2012-13 Creighton Men's Basketball Recap

2012-13 Creighton Bluejays (28-8, 13-5 MVC) Men's Basketball Year-End Recap

    Creighton closed its 54th and final season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference with a memorable year that included the program's first outright league title since 2001-02, a Valley-record 12th Tournament title, and wins in consecutive NCAA Tournaments for the first time during a campaign that saw the Bluejays finish 28-8 overall.
   Returning four starters and nine of its top 10 scorers from the 2011-12 team that went 29-6, expectations were at an all-time high entering the season. CU was ranked 15th in the preseason USA Today coaches poll and 16th by the Associated Press, both the highest preseason marks in program history. Add in the first preseason Associated Press All-American in MVC history (Doug McDermott) and record season ticket sales, and the most anticipated campaign in years brought forth considerable anticipation.
   The season tipped off with a highly-anticipated game against Sun Belt Conference favorite North Texas, which featured potential NBA Lottery pick Tony Mitchell. In front of the largest opening day crowd in program history, Creighton throttled the Mean Green, 71-51, behind 21 points and 11 rebounds from McDermott.
   Creighton's second game was a 77-60 win over UAB, but required a big second half comeback to remain unbeaten. The Jays trailed by 11 points early in the second half before senior guard Josh Jones got loose. Jones scored 10 points in span of 1:17 to kick-start a game-ending 42-15 flurry.
   CU opened play in the 12th Annual Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational with lopsided home wins over Presbyterian (87-58) and Longwood (105-57) before heading to Las Vegas for two marquee games. One night after Thanksgiving, it was the Bluejays stuffing 84 points on Wisconsin's vaunted defense to advance to the championship game of the event. In the finals, the Jays toppled Arizona State, 87-73, to claim the tournament championship. McDermott was named event MVP while Ethan Wragge joined him on the All-Tourney Team.
   With a 6-0 start and coming off a big weekend, Creighton had a letdown and was beaten by an upstart Boise State team in the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Conference Challenge Series. Little did they know that the Broncos would be a Mountain West Conference contender and reach the NCAA's for the second time in 19 years.
   Creighton had a December to remember, playing six games against five eventual postseason qualifiers and not trailing in the second half of any of the wins. The beginning of the eventual season-long 11-game win streak started with a most-impressive 80-51 win over preseason Atlantic-10 favorite Saint Joseph's. Creighton avenged an 80-71 loss in Philadelphia a season ago with a hot start, bolting to a 45-13 lead before settling for a 47-20 halftime lead.
   The Jays played their first true road game on December 6 with a 64-42 win at Nebraska, its first win in Lincoln since 2005. The win was overshadowed by a heart-related setback during pregame warm-ups from Jones, who fainted prior to the game and was hospitalized with an atrial flutter. Jones would stay in Lincoln overnight for additional testing, and hold an emotional press conference one week later where he and coach Greg McDermott discussed his health scare. Two weeks later Jones announced his “retirement” from the game, as the risk to continue playing was too much. Jones would remain around the team the rest of the season, garnering national attention to his plight, while also starring in a documentary “The Josh Jones Story” that came out on March 12th.
   Three days after topping Nebraska, the Jays would host eventual Mid-American Conference champion Akron in a Sunday afternoon game. Doug McDermott would score 20 of his game-high 30 points before half and finish the day with a career-best six three-point shots.
   Creighton then hit the road for a test at eventual NCAA participant California. Spurred by the defensive effort of Jahenns Manigat, the Jays held All-American guard Allen Crabbe into 6-for-26 shooting and never trailed in an eventual 74-64 win. The Jays then returned home for its final non-conference home game of the year against Tulsa. A career-high 21 points from Avery Dingman helped the Jays in a 71-54 win over the Golden Hurricane as CU closed out the pre-conference portion of the season with a 11-1 record.
   After a 10-day layoff, Creighton returned to action with the MVC opener vs. Evansville. CU overcame a triple-double by Purple Aces senior guard Troy Taylor in a 87-70 Bliuejay win.
   The preseason MVC favorite Bluejays opened January with a trip to Normal, Ill., to take on second-place Illinois State. Creighton quieted a near-capacity crowd of 8,813 with a 79-72 win over Illinois State to improve to 13-1 overall and 2-0 in Valley action.
   Creighton returned home to beat Indiana State and Drake before getting a magical night from Doug McDermott in a 74-52 win on January 11th at Missouri State. McDermott scored 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting, making 14 straight attempts at one point and scoring all of CU's points in an 18-5 run to start the second half. The Jays would then topple Northern Iowa 79-68 on January 15th to set up a showdown with defending league champ, Wichita State.
   The CU-WSU game lived up to the hype on ESPN2, but the Shockers emerged with a 67-64 win after the Jays missed a pair of tying three-pointers in the final 10 seconds. The loss was followed with another surprise setback at Drake, a team CU had beaten by 30 points just 15 days prior.
   Creighton would right the ship with an 81-51 win at Southern Illinois, its largest ever road victory in Valley play, on Jan. 27th. That win started a 3-0 stretch that also included triumphs over Missouri State and Bradley.
   Creighton would then suffer through a three-game losing streak that would drop CU out of the national polls for the only time all year. The Jays were defeated 76-57 at Indiana State before being upset at home by Illinois State on Feb. 9th and dropping a 61-54 game at UNI. That left the Jays with a 9-5 league mark and a game behind Wichita State in the league standings with just four conference contests to play.
   With the season on the brink, Creighton would go to Evansville and fall behind 31-15 in the first 12 minutes. Just when things were looking dire, CU's maligned defense stepped up and go CU within five points at halftime of an eventual 71-68 victory that saw the Purple Aces miss a three-pointer at the horn. Highlighting the day was the play of Doug McDermott, who became the first junior in MVC history to reach 2,000 career points on the day. CU returned home with a win over Southern Illinois before falling at Saint Mary's in a nationally-televised BracketBusters showdown on ESPN.
   Creighton won its final road game, 80-62 at Bradley, and coupled with Wichita State's upset home loss to Evansville would find itself tied for The Valley lead heading into a winner-take-all showdown on March 2nd for the league's outright title. Doug McDermott would make 15-of-18 attempts on the day, scoring a season-high 41 points, in a masterful performance against the future Final Four qualifiers.
   Creighton rode that momentum to the MVC Tournament title, picking up wins over Drake, Indiana State and Wichita State en route to the MVC Tournament title. The win in the finals saw Creighton survive a three-point attempt by WSU's Malcolm Armstead bounce off the rim as CU swept the outright title and tournament crown for the first time since 1991. CU's fan base invaded St. Louis in record numbers, as an estimated 6,000 fans clad in blue packed Scottrade Center to cheer on their beloved Bluejays.
   The Valley Tournament title clinched another NCAA Tournament bid for Creighton. The Jays would draw a No. 7 seed and be sent to Philadelphia to take on Cincinnati. Creighton won a physical game with clutch free-throw shooting and hard-nosed defense to pick up wins in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments for the first time in program history.
   Creighton faced Duke in the third round with a Sweet 16 berth at stake, but never got it going offensively in a 66-50 season-ending loss. The Jays had season-lows in points, field goal percentage (.302) and three-point percentage (.105), a stark contrast to the norm for one of the nation's most efficient offenses all season long.
   Doug McDermott led the Jays with 23.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. He repeated honors as a First Team All-American, Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year and MVC Tournament MVP among numerous other accolades. He set single-season school records with 834 points and 49.0 percent shooting from three-point range, while also becoming the program's all-time leading scorer with 2,216 career points.
   Seniors Gregory Echenique and Grant Gibbs were both named Honorable-Mention All-MVC. Echenique became the first Bluejay to earn a spot on three straight MVC All-Defensive Teams, pacing the Jays with 62 blocked shots while ranking second on the team with 9.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Gibbs led the MVC in assists for a second straight year with 210 helpers (second-most in CU single-season history) while ranking third on the team in scoring (8.5) and rebounding (4.1).
   Wragge (7.7 ppg.) would be named MVC Sixth Man of the Year and MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team after leading the team with 78 three-pointers in 36 games off the bench, while starting point guard Austin Chatman (7.4 ppg., 4.2 apg.) would earn the nod on the MVC's Most Improved Team.
   Greg McDermott finished his third season with an 80-30 record as Creighton head coach. He was runner-up for MVC Coach of the Year and shared NABC District 16 Coach of the Year honors. His 80 victories are easily the most in CU history after three years, and most by any Valley coach after three seasons in nearly 60 years.

Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“AM 590 - Omaha's ESPN Radio”) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2012-13 season. T. Scott Marr and Nick Bahe called most of the action, while Ross Ferrarini and Brody Deren also handled analyst duties.
   With the exception of the NCAA Tournament games, the audio was also webcast live at www.AM590espnradio.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Creighton had 31 games air on television in 2012-13, which does not include three exclusive ESPN3.com web-only broadcasts.
   Creighton had five games on KMTV and FSN Midwest, four games on ESPN2, three games on NET, ESPNU, Cox 2, two games on CBS, and one game each on WAQE, Pac-12 Network, WTWO, KWWL, TBS and ESPN.
   Chase Williams and Nick Bahe served as the KMTV broadcast team.

Video Webcast Information
Creighton continued to provide a subscription-based video webcast system for several games in 2012-13. Many other games were streamed free of charge as part of the ESPN3 or NET Sports webcast package, as well.

Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season had free live stats, the third year Creighton teamed with StatBroadcast Systems.
   Home games could also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
   Updates were also provided on the athletic department's Twitter page (@gocreighton).

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) finished his third season as head coach at Creighton. He led CU to a 28-8 mark this year, and is now 80-30 with the Bluejays. 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 360-225 after 19 seasons and is 229-161 in 12 Division I campaigns. McDermott was assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Steve Merfeld.
   McDermott is 2-4 as a Division I head coach in the NCAA Tournament, having lost five-point games as Northern Iowa's head coach in 2004 (vs. Georgia Tech), 2005 (vs. Wisconsin) and 2006 (vs. Georgetown), and going 1-1 each of the last two seasons in the NCAA Tournament.
   He also made two NCAA Tournament appearances as a Division II head coach at Wayne (Neb.) State in 1999 and 2000. His 2000 team reached the Sweet 16.

Postseason x 16
Creighton has made the postseason in 16 consecutive seasons, the longest streak of postseason bids in MVC history.
   The only eight schools to make the postseason in each of the last 16 years (including this year) are Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Syracuse.

Postseason Win Streak
Thanks to an NCAA Tournament win over Cincinnati, the Creighton men's basketball team has now won a postseason game in a school-record six straight seasons. The previous mark was three in a row from 1962-64.
   The following five programs are the only ones that have won a postseason game in six straight seasons, including 2012-13: Creighton, Kansas, North Carolina, Purdue and Syracuse.

NCAA Tournament History
Creighton made its 18th NCAA Tournament appearance, and ninth in the last 15 years, this March. The Bluejays are now 11-19 all-time in NCAA action, including an 8-10 record in its first game. In 26 NCAA or NIT appearances, Creighton has never won consecutive games in the same event.

Tournament Titles Help
Only nine teams in the March 11 edition of the Associated Press top-25 poll went on to win their conference tournament title, an elite group that included Creighton, Gonzaga, Louisville, Kansas, Miami (Fla.), Ohio State, New Mexico, Memphis and Saint Louis.
   Since 2004, seven of the 10 teams that won a national title, first won their league tournament title. The only exceptions came in 2005 and 2009, both years that North Carolina won the national title, as well as last season (Kentucky).

Repeat Tournament Titles
Only 10 teams won the same conference tournament title both this season and last year. That list consists of Creighton (MVC), Louisville (Big East), Montana (Big Sky), Memphis (C-USA), South Dakota State (Summit), New Mexico (MWC), Long Island (Northeast), Western Kentucky (Sun Belt) and New Mexico State (WAC).
   Of those 10 schools, the only three to win an outright regular-season title this year as well were Creighton, Memphis and Montana.

