No. 21 Men's Basketball Visits Shockers For Saturday Showdown
12/30/2011 11:17:00 AM | Men's Basketball
2011-12 Creighton Men's Basketball
Game #13 at Wichita State • Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011 • 5:00 p.m.
#21 Creighton Bluejays at Wichita State Shockers
Charles Koch Arena (10,506) • Wichita, Kan.
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.am590espnradio.com
Television: ESPNU
Series History: Creighton leads, 52-43
Last Meeting: Wichita State won 67-65 in Wichita, Kan., on Feb. 23, 2011
Next Game
No. 21 Creighton (10-2, 0-1 MVC) visits Wichita State (10-2, 1-0 MVC) in an early season showdown of the two teams atop the preseason MVC poll.
Saturday's game will take place in Wichita, Kan., at Charles Koch Arena (10,506). The game will tip-off at 5 pm.
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“AM 590 - Omaha's ESPN Radio”) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2011-12 season, including Saturday's game. T. Scott Marr and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action.
The audio is also webcast live at www.AM590espnradio.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU, with Dave Armstrong and David Kaplan on the call.
Video Webcast Available
Saturday's game will be video webcast for free on ESPN3.com.
It is NOT part of Creighton's Jays Video subscription package.
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 21st by the Associated Press and 19th by the coaches in the Dec. 26th poll, Creighton is off to a 10-2 start on the season. The Jays opened MVC play with a 77-65 home loss to defending league champ Missouri State.
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 home wins over Big Ten schools Nebraska (76-66) and Northwestern (87-79).
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's second in the nation in scoring (24.8) and is second in the league in rebounding (8.6) this year. McDermott has scored 19 or more points in his last 11 games, including nine straight games of 24 points or more from Nov. 16-Dec. 22.
The other two returning starters, senior guard Antoine Young (10.8 ppg., 4.3 apg.) and junior center Gregory Echenique (8.9 ppg., 5.9 rpg., 1.4 bpg.), are honorable-mention preseason all-Valley selections as well.
Gonzaga transfer Grant Gibbs has made an immediate impact from the wing and does a little bit of everything, averaging 7.0 ppg., 4.8 rpg., and 6.2 apg. He's had 10 or more assists in two of Creighton's last three games.
Through games of Dec. 29th, Creighton ranked among the national leaders in most offensive categories, including first in assists per game (20.6), second in three-point field goal percentage (.446), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.63), fifth in field goal percentage (.506) and sixth in points per game (84.3).
Scouting Wichita State
Defending NIT champion Wichita State is 10-2 this season, including a 7-0 mark at home. The Shockers have averaged 95.3 points during their last three games, winning those contests by a staggering average of 46 points.
Among the Shockers' top wins this year have been triumphs over UNLV, Utah State and Colorado. WSU's only losses this winter came in Puerto Rico, when the squad fell to Alabama and Temple in consecutive games.
Five men average in double-figures, a group consisting of Joe Ragland (12.3 ppg.), Toure' Murry (12.3 ppg.), Garrett Stutz (11.0 ppg., 6.8 rpg.), Ben Smith (10.7 ppg.) and David Kyles (10.5 ppg.).
The Shockers outrebound teams by 9.3 boards per game and outscore foes by 19.5.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his second season as head coach at Creighton, where he owns a 33-18 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 313-213 in 18 seasons and is 182-149 in 11 Division I campaigns. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Steve Merfeld.
Wichita State is coached by Gregg Marshall (Randolph-Macon, 1985), who owns a 92-57 mark in his fifth year with the Shockers. That moves his career mark to 286-140 in 14 years, which includes a highly successful run at Winthrop. He is assisted by Dana Ford, Greg Heiar and Chris Jans.
The Series With Wichita State
Creighton leads the all-time series with Wichita State by a 52-43 margin. The Jays have won 28-of-37 and 35-of-47 vs. the Shockers in recent seasons.
Last year Wichita State won both meetings, completing its first regular-season sweep of the Bluejays since 1987-88.
Greg McDermott is 7-6 all-time vs. Wichita State (0-2 at Creighton), including a 2-4 record in road games. He has won two of his three most recent trips to Charles Koch Arena.
McDermott is 0-2 against Gregg Marshall. Marshall is 4-5 against Creighton.
Last Game Recap
Reigning MVC Player of the Year Kyle Weems had a career-high 31 points and teammate Anthony Downing poured in a career-best 26 points to lead Missouri State to a 77-65 win at Creighton on Wednesday. Doug McDermott led CU with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades
Creighton and Wichita State have played 27 games decided by 12 points or less during the 36 matchups since 1994-95. CU has gone 22-5 in those games.
Additionally, Creighton is 13-3 since 1994-95 in games vs. Wichita State decided by four points or less.
In his Wichita State career Gregg Marshall is 1-4 in games decided by four points or less vs. Creighton and 12-23 overall in such contests.
Keep The Shockers Under 70
Since 1994-95, Creighton owns a 27-9 mark against Wichita State. One common theme for the Bluejays in those contests has been tenacious defense.
Creighton has allowed the Shockers to score 70 or more points in just seven of those 36 games, of which WSU won five times. However, in the 29 matchups the Shockers scored under 70, they are 4-25 vs. the Bluejays.
Buzzer Beaters Galore
Eight of the last 13 Creighton/Wichita State games have been decided in the final seconds.
On Jan. 28, 2006 in Omaha, Creighton's Anthony Tolliver hit a 15-foot baseline jumper as time expired to give the Bluejays a 57-55 win, capping a comeback from an early 25-6 deficit.
In the rematch on Feb. 14, 2006 in Wichita, Matt Braeuer drained a three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left in overtime to give the Shockers a 62-61 triumph.
On Jan. 15, 2007 in Wichita, Nate Funk's game-tying trey in the final seconds was blocked by PJ Couisnard as WSU won 62-59.
On Jan. 12, 2008 in Wichita, Gal Mekel missed a three-pointer as time expired as Creighton won, 68-65.
In the Feb. 2, 2008 meeting in Omaha, Creighton overcame a 54-39 deficit in the final nine minutes to win a 65-63 contest. Dane Watts scored the go-ahead tip-in with 16.7 seconds left, then took a charge on WSU guard Gal Mekel with 11.1 seconds remaining.
The 2009 MVC Tournament might have been the most dramatic finish of them all. Wichita State overcame a 22-point second-half deficit to go ahead 62-61 on a Toure' Murry three-pointer with 7.1 seconds left. Creighton would miss a shot as the clock ran to 0.0, only to have 1.9 seconds put back on the clock after a review of courtside monitors. Bluejay star Booker Woodfox would then catch an inbounds pass and drain a shot as time expired, giving Creighton the one-point victory.
On Jan. 16, 2010, Creighton held a four-point lead before WSU's Clevin Hannah buried a three-pointer with 13.1 seconds left. Clinging to a tenuous 57-56 lead, Creighton played keep away as an anticipated foul from the Shockers never came.
Last season on Feb. 23rd in Wichita, Shocker senior Aaron Ellis sank a lay-up with 1.5 seconds left to give Wichita State a 67-65 lead. Doug McDermott missed a 30-footer off the rim as time expired. The game featured 16 ties and 17 lead changes, and neither team led by more than five points.
Bench Mob
Creighton's bench provided a spark in Wednesday's game, outscoring its Missouri State counterparts, 24-3.
Josh Jones had 11 points and Ethan Wragge had eight points to lead the bench brigade.
For the season, CU's reserves have outscored the opposition 299-261. Its 24.9 points per game average is well ahead of last year's 18.6 points per game off the pine.
