Men's Basketball Meets Evansville Tuesday

2011-12 Creighton Men's Basketball
Game #25 at Evansville • Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012 • 7:05 p.m.
#17 Creighton Bluejays at Evansville Purple Aces
Ford Center (11,000) • Evansville, Ind.
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.am590espnradio.com
Television: None
Series History: Creighton leads, 25-9
Last Meeting: Creighton won 75-69 on Feb. 5, 2011 in Omaha, Neb.

Next Game
Nationally-ranked Creighton (21-3, 11-2 MVC) looks to start another win streak when it plays Evansville (11-12, 6-7 MVC) for the first time this season on Tuesday.
    Tip-off at the new Ford Center (11,000) in Evansville, Ind., is set for 7:05 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 Tuesday's game. 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 not be televised.

Video Webcast Information
Tuesday's game is available via video webcast through Evansville's Athletics website at http://www.gopurpleaces.com/showcase.
    The game is not part of the JaysVideo subscription on GoCreighton.com.

Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Stats tab on the left-hand side of the page for links the exact link.
    Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 21-3 on the season and tied for first place of the Missouri Valley Conference with an 11-2 mark. The Bluejays were ranked No. 17 nationally by the Associated Press and No. 15 in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 coaches poll released on February 3rd.
    Sophomore forward Doug McDermott (23.4 ppg., 8.4 rpg.) leads the MVC and ranks third nationally in scoring. He's either first or second in five different MVC categories, including three-point percentage, field goal percentage, scoring, rebounding and double-doubles.
    Also scoring in double-figures is the team's lone scholarship senior, Antoine Young (11.5 ppg., 4.4 apg.). Young was named honorable-mention preseason all-MVC along with junior center Gregory Echenique (9.5 ppg., 7.4 rpg., 1.6 bpg.).
    On the wings, Gonzaga transfer Grant Gibbs (7.5 ppg., 5.6 apg., 4.6 rpg.) ranks second in the MVC in assists, while Jahenns Manigat (6.9 ppg.) is second in the league in three-point percentage at 51.2 percent.
    The Jays are 12-1 at home, but have done their most impressive work on the road. Included in CU's 8-2 true road record are wins at the defending league champs from the Mountain West (San Diego State), Missouri Valley (Missouri State) and Conference USA (UAB), in addition to league runner-ups from the MVC (Wichita State) and Conference USA (Tulsa).
    Through games of February 5th, Creighton ranked among the national leaders in most offensive categories, including first in field goal percentage (.512) and three-point percentage (.448), second in assists per game (18.7), sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.48) and scoring offense (81.0 ) and eighth in both winning percentage (.875) and average home attendance (16,534).

Scouting Evansville
Evansville is 11-12 on the season and part of the 6-7 logjam in the MVC standings. The Purple Aces are 7-6 in their debut season at Ford Center.
    Junior guard Colt Ryan leads the Purple Aces with 20.8 points per game, a figure that rises to 22.4 per contest in Valley play. He's leading the MVC in minutes per game (36.4) and second in scoring and three-pointers per contest.
    Also in double-figures is Kenny Harris (11.4 ppg.) and Denver Holmes (11.0 ppg.). Guard Troy Taylor scores just 5.3 points per game, but leads the Purple Aces with 4.8 rebounds per contest and is second on the team with 3.5 assists per game.
    As a team, UE is scoring 74.1 points per game and shoots 46.0 percent from the field, 38.4 percent from downtown and 76.3 percent at the line. The Purple Aces are forcing 17.7 turnovers per game but are outrebounded by 4.7 caroms per contest.

The Series With Evansville
Creighton leads the all-time series with Evansville by a 25-9 margin, including a 10-7 mark in Evansville.
    The Jays have won the past six meetings and 12 of the last 13 encounters in the series at all sites. Ten of the last 15 games have been decided by single-digits.
    Creighton coach Greg McDermott is 9-4 against Evansville (2-0 as Creighton head coach) and 2-0 against Marty Simmons at the Division I level. Simmons is 1-7 against Creighton.
    Creighton's series history vs. Evansville can be found on page five of these notes.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his second season as head coach at Creighton, where he owns a 44-19 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 324-214 in 18 seasons and is 193-150 in 11 Division I campaigns. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Steve Merfeld.
    Evansville is coached by Marty Simmons, now in his fifth year with the Purple Aces. Simmons owns a record of 160-157 in 11 years as a head coach, and is 62-84 with the Purple Aces. He is assisted by Jimmy Elgas, Chris Hollender and Carson Harris.

Last Game Recap
Creighton had an 11-game win streak snapped with a 65-62 loss at Northern Iowa. Antoine Young, who scored a season-high 23 points for Creighton, tied the game with 4.6 seconds left on a three-pointer before UNI's Anthony James won the contest with a three-pointer to beat the buzzer. James led UNI with 16 points.

Sophomore's Streak Reaches 25
Doug McDermott has scored in double-figures in 25 straight games, CU's longest stretch since Bob Harstad's streak of 32 straight games from Feb. 24, 1990 to Feb. 25, 1991.
CU's Top 10+ Point Streaks, Since 1989-90
    No.    Name    Dates
    32    Bob Harstad    Feb. 24, 1990-Feb. 25, 1991
    27    Bob Harstad    Nov. 27, 1989-Feb. 17, 1990
    25    Chad Gallagher    Jan. 22, 1990-Jan. 5, 1991
    25    Doug McDermott    April 1, 2011-Present
    24    Nate Funk    Dec. 23, 2006-March 16, 2007
    21    Chad Gallagher    Jan. 16-Dec. 4, 1989

National Scoring Leaders
Doug McDermott ranked third nationally in scoring at 23.4 points per game through games of Feb. 5th. Here's that list.
    Rk.    Name, School    Yr.    PPG
    1.    Damian Lillard, Weber State    Jr.    25.5
    2.    Reggie Hamilton, Oakland    Sr.    24.3
    3.    Doug McDermott, Creighton    So.    23.4
    4.    Kevin Murphy, Tenn. Tech    Sr.    21.8
    5.    Terrell Stoglin, Maryland    So.    21.7
    6.    Gerardo Suero, Albany    Jr.    21.6
    7.    Shane Gibson, Sacred Heart    Jr.    21.4
    8.    C.J. McCollum, Lehigh    Jr.    21.3
        Nate Wolters, South Dakota St.    Sr.    21.3
    10.    Colt Ryan, Evansville    Jr.    20.8
        Kevin Jones, West Virginia    Sr.    20.8

Heading Towards The Top 10
The MVC hasn't had a player rank in the top-10 nationally in scoring since Illinois State's Tarise Bryson finished fourth in 2000-01 at 22.8 points per contest.
    Tuesday's game in Evansville features the nation's No. 3 scorer, Doug McDermott, against the nation's No. 10 scorer, Colt Ryan.
    The MVC hasn't had two players finish in the top-10 in scoring since Bradley's Hersey Hawkins and Southern Illinois's Steve Middleton in 1987-88.
    Ryan's head coach, Marty Simmons, ranked sixth nationally by averaging 25.9 points per game as a senior at Evansville in 1987-88. The Purple Aces were not part of the MVC at that time.

A Jolt Of Colt
Evansville junior Colt Ryan has always been one of the MVC's top scorers, and has traditionally saved some of his best performances for Creighton.
    In four career games vs. CU, he's scored 26, 31, 16 and 20 points for an average of 23.3 points per game. Ryan has also made at least 50 percent of his field goal attempts in all four of those games.
    Despite the individual success, Ryan has been on the losing end of the scoreboard in all four games.