History As An No. 7 Seed
Creighton was a No. 7 seed for the first time in history. It was Creighton's second-best seed ever, trailing only the No. 6 seed in 2002-03.
   Since the NCAA began seeding all the teams in 1979, MVC teams are now 5-4 as the seventh seed, including a 4-0 mark in their first game. The MVC's last previous No. 7 seed, Wichita State in 2006, reached the Sweet 16.
   Since 1985 (including 2013), the No. 7 seed is 70-46 against No. 10 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
   Nineteen different teams seeded No.7 have made the Sweet 16 since 1985, most recently Florida (who played its first two games in Omaha) last season.
   Nationally, teams seeded No. 7 have combined for three or more wins in each of the last three years (including 2013).
Creighton's NCAA Tourney Seeds
(since seeding began in 1979)
Year   Seed   Record
2013   7th   1-1
2012   8th   1-1
2007   10th   0-1
2005   10th   0-1
2003   6th   0-1
2002   12th   1-1
2001   10th   0-1
2000   10th   0-1
1999   10th   1-1
1991   11th   1-1
1989   14th   0-1
1981   8th   0-1

From 7 Seed To Sweet 16, Since 1985
Year   Team   NCAA Record
2012   Florida   3-1
2008   West Virginia   2-1
2007   UNLV   2-1
2006   Georgetown   2-1
2006   Wichita State   2-1
2005   West Virginia   3-1
2004   Xavier   3-1
2003   Michigan State   3-1
2001   Penn State   2-1
2000   Tulsa   3-1
1993   Western Kentucky   2-1
1993   Temple   3-1
1992   Georgia Tech   2-1
1990   Virginia   2-1
1990   Alabama   2-1
1988   Vanderbilt   2-1
1986   Navy   2-1
1986   Iowa State   2-1
1985   Alabama   2-1

Against NCAA Opponents
Creighton went 6-4 against teams that made the 2013 NCAA Tournament. The Jays were 1-0 against Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Akron and Cal, 2-1 against Wichita State, and 0-1 against Duke, Saint Mary's and Boise State.
   Creighton also went 4-1 against NIT qualifiers (wins vs. Saint Joseph's, Arizona State and two over Indiana State), 1-0 vs. CBI teams (Tulsa) and 5-1 vs. CIT teams (two wins vs. Bradley and Evansville, one win vs. UNI).

Sweet Valley Success
Since 1994, the MVC is 27-38) in the NCAA Tournament with nine Sweet 16 trips and one Final Four to its credit.
MVC in the NCAA's, Since 1994
(Sweet 16 trips in bold; Final Four in ALL CAPS)
Year   Teams   NCAA Record
1994   Southern Illinois, Tulsa   2-2
1995   Southern Illinois, Tulsa   2-2
1996   Bradley, Tulsa   0-2
1997   Illinois State   0-1
1998   Illinois State   1-1
1999   Creighton, Evansville, Missouri State   3-3
2000   Creighton, Indiana State   0-2
2001   Creighton, Indiana State   1-2
2002   Creighton, Southern Illinois   3-2
2003   Creighton, Southern Illinois   0-2
2004   Southern Illinois, UNI   0-2
2005   Creighton, UNI, Southern Illinois   1-3
2006   Bradley, UNI, So. Illinois, Wichita State   4-4
2007   Creighton, Southern Illinois   2-2
2008   Drake   0-1
2009   UNI   0-1
2010   UNI   2-1
2011   Indiana State   0-1
2012   Creighton, Wichita State   1-2
2013   Creighton, WICHITA STATE   5-2
Totals (since 1994)   27-38

Postseason Victors
Creighton has won 10 postseason games since 2008, including two in the NCAA's (2012 and 2013), two in the NIT (2008 and 2009), two in the 2010 CIT and four in the 2011 CBI.
   On a national basis, Creighton's 10 postseason wins since 2008 rank tied for 15th nationally.
Most Postseason Wins, Last 6 Years
   Wins   School
   21   North Carolina
   19   Kansas
   16   Louisville
   16   Ohio State
   15   Baylor
   15   Kentucky
   15   Michigan State
   14   Butler
   14   Duke
   14   Florida
   14   Syracuse
   12   VCU
   11   Connecticut
   11   Pittsburgh
   10   Creighton
   10   Oregon State
   10   Stanford
   10   Wichita State

Postseason Features Last-Second Endings
Eleven of Creighton's last 12 postseason runs have included a game that was decided in the final seconds.
   In fact, Creighton's postseason openers in the past 12 years have had four games decided by one point (including a double-OT finish), two by two points, one game by four points, two by six points (including an OT finish) and three games by 11 points.
   This year Cincinnati missed a game-tying three-pointer in the final 20 seconds and Creighton guard Austin Chatman made 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to hold on to a 67-63 win.
   Last season Creighton edged Alabama in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 58-57, as Trevor Releford's game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer came up short.
   Creighton's 2011-12 campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion in the CBI title game at Oregon. Creighton had the ball in a tie game with the shot clock off, but committed a backcourt violation on Oregon's “unique” floor. The Ducks' E.J. Singler then banked in a game-winning shot with 2.0 seconds left. A desperation three-pointer by Creighton was off the mark.
   In 2009, Creighton rallied from a 14-point deficit and would hang on to beat Bowling Green, 73-71 in the first round of the NIT. The Jays needed a last-second defensive stand, as BGSU's Darryl Clements' game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.
   The following game, Creighton led Kentucky by one with 36 seconds left, only to miss two free throws and see UK All-American Jodie Meeks convert a three-point play. CU's Booker Woodfox, the nation's No. 2 three-point shooter, missed an open trey as time expired, and Creighton lost 65-63.
   In 2008, Creighton rallied from a 12-point deficit in the final 3:07 to top Rhode Island, 73-72, in the first round of the NIT. Cavel Witter hit the game-winner with 3.2 seconds left to give CU its first lead of the game since 3-0.
   In 2007, Creighton had the ball for a final shot in a tie game against Nevada in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Nate Funk's shot attempt missed, and a tip-in try was also not converted. The Jays would eventually lose 77-71 in overtime.
   In second round of the 2006 NIT, Miami (Fla.) guard Guilermo Diaz drained a free throw with 2.6 seconds left to beat Creighton 53-52. A last-second shot attempt by Bluejay senior Johnny Mathies was knocked out of his hands.
   In the 2005 NCAA Tourney, Nate Funk had his three-point try with seven seconds left blocked by Tyrone Sally, and Sally raced downcourt for a breakaway dunk with 2.4 seconds left to give West Virginia a 63-61 win. Funk's three-point try from the corner missed at the buzzer.
   In 2004, Creighton fell 71-70 to Nebraska in the NIT. The Jays led nearly the entire second half before NU's go-ahead basket with 12 seconds left. Nate Funk's game-winning jumper from 18-feet away was blocked by Husker guard Jake Muhleisen.
   In 2003 Creighton lost 79-73 to Central Michigan in the NCAA's. The Jays trailed 50-24 with 16:24 left but a furious rally got them within two points (72-70) with 1:20 left, only to turn it over the next three possessions.
   In the 2002 NCAA's, Creighton beat #15 Florida, 83-82, in Chicago. Terrell Taylor hit a game-winning trey with 0.2 seconds left in double-overtime, his final three of 28 points after a scoreless first half.

BCS Busters, Again
Creighton has gone 9-2 in the past two seasons vs. teams from BCS conferences with wins this year over Cincinnati (Big East), Wisconsin & Nebraska (Big Ten) and Arizona State and Cal (Pacific-12). Last year Creighton defeated Alabama (SEC) as well as Big 10 foes Nebraska, Northwestern and Iowa, losing only to North Carolina (ACC) in the NCAA Tournament.
   In those 11 games, All-American Doug McDermott has averaged 25.0 points and 8.6 rebounds, well above his career averages (20.1 ppg., 7.7 rpg.), as seen below:
McDermott vs. BCS Schools, Last 2 Years
Date   Opponent   Pts.   Reb.   Score
11/20/11   vs. Iowa   25   9   W 82-59
12/04/11   Nebraska   24   12   W 76-66
12/22/11   Northwestern   27   5   W 87-79
03/16/12   vs. Alabama   16   10   W 58-57
03/18/12   vs. North Carolina   20   9   L 73-87
11/23/12   vs. Wisconsin   30   8   W 84-74
11/24/12   vs. Arizona State   29   9   W 87-73
12/06/12   at Nebraska   27   4   W 64-42
12/15/12   at California   30   9   W 74-64
03/22/13   vs. Cincinnati   27   11   W 67-63
03/24/13   vs. #6 Duke   21   9   L 50-66

BCS Bracket Buster
Some of Creighton's most thrilling victories in recent seasons have been against teams from the six major college football BCS Conferences (ACC, SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, BIG EAST), as Creighton owns a 33-22 mark in the last 15 seasons.
   Among CU's victims in that time have been Nebraska (12 times), Iowa (three times) DePaul (twice), Florida (twice), Baylor (twice), Oklahoma State (once), Notre Dame (once), Providence (once), Missouri (once), Oregon (once), Cincinnati (once), Northwestern (once), Alabama (once), Wisconsin (once), Cal (once), TCU (once) and Ohio State (once).

On A Roll
Creighton's five-game winning streak was tied for the sixth-longest win streak it has ever taken into the NCAA Tournament. Including 2013, six of the nine times Creighton has entered NCAA action with a streak of five or more wins, it has won its first game.
Creighton Streaks Entering NCAA's
   Streak Entering NCAA's   Year   NCAA Record
   Won 9   1961-62   2-1
   Won 8   2004-05   0-1
   Won 7   1990-91   1-1
   Won 7   2011-12   1-1
   Won 6   1998-99   1-1
   Won 5   2012-13   1-1
   Won 5   1999-00   0-1
   Won 5   1980-81   0-1
   Won 5   1963-64   1-2

Father/Son Duos
According to the website CollegeHoopedia.com, Doug McDermott is just the sixth man in NCAA history to be named conference player of the year while playing for his father.
   Joining them on that elite list are Dick/Mark Acres (Oral Roberts), Dick/Tony Bennett (UW Green Bay), Homer/Bryce Drew (Valparaiso), Press/Pete Maravich (LSU) and Clifford/C.J. Reed (Bethune-Cookman).
   Below is a list compiled by ESPN.com of most points scored by a guy playing for his dad:
Name, School   Points   Father
Pete Maravich,LSU   3,667   Press
Allan Houston, Tennessee   2,801   Wade
Tony Bennett, UWGB   2,285   Tony
Doug McDermott, Creighton   2,216   Greg
Bryce Drew, Valparaiso   2,142   Homer
John Nelson, Portland State   2,123   Sharkey

McDermott In The Postseason
Creighton coach Greg McDermott made his third postseason appearance at Creighton, and fifth overall as a Division I head coach when you include his time at Northern Iowa.
   McDermott's Division I teams own a 6-7 record in five previous postseason appearances, including a 6-4 mark at Creighton.
McDermott's Division I Postseason Appearances
Year   Tourney   Postseason W-L
2003-04 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2004-05 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2005-06 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2010-11 (CU)   CBI   4-2
2011-12 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2012-13 (CU)   NCAA   1-1

Repeat All-American
Doug McDermott joined some elite company by being named a First Team All-American by the USBWA, Associated Press and the NABC for a second consecutive season.
   He is the 70th player to repeat the honor from by the USBWA, 55th from the NABC, and 51st in the history of the Associated Press.

MVC Tournament Recap
Creighton won its second straight MVC Tournament title, avenging regular-season defeats to Drake (65-53), Indiana State (64-43) and Wichita State (68-65) en route to the crown.
   Perhaps most impressively, the Jays trailed for a total of 48 seconds, all in the first half, during the three wins.
   Doug McDermott led the Jays with 62 points on the weekend and earned Most Outstanding Player honors for a second straight year. Gregory Echenique was also named to the MVC's All-Tourney Team.

Speaking Of All-Tourney
Creighton had two men named to the All-Tournament Team at Arch Madness, MOP Doug McDermott and Gregory Echenique.
   McDermott averaged 20.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, shooting 64.3 percent from three-point range.
   Echenique averaged 10.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.3 blocks in three games while shooting 63.2 percent from the floor.
   The duo, who were also named to the 2012 MVC All-Tournament Team, are Creighton's first duo honored more than once since Kyle Korver and Brody Deren earned the honors both in 2002 and 2003.

Here's To History
Creighton head coach Greg McDermott is the only head coach in league history to win a Valley Tournament title at more than one school, having earned one at UNI (2004) and two at Creighton (2012 and 2013).
   When McDermott won his first title in 2004 at Northern Iowa, it made him the first coach in league history to win an MVC Tournament title at his alma mater (class of 1988).

Eight Out Of 15 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 15 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (11), Duke (10), Winthrop (9) and Creighton (8).
   Creighton's 12 all-time Valley Tournament titles are more than twice as many as the next closest school, Southern Illinois (5).

Gentleman And A Scholar
Ethan Wragge earned a spot on the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team, the first Bluejay to earn that honor since Anthony Tolliver in 2006-07.
   Wragge owns a 3.22 GPA in Finance, Marketing and Entrepreneurship and hails from Eden Prairie, Minn.

