No. 23 Men's Basketball Hosts Northwestern Thursday
12/21/2011 1:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
2011-12 Creighton Men's Basketball
Game #11 vs. Northwestern • Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011 • 7:05 p.m.
Northwestern Wildcats at #23 Creighton Bluejays
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,260) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.am590espnradio.com
Television: KMTV/ESPN Full Court
Series History: Northwestern leads, 3-1
Last Meeting: Northwestern won 65-52 on Nov. 28, 2010 in Evanston, Ill.
Next Game
No. 23 Creighton (9-1) closes pre-conference play on Thursday night with a showdown against Northwestern (10-1).
The game will begin at 7:05 pm from CenturyLink Center Omaha, (17,260) which is located in Omaha, Neb.
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“AM 590 - Omaha's ESPN Radio”) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2011-12 season, including Thursday's game. T. Scott Marr and former Bluejay Jimmy Motz will call the action.
The audio is also webcast live at www.AM590espnradio.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Thursday's game is the third of eight KMTV telecasts scheduled this season. The game can also be seen nationally on ESPN Full Court.
Travis Justice and Nick Bahe will announce.
Coordinates are below:
Galaxy 16 K10 10F
U/L Freq 14.210.38H
D/L Freq 11.910.38V
Video Webcast Available
Creighton University Athletics and Jump TV will present a live, pay-per-view video webcast of approximately 10-15 games this season, including Thursday.
To sign up for the video webcast, fans can register by going directly to http://www.gocreighton.com. Cost for a monthly pass is $10.95 and a four-month pass is $34.95.
Once registered, fans will only need to log-in with their password on gameday. The video stream includes audio of either the radio or television broadcast as well.
Thursday's game will also be webcast free of charge on ESPN3.com.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Stats tab on the left-hand side of the page for links the exact link.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
Ranked 23rd by the Associated Press and 21st by the coaches, Creighton is off to a 9-1 start on the season. Among the teams that Creighton has beaten thus far include road wins at UAB (70-60), San Diego State (85-83) and Tulsa (83-64), a neutral site victory over Iowa (82-59), and a home win over Nebraska (76-66).
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 has lived up to the preseason expectations of all-MVC and All-America hype. He leads the MVC in scoring (25.2) and is second in the league in rebounding (8.6) this year. McDermott, who has scored 20 or more points in his last nine games, is coming off a career-high 35 points on Monday at Tulsa.
The other two returning starters, senior guard Antoine Young (10.3 ppg., 4.3 apg.) and junior center Gregory Echenique (9.2 ppg., 6.0 rpg., 1.6 bpg.), are honorable-mention preseason all-Valley selections as well.
All four newcomers to see action have had at least one game scoring in double-figures, including four from Gonzaga transfer Grant Gibbs, who had a career-high 10 assists on Monday (7.9 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 5.9 apg.).
Through games of Dec. 18th, Creighton ranked among the national leaders in most offensive categories, including first in assists per game (21.2), third in assist/turnover ratio (1.68), fourth in both three-point field goal percentage (.433) and points per game (86.3), and seventh in three-point field goals per game (9.7) and field goal percentage (.516).
Scouting Northwestern
Northwestern is off to a 10-1 start, matching its second-best start in program history. The only loss thus far for the Wildcats was a 69-41 setback against No. 7 Baylor on Dec. 4th. Among the teams NU has beaten are LSU, Tulsa, Seton Hall and Georgia Tech.
Senior forward John Shurna leads NU in scoring (19.5 ppg.), rebounding (5.7 rpg.) and blocked shots (1.6 bpg.). The All-America candidate has drained a team-best 31 three-point baskets, and tied a school-record with nine trifectas on Sunday vs. Eastern Illinois.
Also averaging in double-figures is Drew Crawford, who scores 16.6 points per game and leads the team with 13 steals.
As a team, Northwestern averages 73.4 points per game and allows just 63.4 per contest. The Wildcats shoot 45.5 percent from the floor, 36.7 percent from three-point range and 71.2 percent at the line. NU is outrebounded by an average of 2.9 caroms per contest.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his second season as head coach at Creighton, where he owns a 32-17 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 312-212 in 18 seasons and is 181-148 in 11 Division I campaigns. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Steve Merfeld.
Bill Carmody (Union College, 1975) is in his 12th season at Northwestern, where he owns a 170-178 mark. That moves his career record to 262-203 in 16 seasons overall. Carmody is assisted by Fred Hill, Tavaras Hardy and Ivan Vujic.
The Series With Northwestern
Northwestern leads the all-time series with Creighton by a 3-1 margin, including a 65-52 win in Evanston last November.
The teams have never met in Omaha.
Creighton head coach Greg McDermott is 0-2 all-time against Northwestern and Bill Carmody, having also lost 67-65 on Nov. 28, 2009 in Chicago at the Chicago Invitational Challenge, when he was the head coach at Iowa State.
Last Game Recap
Doug McDermott had a career-high 35 points as Creighton posted a 83-64 win at Tulsa on Monday night. The Jays led 42-34 at the break, then got nine straight points from Gregory Echenique to start the second half, to hand the Golden Hurricane their worst home loss since 2005-06.
