Men's Basketball Treks East To Drake For Tuesday Match-up
2/7/2011 10:34:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game #26 • Creighton at Drake • Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011 • 7:05 p.m.
Creighton Bluejays at Drake Bulldogs
Drake Knapp Center (7,152) • Des Moines, Iowa
Radio: KXSP AM 590 - Omaha's ESPN Radio, www.am590espnradio.com
Television: Mediacom Connections 22 (Iowa only)
Series History: Creighton leads, 89-57
Last Time: Creighton won 73-57 on Jan. 1, 2011 in Omaha, Neb.
Next Game
Creighton (15-10, 7-6 MVC) makes the short trek east on I-80 to face Drake (10-14, 5-8 MVC) for a Tuesday night game. The contest will tip at 7:05 pm from Drake Knapp Center (7,152) in Des Moines, Iowa.
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“AM 590 - Omaha's ESPN Radio) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2010-11 season. T. Scott Marr and Nick Bahe will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.am590espnradio.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Tuesday's game will be televised in Iowa on Mediacom Connections 22. It will not be shown in Nebraska. Coordinates were not known at press time. Larry Morgan and Al Lorenzen will announce.
Video Webcast Information
Tuesday's game will be video webcast by Drake, and shared with Creighton subscribers. To sign up for the video webcast, fans can register at http://www.gocreighton.com or http://www.godrakebulldogs.com. Cost for a monthly pass is $10.95 and a four-month pass is $34.95.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Stats tab on the left-hand side of the page for links the exact link.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Updates are also provided on the athletic department's Twitter page (@gocreighton).
Scouting Creighton
Creighton brings a 15-10 record into Tuesday's game, which includes a 7-6 league record that puts it in a three-way tie in the Missouri Valley Conference standings.
Freshman Doug McDermott, son of new head coach Greg McDermott, leads Creighton in both scoring (14.4 ppg.) and rebounding (7.8 rpg.). He's been in double-figures in 21 of 25 games and owns seven or more rebounds in each of the last 12 games.
Second on the team in scoring is junior point guard Antoine Young. Young averages 13.8 points per game and leads the MVC in assists (119), assists per game (4.8), assist/turnover ratio (2.43) and minutes (905).
Giving the Jays a big tandem inside is sophomore Gregory Echenique (10.4 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 1.9 bpg.) and senior Kenny Lawson Jr. (9.6 ppg., 5.8 rpg.). Lawson was voted preseason MVC Player of the Year and has paced the league in blocked shots each of the past two seasons.
Creighton owns an impressive 350/296 assist/turnover ratio and has made more free throws (353) than the opposition has attempted (344).
Scouting Drake
Drake is 10-14 on the season and coming off consecutive wins over Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa last week. The Bulldogs are 7-5 at home, 2-7 on the road, and 1-2 on neutral floors.
Freshman Rayvonte Rice, the 2009-10 Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year, leads the Bulldogs with 13.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He's also among the MVC leaders with 31 steals.
Also in double-figures is Ryan Wedel (10.8 ppg.), who is tied for the MVC lead with 57 three-pointers. Wedel and sophomore center Seth VanDeest (9.1 ppg., 4.5 rpg.) both scored 20 points in Drake's 79-74 win in Des Moines last January.
Drake averages 63.9 points per game while allowing 66.8 per contest. The Bulldogs are also outrebounded by 6.2 caroms per contest.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his first season as head coach at Creighton, but is no stranger to coaching in the state of Nebraska or in the Missouri Valley Conference. McDermott was hired in April after spending the previous four seasons as head coach at Iowa State (2006-10). He has also been a head coach at Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000).
McDermott owns a head coaching record of 295-205 in 17 seasons, a 164-141 mark in 10 Division I years and a 15-10 mark in his first year at Creighton.
He is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Steve Merfeld.
Mark Phelps (Old Dominion, 1996) is 41-49 in his third year with Drake. Phelps, a longtime assistant to Herb Sendek at North Carolina State and Arizona State, replaced National Coach of the Year Keno Davis when Davis left for Providence three years ago. Phelps is assisted by Justin Ohl, Kareem Richardson and Mike Gibson.
Series History vs. Drake
Creighton leads the all-time series with Drake by an 89-57 margin, but are just 32-36 all-time in Des Moines. CU's 89 wins and 146 meetings with Drake are easily its most against any foe.
Creighton has won 12 of the last 18, 15 of the last 22 and 22 of the past 31 meetings between the schools.
Greg McDermott is 10-5 in his career against Drake. He was 8-2 while in the MVC at Northern Iowa, 1-3 while at Iowa State, and 1-0 at Creighton. McDermott is 2-1 in head-to-head meetings with Mark Phelps.
Creighton's series history vs. Drake can be found on page seven of these notes.
Last Game Recap
Creighton moved from sixth place to fourth place in the MVC standings with a 75-69 victory over Evansville on Saturday. The Jays closed the first half on a 9-0 run to go up five at halftime, and later used a 17-2 run to put the Purple Aces away. Five Bluejays scored in double-figures, led by 21 points from Antoine Young. Colt Ryan led UE with 20 points.
Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception.
Creighton has six players from Iowa on this season's team, continuing a long trend of relying on some of the Hawkeye State's top preps. CU's native Iowans this season include seniors Casey Harriman (Ida Grove) and Kaleb Korver (Pella) as well as redshirting sophomore Grant Gibbs (Marion) and freshmen Doug McDermott (Ames) and Will Artino (Waukee).
Other past notable Iowans include Kyle Korver and Pierce Hibma (Pella), Ryan Sears (Ankeny), Brody Deren (Harlan), Tyler McKinney (Urbandale), Nate Funk (Sioux City) and Michael Lindeman (Iowa Falls).
Creighton has played at least one Iowa native in 536 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Drake/Creighton Features Korver, Again
When Creighton meets Drake on Tuesday in Des Moines, it'll mark the 26th straight (and last barring an MVC Tournament match-up) meeting between the schools that a member of the Korver family has been on the roster.
Two-time Valley Player of the Year Kyle Korver went 6-2 in eight games with Creighton against Drake from 1999-2003. Kyle helped Creighton to an MVC Tournament title and a 29-5 record as a senior.
Brother Klayton Korver was at Drake from 2003-08, going 4-7 against the Bluejays. Klayton helped Drake to an MVC Tournament title and a 28-5 record as a senior.
Keeping the family tradition in The Valley currently is Creighton senior Kaleb Korver. Kaleb is currently 3-5 against Drake.
Free And Easy
One key to Creighton's victory over Drake on January 1 was its 22-of-23 accuracy at the charity stripe. For the season, Creighton is 10-0 when making 15 free throws or more, and won 14 straight dating to last year when doing so.
The Big Difference Maker
Gregory Echenique had 11 points, five rebounds, three blocks and three assists in Creighton's victory over Evansville on Saturday. For the season, Creighton is 7-1 when Echenique scores 11 points or more, but 3-5 when he plays and doesn't score that many.
In the January 1 meeting with Drake, Echenique had Creighton-lows of two points and no rebounds after being limited by three fouls in six minutes of play.
Rebounds Coming Around
In league games Creighton ranks second in the MVC with a +3.1 rebounding margin. That figure has skyrocketed in the past two weeks, as the Jays are +33 in their last four games.
Drake, on the other hand, is last in the MVC in league games at -6.7 per contest.
When Creighton met Drake earlier this season, the Jays owned the glass to the tune of 45-24. The +21 differential was Creighton's best mark in a league game since Jan. 28, 2004 vs. Indiana State.
40 Minute Man
Don't expect Antoine Young to log much bench time on Tuesday at Drake. Young has played every second of Creighton's last two road games (at Bradley, at Northern Iowa), and all but 15 seconds of the road game before that at Missouri State.
Young's Passing Fancy
Antoine Young ranks fifth in the MVC in scoring with 13.8 points per game. His team, however, sometimes succeeds when he takes on a secondary scoring role. Creighton is 11-1 this season when Young takes 11 field goal attempts or less.
Young, who also leads the MVC in assists per game, is seeking to become the first Valley player to leads the MVC in assists per game and finish in the top-10 in scoring since Drake's Curt Smith in 1992-93.
Aces Hoop It Up, In A Loss
Evansville made 57.1 percent of its shots from the field on Saturday (28-49), the best figure against Creighton since Southern Illinois was 26-for-40 against the Jays on Feb. 10, 2007.
The last time an opponent shot better than 57 percent in a Creighton victory was Dec. 19, 2000, when Tulsa shot 57.8 percent (26-45) in an 86-76 Bluejay win.
Creighton/Drake Could Mean Overtime
Creighton and Drake have played an overtime game five times in the last 11 years, including four such games in Des Moines. All five games featured extraordinary comebacks.
In the 2000 meeting in Des Moines, Creighton led by five with 1:37 to play, only to see Drake tie it up. Drake would win 74-70 in overtime.