Defense Comes Up Clutch!
Creighton's oft-maligned defense stepped up in the MVC Tournament, helping to carry Creighton to a title.
   The Jays held three foes to 53.7 points per game, as those teams shot a collective 32.4 percent from the floor and 25.5 percent from three-point range.

Our Coach Can Dunk
Creighton head coach Greg McDermott was a 6-foot-8 center in his playing days at Northern Iowa in the late 1980's, but that doesn't mean he still can't play.
   McDermott threw down a dunk in at the team's practice in St. Louis on March 7th, something he's done every year of his coaching career, and something he hopes to be able to do until he reaches age 50 in two years.
   McDermott's three dunks at Creighton (one every year he's coached there) give him just seven less slams than his son Doug in 110 career games as a Bluejay.
   The video has already received more than 11,000 hits on YouTube. To watch McDermott's dunk, go to http://youtu.be/31XFCD5TpdQ.

Hall of Fame Weekend For Bob Portman
Bob Portman entered the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame on March 8.
   Portman played for Creighton from 1966-69 and averaged 24.6 points and 12.9 rebounds per game during his college career.
   Portman owns the Creighton records for single-game scoring (51), single-season scoring average (29.5) and career scoring average (24.7). He is also fourth for points in a season (738) and ranks fifth in career points (1,876), rebounds (979), free throws (382) and field goals made (747).
   Portman was honored by the MVC as an “Institutional Great” since he never played in the MVC due to Creighton's independent affiliation at the time.
   Joining Portman in the 16th MVC Hall of Fame class was officials coordinator Jim Bain, Wichita State's Darren Dreifort, UNI's Molly O'Brien and Evansville's Krissy Meek-Engelbrecht.

Back-to-Back Tourney Champs
Creighton won back-to-back MVC Tournament titles for the third time in program history. CU also won the 1999 & 2000 crowns, as well as the 2002 & 2003 titles.

Championship Duo
Creighton is one of 11 schools that won a conference tournament championship, as well as an outright regular-season league title, this year.
   That elite group consists of New Mexico, Miami (Fla.), Saint Louis, Gonzaga, Memphis, Belmont, Valparaiso, Bucknell, Davidson, Montana and Creighton.
   It's just the fourth time in program history that the team won an outright regular-season and MVC Tournament title, having also done it in 1978, 1989 and 1991.

Championship Duo, Men & Women
Creighton is one of seven schools that won a regular-season conference title in both men's and women's basketball this year.
   That elite group consists of Montana (Big Sky), Akron (Mid-American), Texas Southern (Southwestern Athletic), South Dakota State (Summit), Middle Tennessee (Sun Belt), Gonzaga (West Coast) and Creighton (Missouri Valley).

McDermott Named MVC Player of the Year
Last year Doug McDermott became the first sophomore in league history to be named Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year. This year, he became the eighth player in league history to repeat the award, joining an illustrious list that includes Junior Bridgeman, Larry Bird, Lewis Lloyd, Xavier McDaniel, Hersey Hawkins, Kyle Korver and Darren Brooks.
   McDermott led The Valley and ranked second nationally with 23.2 points per game. He was also top-six in the MVC in rebounding, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, free-throw percentage, three-pointers made and defensive rebounds.
   McDermott's honor gives Creighton seven MVC Player of the Year awards, one more than Bradley and Southern Illinois for most all-time.
   Last year he became the second player in MVC history to be named both MVC Freshman of the Year (2011) and MVC Player of the Year (2012 and 2013), joining Southern Illinois' great Ashraf Amaya (1990 FOY and 1992 POY).

Repeat Complete
Doug McDermott joined some elite company by duplicating his Most Outstanding Player award from last year's MVC Tournament.
   In league history, only Creighton's Kyle Korver (in 2002 & 2003) has previously won multiple MOP trophies at the MVC Tournament.
   McDermott (in both 2012 and 2013) joined Adam Emmenecker (2008), Kyle Korver (2002 and 2003), Chris Carr (1995) and Hersey Hawkins (1988) as players to be named Most Outstanding Player in the same season they've earned MVC Player of the Year accolades.

Making History
Doug McDermott scored 21 or more points in 26 of the season's 36 games, becoming Creighton's all-time career scoring leader in the process, with 2,216 career points to also rank eighth in MVC history.
All-Time Creighton Scoring Leaders
   Rk.   Name, Years   Points
   1.   Doug McDermott, 2010-Pres.   2,216
   2.   Rodney Buford, 1995-99   2,116
   3.   Bob Harstad, 1987-91   2,110
   4.   Chad Gallagher, 1987-91   1,983
   5.   Bob Portman, 1966-69   1,876

All-Time MVC Scoring Leaders
Rk.   Name, School   Points
   1.   Hersey Hawkins, Bradley   3,008
   5.   Mitchell Anderson, Bradley   2,341
   6.   Colt Ryan, Evansville   2,279
   7.   Steve Harris, Tulsa   2,272
   8.   Doug McDermott, Creighton   2,216
   9.   Cleo Littleton, Wichita State   2,164
   10.   Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State   2,152

40 Point Man
Doug McDermott had a season-high 41 points in a regular-season finale victory vs. Wichita State on March 2nd.
   Leaguewide since 1996-97, there have been just eight games of 40 or more points by one player. McDermott is the only player with multiple games of 41 or more, and Illinois State legend Tarise Bryson (1999-2001) is the only other man with two games of 40+.
   Of the 40-point outings, it's interesting to note that three of those performances have come on a Creighton Senior Night since 2008 (Cavel Witter's 42 in 2008, Colt Ryan's 43 in 2012, McDermott's 41 on March 2, 2013).
   McDermott, who also had 39 points at Missouri State on Jan. 11, was the nation's only player with 39 points or more in multiple games this season.

Not Half Bad
Doug McDermott's highest scoring half of his career has been 31 points, done last year in the second half at Bradley when he scored a career-best 44 points.
   McDermott has scored 15 points or more in a half 44 times during his career, and Creighton is 37-2 in those contests (five times he's scored 15 or more in both halves).
   McDermott owns eight halves in his career with 20 or more points, and just six scoreless halves.

Filling It Up
Ethan Wragge was third in the MVC with 78 three-pointers made this season, giving him 224 in his career. That places him third in Creighton history.
   Each of the other four men in Creighton history with 200 or more three-pointers were named MVC Tournament Most Outstanding Player at some point in their careers.
Most 3FG Made, Career
3FG   Name   Years
   371   Kyle Korver   1999-03
   245   Ryan Sears   1997-01
   224   Ethan Wragge   2009-Pres.
   212   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   200   Nate Funk   2002-07

Straight Shooters
Creighton shot 70.2 percent on March 2nd in a win vs. Wichita State. It was the sixth-best performance nationally this season, and best in the MVC. Next best in the league was a 65.6 percent performance by UNI vs. Wartburg.
   Last season Creighton shot 70 percent or better twice, including a league-record 77.5 percent marksmanship at Southern Illinois.
   Prior to the Jays doing it twice last year, no MVC team had shot 70 percent in any contest since Jan. 10, 2009.

Vote Doug!
Doug McDermott was a finalist for the Lou Henson National Player of the Year, an award that collegeinsider.com hands out to the nation's top mid-major player.
   Fans could vote for McDermott at VoteLouHenson.com.
Championship History
Creighton claimed its 15th MVC regular-season title in program history this year, matching Oklahoma State for most in league history.
   This year's outright title was the team's eighth overall, and first since 2000-01.
   CU's current haul of 15 regular-season titles is more than twice as many as any other current league foe (Wichita State, 7 outright, 0 shared; Southern Illinois, 4 outright, 3 shared).
   CU previously won outright crowns in 1990-91, 1988-89, 1977-78, 1942-43, 1940-41 and 1931-32. Only Oklahoma State (11) and Kansas (10) own more outright MVC titles than Creighton.
   Creighton owns seven shared titles as well, most recently in 2008-09. CU also shared titles in 2001-02, 1941-42, 1935-36, 1934-35, 1930-31 and 1929-30. Creighton's seven shared titles are three more than any other team (Oklahoma State, 4).
   Creighton also owns a record 12 MVC Tournament titles all-time, including 2013. The Jays also won the Valley Tournament in 2012, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999, 1991, 1989, 1981 and 1978.
MVC History - Most Regular-Season Titles
15 - Creighton, Oklahoma State
7 - Southern Illinois, Cincinnati, Wichita State
6 - Bradley, Louisville, Tulsa, Drake

Senior Day Honored Five
Creighton honored five men in its March 2 Senior Day; Gregory Echenique, Taylor Stormberg, Josh Jones, Grant Gibbs and Joe Kelling.
   During the past four years, the Jays went 98-46 while appearing in the postseason every season and claiming the 2012-13 MVC regular-season title and 2012 and 2013 MVC Tournament titles.

He Can Play In Peoria
Doug McDermott had his third straight dominating effort at Carver Arena on Feb. 27th, finishing with 32 points and 11 rebounds.
   As a freshman, McDermott had 19 points and a career-high 17 rebounds at Bradley. Last season, he scored a career-best 44 points versus the Braves.
   McDermott is averaging 31.7 points and 12.3 rebounds per game in three career games at Bradley. In the past two years, he's made 30-of-40 field goal attempts.

The Distributor
Grant Gibbs led the MVC in assists for a second-straight season, something that hadn't been done since Illinois State's Jamar Smiley topped The Valley in three straight campaigns from 1995-98.
   Gibbs 210 assists are second-most in Creighton single-season history, most by any Bluejay since 1973-74.
   Gibbs is the only man in Creighton history with multiple seasons of 170 assists or more.

The 800 Club
Creighton junior Doug McDermott led the nation with 834 points this season after owning a league-high (and second-most nationally) 801 a year ago.
   McDermott joined Oscar Robertson and Larry Bird as the third player in MVC history with multiple 800-point seasons.
   Nationwide, McDermott was the first player with consecutive seasons of 800 points or more since Stephen Curry (Davidson) and Lester Hudson (Tennessee-Martin) in both 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Full House
Creighton attracted six of its nine largest home crowds in program history this season, which included sellouts in seven of the last eight home games. Here's a look at Creighton's top-15 home crowds all-time.
      Rank   Att.   Opponent   Date
   1.   18,735   Wichita State   02/11/12
   2.   18,613   Wichita State   03/02/13
   3.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   4.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   5.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   6.   18,111   Bradley   02/02/13
   7.   18,073   Drake   01/08/13
   8.   17,954   Wichita State   12/28/08
   9.   17,694   Indiana State   01/05/13
   10.   17,676   Northwestern   12/22/11
   11.   17,665   Missouri State   12/28/11
   12.   17,607   Drexel   02/17/07
   13.   17,459   Southern Illinois   01/20/07
   14.   17,411   George Mason   02/21/09
       17,411   Indiana State   01/21/12

Rasmussen Named to MBB Committee
Creighton Athletic Director Bruce Rasmussen has been appointed to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee.
   Rasmussen's five-year term begins September 1st. He will be the only newcomer to the committee for the 2013-14 academic year, replacing current chair Mike Bobinski.

Pretty Good Stretch
Creighton owns 57 wins in the last two seasons, 80 wins in the past three seasons and 98 wins during the last four years. All three totals are among the best stretches in school history, as seen below
Most Wins, 2-Year Stretch
   W-L   Years
   57   2011-Present
   52   2010-12
   52   2001-03
   49   2007-09
   49   2002-04

Most Wins, 3-Year Stretch
   W-L   Years
   80   2010-Present
   76   2000-03
   72   2001-04
   72   2002-05
   71   2006-09

Most Wins, 4-Year Stretch
   W-L   Years
   99   1999-03
   98   2009-Present
   97   2008-12
   96   2000-04
   95   2001-05

His Own Game of H-O-R-S-E
Doug McDermott led the nation last year with 307 field goals made, and his 284 buckets this year once again led the nation.
   Of McDermott's 307 hoops last year, he made 56 baskets with his left hand and used the glass for 174 of his scores.
   Though he played away from the basket even more this season, his numbers remained impressive, as he used this left hand on 26 field goals and banked in a shot 132 times.
   McDermott's 284 field goals this season led the country, even though he was 15th nationally with 518 field goal attempts.
   Prior to McDermott, no player had led the country in field goals made in back-to-back seasons since at least 1995-96.

