, Duke 2008-09 69 284 609
Matt Howard, Butler 2010-11 53 285 608
Romain Sato, Xavier 2003-04 75 297 603
Doug McDermott, Creighton 2010-11 47 280 581
Freshmen listed in bold italic
Tournament Champs
Creighton went 4-0 to win the Dale Howard Classic, its fourth-ever tournament title in a regular-season event. The Jays also 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.
Dale Howard Classic Info
The Dale Howard Classic includes 10 games and is a five-team, round-robin event. Below is a final summary:
Dale Howard Classic Team Standings
Creighton 4-0
Campbell 3-1
Iowa 2-2
North Carolina A&T 1-3
Chicago State 0-4
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)
North Carolina A&T 87, Chicago State 70 (11/19)
Creighton 82, Iowa 59 (11/20)
Campbell 75, Chicago State 69 (11/21)
Campbell 77, Iowa 61 (11/23)
Creighton 104, Campbell 81 (11/25)
Doing It All
Junior Grant Gibbs had five points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a Nov. 16 win at UAB. That made him 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.
On Nov. 20 in a win vs. Iowa, Gibbs had five points, eight rebounds and six assists.
The consecutive games of at least six rebounds and six assists make him the first Bluejay to do that since Rod Mason on Feb. 11 and Feb. 13, 1988.
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, 11 and 12 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 14 against Iowa and 11 against North Carolina A&T, while Austin Chatman had 12 points in a Nov. 13 win over Chicago State.
McDermott Wins 25th at Creighton
A Nov. 13 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).
McDermott is now 28-16 at Creighton.
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 Nov. 13 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.
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.
This year's team is off to an excellent start, having earned a true road win at UAB on Nov. 16 and a neutral site triumph vs. Iowa on Nov. 20.
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.
The last eight times that Creighton won its first road/neutral game away from home, the Jays went on to make the postseason.
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 on Nov. 13. 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 7-1 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
In the first eight years of CenturyLink Center Omaha, the single-game assist record was 28. Through four home games this season, the Jays have reached or surpassed that mark three times, including a facility-record 30 on Nov. 25 vs. Campbell.
Overall, the Jays have now assisted on 116-of-163 of its field goals this season (71.2 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.
November Reign
Creighton has won 38 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 47-11 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
Creighton has also won 33 straight non-conference, regular-season, home games against unranked foes since falling to Drexel on Feb. 17, 2007.
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).
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 555 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Big Ten, Big Time
Creighton will play two more teams from the Big Ten Conference (Iowa, Nebraska and Northwestern) this season, having already beaten Iowa by 23 points on Nov. 20th. The Bluejays host both Nebraska (Dec. 4) and Northwestern (Dec. 22).
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 six games against Big Ten teams at the time of the game. Five 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 three wins in regulation against a Big Ten team came against Iowa.
Creighton owns four wins in 13 games against the Big Ten since 1973.
Creighton vs. Big Ten Teams, Since 1973
Score Opponent Date
11/20/11 vs. Iowa W 82-59
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
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.
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.
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.
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 15,273 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
15,273 Creighton 2011-12
14,495 Creighton 2009-10
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
13,507 Creighton 2010-11
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 579 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 140 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in nine seasons at the facility.
The Bluejays own an 119-21 (.850) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday or Friday.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 10,385-8,799 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.3 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 31 different times, including twice this season.
Team of the Millennium?
Below is the records for each MVC school since the start of the 2000-01 season (through Sunday), ranked by overall winning percentage. Creighton leads the MVC overall with 256 wins in the millennium, as well as 11 postseason appearances:
MVC Standings (start 2000-01 to 11/27/11)
MVC only All Games
Team W L Pct. W L Pct.