In the 2002 meeting in Des Moines, Creighton led by 10 with 11:23 left before Drake would rally to go up 82-77 with 49 seconds left. However, CU got a pair of three-pointers to force overtime and did not trail after opening the extra session with a lay-up from Tyler McKinney.
In the 2004 meeting in Des Moines, Drake trailed by four before scoring nine unanswered points in the final 33 seconds of double-overtime. CU had led by 11 with 7:39 to play before the Bulldogs rallied with a 14-0 run. Drake won, 78-73 in double-overtime.
In 2006 in Des Moines, Creighton trailed 43-28 with 17:41 to play before Pierce Hibma sparked a rally. CU took a 51-49 lead with 8:36 to play before eventually heading to OT tied at 63. In the extra session, Dane Watts banked in a three-pointer to give CU the lead for good, and the Jays ended up winning 72-67.
In 2008 in Omaha, Creighton led 54-52 with 37 seconds left. Eventual MVC Player of the Year Adam Emmenecker would miss a lay-up, but Leonard Houston would make a putback with 24.9 seconds left to tie the score. CU had the ball for a final shot in regulation, but Chad Millard's three-pointer from the right corner missed long. In the overtime, Drake outscored Creighton 14-6 for the 68-60 win.
McDermott's 500th
Saturday was the 500th game of Greg McDermott's head coaching career. He's won 295 of the games so far, good for a .590 winning percentage.
McDermott started 60-40 in his first 100 games, was 135-65 after 200 games, was 190-110 after 300 games and 249-151 after 400 games.
No Slowing Down
Doug McDermott took over Creighton's team lead in scoring and rebounding seven games ago, and has shown no signs of slowing down.
In the last five games, McDermott has averaged 18.0 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. He's shooting 50.8 percent from the field (31-61), 58.8 percent from three-point range (10-17) and 90.0 percent at the line (18-20).
McDermott has 15 or more points in each of Creighton's last seven games, the first Bluejay to do so since Valley Player of the Year Booker Woodfox had a run of eight straight games from Dec. 6-31, 2008. He is the only player in the MVC with a current run of five straight games of 15 or more points.
McDermott has also led Creighton in rebounding in each of the last nine games, Creighton's longest streak since an incredible 32-gamer to end Benoit Benjamin's career, a stretch that started March 15, 1984 and continued through every game of his 1984-85 junior season.
New Coaches Update
Greg McDermott is one of 53 head coaches at a new school this winter. His 15 wins are tied for fourth-most of that group, trailing only the head coaches from UTEP (18), Clemson (16) and Wright State (16). Below is a list of the new coaches with 14 or more wins so far this season, through Feb. 6.
School Coach W-L Next Game
UTEP Tim Floyd 18-5 2/12
Clemson Brad Brownell 16-7 2/8
Wright State Billy Donlon 16-9 2/7
Creighton Greg McDermott 15-10 2/8
Boston College Steve Donahue 15-8 2/8
Marshall Tom Herrion 15-8 2/9
Colorado Tad Boyle 15-9 2/9
Hofstra Mo Cassara 15-9 2/9
UCF Donnie Jones 14-7 2/9
Iowa State Fred Hoiberg 14-10 2/12
The MVC's Most Consistent
Ask Creighton head coach Greg McDermott what has surprised him the most about the play of his son, Doug McDermott, and he'll likely rattle off the consistency that the freshmen has maintained.
Doug McDermott owns 10 games of 15 or more points in MVC play, most in the MVC, just ahead of Andrew Warren (9) and Carlton Fay (8).
In addition, Doug McDermott's 12 conference games of seven or more rebounds is also the most in the MVC. Mamadou Seck (10) and Will Creekmore (9) follow him in that category.
Not surprisingly then, Doug McDermott is far ahead in the number of league games with 15 or more points and seven or more rebounds, with 10. Next up with five such contests is Kyle Weems with five.
Most MVC Games, 15+ Points
15+ Pt. Games Name, School
10 Doug McDermott, Creighton
9 Andrew Warren, Bradley
8 Carlton Fay, Southern Illinois
7 Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Northern Iowa
7 Colt Ryan, Evansville
6 Kyle Weems, Missouri State
6 Rayvonte Rice, Drake
Most MVC Games, 7+ Rebounds
7+ Reb. Games Name, School
12 Doug McDermott, Creighton
10 Mamadou Seck, Southern Illinois
9 Will Creekmore, Missouri State
7 Kyle Weems, Missouri State
7 Kenneth Harris, Evansville
7 Gabe Blair, Wichita State
Most MVC Games, 15+ Points, 7+ Rebounds
15/7 Games Name, School
10 Doug McDermott, Creighton
5 Kyle Weems, Missouri State
4 Mamadou Seck, Southern Illinois
4 Carl Richard, Indiana State
3 Andrew Warren, Bradley
3 Will Creekmore, Missouri State
Different Paths, Similar Results
Doug McDermott and Harrison Barnes helped lead Ames (Iowa) High School to back-to-back, undefeated state championships while in high school. Now both freshmen at the college level, McDermott is at Creighton and Barnes a preseason first-team All-America at North Carolina.
Stat McDermott Barnes
Team W-L 15-10 17-5
Games/Games Started 25/25 22/22
Points/Game 14.4 13.3
Rebounds/Game 7.8 5.5
Minutes/Game 30.1 27.1
FG-FGA 139-271 104-255
FG% .513 .408
3FG-3FGA 25-70 32-93
3FG% .357 .344
FT-FTA 58-75 53-73
FT% .773 .726
20-Point Games 3 2
10-Rebound Games 8 2
Double-Doubles 7 2
Double-Digits For Doug
According to STATS Inc., Creighton freshman Doug McDermott was the nation's only freshman to open the 2010-11 season by scoring in double-figures in each of his team's first eight games.
Additionally, McDermott is among the national freshmen leaders in double-figure scoring games, as seen below:
Double-Figure Scoring Games, Freshmen
Source: STATS Inc. • Through Feb. 6, 2011
Streak Name, School Next Game
22 J.J. Sullinger, Ohio State Feb. 12
21 Doug McDermott, Creighton Feb. 8
21 Brandon Knight, Kentucky Feb. 8
21 Tobias Harris, Tennessee Feb. 8
20 Terrence Jones, Kentucky Feb. 8
20 Trey Zeigler, Central Michigan Feb. 8
19 Perry Jones, Baylor Feb. 9
18 Ray McCallum, Detroit Feb. 7
18 Tristan Thompson, Texas Feb. 9
17 Jeromie Hill, UTSA Feb. 9
17 Travis McKie, Wake Forest Feb. 9
17 Steven Roundtree, Oral Roberts Feb. 10
Round One To McDermott
Creighton's Jan. 1 game vs. Drake featured the top-two scoring freshmen in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Drake's Rayvonte Rice entered the game ranked sixth in the MVC with 13.8 points per game and second with 1.4 steals per contest, while Creighton's Doug McDermott was 10th in the MVC with 12.1 points per contest.
Not only did McDermott's team win the game, but he won the individual battle as well. McDermott had 28 points and 10 rebounds, while Rice was held to seven points on 2-of-11 shooting.
Trèy's Bien
Creighton has seven different players that have drained at least four three-pointers in a game this year. That list includes Doug McDermott, Antoine Young, Kenny Lawson Jr., Kaleb Korver, Jahenns Manigat, Josh Jones and Ethan Wragge.
In addition, Darryl Ashford had a game with four three-pointers last season, while Casey Harriman owns five career games with three treys.
Creighton To Visit Akron For BracketBusters
Creighton will visit Akron on Feb. 19 for a 6 pm (Central) game in the BracketBusters event. The pairing was announced on Jan. 31st.
As part of the contract, Akron will return a trip to Omaha in the next two seasons.
Creighton and Akron have played just once previously, a 71-60 Bluejay win over the Zips on March 16, 2006 in the first round of the NIT.
Feb. 26 Time & TV Set
Creighton's regular-season finale on Feb. 26 against Northern Iowa will tip at 1:05 pm and be televised by Fox Sports Midwest. MVC officials announced the coverage on February 4th.
Historically After 12 MVC Games
Currently 7-6, Creighton was 6-6 in the MVC after the 12th game of the league slate.
This is the 16th straight season that Creighton has had a league record of .500 or better after 12 games, and each of the previous 15 campaigns the Jays would also go .500 or better in its final six contests as well.
Notably, the last time that Creighton was 6-6 after 12 league games was 2004-05, when it won eight of their next nine games (including an MVC Tournament title) and lost by two in the NCAA Tournament.
Year W-L After 12 W-L Final 6
2010-11 6-6 1-0 so far
2009-10 7-5 3-3
2008-09 8-4 6-0
2007-08 7-5 3-3
2006-07 9-3 4-2
2005-06 9-3 3-3
2004-05 6-6 5-1
2003-04 9-3 3-3
2002-03 11-1 4-2
2001-02 10-2 4-2
2000-01 8-4 6-0
1999-00 7-5 4-2
1998-99 7-5 4-2
1997-98 8-4 4-2
1996-97 7-5 3-3
1995-96 6-6 3-3
Total 125-67 (.651) 60-31 (.659)
Freshmen Sensations
With seven MVC Newcomer of the Week honors to his name already, Creighton freshman Doug McDermott appears to be a leading candidate to capture MVC Freshman of the Year accolades. McDermott is averaging 14.4 points, 7.8 rebounds per game.
