Men's Basketball Opens 2014-15 Season on Friday vs. Central Arkansas
11/11/2014 10:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game #1 vs. Central Arkansas • Friday, Nov. 14, 2014 • 8:01 p.m.
Central Arkansas Bears at Creighton Bluejays
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FOX Sports Midwest (see listing below for others)
Series History: Teams have never met in regular-season
Last Meeting: None
Next Game
Creighton opens the 2014-15 regular-season with a game on Friday, Nov. 14 vs. Central Arkansas.
Tip-off at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 8:01 pm Central.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 The Zone) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2014-15 season. John Bishop and former Bluejay Brody Deren will call the action.
The pregame show “Bluejay Shootaround” is hosted by Josh Peterson and former Bluejay Josh Dotzler, and will air from 6:00 - 7:30 pm.
Following the game, Tim Krueger and Heath Gunderson will host “Overtime” for approximately one hour, while also taking calls from listeners.
The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Friday's game will air on FOX Sports Midwest, in Nebraska, which can be found in Omaha on channel 47 (1047 in HD), as well as FOX Sports Midwest PLUS, FOX Sports Ohio (non-Cavs & Blue Jackets), FOX Sports Southwest (Arkansas), FOX Sports Wisconsin PLUS, SportsSouth (non-NBA), Sun Sports (non-Heat) and MSG Network (Overflow).
The game will be joined in progress on FOX Sports Ohio (Cavs) at approximately 10:30 pm Eastern.
The game will air tape-delayed on FOX Sports Arizona on Saturday at 12:30 am in the Mountain time zone, FOX Sports Florida on Saturday at Noon Eastern, Prime Ticket on Friday at 8:30 pm Pacific, Root Sports (Northwest Region) at Midnight Pacific on Saturday, Root Sports (Pittsburgh Region) on Saturday at 3 am Eastern, Root Sports (Rocky Mountain Region) Saturday at Midnight Mountain, and on FOX College Sports Pacific on Saturday at 2 am Eastern, Sunday at 8 am Eastern and Tuesday at 2 am Eastern.
The game will also air on DirecTV channel 671-1 and DISH Network 442 or 412-30.
Mike Corey and Nick Bahe will announce.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Friday night's game will be available via FOXSportsGO.com for desktop users, and via the FOX Sports GO app for mobile devices (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Window devices).
The FOX Sports GO mobile app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store or the Windows Store.
GoCreighton.com will also have a free webcast of the postgame press conference.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit GoCreighton.com and click on the Live Stats icon near the top right of the page for a link to the exact URL.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton returns 11 lettermen and one starter from last year's 27-8 team that reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season.
Point guard Austin Chatman (8.1 ppg., 4.4 apg.) is team's lone returning starter and is one of five seniors. He's joined by classmates Devin Brooks (6.5 ppg.), Will Artino (5.5 rpg.), Avery Dingman (3.2 ppg.) and transfer Rick Kreklow (5.5 ppg. at Cal).
The Bluejays will try to replace the most victorious senior class in program history, as Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat, Doug McDermott and Ethan Wragge combined for 107 wins as well as 5,934 points, 872 three-pointers, 1,062 assists and 2,250 rebounds at CU. All four men are now playing professionally, including McDermott in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls after he averaged 26.7 points per game and swept 14 National Player of the Year awards last winter.
The team has seven eligible players who have yet to appear in a regular-season game for Creighton, including Kreklow, juniors Gabriel Connealy and James Milliken, redshirt freshmen Tyler Clement and Toby Hegner and true freshmen Leon Gilmore III and Ronnie Harrell.
Brooks and Chatman led Creighton with 18 points each in last Friday's 91-72 exhibition win over Sioux Falls.
Scouting Central Arkansas
Central Arkansas went 8-21 last season, but had a massive overhaul in the offseason.
New head coach Russ Pennell has just one returnee, sophomore reserve forward Ethan Lee (4.0 ppg., 2.6 rpg. last year), to go along with 11 newcomers.
The Bears topped Hendrix 102-60 and University of the Ozarks 91-71 in its two public exhibition games.
Freshman Jordan Howard scored 20 and 22 points in those games, making 8-of-14 three-point attempts. Jake Zuilhof (15.0 ppg., 8.0 rpg.) also scored in double-figures both games, while Mike Martin averaged 8.0 assists per game in the wins.
As a team, UCA shot 52.6 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from three-point range (15-35) and 65.4 percent at the line (36-55) in exhibition play. The Bears also had 45 assists against 27 turnovers and outrebounded foes by an average of 15.5 rebounds per game.
UCA was picked to finish 12th in a preseason poll of Southland Conference coaches and 11th in a poll of the league's sports information directors.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) enters his fifth season as head coach at Creighton. He led CU to a 27-8 mark last year, and is now 107-38 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 387-233 entering his 21st seasons and is 256-169 entering his 14th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Patrick Sellers.
Russ Pennell (Pittsburg State, 1989) enters his first season as head coach at Central Arkansas, where he spent two years as the Bears starting point guard from 1982-84. Pennell owns a 112-73 record in six seasons as a college head coach, including a 72-44 mark in four years at Grand Canyon University (2009-13) and also had a 21-14 mark and Sweet 16 appearance as interim head coach at the University of Arizona in 2008-09. Pennell has also served as interim head coach of the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. Pennell is assisted by Anthony Boone, Joey Moon and Matt Scherbenske.
The Series With Central Arkansas
Creighton and Central Arkansas have never met.
Greg McDermott is 3-0 all-time against teams that are currently in the Southland Conference.
Last Season Recap
Creighton went 27-8 and reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament last season. Creighton was ranked in the Associated Press top-25 in 11-of-20 weeks and finished 16th in the year-end poll.