Creighton 135 63 .682 256 114 .692
Southern Illinois 129 69 .652 231 130 .640
Wichita State 109 89 .551 214 147 .593
Northern Iowa 109 89 .551 211 145 .593
Missouri State 108 90 .545 211 147 .589
Illinois State 90 108 .455 184 163 .530
Bradley 91 107 .460 185 175 .514
Drake 83 115 .419 166 177 .484
Indiana State 71 127 .359 150 198 .431
Evansville 65 133 .328 128 202 .388
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 82 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has also won 48 straight games when scoring 90 points or more, dating to Jan. 11, 1988.
Creighton has won 17 straight when scoring 100 points or more, dating to Feb. 26, 1977.
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.
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.
Game #6 at San Diego State • Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011 • 9:30 p.m. Central (7:30 pm PST)
Creighton Bluejays at San Diego State Aztecs
Viejas Arena (12,414) • San Diego, Calif.
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.am590espnradio.com
Television: The Mtn.
Series History: Creighton leads, 3-1
Last Meeting: Creighton won 79-61 in Omaha, Neb., on Jan. 3, 1974
Next Game
Creighton (5-0) faces its stiffest test yet when it travels to play a road game at San Diego State (7-1) on Wednesday, Nov. 30.
The contest is part of the third annual Mountain West/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge Series.
The contest take place in San Diego, Calif., at Viejas Arena (12,414) and begins at 9:30 pm Central (7:30 pm Pacific).
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“AM 590 - Omaha's ESPN Radio”) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2011-12 season, including Wednesday'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
Wednesday's game is not being video webcast.
Television Broadcast Information
Wednesday's game will be televised on The Mtn., the television network of the Mountain West Conference, with Ari Wolfe (play-by-play) and Dave Bollwinkel (analyst) on the call.
While the station isn't part of local cable packages in Omaha, it can be viewed on Channel 616 on DirecTV.
Coordinates are below:
Satellite: SES 2
Orbital Position: 87 degrees
Transponder: K 17 C+D
Uplink FREQ: 14349 (V)
Downlink FREQ: 12049 (H)
Symbol Rate: 10.5
Data Rate: 14.514706
FEC: 3/4
Video Compression: 4:2:0
Encoders: Tandberg
ET: 2130 - 0100 w/ 30 aprox
MT: 7:30 PM - 11:00 PM w/ 30 aprox
MTN Master Control: 201-735-2626
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, as well as Wednesday's game at San Diego State, can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
Ranked 22nd by the coaches and 26th by the Associated Press, Creighton is off to its first 5-0 start since 2007-08.
All of Creighton's wins have come by double-figures, including a 97-65 win over North Carolina A&T (Nov. 11), a 95-61 triumph over Chicago State (Nov. 13), a 70-60 win at UAB (Nov. 16) a 82-59 demolition of Iowa and last Friday's 104-81 victory over Campbell.
The Jays were picked to win the MVC after returning 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 averaging 23.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game this year, and is the first Bluejay since Kyle Korver (2002-03) with four straight games of 20 or more points.
The other two returning starters, senior guard Antoine Young (8.4 ppg., 4.8 apg.) and junior center Gregory Echenique (8.8 ppg., 6.0 rpg., 1.6 bpg.), are honorable-mention preseason all-Valley selections as well.
Jahenns Manigat (10.4 ppg.) finished up his freshman season strong and leads the team with 13 three-point baskets thus far.
All four newcomers to see action have had at least one game scoring in double-figures, including three from Gonzaga transfer Grant Gibbs (8.6 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 5.4 apg.).
Scouting San Diego State
Despite losing four starters off last season's 34-3 squad that reached the Sweet 16, San Diego State has continued its winning ways in 2011-12.
The Aztecs are off to a 7-1 start that includes road wins at Arizona and UCSB, as well as home wins over USC and Long Beach State. The only team to beat SDSU so far as been Baylor, 77-67, on Nov. 15 in Waco.
Chase Tapley leads the team with 16.5 points per game while also owning a team-best 22 steals and 23 three-point baskets.
Other men scoring in double-figures include Jamaal Franklin (15.7 ppg.), Xavier Thames (11.8 ppg.) and James Rahon (10.8 ppg.). Thames tops the club with 40 assists, while Garrett Green owns a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game.