Comeback Kids
Creighton has overcome a double-digit deficit to beat Wichita State five times since 2003. That includes a 57-55 win over the Shockers on Jan. 28, 2006 in which WSU had led 25-6 before eventually falling on a buzzer-beater by CU's Anthony Tolliver.
Below is a list of those comebacks, listed by by size of the margin overcome:
Overcoming 10+ Point Deficits vs. WSU Since '03
Date Opponent Deficit Final Score
01/28/06 Wichita State 19 CU 57-55
02/02/08 Wichita State 15 CU 65-63
03/09/03 vs. Wichita State 13 CU 70-69
02/16/05 at Wichita State 10 CU 82-68
02/01/05 Wichita State 10 CU 73-69
Road Tests Ahead
Creighton went 3-1 in non-conference road games this season, including wins against defending league champions from the Mountain West Conference (San Diego State) and Conference USA (UAB).
Last year Creighton won its first three MVC road tilts before dropping its final six. Those six setbacks came by a combined 21 points, as they were by margins of 2, 1, 5, 8, 3 and 2.
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.
Turning 30
Wichita State features one of the nation's most balanced line-ups, with six players averaging between 9.4 and 12.3 points per game. In fact, only once in WSU's last 66 games have the Shockers had a player score 25 points or more in a game, Carl Ragland's 31 point outburst vs. UNLV earlier this month.
In Creighton's last two games, Northwestern's Drew Crawford had 34 points, while Missouri State's Kyle Weems had 31 vs. the Jays.
The last previous time Creighton had allowed 30 points or more to an individual in consecutive games came all the way back in 1990, when Bradley's Curtis Stuckey (39 points) and Wichita State's John Cooper (36) lit up the Jays in consecutive contests.
Full House
Creighton has attracted its second- and third-largest crowds in program history during its past two home games. The Jays drew 17,676 fans on Dec. 22 for Northwestern, then brought in 17,665 fans six days later for Missouri State.
Here's a look at Creighton's top-15 home crowds all-time.
Rank Att. Opponent Date
1. 17,954 Wichita State 12/28/08
2. 17,676 Northwestern 12/22/11
3. 17,665 Missouri State 12/28/11
4. 17,607 Drexel 02/17/07
5. 17,459 Southern Illinois 01/20/07
6. 17,411 George Mason 02/21/09
7. 17,371 Indiana State 01/19/08
8. 17,283 Indiana State 01/27/07
9. 17,193 Drake 01/24/09
10. 17,152 Northern Iowa 12/29/09
11. 17,116 Illinois State 02/28/09
12. 17,110 Wichita State 02/24/07
13. 17,053 #22 Drake 01/22/08
14. 17,049 Nebraska 11/24/07
15. 16,984 Kentucky 03/23/09
Jones'ing For MVC Play
Josh Jones opened MVC play with 11 points off the bench on Wednesday vs. Missouri State, making 3-of-4 three-point shots.
Picking up his production for Valley games is nothing new for the junior from Omaha Central. In his career, he's shot 12-of-55 (21.8 percent) from three-point range prior to MVC play, a figure that improves drastically to 34-of-74 (45.9 percent) in league action.
Eve of Destruction
Before celebrating the New Year, Creighton will first play at Wichita State at 5pm on Dec. 31st. The Jays defeated Indiana State 79-61 in 2008 to snap a seven-game losing streak in games played on New Year's Eve.
All Is Not Lost
Since 1993-94, only one team (Northern Iowa, a 2008-09 co-champion) has won at least a share of the regular-season title without winning its regular-season opener. In fact, 16 of the last 17 regular-season champs (or co-champs) have opened 2-0 or better in MVC play, with UNI in 2008-09 once again serving as the exception.
It's worth noting that since 1986-87 (25 years), every MVC regular-season champion has had at least one loss, and 24 of those 25 years the champ(s) had two or more losses.
Creighton needs a win on Saturday to avoid falling into an early 0-2 hole. No team has started league play 0-2 and won the MVC since Illinois State in 1992-93. Creighton started MVC play 0-2 in 1990-91 and came back to win the regular-season and tournament crowns as well.
Efficient Group
According to statistical website bbstate.com, Creighton's offense ranks tied for second nationally with 1.17 points per offensive possession. In the previous six seasons, only one team (Ohio State in 2010-11) has had a year-end points per possession of 1.18 or better.
Here's the top-10 teams for this year, as of Dec. 29th. Notably, CU's 72.3 possessions per 40 minutes lead that list of top-10 teams.
Team Points Per Offensive Possession
Rk. Team W-L O-PPP Poss/40
1. Missouri 12-0 1.24 70.0
2. Creighton 10-2 1.17 72.3
Syracuse 14-0 1.17 68.5
4. Pittsburgh 11-3 1.16 64.4
Indiana 12-1 1.16 71.9
Florida 10-3 1.16 71.7
7. Kentucky 12-1 1.15 71.7
8. Saint Louis 12-1 1.14 61.7
9. Iowa State 9-3 1.13 68.5
Duke 10-1 1.13 71.2
Wisconsin 12-2 1.13 60.1
Ohio State 13-1 1.13 70.2
Passing Fancy
Grant Gibbs had 10 assists at Tulsa on Dec. 19, then added 12 helpers vs. Northwestern three days later. In the win over Northwestern, Gibbs' 12 assists led to 32 points by his Creighton teammates.
His 12 assists were a CenturyLink Center Omaha single-game record, rank tied for sixth-most in a game in Creighton history for all venues, and most since Tyler McKinney also had 12 on Dec. 21, 2002.
Gibbs became the first Bluejay with consecutive games of 10 or more assists since Duan Cole did it on Jan. 27 & 30, 1990.
Different Methods, Similar Results
One of the many reasons Doug McDermott's offensive game continues to draw attention is because of his tremendous efficiency. McDermott's numbers this season are significantly more efficient than BYU's Jimmer Fredette after 12 games last season.
McDermott is averaging 24.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while making a total of 27 three-point shots. McDermott is shooting an absurd 61.5 percent from the field and 56.3 percent in 48 attempts from three-point range.
By comparison, Fredette was averaging 24.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while making a total of 31 three-pointers in his first 12 games. Fredette was shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 35.2 percent in 88 attempts from three-point range at this point. He would end the season averaging 28.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, shooting 45.2 percent from three-point range and 39.6 percent from downtown.
National Scoring Leaders
Doug McDermott ranked second nationally in scoring at 24.8 points per game through games of Dec. 29th. Here's that list.
Rk. Name, School Yr. PPG
1. Damian Lillard, Weber State Jr. 25.4
2. Doug McDermott, Creighton So. 24.8
3. Reggie Hamilton, Oakland Sr. 23.1
4. Ken Horton, Central Conn. St. Sr. 22.5
5. Terrell Stoglin, Maryland So. 21.5
Gerardo Suero, Albany Jr. 21.5
7. Mike Moore, Hofstra Sr. 21.4
8. Nate Wolters, South Dakota St. Jr. 21.2
9. Darren White, Campbell Jr. 21.1
10. Orlando Johnson, UCSB Sr. 21.0
Shades of 2003?
Creighton's 10-2 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 12 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 10-2 11-1
Home W-L 6-1 7-0
FG 363-717 375-721
FG Pct. .506 .520
3FG 111-249 116-276
3FG Pct. .446 .420
FT 175-255 140-210
FT Pct. .686 .667
Reb. Margin +5.3 +1.7
Assists 247 223
Turnovers 151 166
Points 1012 1006
Points/Game 84.3 83.8
Stat McDermott Korver
Team W-L Record 10-2 11-1
Points 298 238
Points/Game 24.8 19.8
Rebounds 103 69
Rebounds/Game 8.6 5.8
FG Pct. .615 .549
3FG-FGA 27-48 56-103
3FG Pct. .563 .544
FT Pct. .838 .897
Assists 14 40
Turnovers 26 16
Near The Top Of His Class
Sophomore Doug McDermott owns 879 career points in his young career. According to research by Creighton Sports Information's office, that leads all active sophomores through games of Dec. 30th.