According to MVC associate commissioner for communications Mike Kern, no freshman has made first-team all-conference since Cleo Littleton of Wichita State in 1952. Littleton likely is the only freshman to make first-team all-league all four seasons.
Rodney Buford of Creighton was the last player in league history to earn all-league honors four straight years _ he was a second-teamer as a freshman, then a first teamer his last three years. The freshman of the year award has been around since 1986 and no winner of the award has ever made first-team All-MVC.
Not Half Bad
Antoine Young had 16 points in the second half against Evansville on Feb. 5. Below is the most points in any half by a Bluejay individual this year:
Pts. Name, Opponent, Date Half
18 Antoine Young, Iowa State, 11/21 2nd
17 Ethan Wragge, Saint Joseph's, 12/11 2nd
16 Kenny Lawson Jr., Saint Joseph's, 12/11 1st
16 Doug McDermott, Drake, 1/1 2nd
16 Doug McDermott, Indiana State, 1/29 1st
16 Antoine Young, Evansville, 2/5 2nd
15 Doug McDermott, Evansville, 1/9 2nd
Not Half Bad On The Glass, Either
Doug McDermott had 11 rebounds in the first half at Bradley on Tuesday, matching the most rebounds in a half by a Bluejay all season. It's worth noting that before this season, Creighton's last player with 10 or more rebounds in a half was Brody Deren (11) at Bradley on Jan. 5, 2004.
McDermott would finish with 17 rebounds for the game, most by a Bluejay freshman since Bob Harstad pulled down 17 rebounds at Southern Illinois on Jan. 28, 1988.
Below is the most rebounds in any half by a Bluejay individual this year.
Pts. Name, Opponent, Date Half
11 Kenny Lawson Jr., Saint Joseph's, 12/11 2nd
11 Doug McDermott, Bradley, 2/1 1st
8 Kenny Lawson Jr., Drake, 1/1 1st
8 Kenny Lawson Jr., Drake, 1/1 2nd
8 Doug McDermott, Wichita State, 1/12 1st
Game Tested
Fifth-year senior Kenny Lawson Jr. has played in 129 games as a Bluejay, and on Saturday he passed Bob Harstad and Kyle Korver for third-most in school history. Only Nate Funk and Dane Watts have played in more games.
Harstad (1990) and Korver (2002 and 2003) both won MVC Player of the Year accolades, while Funk (2006-07) and Lawson (2010-11) were both preseason Valley Player of the Year.
Below is a list of the all-time Creighton leaders in games played:
GP Name Years
135 Nate Funk 2002-07
130 Dane Watts 2004-08
129 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pres.
128 Bob Harstad 1987-91
128 Kyle Korver 1999-03
Creighton To Visit San Diego State In 2011
Creighton learned that it will visit San Diego State on Nov. 30, 2011 to open play in the third annual Mountain West Conference/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge Series.
The event pits teams in head-to-head format against each other. The Valley won the inaugural competition in 2009 by a 5-4 margin, before the MWC claimed an 8-1 victory in 2010.
Creighton is 3-1 all-time against SDSU, though the teams have not met since 1974.
Rare Combo Sinks Jays
Creighton lost at Northern Iowa on Jan. 26 despite shooting 50.0 percent from the field and owning a +11 edge on the glass.
The last time the Jays shot at least 50 percent from the field and were +10 on the glass in a loss was Jan. 12, 1985, when Nolan Richardson's Tulsa team topped Creighton by a near-identical 70-66 score. In that contest, Creighton shot 21-39 from the floor and won the battle of the boards, 48-36. CU had won its previous 42 games with a +10 glass edge and 50% shooting from the floor.
Take things a step further, and you'll see that the loss on Jan. 26 was historic. It was the first time since the inception of the three-point shot (1986-87) that Creighton lost despite shooting 50 percent or better from both the floor and three-point arc, and also winning the boards by 10 or more. Creighton had been 9-0 previously when doing that, winning those games by an average of 27.0 points.
On The Double
Freshman forward Doug McDermott owns seven double-doubles this season, the most in the MVC this season.
As a team, Creighton's 12 double-doubles this season lead the Missouri Valley Conference, three more than the nine attained by Southern Illinois.
Most Double-Doubles, MVC Players, 2010-11
7 Doug McDermott, Creighton
5 Mamadou Seck, Southern Illinois
4 Kenny Lawson Jr., Creighton
4 Will Creekmore, Missouri State
4 Carl Richard, Indiana State
4 Gene Teague, Southern Illinois
Most Double-Doubles, MVC Teams, 2010-11
12 Creighton
9 Southern Illinois
7 Missouri State
Schedule Makes A Turn For Home
Creighton is one of just two teams that has three of its final four league games will be at home. Bradley can also say that.
On the other hand, Drake and Wichita State, will have played eight league home games after Wednesday's games finish up, meaning three of their final four league tilts will be away from home.
Return To Sender
Gregory Echenique leads the MVC with 23 rejections in league play, including a Valley season-high of seven on Jan. 22 at Missouri State.
In an unusual twist, his first 20 swats came in Valley road games, but his last three rejections came at home.
His seven blocks at Missouri State were the most by a Jay since Kenny Lawson Jr. at Evansville on Jan. 3, 2010.
Young Follows His Elders
Junior point guard Antoine Young has 37 assists in his last six games, giving him 266 for his career. Here's a look at how he compares in his career to some of his predecessors:
Name Young Dotzler McKinney Sears
Games 93 117 110 124
Starts 58 96 97 124
Points 753 422 570 1311
PPG 8.1 3.6 5.2 10.6
Assists 273 388 430 570
APG 2.9 3.3 3.9 4.6
Turnovers 131 200 188 252
A/TO Ratio 2.08 1.94 2.29 2.03
Steals 63 196 119 283
SPG 0.68 1.68 1.08 2.29
Min./Game 24.3 23.0 26.5 33.7
Nearing The Top 10
Kenny Lawson Jr. ranks ninth in Creighton history with 692 career rebounds. He's five boards shy from passing Wally Anderzunas for eighth in school history.
Rank Reb. Name Years
1. 1,751 Paul Silas 1961-64
2. 1,126 Bob Harstad 1987-91
3. 1,005 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
4. 979 Bob Portman 1966-69
5. 891 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
6. 716 Rodney Buford 1995-99
7. 709 Rick Apke 1975-78
8. 696 Wally Anderzunas 1965-67, 1968-69
9. 692 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pres.
10. 686 Dane Watts 2004-08
A Freshman Who Rebounds
Freshman Doug McDermott isn't anywhere close to senior Kenny Lawson's career totals, but his 195 rebounds through 25 games this year are more than double the 90 caroms Lawson had through his first 25 career games.
McDermott grabbed eight or more rebounds in nine straight games from Jan. 1-26, the first Bluejay to do so since Benoit Benjamin's streak of 31 straight games of eight or more rebounds from March 8, 1984 to Feb. 20, 1985.
Sports Illustrated Coverage
Sports Illustrated writer Luke Winn wrote a feature for the Jan. 20 edition of the magazine's college men's basketball pages that talks about Greg and Doug McDermott. Winn calls them “the most surprising father-son combination in Division I”.
The story can be found on-line at http://tinyurl.com/si-mcd-story.
Jays Defend The Trey
Earlier in the season one of Creighton's bugaboos was its inability to slow down the opposition from three-point territory.
That weakness has turned around in league action, where Creighton's 32.4 percent three-point percentage defense ranks best in the MVC.
Drake is first in the MVC with 40.8 percent accuracy from long-range in league games.
JJ Fills It Up
Josh Jones tied his career-high with 14 points (set last season) on Jan. 19 vs. Bradley, which more than doubled his previous season best of six points.
Jones entered the evening just 3-of-22 (13.6 percent) from long-range in the first 19 games of the year, before his breakthrough with four treys in the first half on Jan. 19 vs. Bradley.
He followed up that game with seven points and two steals on Jan. 22 at Missouri State, then had nine points and two assists at Northern Iowa.
Since January 19th, Jones has averaged 8.8 points per game on 51.5 percent shooting from the floor. He's made 9-of-22 treys in that time (40.9 percent), and now ranks 10th in the MVC with 42.9 percent accuracy from deep in league contests.
Full House
This year Creighton is averaging 15,051 fans per home game, which ranks 12th nationally according to unofficial numbers crunched by the Creighton Sports Information office.
Creighton has already 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.
In 2009-10, Creighton averaged 14,495 fans per game, which ranked 15th nationally. Creighton averaged 15,883 in 15 games at Qwest Center Omaha (which would have ranked 10th) before two CIT crowds below 5,000 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium dropped the average precipitously.
Creighton has finished in the top-15 of the national attendance leaders in each of the previous four seasons.