As a team, the Aztecs average 71.4 points per game and allow 63.8 points per contest. SDSU shoots 44.2 percent from the floor, 32.8 percent from downtown and 63.4 percent at the line while outrebounding foes by 4.6 caroms per contest.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his second season as head coach at Creighton, where he owns a 28-16 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 308-211 in 18 seasons and is 177-147 in 11 Division I campaigns. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Steve Merfeld.
Steve Fisher (Illinois State, 1967) is in his 13th year as San Diego State head coach, where he owns a 239-153 record. When you include his run at Michigan, Fisher owns a 423-235 mark in 21 years as a head coach. He won a national title as interim head coach at Michigan in 1989, and was still leading the Wolverines two years later when the “Fab Five” arrived in Ann Arbor. Fisher is assisted by Brian Dutcher, Mark Fisher and Tony Bland.
The Series With San Diego State
Creighton owns a 3-1 lead all-time over San Diego State, though the teams have not met since 1974. The home team has won each of the previous four meetings.
Creighton head coach Greg McDermott is 0-1 in his career against SDSU, losing his first game as a Division I head coach to the Aztecs on Nov. 16, 2001, in Lubbock, Texas.
He is also 0-1 against Steve Fisher. Fisher has never faced Creighton.
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 made its first 13 field goal attempts and led 32-14 after nine minutes in an eventual 104-81 victory over previously unbeaten Campbell on Friday. The victory gave Creighton the Dale Howard Classic title.
Doug McDermott led Creighton with 31 points and 11 rebounds, while the Fighting Camels were paced by Eric Griffin's 29 points and 14 rebounds.
The MWC/MVC Challenge Series
Wednesday's game is the first of eight to be played this year that is part of the third annual Mountain West/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge.
The MVC won the series 5-4 in 2009, while the MWC claimed an 8-1 series win last fall.
Creighton has played and lost to a ranked MWC team that would reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons. The Jays lost 66-61 at No. 19 New Mexico in 2009, then fell 77-65 to No. 21 BYU last year in Omaha.
2011 Challenge Series
Nov. 30 Creighton at San Diego State
Dec. 3 Air Force at Drake
Dec. 3 Indiana State at Boise State
Dec. 3 Colorado State at UNI
Dec. 3 Missouri State at New Mexico
Dec. 3 TCU at Evansville
Dec. 3 Bradley at Wyoming
Dec. 4 UNLV at Wichita State
Projected Dates for Future Challenge Series
2012 -- Nov. 28 - Dec. 2
Ranked Or Not?
Creighton is 22nd in this week's USA Today Coaches poll, but among those getting votes to finish 26th in the Associated Press poll of writers.
Before entering at No. 25 last week, it was the first time the Jays had been ranked in the top-25 of the coaches poll since March 12, 2007, when it was 24th.
Creighton was last in the AP poll the week of Nov. 13, 2006, when it was 20th.
For the sake of Creighton's records and consistency, the school recognizes the Associated Press poll, which can be found in great detail on page 165 of the Creighton men's basketball media guide.
About The Aztecs Palace
Viejas Arena has always been a challenging venue for teams to visit, and never more so than in recent seasons. San Diego State is 86-11 in Viejas Arena in the past seven years, including a 38-2 mark in its last 40 games there.
Last year the team had 13 sellouts (12,414) in 15 games, and this year's club is averaging 11,960 fans per home contest. Creighton's last true road win in front of a crowd of 12,000 or larger came Dec. 11, 2004.
Red Hot Night
Creighton scorched the CenturyLink Center Omaha nets on Wednesday in its 104-81 win vs. Campbell.
The Jays made their first 13 field goal attempts from the floor during a dizzying display that included four three-pointers and two other traditional three-point plays. The scoring frenzy helped CU to a 32-14 lead after nine minutes and well on their way to another double-digit win.