Doug McDermott swept all 14 National Player of the Year awards after leading the team with 26.7 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per contest. He was also named BIG EAST Player of the Year and wrapped his career as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 points.
Ethan Wragge (10.4 ppg.) was named Honorable-Mention All-BIG EAST after finishing in the top-10 in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage.
The Bluejays led the nation in three-pointers made (356), three-point percentage (41.4) and assist/turnover ratio (1.80).
After earning the program's first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2001, Creighton topped Louisiana before falling to No. 24 Baylor in the third round.
Big Margin Leads To Big Things
Creighton's 107-61 win last year vs. Alcorn State was its highest point total in a season-opener ever, one point more than the 2002-03 team that opened with a 106-50 win over Texas-Arlington. Nine of Creighton's 19 all-time NCAA Tournament teams have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
Here's a look at Creighton's last six teams to score 90 or more in a season-opener.
Final Post-
Score Opponent Date W-L Season
107-61 Alcorn State 11/08/13 27-8 NCAA
97-65 N. Carolina A&T 11/11/11 29-6 NCAA
106-50 Texas-Arlington 11/17/02 29-5 NCAA
96-50 Western Illinois 11/20/00 24-8 NCAA
93-48 Towson State 11/14/98 22-9 NCAA
93-47 UT-San Antonio 11/30/90 24-8 NCAA
Jays At Home Against Winless Teams
Creighton's opponent on Friday, Central Arkansas, is 0-0 on the season. The Bluejays have won 30 straight home games against teams that are winless entering the night, winning those games by an average of 27.33 points. Fourteen of those wins came by 30 points or more, and only two were decided by single-digits.
The streak dates to a 77-70 loss versus an 0-2 SMU team on Dec. 3, 1994. That game was Dana Altman's home debut at Creighton.
Creighton at Home vs. Winless Teams, Since 12/3/1994
Opp. W-L Opponent CU Result Date
0-4 UMKC W 75-61 12/17/94
0-1 UMKC W 70-68 11/25/96
0-0 UMKC W 81-59 11/14/97
0-0 Towson W 93-48 11/14/98
0-1 Western Illinois W 96-50 11/20/00
0-1 North Carolina A&T W 72-51 11/18/01
0-0 Texas-Arlington W 106-50 11/17/02
0-3 San Diego W 79-44 11/22/03
0-1 Bethune-Cookman W 69-49 12/03/03
0-0 Alcorn State W 74-40 11/15/04
0-0 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 83-58 11/20/04
0-0 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 87-55 11/19/05
0-1 Miss. Valley State W 78-42 11/13/06
0-4 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 74-39 11/29/06
0-0 DePaul W 74-62 11/09/07
0-2 Miss. Valley State W 76-46 11/17/07
0-2 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 82-50 11/20/08
0-9 Miss. Valley State W 82-58 12/02/08
0-7 Southern W 71-60 12/15/08
0-1 Florida A&M W 78-53 11/17/09
0-0 Alabama State W 71-57 11/12/10
0-1 Northern Arizona W 74-70 11/14/10
0-0 N. Carolina A&T W 97-65 11/11/11
0-1 Chicago State W 95-61 11/13/11
0-0 North Texas W 71-51 11/09/12
0-2 Presbyterian W 87-58 11/18/12
0-4 Longwood W 105-57 11/20/12
0-0 Alcorn State W 107-61 11/08/13
0-1 UMKC W 96-70 11/11/13
0-3 Tulsa W 82-72 11/23/13
November Reign
Creighton is a perfect 44-0 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th.
Creighton has won 45 of its 46 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012.
Overall, Creighton is 60-13 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
Creighton has also won 51 of its last 52 regular-season non-conference home games against unranked foes since falling to Drexel on Feb. 17, 2007.
Season Opener History
Including last year's win, Creighton now owns a sparkling 81-15 record (.844) on opening day, including wins in 16 of its last 17 lid-lifters.
Creighton has won 10 of its last 14 season-openers by 20 or more points. The Jays have outscored foes by an average of 83.9 to 56.7 in the last 14 openers.
Home Opener History
Including last year's win over Alcorn State, Creighton is 85-11 (.885) in home openers all-time. Creighton has now won 19 straight home openers since a Dec. 3, 1994 setback against SMU.
As impressive as that streak is, it's not a record. Between 1936 and 1980, the Jays went 41-2 in home openers, including 21 straight wins from 1946-66.
Opening Statements
Greg McDermott has won each of the last 12 season openers he's coached in, as he improved to 12-1 at the Division I level in season-openers. Overall as a head coach, McDermott is 17-3 in season-opening games.
That includes an impressive 99-point win (137-38) in his first game on the sidelines when he was at Wayne State.
Date School Opponent Result
1994-95 Wayne St. York W 137-38
1995-96 Wayne St. Nebraska-Omaha L 63-72
1996-97 Wayne St. St. Francis W 72-66
1997-98 Wayne St. Nebraska-Omaha W 78-76
1998-99 Wayne St. Mount Marty W 76-70
1999-00 Wayne St. South Dakota L 64-66
11/17/00 NDSU Macalester W 81-69
11/16/01 UNI vs. San Diego State L 57-71
11/22/02 UNI at Montana W 77-71
11/21/03 UNI Chicago State W 83-59
11/21/04 UNI Wayne State W 84-66
11/20/05 UNI Western Carolina W 68-46
11/10/06 Iowa State UC Riverside W 69-61
11/09/07 Iowa State Winston-Salem St. W 58-44
11/14/08 Iowa State UC Davis W 61-58
11/13/09 Iowa State Idaho State W 88-68
11/12/10 Creighton Alabama State W 71-57
11/11/11 Creighton N. Carolina A&T W 97-65
11/09/12 Creighton North Texas W 71-51
11/08/13 Creighton Alcorn State W 107-61
Crowd Control
Creighton's sellout crowd of 17,740 last year vs. Alcorn State was its largest ever for a home-opener. It was also Creighton's largest home crowd for any November game, and the ninth-largest home crowd in program history at the time.