Most Career Points, Sophomores (through 12/30)
Source: Creighton Sports Information
Rk. Pts. Name, School Next
1. 879 Doug McDermott, Creighton 12/31
2. 830 J.J. Sullinger, Ohio State 12/31
3. 817 Harrison Barnes, North Carolina 1/1
4. 728 Terrence Jones, Kentucky 12/31
5. 721 Trey Ziegler, Central Michigan 1/7
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 12/30):
Name McDermott Barnes
Games Played 51 51
Points 860 817
PPG 17.2 16.0
Rebounds 383 284
RPG 7.5 5.6
FG-FGA 340-614 295-673
FG% .554 .438
3FG-3FGA 74-164 85-232
3FG% .451 .366
FT-FTA 125-163 142-193
FT% .767 .736
Bright Lights, Big Wins
Creighton is 30-16 in its last 46 games on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, and will be making its first appearance of the year on the World Wide Leader on Saturday.
In these 46 ESPN-affiliated appearances, Creighton is 28-8 when scoring 62 points or more, but just 2-8 when scoring 61 points or less.
Below is CU's recent results on the ESPN family of networks:
Network Home Road Neutral Total
ESPN 2-1 2-0 4-0 8-1
ESPN2 7-2 4-6 1-1 12-9
ESPNU 9-0 1-4 0-2 10-6
Total 18-3 7-10 5-3 30-16
Weekly Honors Roll In
Grant Gibbs and Doug McDermott were both honored by the MVC for their work in wins last week vs. Tulsa and Northwestern.
Gibbs was named MVC Newcomer of the Week after averaging 11.0 assists, 7.5 rebounds and 6.0 points per game. With 10 assists at Tulsa and 12 assists vs. Northwestern, he became the first Bluejay since 1990 with consecutive games of 10 or more assists.
McDermott was named MVC Player of the Week after averaging 31.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He scored a career-high 35 points in the win at Tulsa and scored 27 points in 28 minutes vs. Northwestern.
McDermott also earned National Player of the Week accolades from the USBWA, Dick Vitale, and Andy Katz of ESPN.com for his performance.
Filling It Up
Through games of Dec. 29th, Doug McDermott was leading the nation with 120 field goals made this season. By comparison, no other player in the MVC has more than 74 buckets (Kyle Weems), and next closest nationally was West Virginia's Kevin Jones with 113.
McDermott averages 10.0 field goals per game. No other player in the country averages more than nine field goals per game this season, and according to data at StatSheet.com, no player has averaged 10 field goals per game since VMI's Reggie Williams in 2006-07.
Scoring In Numbers
Doug McDermott owns 298 points through 12 games, an average of 24.8 per contest that ranks him second nationally in scoring (through Dec. 29th).
McDermott's 24.8 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.
Portman, who finished fifth nationally in scoring in 1967-68 (29.5 ppg.), is the only Bluejay to ever rank in the top-10 of the year-end scoring leaders.
McDermott's 24.8 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.
Rank And File
Creighton was ranked 21st heading into Wednesday's game vs. Missouri State. Though the Bluejays have been ranked in six different seasons all-time, this year was the first occasion that CU was ranked in the AP poll at the time it has played an MVC-opener.
Basketball Royalty
Through games of Dec. 29th, only three squads nationally own two wins or more over the Big Ten: Duke, North Carolina and Creighton.
Creighton, however, is the only one of that trio with three wins vs. the Big Ten. This is the first time that Creighton has defeated three Big Ten teams in the same season in program history.
In three games against Big Ten competition this year, Doug McDermott averaged 25.3 points, 8.7 rebounds while shooting 29-44 from the floor (65.9 percent) and 7-of-11 from downtown (63.6 percent).
B1G Ten, Big Time
Creighton went 3-0 against the Big Ten this winter, including home wins vs. both Northwestern and Nebraska. This is the first year Creighton has hosted two games against Big Ten competition in the same season since 1936-37.
Unbelievably, Creighton had hosted just one Big Ten team since 1973 (Iowa in 1999) before this year's slate.
Since 2000, Creighton has played just eight 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.
Doug Teaches Them How
Doug McDermott had a career-high 35 points on Dec. 19 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 upped his scoring average after all 11 games this season, a near-impossible feat.
Of McDermott's 16 field goals, six came with his left-hand, while he used the backboard to make nine of his buckets.
McDermott's Nifty 50
Greg McDermott won 33 times in his first 50 games on the Creighton sideline. His 33 victories were 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 33-17 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
Blue Streak
Doug McDermott's streak of 10 straight games of 20 or more points was snapped when he scored 19 points in Wednesday's loss to Missouri State.
The streak had been Creighton's longest such spell in at least 30 years, and twice as long as any other active streak in the country at the time it was snapped.
Big Road Win
Creighton's 83-64 win at Tulsa on Dec. 19 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 Southern Illinois on Feb. 14, 2009 and biggest in a non-conference true road game since beating Drexel 72-48 on Dec. 1, 2007.
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 Dec. 19 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.
Four-Point Play For Wragge
Ethan Wragge delivered Creighton's first four-point play of the season when his clutch four-point play gave the Jays a 65-58 lead with 6:49 left vs. Northwestern on Dec. 22nd.
Creighton's only four-point play a year ago came from Kaleb Korver, who did it on Nov. 14 vs. Northern Arizona.
All I Wanted For Christmas Is 10 Wins
Creighton got to the Christmas break with a 10-1 record. In 94 seasons of basketball, this was just the third campaign that the Jays reached 10 wins before Christmas.
The Jays were 10-1 in 1963-64 and 10-2 in 2008-09 heading into Christmas.
Man of Steal
Senior guard Antoine Young had a career-high five steals on Dec. 19 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 88 career steals, nearly as many as his next two active teammates (Josh Jones 47; Jahenns Manigat 41) combined.
Also on Dec. 19, 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 a Dec. 17 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 Dec. 19 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 72 career blocked shots in a Bluejay uniform. With three more swats, he'll tie Jeffrey Day for 10th place in Creighton history.
Fountains of Doug
Doug McDermott has scored 21, 27, 25, 31, 25, 24, 26, 25, 35, 27 and 19 points in his last 11 games, respectively, giving him 20 or more points in 13 of his last 18 games overall dating to last year.
McDermott owns two different stretches where he's scored 25 points or more in four straight games this year. He did it from Nov. 16-30 earlier this year, as well as Dec. 10-22. The last Bluejay with five consecutive games of 25 or more was Benoit Benjamin, who 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 eight different games of 25 points or more this season, is the first Bluejay with eight different games of 25 or more points in the same year since Bob Harstad had 15 games like that in 1989-90.
Leading Scorer, Again
Doug McDermott has led Creighton in scoring each of the last 11 games, averaging 25.9 points per game in that time.
McDermott's 11 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
11 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
A Bunch of Homers
Creighton's loss to Missouri State on Dec. 28th snapped a 16-game home win streak, matching the program's longest ever in the nine-year history of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
During the home win streak, the victories were by an average of 20.2 points, and 12 of those 16 victories were by double-digits.