For the evening, Creighton shot a school-record 70.4 percent on the night, the ninth-best mark in MVC history. Creighton's previous best shooting night came on Feb. 3, 2010, when CU made 66.7 percent (28-of-42) to beat Evansville.
Jays Hit 90, Again
Through games of Sunday, Creighton ranks first nationally with 23.2 assists per game, fourth in scoring average (89.6 ppg.), fourth in field goal percentage (54.2 percent), sixth in three-point percentage (.451), and seventh with a +24.4 scoring margin.
The Jays have surpassed 90 points three times already this season, after having done so just once in the previous three campaigns.
Creighton's 104 points vs. Campbell are tied for sixth-most in the country this season versus a Division I foe, trailing only outputs by Kentucky (108), Central Arkansas (107), Florida (107), Ohio State (107) and Villanova (106).
Creighton's 104 points vs. Campbell improved the Jays to 44-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more. It was CU's most points scored in regulation since a 110-73 win vs. Houston Baptist on Dec. 17, 2007.
Creighton last scored 100 points in back-to-back games on Jan. 29 and Feb. 2, 1966.
Upping The Antoine
Senior point guard Antoine Young continues to ascend up a few Creighton charts.
He's just 50 points from becoming Creighton's 35th member of the 1,000 point club, and his 373 assists rank eighth-most in Bluejay annals.
Within the next month, Young figures to join Ryan Sears and Vernon Moore as the only Bluejays in history with at least 1,000 points and 400 career assists.
Most Career Assists (Since 1970-71)
Ast. Name Years
570 Ryan Sears 1997-01
549 Ralph Bobik 1971-74
458 Randy Eccker 1974-78
430 Tyler McKinney 2001-05
418 Vernon Moore 1981-85
388 Josh Dotzler 2005-09
382 Duan Cole 1987-92
349 Antoine Young 2008-Pres.
332 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
323 Nate Funk 2002-07
More Records Fall
Among the CenturyLink Center Omaha records that Creighton set on Nov. 25 vs. Campbell were for field goals made (38, tie), field goal percentage for a game (70.4 percent), assists (30) and three-point percentage (66.7 percent, tie).
Creighton's 60 points in the first half were one shy of the highest scoring half in facility history.
Streaking Duo
A pair of Bluejays have long personal streaks going.
Gregory Echenique has blocked at least one shot in each of Creighton's last 17 games dating to Feb. 17, 2011. CU's last player with a swat in 17 straight games was Brody Deren from Feb. 4 - Dec. 6, 2003.
Ethan Wragge has made at least one three-pointer in each of his last 11 contests. That's the longest streak by a Bluejay since Josh Jones had 12 straight games with a triple from Feb. 13 - March 30, 2011.
Double-Digit Monsters
Not many teams are undefeated through games of Monday, and only eight of them have won their games by 10 or more points. Here's a list of schools to win every game by double-figures thus far:
Every Game Won By 10+ Points
School W-L Next Game
Saint Louis 6-0 11/29
Wisconsin 6-0 11/30
Indiana 6-0 11/30
Kentucky 6-0 12/1
Missouri 6-0 12/2
Baylor 5-0 11/29
Creighton 5-0 11/30
Auburn 3-0 11/28
Scoring In Numbers
Doug McDermott owns 117 points through five games, an average of 23.4 per contest that ranks fourth-most nationally (through Sunday).
He's the first Bluejay with 100 or more points in CU's first five games since Rodney Buford (102) in 1998-99.
He's the first Bluejay with 117 or more points in CU's first five games since Rod Mason (117) in 1987-88.
McDermott's 23.4 points per game would rank fourth-most in CU single-season history and would be the most since Bob Portman averaged 26.2 points per game in 1968-69.
McDermott's 23.4 points per game would make him the first MVC player over 20 points per game since Illinois State's Tarise Bryson (2000-01) and the most by a Valley player since Bradley's Curtis Stuckey (25.1 ppg.) in 1990-91.