Game Tested
Senior Antoine Young has played in 131 games as a Bluejay, third-most in school history. Below is a list of the all-time Creighton leaders in games played:
    GP    Name    Years
    143    Kenny Lawson Jr.    2006-11
    135    Nate Funk    2002-07
    131    Antoine Young    2008-Pres.
    130    Dane Watts    2004-08
    128    Bob Harstad    1987-91
    128    Kyle Korver    1999-03

Moving On
Creighton has not lost consecutive games all season long, something it'll attempt to avoid on Tuesday. The Bluejays followed their first loss with three straight wins, and their second loss with 11 straight victories.
    Creighton has lost five games under Greg McDermott where the opponents' winning points came in the final three seconds. On each occasion, the Bluejays would win their subsequent game.
CU Opponent, Score    CU Next Game
Iowa State, 88-91*    Beat Kennesaw State, 75-57*
Indiana State, 59-61*    Beat Bradley, 81-68*
Wichita State, 65-67*    Beat Northern Iowa, 63-55*
Oregon, 69-71*    Beat N.C. A&T, 97-65
Northern Iowa, 62-65    Tuesday at Evansville
*last season

Young Lights Up The Panthers
Antoine Young's top two scoring games this season have come against Northern Iowa, as he's poured in 21 and 23 points in those games.
    In his career, Young owns 11 games of 20 or more points, and three of those have come against the Panthers.

Run For Another Record
Last year Doug McDermott set a Creighton (and MVC) record for points by a freshman with 581.
    This season, McDermott has 561 points to date, and needs just 21 more to pass Rodney Buford (in 1996-97) for most points in school history by a sophomore
    Below is a list of the most prolific sophomore scorers in MVC history.
Top Sophomore Scorers, MVC History
984 - Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati (1957-58)
918 - Larry Bird, Indiana State (1976-77)
680 - Mitchell Anderson, Bradley (1979-80)
656 - Hersey Hawkins, Bradley (1985-86)
645 - Danny Moore, Missouri St. (1996-97)
632 - Maurice Evans, Wichita St. (1998-99)
612 - Cliff Levingston, Wichita St. (1980-81)
609 - John S. Williams, Indiana St. (1983-84)

Creighton's Super Bowl
During the second quarter of Sunday's Super Bowl, Creighton head coach Greg McDermott (@cucoachmac) tweeted:

Our Super Bowl is at Evansville Tuesday night. #focus

    Judging on Creighton's past results in Evansville, he could also be referring to Creighton's eventual postseason run.
    Since the 1998-99 season, Creighton has won in Evansville eight times, and won a combined 10 postseason games in those seasons. However, in the six seasons the Bluejays lost at Evansville, Creighton only has only won postseason game.
    Both the teams that have won and lost in Evansville have won 11 MVC Tournament games and three Arch Madness titles in that span.

Remember Me?
Now an assistant coach at Creighton, Steve Merfeld has great familiarity with Evansville. Merfeld was head coach of the Purple Aces from 2002-07, where he coached four all-MVC players and won 54 games.
    Since taking assistant coach positions at Bradley and Creighton after leaving Evansville, Merfeld has won five of six games against UE.

One Will Win
Although five conference games remain for both clubs, either Creighton and Wichita State (or both) is mathematically assured of at least a share of the conference regular-season crown.
    Creighton's last regular-season title was in 2009 (when the Bluejays shared first place with UNI). Wichita State last won an MVC regular-season crown in 2006.
MVC History - Most Regular-Season Titles
15 - Oklahoma State (11 outright, 4 shared)
14 - Creighton (7 outright, 7 shared)
13 - Kansas (10 outright, 3 shared)
8 - Southern Illinois (5 outright, 3 shared)
7 - Cincinnati, Drake
6 - Bradley, Louisville, Tulsa, Wichita State

Best 24 Game Starts
Now in its 94th season of basketball, Creighton's 21-3 record ranks among the top starts to a year in school history. In fact, this is just the fourth time that Creighton has been 21-3 or better after 24 games.
    A win on Tuesday would improve CU to 22-3, matching the best 25-game start ever.
    Creighton's 1921-22 team started 21-3, lost its 25th game, and finished 23-5.
    Creighton's 1976-77 team started 21-3 before losing its final four games and finishing 21-7.
    Creighton's 2002-03, generally regarded as the modern era program's best ever, started 22-2 before finishing 29-5. That team lost its 25th game.

Best MVC Starts
This is just the third time that Creighton has won at least 11 of its first 13 MVC games, and first occasion since the 2002-03 team began Valley play 12-1.
    Creighton's 11 straight MVC wins earlier this season (Dec. 31-Feb. 1) were the program's longest streak in league action since winning 11 in a row spanning the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.
Best MVC Starts After 13 Games
    Start    Season    Final MVC W-L (Place)
    12-1    2002-03    15-3 (2nd)
    11-2    2001-02    14-4 (T-1st)
    11-2    2011-12    TBD

Top Offenses Collide
Tuesday's game features the two of the top three offenses in the MVC. Creighton leads the league with 81.0 points per game, while Evansville is third with 74.1 points per contest.
    Defensively, Creighton is seventh in the MVC, allowing 67.9 points per game, while UE is ninth at 72.3 points per contest allowed.

Century Mark at CenturyLink
Creighton scored 102 points on Feb. 1st vs. Illinois State, its second time this season over the century mark.
    It was the first time since 1990 that Illinois State had yielded 100 points or more in a game.
    Creighton last reached 100 points in an MVC game on March 1, 2008, a 111-110 double-overtime win over Bradley.
    Creighton last reached 100 points in regulation in an MVC game on Feb. 28, 2000 when it beat Evansville 102-69.
    All-time, Creighton is 45-2 when scoring 100 points or more and has won its last 18 games when scoring triple-digits.

This Is, 20/20
Greg McDermott became the first coach in Creighton history to post 20 or more wins in each of his first two seasons. McDermott, who won 23 games last season, claimed his 20th win on Jan. 28 vs. Bradley.
    If you include his last three years at UNI (2003-06), he's won 20 or more games each of his last five years in the MVC.
    The only other coaches to win 20 or more games in five straight seasons while in the MVC was Creighton's Dana Altman (11 from 1998-99 to 2008-09), Bradley's Chuck Orsborn (6 from 1956-57 to 1961-62) and Oklahoma State's Henry Iba (6 from 1943-44 to 1948-49).
    McDermott is one of three active MVC coaches to start his Valley career with two straight 20-win seasons, and first since Illinois State's Tim Jankovich did it his first three years (2007-10).
    Southern Illinois' Chris Lowery also began his career with three-straight 20-win campaigns from 2004-07.

Milestone Game Went Well
The Feb. 1 win vs. Illinois State was Creighton's 150th game at CenturyLink Center Omaha. The Jays are 128-22 at the nine-year old facility, which includes a 64-15 mark in MVC games and a 28-9 record in games decided by five points or less.
    Creighton has averaged 14,398 fans in the 150 games, including 17 crowds of 17,000 or more.

Jays Ranked in AP & Coaches Poll
On Feb. 6th, Creighton was in the Associated Press poll for the ninth time in 10 weeks, droppin four spots to No. 17. Last week's No. 13 ranking was Creighton's highest ranking since being 12th on Feb. 10, 2003.
    Creighton was also 15th in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll released on February 6th. It's the 12th straight week the Jays have been ranked by the coaches. Last week's No. 12 rank was the highest ranking since being 12th on Feb. 10, 2003.
    The No. 13 AP ranking on Jan. 30th for Creighton was the highest for any MVC school since Southern Illinois was No. 11 on Feb. 26, 2007. The MVC's last top-10 ranking was by Wichita State in December of 2006, which reached as high as eighth.
    Creighton's highest rankings in school history are ninth in the coaches poll and 10th in the AP poll. Both came on Jan. 20, 2003.
    For the sake of Creighton's records and consistency, the school recognizes the Associated Press poll, which can be found on page 165 of the Creighton men's basketball media guide.

It Went Up To 11
Before being snapped on Saturday, Creighton had won 11 straight games, tied for eighth-longest in school history. Below is a list of the longest win streaks in program history.
Longest Win Streaks
    W's       Dates    Postseason?
    38    Feb. 22, 1917 - Feb. 11, 1920    --
    17    March 25, 1942 - March 4, 1943    NIT/NIT
    16    Jan. 31, 1928 - Jan. 23, 1929    --
    14    Jan. 3-Feb. 21, 1925    --
    14    Jan. 2 - Feb. 22, 1975    NCAA
    12    Jan. 21 - March 1, 1922    --
    12    Nov. 22, 2003 - Jan. 11, 2004    NIT
    11    Jan. 27 - March 3, 2001    NCAA
    11    Jan. 27 - March 6, 2009    NIT
    11    Dec. 31, 2011 - Feb. 1, 2012    ? ? ?
    10    Jan. 18-Feb. 19, 1927    --
    10    Jan. 27 - March 12, 1962    NCAA
    10    March 9 - Dec. 20, 1963    NCIT/NCAA
    10    Jan. 22 - Feb. 22, 1974    NCAA
    10    Nov. 17 - Dec. 29, 2002    NCAA

Mind-Boggling Road Stats
Credit MVC PR guru Mike Kern with this doozy of a road stat.
    Through games of February 5th, three MVC teams Creighton (8), Wichita State (7) and Missouri State (7) each own seven or more road wins.
    The only BCS-member schools with six or more true road wins are Baylor (7) and Syracuse (6).