2010-11 Attendance Leaders (through 2/6)
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 23,356 2/8
2. Louisville 21,615 2/12
3. Syracuse 21,155 2/9
4. Tennessee 18,558 2/16
5. North Carolina 18,469 2/15
6. Wisconsin 17,230 2/12
7. BYU 17,119 2/12
8. Memphis 16,657 2/12
9. Kansas 16,300 2/7
10. Illinois 15,625 2/13
11. Marquette 15,181 2/15
12. Creighton 15,051 2/13
13. Indiana 14,917 2/19
14. Michigan State 14,797 2/10
15. New Mexico 14,774 2/9
Highest Season Home Attendance, MVC History
Home Att. School Year
302,676 Creighton 2008-09
276,000 Creighton 2007-08
246,419 Creighton 2009-10
236,313 Creighton 2005-06
225,758 Creighton 2010-11
222,728 Creighton 2006-07
192,258 Creighton 2003-04
191,440 Louisville 1974-75
Highest Average Attendance, MVC History
Avg. Att. School Year
15,930 Creighton 2008-09
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
15,333 Creighton 2007-08
15,051 so far Creighton 2010-11
14,495 Creighton 2009-10
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
Korver Makes More Than 100 Treys
Kaleb Korver enters Tuesday's game with 104 career three-pointers, most among active Bluejays. He has attempted 261 treys in his career, good for 39.85 percent.
Dishing Dimes
Junior point guard Antoine Young had a career-high with nine assists on Jan. 16 at Indiana State, then surpassed that with 10 helpers in the Jan. 19 win over Bradley.
Young became Creighton's first player with consecutive games of nine or more assists since Edward St. Fleur had nine in games on both Jan. 16 and Jan. 18, 1997.
The 10 dimes by Young on Jan. 19 matched a Qwest Center Omaha record by a Creighton player, and were the most by a Creighton player (regardless of site) since Josh Dotzler also had 10 assists on Dec. 9, 2007 vs. Saint Joseph's.
Building A Lead
Creighton's 49-25 lead at halftime on Jan. 19 vs. Bradley was its largest halftime lead at Qwest Center Omaha since a 47-20 advantage over Nebraska on Nov. 24, 2007.
Creighton's 49 points in the first half was its most at Qwest Center Omaha by intermission since Houston Baptist also had 49 on Dec. 17, 2007.
Lawson Off The Bench?
Senior center Kenny Lawson Jr. made his 100th career start on Dec. 22 vs. Samford, the first Bluejay to reach that mark since Dane Watts on Jan. 9, 2008 vs. Evansville.
Lawson started 92 straight games (10th-longest nationally according to STATS Inc.) from March 7, 2008 until Jan. 16, 2011, before coming off the bench on Jan. 19 vs. Bradley.
No Upsets Here
In the eight-year history of Qwest Center Omaha, Creighton owns a perfect 50-0 record against teams that enter the game with a record of .500 or worse.
Of the 21 teams that have beaten Creighton at Qwest Center Omaha, eight reached the NIT, seven reached the NCAA's, one played in the CIT and two teams (Wyoming and Illinois State, both in 2004-05) did not make the postseason. Postseason play for the teams to win at Creighton this season (nationally-ranked BYU, Wichita State and Missouri State) seems likely.
What's Your Twenty?
Creighton has been .500 or better after 20 games in each of the last 16 seasons, including this season.
Even more impressive, Creighton has won 13 of its first 20 games in 13 of the last 14 seasons.
Creighton -- First 20 Games, Last 16 Years
Year First 20 W-L Final W-L Postseason
2010-11 13-7 ? ? ? ? ? ?
2009-10 10-10 18-16 CIT
2008-09 15-5 27-8 NIT
2007-08 14-6 22-11 NIT
2006-07 13-7 22-11 NCAA
2005-06 15-5 20-10 NIT
2004-05 13-7 23-11 NCAA
2003-04 17-3 20-9 NIT
2002-03 18-2 29-5 NCAA
2001-02 14-6 23-9 NCAA
2000-01 14-6 24-8 NCAA
1999-00 14-6 23-10 NCAA
1998-99 14-6 22-9 NCAA
1997-98 14-6 18-10 NIT
1996-97 10-10 15-15 ---
1995-96 11-9 14-15 ---
Consistent Challengers
Nine of Creighton's last 13 teams have finished either first or second in The Valley's regular-season race. Two of the four that didn't won the MVC Tournament.
The Bluejays won the MVC in 2000-01 and tied for the title in 2001-02 and 2008-09. CU was second in the MVC in 1997-98 and 2006-07, tied for second in the MVC in 1998-99, 2003-04 and 2005-06, and finished tied for third in 2004-05. The 1999-00 club was fourth in the MVC, but won the MVC Tournament.
Creighton's MVC Finishes, Last 13 Years
1st Place 2000-01
Tied for First 2001-02 (won MVC Tourn.), 2008-09
2nd Place 1997-98, 2002-03 (won MVC Tourn.), 2006-07 (won MVC Tourn.)
Tied for 2nd 1998-99 (won MVC Tourn.), 2003-04, 2005-06
Tied for 3rd Place 2004-05 (won MVC Tourn.)
4th Place 1999-00 (won MVC Tourn.); 2007-08; 2009-10
Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 11 of the last 12 seasons, an unprecedented feat in Missouri Valley Conference history that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
Just five schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 12 years: Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse.
Creighton is one of six schools with 20 or more wins in 11 of the past 12 years. That list consists of Creighton, Kent State, Kentucky, Texas, Utah State and Xavier.
That's better than traditional powers Arizona, Connecticut, Memphis and Michigan State (10 each), ahead of Pittsburgh and Wisconsin (9 each) and even better than Louisville (8).
Postseason x 13
Creighton has made the postseason in 13 consecutive seasons, the longest streak of postseason bids in MVC history.
The only 10 schools to make the postseason in each of the last 13 years are Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Oklahoma State and Syracuse.
NBA Jays
Kyle Korver and Anthony Tolliver give Creighton a pair of alums in the NBA for the third straight year.
Korver plays for the Chicago Bulls and is in his eighth year in the NBA, including previous stops in Philadelphia and Utah.
Tolliver plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves and is in his third year in the NBA, including previous stops with Cleveland, San Antonio, New Orleans, Portland and Golden State.
Creighton has now had an NBA player in 27 of the last 28 years, and 44 of 47 seasons since 1964-65.
In addition, Creighton alum Paul Silas is the interim head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats.
Looking To Go Over .500, Again
Creighton has been better than .500 in either the first or second-half of the league season in 30 straight trips through the league, including this year's first half.
Creighton's 30 consecutive halves above .500 in league play is easily the Valley's longest active streak, far ahead of Northern Iowa (6), Wichita State (4), Indiana State (2) and Missouri State (1).
Here's how Creighton's teams have fared in the various halves of the MVC season since 1995-96. Notably, this is the fourth straight season Creighton has been 5-4 at the midway point. In 2008-09 (as well as in 2000-01), Creighton went 9-0 in the second half of the Valley slate.
Year 1st Half 2nd Half
2010-11 5-4 2-2 so far
2009-10 5-4 5-4
2008-09 5-4 9-0
2007-08 5-4 5-4
2006-07 6-3 7-2
2005-06 7-2 5-4
2004-05 5-4 6-3
2003-04 7-2 5-4
2002-03 8-1 7-2
2001-02 8-1 6-3
2000-01 5-4 9-0
1999-00 5-4 6-3
1998-99 6-3 5-4
1997-98 5-4 7-2
1996-97 5-4 5-4
1995-96 4-5 5-4
Total 94-59 (.606) 95-53 (.642)
Jays Earn 10 Home Wins, Again
The Jan. 19 win against Bradley was Creighton's 10th home victory this season. Creighton has now won 10 or more home games in 15 straight seasons.
The streak is a school-record, three more than the previous standard of 12 straight seasons from the 1969-70 season to the 1980-81 campaign with 10 or more home wins.
Home Cooking
Creighton is 55-14 at home all-time at Qwest Center Omaha in MVC games (.797), compared to a 34-36 (.486) road record in the MVC during that stretch.
Only six MVC visiting schools (DU, ILS, MSU, UNI, SIU and WSU) have ever won a game in the eight-year old Qwest Center Omaha. The other three Valley schools (BU, UE, INS) have an Omaha losing streak of 10 or longer.
Below is a look at Creighton's current home winning streaks over current league foes:
Opponent CU Home Win Streak CU W-L at QCO
Bradley Won 13 8-0
Drake Won 2 6-2
Evansville Won 12 8-0
Illinois State Lost 1 4-3
Indiana State Won 12 8-0
Missouri State Lost 1 6-2
Northern Iowa Lost 2 5-2
So. Illinois Won 3 3-4
Wichita State Lost 1 7-1
Lawson Was Up For Senior CLASS Award
Senior center Kenny Lawson Jr. was one of 30 candidates nationwide for the Senior CLASS Award. The award – presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year in 10 sports – focuses on the “Four C's” of classroom, character, community and competition. He did not make the list of the 10 finalists.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season and complete college education brings.