3-Point Specialist
According to data from Hoop-Math.com, no player nationally attempted a higher percentage of shots from three-point range than Creighton sharpshooter Ethan Wragge in 2012-13.
   Wragge attempted 175-of-187 shots from downtown this season (93.6 percent).
   Wragge is also in some other elite company, as MVC associate commissioner Mike Kern reports that Wragge is the only player in league history with 210 or more three-pointers (224) and 10 starts or less (7).

Dealing With Full Houses
Creighton played in front of 14 sellout crowds this season (8 at home, as well as road games at Nebraska, Wichita State, Northern Iowa and Saint Mary's, and two neutral games in Philadelphia).
   Last year's Creighton team played in front of 10 capacity crowds.

Speaking Of The Road
Creighton finished this season with a 5-4 road record in Valley play. The only other MVC school with five league road wins was Wichita State (5-4).
   Each of the last seven times Creighton's made the NCAA Tournament (including this year), it's been 5-4 or better on the road in Valley play.

Comparing Teams
Last season Creighton had one of the nation's most effective and most efficient offenses. With all but one regular from that squad back, we thought we'd take a second to compare the 2011-12 and 2012-13 teams:
Stat   2011-12   2012-13
Record   29-6   28-8
FG Made   975   942
FG%   .504   .501
3FG Made   287   307
3FG%   .424   .414
FT Made   535   489
FT%   .726   .759
Rebound Margin   +5.5   +4.6
Assists   616   609
Turnovers   421   443
Scoring Average   79.2   74.4
Scoring Defense   69.7   63.2
Scoring Margin   +9.5   +11.3

Racing Past 2,000 Points
After not having a player surpass 2,000 career points since 2003, the MVC had two players do it in the span of six days in February. Evansville's Colt Ryan did it on Feb. 10th vs. Drake in his 117th career contest, and Creighton's Doug McDermott did it against Evansville on Feb. 16th in his 101st career game.
   Below is a list of the all the players in MVC history to 2,000 career points, the quickest MVC players to reach 2,000 points, and a listing of the nation's players since 1995-96 to reach 2,000 career points in 101 career games or less, and some other notable players nationwide who reached 2,000 career points with how long it took them to reach the milestone.
All-Time MVC Scoring Leaders
   Rk.   Name, School   Points
   1.   Hersey Hawkins, Bradley   3,008
   2.   Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati   2,973
   3.   Larry Bird, Indiana State   2,850
   4.   John S. Williams, Indiana State   2,374
   5.   Mitchell Anderson, Bradley   2,341
   6.   Colt Ryan, Evansville   2,279
   7.   Steve Harris, Tulsa   2,272
   8.   Doug McDermott, Creighton   2,216
   9.   Cleo Littleton, Wichita State   2,164
   10.   Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State   2,152

MVC's Fastest Players to 2,000 Points
   Rk.   Name, School   Games to 2,000
   1.   Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati   59
   2.   Larry Bird, Indiana State   65
   3.   Hersey Hawkins, Bradley   97
   4.   John Sherman Williams, Indiana State   98
   5.   Mitchell Anderson, Bradley   100
       Roger Phegley, Bradley   100
   7.   Doug McDermott, Creighton   101
   8.   Cleo Littleton, Wichita State   107
   9.   Rodney Buford, Creighton   111
       Steve Harris, Tulsa   111
   11.   Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State   112
   12.   Marcus Wilson, Evansville   117
       Colt Ryan, Evansville   117
   14.   Bob Harstad, Creighton   121
   15.   Kent Williams, Southern Illinois   130

Fewest Games to 2,000 Points, Since 1996-97
   Rk.   Name, School   Games to 2,000
   1.   Keydren Clark, Saint Peter's   77
   2.   Stephen Curry, Davidson   82
   3.   Reggie Williams, VMI   93
   4.   Troy Murphy, Notre Dame   94
       Gary Neal, La Salle/Towson State   94
   6.   Trey Johnson, Jackson St. & Alcorn St.   96
       C.J. McCollum, Lehigh   96
   8.   Michael Watson, UMKC   97
   9.   Troy Bell, Boston College   98
       Taylor Coppenrath, Vermont   98
       Ricky Minard, Morehead State   98
   12.   Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina   99
       J.J. Barea, Northeastern   99
   14.   Henry Domercant, Eastern Illinois   100
       James Florence, Mercer   100
       Chris Davis, North Texas   100
   17.   Doug McDermott, Creighton   101

More About 2,000 Points
Some additional notes about the 2,000 point club.
   -Before Colt Ryan did it on Feb. 10th, the MVC's last player to score 2,000 points in a career was Southern Illinois' Kent Williams (1999-2003).
   -This year marked the third time in MVC history that two men joined the 2,000 point club in the same season. It previously happened in 1984-85 (Steve Harris & Xavier McDaniel), then again in 1998-99 (Rodney Buford & Marcus Wilson).
   -The Feb. 16, 2013 match-up between Colt Ryan (Evansville) and Doug McDermott (Creighton) marked the first time since March 1, 1999 that two players in the faced each other as members of the 2,000 point club. That match-up was also between Creighton & Evansville, as Rodney Buford's CU team defeated Marcus Wilson's UE squad in the 1999 MVC Tournament final. Buford had 21 points, while Wilson scored 16.
   -Doug McDermott is the first player in MVC history to reach the 2,000 point milestone during his junior season. The only other men to reach 2,000 in three years were Larry Bird and Oscar Robertson, though both men played their sophomore through senior seasons at their respective schools.

Will Power
Reserve center Will Artino provided a huge boost in Creighton's 59-45 win over Southern Illinois on Feb. 19th.
   The sophomore from Waukee, Iowa, tied his (then) career-high with 13 points and added a season-best five rebounds. He made all six field goal attempts and saw a career-high 17 minutes of playing time.
   Artino continued his strong play with 10 points and seven rebounds on Feb. 27 at Bradley.
   Artino scored a career-high 14 points vs. Drake in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals on March 8th, making 5-of-7 shots and four foul shots.
   Even when Artino misses, it's not all bad. Creighton has won its last 26 games when Artino has a missed field goal, and is 31-1 all-time when Artino has a miss.

Rare Bird
According to research from STATS Inc., only two men since 1996-97 have compiled at least 2,100 points, 810 rebounds and 150 three-pointers in their career. That list consists of Creighton junior Doug McDermott and former Duke national champion Kyle Singler.
Name, School   PTS   REB   3FG
Kyle Singler, Duke   2,392   1,015   267
Doug McDermott, Creighton   2,216   844   178

Compared To The National POY's
Doug McDermott is at 2,216 points in 110 games. He reached the 2,000 point milestone in fewer career games (101) than any Oscar Robertson Trophy or John R. Wooden Award winner in the last 21 years except one (Tyler Hansbrough, 99 games).
Wooden Award & Oscar Robertson Trophy Winners To 2,000 Points, Last 21 Years
       Name, School   Games to 2,000
W   O   Trey Burke, Michigan   Didn't reach 2,000
   W O   Anthony Davis, Kentucky   Didn't reach 2,000
   W O   Jimmer Fredette, BYU   120
   W O   Evan Turner, Ohio State   Didn't reach 2,000
   W O   Blake Griffin, Oklahoma   Didn't reach 2,000
   W O   Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina   99
   W O   Kevin Durant, Texas   Didn't reach 2,000
   W O   J.J. Redick, Duke   112
      --O   Adam Morrison, Gonzaga   Didn't reach 2,000
   W O   Andrew Bogut, Utah   Didn't reach 2,000
   W O   Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's   122
W       T.J. Ford, Texas   Didn't reach 2,000
   -- O   David West, Xavier   120
   W O   Jason Williams, Duke   104
   W O   Shane Battier, Duke   Didn't reach 2,000
   W O   Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati   Didn't reach 2,000
   W O   Elton Brand, Duke   Didn't reach 2,000
   W O   Antawn Jamison, N. Carolina   Didn't reach 2,000
   W O   Tim Duncan, Wake Forest   124
   W O   Marcus Camby, UMass   Didn't reach 2,000
   W O   Ed O'Bannon, UCLA   Didn't reach 2,000
   W O   Glenn Robinson, Purdue   Didn't reach 2,000
   W O   Calbert Cheaney, Indiana   105
W = Wooden Award winner
O = Oscar Robertson Trophy winner

More Than The Rest
Doug McDermott has scored 2,216 points in his career, fifth-most among active players. He is the only active junior with at least 1,700 career points.
Most Points, Active Players (though 2012-13)
Source: Stats Inc./MVC
Rk.   Pts.   Name, School   Next Game
   1.   2,423   Kevin Foster, Santa Clara   Done
   2.   2,361   C.J. McCollum, Lehigh   Done
   3.   2,363   Nate Wolters, S. Dakota State   Done
   4.   2,279   Colt Ryan, Evansville   Done
   5.   2,216   Doug McDermott, Creighton   Done
   6.   2,151   Stan Okoye, VMI   Done
   7.   2,106   Seth Curry, Duke   Done
   8.   2,082   C.J. Reed, Georgia Southern   Done
   9.   2,079   Shane Gibson, Sacred Heart   Done
   10.   2,070   D.J. Cooper, Ohio   Done

Most Career Points, Active Juniors
Source: Creighton Sports Info/STATS Inc.
   Rk.   Pts.   Name, School   Next Game
   1.   2,216   Doug McDermott, Creighton   Done
   2.   1,670   Devon Saddler, Delaware   Done
       1,670   Travis Bader, Oakland   Done

Arena Records Within Reach
Numerous CenturyLink Center Omaha records fell this season. See pages 56-57 for more details.
Season Records Already Set
Name       Stat
Austin Chatman       3FG Percentage
Gregory Echenique       FG Percentage
Doug McDermott       Points
Doug McDermott       Points Per Game
Doug McDermott       FT Made

Career Records Already Set
Name       Stat
Gregory Echenique       FG Percentage
Gregory Echenique       Blocked Shots
Doug McDermott       Points
Doug McDermott       Points Per Game
Doug McDermott       Field Goals Made
Doug McDermott       Field Goals Att.
Doug McDermott       FT Made
Doug McDermott       FT Attempted
Doug McDermott       Rebounds/Game
Doug McDermott       Off. Rebounds
Doug McDermott       Def. Rebounds
Doug McDermott       Turnovers
Doug McDermott       Rebounds
Ethan Wragge       3-Pointers Made
Ethan Wragge       3-Pointers Att.

1K to 2K
Creighton's Doug McDermott went over the 1,000 point milestone in his 57th career game (last year at home vs. SIU) and just surpassed 2,000 in game 101 at Evansville on Feb. 16th.
   McDermott had 1,018 points (17.9 ppg.) and 433 rebounds (7.6 rpg.) in his first 57 games while shooting 44.9 percent (80-179) from 3-point range.
   Since then, McDermott has scored 1,198 points (22.6 ppg) and grabbed 411 rebounds (7.8 rpg.) in 53 games while shooting 50.0 percent (98-196) from three-point range.

Call It A Comeback
Creighton trailed 31-15 early at Evansville on Feb. 16th before pulling off a much-needed comeback.
   It was the second comeback from double-digits down in a victory this season (also UAB), and eighth in the last two seasons. Impressively, five of those comebacks have come away from home.
   Below is a list of Creighton's 11 comebacks from down 15 points or more since 2000. Notably, Creighton's comeback at UE was CU's third-largest away from home in that time.
Overcoming Large Deficits, Since 2000
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
02/16/13   at Evansville   15   W 71-68

McDermott Earns MVC Awards
Doug McDermott was named MVC Player of the Week eight times this season, the most by any player in one season in league history.
   His first honor came Nov. 12th for his performance in a Nov. 9 win vs. North Texas. McDermott had 21 points and 11 rebounds to produce CU's first double-double in a season-opener since Kyle Korver in 2001-02.
   He was then honored on Nov. 26th after averaging 25.3 points and 7.3 rebounds while earning MVP honors of the Las Vegas Invitational.
   McDermott was honored on Dec. 10th after averaging 28.5 points in wins vs. Nebraska and Akron.
   McDermott was honored on Dec. 17th after scoring 34 points and hauling down nine rebounds in a win at Cal on Dec. 15th. He was also named National Player of the Week by Seth Davis (CBS/Sports Illustrated) and the USBWA for that performance.
   His fifth honor of the year came on Jan. 14th after he averaged 27.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in wins over Missouri State and Drake.
   McDermott averaged 27.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in wins vs. Missouri State and Bradley to win his sixth award on Feb. 4th.
   He earned his seventh accolade on Feb. 18th by averaging 18.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists as Creighton while becoming the first junior in league history to surpass 2,000 career points.
   Most recently, McDermott picked up his eighth honor on March 2nd after averaging 36.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in wins vs. Bradley and Wichita State that clinched CU's first outright MVC title since 2001.
   McDermott owns 13 career MVC Player of the Week honors, something only Bradley great Hersey Hawkins (14) can top. His eight honors this year surpass Hawkins' 1987-88 campaign (6) for the most ever in a single-season.
   Including his seven MVC Newcomer of the Week honors in 2010-11, McDermott has won at least one weekly award from the MVC in 20 of 49 weeks since enrolling at Creighton.