McDermott Up For An Oscar, Sort Of
Creighton forward Doug McDermott is among 20 players selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for its 2012 Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List.
    Members of the association's board of directors chose the players to be included on the list as contenders for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, to be presented to the national player of the year by its namesake in New Orleans at the USBWA's College Basketball Awards Breakfast on March 30.
    McDermott ranks third nationally in scoring (23.4) and eighth in field goal percentage (.624) for Creighton, which is 21-3. He's previously been named to the Midseason Watch List for the John Wooden Award.

Kind of a Big Deal
Creighton has played in 10 road games this season. Nine of the 10 schools to host the Bluejays have set a season-high in that venue for home attendance, and the one that didn't (Tulsa) was just 132 fans shy of a season-high.
    Evansville's largest home crowd of the season is 9,640 and came on Nov. 16, 2011, when in-state rival Indiana came to town.
Date    Opponent    CU Crowd    Previous High
11/16/11    UAB    4,417    --
11/30/11    San Diego State    12,414*    12,414
12/10/11    Saint Joseph's    4,200*    4,200
12/19/11    Tulsa    4,228    4,360
12/31/11    Wichita State    10,506*    10,466
1/7/12    Bradley    8,610    7,777
1/13/12    Illinois State    8,771    5,333
1/18/12    Missouri State    9,124    8,601
1/25/12    Drake    6,110    5,876
2/4/12    Northern Iowa    6,910    6,834
*sold out

More Road Streaks
Before losing Saturday at UNI, Creighton had won six straight road games for the first time since 1975. Below is a list of Creighton's road win streaks of six or longer:
Longest Road Win Streaks
    Streak    Dates
    14    Feb. 14, 1942 - Dec. 20, 1945
    11    Feb. 26, 1917 - Feb. 27, 1919
    8    Jan. 10, 1925 - Jan. 16, 1926
    7    Jan. 27 - Dec. 1, 1962
    7    Jan. 31, 1928 - Jan. 19, 1929
    6    Jan. 2 - Feb. 15, 1975
    6    Dec. 19, 2011 - Jan. 25, 2012

The Road Less Traveled
After going 6-21 in true road games the previous two seasons, Creighton is 8-2 in true road games this year. This year the Bluejays started 5-0 in league road games for the first time since 1942-43, when the program finished 5-0.
     In 10 road games this season, Creighton is shooting an impressive 49.8 percent from the floor and 44.5 percent from three-point territory.
    Doug McDermott is averaging 25.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in those 10 tilts, making 22-of-37 shots from three-point range (59.5 percent).

Road Warriors
Creighton is 8-2 in true road games this season, with road wins at last year's Mountain West champ (San Diego State), Conference USA champ (UAB), MVC champ (Missouri State), Conference-USA runner-up (Tulsa) and MVC runner-up (Wichita State). CU has also won at Bradley, Illinois State and Drake.
    This year marked the first time in program history the Bluejays had been 8-1 or better on the road.
    Creighton's eight true road wins this season surpass its total of six combined true road wins over the previous two seasons.
    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.
    After games of Feb. 5th, only two teams nationally owned two true road wins vs teams ranked in top-27 of the RPI; Creighton and Cincinnati.

Fun With Numbers
The following stats come courtesy of BBstate.com.
    Creighton ranks third nationally with assists on 65.7 percent of its field goals this season. Denver leads the way at 67.7 percent.
    Jahenns Manigat ranks third nationally in effective field goal percentage (.692), while teammate Doug McDermott is sixth (.681).
    In points per shot, Manigat is tied for third with 1.42, while McDermott is fifth at 1.40.

Jays Reach 20 Wins, Again
Creighton reached the 20-win milestone for the 13th time in 14 years with a win vs. Bradley on Jan. 28.
    The win, which came on Jan. 28th, was the earliest (by calendar) the team has ever won 20 games, just ahead of the 2002-03 squad (Feb. 4).
    Below is a list of the nation's most 20-win seasons since 1998-99 (does not include this year).
Most 20+ Win Seasons, Last 13 Years
    Seasons*    School    2011-12 W-L    Next Game
    13    Syracuse    23-1    2/8
    13    Duke    19-4    2/8
    13    Florida    19-4    2/7
    13    Kansas    18-5    2/8
    13    Gonzaga    18-4    2/9
    12    Kentucky    23-1    2/7
    12    Creighton    21-3    2/7
    12    Kent State    16-6    2/8
    12    Xavier    15-8    2/8
    12    Texas    14-9    2/6
    12    Utah State    12-12    2/9
*doesn't include 20-win campaigns done this season

20-Win Seasons
Creighton has earned its 24th 20-win season in program history. Only 14 of those teams have won 22 or more games. Here's a look at Creighton's teams with 20 or more wins.
Previous 20-Win Seasons, Sorted By Wins
    W-L    Season    Postseason?
    29-5    2002-03    NCAA (0-1)
    27-8    2008-09    NIT (1-1)
    24-8    2000-01    NCAA (0-1)
    24-8    1990-91    NCAA (1-1)
    23-5    1921-22    --
    23-7    1973-74    NCAA (2-1)
    23-9    2001-02    NCAA (1-1)
    23-10    1999-00    NCAA (0-1)
    23-11    2004-05    NCAA (0-1)
    23-16    2010-11    CBI (4-2)
    22-7    1963-64    NCAA (1-2)
    22-9    1998-99    NCAA (1-1)
    22-11    2007-08    NIT (1-1)
    22-11    2006-07    NCAA (0-1)
    21-3    2011-12    TBA
    21-5    1961-62    NCAA (2-1)
    21-7    1976-77    NIT (0-1)
    21-9    1980-81    NCAA (0-1)
    21-12    1989-90    NIT (0-1)
    20-7    1974-75    NCAA (0-1)
    20-9    2003-04    NIT (0-1)
    20-10    2005-06    NIT (1-1)
    20-11    1988-89    NCAA (0-1)
    20-12    1984-85    --

10 Conference Wins x 16
This season's Creighton team has extended its MVC record by winning 10 or more league games for a 16th consecutive season.
    On a national basis, the only other current school with at least 16 straight years of 10 or more league wins is Kansas (17), which owns an 8-2 Big 12 mark this season.

Cancer Awareness Raises $$$
Creighton raised more than $29,600 in an auction in conjunction with its Jan. 28 Creighton vs. Cancer game vs. Bradley.
    The Bluejays wore special-edition pink Nike jerseys for the game, in addition to special shooting shirts in warm-ups that honor those affected by cancer.
    Fans had the chance to bid on a jersey/shooting shirt for each player, with the highest bid going for the #00 combination ($3,275). Six of the jerseys went for $1,000 or more.

Home Court Edge
In addition to Creighton's gaudy road record this season, CenturyLink Center Omaha has also proven to be a huge benefit for the home team.
    Creighton is 12-1 at home this season, improving Greg McDermott's home mark to 31-4 with the Jays. The Jays are 22-1 in their last 23 games at home, winning 17 of those contests by double-digits.

Victory Leaders
Creighton entered Monday tied for third nationally with 21 wins against Division I competition. The only schools with more wins were Syracuse (23) and Kentucky (23).
    Along the same lines, Creighton's eight true road wins are just three behind Cleveland State's 11 for the most nationally.