Lawson is the one of two MVC men's athletes named this year (joining Bradley guard Dodie Dunson), but the fourth Creighton candidate since 2003. Kyle Korver was a finalist for the award in 2003, while Anthony Tolliver was a finalist in 2007. Both were also named Senior CLASS All-Americans. In addition, Dane Watts was a candidate in 2008 but did not advance to the final stage.
Creighton, which also has Sam Schuett as a candidate for the women's award, is one of just five schools nationally (Creighton, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Lehigh and Duke) with a candidate on both the men's and women's side.
The 2011 men's candidate class includes three CoSIDA Academic All-Americans from a year ago, nine student-athletes on the preseason watch list for the John R. Wooden Award, 16 players with grade point averages of 3.0 and above and eight from teams ranked in the Associated Press preseason top 25. It also includes 2010-11 Creighton opponents Dodie Dunson (Bradley), Jimmer Fredette (BYU) and Cameron Jones (Northern Arizona).
Home Losses Are Rare
Saddled with three home losses already, Creighton has history on its side. The last two Bluejay teams to finish with exactly three home losses (2008-09 and 2001-02) have won a share of the MVC regular-season title.
Creighton Prep Alum Scores, Ends Drought
Taylor Stormberg scored his first points as a Bluejay when his two free throws with 1:18 left closed the scoring on Jan. 12 vs. Wichita State.
Incredibly for a hometown kid who attended a high school with as much athletic success as Creighton Prep, Stormberg's points marked the first by a former Junior Jay since Mark Johnson scored one point in a 98-77 win over West Texas State on Jan. 21, 1984.
Team of the Decade?
Below is the records for each MVC school since the start of the 2000-01 season, ranked by overall winning percentage. Creighton leads the MVC overall with 243 wins in the decade, as well as 10 postseason appearances:
MVC Standings (start 2000-01 to Feb. 7, 2011)
MVC only All Games
Team W L Pct. W L Pct.
Creighton 132 61 .684 243 108 .692
Southern Illinois 128 65 .663 227 122 .650
Northern Iowa 108 85 .560 204 137 .598
Wichita State 106 87 .549 201 141 .588
Missouri State 103 90 .534 199 144 .580
Illinois State 89 104 .461 179 155 .536
Bradley 89 104 .461 178 168 .514
Drake 81 112 .420 159 171 .482
Indiana State 66 127 .342 136 195 .411
Evansville 63 130 .326 123 194 .388
Postseason Appearances by MVC Teams
(Since 2000-01)
Team NCAA NIT CBI CIT Total
Creighton 5 4 0 1 10
Southern Illinois 6 1 0 0 7
Wichita State 1 4 1 0 6
Northern Iowa 5 0 0 0 5
Bradley 1 2 1 1 5
Missouri State 0 3 0 1 4
Illinois State 0 4 0 0 4
Indiana State 1 0 1 0 2
Drake 1 0 0 1 2
Evansville 0 0 0 1 1
Good Starts = Good Finishes
Since 1993-94, only one team (Northern Iowa, a 2008-09 co-champion) has won at least a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title without winning its regular-season opener in league play.
In fact, 15 of the last 16 regular-season champs (or co-champs) have opened 2-0 or better in MVC play, with UNI in 2008-09 once again serving as the exception.
This year, the only three teams to start 2-0 in the MVC were Creighton, Missouri State and Wichita State.
Creighton has started 2-0 in MVC play 18 times previously. Incredibly, Creighton has ended up finishing first or second in the MVC in all 18 of those seasons, reaching the NCAA or NIT in 12 of the 13 years since postseason play started.
Five of the past six times the Jays started 2-0 and lost its third league game (as it did this year), Creighton won at least a share of the regular-season title.
Below is a list of Creighton's 2-0 starts in MVC play.
Year MVC Start MVC Finish Postseason
2010-11 2-0 ?? ??
2008-09 2-0 14-4 (T-1st) NIT
2006-07 2-0 13-5 (2nd) NCAA
2003-04 4-0 12-6 (T-2nd) NIT
2002-03 7-0 15-3 (2nd) NCAA
2001-02 2-0 14-4 (T-1st) NCAA
2000-01 2-0 14-4 (1st) NCAA
1988-89 5-0 11-3 (1st) NCAA
1980-81 4-0 11-5 (T-2nd) NCAA
1979-80 3-0 9-7 (T-2nd) --
1977-78 2-0 12-4 (1st) NCAA
1942-43 10-0 10-0 (1st) NIT
1941-42 4-0 9-1 (T-1st) NIT
1940-41 2-0 9-3 (1st) NCAA
1936-37 2-0 8-4 (2nd) no tourneys yet
1933-34 2-0 7-3 (2nd) no tourneys yet
1931-32 8-0 8-0 (1st) no tourneys yet
1929-30 2-0 6-2 (T-1st) no tourneys yet
1928-29 3-0 4-1 (2nd) no tourneys yet
Road Success
Creighton already owns road wins at Illinois State, Southern Illinois and Evansville, matching its three MVC road victories total from a season ago.
This year marked the first time that Creighton has started 3-0 on the MVC road since 2002-03, when Steve Merfeld's Evansville squad snapped that streak. Merfeld is now a Bluejay assistant.
An Impressive Start
Freshman forward Doug McDermott led all players with 18 points in his Nov. 4 exhibition debut, making 6-of-9 shots from the field and grabbing a team-high seven rebounds. His 18 points were the most by a Bluejay in their exhibition debut since Rodney Buford scored 24 points on Nov. 14, 1995 vs. Poznan (Poland).
McDermott was equally impressive on Nov. 12 vs. Alabama State, finishing with 16 points and seven rebounds on 7-of-13 shooting. McDermott's 16 points and seven rebounds made him the first Bluejay freshman since at least 1973 to have 15 or more points and five or more rebounds in the season-opener.
Below is a list of the most points after 25 games by a Bluejay newcomer since 1993-94.
Most Points, Newcomer, First 25 Games Since 1993-94
Pts. Name, Class Year
392 Nate King, Jr. 1993-94
370 Rodney Buford, Fr. 1995-96
361 Doug McDermott, Fr. 2010-11
318 Tad Ackerman, Jr. 1994-95
298 P'Allen Stinnett, Fr. 2007-08
276 Doug Swenson, Jr. 1997-98
270 Ryan Sears, Fr. 1997-98
257 Brody Deren, So. 2001-02
240 Edward St. Fleur, Jr. 1995-96
Rare Comeback Against Jays
Creighton had won 49 straight home games in which it had owned a lead of 10 or more at any point in the game, before blowing a 31-20 lead against Missouri State on Jan. 4th.
In fact, the 11-point rally matched the largest comeback in Qwest Center Omaha history by a visiting team, previously done by Drexel in 2007.
Creighton had been 9-0 all-time in games at Qwest Center Omaha in contests that saw both teams claim double-digit leads previously.
The last time Creighton lost a lead came after leading by 12 or more points at home came on Super Bowl Sunday in 2002 (Feb. 3, 2002), when SIU overcame a 16-point first-half deficit (and 48-34 at half) to beat the Jays, 79-77, on two free throws by Kent Williams with 0.3 seconds left. Williams is currently an assistant on for Missouri State.
Little Mac, Big Production
Doug McDermott had a season-high 28 points in a Jan. 1 win vs. Drake, the most by a Bluejay freshman since Ryan Sears poured in 29 vs. Wyoming on Dec. 6, 1997. The Jays have not had a freshman score 30 points in a game since Rodney Buford lit up Illinois State for 36 points on Feb. 5, 1996.
Double-Double Duo
Kenny Lawson Jr. had 14 points and 16 rebounds, while Doug McDermott had 28 points and 10 rebounds, as Creighton topped Drake on January 1.
It marked the first time Creighton had two double-doubles in the same game since Lawson (17/11) and Justin Carter (10/13) did so vs. Bradley on March 5, 2010 in the State Farm MVC Tournament.
Ironically, each of the previous two times Creighton had two men with a double-double in the same game, it had lost. The last Bluejay win with two double-doubles was Feb. 1, 1999, when Rodney Buford (11/11) and Doug Swenson (19/10) double-dipped at SIU.
Chairman Of The Boards
Freshman Doug McDermott is having one of the best rebounding seasons by a Bluejay in more than a decade. McDermott averages 7.8 per contest.
Those rebound per game average is ahead of the 7.3 per game by Rodney Buford in 1997-98 for the best by a Bluejay in the past 17 seasons. The Jays have not had a player average more than 7.4 rebounds per game since Nate King averaged 9.0 rebounds per game in 1993-94.
Harriman Opts For Surgery
Plagued by a pair of partially torn labrums, among other maladies, senior forward Casey Harriman elected to have season-ending shoulder surgery on January 5th.
Harriman made the decision on January 3rd, but was given once last chance to play. He played in the final minute of a 12-point home loss to Missouri State, receiving standing ovations both when he checked in, then again 19 seconds later when he checked out.