Last Friday night's crowd of 16,317 was the largest exhibition crowd in Creighton history.
Quick Starts Key To Playing in Postseason
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 14 of the previous 16 seasons. Each of Creighton's last 15 3-0 starts have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Last season marked the third straight year Creighton has opened 4-0, something last done from 2002-03 to 2004-05. The only other time CU started 4-0 in three straight years had come in a five-year stretch from 1916-17 to 1920-21.
Good Defense, A Good Sign
Each of the last nine times that Creighton has held its season-opening opponent to 50 points or less, the Bluejays have advanced to the postseason. That list is seen below:
Date Opponent Score NCAA/NIT
11/30/73 Regis W 93-38 NCAA
11/27/76 St. Thomas (MN) W 79-39 NIT
11/30/90 UT San Antonio W 93-47 NCAA
11/14/98 Towson State W 93-48 NCAA
11/20/00 Western Illinois W 96-50 NCAA
11/17/02 Texas-Arlington W 106-50 NCAA
11/22/03 San Diego W 76-44 NIT
11/15/04 Alcorn State W 74-40 NCAA
11/13/06 Mississippi Valley St. W 78-42 NCAA
Hello, World
Creighton has six players (Gilmore, Connealy, Harrell, Clement, Milliken, Hegner) who could make their regular-season Division I debut on Friday.
Below is a look at how Creighton's current players have done in their regular-season debut in a Division I uniform.
Name Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Min.
Brooks 15 6 5 3 16
Artino 13 3 0 0 13
Dingman 11 2 0 0 12
Huff (@UNR) 9 5 0 0 17
Hanson 9 2 0 0 11
Watson• (@BU) 6 1 4 0 23
Zierden 5 3 3 0 24
Groselle 1 0 0 0 2
Kreklow (@MIZZ) 0 2 2 0 13
Chatman 0 0 4 0 12
Oginni 0 0 0 0 1
•indicates game started
Making An Entrance
Below is a list of some of Creighton's most famous players and how they performed in their regular-season debuts in a Bluejay uniform.
Four years ago, Doug McDermott burst onto the scene with 16 points and seven rebounds in his debut, becoming the first Bluejay freshman since at least 1973 to have 15 or more points and five or more rebounds in a season-opener.
Name, Yr. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Min. Result
Echenique, 2010 12 5 0 0 18 W 66-60
McDermott, 2010 16 7 0 1 32 W 71-57
Stinnett, 2007 23 4 3 3 26 W 74-62
Tolliver, 2003 0 1 2 0 7 W 79-44
Funk, 2002 3 5 4 1 21 W 106-50
Kyle Korver, 1999 2 2 0 1 10 W 70-62
Buford, 1995 3 4 0 0 19 W 63-59
Harstad, 1987 4 5 1 1 21 L 49-70
Gallagher, 1987 10 3 0 0 37 L 49-70
Benjamin, 1982 14 4 1 0 22 W 98-54
McKenna, 1977 14 3 7 ? ? W 95-66
Harmon, 1971 21 7 ? ? ? W 74-62
C. Baptiste, 1969 24 17 ? ? ? W 84-62
Portman, 1966 9 ? ? ? ? W 78-76
Silas, 1961 22 29 ? ? ? W 85-51
Gibson, 1954 19 ? ? ? ? W 66-51
Double-Double Opener
Creighton has won either a conference regular-season title or conference Tournament each of its last seven seasons it has had a player with a double-double in the opener (2012-13, 2001-02, 1999-00, 1998-99, 1990-91, 1989-90, 1988-89).
Each of Creighton's last two players to open the year with a double-double (Doug McDermott in 2012-13 and Kyle Korver in 2001-02) were named MVC Player of the Year and MVC Tournament MVP.
Playing With The Lead
Incredibly, Creighton hasn't trailed in its home opener in seven of the past 14 seasons (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10 and 2011-12).
In 186 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 48 of those contests, a staggering 25.8 percent of the time, including seven wire-to-wire wins last season.
More Debut News
Some more facts of interest about players making their Bluejay debut.
The last player to start their first game at Creighton was Grant Gibbs, who started the 2011-12 opener. Gibbs was on his fourth year of college at that point, after spending two years at Gonzaga and redshirting one season at Creighton.
When Doug McDermott started the 2010-11 lid-lifter, he became CU's first true freshman to start his first game since Ryan Sears in 1997. Sears started all 124 games of his Bluejay career and remains the MVC's all-time leader with 283 steals. A pair of Bluejay legends, McDermott and Sears are the only freshmen since 1992-93 to start their Creighton's season-opener.
Should Toby Hegner earn a start on Friday, he would make some history, becoming the first freshman in CU history to redshirt his first season, then start the season opener the following year, since freshmen became eligible until 1972-73.
CU's best opening-day effort in history would have to be the way Creighton Hall of Famer Bob Harstad began his senior season. Harstad went 13-for-13 from the floor and 12-for-13 at the line to score 38 points against Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 30, 1990.
The most rebounds on opening day in Creighton history is 30, which Paul Silas snared on Dec. 1, 1962 at La Salle. Silas also had 22 points and 29 rebounds in his varsity debut on Dec. 1, 1961.
Friday Night Lights
Creighton doesn't play many Friday home games, but judging by its success, it might not be a bad idea for the future.
Creighton has won every Friday home game it's played since Dec. 2, 1989 by double-digits.
In fact, the last time Creighton lost a Friday home game came on Dec. 12, 1975, when Greg McDermott was 11 years old, and it was 14 years before Grant Gibbs was born.