The 30/30 Club?
Coming off a 31-point performance vs. Campbell, Doug McDermott could make some history on Wednesday. No Bluejay player has scored 30 points or more in consecutive games since Bob Harstad on Feb. 10-12, 1990.
Fresh Honor For Doug
Sophomore forward Doug McDermott was named MVC Player of the Week for the first time on Nov. 21 after averaging 25.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in two wins. He shot 63.6 percent from the field (21-33), including 5-of-7 from downtown (71.4 percent) and also sank 5-of-6 free throws (83.3 percent).
McDermott began his week with 27 points and seven rebounds in a 70-60 road win at defending Conference USA champion UAB, snapping the Blazers 38-game non-conference regular-season home winning streak. He made 11-of-18 field goals, 3-of-4 shots from downtown, and both free throws while going against a UAB front line that included Preseason C-USA Player of the Year Cameron Moore.
On Nov. 20th, McDermott returned to his home state and put on another impressive all-around display in an 82-59 demolition of Iowa. The sophomore had 18 of his game-high 25 points in the first half to help CU to a 45-29 intermission lead, and finished with 25 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes. He sank 10-of-15 field goal attempts, including 2-of-3 from deep, and also made 3-of-4 foul shots.
This was the first MVC Player of the Week accolade in McDermott's career, though he did set a league record last winter with seven MVC Newcomer of the Week awards.
Playing With The Huge Lead On The Road
In its commanding 82-59 win over Iowa on Nov. 20th, the Jays led by as large as 74-41 with 6:16 to play.
It was the largest lead for Creighton away from CenturyLink Center Omaha since March 10, 2003, when Creighton led Southern Illinois 59-26 with 13:16 remaining in the 2003 MVC Tournament final. The Jays went on to win that contest, 80-56.
A Bunch of Homers
Creighton's Nov. 25 win over Campbell was the school's 13th straight home victory dating to a Jan. 12, 2011 loss vs. Wichita State.
The wins have been by an average of 20.8 points, and 10 of those 13 victories have been by double-digits.
Here's a look at Creighton's home win streaks of 10 or longer at CenturyLink Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
Longest CenturyLink Center Home Win Streaks
No. Dates Snapped by
16 Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 31, 2006 Southern Illinois
14 Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008 Northern Iowa
13 Jan. 19, 2011 - Present ? ? ?
11 Nov. 22, 2003 - Feb. 43, 2004 Southern Illinois
High Five
Creighton's win vs. Campbell was the Jays fifth straight this season. The Bluejays have now had at least one five-game win streak in 14 of the last 15 seasons.
Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the NCAA's, NIT or CBI all 16 previous times they've had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the NCAA/NIT/CBI all seven times they haven't.
5-0 Start Leads to Great Things
Sunday's win over Iowa means Creighton has started 5-0 for the first time since the 2007-08 season. Each of Creighton's last seven teams to start 5-0 have reached the postseason.
Creighton last started 6-0 in 2004-05, a season that culminated in the NCAA Tournament.
The 2007-08 campaign was also the last time that Creighton won each of its first five games by double-figures. Creighton hasn't won each of its first six games by double-figures since 1928-29.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
True freshman Avery Dingman showed his range from distance against Iowa on Nov. 20, making all four of his three-point attempts to score a career-high 14 points in just 11 minutes of action.
Dingman is one of eight Creighton players in the last 20 years to make all of his three-pointers with four or more attempts, and just the second player in that span (joining Corie Brandon in 1997) to do it away from home.
4-4 or Better From 3-Point Range (since 1992-93)
4-4 Avery Dingman vs. Iowa 11/20/11
4-4 Josh Jones vs. Davidson 03/21/10
4-4 Antoine Young vs. Idaho State 12/18/10
6-6 Kyle Korver vs. Texas-Arlington 11/17/02
5-5 Michael Lindeman vs. Bradley 02/08/03
5-5 Ben Walker vs. Evansville 02/28/00
4-4 Corie Brandon at Northern Iowa 12/30/97
4-4 Matt Petty vs. Tulsa 02/06/93
Fountains of Doug
Doug McDermott has scored 21, 27, 25 and 31 points in his last four games, respectively, giving him 20 or more points in seven of his last 11 games overall dating to last year.