Where There's A Will
Will Artino had one of his best games as a Bluejay on Jan. 25 at Drake. Artino had six points and a career-best eight rebounds in 16 minutes of action.
    It was the second straight game of six points for Artino after he scored a total of nine points in CU's first eight MVC games this winter.
    Artino had 11 points and four rebounds in 16 minutes vs. Illinois State on Feb. 1, making all three of his field goal attempts and all five shots from the line.

Wragge's Streak Reaches 24
Ethan Wragge is the MVC's active leader in free-throw percentage, having made 92.3 percent (36-39) of his career attempts from the line.
    Wragge has made his last 24 free-throw attempts, a streak that started on Feb. 3, 2010 vs. Evansville. He finished his freshman season with six straight makes, was 6-for-6 during an injury-shortened 2010-11 campaign, and is a perfect 12-for-12 at the stripe this winter.
    While impressive, Wragge still is only 2/3 of the way before to the Bluejay record for consecutive free throws, set by 2009 MVC Player of the Year Booker Woodfox.
Consecutive Free Throws
(Since 1980 and as available before that)
    FT    Name    Dates of Streak
    36    Booker Woodfox    Dec. 6, 2008-Jan. 6, 2009
    35    Bob Portman    1967-68
    32    Michael Lindeman    Jan. 23-Nov. 29, 2003
    28    Kyle Korver    Jan. 27-March 15, 2001
    27    Matt West    Nov. 27, 1999-Jan. 15, 2000
        Kyle Korver    Jan. 29-Nov. 20, 2000
        Nate Funk    Dec. 30, 2006-Jan. 12, 2007
    24    Rick Apke    Jan. 22-Feb. 5, 1977
        Rod Mason    Jan. 28-Feb. 4, 1988
        Kyle Korver    Mar. 15-Dec. 4, 2001
        Ethan Wragge    Feb. 3, 2010-Present
    22    Matt Petty    Jan. 4-Feb. 4, 1993
        Ryan Sears    Feb. 22-Nov. 22, 1999
        Nate Funk    Feb. 26-Mar. 17, 2005
        Cavel Witter    Nov. 9-Dec. 5, 2007
    21    Kevin McKenna    Dec. 22, 1980-Jan. 22, 1981
        James Farr    Jan. 2-28, 1989
        Andre Tucker    Feb. 20-Nov. 29, 1993
        Kyle Korver    Mar. 3-Nov. 25, 2002
    20    Jason Singleton    Jan. 18-23, 1993
        Kyle Korver    Jan. 11-Jan. 23, 2003
        Kyle Korver    Jan. 23-Feb. 4, 2003

Field Day
Creighton leads the nation in field goal percentage, and has had a better shooting percentage in all 21 of its wins this year. The two times the opposition had a better field goal percentage, the Jays lost.
    Overall, the team with a better field goal percentage has won 29 of CU's last 30 games.
    The only MVC team in history to lead the nation in field goal percentage was Bradley in 1967-68 (.524), and the only MVC team in history to lead the nation in three-point percentage was Illinois State in 2002-03 (.440).

Does A Road Win Lead To A Home Win?
Creighton will have a shot to sweep Wichita State on Feb. 11 when the Shockers invade CenturyLink Center Omaha.
    Since 2002-03, all 26 times the Bluejays beat a Valley rival on the road before hosting the same team, Creighton has completed the sweep with a home victory, as seen below.
Year    Opponent    Road Mtg.    Home Mtg.
2002-03    Illinois State    76-57    95-82
2002-03    Northern Iowa    65-52    84-75
2002-03    Bradley    65-58    88-65
2002-03    Indiana State    74-46    77-54
2003-04    Illinois State    56-55    72-63
2003-04    Bradley    66-49    74-56
2003-04    Indiana State    61-44    69-65
2004-05    Drake    61-58    82-67
2004-05    Northern Iowa    67-66    83-82
2005-06    Northern Iowa    55-52    63-55
2005-06    Indiana State    69-53    67-62
2006-07    Evansville    75-62    79-74
2006-07    Northern Iowa    62-54    66-55
2007-08    Wichita State    68-65    65-63
2007-08    Northern Iowa    68-59    74-50
2007-08    Missouri State    50-49    88-67
2008-09    Indiana State    79-61    73-62
2008-09    Bradley    73-64    79-65
2008-09    Evansville    79-57    89-84
2009-10    Evansville    72-64    84-71
2009-10    Bradley    73-68    82-71
2010-11    Evansville    74-69    75-69
2010-11    Southern Illinois    72-66    69-50
2010-11    Illinois State    64-53    75-59
2011-12    Bradley    92-83    73-59
2011-12    Illinois State    87-78    102-74
2011-12    Wichita State    68-61    Feb. 11th

Droppin' 30
Doug McDermott scored 30 points on Jan. 25 at Drake, his fourth outburst of 30 points or more this season.
    According to ESPN, McDermott's four games of 30 points or more this year rank third-most nationally, trailing only Oakland's Reggie Hamilton (9) and Weber State's Damian Lillard (7).
    In the last 20 years, the following men have scored 30 or more points in a game for Creighton.
30+ Point Games For Creighton, Last 20 Years
    No.    Name    Years
    5    Rodney Buford    1995-99
    5    Doug McDermott    2010-Present
    3    Nate Funk    2002-07
    2    Kyle Korver    1999-03
    1    Matt Petty    1992-93
    1    Johnny Mathies    2003-06
    1    Kenny Lawson Jr.    2006-11
    1    Cavel Witter    2007-10
    1    P'Allen Stinnett    2007-10

Hand Down, Manigat Down
Jahenns Manigat tied a career-high with five three-point baskets at Drake on Jan. 25th. It's the fourth time in his career he's made that many in the same contest.

Starting The New Year With A Bang
Creighton went 9-0 in January, it's first unbeaten January in 1975, when it was 8-0.

Finale To Air On ESPN or ESPN2
On Thursday the MVC announced that either ESPN or ESPN2 will air Creighton's regular-season finale at Indiana State on Feb. 25. The game will begin at 3 pm Central.

McDermott Scored 44
Sophomore Doug McDermott scored a career-best 44 points in Creighton's win at Bradley on Jan. 7th. It was nine more than his previous best, and included 31 points after halftime.
    McDermott made his first 10 shots after halftime and was 18-of-23 for the game to tie the record for field goals made by a Bradley opponent. His 18 field goals are one shy of the Creighton record for field goals in a game, and the most by a Bluejay since Benoit Benjamin in 1985.
    McDermott's 44 points were the most nationally by any sophomore since Akron's Derrick Tarver had 44 points vs. Wright State on Dec. 30, 2003.
    Only four sophomores in MVC history have ever scored more points in a league contest than McDermott's 44 points. Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati) had two 50-point games, while other players to do it once each were Indiana State's John S. Williams (47), Wichita State's Dave Stallworth (46) and Indiana State's Larry Bird (45).

Magic Number 70
Creighton is averaging 84.6 points per game at home, where it has scored 70 points or more in 11-of-13 games this season.
    Creighton has won 90 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more.

Rebounding Ruler
Doug McDermott enters Tuesday ranked second in the MVC with 8.4 rebounds per game, just 0.1 behind Illinois State's Jackie Carmichael. The only Creighton player to ever lead the MVC in rebounds per game was Bob Harstad (9.4) in 1988-89.
    No Bluejay has averaged more than 7.4 rebounds per game since 1993-94, when Nate King averaged 9.0 rebounds per game.
    This year's Creighton team is outrebounding foes by 6.1 caroms per contest, the first time since 1998-99 (+5.8) it's had a rebound margin of better than 4.0 per game.

The Avengers
Twelve different programs combined to hand Creighton its 16 losses last season. While the Jays are not scheduled to face Iowa State, BYU, Oregon or Akron this year, they've done rather well against the other eight teams to beat them a year ago.
    Against those eight teams (Northwestern, Nebraska, Missouri State, Wichita State, Indiana State, Northern Iowa, Bradley, Drake), Creighton is 10-2 so far this season after going a combined 5-11 last year vs. those same foes.

Long Beach State Visits For BracketBusters
Creighton will host Long Beach State on Feb. 18 in a 9 pm start as part of the 10th Annual Sears BracketBusters series. The game will be televised by ESPN2.
    Creighton is 3-1 all-time against Long Beach, though the teams have not met since 1973.
    Creighton is 6-3 all-time in BracketBuster games, including a 4-2 mark in televised games.