Harriman played 13 minutes total in six games this season, finishing with two points and two rebounds. For his career, Harriman started 16 of 104 games played and finishes with 336 points, 242 rebounds and 44 charges taken.
On A Roll
Creighton won a season-high six straight games from Dec. 11-Jan. 1. The Bluejays have now put together at least one five-game win streak in 13 of the last 14 seasons.
Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the NCAA's or NIT all 15 previous times they've had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the NCAA/NIT all seven times they haven't.
A Sketch on Ech
Gregory Echenique has made an immediate impact for Creighton, as the Jays are 9-6 since he became eligible on December 17th.
With the big Venezuelan in the line-up, Creighton has held the opposition to 62.6 points per game (compared to 67.7 per game before he became active) and 41.9 percent shooting from the floor (compared to 43.2 percent).
In addition, Creighton has outrebounded foes by +4.4 rebounds per game, compared to a +1.0 advantage before he arrived.
The Echenique Effect
While the addition of Gregory Echenique's 10.4 points per game to the line-up has been a big boost, he's made a similar impact on the defensive end of the floor in the lane. Echenique has blocked 30 shots, already good enough to lead the team and rank third-most in The Valley.
Impact Player
Gregory Echenique scored 12 points in his Creighton debut on Dec. 18 vs. Idaho St., then added 16 more on Dec. 20 vs. Western Illinois.
Echenique was just the third Creighton player in the last 15 years to start with 12 points or more in each of his first two games, joining Darryl Ashford (2009-10) and Edward St. Fleur (1995-96).
10 Conference Wins x 14
Last season's Creighton team extended its MVC record by winning 10 or more league games for a 14th consecutive season.
On a national basis, the only other current school with at least 14 straight years of 10 or more league wins is Kansas (16).
Qwest Center Records Fall
Creighton set one Qwest Center Omaha record and tied another in its Dec. 22 home win over Samford.
Creighton set a building record by outrebounding the Bulldogs 45-19. That mark was Creighton's largest margin since an identical +26 differential over Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 29, 2001 back when it played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Creighton also held Samford to a season-low 40 points, which tied the fewest points ever in a Qwest Center Omaha game. Alcorn State also had 40 on Nov. 15, 2004.
Defensive Gem
Creighton held Samford to just 40 points on December 22nd. That was the best defensive effort by the Bluejays since limiting Indiana State to 38 points in an MVC Tournament quarterfinal victory on March 2, 2007.
Creighton, which held Jim Molinari's Western Illinois club to 47 points on Dec. 20, held consecutive opponents under 50 points for the first time since Dec. 3-6, 2003.
The 87 points allowed over those two games was the best stretch by Creighton in any set of back-to-back games since Dec. 5-9, 1958 (86).
Josh Jones Provides Offensive Boost
Sophomore Josh Jones entered the Dec. 29 game at Illinois State mired in a 9-of-38 shooting slump to start the season, including 0-of-16 from three-point range.
Against the Redbirds, Jones hit 2-of-3 shots from long-range, and he tied his season-high with six points. The Jays outscored ISU 15-10 in the 8:51 with Jones on the floor.
Creighton is 15-5 over the past two seasons when Jones scores five or more points.
Four-Headed Monster
Creighton has four players currently averaging 9.5 points per game or more; Antoine Young (13.8), Doug McDermott (14.4), Kenny Lawson Jr. (9.6) and Gregory Echenique (10.4).
It's been 10 years since Creighton last had a team with four men to average in double-figures over the course of an entire season.
Creighton's 2000-01 team got double-digit scoring from Kyle Korver (14.6), Ben Walker (12.3), Ryan Sears (11.0) and Terrell Taylor (10.4). That team finished 24-8 overall and is the program's last to win an MVC outright regular-season title.
Echenique Debuts
Dec. 18 marked Creighton's first game with the services of Gregory Echenique, who was an ineligible transfer until Dec. 17. He became eligible at the end of Creighton's fall semester.
Echenique, a 6'9”, 270-pound center, came to Creighton after spending three semesters at Rutgers from 2008-09. He averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots per game in 39 contests with the Scarlet Knights, which included 37 starts and an average of 27.5 minutes per game.
He had 12 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots in 18 minutes vs. Idaho State in his Creighton debut. He followed that up with 16 points, four rebounds and four blocked shots in 21 minutes vs. Western Illinois. At the time, Echenique's four blocked shots on Dec. 20 were tied for the most in the MVC in any game this year by one player. He now owns the top two efforts this season in the MVC, with seven blocks at Missouri State (Jan. 22) after six at Indiana State (Jan. 16).
Red-Hot Start
Creighton made its first eight field goal attempts from the field to open its Dec. 18 win over Idaho State, with six of those shots coming from long-range. That helped Creighton build a 22-13 lead which it never surrendered.
Interestingly, it was the second straight game that Creighton had a stretch of six straight three-point attempts that were all made, having done it on six straight possessions vs. Saint Joseph's.
In eight seasons of games at Qwest Center Omaha (130 games), Creighton's best had been 6-for-6 starts from the floor vs. High Point (Dec. 2, 2004) and Illinois State (Jan. 22, 2005).
In fact, this was just the seventh occasion all-time that Creighton had started as well as 4-for-4 from the field.
Creighton is 51-for-130 all-time in its first shot of the game at Qwest Center Omaha, including a 3-for-15 mark this winter.
No TV, No Problem
Creighton is a perfect 45-0 in regular-season non-televised games at Qwest Center Omaha.
Creighton has also won 26 straight non-televised home games at Qwest Center Omaha, dating to a March 20, 2006 loss to Miami (Fla.) in the NIT.
Each of Creighton's last three home games are slated for television.
Practice Pays Off
Antoine Young is frequently the last player in the gym after practice, staying late to work on his shot. The dedication is clearly paying off.
Young entered this season a career 25.6 percent shooter from three-point range (23-90). Already this season, he's at 29.5 percent (28-95) from downtown.
At the line, Young entered the year as a 64.3 percent shooter (101-157). He's currently at 75.2 percent from the stripe (91-121).
Young connected on a career-high four three-point attempts vs. Idaho State on Dec. 18. His 4-for-4 shooting from downtown was a Qwest Center Omaha record for three-point shots without a miss by a Bluejay, eclipsing previous 3-for-3 displays by Johnny Mathies, Pierce Hibma, Dane Watts and Booker Woodfox.
Likewise, his 10-for-10 marksmanship from the line on Jan. 1 vs. Drake was a Qwest Center Omaha record for most free throws in a game without a miss.
Young Gets Better With Age
Junior point guard Antoine Young had seven assists vs. Idaho State on Dec. 20, most by any Bluejay in a game this season.
Young leads the league in minutes played (905) assists (119), assists per game (4.8) and in assist/turnover ratio (2.43).
Young, who had six assists at Nebraska, five helpers vs. Saint Joseph's, seven dimes vs. Idaho State and five assists vs. Western Illinois, became the first Bluejay player since 2005 to have four straight games of five or more assists. Josh Dotzler (from Nov. 22-Dec. 6, 2005) was the last to turn the trick.
Before his three assist, four turnover game vs. Missouri State on Jan. 4th Young had played 29 games since last having a negative assist/turnover ratio. He has three or more assists in 29 of his past 31 games.
Korver A Distributor, Too
Kaleb Korver is giving Antoine Young a run for his money as a distributor this season. The two men are Creighton's only players to each have at least one assist in every game this fall.
Korver, a senior from Pella, Iowa, tied his career-high with back-to-back games of six assists on Dec. 11 and Dec. 18.
That made Korver the first Bluejay with consecutive games of six assists or more since March 1-7, 2008, when Cavel Witter did it in consecutive games vs. Bradley.
A Fan Of The A-10
Sophomore Ethan Wragge had a career-high of 22 points on Dec. 11 vs. Saint Joseph's, eclipsing his previous best of 21 that came last year in 17 minutes vs. fellow Atlantic-10 power Xavier.
Just like the game against Xavier, Wragge had his points in fewer than 20 minutes of playing time. When he did it last season, he became the first CU player to score more than 20 points in less than 20 minutes since Vernon Moore put up 21 points in 19 minutes against Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 24, 1984.
In three career games against the Atlantic-10 Conference, Wragge has scored 54 points (18.0 ppg.) in 48 minutes (16.0 mpg.) of play, connecting on 14-of-24 three-point attempts (58.3 percent) and 18-of-28 shots overall (64.3 percent).
Solid Stretch
Ethan Wragge will be hard-pressed to have a better four-minute stretch than what he had on Dec. 11 in a win over Saint Joseph's.
Wragge drained consecutive three-pointers with 15:55, 15:10, 13:56, 13:06 and 12:26 left in the second half. He also assisted on a Kaleb Korver trey at the 13:29 mark, and took a charge with 13:13 remaining.
Shades Of The Dynamic Duo
Doug McDermott's 20 points and 12 rebounds vs. No. 21 BYU on Dec. 1 were special numbers for any player, but even moreso considering he's just a freshman.