With his 31 points in the 23-point win over Campbell, McDermott became the first Bluejay with 20 or more points in four straight games since Kyle Korver did it from Dec. 21, 2002 - Jan. 5, 2003. No Bluejay has scored 20 or more points in five straight games since Rodney Buford from Feb. 28-Nov. 25, 1998.
Really Dynamic Duo
It's hard to fathom, but two of the best sophomore nationally were high school teammates at Ames (Iowa) High School two years ago.
Creighton's Doug McDermott and North Carolina phenom Harrison Barnes won a pair of state titles for a Ames High School team that 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 champs.
Here's a look at the two sophomores and how they've performed in college:
Name McDermott Barnes
Points 698 684
PPG 15.9 15.9
Rebounds 319 245
RPG 7.3 5.7
FG-FGA 269-494 247-573
FG% .545 .431
3FG-3FGA 58-134 72-210
3FG% .433 .343
FT-FTA 102-135 118-162
FT% .756 .728
Nearly 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 almost a point per minute in nine 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 five regular-season contests (117 points, 128 minutes), he's scored 233 points in 234 minutes.
Doug McDermott, Game-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
Iowa 25 28
Campbell 31 31
Totals 233 234
Doug vs. Rodney After 44 Games
Doug McDermott has started all 44 games of his career and enters Wednesday's contest with 698 career points (15.9 ppg.).
By comparison, Creighton's all-time leading scorer, Rodney Buford, had 696 career points after 44 games (15.8 ppg.). However, Buford had “just” 497 points after fifth game of his sophomore season (14.6 ppg.).
All-Around Doug
Doug McDermott finished his remarkable freshman season with 581 points, 280 rebounds and 47 three-point baskets last year.
According to research by STATS Inc., the last two freshmen to attain 525 points, 270 rebounds and 40 three-pointers in a season were über-freshmen Kevin Durant (Texas) in 2006-07 and Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse) in 2002-03.
The previous two men before them to do so, Quentin Richardson (1998-99 at DePaul) and Eddie Griffin (2000-01 at Seton Hall), like Durant and Anthony, were also named the National Freshman of the Year.
Below is the list, compiled by STATS Inc., of all 15 Division I players since 1996-97 to have McDermott's levels of at least 581 points, 280 rebounds and 47 three-pointers in one season:
581+ Pts., 280+ Reb., 47+ 3FG Since 1996-97
Source: STATS Inc. & Creighton Sports Info
Name, School Year 3FG Reb. Pts.
Kevin Durant, Texas 2006-07 82 390 903
Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse 2002-03 56 349 778
Shane Battier, Duke 2000-01 124 285 778
Kyle Singler, Duke 2009-10 85 280 707
Keith Van Horn, Utah 1996-97 58 303 705
Ryan Anderson, Cal 2007-08 64 328 697
Matt Harpring, Ga. Tech 1997-98 52 302 691
Rasual Butler, LaSalle 2001-02 57 283 670
Brian Heinle, CS-Northridge 2000-01 52 293 646
Jamine Peterson, Providence 2009-10 51 315 609
James Posey, Xavier 1998-99 48 322 609
Kyle Singler, Duke 2008-09 69 284 609
Matt Howard, Butler 2010-11 53 285 608
Romain Sato, Xavier 2003-04 75 297 603
Doug McDermott, Creighton 2010-11 47 280 581
Freshmen listed in bold italic
Tournament Champs
Creighton went 4-0 to win the Dale Howard Classic, its fourth-ever tournament title in a regular-season event. The Jays also 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.