Winning The Close Ones
Creighton's 66-65 win on Jan. 18th helps show the difference between this year's team and last year's squad.
    Last year in Springfield, Creighton led nearly the entire game before giving up a lay-up in the final 15 seconds to lose, 67-66.
    This year in Springfield, Creighton got a pair of defensive stops in the final 10 seconds to earn a 66-65 victory.
    This year's club is 3-1 in games decided by three points or less, while last year's team was just 1-6 in such situations.

The Godfather Strikes Again
Ross Ferrarini earned the CenturyLink Center Omaha crowd free Godfather's Pizza with a three-pointer in the waning seconds against Indiana State on Jan. 21st.
    It's the second time in his 17 career home games that he's scored the 75th point. Last year he hit a three-pointer with 12 seconds left to close CU's scoring in a 75-59 home win over Illinois State win, one reason his teammates have dubbed him “The Godfather”.
    Creighton has scored enough points for pizza (75 since 2006-07; 70 from 2003-06) in 83 of 150 all-time games at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Only 10 men have scored the 'pizza point' more than Ferrarini's two occasions, a list led by Johnny Mathies. Mathies did it 10 times.
Most Times Scoring Pizza Point, 2003-Present
    Times    Name    Years
    10    Johnny Mathies    2003-06
    8    Cavel Witter    2007-10
    5    Antoine Young    2008-Pres.
    4    Kellen Miliner    2003-05
    4    Nate Funk    2003-07
    4    Anthony Tolliver    2003-07
    4    Kenny Lawson Jr.    2006-11
    4    Josh Jones    2009-Pres.
    3    Kenton Walker    2007-09
    3    P'Allen Stinnett    2007-10
    2    Isacc Miles    2004-05
    2    Nick Porter    2005-07
    2    Dustin Sitzmann    2005-09
    2    Josh Dotzler    2005-09
    2    Nick Bahe    2006-08
    2    Kaleb Korver    2007-11
    2    Casey Harriman    2007-11
    2    Ethan Wragge    2009-Pres.
    2    Ross Ferrarini    2010-Pres.
    2    Will Artino    2011-Pres.
    2    Doug McDermott    2010-Pres.
    2    Gregory Echenique    2010-Pres.

Passing 500 Points, Again
Doug McDermott enters this weekend with 561 points, passing the 500 point milestone for a second straight season. Last year he set an MVC freshman record with 581 points.
    McDermott is just the third player in MVC history with 500 or more points as both a freshman and sophomore, joining Mitchell Anderson (Bradley) and John S. Williams (Indiana State). McDermott is already the first player in Valley history with 550 points or more as both as freshman and sophomore.
    In Creighton history, the only other players with multiple seasons of 500 or more points are Paul Silas (3), Bob Harstad (3), Rodney Buford (3), Rick Apke (2), Bob Portman (2), Chad Gallagher (2) and Nate Funk (2).
    In Creighton history, the only player with multiple seasons of 600 or more points is Bob Portman (2).

Near The Top Of His Class
Sophomore Doug McDermott owns 1,142 career points in his young career. According to research by Creighton Sports Information's office, that leads all active sophomores through games of Feb. 6th.
Most Career Points, Sophomores (through 2/6)
Source: Creighton Sports Information
    Rk.    Pts.    Name, School    Next
    1.    1,142    Doug McDermott, Creighton    2/7
    2.    1,000    Jared Sullinger, Ohio State    2/7
    3.    979    Harrison Barnes, North Carolina    2/8
    4.    869    Terrence Jones, Kentucky    2/7
    5.    854    Trey Ziegler, Central Michigan    2/8

Really Dynamic Duo
It's hard to fathom, but two of the best sophomores 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.
    Both McDermott and Barnes are expected to receive consideration for first-team All-America status from the Associated Press. In the history of the AP All-America teams (which began in 1947-48), the only high school teammates to be named first-team All-America in the same season are former Columbus (Ohio) East High School products Dwight “Bo” Lamar (Louisiana-Lafayette) and Ed Ratleff (Long Beach State) in 1971-72.
    Here's a look at the two sophomores and how they've performed in college (through 2/6):
Name    McDermott    Barnes
Games Played    63    60
Points    1,142    979
PPG    18.1    16.3
Rebounds    482    326
RPG    7.7    5.4
FG-FGA    442-775    351-794
FG%    .570    .442
3FG-3FGA    88-196    97-263
3FG%    .449    .369
FT-FTA    170-218    178-242
FT%    .780    .736

Forty Win Dash
Greg McDermott won his 40th game on the Bluejay sideline on Jan. 18th at Missouri State, with the milestone coming in his 58th game at Creighton.
    He became the first coach to reach 40 wins with a record of .500 or better since Tom Apke was 40-14 when he reached the mark in 1976.
    Among some of his predecessors to reach 40 wins, McDermott reached the milestone quicker than notable names like Dana Altman (91 games), Tony Barone (95), Willis Reed (95), Eddie Sutton (68) and Red McManus (72).

Chasing History
Doug McDermott leads the MVC in scoring (23.4 ppg.) and in three-point percentage (.513) and is second in rebounding (8.4 rpg.) and field goal percentage (.624).
    The last player to lead the MVC in scoring and rebounding in the same season is Southern Illinois legend Ashraf Amaya in 1991-92.
    No player has ever led the MVC in field goal percentage and three-point percentage in the same season.

Taking Advantage of Charity
Gregory Echenique began the season 7-of-25 at the free-throw line, a dreadful 36 percent. Since then, however, he's 52-for-66 from the line, good for 78.8 percent. In league play, he's up to 44-for-54, a team-best 81.5 percent.
    Since December 1st Echenique is 23-of-25 on the road from the charity stripe.

What's Your Twenty?
Creighton has been .500 or better after 20 games in each of the last 17 seasons, including this season.
    Even more impressive, Creighton has won 13 of its first 20 games in 14 of the last 15 seasons.
Creighton -- First 20 Games, Last 17 Years
Year    First 20 W-L    Final W-L    Postseason
2011-12    18-2    ? ? ?    ? ? ?
2010-11    13-7    23-16    CBI
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    ---

Jays Win 10 Home Games, Again
With a Jan. 21 win vs. Indiana State, Creighton has now won 10 or more home games in 16 straight seasons.
    The current streak extends a school-record, four 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.

Shades of 2003?
Creighton's 21-3 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 24 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    21-3    22-2
Home W-L    12-1    14-0
Road W-L    8-2    6-2
FG    682-1331    715-1384
FG Pct.    .512    .517
3FG    207-462    211-516
3FG Pct.    .448    .409
FT    372-510    338-492
FT Pct.    .729    .687
Reb. Margin    +6.1    +1.8
Assists    448    429
Turnovers    305    331
Points    1943    1979
Points/Game    81.0    82.5

Stat    McDermott    Korver
Points    561    434
Points/Game    23.4    18.1
Rebounds    202    146
Rebounds/Game    8.4    6.1
FG Pct.    .624    .494
3FG-FGA    41-80    93-190
3FG Pct.    .513    .489
FT Pct.    .826    .906
Assists    30    73
Turnovers    55    43

Shooting Stars
Creighton continues to lead the country in field goal percentage, making an incredible 51.2 percent from the field.
    The Bluejays have shot 55 percent or better 10 times overall this season.
    In Creighton's last 34 games dating to late last season, it has shot 41.9 percent or better in all but two contests, both against Missouri State.
    Creighton, which is also leading the country in three-point percentage, is seeking to join Northern Arizona (in 1998-99) as the only teams in NCAA history to lead the nation in three-point percentage and field goal percentage in the same season.