Here's a look at Creighton's home win streaks of 10 or longer at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Longest CenturyLink Center Home Win Streaks
No. Dates Snapped by
16 Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 31, 2006 Southern Illinois
16 Jan. 19 - Dec. 22, 2011 Missouri State
14 Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008 Northern Iowa
11 Nov. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004 Southern Illinois
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 Dec. 19. 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 made his 100th career three-pointer at Tulsa on Dec. 19th, coming in his 53rd career game. 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 a Dec. 19 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 only 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 Dec. 19 at Tulsa, dishing a career-high 10 assists.
One game later vs. Northwestern on Dec. 22, Gibbs had 12 assists and eight rebounds, but was 0-for-2 from the field.
Gibbs' 6.2 assists per game average makes him the first Bluejay to average more than 5.5 helpers per game since Randy Eccker's 7.3 assists per game in 1976-77.
Jays Rise in Latest AP Poll
Creighton was 21st in this week's (Dec. 26) Associated Press poll. It's the fourth 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, then moving up to 23rd on Dec. 18th
Creighton was 19th in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll released on Dec. 26. It's the sixth 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 seventh 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 85 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 51 Games
Doug McDermott has started all 51 games of his career and enters Saturday's contest with 879 career points (17.2 ppg.) and 383 career rebounds (7.5 rpg.).
By comparison, Creighton's all-time leading scorer, Rodney Buford, had 841 career points after 51 games. However, Buford had “just” 638 points after 12th game of his sophomore season (15.6 ppg.).
McDermott (879 points, 383 rebounds) also compares favorably to legendary big men Bob Harstad and Chad Gallagher through 51 career games. Harstad had 647 points and 464 rebounds, while Gallagher had 626 points and 293 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 51 Career Games
Name Points Rebounds
Doug McDermott 879 383
Rodney Buford 841 242
Bob Harstad 647 464
Chad Gallagher 626 293
Kyle Korver 544 220
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 56.3 percent, but has fallen out of the rankings because he falls 0.25 three-pointers made per game shy of qualifying.
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 1,607 minutes in his 62 career games at CenturyLink Century Omaha, the most minutes played in facility history.
Young's 229 assists in the building are a facility record, 16 more than the previous mark held by Josh Dotzler (2005-09). Young owns multiple assists in each of his last 20 games he's played at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
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 45.1 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 42.2 percent, just ahead of Jahenns Manigat (42.1 percent).
For the season, Creighton's freshmen are shooting 13-of-29 (44.8 percent) from three-point land, while the sophomore class is a collective 77-158 (48.7 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. .451 Doug McDermott 74-164 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. .422 Ethan Wragge 105-249 2009-Pres.
8. .421 Jahenns Manigat 64-152 2010-Pres.
9. .407 Nate Funk 200-492 2002-07
10. .405 Matt West 92-227 1996-00
McDermott's 20/10 Vision
Earlier this season Doug McDermott became the first Bluejay with four straight double-doubles since Nate King had four in a row during the 1993-94 campaign.
No Bluejay has owned five straight double-doubles since Benoit Benjamin had 28 in a row in the 1984-85 campaign.
Upping The Antoine
Senior point guard Antoine Young continues to ascend up a few Creighton charts.
He's up to 31st on Creighton's all-time scoring chart, and his 401 assists rank sixth-most in Bluejay annals.
Young joined Ryan Sears and Vernon Moore as the only Bluejays in history with at least 1,000 points and 400 career assists on Wednesday.
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
401 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. 1,048 Antoine Young 2008-Present
32. 1,031 Johnny Mathies 2003-06
33. 1,024 P'Allen Stinnett 2007-10
34. 1,023 Rod Mason 1986-88
35. 1,004 Anthony Tolliver 2003-07
Ball Control Offense
Creighton ranked fourth nationally with a 1.63 assist/turnover ratio through games of Dec. 29, and a big portion of that is due to its starting backcourt.
Creighton's starting guard trio of Antoine Young (52 A, 23 TO), Jahenns Manigat (19/6) and Grant Gibbs (74/26) have combined for 145 assists and 55 turnovers, good for a collective 2.64 assist/turnover ratio.
Reserve guards Avery Dingman (3/1), Josh Jones (25/10), Austin Chatman (29/20) and Taylor Stormberg (4/0) have combined for 61 assists against just 31 turnovers.
Doubling Up From The Start
Doug McDermott has scored 10 or more points in all 12 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
12* Doug McDermott, So. 2011-12
10 Chad Gallagher, Sr. 1990-91
*active
2,000,000 Fan March
Creighton has attracted 2,058,952 fans all-time in 144 games held at CenturyLink Center Omaha, good for an average of 14,298.
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 are 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.
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 17 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 12 regular-season contests (298 points, 354 minutes), he's scored 414 points in 460 minutes.
According to stats through Dec. 29th on bbstate.com, McDermott's 33.7 points per 40 minutes led the country, well ahead of Weber State's Damian Lillard's 30.6 per 40 minutes, and the best mark since Stephen Curry averaged 34.0 points per 40 minutes for Davidson in 2008-09.
Through Dec. 29th, McDermott was one of 19 players averaging 20 points per game or more. He was the only one in that mix to average less than 30 minutes per game.
Productive Night
Doug McDermott had 25 points in just 18 minutes of work on Dec. 19 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 two different occasions this season Gibbs has had back-to-back games with both six assists and six rebounds. No Bluejay had done that even once since Rod Mason on Feb. 11 and Feb. 13, 1988.
Passing Fancy
In the first eight years of CenturyLink Center Omaha, the single-game assist record was 28. Through seven 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 247-of-363 of its field goals this season (68.0 percent).
Last season Creighton's top passing output was 25 assists in a win over Kennesaw State, and the Jays dished on 60.7 percent of its field goals for the season.
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 562 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 16,319 fans at home so far this season, good for seventh place, and on pace for an MVC single-season record.
2011-12 Attendance Leaders (thru 12/29)
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 23,142 12/31
2. Louisville 21,185 1/7
3. Syracuse 20,334 1/7
4. North Carolina 19,451 1/1
5. Wisconsin 17,170 12/31
6. Memphis 16,441 12/31
7. Creighton 16,319 1/3
8. Kansas 16,300 12/31
9. Tennessee 15,970 1/2
10. Indiana 15,651 12/31
11. Ohio State 15,577 1/3
12. Michigan State 14,797 1/10
13. Illinois 14,604 1/7
14. Marquette 13,978 1/1
15. New Mexico 13,902 12/31
16. Arizona 13,354 12/31
17. Vanderbilt 13,339 1/2
18. BYU 12,882 12/31
19. Kansas State 12,512 12/31
20. Iowa State 12,435 12/31
21. Dayton 12,252 12/30
22. Purdue 12,036 12/31
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
16,319 Creighton 2011-12
15,930 Creighton 2008-09
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
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 586 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 144 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in nine seasons at the facility.
The Bluejays own an 122-22 (.847) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday or Friday.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 10,710-9,083 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.3 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 261 wins in the millennium, as well as 11 postseason appearances:
MVC Standings (start 2000-01 to 12/30/11)
MVC only All Games
Team W L Pct. W L Pct.
Creighton 135 64 .678 261 116 .692
Southern Illinois 129 70 .648 233 137 .630
Wichita State 110 89 .553 221 147 .601
Northern Iowa 109 90 .547 216 147 .595
Missouri State 109 90 .547 215 152 .586
Illinois State 91 108 .457 189 164 .535
Bradley 91 108 .457 187 180 .510
Drake 84 115 .422 170 179 .487
Indiana State 71 128 .357 153 200 .433
Evansville 66 133 .332 132 205 .392
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.