10 Conference Wins x 17
Creighton extended its MVC record by winning 10 or more league games for a 17th consecutive season, picking up the 10th victory on Feb. 16th at Evansville.
   On a national basis, the only other current school with at least 17 straight years of 10 or more league wins is Kansas (19 straight, including this season).
   This was also Creighton's 17th straight season the Jays have finished fourth place or better in the MVC as well.

McDermott Through 100 Games
Creighton junior Doug McDermott played in his 100th career game on Feb. 13th at UNI.
   He is the first Bluejay since Ryan Sears (1997-2001) to start the first 100 games of his career. Here's a look at the stats from some other recent notable Creighton players through 100 career games.
First 100 Career Games
Name   Pts   Rebounds
Doug McDermott   1,980   768
Rodney Buford   1,799   584
Bob Harstad   1,626   888
Chad Gallagher   1,508   695
Kyle Korver   1,306   480
Nate Funk   1,144   324
Ryan Sears   1,061   326
Ben Walker   951   530
Kenny Lawson Jr.   896   517
Dane Watts   830   498
Anthony Tolliver   782   443

Poll Position
Creighton was ranekd nearly all season long before finishing the year 22nd in the final Associated Press poll (released March 18) and 21st in the USA Today Coaches poll (released April 8th at the end of the year).
   Creighton's program-record streak of 17 straight weeks in the AP's top-25 was snapped when the Jays dropped out of the Feb. 11th edition.
   Creighton's best AP ranking this year was 11th on Nov. 26th, and its best coaches poll rank was 10th.
   Creighton was ranked 15th in this year's preseason coaches poll, its first preseason recognition since coming in at No. 23 in 2006-07.
   Creighton started this year with a No. 16 preseason ranking by the AP, its highest preseason mark in program history and the best by any MVC school since No. 6 Wichita State in 1981-82.
   Including the March 18th poll, Creighton has been ranked 28 times in 57 weeks of polls under Greg McDermott, and ranked between 26th-to-28th in five other polls. The 28 weeks in the top-25 under McDermott is more than any coach in Bluejay history.
Coaches Spending Most Weeks in Top 25 at CU
Greg McDermott, 2010-Pres.   28 (of 57)
Dana Altman, 1994-2010   18
Tom Apke, 1974-81   5
Eddie Sutton, 1969-74   5

20 Wins, Again
Creighton won 20 or more games for the 14th time in the last 15 seasons, an unprecedented feat in Missouri Valley Conference history that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
   Just five schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 15 years: Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse.
   Creighton is one of four schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 14 of the past 15 years. That list consists of Creighton, Kent State, Kentucky and Utah State.
   That's better than traditional powers Arizona, Connecticut and Memphis (13 each) and also ahead of Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin (12 each).
   Creighton secured its 25th all-time 20-win season with a victory on Feb. 2nd, the second-fastest its ever been (by calendar) to that milestone.
Most 20+ Win Seasons, Last 15 Years
   Seasons*   School   2012-13 W-L   Next Game
   15   Gonzaga   32-3   Done
   15   Kansas   31-6   Done
   15   Duke   30-6   Done
   15   Syracuse   30-10   Done
   15   Florida   29-8   Done
   14   Creighton   28-8   Done
   14   Utah State   21-10   Done
   14   Kentucky   21-12   Done
   14   Kent State   21-14   Done

20-Win Seasons
Creighton has earned its 25th 20-win season in program history. Creighton's 28 wins are third-most in program history, and the third time in the past five seasons its reached 25 wins or more.
Previous 20-Win Seasons, Sorted By Wins
   W-L   Season   Postseason?
   29-5   2002-03   NCAA (0-1)
   29-6   2011-12   NCAA (1-1)
   28-8   2012-13   NCAA (1-1)
   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)
   21-5   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   --

Supporting Cast
Doug McDermott was Creighton's only player to average in double-figures, but he had lots of support to help lead the Jays to 28 wins.
   Creighton was 15-2 when Gregory Echenique (9.7 ppg.) scores in double-figures this year.
   Creighton was 11-0 when Ethan Wragge (7.7 ppg.) scored in double-figures this year. CU is 29-1 under Greg McDermott and 15-0 this year when Wragge shoots 50 percent from three-point range.
   Creighton was 8-1 when Austin Chatman (7.4 ppg.) scored in double-figures this year.
   Creighton was 6-2 when Jahenns Manigat (5.9 ppg.) scored in double-figures this year. CU is now 19-1 all-time when Manigat makes three or more 3-pointers, including 17 straight wins, and the Jays are 22-2 (with 20 straight wins) when Manigat shoots better than 50 percent from 3-point range.
   Creighton is 13-0 all-time when Avery Dingman (3.7 ppg.) makes multiple three-pointers.
   Creighton's won its last 26 games when Will Artino (64.6 percent) has missed a field goal attempt, and is 31-1 all-time when it happens.

About The Final Seconds
Creighton's Feb. 13 game at Northern Iowa was the first (and only) time all season that Creighton had a lead change in the final five minutes. Unfortunately for CU, its 48-45 lead was squandered as it lost 61-54.
   Last year's Creighton team went 5-1 in games that went to overtime or had a lead change in the final five minutes of regulation and were 7-1 in games decided by six points or less.

Grand Poobah
Doug McDermott has scored 1,101 points in his first 55 career home games. He is the all-time leading scorer in CenturyLink Center Omaha history.
   McDermott also owns CenturyLink Center Omaha career records in points per game (20.1) and rebounds per game (7.5).
   In case you're curious Rodney Buford scored 1,056 points in 56 career home games at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.

On A Roll
Since the start of last season, Creighton is a remarkable 56-14. On a national basis, Creighton's 56 wins since the start of last season ranks tied for seventh, as seen below.
   Creighton is one of six schools with 28 wins or more each of the last two years, joining Syracuse, New Mexico, Kansas, Louisville and Ohio State.
Most Wins, Since 2011-12
School   '11-12   '12-13   W-L   Next
Louisville   30-10   35-5   65-15   --
Syracuse   34-3   30-10   64-13   --
Kansas   32-7   31-6   63-13   --
Ohio State   31-8   29-8   60-16   --
Kentucky   38-2   21-12   59-14   --
Gonzaga   26-7   32-3   58-10   --
Duke   27-7   30-6   57-13   --
New Mexico   28-7   29-6   57-13   --
Creighton   29-6   28-8   57-14   --
Wichita State   27-6   30-9   57-15   --
North Carolina   32-6   25-11   57-17   --

Historically After 12 MVC Games
Creighton was 9-3 in the MVC after its 12th game of the league slate. This is the 18th straight season that Creighton has had a league record of .500 or better after 12 games, and also the 18th straight year the Jays would go .500 or better in its final six contests as well.
Year   W-L After 12   W-L Final 6
2012-13   9-3   4-2
2011-12   11-1   3-3
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   145-71 (.671)   70-38 (.648)

MVC's Best On The Road
In addition to owning one of the MVC's best home-court advantages, Creighton has easily posted the league's best record in MVC road games since 2000-01 as well.
   Creighton is 64-53 in MVC road games in that span, a win percentage of .547. A distant second is Southern Illinois (54-63, .461). As a league, the road winning percentage has been .344 in the same span.
MVC Road Records (since 2000-01)
Team   W   L   Pct.
Creighton   64   53   .547
Southern Illinois   54   63   .461
Wichita State   51   66   .436
Northern Iowa   48   69   .410
Missouri State   43   74   .368
Drake   34   83   .291
Illinois State   33   84   .282
Bradley   30   87   .256
Indiana State   25   92   .214
Evansville   21   96   .179
All MVC Teams   403   767   .344

Over .500, Again
Creighton has been better than .500 in either the first or second-half of the league season in 35 straight trips through the league, including both halves this year.
   Creighton's 35 consecutive halves above .500 in league play is easily the Valley's longest active streak, with Evansville the next closest at a modest two.
   Here's how Creighton's teams have fared in the various halves of the MVC season since 1995-96.
Year   1st Half   2nd Half
2012-13   7-2   6-3
2011-12   8-1   6-3
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   106-56 (.654)   109-53 (.673)

Climbing The Charts
Greg McDermott ranks in 12th in league history in wins as well as 11th in MVC wins, as seen below:
Most Coaching Wins, All Games, MVC History
   1.   486   Henry P. Iba, Oklahoma State
   2.   337   Eddie Hickey, Creighton & Saint Louis
   3.   327   Dana Altman, Creighton
   4.   225   Rich Herrin, Southern Illinois
   5.   220   Ralph Miller, Wichita State
   6.   211   Maury John, Drake
   7.   197   Joe Stowell, Bradley
   8.   194   Chuck Orsborn, Bradley
   9.   185   Ken Hayes, Tulsa & New Mexico St.
   10.   183   Barry Hinson, Missouri State & SIU
   11.   174   Jim Molinari, Bradley
   12.   172   Greg McDermott, UNI & Creighton
   13.   169   Dr. Phog Allen, Kansas

Most Coaching Wins, MVC Games Only
   1.   187   Henry P. Iba, Oklahoma State
   2.   162   Dana Altman, Creighton
   3.   163   Eddie Hickey, Creighton & Saint Louis
   4.   126   Dr. Phog Allen, Kansas
   5.   111   Rich Herrin, Southern Illinois
   6.   110   Jim Molinari, Bradley
   7.   102   Barry Hinson, Missouri State & SIU
   8.   95   Maury John, Drake
   9.   91   Joe Stowell, Bradley
   10.   87   Gene Smithson, Wichita State
   11.   86   Ken Hayes, Tulsa & New Mexico St.
       86   Chuck Orsborn, Bradley
       86   Greg McDermott, UNI & Creighton
   14.   84   W.O. Hamilton, Kansas

Give Him The Oscar!
Creighton junior Doug McDermott was one of 14 finalists selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for its 2013 Oscar Robertson Trophy. Members of the association's board of directors chose the players to be included on the list as contenders for the Oscar Robertson Trophy presented by Aflac.
   In addition to McDermott, other players under consideration are Anthony Bennett, Trey Burke, Michael Carter-Williams, Ben McLemore, Victor Oladipo, Kelly Olynyk, Mason Plumlee, Otto Porter, Marcus Smart, Russ Smith, DeShaun Thomas, Jeff Withey and Cody Zeller.
   The award was handed out to Trey Burke.

What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 80-30 on the Creighton sideline after three years at the helm. The 80 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first three seasons.
Most Wins at CU, First Three Seasons
Coach   Years   W-L After 3 Yrs
Greg McDermott   2010-Pres.   80-30
Tom Apke   1974-77   60-21
Eddie Sutton   1969-72   44-32
Red McManus   1959-62   42-33

Eighty Wins!
Greg McDermott owns 80 wins in his first three seasons at Creighton. According to research by MVC Associate Commissioner Mike Kern, McDermott's 80 wins are third-most by a Valley coach in his first three years at a school.
   Ed Jucker and Denny Crum both won national titles and are MVC Hall of Famers, while Crum is also in the Naismith and NABC Hall of Fame.
Most Wins, 1st Three Years at an MVC School
   W-L   Name, School   Years
   91-19   Forddy Anderson, Bradley   1948-51
   82-7   Ed Jucker, Cincinnati   1960-63
   80-30   Greg McDermott, Creighton   2010-Pres.
   78-26   Chris Lowery, Southern Illinois   2004-07
   71-31   Tim Jankovich, Illinois State   2007-10
   70-19   Denny Crum, Louisville   1971-74

Emerging Echenique
Gregory Echenique scored in double-figures during eight straight games from Dec. 1st - Jan. 5th, but reached double-figures in just seven of 20 games after that.
   Creighton was 15-2 this year when Echenique scores in double-figures, and 40-13 all-time when he scored in double-figures.