The Central Arkansas contest is one of Creighton's two scheduled home games for a Friday this season, joining Texas-Pan American on Dec. 19.
Crowd Watch
Last year Creighton averaged 17,896 in 16 regular-season games at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Creighton's largest home opener attendance in school history was 17,740 last season vs. Alcorn State.
Central Arkansas averaged 955 fans per home game last season, and played before a grand total of 14,324 total fans in 15 home contests last year.
Central Arkansas played in front of just one crowd larger than 5,500 all of last season, an 87-54 loss at Kansas State before 11,651 fans.
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 186 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time entering its 12th season at the facility.
The Bluejays own an 161-25 (.866) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (8-0).
Creighton has outscored its opponents 14,125-11,941 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.74 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 48 different times, including seven times last season.
Creighton is also 23-15 all-time in the 38 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
Creighton is 64-7 (.901) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 33-1 record vs. unranked non-conference teams.
Factor in a 17-0 home mark at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 and two wins at the Civic in the 2010 CIT, and the Bluejays are 180-25 (.878) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Creighton trailed for just 33:30 of 640:00 minutes last season at home, and just 36:24 of its last 720:00 minutes during its 18-game home win streak. Impressively, Creighton has not trailed at any point in the second half during that home win streak, winning 15 of the 18 games by double-digits.
Just Win, Baby
Creighton has won 18 straight home games, a streak that began on Feb. 19, 2013 vs. Southern Illinois. That's the longest streak in facility history by Creighton.
Creighton has not trailed at any point in the second half during that home win streak, winning 15 of the 18 games by double-digits.
The Bluejays were 16-0 at home last year, clinching its first unbeaten home season since closing the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 with a 17-0 mark.
The school-record for longest home win streak is 28, done from 1917-1920 and again from 2002-04.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest home win streaks in the 12-year history of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Streak Dates Snapped By
18 Feb. 19, 2013 - Present ? ? ?
16 Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 31, 2006 Southern Illinois
16 Jan. 19, 2010 - Dec. 22, 2011 Missouri State
14 Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008 Northern Iowa
11 Nov. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004 Southern Illinois
Let's Go Streaking
Creighton has won 18 straight home games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, the nation's eighth-longest active home win streak.
Here's the active top-10:
Rk. Streak Team Next Home Game
1. Duke 33 Presbyterian, 11/14
Stephen F. Austin 33 Mississippi College, 11/14
3. Florida 32 William & Mary, 11/14
4. Gonzaga 25 Sacramento State, 11/14
5. N.C. Central 23 College of Faith, 11/18
6. Arizona 21 Mount St. Mary's, 11/14
7. VCU 20 Toledo, 11/18
8. Creighton 18 Central Arkansas, 11/14
9. Wichita State 17 New Mexico State, 11/14
10. Toledo 16 Northern Arizona, 11/16
Recent Exhibition History
Creighton is 40-6 since 1987 in fall exhibition games thanks to 14 straight victories. The only team since 1994 to beat Creighton in an exhibition setting has been Global Sports, which merged 11 years ago and later changed their name to EA Sports.
A complete listing of Creighton's exhibition games since 1987 can be found on page four of this release.
McDermott's Exhibition History
Greg McDermott is 22-0 in exhibition games as a Division I head coach, including a 10-0 mark at UNI, a 7-0 record at Iowa State, and a 5-0 mark at Creighton. All but one of his triumphs has been by double-digits.
Below is a list of McDermott's exhibition games at the Division I level.
Greg McDermott's Division I Exhibition Scores
Date McD School Opponent Result
2001-02 UNI London Leopards W 89-74
2001-02 UNI Lake Superior St. W 74-63
2002-03 UNI Dominican Nat'l Team W 73-56
2002-03 UNI H.P. Minnesota W 90-76
2003-04 UNI H.P. Minnesota W 89-79
2003-04 UNI Australian Select Team W 92-58
2004-05 UNI Dubuque W 93-34
2004-05 UNI SW Minnesota St. W 71-40
2005-06 UNI Lewis W 77-50
2005-06 UNI Wayne State W 74-57
11/03/06 Iowa State EA Sports W 58-57
11/06/06 Iowa State Wayne State W 55-41
11/01/07 Iowa State Dubuque W 66-38
11/04/07 Iowa State EA Sports W 74-63
11/08/08 Iowa State Nebraska-Omaha W 74-54
11/02/09 Iowa State Black Hills State W 96-47
11/06/09 Iowa State UNC-Pembroke W 106-54
11/04/10 Creighton Northern State W 79-67
11/06/11 Creighton Rockhurst W 81-42
11/02/12 Creighton Mary W 89-51
11/01/13 Creighton Northern State W 89-61
11/07/14 Creighton Sioux Falls W 91-72
Newcomer Report
Four players made their exhibition debut in a Creighton uniform last Friday in the exhibition against Sioux Falls as Rick Kreklow, Leon Gilmore III, Ronnie Harrell and Gabriel Connealy combined for 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists in a combined 34 minutes of action in Creighton's 91-72 triumph.
Below is a look at the last five years and how Creighton's newcomers have produced in their exhibition debuts:
2014
Kreklow, Gilmore, Connealy, Harrell
10 pts., 9 reb., 5 ast., 34 min. (W 91-72)
2013
Ferrarini/Brooks/Clement/Harris/Burns
Milliken/Roberts/Hegner/Hanson
26 pts., 8 reb., 10 ast., 52 min. (W 89-61)
2012
Kelling/Yates/Zierden
8 pts., 11 reb., 4 ast., 39 min. (W 89-51)
2011
Gibbs/Chatman/Olsen/Dingman
Groselle/Johnson/Oginni
22 pts., 11 reb., 8 ast., 70 min. (W 81-42)
2010
Stormberg/McDermott/
Manigat/Ingle/Artino
25 pts., 11 reb., 0 ast., 44 min. (W 79-67)
Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns just one regular starter (Austin Chatman) from last year's team that finished 27-8. Creighton's roster contains players who made 49 starts a year ago (also 7 by Will Artino and Avery Dingman last year), and own a combined 85 career starts (Chatman 71, Artino 7, Dingman 7).