Game #13 at Wichita State • Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011 • 5:00 p.m.
#21 Creighton Bluejays at Wichita State Shockers
Charles Koch Arena (10,506) • Wichita, Kan.
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.am590espnradio.com
Television: ESPNU
Series History: Creighton leads, 52-43
Last Meeting: Wichita State won 67-65 in Wichita, Kan., on Feb. 23, 2011
Next Game
No. 21 Creighton (10-2, 0-1 MVC) visits Wichita State (10-2, 1-0 MVC) in an early season showdown of the two teams atop the preseason MVC poll.
Saturday's game will take place in Wichita, Kan., at Charles Koch Arena (10,506). The game will tip-off at 5 pm.
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“AM 590 - Omaha's ESPN Radio”) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2011-12 season, including Saturday's game. T. Scott Marr and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action.
The audio is also webcast live at www.AM590espnradio.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU, with Dave Armstrong and David Kaplan on the call.
Video Webcast Available
Saturday's game will be video webcast for free on ESPN3.com.
It is NOT part of Creighton's Jays Video subscription package.
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 21st by the Associated Press and 19th by the coaches in the Dec. 26th poll, Creighton is off to a 10-2 start on the season. The Jays opened MVC play with a 77-65 home loss to defending league champ Missouri State.
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 home wins over Big Ten schools Nebraska (76-66) and Northwestern (87-79).
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's second in the nation in scoring (24.8) and is second in the league in rebounding (8.6) this year. McDermott has scored 19 or more points in his last 11 games, including nine straight games of 24 points or more from Nov. 16-Dec. 22.
The other two returning starters, senior guard Antoine Young (10.8 ppg., 4.3 apg.) and junior center Gregory Echenique (8.9 ppg., 5.9 rpg., 1.4 bpg.), are honorable-mention preseason all-Valley selections as well.
Gonzaga transfer Grant Gibbs has made an immediate impact from the wing and does a little bit of everything, averaging 7.0 ppg., 4.8 rpg., and 6.2 apg. He's had 10 or more assists in two of Creighton's last three games.
Through games of Dec. 29th, Creighton ranked among the national leaders in most offensive categories, including first in assists per game (20.6), second in three-point field goal percentage (.446), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.63), fifth in field goal percentage (.506) and sixth in points per game (84.3).
Scouting Wichita State
Defending NIT champion Wichita State is 10-2 this season, including a 7-0 mark at home. The Shockers have averaged 95.3 points during their last three games, winning those contests by a staggering average of 46 points.
Among the Shockers' top wins this year have been triumphs over UNLV, Utah State and Colorado. WSU's only losses this winter came in Puerto Rico, when the squad fell to Alabama and Temple in consecutive games.
Five men average in double-figures, a group consisting of Joe Ragland (12.3 ppg.), Toure' Murry (12.3 ppg.), Garrett Stutz (11.0 ppg., 6.8 rpg.), Ben Smith (10.7 ppg.) and David Kyles (10.5 ppg.).
The Shockers outrebound teams by 9.3 boards per game and outscore foes by 19.5.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his second season as head coach at Creighton, where he owns a 33-18 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 313-213 in 18 seasons and is 182-149 in 11 Division I campaigns. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Steve Merfeld.
Wichita State is coached by Gregg Marshall (Randolph-Macon, 1985), who owns a 92-57 mark in his fifth year with the Shockers. That moves his career mark to 286-140 in 14 years, which includes a highly successful run at Winthrop. He is assisted by Dana Ford, Greg Heiar and Chris Jans.
The Series With Wichita State
Creighton leads the all-time series with Wichita State by a 52-43 margin. The Jays have won 28-of-37 and 35-of-47 vs. the Shockers in recent seasons.
Last year Wichita State won both meetings, completing its first regular-season sweep of the Bluejays since 1987-88.
Greg McDermott is 7-6 all-time vs. Wichita State (0-2 at Creighton), including a 2-4 record in road games. He has won two of his three most recent trips to Charles Koch Arena.
McDermott is 0-2 against Gregg Marshall. Marshall is 4-5 against Creighton.
Last Game Recap
Reigning MVC Player of the Year Kyle Weems had a career-high 31 points and teammate Anthony Downing poured in a career-best 26 points to lead Missouri State to a 77-65 win at Creighton on Wednesday. Doug McDermott led CU with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades
Creighton and Wichita State have played 27 games decided by 12 points or less during the 36 matchups since 1994-95. CU has gone 22-5 in those games.
Additionally, Creighton is 13-3 since 1994-95 in games vs. Wichita State decided by four points or less.
In his Wichita State career Gregg Marshall is 1-4 in games decided by four points or less vs. Creighton and 12-23 overall in such contests.
Keep The Shockers Under 70
Since 1994-95, Creighton owns a 27-9 mark against Wichita State. One common theme for the Bluejays in those contests has been tenacious defense.
Creighton has allowed the Shockers to score 70 or more points in just seven of those 36 games, of which WSU won five times. However, in the 29 matchups the Shockers scored under 70, they are 4-25 vs. the Bluejays.
Buzzer Beaters Galore
Eight of the last 13 Creighton/Wichita State games have been decided in the final seconds.
On Jan. 28, 2006 in Omaha, Creighton's Anthony Tolliver hit a 15-foot baseline jumper as time expired to give the Bluejays a 57-55 win, capping a comeback from an early 25-6 deficit.
In the rematch on Feb. 14, 2006 in Wichita, Matt Braeuer drained a three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left in overtime to give the Shockers a 62-61 triumph.
On Jan. 15, 2007 in Wichita, Nate Funk's game-tying trey in the final seconds was blocked by PJ Couisnard as WSU won 62-59.
On Jan. 12, 2008 in Wichita, Gal Mekel missed a three-pointer as time expired as Creighton won, 68-65.
In the Feb. 2, 2008 meeting in Omaha, Creighton overcame a 54-39 deficit in the final nine minutes to win a 65-63 contest. Dane Watts scored the go-ahead tip-in with 16.7 seconds left, then took a charge on WSU guard Gal Mekel with 11.1 seconds remaining.
The 2009 MVC Tournament might have been the most dramatic finish of them all. Wichita State overcame a 22-point second-half deficit to go ahead 62-61 on a Toure' Murry three-pointer with 7.1 seconds left. Creighton would miss a shot as the clock ran to 0.0, only to have 1.9 seconds put back on the clock after a review of courtside monitors. Bluejay star Booker Woodfox would then catch an inbounds pass and drain a shot as time expired, giving Creighton the one-point victory.
On Jan. 16, 2010, Creighton held a four-point lead before WSU's Clevin Hannah buried a three-pointer with 13.1 seconds left. Clinging to a tenuous 57-56 lead, Creighton played keep away as an anticipated foul from the Shockers never came.
Last season on Feb. 23rd in Wichita, Shocker senior Aaron Ellis sank a lay-up with 1.5 seconds left to give Wichita State a 67-65 lead. Doug McDermott missed a 30-footer off the rim as time expired. The game featured 16 ties and 17 lead changes, and neither team led by more than five points.
Bench Mob
Creighton's bench provided a spark in Wednesday's game, outscoring its Missouri State counterparts, 24-3.
Josh Jones had 11 points and Ethan Wragge had eight points to lead the bench brigade.
For the season, CU's reserves have outscored the opposition 299-261. Its 24.9 points per game average is well ahead of last year's 18.6 points per game off the pine.
Comeback Kids
Creighton has overcome a double-digit deficit to beat Wichita State five times since 2003. That includes a 57-55 win over the Shockers on Jan. 28, 2006 in which WSU had led 25-6 before eventually falling on a buzzer-beater by CU's Anthony Tolliver.