BCS Bracket Buster
Some of Creighton's most thrilling victories in recent seasons have been against teams from the six major college football BCS Conferences. Including a Dec. 4 win vs. Nebraska, Creighton owns a 26-19 mark in the past 14 seasons.
Among CU's victims in that time have been Nebraska (11 times), Iowa (three times) DePaul (twice), Florida (twice), Baylor (twice), Oklahoma State (once), Notre Dame (once), Providence (once), Missouri (once), Oregon (once) and Ohio State (once).
BCS Busters at Home
Creighton beat Nebraska at CenturyLink Center Omaha, 76-66, on Dec. 4. The Bluejays have now won 12 straight regular-season home games against teams from the top-six BCS leagues since the start of the 1996-97 season.
Those 12 wins have been by an average of 11.3 points, with seven coming by double-digits, and none decided by fewer than six points.
BCS Schools at Creighton, Last 14 Years*
Date Score
12/04/11 Creighton 76, Nebraska 66
12/06/09 Creighton 67, Nebraska 61
11/24/07 Creighton 74, Nebraska 62
11/09/07 Creighton 74, DePaul 62
12/11/05 Creighton 70, Nebraska 44
12/10/03 Creighton 61, Nebraska 54
12/12/01 Creighton 76, Nebraska 70
12/09/99 Creighton 89, Nebraska 72
11/27/99 Creighton 85, #23 Iowa 76
12/20/98 Creighton 66, #18 Oklahoma State 60
12/02/98 Creighton 73, Baylor 59
12/10/97 Creighton 84, Nebraska 73
*regular-season games only
Basketball Royalty
Through games of Dec. 21st, only three squads nationally own two wins over the Big Ten: Duke, North Carolina and Creighton. Creighton, however, is the only team with two double-digit wins over the Big Ten this year.
With a win on Thursday, Creighton can defeat three Big Ten teams in the same season for the first time in program history.
B1G Ten, Big Time
Already 2-0 with a pair of double-digit victories against the Big Ten Conference this year, Creighton also hosts Northwestern (Dec. 22).
This is the first year Creighton has hosted two games against Big Ten competition in the same season since 1936-37.
Unbelievably, Creighton has hosted just two Big Ten teams since 1973 (Iowa in 1999; Nebraska on Dec. 4th).
Since 2000, Creighton has played just seven 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.
Creighton owns five wins in 14 games against the Big Ten since 1973.
Creighton vs. Big Ten Teams, Since 1973
Score Opponent Date
12/04/11 Nebraska W 76-66
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
Mirror Images
Though both teams use different methods to get their results, Creighton and Northwestern have numerous similarities.
Creighton is 9-1, while Northwestern is 10-1.
Creighton is third nationally in assist/turnover ratio (1.68), while Northwestern is second (1.81).
Creighton ranks seventh nationally with 9.7 three-pointers per game, while Northwestern is ninth at 9.5 per contest.
Creighton is ranked 23rd nationally in the AP poll, while Northwestern earned four votes to tie for 39th nationally in the poll.
Creighton forward Doug McDermott, like Northwestern forward John Shurna, were both named to the preseason Wooden and Naismith Award Watch lists.
Creighton newcomer Grant Gibbs ranks 14th in assist/turnover ratio, while Northwestern newcomer Dave Sobolewski ranks third in that category.
Both teams signed a recruit out of tiny Benilde-St. Margaret's in Minnesota this fall. Creighton signed Isaiah Zierden, while NU signed Sanjay Lumpkin.
Thirsty (For Wins) Thursday
Creighton has never lost at CenturyLink Center Omaha on a Thursday, going 6-0 in the venue.
In fact, Creighton has won its last 15 Thursday home games since a Feb. 16, 1995 loss to Bradley.
Doug Teaches Them How
Doug McDermott had a career-high 35 points on Monday at Tulsa, making 16-of-23 shots from the floor, including 2-of-2 from downtown, and his only free throw.
McDermott's 16 field goals made were the most by a Bluejay since Chad Gallagher also went exactly 16-for-23 at Siena way back on Feb. 3, 1991.
McDermott's 35 points were the most since Cavel Witter had 42 points on March 1, 2008 vs. Bradley. Witter was also a sophomore at the time.
McDermott's 35 points were the most in a true road game since Nate Funk had 35 on Feb. 16, 2005 in a win at Wichita State.
McDermott's 35 points tied the record for the most points by an opponent in the 13-year history of the Donald W. Reynolds Center.
McDermott's 35 points were the most in the MVC since Southern Illinois' Carlton Fay had 38 points vs. Western Michigan on Feb. 20, 2010 and most in a true road game by an MVC player since Missouri State's Dale Lamberth had 37 points at Indiana State on March 2, 2008.
McDermott has now upped his scoring average after all 10 games this season, a near-impossible feat.
Last 30/30 Man?
If Doug McDermott can notch 30 or more points on Thursday vs. Northwestern, he'd join some rare company. No Bluejay has had back-to-back games of 30 or more points since Bob Harstad on Feb. 10 & 12, 1990.