This year marks just the second time since 1986-87 that Creighton returns one starter or less (also 2007-08; Dane Watts).
Additionally, the 49 starts from a year ago ranks as the second-fewest in the same time span, as the 2007-08 team returned 44 starts prior to its 22-11 campaign.
Returning Returning Starts Final
Year Starters From Previous Year W-L
2014-15 1 49 ? ? ?
2013-14 4 144 27-8
2012-13 4 140 28-8
2011-12 3 101 29-6
2010-11 4 123 23-16
2009-10 3 106 18-16
2008-09 3 83 27-8
2007-08 1 44 22-11
2006-07 4 120 22-11
2005-06 4 134 20-10
2004-05 2 58 23-11
2003-04 3 101 20-9
2002-03 5 159 29-5
2001-02 2 65 23-9
2000-01 3 90 24-8
1999-00 3 84 23-10
1998-99 3 84 22-9
1997-98 4 72 18-10
1996-97 4 126 15-15
1995-96 4 100 14-15
1994-95 2 52 7-19
1993-94 3 73 7-22
1992-93 2 64 8-18
1991-92 2 51 9-19
1990-91 4 132 24-8
1989-90 4 127 21-12
1988-89 4 123 20-11
1987-88 3 83 16-16
1986-87 2 65 9-19
1985-86 1 48 12-16
1984-85 4 124 20-12
1983-84 3 72 17-14
1982-83 3 77 8-19
1981-82 2 78 7-20
1980-81 4 112 21-9
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish ninth in its first season as BIG EAST Conference members according to a preseason poll of league coaches. Villanova was picked first with 81 points and nine first-place votes, while Georgetown (67, 1), St. John's (65), Xavier (52) and Providence (49) round out the top half. The predicted lower half was Seton Hall (43), Butler (28), Marquette (28), Creighton (25) and DePaul (12).
The ninth-place prognostication is the program's lowest mark since being tabbed 10th of 11 Missouri Valley Conference teams in 1995-96. That team tied for fifth in The Valley. It also snaps a streak of 14 straight years being picked fourth or higher in its preseason league poll.
Creighton did not have any honorees on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Teams, which was led by Preseason Player of the Year D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera from Georgetown.
This marks the first time since 2009-10 that Creighton has not had the Preseason Conference Player of the Year. It's also just the sixth time in the last 20 years that Creighton did not have a first team all-conference honoree in the preseason.
Consistent Challengers
Last year's Creighton team finished second in the BIG EAST. Including last year, 12 of Creighton's last 17 teams have finished either first or second the regular-season race of league play. 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 and second last year in the BIG EAST, 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 League Finishes, Previous 17 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.), 2013-14
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
NBA Representation
This year marks the first time since 1970 that Creighton has three NBA players at the same time, as Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks), Anthony Tolliver (Phoenix Suns) and Doug McDermott (Chicago Bulls) are all in the league.
Including 2014-15, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 31 of the last 32 years.
Korver ranks 20th in NBA history with 1,530 three-pointers and is also 10th in league history with 42.6 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Nov. 10). Last year he set an NBA record with 127 straight games with a three-pointer, and in 2009-10 he set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range.
Tolliver ranked 15th in the NBA in three-point percentage with the Charlotte Bobcats (41.3 percent) last season.
McDermott is a rookie who was the 11th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, then traded an hour later to the Chicago Bulls.
Nation's Best Offense?
You can make a case that Creighton boasted the nation's best offensive production last year.
Creighton finished the 2013-14 season leading the nation with 41.4 percent marksmanship from three-point range, a 1.80 assist/turnover ratio and 356 three-point field goals.
The Bluejays were second in assists per game (17.5) and three-pointers per game (10.2), fourth in field goal percentage (.497) and total assists (614), 10th in fewest turnovers per game (9.8), 24th in both scoring average (78.7) and winning percentage and 29th in free throw percentage.
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the first four years of the Greg McDermott tenure:
Category Stat NCAA Rank
FG Percentage .4897 1st
3FG Percentage .4050 1st
Assists 2,407 1st
Assists/Game 16.60 2nd
3FG Made 1,230 2nd
Assist/Turnover Ratio 1.436 4th
3FG Made/Game 8.483 5th
FG Made 3,809 9th
Wins 107 15th
Winning Pct. .7379 22nd
Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 15 of the last 16 seasons, a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
Just five schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 16 years: Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse.
Along with Kentucky, Creighton is one of two schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 15 of the past 16 years.
That's better than traditional powers Arizona, Connecticut and Memphis (14 each) and also ahead of Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin (13 each).
10 Conference Wins x 18
Last season's Creighton team won 10 or more league games for a 18th consecutive season.
On a national basis, the only other current school with at least 18 straight years of 10 or more league wins is Kansas (20).
Each of the last 18 seasons has seen the team finish fourth place or better in the league standings as well, though all but one of those took place in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Postseason x 17
Creighton has made the postseason in 17 consecutive seasons. The only eight schools to make the postseason in each of the last 17 years are Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Syracuse.
Postseason Win Streak
Thanks to an NCAA Tournament win over Louisiana last spring, the Creighton men's basketball team has now won a postseason game in a school-record seven straight seasons. The previous mark was three in a row from 1962-64.
The following four programs are the only ones that have won a postseason game in seven straight seasons, including 2013-14: Creighton, Kansas, North Carolina and Syracuse.