Below is a list of those comebacks, listed by by size of the margin overcome:
Overcoming 10+ Point Deficits vs. WSU Since '03
Date Opponent Deficit Final Score
01/28/06 Wichita State 19 CU 57-55
02/02/08 Wichita State 15 CU 65-63
03/09/03 vs. Wichita State 13 CU 70-69
02/16/05 at Wichita State 10 CU 82-68
02/01/05 Wichita State 10 CU 73-69
Road Tests Ahead
Creighton went 3-1 in non-conference road games this season, including wins against defending league champions from the Mountain West Conference (San Diego State) and Conference USA (UAB).
Last year Creighton won its first three MVC road tilts before dropping its final six. Those six setbacks came by a combined 21 points, as they were by margins of 2, 1, 5, 8, 3 and 2.
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.
Turning 30
Wichita State features one of the nation's most balanced line-ups, with six players averaging between 9.4 and 12.3 points per game. In fact, only once in WSU's last 66 games have the Shockers had a player score 25 points or more in a game, Carl Ragland's 31 point outburst vs. UNLV earlier this month.
In Creighton's last two games, Northwestern's Drew Crawford had 34 points, while Missouri State's Kyle Weems had 31 vs. the Jays.
The last previous time Creighton had allowed 30 points or more to an individual in consecutive games came all the way back in 1990, when Bradley's Curtis Stuckey (39 points) and Wichita State's John Cooper (36) lit up the Jays in consecutive contests.
Full House
Creighton has attracted its second- and third-largest crowds in program history during its past two home games. The Jays drew 17,676 fans on Dec. 22 for Northwestern, then brought in 17,665 fans six days later for Missouri State.
Here's a look at Creighton's top-15 home crowds all-time.
Rank Att. Opponent Date
1. 17,954 Wichita State 12/28/08
2. 17,676 Northwestern 12/22/11
3. 17,665 Missouri State 12/28/11
4. 17,607 Drexel 02/17/07
5. 17,459 Southern Illinois 01/20/07
6. 17,411 George Mason 02/21/09
7. 17,371 Indiana State 01/19/08
8. 17,283 Indiana State 01/27/07
9. 17,193 Drake 01/24/09
10. 17,152 Northern Iowa 12/29/09
11. 17,116 Illinois State 02/28/09
12. 17,110 Wichita State 02/24/07
13. 17,053 #22 Drake 01/22/08
14. 17,049 Nebraska 11/24/07
15. 16,984 Kentucky 03/23/09
Jones'ing For MVC Play
Josh Jones opened MVC play with 11 points off the bench on Wednesday vs. Missouri State, making 3-of-4 three-point shots.
Picking up his production for Valley games is nothing new for the junior from Omaha Central. In his career, he's shot 12-of-55 (21.8 percent) from three-point range prior to MVC play, a figure that improves drastically to 34-of-74 (45.9 percent) in league action.
Eve of Destruction
Before celebrating the New Year, Creighton will first play at Wichita State at 5pm on Dec. 31st. The Jays defeated Indiana State 79-61 in 2008 to snap a seven-game losing streak in games played on New Year's Eve.
All Is Not Lost
Since 1993-94, only one team (Northern Iowa, a 2008-09 co-champion) has won at least a share of the regular-season title without winning its regular-season opener. In fact, 16 of the last 17 regular-season champs (or co-champs) have opened 2-0 or better in MVC play, with UNI in 2008-09 once again serving as the exception.
It's worth noting that since 1986-87 (25 years), every MVC regular-season champion has had at least one loss, and 24 of those 25 years the champ(s) had two or more losses.
Creighton needs a win on Saturday to avoid falling into an early 0-2 hole. No team has started league play 0-2 and won the MVC since Illinois State in 1992-93. Creighton started MVC play 0-2 in 1990-91 and came back to win the regular-season and tournament crowns as well.
Efficient Group
According to statistical website bbstate.com, Creighton's offense ranks tied for second nationally with 1.17 points per offensive possession. In the previous six seasons, only one team (Ohio State in 2010-11) has had a year-end points per possession of 1.18 or better.
Here's the top-10 teams for this year, as of Dec. 29th. Notably, CU's 72.3 possessions per 40 minutes lead that list of top-10 teams.
Team Points Per Offensive Possession
Rk. Team W-L O-PPP Poss/40
1. Missouri 12-0 1.24 70.0
2. Creighton 10-2 1.17 72.3
Syracuse 14-0 1.17 68.5
4. Pittsburgh 11-3 1.16 64.4
Indiana 12-1 1.16 71.9
Florida 10-3 1.16 71.7
7. Kentucky 12-1 1.15 71.7
8. Saint Louis 12-1 1.14 61.7
9. Iowa State 9-3 1.13 68.5
Duke 10-1 1.13 71.2
Wisconsin 12-2 1.13 60.1
Ohio State 13-1 1.13 70.2
Passing Fancy
Grant Gibbs had 10 assists at Tulsa on Dec. 19, then added 12 helpers vs. Northwestern three days later. In the win over Northwestern, Gibbs' 12 assists led to 32 points by his Creighton teammates.
His 12 assists were a CenturyLink Center Omaha single-game record, rank tied for sixth-most in a game in Creighton history for all venues, and most since Tyler McKinney also had 12 on Dec. 21, 2002.
Gibbs became the first Bluejay with consecutive games of 10 or more assists since Duan Cole did it on Jan. 27 & 30, 1990.
Different Methods, Similar Results
One of the many reasons Doug McDermott's offensive game continues to draw attention is because of his tremendous efficiency. McDermott's numbers this season are significantly more efficient than BYU's Jimmer Fredette after 12 games last season.
McDermott is averaging 24.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while making a total of 27 three-point shots. McDermott is shooting an absurd 61.5 percent from the field and 56.3 percent in 48 attempts from three-point range.
By comparison, Fredette was averaging 24.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while making a total of 31 three-pointers in his first 12 games. Fredette was shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 35.2 percent in 88 attempts from three-point range at this point. He would end the season averaging 28.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, shooting 45.2 percent from three-point range and 39.6 percent from downtown.
National Scoring Leaders
Doug McDermott ranked second nationally in scoring at 24.8 points per game through games of Dec. 29th. Here's that list.
Rk. Name, School Yr. PPG
1. Damian Lillard, Weber State Jr. 25.4
2. Doug McDermott, Creighton So. 24.8
3. Reggie Hamilton, Oakland Sr. 23.1
4. Ken Horton, Central Conn. St. Sr. 22.5
5. Terrell Stoglin, Maryland So. 21.5
Gerardo Suero, Albany Jr. 21.5
7. Mike Moore, Hofstra Sr. 21.4
8. Nate Wolters, South Dakota St. Jr. 21.2
9. Darren White, Campbell Jr. 21.1
10. Orlando Johnson, UCSB Sr. 21.0
Shades of 2003?
Creighton's 10-2 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 12 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 10-2 11-1
Home W-L 6-1 7-0
FG 363-717 375-721
FG Pct. .506 .520
3FG 111-249 116-276
3FG Pct. .446 .420
FT 175-255 140-210
FT Pct. .686 .667
Reb. Margin +5.3 +1.7
Assists 247 223
Turnovers 151 166
Points 1012 1006
Points/Game 84.3 83.8
Stat McDermott Korver
Team W-L Record 10-2 11-1
Points 298 238
Points/Game 24.8 19.8
Rebounds 103 69
Rebounds/Game 8.6 5.8
FG Pct. .615 .549
3FG-FGA 27-48 56-103
3FG Pct. .563 .544
FT Pct. .838 .897
Assists 14 40
Turnovers 26 16
Near The Top Of His Class
Sophomore Doug McDermott owns 879 career points in his young career. According to research by Creighton Sports Information's office, that leads all active sophomores through games of Dec. 30th.