McDermott's current streak of nine straight games of 20 or more points in CU's longest streak in at least 30 years. The streak includes eight straight games of 24 points or more.
McDermott's Nifty 50
Greg McDermott will coach in his 50th game on the Creighton sideline on Thursday. He enters the contest with 32 victories, easily the best mark by any coach at that point since Tom Apke reached his 50th game in 1976 with a 37-13 mark.
McDermott and Apke are the only two Creighton coaches in the last 90 years to get to 50 games with 30 or more wins.
Each of the four coaches prior to McDermott were 20-30 or worse after 50 games, even wildly successful coaches Dana Altman and Tony Barone.
After 50 Games at Creighton
Name W-L After 50 Years at CU
Greg McDermott 32-17 so far 2010-Pres.
Dana Altman 20-30 1994-2010
Rick Johnson 16-34 1991-94
Tony Barone 20-30 1985-91
Willis Reed 15-35 1981-85
Tom Apke 37-13 1974-81
Eddie Sutton 29-21 1969-74
John J. “Red” McManus 22-28 1959-69
Theron Thomsen 29-21 1955-59
Subby Salerno 21-29 1952-55
Duce Belford 23-27 1945-46, 47-52
Eddie Hickey 28-22 1935-43, 46-47
Arthur A. Schabinger 40-10 1922-35
Thomas E. Mills 46-4 1916-19
At Home While Ranked?
Creighton has won 17 straight home games when taking the floor as a ranked team, dating to a March 8, 1975 loss to No. 5 Marquette.
All-time, ranked Creighton teams are 21-0 at home when facing unranked foes.
Big Road Win
Creighton's 83-64 win at Tulsa was the Golden Hurricane's largest defeat at home since falling to No. 3 Memphis by 23 points in the 2005-06 campaign.
It was Creighton's largest victory margin in a true road contest since an 82-60 win at Sotuhern Illinois on Feb. 14, 2009 and biggest in a non-conference true road game since beating Drexel 72-48 on Dec. 1, 2007.
Off To The Races
Creighton has scored 70 points or more in all 10 games to date. It's the longest streak of 70 point games to begin a season since starting the 1970-71 campaign with 17 straight contests of 70 or more.
B1G Start After 10
Creighton is off to a 9-1 start through 10 games this season. It's the 15th time in program history the Jays have been 9-1 or better after 10 games.
Five teams have started 10-0, while this is the 10th team to begin exactly 9-1.
Creighton's last team to start 9-1 or 10-0 came in 2007-08 (9-1).
Creighton's last team to start 10-1 or 11-0 came in 2003-04, as that team opened 12-0.
Triple-Double Threat?
Creighton has never had a player with a traditional point-rebound-assist triple-double, but Grant Gibbs is getting closer.
The junior guard had nine points, seven rebounds and 10 assists on Monday at Tulsa.
Gibbs is the first player since James Farr in 1988-89 to have single-game highs of 10 or more points, 10 or more assists and nine or more rebounds in the same season.
Creighton owns three triple-doubles in school history, all by Benoit Benjamin in 1985. All three were of the point-rebound-blocked shot variety.
Man of Steal
Senior guard Antoine Young had a career-high five steals on Monday at Tulsa, the most in a game by a CU player since Cavel Witter had five vs. Fresno State on Dec. 22, 2008.
Young owns 87 career steals, as many as his next two active teammates (Josh Jones 47; Jahenns Manigat 40) combined.
Also on Monday, Young was named one of 60 candidates nationwide for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation's top point guard.
Big Man's Game
Junior center Gregory Echenique had his best statistical day as a Bluejay in last Saturday's victory over Houston Baptist. Echenique had a double-double in the first half (13 points, 12 rebounds) before finishing with season-highs of 18 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots.
It was his second double-double as a Bluejay, as he had 12 points and 14 rebounds in a win over Southern Illinois on Feb. 13, 2011.
Echenique's five swats were his most since he had a career-high seven rejections at Missouri State on Jan. 22, 2011.
Creighton is now 9-0 in his career when he scores 15 points or more.
Echenique picked up two fouls in two minutes of first half action at Tulsa on Monday and was forced to the bench. He started the second half with a personal 9-0 run in the first three minutes as Creighton turned a 42-34 halftime lead into a 51-34 rout.
Echenique owns 71 career blocked shots in a Bluejay uniform. With four more swats, he'll tie Jeffrey Day for 10th place in Creighton history.
Rutgers Reunion
Northwestern assistant coach Fred Hill is in his first season with the Wildcats. He was head coach at Rutgers from 2006-10, where he went 47-77 in four seasons.
Among Hill's players at Rutgers were current Creighton center Gregory Echenique. Echenique averaged 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in 39 games with the Scarlet Knights before transferring out of the program in December of 2009 to attend Creighton.
Fountains of Doug
Doug McDermott has scored 21, 27, 25, 31, 25, 24, 26, 25 and 35 points in his last nine games, respectively, giving him 20 or more points in 12 of his last 16 games overall dating to last year.
With his career-high 35 points at Tulsa on Monday, McDermott became the first Bluejay with 20 or more points in nine straight games in at least 30 years.