Over .500, Again
Creighton has been better than .500 in either the first or second-half of the league season in 32 straight trips through the league, including this year's first half.
    Creighton's 32 consecutive halves above .500 in league play is easily the Valley's longest active streak, with Wichita State next closest at six.
    Here's how Creighton's teams have fared in the various halves of the MVC season since 1995-96. Notably, Creighton is 8-1 at the midway mark for the first time since 2002-03.
Year    1st Half    2nd Half
2011-12    8-1    3-1 so far
2010-11    5-4    5-4
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    99-54 (.647)    100-48 (.676)

Upping The Antoine
Senior point guard Antoine Young continues to ascend up a few Creighton charts.
    He's up to 24th on Creighton's all-time scoring chart, and his 454 assists rank fourth-most in Bluejay annals.
    Young joins Ryan Sears as the only Bluejays in history with at least 1,000 points and 425 career assists.
Most Career Assists (Since 1970-71)
    Ast.    Name    Years
    570    Ryan Sears    1997-01
    549    Ralph Bobik    1971-74
    458    Randy Eccker    1974-78
    454    Antoine Young    2008-Pres.
    430    Tyler McKinney    2001-05

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.    1,194    Antoine Young    2008-Present
    25.    1,172    Dick Harvey    1956-59
    26.    1,152    Dane Watts    2004-08
    27.    1,142    Doug McDermott    2010-Present
    28.    1,116    Kenny Evans    1982-87
    29.    1,115    Doug Brookins    1972-75
        1,115    Daryl Stovall    1978-82
    31.    1,093    Tim Powers    1964-67
    32.    1,050    Reggie Morris    1982-86
    33.    1,031    Johnny Mathies    2003-06
    34.    1,024    P'Allen Stinnett    2007-10
    35.    1,023    Rod Mason    1986-88
    36.    1,004    Anthony Tolliver    2003-07

A Sprint to 1,000 Points
Doug McDermott needed just 57 career games to surpass 1,000 career points, doing so in a Jan. 15th win vs. Southern Illinois. He's the second Creighton player this season to surpass the milestone, as Antoine Young reached that feat on Dec. 10 at Saint Joseph's.
    Young & McDermott are the first Bluejay teammates to go over 1,000 in the same season since Ryan Sears & Ben Walker in the Jays' 2000-01 campaign.
    While it's unknown how many games it's taken every player in school history to get to 1,000 points, it is known that Paul Silas needed 47 games to reach 1,000.
    Before McDermott, the only previous players in Creighton history to score 1,000 points or more in their first two seasons were Bob Portman (1,195), Paul Silas (1,124), Rod Mason (1,023) and Rodney Buford (1,010).
    Here's a look at how many games it took Creighton's last 12 players to reach 1,000 career points.
    Games To 1,000 Points, Last 12 Bluejays
Name    Games to 1,000 pts.    Date
Doug McDermott    57    01/15/12
Antoine Young    115    12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr.    108    11/21/10
P'Allen Stinnett    86    01/16/10
Dane Watts    115    01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver    124    03/16/07
Johnny Mathies    91    03/03/06
Nate Funk    92    02/28/05
Kyle Korver    81    01/30/02
Ben Walker    105    01/06/01
Ryan Sears    97    12/01/00
Rodney Buford    59    03/01/97

Historically After 12 MVC Games
Creighton was 11-1 in the MVC after the 12th game of the league slate.
    This is the 17th straight season that Creighton has had a league record of .500 or better after 12 games, and each of the previous 16 campaigns the Jays would also go .500 or better in its final six contests as well.
Year    W-L After 12    W-L Final 6
2011-12    11-1    0-1 so far
2010-11    6-6    4-2
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    136-68 (.667)    63-34 (.649)

McManus To The Hall
Former Creighton men's basketball coach John J. “Red” McManus will be inducted into the Omaha Sports Hall of Fame on April 19th.
    McManus went 138-118 as head coach of Creighton from 1959-69, and mentored All-Americans Paul Silas and Bob Portman, among others. He remains close to the program to this day and regularly attends home games and the State Farm MVC Tournament.
    Also joining the Hall of Fame will be Lyell Bremser, Al Caniglia, Tom Jaworski, Kelly Lindsay, Erick Strickland and the 1982 Omaha Westside football team.

Midseason Honors
Doug McDermott was named Midseason National Player of the Year by four of the most prominent college basketball experts nationwide. He earned the nod from Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News, as well as from ESPN experts Jay Bilas, Len Elmore and Doug Gottlieb.

Chairman of the Board
Creighton center Gregory Echenique has 10 or more rebounds in six of Creighton's last 10 games, and averaged 9.5 boards in that span.
    Creighton is 10-1 all-time when Echenique collects 10 or more rebounds and 10-0 when he scores 15 or more points.
    Creighton is also 12-1 this season and 22-7 in his career when he blocks two shots or more.

Double-Digit Deficits, No Problem
Creighton overcame an early 31-20 deficit to beat Northern Iowa on Jan. 10th, the third time this year it's won a game after previously trailing by double-digits. Creighton also won true road games after trailing by 17 at San Diego State and by 12 at Wichita State.
    It was the 33rd time in CenturyLink Center Omaha history that Creighton has fallen behind by 10 points or more. Incredibly, Creighton has rallied to win 20 of those contests.
Overcoming Double-Digit Deficits at CLCO
Date    Opponent    Deficit    Score
01/28/06    Wichita State    19    W 57-55
11/09/07    DePaul    17    W 74-62
03/18/08    Rhode Island    17    W 74-73
11/16/08    New Mexico    16    W 82-75
02/02/08    Wichita State    15    W 65-63
02/22/06    Indiana State    14    W 67-62
02/07/07    Evansville    14    W 79-74
03/18/09    Bowling Green    14    W 73-71
12/04/04    High Point    13    W 79-60
01/18/06    Bradley    12    W 80-76
03/01/08    Bradley    12    W 111-110 2ot
12/11/10    Saint Joseph's    12    W 82-75
12/30/06    Missouri State    11    W 77-74
11/26/05    Dayton    11    W 91-90 2ot
01/10/12    Northern Iowa    11    W 63-60
12/18/05    Xavier    10    W 61-59
02/01/05    Wichita State    10    W 73-69
12/30/03    Missouri State    10    W 59-54
02/01/09    Missouri State    10    W 75-51
02/03/10    Evansville    10    W 84-71

Gibbs Earns Newcomer Honor, Again
Grant Gibbs was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week for the third time this season on Jan. 15, and second straight week.
    Gibbs helped Creighton to an unbeaten week, scoring in double-figures in all three games. He averaged 10.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
    His week was highlighted by his first career double-double, as he had 10 assists and tied a career-best with 12 points in a win at Illinois State on Jan. 13th.

Jays Duo Earn MVC Weekly Awards
Doug McDermott was named MVC Player of the Week for the fourth time this season on Jan. 9th after a week that saw him average 34.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in two wins.
    McDermott had 24 points on his 20th birthday on Jan. 3 in a win vs. Drake. He then had a career-high 44 points in a victory at Bradley, making 18-of-23 shots from the floor in a nine-point win. His 44 points are sixth-most in CU history, the most in the nation this year, and the most nationwide by any sophomore since 2003.
    McDermott also earned the National Jesuit Basketball Spotlight Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks.
    In addition, Grant Gibbs was also named MVC Newcomer of the Week. Gibbs averaged 8.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds a week ago. He began his week with eight points, seven rebounds and five assists in a 17-point win over Drake. He then had nine points, six assists and two rebounds at Bradley on Jan. 7th.

Healthy Half
As a team, Creighton made its first 11 field goals to start the second half at Bradley on Jan. 9th, not missing until a Grant Gibbs three-point try went awry at the 10:44 mark.
    For the game, Creighton shot 61.1 percent, its best mark on the road since shooting 61.9 percent at Wichita State on Feb. 16, 2005.
    Earlier this season Creighton made its first 13 field goal attempts of the game in a win vs. Campbell.

Another Arena Record Falls
On Dec. 19, Doug McDermott's 35 points at Tulsa tied a Reynolds Center record for an opponent at the 13-year old facility. On Jan. 7th McDermott claimed another house record, as his 44 points were a Carver Arena mark for an opponent in the 30-year old building.
    In fact only two players have ever scored more against Bradley than McDermott's 44…Detroit's Archie Tullos (49) in 1988 and Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson (46) in 1960. McDermott's 44 points were the most in Peoria by a Bradley opponent since The Big O, and the most ever in a win over Bradley.
    Speaking of arena records, Creighton's 28 assists (on 33 baskets) were the most by a Bradley opponent at Carver Arena. An incredible 17 of McDermott's 18 field goals were assisted, as four different players (Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat, Antoine Young, Josh Jones) had three or more assists to McDermott alone.
    Of McDermott's 18 baskets, he used the backboard in 11 of them and used his left hand for five hoops.