Eight Out Of 16 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 16 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (12), Duke (10), Winthrop (9) and Creighton (8).
On A Roll
Since the start of 2011-12, Creighton is a remarkable 84-22. On a national basis, Creighton's 84 wins rank tied for 10th, as seen below.
Most Wins, Since 2011-12
School '11-12 '12-13 '13-14 W-L
Louisville 30-10 35-5 31-6 96-21
Wichita State 27-6 30-9 35-1 92-17
Syracuse 34-3 30-10 28-6 92-19
Florida 26-11 29-8 36-3 91-22
Kansas 32-7 31-6 25-10 88-23
Kentucky 38-2 21-12 29-11 88-25
Gonzaga 26-7 32-3 29-7 87-17
Ohio State 31-8 29-8 25-10 85-26
Michigan State 29-8 27-9 29-9 85-26
Creighton 29-6 28-8 27-8 84-22
New Mexico 28-7 29-6 27-7 84-20
McDermott Sweeps Player of the Year
Doug McDermott swept all 14 National Player of the Year awards handed out by the media in 2013-14.
He was honored by the USBWA (Oscar Robertson Trophy), John R. Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, Adolph F. Rupp Trophy, Associated Press, NABC, CollegeInsider.com Lute Olson Award, Sporting News, Basketball Times, NBCSports.com, CBSSports.com, BleacherReport.com, USA Today and Dick Vitale.
In addition, he was also honored with the Senior CLASS Award that took into account his off-court contributions.
It was McDermott's second year with such lofty honor. As a sophomore, he was named CollegeInsider.com's Lute Olson Player of the Year.
McDermott finished his career last March ranking fifth in NCAA history with 3,150 career points.
NCAA Division I - Most Career Points All-Time
Rk. Name, School Years Points
1. Pete Maravich, LSU 1967-70 3,667
2. Freeman Williams, Portland State 1974-78 3,249
3. Lionel Simmons, La Salle 1986-90 3,217
4. Alphonso Ford, Miss. Valley State 1989-93 3,165
5. Doug McDermott, Creighton 2010-14 3,150
6. Harry Kelly, Texas Southern 1979-83 3,066
7. Keydren Clark, Saint Peter's 2002-07 3,058
8. Hersey Hawkins, Bradley 1984-88 3,008
9. Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati 1957-60 2,973
10. Danny Manning, Kansas 1984-88 2,951
Full House
Last year's Creighton team averaged 17,896 in 16 home dates, good for fifth-nationally, and better than 16 NBA clubs.
It's the eighth straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the third straight season in the top-six nationally in attendance, as well.
2013-14 Attendance Leaders (Final)
Rk. School Average
1. Syracuse 26,253
2. Kentucky 22,964
3. Louisville 21,282
4. North Carolina 18,025
5. Creighton 17,896
6. Indiana 17,358
7. Wisconsin 17,104
8. Ohio State 16,474
9. Kansas 16,437
10. Memphis 16,121
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
Avg. Att. School Year
17,896 Creighton 2013-14
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
16,665 Creighton 2011-12
15,930 Creighton 2008-09
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception.
Creighton has one player from Iowa on this season's team (Waukee native Will Artino), continuing a long trend of relying on some of the Hawkeye State's top preps.
Past notable Iowans include Doug McDermott (Ames), Grant Gibbs (Marion), 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 656 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 680 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993.
Creighton's last win without making a three-point basket came on March 3, 1991 when the Jays went 0-for-2 from three-point range in a 71-66 win over Southern Illinois in the championship game of the MVC Tournament.
Key Number From 3-Point Range
Creighton's key number from three-point range seems to be 40 percent.
In the previous three years under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 29-18 (.617) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 55-4 (.932) mark the previous three years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 74-9 in the previous three years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 10-13 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.
Last season, Creighton led the nation with 41.4 percent shooting from deep, a figure that ranked ahead of 43 teams overall field goal percentage nationally.
Three-Mendous Shooting
Creighton owned 356 three-pointers last season, most in school history. The 2012-13 club set the previous school standard with 307 in 36 games.
Creighton's 356 three-pointers ranked 11th-best in NCAA single-season history, and led the nation this year.
In addition, Creighton's 41.4 percent marksmanship from three-point range ranked tied for third-best in school history.
Last year's Creighton team owned 173 three-pointers in BIG EAST play alone, breaking a conference record (in league play) of 155 first set by the 2004-05 Notre Dame team.
Halftime Lead A Key
Creighton was 26-0 last year when leading at halftime, but just 1-8 when trailing at intermission.
Dating to 2012-13, Creighton has won 33 straight games when leading at the break.
Streak Week
Creighton ranked fourth nationally in field goal percentage last season, making 49.7 percent of its shots from the floor.
The Bluejays have won 59 straight games when shooting 50.0 percent or better from the field since a loss to Wichita State in 2011.
All-time under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 58-1 when shooting 50.01 percent or better.
Special Senior Class
Last year's senior class featured four men who have graduated and moved on to the professional level; Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat, Doug McDermott and Ethan Wragge.
During the past four years, the Jays went 107-38 while appearing in the postseason every season, claiming the 2012-13 MVC regular-season title, as well as the 2012 and 2013 MVC Tournament titles. The 29 wins in 2011-12 tied a school-record, as are the 57 wins from 2011-13 for a two-year span, the 84 wins from 2011-14 the mark for a three-year span and 107 wins are the most-ever in a four-year span at Creighton.
In those four years the team was 64-7 at home, including a 31-5 mark in league play at home, and that group was part of the first teams in school history to win NCAA Tournament games in consecutive seasons.
The quartet combined for 5,964 points, 2,250 rebounds and 1,062 assists while shooting a combined 872-2013 (43.3%) from three-point range at Creighton.