McDermott's stretch of four straight games of 25 points or more from Nov. 16-30 (27, 25, 31, 25) was the longest streak of 25-point games by a Bluejay since Benoit Benjamin did it in five straight games (Jan. 17-Feb. 2, 1985), a span in which he had 43, 45, 31, 26 and 29 points.
McDermott, who owns seven different games of 25 points or more this season, is the first Bluejay with seven different games of 25 or more points in the same year since Bob Harstad in 1989-90.
Leading Scorer, Again
Doug McDermott has led Creighton in scoring each of the last nine games, averaging 26.6 points per game in that time.
McDermott's nine straight games as the team's leading scorer is the program's longest streak since Bob Harstad's 12-game streak in his 1988-89 sophomore campaign.
Consec. Games as Leading Scorer, Since 1988
Games Name Dates
12 Bob Harstad Dec. 10, 1988-Jan. 28, 1989
9 Doug McDermott Nov. 13, 2011 - Present
8 Rodney Buford Jan. 27-Feb. 17, 1997
8 Rodney Buford Feb. 23-Dec. 2, 1998
7 Rodney Buford Jan. 2-20, 1997
7 Booker Woodfox Dec. 6-28, 2008
6 Bob Harstad Dec. 14-29, 1989
6 Bob Harstad Feb. 24-Nov. 30, 1990
6 Rodney Buford Dec. 12, 1998-Jan. 4, 1999
6 Kyle Korver Feb. 12 - March 1, 2003
6 Nate Funk Feb. 1-19, 2005
6 Nate Funk Jan. 12-27, 2007
A Bunch of Homers
Creighton's Dec. 17 win over Houston Baptist was the school's 15th straight home win dating to a Jan. 12, 2011 loss vs. Wichita State, tied for the 13th-longest home win streak nationally as of Dec. 20. The wins have been by an average of 21.0 points, and 12 of those 15 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
15 Jan. 19, 2011 - Present ? ? ?
14 Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008 Northern Iowa
11 Nov. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004 Southern Illinois
Home On The Range
Creighton has won 35 straight non-conference, regular-season home games against unranked foes since falling to Drexel on Feb. 17, 2007.
Board Game
Creighton had 56 rebounds in last Saturday's win over Houston Baptist, outrebounding the Huskies 56-36 for the game.
Creighton's 56 rebounds were its most in any game since grabbing 66 caroms vs. Montana State on Dec. 22, 1988.
On Monday, Creighton outrebounded Tulsa, 37-29. The Golden Hurricane had entered the game outrebounding foes by +7.9 caroms per contest.
How To Stop Him?
Leave it to Doug McDermott's father/coach and his roommate to explain the task of trying to slow him down.
"He's difficult to stop in that he scores a lot of different ways," his coach and father Greg McDermott said. "It's not just on the block, it's not just from the 3-point line, he can slash and score as well. In a lot of his post-up opportunities, the ball is gone before you can even think about double-teaming him. He's difficult to guard because of his versatility, and he has a lot of people scratching their heads trying to stop him. And the good news for us is that he's doing it within the framework of our offense and he's not taken bad shots."
"Doug's ability to score from just about anywhere on the floor is what amazes me," guard Jahenns Manigat said. "He has amazing hands and he finishes well. And when he steps back and knocks down a 3, that's when you can see the full extent of his game.”
Don't Take Our Word For It
Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik was similarly impressed after Doug McDermott scored a career-high 35 on Monday. Here's an excerpt of Wojcik's post-game opening statement:
“I tell you what, that was one impressive performance by Doug McDermott. I thought the guy single-handedly broke the spirit of my team. In particular, my three seniors and sophomore post players. He was terrific...My goodness, it really surprised us how good McDermott was, particularly in the post against size, how good his strength is, how good his stamina is, how good his feet are, and how good of hands he has. He was very impressive to me, tonight.”
Road Wins Pile Up
Creighton's win at Tulsa gave the team a 3-1 mark in four true road games to date.
The last Creighton team to win three or more non-conference road games in the same year came in 1999-2000, when the Jays won at Mississippi Valley State, Georgia State, Baylor and Colorado State.
Wragge Sinks 100th Trey
Sophomore forward Ethan Wragge owns exactly 100 career three-pointers through 53 career games. With his trifecta at Tulsa on Monday, he became the 20th player in CU history to make 100 or more treys.
Comparing Wragge to the four most prolific three-point shooters in school history, Kyle Korver needed 45 games to reach 100 treys, Ryan Sears required 47, Rodney Buford took 57 games and Nate Funk needed 81 contests to get to 100. All four men would make 200 or more treys.
Wragge had his streak of 13 straight games with a three-pointer snapped on Dec. 10 at Saint Joseph's.
Dish Network
Grant Gibbs turned in an unusual stat line in last Saturday's victory over Houston Baptist. The junior guard had career-highs with eight assists and four steals, but did not attempt a shot from the field in 19 minutes of play.
He's the first Bluejay in more than 25 years to have eight or more assists in a game in which he did not attempt a field goal.
Gibbs continued to play the role of distributor on Monday at Tulsa, dishing a career-high 10 assists.