Most Career Points, Sophomores (through 12/30)
Source: Creighton Sports Information
Rk. Pts. Name, School Next
1. 879 Doug McDermott, Creighton 12/31
2. 830 J.J. Sullinger, Ohio State 12/31
3. 817 Harrison Barnes, North Carolina 1/1
4. 728 Terrence Jones, Kentucky 12/31
5. 721 Trey Ziegler, Central Michigan 1/7
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 12/30):
Name McDermott Barnes
Games Played 51 51
Points 860 817
PPG 17.2 16.0
Rebounds 383 284
RPG 7.5 5.6
FG-FGA 340-614 295-673
FG% .554 .438
3FG-3FGA 74-164 85-232
3FG% .451 .366
FT-FTA 125-163 142-193
FT% .767 .736
Bright Lights, Big Wins
Creighton is 30-16 in its last 46 games on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, and will be making its first appearance of the year on the World Wide Leader on Saturday.
In these 46 ESPN-affiliated appearances, Creighton is 28-8 when scoring 62 points or more, but just 2-8 when scoring 61 points or less.
Below is CU's recent results on the ESPN family of networks:
Network Home Road Neutral Total
ESPN 2-1 2-0 4-0 8-1
ESPN2 7-2 4-6 1-1 12-9
ESPNU 9-0 1-4 0-2 10-6
Total 18-3 7-10 5-3 30-16
Weekly Honors Roll In
Grant Gibbs and Doug McDermott were both honored by the MVC for their work in wins last week vs. Tulsa and Northwestern.
Gibbs was named MVC Newcomer of the Week after averaging 11.0 assists, 7.5 rebounds and 6.0 points per game. With 10 assists at Tulsa and 12 assists vs. Northwestern, he became the first Bluejay since 1990 with consecutive games of 10 or more assists.
McDermott was named MVC Player of the Week after averaging 31.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He scored a career-high 35 points in the win at Tulsa and scored 27 points in 28 minutes vs. Northwestern.
McDermott also earned National Player of the Week accolades from the USBWA, Dick Vitale, and Andy Katz of ESPN.com for his performance.
Filling It Up
Through games of Dec. 29th, Doug McDermott was leading the nation with 120 field goals made this season. By comparison, no other player in the MVC has more than 74 buckets (Kyle Weems), and next closest nationally was West Virginia's Kevin Jones with 113.
McDermott averages 10.0 field goals per game. No other player in the country averages more than nine field goals per game this season, and according to data at StatSheet.com, no player has averaged 10 field goals per game since VMI's Reggie Williams in 2006-07.
Scoring In Numbers
Doug McDermott owns 298 points through 12 games, an average of 24.8 per contest that ranks him second nationally in scoring (through Dec. 29th).
McDermott's 24.8 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.
Portman, who finished fifth nationally in scoring in 1967-68 (29.5 ppg.), is the only Bluejay to ever rank in the top-10 of the year-end scoring leaders.
McDermott's 24.8 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.
Rank And File
Creighton was ranked 21st heading into Wednesday's game vs. Missouri State. Though the Bluejays have been ranked in six different seasons all-time, this year was the first occasion that CU was ranked in the AP poll at the time it has played an MVC-opener.
Basketball Royalty
Through games of Dec. 29th, only three squads nationally own two wins or more over the Big Ten: Duke, North Carolina and Creighton.
Creighton, however, is the only one of that trio with three wins vs. the Big Ten. This is the first time that Creighton has defeated three Big Ten teams in the same season in program history.
In three games against Big Ten competition this year, Doug McDermott averaged 25.3 points, 8.7 rebounds while shooting 29-44 from the floor (65.9 percent) and 7-of-11 from downtown (63.6 percent).
B1G Ten, Big Time
Creighton went 3-0 against the Big Ten this winter, including home wins vs. both Northwestern and Nebraska. This is the first year Creighton has hosted two games against Big Ten competition in the same season since 1936-37.
Unbelievably, Creighton had hosted just one Big Ten team since 1973 (Iowa in 1999) before this year's slate.
Since 2000, Creighton has played just eight 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.
Doug Teaches Them How
Doug McDermott had a career-high 35 points on Dec. 19 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 upped his scoring average after all 11 games this season, a near-impossible feat.
Of McDermott's 16 field goals, six came with his left-hand, while he used the backboard to make nine of his buckets.
McDermott's Nifty 50
Greg McDermott won 33 times in his first 50 games on the Creighton sideline. His 33 victories were 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 33-17 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
Blue Streak
Doug McDermott's streak of 10 straight games of 20 or more points was snapped when he scored 19 points in Wednesday's loss to Missouri State.
The streak had been Creighton's longest such spell in at least 30 years, and twice as long as any other active streak in the country at the time it was snapped.
Big Road Win
Creighton's 83-64 win at Tulsa on Dec. 19 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 Southern Illinois on Feb. 14, 2009 and biggest in a non-conference true road game since beating Drexel 72-48 on Dec. 1, 2007.
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 Dec. 19 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.
Four-Point Play For Wragge
Ethan Wragge delivered Creighton's first four-point play of the season when his clutch four-point play gave the Jays a 65-58 lead with 6:49 left vs. Northwestern on Dec. 22nd.
Creighton's only four-point play a year ago came from Kaleb Korver, who did it on Nov. 14 vs. Northern Arizona.
All I Wanted For Christmas Is 10 Wins
Creighton got to the Christmas break with a 10-1 record. In 94 seasons of basketball, this was just the third campaign that the Jays reached 10 wins before Christmas.
The Jays were 10-1 in 1963-64 and 10-2 in 2008-09 heading into Christmas.
Man of Steal
Senior guard Antoine Young had a career-high five steals on Dec. 19 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 88 career steals, nearly as many as his next two active teammates (Josh Jones 47; Jahenns Manigat 41) combined.
Also on Dec. 19, 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 a Dec. 17 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 Dec. 19 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 72 career blocked shots in a Bluejay uniform. With three more swats, he'll tie Jeffrey Day for 10th place in Creighton history.
Fountains of Doug
Doug McDermott has scored 21, 27, 25, 31, 25, 24, 26, 25, 35, 27 and 19 points in his last 11 games, respectively, giving him 20 or more points in 13 of his last 18 games overall dating to last year.
McDermott owns two different stretches where he's scored 25 points or more in four straight games this year. He did it from Nov. 16-30 earlier this year, as well as Dec. 10-22. The last Bluejay with five consecutive games of 25 or more was Benoit Benjamin, who 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 eight different games of 25 points or more this season, is the first Bluejay with eight different games of 25 or more points in the same year since Bob Harstad had 15 games like that in 1989-90.
Leading Scorer, Again
Doug McDermott has led Creighton in scoring each of the last 11 games, averaging 25.9 points per game in that time.
McDermott's 11 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
11 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
A Bunch of Homers
Creighton's loss to Missouri State on Dec. 28th snapped a 16-game home win streak, matching the program's longest ever in the nine-year history of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
During the home win streak, the victories were by an average of 20.2 points, and 12 of those 16 victories were by double-digits.