Creighton had not had a freshman record a double-double since Bob Harstad had 18 points and 13 rebounds at No. 14 Bradley on March 9, 1988.
The last Bluejay freshman to have at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in the same game was Chad Gallagher, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds vs. Nebraska-Kearney on Jan. 20, 1988.
When McDermott had 28 points and 10 rebounds vs. Drake on Jan. 1, it marked the first points by a Bluejay freshman since Ryan Sears had 29 points on Dec. 6, 1997 vs. Wyoming.
McDermott owns seven double-doubles this winter.
McDermott Chalks Up Four Straight Honors
Doug McDermott was named MVC Newcomer of the Week for a fourth straight week on Dec. 6th.
In the 104-year history of the league, McDermott is the only basketball (men's or women's) player to win Player or Newcomer of the Week in four consecutive weeks.
McDermott's seven Newcomer of the Week honors (he also won it on Jan. 3, Jan. 24 and Jan. 31) thus far are the most ever for an entire season in league history. Bradley's Marcellus Sommerville won the award six times during his debut season in the league in 2003-04.
Lawson Named Player of the Week
Creighton senior Kenny Lawson Jr. was named MVC Player of the Week on December 13 following his career-highs of 30 points and 18 rebounds in a win over Saint Joseph's. He played a career-high 34 minutes and also registered a season-best three blocked shots.
This was the first MVC Player of the Week honor of Lawson's career.
Laying Down The Law
Kenny Lawson Jr.'s 30-point, 18-rebound game vs. Saint Joseph's on Dec. 11 kept the pages of the Bluejay record book busy.
His 18 rebounds were the most by a Bluejay since Bob Harstad had 20 rebounds on Jan. 23, 1989. Harstad, ironically, had his jersey retired at halftime and spoke to the team before its pre-game shootaround earlier on Saturday.
His 18 rebounds were also a Qwest Center Omaha record, three more than the previous mark set by Creighton's Justin Carter (vs. Kentucky) and by Akron's Romeo Travis (vs. Creighton).
Lawson's 30 points were the most by a Bluejay since P'Allen Stinnett had 30 points against New Mexico on Nov. 16, 2008.
Lawson was the first Bluejay with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in the same game since Rodney Buford had 30 points and 10 rebounds at Northern Iowa on Dec. 30, 1997.
Lawson was the first Bluejay with at least 30 points and 18 rebounds in the same game since Feb. 7, 1983, when Gregory Brandon had 32 points and 18 rebounds in a win over West Texas State.
Lawson is believed to be the first player in the MVC with a game of 30 points and 18 rebounds since Wichita State's Xavier McDaniel had 33 points and 22 rebounds on Feb. 23, 1985 against Bradley.
Finally, Lawson had 14 points and 11 rebounds in the second half alone. The last Bluejay with a double-double in one half was Brody Deren, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the second half of a Jan. 5, 2004 win at Bradley.
All-Tournament Honors
Both Doug McDermott and Antoine Young were named to the All-Tournament Team of the Global Sports Hy-Vee Challenge.
McDermott averaged a team-high 15.0 points per game in the event, shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 9-for-9 at the line. He also added six assist, a steal and a block.
Young averaged 13.8 points per game and added 16 assists and seven steals. He shot 44.1 percent from the floor, 50 percent from three-point range and 79.2 percent at the line.
Iowa State won the event with a 4-0 record, while Creighton finished 3-1.
Iowa State's Diante Garrett was named tournament MVP, while Melvin Ejim (Iowa State), Cameron Jones (Northern Arizona) and Spencer Dixon (Kennesaw State) were also honored on the squad with McDermott and Young.
I Am Iron Man
Antoine Young logged all 40 minutes in Creighton's Nov. 28 game at Northwestern, and again on Jan. 26 at Northern Iowa and Feb. 1 at Bradley. He was the first Creighton player to play from tip to buzzer, without a rest, since Ryan Sears on March 15, 2001 vs. Iowa. Since then, Creighton had played 329 games.
Young is second in the MVC with 36.2 minutes per game this season. Young's minutes per game average is the most by a Bluejay since Matt Petty averaged 39.1 minutes per game in 1992-93.
Doubling Up From The Start
Doug McDermott scored 10 or more points in each of his first eight games this season. The last previous Creighton player to start a career with 10 or more points in each of the first eight games was Benoit Benjamin in 1982-83, who had also eight in a row to start his career.
McDermott was the first Bluejay (of any class) to score 10 or more in eight straight games to start the season since then-senior Rodney Buford in 1998-99 had 13 in a row.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest double-figure scoring streaks to start a season since 1979-80.
Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games
To Start Year, Since 1979-80
Consec. Name, Class Year
all 32 Vernon Moore, Sr. 1984-85
28 Benoit Benjamin, Jr. 1984-85
27 Bob Harstad, Sr. 1990-91
16 Rod Mason, Sr. 1987-88
13 Rodney Buford, Sr. 1998-99
12 Gary Swain, Sr. 1986-87
10 Chad Gallagher, Sr. 1990-91
9 Rodney Buford, So. 1996-97
8 Benoit Benjamin, Fr. 1982-83
8 Gregory Brandon, Sr. 1983-84
8 Doug McDermott, Fr. 2010-11
Rare Freshman Start
With his start on Nov. 12, Doug McDermott became the first Creighton freshman to start the season-opener since Ryan Sears in 1997-98. Sears would go on to earn MVC Freshman of the Year honors, starting all 124 games of his Bluejay career and remains the MVC's all-time leader with 283 steals. Sears also dished a Creighton-record 570 career assists.
A Strong Fall
Creighton has already placed three teams into the NCAA Tournament during the 2010-11 school year, as Bluejay teams in women's soccer, men's soccer and women's volleyball have all made the “Big Dance” within the past month.
On a national basis, only 10 schools nationally can say this, an elite list that consists of Creighton, California, Duke, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio State, Penn, Penn State and UCLA.
Creighton men's basketball has seven NCAA Tournament appearances in the past 12 years, most in the MVC in that time.
Harstad Honored on Dec. 11
Already inducted into both the Creighton Athletics (2002) and Missouri Valley Conference (2008) Hall of Fame's, former Creighton men's basketball standout Bob Harstad was honored during the Dec. 11 game vs. Saint Joseph's.
Harstad's jersey was retired during a halftime ceremony. The Loveland, Colo., native wore No. 30 during his career from 1987-91 with the Jays, but the number will still be available for current (such as Antoine Young) and future Bluejays to wear.
The only other previous players to have their jersey's retired in Creighton men's basketball history are Bob Portman (#33), Paul Silas (#35) and Bob Gibson (#45).
Harstad is one of only four MVC players -- joining Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson, Indiana State's Larry Bird and Wichita State's Xavier McDaniel -- to score 2,000 points (2,110) and grab 1,000 or more rebounds (1,126).
A first-team All-MVC choice from 1989 to 1991, he was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Player of the Year in 1990 and earned State Farm MVC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors in 1991.
He led CU to regular-season titles and postseason tournament crowns in 1989 and 1991. He also powered the Jays to two NCAA Tournament appearances and a win over New Mexico State in the first round in 1991.
Fab Five
Creighton's starting line-up accounted for 86 of the team's 88 points on Nov. 21 vs. Iowa State. In fact, the only points off the bench came with 3:42 left on a Wayne Runnels putback.
All five of Creighton's starters had 12 points or more, becoming the first starting quintet in double-figures since Jan. 31, 2007 at Bradley.
Creighton's two bench points were its fewest since also scoring two bench points on Feb. 17, 2007 vs. Drexel.
In Creighton's 15 wins, the bench has scored 319 points (21.3 ppg.), but in the 10 losses it's scored just 101 points total (10.1 ppg.), with a high of 16.
Active Leader
Kenny Lawson Jr. leads all active Missouri Valley Conference players with 692 rebounds, 148 blocked shots and 107 games started.
He also ranks third on that list with 1,192 career points and became the 34th member of Creighton's 1,000 point club on Nov. 21 vs. Iowa State. The only active MVC players with more points than Lawson are Bradley teammates Andrew Warren (1,481) and Sam Maniscalco (1,210).
Below is a list of Creighton all-time scoring leaders:
Most Points, Creighton History
Rk. Pts. Name Years
1. 2,116 Rodney Buford 1995-99
2. 2,110 Bob Harstad 1987-91
3. 1,983 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
4. 1,876 Bob Portman 1966-69
5. 1,801 Kyle Korver 1999-03
6. 1,754 Nate Funk 2002-07
7. 1,682 Rick Apke 1974-78
8. 1,661 Paul Silas 1961-64
9. 1,654 Vernon Moore 1981-85
10. 1,575 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
11. 1,526 John C. Johnson 1975-79
12. 1,500 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
13. 1,437 Eddie Cole 1951-55
14. 1,369 Gene Harmon 1971-74
15. 1,361 Duan Cole 1987-92
16. 1,309 Ryan Sears 1997-01
17. 1,303 Elton Tuttle 1951-54
18. 1,272 Bob Gibson 1954-57
19. 1,267 Wally Anderzunas 1965-67, 1968-69
20. 1,254 Gary Swain 1983-87
21. 1,238 Ben Walker 1997-01
22. 1,196 Ray Yost 1951-54
23. 1,192 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pr.