Jays Rise in Latest AP Poll
Creighton was 23rd in this week's (Dec. 18) Associated Press poll. It's the third straight week the Jays have been ranked by the AP, debuting at 19 on Dec. 4th before dropping to a tie for 25th on Dec. 11th.
Creighton was also 21st in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll released on Dec. 18. It's the fifth straight week the Jays have been ranked by the coaches.
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 and later in this notes packet.
This is the sixth different week Greg McDermott has led a team to a top-25 ranking in the AP poll. In addition to this year's rankings, McDermott's final Northern Iowa team was ranked 25th on Jan. 31, Feb. 7 and Feb. 21 of the 2005-06 season.
Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton has won 84 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has also won 49 straight games (at all sites) when scoring 90 points or more, dating to Jan. 11, 1988.
Creighton has won 17 straight (at all sites) when scoring 100 points or more, dating to Feb. 26, 1977.
Doug vs. Others After 49 Games
Doug McDermott has started all 49 games of his career and enters Thursday's contest with 833 career points (17.0 ppg.) and 366 career rebounds (7.5 rpg.).
By comparison, Creighton's all-time leading scorer, Rodney Buford, had 801 career points after 49 games (16.3 ppg.). However, Buford had “just” 594 points after 10th game of his sophomore season (15.2 ppg.).
McDermott (833 points, 366 rebounds) also compares favorably to legendary big men Bob Harstad and Chad Gallagher through 49 career games. Harstad had 608 points and 445 rebounds, while Gallagher had 595 points and 285 rebounds.
Harstad ranks second in CU history with 2,110 career points and 1,126 rebounds, while Gallagher is third with 1,983 points and fifth with 891 rebounds.
Through 49 Career Games
Name Points Rebounds
Doug McDermott 833 366
Rodney Buford 801 231
Bob Harstad 608 445
Chad Gallagher 595 285
Kyle Korver 521 208
Stepping Up By Stepping Back
Through games of Dec. 11th, Doug McDermott was leading the nation in three-point percentage this season at 60.6 percent. He's since “dropped” to 57.5 percent, but has fallen out of the rankings because he falls 0.2 three-pointers per game shy of qualifiying.
On Dec. 10 at Saint Joseph's, McDermott became Creighton's first player with five or more three-pointers in the same game he posted a double-double since Kyle Korver vs. Southern Illinois on Jan. 18, 2003 (24 points, 11 rebounds, 5 three-pointers).
Minute Man's Many Minutes
Antoine Young has played 1,532 minutes in his 60 career games at CenturyLink Century Omaha, the most minutes played in facility history.
Young's 220 assists in the building are a facility record, seven more than the previous mark held by Josh Dotzler (2005-09). Young owns multiple assists in each of his last 18 games he's played at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Getting Offensive
Through games of Dec. 18th, Creighton was all over the NCAA statistical leaders. The team ranked among the top-seven in six different offensive categories.
Individually, Doug McDermott was second in points per game (24.1), while Grant Gibbs was 14th in assist/turnover ratio (3.06).
Rank Category Stat
1. Assists/Game 21.2
3. Assist/Turnover Ratio 1.68
4. 3FG Percentage .433
4. Scoring Offense 86.3
7. Field Goal Percentage .508
7. 3FG/Game 9.7
Sophomore Snipers
Three sophomores on the 2011-12 Creighton basketball team rank among the most eight most accurate shooters in school history in three-point field goal percentage.
Doug McDermott is third on that list at 44.9 percent for his career, trailing only MVC Players of the Year Booker Woodfox (45.5%) and Kyle Korver (45.3%) on Creighton's all-time chart. Ethan Wragge is seventh on the list at 42.0 percent, just ahead of Jahenns Manigat (41.7 percent).
McDermott, who has made a blistering 57.5 percent of his three-point shots this season, led the country in that category in last week's NCAA stats.
For the season, Creighton's freshmen are shooting 12-of-27 (44.4 percent) from three-point land, while the sophomore class is a collective 64-131 (48.9 percent) from downtown.
Three-Point Field Goal Percentage, Career
(min. 100 attempts)
Rk. 3% Name 3FG-3FGA Years
1. .455 Booker Woodfox 147-323 2007-09
2. .453 Kyle Korver 371-819 1999-03
3. .449 Doug McDermott 70-156 2010-Pres.
4. .441 Rod Mason 132-299 1986-88
5. .440 Nerijus Karlikanovas 48-109 1998-00
5. .431 Michael Lindeman 62-144 2000-04
6. .430 Duan Cole 176-410 1987-92
7. .420 Ethan Wragge 100-238 2009-Pres.
8. .417 Jahenns Manigat 60-144 2010-Pres.
9. .407 Nate Funk 200-492 2002-07
10. .405 Matt West 92-227 1996-00
McDermott's 20/10 Vision
Doug McDermott had his streak of four straight double-doubles snapped last Saturday when he had 25 points and six rebounds vs. Houston Baptist.
McDermott had become the first Bluejay with four straight double-doubles since Nate King had four in a row during the 1993-94 campaign, and was seeking to become the first Bluejay with five straight double-doubles since Benoit Benjamin had 28 in a row in the 1984-85 campaign.