Point, Counterpoint
No player in the MVC owned more assists in the past two seasons than Creighton senior Grant Gibbs' 386. Earlier this year Gibbs became the 12th player (and second-quickest) in Bluejay history to 300 assists, doing it in his 56th contest.
MVC Assist Leaders, Since 2011-12
   386   Grant Gibbs, Creighton
   311   Jake Odum, Indiana State
   254   Troy Taylor, Evansville

Creighton's Quickest Players to 300 Assists
   Games   Name
   53   Ralph Bobik
   56   Grant Gibbs
   59   Randy Eccker
   69   Ryan Sears
   85   Tyler McKinney
   89   Duan Cole
   94   Josh Dotzler
   92   Vernon Moore
   100   Antoine Young
   102   Kevin McKenna
   110   Latrell Wrightsell
   129   Nate Funk

Teach Me How To Stop Him
Doug McDermott owns 20 or more points in 56 of his first 110 career games in a Bluejay uniform. He's put up 20 points or more against a Valley opponent 28 times.
Doug McDermott Points vs. Opponents
Opponent   Points Against   20+   30+   40+
Drake   175   5   1   -
Bradley   161   4   2   1
Missouri State   143   2   1   -
Illinois State   141   4   1   -
Evansville   136   4   -   -
Indiana State   135   4   -   -
Northern Iowa   123   1   1   -
Wichita State   123   2   1   1
Southern Illinois   101   2   -   -
Nebraska   61   2   -   -
Tulsa   51   1   1   -
Saint Joseph's   49   2   -   -
Akron   46   1   1   -
Northwestern   41   1   -   -
Oregon   40   1   -   -
Long Beach State   36   1   1   -
California   34   1   1   -
UAB   32   1   -   -
Davidson   31   1   1   -
Campbell   31   1   1   -
Wisconsin   30   1   1   -
Arizona State   29   1   -   -
Cincinnati   27   1   -   -
San Jose State   26   1   -   -
Iowa   25   1   -   -
San Diego State   25   1   -   -
Houston Baptist   25   1   -   -
Presbyterian   24   1   -   -
Saint Mary's   22   1   -   -
Chicago State   21   1   -   -
North Texas   21   1   -   -
Boise State   21   1   -   -
Duke   21   1   -   -
BYU   20   1   -   -
North Carolina   20   1   -   -
Kennesaw State   18   -   -   -
Longwood   17   -   -   -
Alabama State   16   -   -   -
Iowa State   16   -   -   -
UCF   16   -   -   -
Alabama   16   -   -   -
Samford   14   -   -   -
North Carolina A&T   13   -   -   -
Louisiana   12   -   -   -
Idaho State   12   -   -   -
Northern Arizona   10   -   -   -
Western Illinois   9   -   -   -

Number 3, For 3
Doug McDermott made 50 percent or better of his three-point attempts during 19 of his last 30 games, and shot 49.0 percent from downtown overall this year.
   McDermott's 178 career three-pointers are seventh-most in Bluejay history. Teammate Ethan Wragge is third with 224 treys, and fellow junior Jahenns Manigat is 10th with 146.
   3FG   Name   Years
   371   Kyle Korver   1999-03
   245   Ryan Sears   1997-01
   224   Ethan Wragge   2009-Pres.
   212   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   200   Nate Funk   2002-07
   185   Matt Roggenburk   1986-90
   178   Doug McDermott   2010-Pres.
   177   Duan Cole   1987-92
   147   Booker Woodfox   2007-09
   146   Jahenns Manigat   2010-Pres.

Who Will Start?
Creighton utilized the same starting five in every game this season, and four of their five starters had streaks of 71 or more straight starts by year's end.
   Creighton was one of two teams to start the same starting five in every game this season, joining Stephen F. Austin.
   CU's starting five played together as a group for 424 minutes this season, during which time its outscored the opposition by 129 points.
Consecutive Starts, Creighton (Active)
Doug McDermott   110
Gregory Echenique   95
Jahenns Manigat   86
Grant Gibbs   71
Austin Chatman   36

Winning Away From Home
Creighton won a school-record 15 games away from home last season. The Jays went 10-3 in true road games and were also 5-1 on neutral floors.
   Creighton's lone neutral-site loss came to North Carolina in a not-so “neutral” Greensboro, N.C., in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
   This year's team went 13-6 away from home, with five of those victories against a BCS school (Wisconsin, Arizona State, Nebraska, Cal, Cincinnati), a 22-point win at Missouri State, a seven-point win at Illinois State, a 30-point win at Southern Illinois, a three-point win at Evansville an 18-point triumph at Bradley, and three MVC Tournament wins in St. Louis.
   This season was the first time since 1942-43 that Creighton has won its first six games away from home.
   Each of Creighton's last 10 NCAA Tournament teams (including this year) have won 10 or more games away from home, and nine of those teams (including this year) had a winning record in true road contests.
Nation's Best Offense?
You can make a case that Creighton boasted the nation's best offensive production this year.
   Creighton was second in the country in field goal percentage (50.1) and three-point percentage (41.4), third in two-point field goal percentage (55.7), and 10th in three-pointers per game (8.5).

Defense! Defense!
Creighton ranked 222nd nationally last season in field goal percentage defense at 44.1 percent, one area that the program has tried hard to improve on in the off-season.
   The results have been promising, as CU limited foes to 40.7 percent marksmanship. That figure ranked 77th-best nationally in 2012-13.
   Only nine teams shot better than 43.4 percent this season against the Jays.
   The 42 points by Nebraska on Dec. 6th were its fewest against Creighton since 1932, a span of 39 meetings.

Efficiency Improves
Because Creighton tends to play at a faster pace and have more possessions than the average school, Bluejay coaches place significant emphasis on stats like average points per possession, with data that can be found on a site such as bbstate.com.
   Creighton's offense is still clicking as one of the nation's best, but the team has made huge strides on the defensive end of the floor, jumping from 222nd last year to 80th this season.
   All but eight of Creighton's opponents have been held under 1.03 points per possession this season.
Points Per Possession
   2010-11   2011-12   2012-13
Offense   1.065   1.150   1.136
Offense Rank   46th   2nd   3rd
Defense   1.006   1.014   0.948
Defense Rank   192nd   222nd   80th

McDermott Goes For 39
Junior Doug McDermott had 39 points on Jan. 11th at Missouri State, scoring in nearly every conceivable way. Consider the following aspects of his performance:
-McDermott started the game 1-for-4 from the field, then sank his next 14 shots from the floor. When he missed his final shot of the game with 4:13 to go, the JQH Arena crowd gave a sarcastic Bronx cheer.
-McDermott scored Creighton's first 18 points of the second half as the Jays extended a 32-27 halftime lead into a 50-32 margin.
-McDermott's 39 points were seven more than the previous JQH Arena record.
-McDermott outscored Missouri State by himself in the second half, 28-25, and outscored MSU 35-34, in the final 26:16 of the contest.
-McDermott became the first player in the country this season with 39 points and 10 or more rebounds in the same game this season.
-His 28 points in the second half were the most by a Creighton player in a half since he scored 31 in the second half of his 44-point performance at Bradley on Jan. 7, 2012.

More on 39
Doug McDermott's 39 points at Missouri State now rank tied for 14th-most in Creighton history, and he joined Bob Portman and Benoit Benjamin as the only players in Creighton history with multiple games of 39 points or more in a career.
   Pts.   Name, Opponent   Date
   51   Bob Portman vs. UW-Milwaukee   12/16/67
   47   Eddie Cole at Morningside   11/29/54
   46   Bob Portman vs. Weber State   12/23/68
   45   Tim Powers at Idaho State   01/29/66
       Benoit Benjamin vs. Indiana State   01/19/85
   44   Doug McDermott at Bradley   01/07/12
   43   Bob Portman at Kansas State   02/12/68
       Benoit Benjamin vs. Southern Illinois   01/17/85
   42   Bob Portman vs. LaSalle   01/30/68
       Cavel Witter vs. Bradley   03/01/08
   41   Doug McDermott vs. Wichita State   03/02/13
   40   Chad Gallagher vs. Wichita State   02/17/90
       Rodney Buford vs. Bradley   12/30/98
   39   Bob Portman vs. Oklahoma City   01/13/68
       Doug McDermott at Missouri State   01/11/13

Jays Reach 10 Home Wins, Again
With a Jan. 8th win vs. Drake, Creighton won its 10th home game this season. Creighton has now won 10 or more home games in 17 straight seasons.
   The streak is easily a school-record, five 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.

Wragge = Instant Offense
Ethan Wragge had 22 points in just 17 minutes vs. Drake on Jan. 8th, sinking six three-pointers for the fourth time in his career.
   It's the second time in Wragge's career he's had 20 or more points in 17 minutes or less, having gone for 21 points in 17 minutes as a freshman vs. Xavier.
   Before Wragge arrived on campus four years ago, no other Creighton player had 20 or more points in 19 minutes or less since Vernon Moore put up 21 points in 19 minutes against Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 24, 1984.

The Barometer
Jahenns Manigat led the MVC with his 49.2 percent marksmanship from three-point range in league play a year ago. When it came to CU's nine MVC road games last year, he was the barometer.
   In Creighton's seven Valley road wins, Manigat shot a robust 19-of-27 (70.4 percent) from downtown. In CU's two Valley road losses, Manigat was just 2-of-9 (22.2 percent) from downtown.
   In Creighton's five Valley road wins this year, Manigat was 13-for-20 (65.0 percent) from three-point range, while he was 1-for-11 (9.1 percent) from deep in CU's four MVC road losses.

Midseason Wooden Award List
Creighton forward Doug McDermott was the lone MVC representative on the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the list is made up of 25 student-athletes who, based on their performances in November, December, and the beginning of January, are the frontrunners for college basketball's most prestigious honor.

Three-Point Barrage
Creighton started MVC play shooting the daylights out of the ball, making 50 percent or better of its 3-point shots in six straight games for the first time in program history.
   The Jays were 12-of-24 from downtown vs. Evansville, went 13-of-25 at Illinois State, were 11-of-22 from deep vs. Indiana State, an absurd 16-of-27 vs. Drake, 9-of-17 from long-range at Missouri State and 6-of-12 vs. UNI.
   Creighton's four-game stretch to start league play was the first time since January of 2008 that Creighton's had four straight games with 10 or more three-pointers.
   Creighton's 16 three-pointers vs. Drake were tied for second-most in school history, tied for 10th-most in MVC history and the most in the MVC in 2012-13. The league record for three-pointers in a game is 20, done by Creighton (vs. Chattanooga on 2/19/05) and later matched by Bradley vs. Florida A&M on Nov. 21, 2006.

Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season was no exception.
   Creighton had four 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 Iowans this season included senior Grant Gibbs (Marion), junior Doug McDermott (Ames), sophomore Will Artino (Waukee) and redshirt freshman Alex Olsen (Council Bluffs).
   Other past notable Iowans include Kyle Korver (Pella), Ryan Sears (Ankeny), Brody Deren (Harlan), Tyler McKinney (Urbandale) and Nate Funk (Sioux City).
   Creighton has played at least one Iowa native in 621 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State. In that time, 943 of Creighton's 3,105 starts (30.4 percent) can be attributed to Iowans. Here's a list of the Iowans and how many starts they've made during this run:
Creighton's Starts By Iowans, Since 2/5/1994
Ryan Sears   124
Doug McDermott   110
Nate Funk   99
Kyle Korver   95
Michael Lindeman   94
Tyler McKinney   89
Brody Deren   89
Grant Gibbs   71
Joel Templeman   57
Kaleb Korver   46
Pierce Hibma   27
Adam Reid   24
Casey Harriman   16
John Klein    2

Big Man In The Middle
Gregory Echenique scored in double-figures in eight straight games from Dec. 1st - Jan. 5th.
   Echenique's 65.7 percent marksmanship from the field led The Valley and approached not only the Creighton (67.4%) mark, but also neared the MVC single-season mark (also 67.4%) as well.
   It's also worth noting that Echenique ranks third in Creighton history with 174 career blocked shots. Echenique also ranks 13th in Rutgers history with 94 career swats, where he spent the first three semesters of college.
Most Blocked Shots, Creighton History
(Since 1979-80)
   Blk.   Name   Years
   411   Benoit Benjamin   1982-85
   183   Chad Gallagher   1987-91
   174   Gregory Echenique   2010-Pres.
   153   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2006-11
   138   Brody Deren   2001-04
   136   Anthony Tolliver   2003-07

Let's Get It Started
Creighton won its first six MVC games this season before falling at Wichita State.
   As good as Creighton's been since rejoining the MVC in 1977-78, it was just the second time the program has started 6-0 in league play in that span. Including this season, all three Creighton teams to start 5-0 in league play would go on to win the MVC Tournament.
Creighton's Best MVC Starts, Since 1977-78
   Start   Year   Finish/Place
   7-0   2002-03   15-3/2nd (won MVC Tourney)
   6-0   2012-13   13-5/1st (won MVC Tourney)
   5-0   1988-89   11-3/1st (won MVC Tourney

Honors Roll In
Doug McDermott picked up two big honors in early January, adding to his collection.
   ESPN.com named McDermott the National Player of the Month after a December that saw him average a nation-best 26.5 points per game while shooting 57.5 percent from the field, 57.6 percent from three-point range and 88.9 percent in the line in six Creighton victories.
   McDermott was also named the Lute Olson Award Midseason National Player of the Year honoree. McDermott was named the Lute Olson Award National Player of the Year at the end of last season.
   McDermott was named Midseason National Player of the Year by such experts as Seth Davis, Dick Vitale and Andy Katz.