Blocking Behemoth
Gregory Echenique owns 94 career blocked shots in a Creighton uniform, eighth in school history. He has 21 blocked shots in his last 11 games.
    Echenique also owned 94 blocked shots in 39 games at Rutgers, giving him 188 rejections overall as a collegian.
Career Blocked Shots, Since 1979-80
    Blk.    Name    Years
    411    Benoit Benjamin    1982-85
    183    Chad Gallagher    1987-91
    153    Kenny Lawson Jr.    2006-11
    138    Brody Deren    2001-04
    136    Anthony Tolliver    2003-07
    109    Doug Swenson    1997-99
    104    Joe Dabbert    2000-04
    94    Gregory Echenique    2010-Pres.
    79    Adam Reid    1994-97
    76    Livan Pyfrom    1999-01

Doubling Up From The Start
Doug McDermott has scored 12 or more points in all 24 games this season. McDermott's streak of 24 straight double-figure games to start the season is CU's longest streak of double-figure games to start the season since Bob Harstad (27 straight) in 1990-91.
    McDermott is the only player in the MVC to score in double-figures in every game this season, and one of three players nationally with 12 or more points in every team game this winter.
    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
    24*    Doug McDermott, So.    2011-12
    16    Rod Mason, Sr.    1987-88
*active

12+ Points, Every Team Game This Year
    Streak    Name, School    Next Game
    24    Doug McDermott, Creighton    2/7
    24    Kevin Jones, West Virginia    2/8
    22    Damian Lillard, Weber State    2/9

Bringing The Heat
Creighton scored 102 points on Feb. 1st in a 102-74 victory over Illinois State. The Jays have now won 52 straight games when scoring 90 or more points, a streak that dates all the way to January of 1988.

Fresh 15
Doug McDermott has scored 15 or more points in 11 different halves this season, including 31 in the second half at Bradley on Jan. 9th. The Bluejays have gone on to win each contest in which he's scored 15 or more in any half.
    Below is the most points in any half by a Bluejay individual this year:
Pts.    Name, Opponent, Date    Half
31    Doug McDermott, Bradley, 1/7    2nd
19    Doug McDermott, Tulsa, 12/19    1st
18    Doug McDermott, Drake, 1/3    1st
18    Doug McDermott, Campbell, 11/25    1st
18    Doug McDermott, Northwestern, 12/22    2nd
17    Doug McDermott, Nebraska, 12/4    2nd
17    Doug McDermott, Iowa, 11/20    1st
17    Doug McDermott, Drake, 1/25    2nd
17    Doug McDermott, Illinois State, 2/1    1st
16    Doug McDermott, Tulsa, 12/19    2nd
15    Doug McDermott, Houston Baptist, 12/17    1st

Pick Your Poison
Creighton is leading the nation from beyond the arc, hitting 44.8 percent of its shots from three-point range.
    In the team's 10 games decided by single-digits, CU locks in to the tune of 46.9 percent (83-of-177) from deep.
    The Bluejays have been remarkably consistent, making 40 percent or better from three-point range in 20-of-24 games to date. By comparison, CU made 40 percent or better from deep in just 15-of-39 contests a year ago.

Gibbs > Receiving
Though he's not even his own team's point guard, Grant Gibbs is second in the MVC with 5.6 assists per game. He's had six or more assists in 13 different games this season.
    No game has shown his importance more than a Dec. 31 win at Wichita State. With Gibbs in the game, Creighton outscored the Shockers 50-25, compared to being outscored 36-18 without him.
    Creighton is 22-1 in its last 23 games when one of its players has six or more assists in a game, including a 17-0 mark this winter.

Not Half Bad
Creighton trailed by 39-31 at halftime on Dec. 31 before outscoring Wichita State 37-22 in the second half and pull out a seven-point road win.
    Under second-year head coach Greg McDermott, the Bluejays are 36-1 when outscoring their foe after halftime.

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 272 wins in the millennium, as well as 11 postseason appearances:
MVC Standings (start 2000-01 to 2/6/11)
        MVC    only          All Games
Team    W    L    Pct.    W    L    Pct.
Creighton    146    65    .692    272    117    .699
Southern Illinois    134    77    .635    238    144    .623
Wichita State    120    91    .569    231    149    .608
Northern Iowa    115    96    .545    222    153    .592
Missouri State    115    96    .545    221    158    .583
Illinois State    97    114    .460    195    170    .534
Bradley    92    119    .436    188    191    .496
Drake    89    122    .422    175    186    .485
Indiana State    76    135    .360    158    207    .433
Evansville    71    140    .336    137    212    .393

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

Young Follows His Elders
Senior point guard Antoine Young is one of three players in Creighton history with more than 1,000 points and 400 career assists. Here's a look at how he compares in his career to some of his point guard predecessors:
Name    Young    Dotzler    McKinney    Sears
Games    131    117    110    124
Starts    96    96    97    124
Points    1,194    422    570    1,311
PPG    9.1    3.6    5.2    10.6
Assists    454    388    430    570
APG    3.5    3.3    3.9    4.6
Turnovers    206    200    188    252
A/TO Ratio    2.20    1.94    2.29    2.03
Steals    95    196    119    283
SPG    0.73    1.68    1.08    2.29
Min./Game    26.5    23.0    26.5    33.7

Full House
Creighton has attracted four of its 10 largest crowds in program history this season. The Jays drew 18,436 fans on Jan. 28 vs. Bradley, 17,676 fans on Dec. 22 for Northwestern, and brought in 17,665 fans on Dec. 28 for Missouri State.
    Here's a look at Creighton's top-15 home crowds all-time.
    Rank    Att.    Opponent    Date
    1.    18,436    Bradley    01/28/12
    2.    17,954    Wichita State    12/28/08
    3.    17,676    Northwestern    12/22/11
    4.    17,665    Missouri State    12/28/11
    5.    17,607    Drexel    02/17/07
    6.    17,459    Southern Illinois    01/20/07
    7.    17,411    George Mason    02/21/09
        17,411    Indiana State    01/21/12
    9.    17,371    Indiana State    01/19/08
    10.    17,311    Illinois State    02/01/12
    11.    17,283    Indiana State    01/27/07
    12.    17,193    Drake    01/24/09
    13.    17,152    Northern Iowa    12/29/09
    14.    17,116    Illinois State    02/28/09
    15.    17,110    Wichita State    02/24/07

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.

Sophomore Snipers
Three sophomores on the 2011-12 Creighton basketball team rank among the most nine most accurate shooters in school history in three-point field goal percentage.
    Doug McDermott is third on that list at 44.9 percent for his career, just behind MVC Players of the Year Booker Woodfox (45.5%) and Kyle Korver (45.3%) on Creighton's all-time chart. Ethan Wragge is ninth on the list at 42.5 percent, while Jahenns Manigat (44.5 percent) is up to fourth place.
    For the season, Creighton's freshmen are shooting 24-of-51 (47.1 percent) from three-point land, while the sophomore class is a collective 127-262 (48.5 percent) from downtown.
Three-Point Field Goal Percentage, Career
(min. 100 attempts)
    Rk.    3%    Name    3FG-3FGA    Years
    1.    .455    Booker Woodfox    147-323    2007-09
    2.    .453    Kyle Korver    371-819    1999-03
    3.    .449    Doug McDermott    88-196    2010-Pres.
    4.    .445    Jahenns Manigat    85-191    2010-Pres.
    5.    .441    Rod Mason    132-299    1986-88
    6.    .440    Nerijus Karlikanovas    48-109    1998-00
    7.    .431    Michael Lindeman    62-144    2000-04
    8.    .430    Duan Cole    176-410    1987-92
    9.    .425    Ethan Wragge    124-292    2009-Pres.
    10.    .407    Nate Funk    200-492    2002-07

Triple Threats
Creighton has five current players who have made 70 or more career three-pointers. Four of the five men are shooting 37.2 percent or better from downtown. Here's a look at that quintet.
Creighton's Active 3FG Leaders
    3FG-FGA    Name    Pct.
    124-292    Ethan Wragge    .425
    88-196    Doug McDermott    .449
    85-191    Jahenns Manigat    .445
    81-218    Josh Jones    .372
    72-238    Antoine Young    .303

Jones'ing For MVC Play
Josh Jones opened MVC play with 11 points off the bench on Dec. 28 vs. Missouri State, making 3-of-4 three-point shots. Jones then pumped in eight points in the second half of Creighton's win at Wichita State.
    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 49-of-115 (42.6 percent) in league action.