To 1,000, And Beyond
Antoine Young moved over 1,000 career points in his 115th career game on Dec. 10 at Saint Joseph's. Here's a look at how many games it took Creighton's last 11 players to reach 1,000 career points.
Games To 1,000 Points, Last 11 Bluejays
Name Games to 1,000 pts. Date
Antoine Young 115 12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr. 108 11/21/10
P'Allen Stinnett 86 01/16/10
Dane Watts 115 01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver 124 03/16/07
Johnny Mathies 91 03/03/06
Nate Funk 92 02/28/05
Kyle Korver 81 01/30/02
Ben Walker 105 01/06/01
Ryan Sears 97 12/01/00
Rodney Buford 59 03/01/97
Upping The Antoine
Senior point guard Antoine Young continues to ascend up a few Creighton charts.
He became Creighton's 35th member of the 1,000 point club on Dec. 10 at Saint Joseph's, and his 392 assists rank sixth-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
392 Antoine Young 2008-Pres.
388 Josh Dotzler 2005-09
382 Duan Cole 1987-92
332 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
323 Nate Funk 2002-07
Most Career Points
Rank Pts. Name Years
1. 2,116 Rodney Buford 1995-99
2. 2,110 Bob Harstad 1987-91
3. 1,983 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
4. 1,876 Bob Portman 1966-69
5. 1,801 Kyle Korver 1999-03
6. 1,754 Nate Funk 2002-07
7. 1,682 Rick Apke 1974-78
8. 1,661 Paul Silas 1961-64
9. 1,654 Vernon Moore 1981-85
10. 1,575 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
11. 1,526 John C. Johnson 1975-79
12. 1,500 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
13. 1,437 Eddie Cole 1951-55
14. 1,369 Gene Harmon 1971-74
15. 1,361 Duan Cole 1987-92
16. 1,313 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-11
17. 1,309 Ryan Sears 1997-01
18. 1,303 Elton Tuttle 1951-54
19. 1,272 Bob Gibson 1954-57
20. 1,267 Wally Anderzunas 1965-67, 1968-69
21. 1,254 Gary Swain 1983-87
22. 1,238 Ben Walker 1997-01
23. 1,196 Ray Yost 1951-54
24. 1,172 Dick Harvey 1956-59
25. 1,152 Dane Watts 2004-08
26. 1,116 Kenny Evans 1982-87
27. 1,115 Doug Brookins 1972-75
1,115 Daryl Stovall 1978-82
29. 1,093 Tim Powers 1964-67
30. 1,050 Reggie Morris 1982-86
31. 1,031 Johnny Mathies 2003-06
32. 1,024 P'Allen Stinnett 2007-10
33. 1,023 Rod Mason 1986-88
34. 1,022 Antoine Young 2008-Present
35. 1,004 Anthony Tolliver 2003-07
Ball Control Offense
Creighton ranked third nationally with a 1.68 assist/turnover ratio through games of Dec. 18, and a big portion of that is due to its starting backcourt.
Creighton's starting guard trio of Antoine Young (43 A, 20 TO), Jahenns Manigat (17/5) and Grant Gibbs (59/18) have combined for 119 assists and 43 turnovers, good for a 2.77 assist/turnover ratio.
Reserve guards Avery Dingman (1/0), Josh Jones (22/10), Austin Chatman (28/19) and Taylor Stormberg (4/0) have combined for 55 assists against just 29 turnovers.
Shades of 2003?
Creighton's 9-1 start is reminding some fans of the program's 2002-03 squad that finished 29-5 and spent most of the season in the national rankings.
Here's how the 2011-12 club compares to the 2002-03 team through nine games, as well as how standout forwards Doug McDermott and Kyle Korver compare at that point in the year:
Stat 2011-12 2002-03
W-L Record 9-1 10-0
Home W-L 5-0 6-0
FG 312-605 320-608
FG Pct. .516 .526
3FG 90-207 97-230
3FG Pct. .435 .422
FT 146-213 112-176
FT Pct. .685 .636
Reb. Margin +5.2 +1.7
Assists 207 193
Turnovers 129 134
Points 860 849
Points/Game 86.0 84.9
Stat McDermott Korver
Team W-L Record 9-1 10-0
Points 252 183
Points/Game 25.2 18.3
Rebounds 86 56
Rebounds/Game 8.6 5.6
FG Pct. .626 .526
3FG-FGA 23-40 45-86
3FG Pct. .575 .523
FT Pct. .833 .857
Assists 9 33
Turnovers 24 12
National Scoring Leaders
Doug McDermott ranked second nationally in scoring at 24.1 points per game through games of Dec. 20th. Here's that list.
Rk. Name, School Yr. PPG
1. Damian Lillard, Weber State Jr. 25.7
2. Doug McDermott, Creighton So. 25.2
3. Reggie Hamilton, Oakland Sr. 22.7
4. Ken Horton, Central Conn. St. Sr. 22.5
5. Terrell Stoglin, Maryland So. 22.2
6. Herb Pope, Seton Hall Sr. 22.1
7. Charles Hinkle, American Sr. 21.8
8. Gerald McLemore, Maine Sr. 21.6
9. Nate Wolters, South Dakota St. Jr. 21.5
10. Gerardo Suero, Albany Jr. 21.4
Near The Top Of His Class
Sophomore Doug McDermott owns 833 career points in his young career. According to research by Creighton Sports Information's office, that leads all active sophomores through games of Dec. 20th.