Here's a look at Creighton's home win streaks of 10 or longer at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Longest CenturyLink Center Home Win Streaks
No. Dates Snapped by
16 Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 31, 2006 Southern Illinois
16 Jan. 19 - Dec. 22, 2011 Missouri State
14 Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008 Northern Iowa
11 Nov. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004 Southern Illinois
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 Dec. 19. 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 made his 100th career three-pointer at Tulsa on Dec. 19th, coming in his 53rd career game. 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 a Dec. 19 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 only 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 Dec. 19 at Tulsa, dishing a career-high 10 assists.
One game later vs. Northwestern on Dec. 22, Gibbs had 12 assists and eight rebounds, but was 0-for-2 from the field.
Gibbs' 6.2 assists per game average makes him the first Bluejay to average more than 5.5 helpers per game since Randy Eccker's 7.3 assists per game in 1976-77.
Jays Rise in Latest AP Poll
Creighton was 21st in this week's (Dec. 26) Associated Press poll. It's the fourth 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, then moving up to 23rd on Dec. 18th
Creighton was 19th in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll released on Dec. 26. It's the sixth 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 seventh 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 85 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 51 Games
Doug McDermott has started all 51 games of his career and enters Saturday's contest with 879 career points (17.2 ppg.) and 383 career rebounds (7.5 rpg.).
By comparison, Creighton's all-time leading scorer, Rodney Buford, had 841 career points after 51 games. However, Buford had “just” 638 points after 12th game of his sophomore season (15.6 ppg.).
McDermott (879 points, 383 rebounds) also compares favorably to legendary big men Bob Harstad and Chad Gallagher through 51 career games. Harstad had 647 points and 464 rebounds, while Gallagher had 626 points and 293 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 51 Career Games
Name Points Rebounds
Doug McDermott 879 383
Rodney Buford 841 242
Bob Harstad 647 464
Chad Gallagher 626 293
Kyle Korver 544 220
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 56.3 percent, but has fallen out of the rankings because he falls 0.25 three-pointers made per game shy of qualifying.
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 1,607 minutes in his 62 career games at CenturyLink Century Omaha, the most minutes played in facility history.
Young's 229 assists in the building are a facility record, 16 more than the previous mark held by Josh Dotzler (2005-09). Young owns multiple assists in each of his last 20 games he's played at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
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 45.1 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 42.2 percent, just ahead of Jahenns Manigat (42.1 percent).
For the season, Creighton's freshmen are shooting 13-of-29 (44.8 percent) from three-point land, while the sophomore class is a collective 77-158 (48.7 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. .451 Doug McDermott 74-164 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. .422 Ethan Wragge 105-249 2009-Pres.
8. .421 Jahenns Manigat 64-152 2010-Pres.
9. .407 Nate Funk 200-492 2002-07
10. .405 Matt West 92-227 1996-00
McDermott's 20/10 Vision
Earlier this season Doug McDermott became the first Bluejay with four straight double-doubles since Nate King had four in a row during the 1993-94 campaign.
No Bluejay has owned five straight double-doubles since Benoit Benjamin had 28 in a row in the 1984-85 campaign.
Upping The Antoine
Senior point guard Antoine Young continues to ascend up a few Creighton charts.
He's up to 31st on Creighton's all-time scoring chart, and his 401 assists rank sixth-most in Bluejay annals.
Young joined Ryan Sears and Vernon Moore as the only Bluejays in history with at least 1,000 points and 400 career assists on Wednesday.
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
401 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. 1,048 Antoine Young 2008-Present
32. 1,031 Johnny Mathies 2003-06
33. 1,024 P'Allen Stinnett 2007-10
34. 1,023 Rod Mason 1986-88
35. 1,004 Anthony Tolliver 2003-07
Ball Control Offense
Creighton ranked fourth nationally with a 1.63 assist/turnover ratio through games of Dec. 29, and a big portion of that is due to its starting backcourt.
Creighton's starting guard trio of Antoine Young (52 A, 23 TO), Jahenns Manigat (19/6) and Grant Gibbs (74/26) have combined for 145 assists and 55 turnovers, good for a collective 2.64 assist/turnover ratio.
Reserve guards Avery Dingman (3/1), Josh Jones (25/10), Austin Chatman (29/20) and Taylor Stormberg (4/0) have combined for 61 assists against just 31 turnovers.
Doubling Up From The Start
Doug McDermott has scored 10 or more points in all 12 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
12* Doug McDermott, So. 2011-12
10 Chad Gallagher, Sr. 1990-91
*active
2,000,000 Fan March
Creighton has attracted 2,058,952 fans all-time in 144 games held at CenturyLink Center Omaha, good for an average of 14,298.
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 are 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.
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 17 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 12 regular-season contests (298 points, 354 minutes), he's scored 414 points in 460 minutes.
According to stats through Dec. 29th on bbstate.com, McDermott's 33.7 points per 40 minutes led the country, well ahead of Weber State's Damian Lillard's 30.6 per 40 minutes, and the best mark since Stephen Curry averaged 34.0 points per 40 minutes for Davidson in 2008-09.
Through Dec. 29th, McDermott was one of 19 players averaging 20 points per game or more. He was the only one in that mix to average less than 30 minutes per game.
Productive Night
Doug McDermott had 25 points in just 18 minutes of work on Dec. 19 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 two different occasions this season Gibbs has had back-to-back games with both six assists and six rebounds. No Bluejay had done that even once since Rod Mason on Feb. 11 and Feb. 13, 1988.
Passing Fancy
In the first eight years of CenturyLink Center Omaha, the single-game assist record was 28. Through seven 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 247-of-363 of its field goals this season (68.0 percent).
Last season Creighton's top passing output was 25 assists in a win over Kennesaw State, and the Jays dished on 60.7 percent of its field goals for the season.
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 562 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 16,319 fans at home so far this season, good for seventh place, and on pace for an MVC single-season record.
2011-12 Attendance Leaders (thru 12/29)
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 23,142 12/31
2. Louisville 21,185 1/7
3. Syracuse 20,334 1/7
4. North Carolina 19,451 1/1
5. Wisconsin 17,170 12/31
6. Memphis 16,441 12/31
7. Creighton 16,319 1/3
8. Kansas 16,300 12/31
9. Tennessee 15,970 1/2
10. Indiana 15,651 12/31
11. Ohio State 15,577 1/3
12. Michigan State 14,797 1/10
13. Illinois 14,604 1/7
14. Marquette 13,978 1/1
15. New Mexico 13,902 12/31
16. Arizona 13,354 12/31
17. Vanderbilt 13,339 1/2
18. BYU 12,882 12/31
19. Kansas State 12,512 12/31
20. Iowa State 12,435 12/31
21. Dayton 12,252 12/30
22. Purdue 12,036 12/31
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
16,319 Creighton 2011-12
15,930 Creighton 2008-09
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
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 586 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 144 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in nine seasons at the facility.
The Bluejays own an 122-22 (.847) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday or Friday.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 10,710-9,083 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.3 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 261 wins in the millennium, as well as 11 postseason appearances:
MVC Standings (start 2000-01 to 12/30/11)
MVC only All Games
Team W L Pct. W L Pct.
Creighton 135 64 .678 261 116 .692
Southern Illinois 129 70 .648 233 137 .630
Wichita State 110 89 .553 221 147 .601
Northern Iowa 109 90 .547 216 147 .595
Missouri State 109 90 .547 215 152 .586
Illinois State 91 108 .457 189 164 .535
Bradley 91 108 .457 187 180 .510
Drake 84 115 .422 170 179 .487
Indiana State 71 128 .357 153 200 .433
Evansville 66 133 .332 132 205 .392
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.
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/ Men's BasketballCreighton Men's Basketball Availability - 9/24/25
Wednesday, September 24
Meet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
Friday, August 15