Dale Howard Classic Info
The Dale Howard Classic includes 10 games and is a five-team, round-robin event. Below is a final summary:
Dale Howard Classic Team Standings
Creighton 4-0
Campbell 3-1
Iowa 2-2
North Carolina A&T 1-3
Chicago State 0-4
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)
North Carolina A&T 87, Chicago State 70 (11/19)
Creighton 82, Iowa 59 (11/20)
Campbell 75, Chicago State 69 (11/21)
Campbell 77, Iowa 61 (11/23)
Creighton 104, Campbell 81 (11/25)
Doing It All
Junior Grant Gibbs had five points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a Nov. 16 win at UAB. That made him 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.
On Nov. 20 in a win vs. Iowa, Gibbs had five points, eight rebounds and six assists.
The consecutive games of at least six rebounds and six assists make him the first Bluejay to do that since Rod Mason on Feb. 11 and Feb. 13, 1988.
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, 11 and 12 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 14 against Iowa and 11 against North Carolina A&T, while Austin Chatman had 12 points in a Nov. 13 win over Chicago State.
McDermott Wins 25th at Creighton
A Nov. 13 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).
McDermott is now 28-16 at Creighton.
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 Nov. 13 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.
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.
This year's team is off to an excellent start, having earned a true road win at UAB on Nov. 16 and a neutral site triumph vs. Iowa on Nov. 20.
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.
The last eight times that Creighton won its first road/neutral game away from home, the Jays went on to make the postseason.
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 on Nov. 13. 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 7-1 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
In the first eight years of CenturyLink Center Omaha, the single-game assist record was 28. Through four home games this season, the Jays have reached or surpassed that mark three times, including a facility-record 30 on Nov. 25 vs. Campbell.
Overall, the Jays have now assisted on 116-of-163 of its field goals this season (71.2 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.
November Reign
Creighton has won 38 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 47-11 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
Creighton has also won 33 straight non-conference, regular-season, home games against unranked foes since falling to Drexel on Feb. 17, 2007.
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).
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 555 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Big Ten, Big Time
Creighton will play two more teams from the Big Ten Conference (Iowa, Nebraska and Northwestern) this season, having already beaten Iowa by 23 points on Nov. 20th. The Bluejays host both Nebraska (Dec. 4) and Northwestern (Dec. 22).
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 six games against Big Ten teams at the time of the game. Five 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 three wins in regulation against a Big Ten team came against Iowa.
Creighton owns four wins in 13 games against the Big Ten since 1973.
Creighton vs. Big Ten Teams, Since 1973
Score Opponent Date
11/20/11 vs. Iowa W 82-59
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
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.
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.
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.
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 15,273 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
15,273 Creighton 2011-12
14,495 Creighton 2009-10
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
13,507 Creighton 2010-11
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 579 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 140 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in nine seasons at the facility.
The Bluejays own an 119-21 (.850) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday or Friday.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 10,385-8,799 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.3 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 31 different times, including twice this season.
Team of the Millennium?
Below is the records for each MVC school since the start of the 2000-01 season (through Sunday), ranked by overall winning percentage. Creighton leads the MVC overall with 256 wins in the millennium, as well as 11 postseason appearances:
MVC Standings (start 2000-01 to 11/27/11)
MVC only All Games
Team W L Pct. W L Pct.
Creighton 135 63 .682 256 114 .692
Southern Illinois 129 69 .652 231 130 .640
Wichita State 109 89 .551 214 147 .593
Northern Iowa 109 89 .551 211 145 .593
Missouri State 108 90 .545 211 147 .589
Illinois State 90 108 .455 184 163 .530
Bradley 91 107 .460 185 175 .514
Drake 83 115 .419 166 177 .484
Indiana State 71 127 .359 150 198 .431
Evansville 65 133 .328 128 202 .388
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 82 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has also won 48 straight games when scoring 90 points or more, dating to Jan. 11, 1988.
Creighton has won 17 straight when scoring 100 points or more, dating to Feb. 26, 1977.
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.
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.
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/ Men's BasketballWednesday, April 22
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Friday, April 03