Most Career Points, Sophomores (through 12/20)
Source: Creighton Sports Information
Rk. Pts. Name, School Next
1. 833 Doug McDermott, Creighton 12/22
2. 802 J.J. Sullinger, Ohio State 12/22
3. 773 Harrison Barnes, North Carolina 12/21
4. 719 Terrence Jones, Kentucky 12/22
5. 716 Trey Ziegler, Central Michigan 12/22
6. 647 Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut 12/22
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 (through 12/20):
Name McDermott Barnes
Games Played 49 49
Points 833 773
PPG 17.0 15.8
Rebounds 366 269
RPG 7.5 5.5
FG-FGA 322-582 279-646
FG% .553 .432
3FG-3FGA 70-156 83-228
3FG% .449 .364
FT-FTA 119-156 132-182
FT% .763 .725
Scoring In Numbers
Doug McDermott owns 252 points through 10 games, an average of 25.2 per contest that ranks him second nationally in scoring (through Dec. 20).
McDermott's 25.2 points per game would rank third-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 25.2 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 Hersey Hawkins (36.3 ppg.) in 1987-88.
Doubling Up From The Start
Doug McDermott has scored 10 or more points in all 10 games this season. McDermott is the only player in the MVC to score in double-figures in every game this season.
Last season McDermott began with a streak of eight straight games of double-digit points, making him the first Bluejay to score 10 or more in at least eight straight games to start the season since Rodney Buford in 1998-99.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest double-figure scoring streaks to start a season since 1979-80. Notably, McDermott is the only man in that span to start consecutive seasons with eight straight games of 10 or more points.
Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games
To Start Year, Since 1979-80
Consec. Name, Class Year
all 32 Vernon Moore, Sr. 1984-85
28 Benoit Benjamin, Jr. 1984-85
27 Bob Harstad, Sr. 1990-91
16 Rod Mason, Sr. 1987-88
13 Rodney Buford, Sr. 1998-99
12 Gary Swain, Sr. 1986-87
10 Chad Gallagher, Sr. 1990-91
10* Doug McDermott, So. 2011-12
9 Rodney Buford, So. 1996-97
8 Benoit Benjamin, Fr. 1982-83
8 Gregory Brandon, Sr. 1983-84
8 Doug McDermott, Fr. 2010-11
*active
2,000,000 Fan March
Creighton has attracted 2,023,611 fans all-time in 142 games held at CenturyLink Center Omaha, good for an average of 14,251.
Creighton's 1,000,000th fan at CenturyLink Center Omaha was honored on Jan. 19, 2008, in CU's 74th game at the facility. That fan, Jared Stickrod, was then a 10-year old from Omaha who received numerous prizes, including an autographed basketball and season tickets for the 2008-09 campaign.
In Creighton's home game on Dec. 4 vs. Nebraska, Creighton honored Omaha native Sam King as the 2,000,000th fan at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Among his prize package is four season tickets for 2012-13.
Call It A Comeback
Creighton trailed 31-14 early on at San Diego State on Nov. 30 before pulling off a comeback for the ages.
Below is a list of Creighton's 10 comebacks from down 15 points or more since 2000. Notably, Creighton's comeback at SDSU was CU's largest away from home in that time.
Overcoming Large Deficits, Last 10 Years
Date Opponent Deficit Final Score
01/28/06 Wichita State 19 W 57-55
11/27/01 Western Kentucky 18 W 95-91 2ot
02/12/03 Missouri State 17 W 70-67 ot
11/09/07 DePaul 17 W 74-62
11/30/11 at San Diego State 17 W 85-83
03/18/08 Rhode Island 17 W 74-73
11/16/08 New Mexico 16 W 82-75
02/04/06 at Drake 16 W 72-67 ot
01/26/03 TCU 16 W 89-79
02/02/08 Wichita State 15 W 65-63
Coming Up Big
After opening the season with five straight double-digit wins, many people wondered how Creighton would handle a close game down the stretch. Judging by its Nov. 30 result in a hostile atmosphere at Viejas Arena, you'd have to say the Bluejays passed with flying colors.
Playing in front of a deafening sellout crowd of 12,414, Creighton and San Diego State were tied at 69-all with 3:59 left. The Jays would score on each of its final eight possessions. Here's a list of the time left and the score prior to each CU offensive trip.
Time Left Score CU Possession
3:35 69-69 Wragge 3FG
2:55 72-70 Gibbs 2/2 FT's
2:14 74-72 Wragge tip-in
1:59 77-72 Young 2/2 FT's
1:32 78-75 McDermott lay-up
:58.0 80-78 Young jumper (0/1 FT)
:16.2 82-81 Wragge lay-up
:05.5 84-83 Manigat 1/2 FT's
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.