Conference Starts Are Big
Since 1993-94, only one team (Northern Iowa, a 2008-09 co-champion) has won at least a share of the regular-season title without winning its league opener. Including this season, 17 of the last 19 regular-season champs (or co-champs) have opened 2-0 or better in MVC play, with UNI in 2008-09 and Wichita State in 2011-12 serving as the exceptions.

Team of the Millennium?
Below is the records for each MVC school from the start of the 2000-01 season until the start of this season, ranked by overall winning percentage.
   Creighton leads the MVC overall with 308 wins in the millennium, as well as 13 postseason appearances:
MVC Standings (start 2000-01 to 2012-13)
       MVC   only         All Games
Team   W   L   Pct.   W   L   Pct.
Creighton   162   72   .692   308   128   .706
Wichita State   137   97   .585   268   160   .626
Southern Illinois   140   94   .598   252   168   .600
Northern Iowa   129   105   .551   247   173   .588
Missouri State   124   110   .530   235   184   .561
Illinois State   107   127   .457   218   191   .533
Bradley   100   134   .427   207   214   .492
Drake   99   135   .423   195   208   .484
Indiana State   88   146   .376   181   226   .445
Evansville   84   150   .359   162   232   .411

Postseason Appearances by MVC Teams
(Since 2000-01)
Team   NCAA   NIT   CBI   CIT      Total
Creighton   7   4   1   1   13
Wichita State   3   5   1   0   9
Northern Iowa   5   1   0   2   8
Southern Illinois   6   1   0   0   7
Bradley   1   2   1   2   6
Missouri State   0   4   0   1   5
Illinois State   0   5   0   0   5
Indiana State   2   1   1   1   5
Evansville   0   0   2   2   4
Drake   1   0   0   2   3

Consistent Challengers
This is the 11th time in the last 16 years thatCreighton has 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 2012-13, 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, while the 2010-11 club tied for fourth place.
Creighton's MVC Finishes, Last 16 Years
1st Place   2000-01, 2012-13 (won MVC Tourn.)
Tied for First   2001-02 (won MVC Tourn.), 2008-09
2nd Place   1997-98, 2002-03 (won MVC Tourn.),
   2006-07 (won MVC Tourn.), 2011-12 (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

Unbeaten December
Creighton went 6-0 in December wrapping up an unbeaten December with a victory over Evansville on Dec. 29.
   Since 1946-47, Creighton's only two other teams to go unbeaten in December were in 2003 and 2008.
   The 2008-09 team went 9-0 in December and would go on to win a share of the MVC regular-season title.
   The 2003-04 squad finished tied for second in the MVC. That team began the season 12-0 before suffering an overtime loss in a game hosted by Northern Iowa and its then-coach, Greg McDermott.

Coaches vs. Cancer Summary
As part of the nationwide American Cancer Society Coaches Vs. Cancer event, men's basketball fans were encouraged to wear pink to promote cancer awareness and participate in the “Creighton Vs. Cancer Pink Out” game when the Bluejays hosted Bradley on Saturday, Feb. 2.
   Bluejay players wore pink shooting shirts and pink jerseys for the game and fans had the opportunity to honor a friend or family member who has battled cancer or is currently battling cancer by purchasing the apparel via auction (the shooting shirt could be personalized – last name, nickname, etc.).
   The first 14,000 fans entering the venue on February 2 received a complimentary pink t-shirt courtesy of Alegent Creighton Health and Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center.
   Last year's Creighton vs. Cancer jersey auction raised more than $20,600. This year's auction raised $24,444. An additional $7,239.17 was raised from at-the-door collection, bringing the total to $31,683.17. Seven jerseys sold for more than $1,000. Below is a list showing what each jersey sold for:
Jersey #00   $2,025
Jersey #1   $1,125
Jersey #2   $860
Jersey #3   $5,002
Jersey #4   $406
Jersey #5   $2,550
Jersey #10   $3,050
Jersey #11   $510
Jersey #12   $1,020
Jersey #13   $450
Jersey #22   $910
Jersey #23   $585
Jersey #24   $960
Jersey #30   $556
Jersey #31   $710.01
Jersey #34   $1,025
Jersey #50   $510

Doing It All
Reigning MVC Player of the Year Doug McDermott has one of the nation's best set of post moves, and now the junior forward is taking his skills to the perimeter with similar success.
   Eight days after tying a career-high with five-three pointers in a 29-point thrashing of Atlantic-10 favorite Saint Joseph's, McDermott shot 6-for-8 from downtown in a 77-61 win over defending MAC champion Akron on Dec. 9th.
   McDermott's career 46.4 percent accuracy from three-point range ranks tops in CU history. Since starting his career 15-of-53 (28.3 percent) after 20 games from downtown, McDermott has made 163-of-331 three-pointers (49.2 percent) in his past 90 games.
   McDermott averaged 13.6 points in his first 20 games at Creighton, and has averaged 21.60 points in his past 90 games with the Jays.

Full House
This year's Creighton team ranked sixth nationally in average home attendance, averaging 17,155 fans per game. It's the seventh straight season that CU has been among the nation's top-25 in average home attendance, and set an MVC average home attendance record.
   The figure ranks ahead of 14 NBA teams, and would rank 17th in the NBA this season.
   In 2011-12, Creighton finished sixth nationally in home attendance, averaging 16,665 fans per home game.
   Creighton has now surpassed 200,000 home fans in a season eight times. No other school in the history of the MVC has ever done so even once.
   Creighton also ranked seventh nationally in men's soccer attendance and 10th in baseball attendance, the nation's only school in the top-10 of those three sports in 2011-12.
2012-13 Attendance Leaders (Unofficial)
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   23,099   --
   2.   Syracuse   22,439   --
   3.   Louisville   21,571   --
   4.   North Carolina   19,350   --
   5.   Indiana   17,412   --
   6.   Creighton   17,155   --
   7.   Wisconsin   16,843   --
   8.   Tennessee   16,635   --
   9.   Kansas   16,438   --
   10.   BYU   15,986   --

2011-12 Attendance Leaders (Final)
   Rk.   School   Average
   1.   Kentucky   23,721
   2.   Syracuse   23,618
   3.   Louisville   21,503
   4.   North Carolina   20,159
   5.   Wisconsin   17,181
   6.   Creighton   16,665
   7.   Tennessee   16,543
   8.   Ohio State   16,510
   9.   Indiana   16,462
   10.   Kansas   16,300

Highest Season Home Attendance, MVC History
   Home Att.   School   Year
   302,676   Creighton   2008-09
   297,161   Creighton   2010-11
   291,643   Creighton   2012-13
   276,000   Creighton   2007-08
   266,632   Creighton   2011-12

Highest Average Attendance, MVC History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12
   15,930   Creighton   2008-09
   15,909   Creighton    2006-07
   15,333   Creighton   2007-08

Inside The Numbers
Creighton's Doug McDermott (23.2) was the nation's top scoring junior. As can be seen below, good things have happened to the top-scoring juniors in the past nine years:
NCAA's Top-Scoring Juniors, Last Nine Years
           NBA
Year   Name, School   PPG   Draft #
2012-13   Doug McDermott, Creighton   23.2   TBA
2011-12   Damian Lillard, Weber St.   24.5   6th
2010-11   Kemba Walker, UConn.   23.5   9th
2009-10   Adnan Hodzic, Lipscomb   22.7   not picked
2008-09   Stephen Curry, Davidson   28.6   7th
2007-08   Lester Hudson, UT-Martin   25.7   58th
2006-07   Reggie Williams, VMI   28.1   not picked*
2005-06   Adam Morrison, Gonzaga   28.1   3rd
2004-05   Ike Diogu, Arizona State   22.6   9th
2003-04   Kevin Martin, W. Carolina   24.9   26th
*wasn't drafted, but currently in fourth year in NBA

Creighton's Exclusive 30/30 Club
Doug McDermott scored 30 points in a Dec. 9 win vs. Akron, then followed that performance with a season-high 34 seven days later at Cal.
   McDermott, who leads the MVC with 23.1 points per game, became the first Creighton player with 30 points in consecutive contests since Bob Harstad in 1990.
   McDermott also scored 30 or more in consecutive wins vs. Missouri State and Northern Iowa in January, then again in consecutive wins vs. Bradley and Wichita State to close the regular-season.
   No Creighton player has had three straight games of 30 or more points since Benoit Benjamin did it three straight games in January of 1985.

Jones Hangs Up High Tops
Josh Jones was hospitalized prior to Creighton's Dec. 6 game at Nebraska after he fainted during pre-game warm-ups on the Bob Devaney Sports Center court prior to Creighton's 64-42 win.
   Jones was released from a Lincoln hospital on Dec. 7th. Jones was underwent a nine-hour medical procedure on Dec. 18th, and on Dec. 26th announced his basketball career is done due to an atrial flutter.
   The senior guard was averaging 7.0 points per game as the team's top guard off the bench.
   Creighton outscored the opposition 249-92 off the bench in eight games with Jones, but was outscored 486-463 off the bench with him out of the line-up.
   A 45-minute documentary, The Josh Jones Story, has been produced and was shown in theatres on March 12th in Omaha.

Might As Well Jump
Creighton was 16-4 this season when Gregory Echenique wins the opening tip. Creighton's streak of 20 straight wins when winning the jump ball to start the game ended in its Jan. 23 loss at Drake.
   Creighton was 46-13 all-time when Echenique wins the opening tip, but 20-10 when he lost the tip.

Pizza Pie, Piled High = Wins
Thanks to a promotion with Omaha-based Godfather's Pizza, Creighton season ticket-holders can get a free mini pizza any time the Jays score 75 points at home.
   History has proven that when the team earns the fans pizza, it often leads to a victory as well.
   The first three years of CenturyLink Center Omaha (2003-06), Creighton needed 70 points to earn its fans free pizza, and the Jays went 27-3 when reaching that threshold, closing out that run with 12 straight wins.
   Since upping the standard to 75 points prior to the 2006-07 campaign, Creighton is a perfect 67-0 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
   In other words, Creighton is a perfect 79-0 in CenturyLink Center Omaha since Feb. 6, 2005 when scoring enough points to earn its fans some free pizza.

A New Streak
Since Greg McDermott took over three years ago, Creighton is averaging 78.16 points per home game (4,299 points in 55 home games).
   That's a vital number since Creighton is 90-0 at home (63-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more and 72-0 at home (49-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000.

Stat Leaders
Statistically, the Creighton team finished in the top-25 of nine different categories, including second in both field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage. CU was also fourth in assists per game, ninth in free-throw percentage, 10th in three-pointers per game, 13th in assist/turnover ratio, 16th in scoring margin and 23rd in both winning percentage and points scored. One area of great improvement came in field goal percentage defense, where Creighton soared from 222nd a year ago all the way up to 77th this season.
   Individually, Doug McDermott led the country in points scored (834) and field goals made (284). The junior forward was also second in points per game, 18th in free-throw percentage and 37th in field goal percentage. Senior guard Grant Gibbs ranked 13th in assist/turnover ratio and 22nd in assists per game.

Big Road Win
Creighton's 64-42 win at Nebraska matched its largest victory margin in a true road win since an 82-60 win at Southern Illinois on Feb. 14, 2009.
   It was also the largest margin in a non-conference road win since winning at Drexel, 72-48, on Dec. 1, 2007.
   Before Dec. 6th, last time Creighton won a true road game by 22+ points vs. a BCS-league team was 12/18/76 at Oregon State (90-68).

Scoring On The Badgers
Creighton scored 84 points on Nov. 23rd against Wisconsin's vaunted defense that has ranked among the nation's top-10 in scoring defense in each of the past seven seasons.
   It was the first time in either of the last two seasons that Wisconsin had allowed 80 points in a game, and the eighth-most allowed in regulation in Bo Ryan's 12 years as a head coach.