Weekly Honors Roll In
Grant Gibbs and Doug McDermott were both honored on Dec. 26th by the MVC for their work in wins 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 Feb. 5th, Doug McDermott was leading the nation with 222 field goals made this season. By comparison, no other player in the MVC has more than 147 buckets (Kyle Weems), and next closest nationally was West Virginia's Kevin Jones with 201.
    McDermott averages 9.3 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 561 points through 24 games, an average of 23.4 per contest that ranks him third nationally in scoring (through Feb. 2nd).
    McDermott's 23.4 points per game would rank fourth-most in CU single-season history and would be the most since Bob Portman averaged 26.2 points per game in 1968-69.
    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 23.4 points per game would make him the first MVC player over 20 points per game since Illinois State's Tarise Bryson (2000-01) and the most by a MVC player since Bradley's Curtis Stuckey (25.1 ppg.) in 1990-91. Bryson is the only MVC player since 1989 to rank in the top-five nationally in scoring.
    No Bluejay has averaged more than 20 points per game since Bob Harstad's 22.2 average in 1989-90.

Basketball Royalty
Creighton is the only team in the nation with three non-conference wins vs. the Big Ten this season.
    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.

Doug vs. Others After 63 Games
Doug McDermott has started all 63 games of his career and enters Tuesday's contest with 1,142 career points (18.1 ppg.) and 482 career rebounds (7.7 rpg.).
    By comparison, Creighton's all-time leading scorer, Rodney Buford, had 1,085 career points after 63 games. However, Buford had “just” 891 points after 24th game of his sophomore season (16.8 ppg.).
    McDermott also compares favorably to legendary big men Bob Harstad and Chad Gallagher at this point. Harstad finished his career ranked 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 63 Career Games
Name    Points    Rebounds
Doug McDermott    1,142    482
Rodney Buford    1,085    323
Chad Gallagher    841    375
Bob Harstad    806    562
Kyle Korver    727    274

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. He also had 12 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds on Jan. 13 at Illinois State.
    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 95 career steals, almost as many as his next two active teammates (Josh Jones 52; Jahenns Manigat 45) combined.

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 10-0 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.

Fountains of Doug
Doug McDermott owns 20 or more points 17 times this season and 20 of his last 30 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 12 different games of 25 points or more this season, is the first Bluejay with 10 different games of 25 or more points in the same year since Bob Harstad had 15 games like that in 1989-90.

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.”

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' 5.6 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.

Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton has won 90 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
    Creighton has also won 52 straight games (at all sites) when scoring 90 points or more, dating to Jan. 11, 1988.
    Creighton has won 18 straight (at all sites) when scoring 100 points or more, dating to Feb. 26, 1977.

Minute Man's Many Minutes
Antoine Young has played 1,784 minutes in his 69 career games at CenturyLink Century Omaha, the most minutes played in facility history. Young's 255 assists in the building are also a facility record.

Ball Control Offense
Creighton ranked sixth nationally with a 1.47 assist/turnover ratio through games of February 5th, and a big portion of that is due to its starting backcourt.
    Creighton's starting guard trio of Antoine Young (105 A, 42 TO), Jahenns Manigat (36/21) and Grant Gibbs (135/58) have combined for 276 assists and 121 turnovers, good for a collective 2.28 assist/turnover ratio.
    Reserve guards Avery Dingman (5/7), Josh Jones (44/23), Austin Chatman (49/31) and Taylor Stormberg (4/0) have combined for 102 assists against just 61 turnovers.

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.

2,000,000 Fan March
Creighton has attracted 2,159,665 fans all-time in 150 games held at CenturyLink Center Omaha, good for an average of 14,398.
    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

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.

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 574 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.

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 29 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 24 regular-season contests (561 points, 753 minutes), he's scored 677 points in 859 minutes.
    According to stats through Feb. 5th on bbstate.com, McDermott's 29.8 points per 40 minutes led the country, just ahead of Weber State's Damian Lillard's 29.7 per 40 minutes.

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.

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.

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

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).

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.

Passing Fancy
In the first eight years of CenturyLink Center Omaha, the single-game assist record was 28. Through 13 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 448-of-682 of its field goals this season (65.7 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.

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.

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 16,534 fans at home so far this season, good for eighth place, and on pace for an MVC single-season record.
2011-12 Attendance Leaders (thru 2/6)
    Rk.    School    Average    Next Home
    1.    Kentucky    23,541    2/7
    2.    Syracuse    21,931    2/8
    3.    Louisville    21,291    2/6
    4.    North Carolina    19,794    2/8
    5.    Tennessee    17,378    2/8
    6.    Wisconsin    17,171    2/19
    7.    Memphis    16,650    2/11
    8.    Creighton    16,534    2/11
    9.    Kansas    16,300    2/11
    10.    Indiana    16,158    2/9
    11.    Ohio State    16,100    2/7
    12.    Illinois    14,906    2/15
    13.    Michigan State    14,797    2/8
    14.    BYU    14,648    2/11
    15.    Marquette    14,577    2/11
    16.    New Mexico    14,179    2/11
    17.    Arizona    13,752    2/9
    18.    Vanderbilt    13,615    2/8
    19.    Purdue    12,979    2/12
    20.    UNLV    12,977    2/11
    21.    Connecticut    12,929    2/15
    22.    Kansas State    12,868    2/7
    23.    Iowa State    12,682    2/11
    24.    Dayton    12,448    2/15

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
    214,947    Creighton    2011-12
    192,258    Creighton    2003-04
    191,440    Louisville    1974-75

Highest Average Attendance, MVC History
    Avg. Att.    School    Year
    16,534    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 598 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. That's the longest active streak in the MVC.

Postseason x 14
Creighton has made the postseason in 14 consecutive seasons, the longest streak of postseason bids in MVC history.
    The only nine schools to make the postseason in each of the last 14 years are Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Oklahoma State and Syracuse.

I Know What You Did Last Summer
Besides a trip to the Bahamas, two Creighton players stayed busy competing internationally this summer.
    Doug McDermott played for Team USA at the U19 World Championships, which were held in Riga, Latvia. McDermott started every game for coach Paul Hewitt's team and was third on the club in both points (11.3) and rebounds (6.1) per game, while topping the squad with 13 three-point baskets. Despite a 7-2 record and wins over the eventual gold and silver medalist teams, his team finished fifth overall after being upset by Russia in the quarterfinal round.
    Gregory Echenique played for coach Eric Musselman on the Venezuelan National Team, alongside the likes of former Maryland star and current Memphis Grizzlies guard Greivis Vasquez. In head-to-head battles against NBA veterans such as Luis Scola (Argentina), Al Horford (Dominican Republic), Joel Anthony (Canada) and Andres Nocioni (Argentina), Echenique averaged 6.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in eight games while helping Venezuela to fifth place at the FIBA Americas Tournament in Argentina. Venezuela's success 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 150 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in nine seasons at the facility.
    The Bluejays own an 128-22 (.853) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday or Friday.
    Creighton has outscored its opponents 11,189-9,455 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.6 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 36 different times, including seven times this season.

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.

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.

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

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.

Players Mentioned

Will Artino

Austin Chatman

Avery Dingman

Gregory Echenique

Ross Ferrarini

Grant Gibbs

Geoffrey Groselle

Casey Harriman

Josh Jones

Kaleb Korver

Kenny Lawson Jr.

Jahenns Manigat

Doug McDermott

Derek Sebastian

Taylor Stormberg

Ethan Wragge

Antoine Young