Most Wins, 3-Year Stretch
W-L Years
84 2011-14
80 2010-13
76 2000-03
72 2001-04
72 2002-05
Most Wins, 4-Year Stretch
W-L Years
107 2010-14
99 1999-03
98 2009-13
97 2008-12
96 2000-04
Closing Strong
Creighton has won 36 straight games when leading with 5:00 to play.
Overall under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 99-4 when leading with 5:00 left, including victories in 61 of the last 62 scenarios. The Bluejays are also 3-0 under McDermott when tied with 5:00 to play.
CU is 5-34 under McDermott when trailing with 5:00 left, with the last such rally coming on Feb. 25, 2011 at Indiana State.
Big Deficits, Big Deal
Creighton owns 11 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including six such comebacks away from home.
On the other hand, CU is 93-5 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 81 of the last 82 times.
Double-Digit Comebacks Under Greg McDermott
Deficit Opponent Date
17 at San Diego State 11/30/11
16 at Evansville 02/16/13
14 Evansville 02/21/12
13 at Saint Joseph's 11/16/13
13 Xavier 01/12/14
12 Saint Joseph's 12/11/10
11 at Wichita State 12/31/11
11 Northern Iowa 01/10/12
11 vs. Alabama 03/16/12
10 UAB 11/14/12
10 vs. Drake 03/02/12
Winning Formulas
Below is the records for each current BIG EAST school over the previous four, eight and 14 (since 2000-01) seasons, ranked by overall wins.
The three relative newcomers to the league, Butler, Creighton and Xavier, are at the top of nearly each category.
Most Wins Since 2000-01
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 335 136 .711
Butler 335 135 .713
Xavier 330 135 .710
Marquette 314 151 .675
Villanova 304 162 .652
Georgetown 303 153 .664
Providence 236 204 .536
Seton Hall 228 209 .522
St. John's 213 221 .491
DePaul 181 251 .419
Most Wins - Last 8 Years
Team W L Pct.
Butler 209 73 .741
Creighton 196 84 .700
Xavier 193 81 .704
Marquette 188 89 .679
Georgetown 185 81 .695
Villanova 182 90 .669
Providence 136 123 .525
Seton Hall 132 125 .514
St. John's 131 128 .506
DePaul 90 165 .353
Most Wins - Last 4 Years
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 107 38 .738
Marquette 92 47 .662
Butler 91 51 .641
Georgetown 88 42 .677
Xavier 85 48 .639
Villanova 83 50 .624
Providence 72 61 .541
St. John's 71 60 .542
Seton Hall 66 66 .500
DePaul 42 85 .331
What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 107-38 on the Creighton sideline entering his fifth year at the helm. The 107 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first four seasons.
How good are McDermott's 107 wins after four seasons? The only coach to start his Creighton career with more than 107 wins after SIX seasons was Tom Apke (109). Apke also owned the mark after five seasons, going 93-43 to open his career on the Bluejay sideline.
Most Wins at CU, First Four Seasons
Coach Years W-L After 4 Yrs
Greg McDermott 2010-Pres. 107-38
Tom Apke 1974-78 79-30
Eddie Sutton 1969-73 59-43
Tony Barone 1985-89 57-62
Red McManus 1959-63 56-46
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 79-0 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
In other words, Creighton is a perfect 91-0 in CenturyLink Center Omaha since Feb. 6, 2005 when scoring enough points to earn its fans some free pizza.
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over five years ago, Creighton is averaging 78.42 points per home game (5,568 points in 71 home games).
That's a vital number since Creighton is 105-0 at home (76-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more and 87-0 at home (60-0 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.
Full House
Creighton attracted eight of its 20 largest home crowds in program history last season. Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time.
Rank Att. Opponent Date
1. 18,868 Providence 03/08/14
2. 18,859 Georgetown 01/25/14
3. 18,797 #6 Villanova 02/16/14
4. 18,742 Seton Hall 02/23/14
5. 18,735 Wichita State 02/11/12
6. 18,613 Wichita State 03/02/13
7. 18,525 Marquette 12/31/13
8. 18,494 Illinois State 02/09/13
9. 18,458 Evansville 12/29/12
10. 18,436 Bradley 01/28/12
11. 18,323 DePaul 02/07/14
12. 18,111 Bradley 02/02/13
13. 18,078 Tulsa 11/23/13
14. 18,073 Drake 01/08/13
15. 17,954 Wichita State 12/28/08
16. 17,740 Alcorn State 11/08/13
17. 17,694 Indiana State 01/05/13
18. 17,676 Northwestern 12/22/11
19. 17,665 Missouri State 12/28/11
20. 17,607 Drexel 02/17/07
Toughest Thing In Sports
Creighton is 24-12 in true road games the previous three years, and 39-17 when you also include neutral site games.
Last year's team was 7-4 in true road games and 4-4 at neutral sites. Each of Creighton's last 11 NCAA Tournament qualifiers have had 10 or more road/neutral wins.
Shuttle Service Provided Again
Chief Bus will provide complimentary shuttle service from the Creighton University campus to CenturyLink Center Omaha for all men's basketball home games this season. The service is available to all fans, not just Creighton students.
The shuttle will start 75 minutes before tip-off and shuttles will continue to operate the route during the game. The three designated stops for pick-up around the CU campus are: 24th & California (nearside/southbound); 20th & Cass (nearside/eastbound) and at Billy Blues Alumni Grill (outside the Mike & Josie Harper Center in the turnaround which is on the east side of the building).
The shuttle will then go eastbound on Capitol Avenue and then go north up 10th Street for drop-off at the CenturyLink Center Omaha convention center entrance. The route is designed for each shuttle driver to make a roundtrip every 15 minutes.