24. 1,172 Dick Harvey 1956-59
Lawson Moves Up The Charts
With 11 points vs. Alabama State on Nov. 12, Kenny Lawson Jr. became the seventh player to score 500 or more points at Qwest Center Omaha. Lawson, who now stands at 652, ranks second in Qwest Center Omaha scoring history. Nate Funk holds the facility record with 735 career points.
Lawson (377 rebounds) is atop the Qwest Center Omaha rebound list, just ahead of Dane Watts (351).
Lawson also owns 80 blocks in his career at Qwest Center Omaha. That's a facility record, seven more than the former mark held by Anthony Tolliver. The top shot blockers in Bluejay history (at all sites) are listed below:
Most Blocked Shots, Creighton History
Blk. Name Years
411 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
183 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
148 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pres.
138 Brody Deren 2001-04
136 Anthony Tolliver 2003-07
'Tis The Season For Charity
Creighton has attacked the lane and the boards while racking up gaudy free throw numbers thus far.
The Bluejays have shot 353-of-480 (73.5 percent) at the line, while its opponents are a combined 224-of-344 (65.1 percent) from the charity stripe.
Every Creighton player with at least one attempt from the line are shooting 63.6 percent or better, leading to the improvement from last year's team that shot 72.0 percent overall.
The Four-Point Play
Few plays in basketball are as rare as the four-point play, which happen only when a player is fouled while making a three-point shot and then hits the ensuing free throw.
On Nov. 14 against Northern Arizona, senior Kaleb Korver did it midway through the first half. He became the first Bluejay to do record a four-point play since P'Allen Stinnett did it at Dayton on Nov. 14, 2009.
Before Stinnett's magic, Creighton had not had a player convert a four-point play in a regular-season game since Johnny Mathies vs. Evansville on Jan. 22, 2006.
According to Harvey Pollack's NBA Statistical Yearbook, Kaleb's older brother, Kyle Korver, has just three four-point plays to his credit in his eight-year NBA career.
Qwest To Be The Best, 109 Times Over
Creighton has played 130 regular and postseason contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time in its eight seasons at the facility.
The Bluejays own a 109-21 (.838) record all-time at the facility, including a 25-2 figure on Wednesday's, a 6-0 mark on Thursday's and a 3-0 mark on Friday's.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 9,529-8,122 in games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average margin of 10.8 points per game. The 21 losses have been by a combined 137 points (6.5 ppg.). Creighton has led wire-to-wire 27 different times, including twice this winter.
Creighton's win on Nov. 17 vs. Louisiana was its 100th all-time at the facility, coming in just 118 games. By comparison, Creighton needed 138 games to reach 100 wins at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Creighton is also a mind-boggling 19-12 at Qwest Center Omaha in games in which it trails by 10 or more points at any juncture.
Creighton is 9-1 in Qwest Center Omaha games in which both teams own leads of 10 or more points, and 26-1 in games at Qwest Center Omaha in which there are no lead changes.
Big Shoes To Fill
Creighton's Greg McDermott replaced the school's all-time wins leader, Dana Altman, who was named head coach at Oregon in April. The winningest coach in school history, Altman was 327-176 in 16 years at Creighton, leading the program to seven NCAA Tournaments and 13 straight postseason bids.
Altman's win total ranks third in Missouri Valley Conference history and he was named coach of the Missouri Valley Conference's All-Centennial Team in 2007.
Father/Son Duo
Doug McDermott is the only player in Creighton men's basketball history to play for his father, head coach Greg McDermott. The previous closest relationship between a player/coach had been when Rick Apke (1974-78) played for his older brother, head coach Tom Apke (1974-81).
Return Of The Mac
Greg McDermott is the 10th MVC head coach to coach at two different league schools and first since Ken Hayes got hired away from Tulsa to go to New Mexico State in 1975.
He is the first to go to a different league and coach there, then come back to the MVC.
McDermott went 90-63 in five years at Northern Iowa from 2001-06, advancing to the NCAA Tournament each of his final three seasons.
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 560 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. That's the longest active streak in the MVC.
UNLV, Vanderbilt and Kentucky are the only three schools that have made at least one three-point basket since the rule was adopted prior to the 1986 campaign.
Quick Starts Key To Playing in Postseason
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 11 of the past 13 seasons, including this season. Each of Creighton's last 11 3-0 starts have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Jays Sweep Weekly Awards
Creighton swept the weekly awards handed out by the Missouri Valley Conference on Nov. 15, as Antoine Young was named MVC Player of the Week and Doug McDermott named MVC Newcomer of the Week.
Young averaged 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game in wins over Alabama State and Northern Arizona. He opened the year with 21 points against ASU while also grabbing a career-high seven rebounds. He scored the first four points and assisted a three-pointer in the 11-0 second half run that gave Creighton the lead for good. On Nov. 14, he had 11 points, four rebounds, three steals and three assists in a win over NAU.
McDermott averaged 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in his first weekend of play. He began his career with 16 points and seven rebounds against Alabama State, becoming the first freshman to start the opener since 1997-98. He then had 10 points in Creighton's 74-70 win over Northern Arizona.
McDermott repeated his honors on Nov. 22 after averaging 14.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in two games.
McDermott won his third straight award on Nov. 29 after averaging 16.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game vs. Kennesaw State and Northwestern, shooting 70 percent (14-20) from the floor.
McDermott made it 4-for-4 on Dec. 6th, earning the honor after averaging 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in losses to No. 21 BYU and Nebraska.
Learning From Past Losses
Creighton heads into the 2010-11 season looking to rebound from a quarterfinal round loss to Bradley in the 2010 MVC Tournament.
Each of Creighton's previous three quarterfinal round losses (1998, 2004, 2006) saw the Bluejays claim the Arch Madness crown the following spring.
Creighton's six conference tournament titles in the past 12 years trail only Gonzaga, Duke and Winthrop nationally.
Foreign Invasion
Creighton has a pair of foreigners on the roster for just the third time in school history with Canadian Jahenns Manigat and Venezuelan Gregory Echenique. Echenique is the nation's only returning Venezuelan who also played NCAA ball last season.
The last pair of simultaneous international teammates at Creighton was Brice Nengsu (Cameroon) and Manny Gakou (France) from 2005-07.
Creighton's other international players on record include Livan Pyfrom (1999-2001, Bahamas), Nerijus Karlikanovas (1998-2000, Lithuania) and Colin Lubsey (1992-93, Australia).
Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton has won 73 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has also won 44 straight games when scoring 90 points or more, dating to Jan. 11, 1988.
Creighton has won 15 straight when scoring 100 points or more, dating to Feb. 26, 1977.
Preseason MVC Poll
Creighton has been picked fourth in the preseason poll of MVC coaches, SID's and media. Wichita State was a near-unanimous pick to win the league, garnering 33-of-39 first-place votes and 382 points overall.
Missouri State was second with 313 points and one first-place vote.
Northern Iowa (289, 1 first-place vote), Creighton (282) and Bradley (264, 2) rounded out the upper half of the league.
In sixth was Illinois State (165), where it was followed by Indiana State (136), Drake (120), Southern Illinois (120) and Evansville (73).
Creighton senior Kenny Lawson Jr. is one of five men on the preseason all-MVC team. He's joined on the team by UNI's Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Wichita State's Toure' Murry, Bradley's Sam Maniscalco and Missouri State's Kyle Weems.
Lawson was also named Preseason MVC Player of the Year. He is the third Bluejay to be honored since 2001, joining Kyle Korver (2002-03) and Nate Funk (2006-07).
Last Season Recap
Creighton finished 18-16 on the season, winning a pair of games in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament before falling in the semifinals. Creighton's 10-8 league mark was good for fourth place, the Jays 13th straight year of a fourth-place finish or better.
Individually, Kenny Lawson Jr. was a second-team all-MVC pick and led the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. Justin Carter ranked second on the team in both scoring and rebounding, while Antoine Young topped the team in assists and steals.
Academically Tops In The MVC Too
For the sixth time in the eight-year existence of the award, Creighton University has been recognized with the 2009-10 MVC All-Academic Award. Bluejay student-athletes posted a 3.33 cumulative grade-point average over the 2009-10 academic calendar. Creighton previously shared the award in 2003-04, and were the outright winners in 2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09.
Creighton had four men's basketball players earn Dean's List (3.50 GPA or better) accolades last year; Matthew Dorwart, Kaleb Korver, Derek Sebastian and Taylor Stormberg.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2010-11 season went on sale on November 1st at 10 am.
Fans can purchase tickets in advance at Qwest Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any game and cost is $12 for adults and $8 for youth ages 3-18 (children two and under are free).
For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