Third-Year Coaches Update
Greg McDermott was one of 53 head coaches hired to coach a school prior to 2010-11. His 80 wins in that span are easily the most of that group, and McDermott and Dana Altman (Oregon) are the only men to win a postseason game each of their first three seasons.
   Below is a list of the new coaches with 69 or more wins at their school since being hired.
School   Coach   W-L   Next Game
Creighton   Greg McDermott   80-30   --
Oregon   Dana Altman   73-37   --
Iona   Tim Cluess   70-34   --
Colorado   Tad Boyle   69-38   --

Austin Powers
After spending last year as a back-up to Antoine Young, sophomore Austin Chatman has taken over as Creighton's starting point guard. Creighton's been blessed with a legacy of some of the MVC's best point guards in the last 15 years, a streak that began with four-year starters Ryan Sears (1997-2001), Tyler McKinney (2001-05) and Josh Dotzler (2005-09) at the point before Young ran the offense while starting the last three years.
   Here's a look at the stats, by year, of the men that Chatman is trying to replace.
       Freshman           Sophomore
Name   PPG   APG   CU W-L   PPG   APG   CU W-L
Sears   10.5   4.8   18-10   8.7   4.0   22-9
McKinney   4.3   2.1   23-9   5.0   4.1   29-5
Dotzler   6.4   4.2   20-10   2.2   2.0   22-11
Young   4.9   1.4   27-8   7.1   3.1   18-16
Chatman   2.4   1.9   29-6   7.4   4.2   28-8

Quick Starts Key To Playing in Postseason
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 12 of the previous 14 seasons. Each of Creighton's previous 14 3-0 starts (including this year) have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.

Rare Air
Gregory Echenique had one of the best all-around games of his career on Nov. 14 in the win vs. UAB, finishing with 13 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots. For good measure, he made 5-of-5 shots from the field and was a perfect 3-for-3 at the line.
   Echenique was the first Bluejay with at least 13 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots in the same game since Benoit Benjamin had 15 points, 17 rebounds and four swats on Feb. 28, 1985 at Dayton.
   Echenique was the first Bluejay to have a 13/16/4 game at home since Benjamin had 26 points, 18 rebounds and seven rejections in a win vs. Marquette on Jan. 27, 1985.
   Incredibly, Benjamin had nine different games in his junior season with at least 13 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks before Echenique ended the 27-year drought.

Playing With The Lead
In 170 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 41 of those contests, a staggering 24.1 percent of the time, including seven wire-to-wire wins at home last season and five wins (Longwood, Saint Joseph's, Tulsa, Drake, Southern Illinois) this season.
   Creighton has trailed by double-digits in 37 career games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, only to rally to win 22 of those contests.

On The Trail
Creighton won six games last season after trailing by 10 or more points, including wins away from home at San Diego State and at Wichita State, on neutral floors vs. Drake and Alabama, and in home triumphs over Long Beach State and Evansville.
   In its Nov. 14 win vs. UAB, Creighton trailed 45-35 in the second stanza, only to rally for a 77-60 win. It was the first time since Feb. 3, 2010 (vs. Evansville) that Creighton trailed by double-digits at any point before rallying to win by double-figures. That UAB game was also the first time in CenturyLink Center Omaha history that Creighton trailed by double-figures in the second half, yet still won by double-digits.
   Creighton has two comebacks from 10 or more down this season, having done so vs. UAB (10) and Evansville (16).

Pencil Him In
According to STATS Inc., Doug McDermott is one of 12 juniors or seniors nationwide to start every game of his career (min. 2 years played):
Juniors/Seniors To Start Every Game
Source: STATS Inc.
   Starts   Name, School   Next Game       147   Brandon Triche, Syracuse   --
   110   Doug McDermott, Creighton   --
   102   Ray McCallum, Detroit   --
   101   Brian Voelkel, Vermont   --
   99   Cody Doolin, San Francisco   --
   98   Frantz Massenat, Drexel   --
   98   Deonte Burton, Nevada   --
   94   Devon Saddler, Delaware   --
   94   Holton Hunsaker, Utah Valley   --
   94   Travis McKie, Wake Forest   --
   93   Daniel Miller, Georgia Tech   --
   93   Marshall Bjorklund, N. Dakota St.   --

Milestone Man
Because he's split his college career between Rutgers and Creighton, you might not realize the rather impressive college stats being generated by Gregory Echenique.
   Echenique owns 1,364 points, 991 rebounds and 268 blocked shots in 140 games as a collegian. He and Bucknell's Mike Muscala were the nation's only active players with 1,300 points, 950 rebounds and 250 or more blocked shots.
   Had all those stats been generated at Creighton, Echenique would rank 16th in career points, fourth in career rebounds and second in career blocked shots at CU.

I Know What You Did Last Summer
Senior center Gregory Echenique played for coach Eric Musselman on the Venezuelan National Team last summer, alongside the likes of former Maryland star and current Memphis Grizzlies guard Greivis Vasquez.
   Echenique averaged 7.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in two games at the FIBA Olympic Qualifier in Caracas in July against Lithuania and Nigeria, where he went head-to-head against NBA players such as Linas Kleiza, Jonas Valanciunas, and Al-Farouq Aminu.

Double-Double Opener
Doug McDermott opened his junior season with 21 points and 11 rebounds on Nov. 9 against North Texas in a 71-51 win.
   He was the first Creighton player to have a double-double in a season-opener since Kyle Korver opened his junior campaign with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 72-51 victory over North Carolina A&T.
   Korver would go on to earn MVC Player of the Year accolades as both a junior and as a senior. Last year McDermott was the first player in MVC history named MVC Player of the Year as a sophomore.
   Including this year, Creighton has won either the MVC regular-season title or MVC Tournament (or both) each of its last seven seasons it had a player with a double-double in the opener (2012-13, 2001-02, 1999-00, 1998-99, 1990-91, 1989-90, 1988-89).

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 38-of-40 first-place votes and 398 points overall.
   Illinois State was second with 327 points and the remaining two first-place votes, while Northern Iowa was third with 316 points. Wichita State (298) and Evansville (240) rounded out the upper half of the league.
   In sixth was Drake (184), while Indiana State (165), Missouri State (122), Bradley (84) and Southern Illinois (66) round out the rest of the league predictions.
   Creighton junior Doug McDermott was named preseason MVC Player of the Year. He was joined on the team by repeat selections Jake Odum (Indiana State) and Colt Ryan (Evansville) as well as new picks Ben Simons (Drake) and Jackie Carmichael (Illinois State).
   Creighton's women were also picked to win the MVC, just the third time in league history the MVC favorites came from the same schools.

Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in a league-best 645 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. That's the longest active streak in the MVC.

CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 170 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in its 10 seasons at the facility.
   The Bluejays own an 145-25 (.853) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (6-0).
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 12,795-10,788 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.8 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 41 different times, including seven times last season and five times this winter (Longwood, Saint Joseph's, Tulsa, Drake, Southern Illinois).

Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton has won 58 straight games when scoring 90 points or more, dating to Jan. 11, 1988.
   Creighton has won 19 straight (at all sites) when scoring 100 points or more, dating to Feb. 26, 1977.

McDermott A Preseason All-American
Junior forward Doug McDermott became the first player in MVC history to be named a preseason First Team All-American by the Associated Press. The team was announced on October 28th.
   McDermott earned acclaim on 62-of-65 ballots, trailing only Indiana's Cody Zeller. The rest of the team consisted of Isaiah Canaan (Murray State), DeShaun Thomas (Ohio State), Trey Burke (Michigan) and C.J. McCollum (Lehigh).
   The preseason All-America team was first announced in 1986-87.
   McDermott and Burke were both on the postseason AP All-America First Team, where they were joined by Victor Oladipo (Indiana), Kelly Olynyk (Gonzaga) and Otto Porter Jr. (Georgetown).

Everybody's All-American
Doug McDermott hauled in All-America honors on a regular basis last year.
   He was named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press, NABC, USBWA, Basketball Times and ESPN.com, and a second-team selection by The Sporting News and CBSSports.com. He was also named to the 10-man John R. Wooden Award All-America team.
   Prior to McDermott, the only other player honored by the USBWA with All-America status had been second-team selection Kyle Korver in 2003, and the only prior NABC selections from Creighton had been second-teamer Paul Silas (1964) and third-team selections Benoit Benjamin (1985) and Kyle Korver (2003).
   Last year McDermott was named CollegeInsider.com's Lute Olson National Player of the Year. He was also a finalist for the Naismith and Wooden Award, though Anthony Davis won both awards.

Scoring In Numbers
Doug McDermott owned 834 points in 36 games this year, an average of 23.2 per contest that ranked him second nationally in scoring.
   McDermott's 23.2 points per game ranked fourth-most in CU single-season history and were 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.), was the only previous Bluejay to ever rank in the top-10 of the year-end scoring leaders, before McDermott did it each of the past two seasons (3rd last year, 2nd this year).
   McDermott's 23.2 points per game were the most by a MVC player since Bradley's Curtis Stuckey (25.1 ppg.) in 1990-91. Illinois State's Tarise Bryson (in 2000-01) had been the only MVC player since 1989 to rank in the top-five nationally in scoring before McDermott's last two seasons.

Oscar, Bird, Doug
Doug McDermott set a Creighton (and MVC) record for points by a freshman with 581 in 2010-11.
   The only men in MVC history with more points than McDermott's 801 as a sophomore were Oscar Robertson and Larry Bird.
   This season, McDermott's 834 points were only surpassed in league history as a junior by Robertson and Bird, as well.
   According to STATS Inc., McDermott's 2,216 points after three seasons have been surpassed by only Davidson's Stephen Curry (2,635 points from 2006-09)) and VMI's Keydren Clark (2,218 points from 2002-05) since 1996-97.
   Below is a list of the most prolific scorers in MVC history, as well as the top single-season scorers in Creighton history (all classes):
Top Scorers, MVC History (All Years)
   Pts.   Name, School   Years
1125   Hersey Hawkins, Bradley   1987-88
   1011   Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati   1959-60
984   Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati   1957-58
978   Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati   1958-59
973   Larry Bird, Indiana State   1978-79
959   Larry Bird, Indiana State   1977-78
918   Larry Bird, Indiana State    1976-77
844   Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State   1984-85
   834   Doug McDermott, Creighton   2012-13
815   Lewis Lloyd, Drake   1979-80
801   Doug McDermott, Creighton   2011-12

Top Sophomore Scorers, MVC History
   Pts.   Name, School   Years
984   Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati   1957-58
918   Larry Bird, Indiana State    1976-77
801   Doug McDermott, Creighton   2011-12
680   Mitchell Anderson, Bradley    1979-80

Top Junior Scorers, MVC History
   Pts.   Name, School   Years
978   Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati   1958-59
959   Larry Bird, Indiana State   1977-78
834   Doug McDermott, Creighton   2012-13
815   Lewis Lloyd, Drake   1979-80

Top Scorers, Creighton Single-Season History
   Pts.   Name (Class)   Year
   834   Doug McDermott (Jr.)   2012-13
   801   Doug McDermott (So.)   2011-12
   738   Bob Portman (Jr.)   1967-68
   734   Bob Harstad (Jr.)   1989-90

New Championships Center On The Way
Earlier this month Creighton broke ground on a new “Championships Center”, immediately north of D.J. Sokol Arena on the Creighton campus. The facility will serve as the future home to Creighton men's basketball practices, as well as a new weight room and academic learning center for all student-athletes.
   The facility is expected to open in April, 2014.

Creighton To Join BIG EAST
Creighton officials announced on March 20th that it would be joining the BIG EAST Conference, effective July 1st. The move will end a 54-year affiliation with the MVC.
   Joining Creighton in the BIG EAST are Xavier, Butler, Marquette, DePaul, Seton Hall, Saint John's, Providence, Georgetown and Villanova.

Creighton Will Host in 2015, Again
The NCAA announced on Nov. 12, 2012, that Creighton will serve as the host institution on March 20/22, 2015, when the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament returns to CenturyLink Center Omaha for second/third-round games.
   This will be the third time in a seven-year span the arena has hosted, having previously done so in 2008 and 2012 to much acclaim.
   CenturyLink Center Omaha has previously hosted NCAA finals for women's volleyball (2006, 2008) and wrestling (2010), as well as the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming (2008, 2012) and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships (2013).

Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2012-13 season went on sale on October 29th at 10 am.
   Fans could 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.

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.

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