This year's team, which went to the Bahamas in August, started 7-0.
Red Hot Night
Creighton scorched the CenturyLink Center Omaha nets on Nov. 25th 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.
Wragge Steps In, Up
Sophomore forward Ethan Wragge began his sophomore season with 26 straight attempts from behind the arc in CU's first five games. On Nov. 30th at San Diego State, he stepped inside the arc and found his range while coming up with three huge two-point baskets. With Creighton down 33-16 late in the first half, he had a putback that started a 21-6 run to end the first half.
In the second stanza, Wragge had a tip-in that put the Jays ahead 76-72 with 2:16 left. His final score came with 16 seconds left, when he took a Jahenns Manigat feed for a lay-up to give CU an 84-81 cushion in the waning moments.
Just how rare were Wragge's barrage of two-point field goals? In his previous 25 games played since Feb. 6, 2010, he'd made just 3-of-8 shots from 'two-point' territory. His three 'two-pointers' on Nov. 30 were the most in any game of his Bluejay career.
MVC Honors For Doug
Sophomore forward Doug McDermott was named MVC Player of the Week on both Nov. 21 and Nov. 28th.
His first honor came on Nov. 21 after averaging 25.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in wins over UAB and Iowa.
Most recently, he earned the honor on Nov. 28 after a 31 point, 11 rebound game vs. Campbell that also helped him earn Dale Howard Classic Tournament MVP accolades.
These are the first two MVC Player of the Week accolades in McDermott's career, though he did set a league record last winter with seven MVC Newcomer of the Week awards.
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 3-1 mark in true road games and a 1-0 mark in a neutral site game.
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.
Super Seven
Creighton's win vs. Nebraska on Dec. 4th was the Jays seventh 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.
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 15 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 10 regular-season contests (252 points, 289 minutes), he's scored 368 points in 395 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
San Diego State 25 36
Nebraska 24 35
Saint Joseph's 26 36
Houston Baptist 25 18
Tulsa 35 36
Totals 368 395
Productive Night
Doug McDermott had 25 points in just 18 minutes of work last Saturday vs. Houston Baptist.
He became just the second Bluejay since 1985 to score 20 or more points in a game in which he played fewer than 20 minutes.
Ethan Wragge, McDermott's sophomore teammate, has done it twice. He did it against Xavier on Nov. 27, 2009 (21 points, 17 minutes) and also against Saint Joseph's on Dec. 11, 2010 (22 points, 18 minutes).
Before Wragge had done it, no Bluejay had scored 20 or more points in less than 20 minutes since Vernon Moore put up 21 points in 19 minutes against Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 24, 1984.
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
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.
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 included 10 games and was 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.
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
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.
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.
Passing Fancy
In the first eight years of CenturyLink Center Omaha, the single-game assist record was 28. Through five 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 207-of-312 of its field goals this season (66.3 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.
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
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.
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.
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 560 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
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.
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 is averaging 15,779 fans at home so far this season, good for 10th place.
2011-12 Attendance Leaders (thru 12/20)
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 23,039 12/22
2. Louisville 20,956 12/23
3. Syracuse 19,991 12/22
4. North Carolina 18,919 12/21
5. Wisconsin 17,163 12/23
6. Kansas 16,710 12/29
7. Memphis 16,442 12/29
8. Indiana 16,025 12/22
9. Tennessee 15,900 12/23
10. Creighton 15,779 12/22
11. Ohio State 15,041 12/22
12. Michigan State 14,797 12/22
13. Illinois 14,486 12/27
14. New Mexico 13,999 12/22
15. Marquette 13,450 12/22
16. Vanderbilt 13,383 12/21
17. Arizona 13,299 12/22
18. BYU 13,229 12/22
19. Iowa State 12,566 12/21
20. Kansas State 12,512 12/23
21. Dayton 12,315 12/21
22. Purdue 12,036 12/31
23. San Diego State 12,023 12/22
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
15,779 Creighton 2011-12
15,333 Creighton 2007-08
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 584 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. That's the longest active streak in the MVC.
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 means it will host a 12-team Olympic qualifier next July, of which the top three teams will make the 2012 Olympics in London.
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 142 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in nine seasons at the facility.
The Bluejays own an 121-21 (.852) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday or Friday.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 10,558-8,927 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.5 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 32 different times, including three times this season.
Team of the Millennium?
Below is the records for each MVC school since the start of the 2000-01 season, ranked by overall winning percentage. Creighton leads the MVC overall with 260 wins in the millennium, as well as 11 postseason appearances:
MVC Standings (start 2000-01 to 12/20/11)
MVC only All Games
Team W L Pct. W L Pct.
Creighton 135 63 .682 260 115 .693
Southern Illinois 129 69 .652 233 132 .638
Wichita State 109 89 .551 220 147 .599
Northern Iowa 109 89 .551 216 146 .597
Missouri State 108 90 .545 214 150 .588
Illinois State 90 108 .455 188 164 .534
Bradley 91 107 .460 187 178 .512
Drake 83 115 .419 168 179 .484
Indiana State 71 127 .359 152 199 .433
Evansville 65 133 .328 131 205 .390
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
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.
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.
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.