Following the game's conclusion, the shuttle will start at the CenturyLink Center Omaha convention center entrance on 10th Street and loop the original route with the first of three stops at 24th & California Streets.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2014-15 season went on sale on November 3rd at 10 am.
Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CenturyLink Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any game.
For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
Central Arkansas Bears at Creighton Bluejays
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FOX Sports Midwest (see listing below for others)
Series History: Teams have never met in regular-season
Last Meeting: None
Next Game
Creighton opens the 2014-15 regular-season with a game on Friday, Nov. 14 vs. Central Arkansas.
Tip-off at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 8:01 pm Central.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 The Zone) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2014-15 season. John Bishop and former Bluejay Brody Deren will call the action.
The pregame show “Bluejay Shootaround” is hosted by Josh Peterson and former Bluejay Josh Dotzler, and will air from 6:00 - 7:30 pm.
Following the game, Tim Krueger and Heath Gunderson will host “Overtime” for approximately one hour, while also taking calls from listeners.
The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Friday's game will air on FOX Sports Midwest, in Nebraska, which can be found in Omaha on channel 47 (1047 in HD), as well as FOX Sports Midwest PLUS, FOX Sports Ohio (non-Cavs & Blue Jackets), FOX Sports Southwest (Arkansas), FOX Sports Wisconsin PLUS, SportsSouth (non-NBA), Sun Sports (non-Heat) and MSG Network (Overflow).
The game will be joined in progress on FOX Sports Ohio (Cavs) at approximately 10:30 pm Eastern.
The game will air tape-delayed on FOX Sports Arizona on Saturday at 12:30 am in the Mountain time zone, FOX Sports Florida on Saturday at Noon Eastern, Prime Ticket on Friday at 8:30 pm Pacific, Root Sports (Northwest Region) at Midnight Pacific on Saturday, Root Sports (Pittsburgh Region) on Saturday at 3 am Eastern, Root Sports (Rocky Mountain Region) Saturday at Midnight Mountain, and on FOX College Sports Pacific on Saturday at 2 am Eastern, Sunday at 8 am Eastern and Tuesday at 2 am Eastern.
The game will also air on DirecTV channel 671-1 and DISH Network 442 or 412-30.
Mike Corey and Nick Bahe will announce.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Friday night's game will be available via FOXSportsGO.com for desktop users, and via the FOX Sports GO app for mobile devices (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Window devices).
The FOX Sports GO mobile app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store or the Windows Store.
GoCreighton.com will also have a free webcast of the postgame press conference.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit GoCreighton.com and click on the Live Stats icon near the top right of the page for a link to the exact URL.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton returns 11 lettermen and one starter from last year's 27-8 team that reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season.
Point guard Austin Chatman (8.1 ppg., 4.4 apg.) is team's lone returning starter and is one of five seniors. He's joined by classmates Devin Brooks (6.5 ppg.), Will Artino (5.5 rpg.), Avery Dingman (3.2 ppg.) and transfer Rick Kreklow (5.5 ppg. at Cal).
The Bluejays will try to replace the most victorious senior class in program history, as Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat, Doug McDermott and Ethan Wragge combined for 107 wins as well as 5,934 points, 872 three-pointers, 1,062 assists and 2,250 rebounds at CU. All four men are now playing professionally, including McDermott in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls after he averaged 26.7 points per game and swept 14 National Player of the Year awards last winter.
The team has seven eligible players who have yet to appear in a regular-season game for Creighton, including Kreklow, juniors Gabriel Connealy and James Milliken, redshirt freshmen Tyler Clement and Toby Hegner and true freshmen Leon Gilmore III and Ronnie Harrell.
Brooks and Chatman led Creighton with 18 points each in last Friday's 91-72 exhibition win over Sioux Falls.
Scouting Central Arkansas
Central Arkansas went 8-21 last season, but had a massive overhaul in the offseason.
New head coach Russ Pennell has just one returnee, sophomore reserve forward Ethan Lee (4.0 ppg., 2.6 rpg. last year), to go along with 11 newcomers.
The Bears topped Hendrix 102-60 and University of the Ozarks 91-71 in its two public exhibition games.
Freshman Jordan Howard scored 20 and 22 points in those games, making 8-of-14 three-point attempts. Jake Zuilhof (15.0 ppg., 8.0 rpg.) also scored in double-figures both games, while Mike Martin averaged 8.0 assists per game in the wins.
As a team, UCA shot 52.6 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from three-point range (15-35) and 65.4 percent at the line (36-55) in exhibition play. The Bears also had 45 assists against 27 turnovers and outrebounded foes by an average of 15.5 rebounds per game.
UCA was picked to finish 12th in a preseason poll of Southland Conference coaches and 11th in a poll of the league's sports information directors.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) enters his fifth season as head coach at Creighton. He led CU to a 27-8 mark last year, and is now 107-38 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 387-233 entering his 21st seasons and is 256-169 entering his 14th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Patrick Sellers.
Russ Pennell (Pittsburg State, 1989) enters his first season as head coach at Central Arkansas, where he spent two years as the Bears starting point guard from 1982-84. Pennell owns a 112-73 record in six seasons as a college head coach, including a 72-44 mark in four years at Grand Canyon University (2009-13) and also had a 21-14 mark and Sweet 16 appearance as interim head coach at the University of Arizona in 2008-09. Pennell has also served as interim head coach of the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. Pennell is assisted by Anthony Boone, Joey Moon and Matt Scherbenske.
The Series With Central Arkansas
Creighton and Central Arkansas have never met.
Greg McDermott is 3-0 all-time against teams that are currently in the Southland Conference.
Last Season Recap
Creighton went 27-8 and reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament last season. Creighton was ranked in the Associated Press top-25 in 11-of-20 weeks and finished 16th in the year-end poll.
Doug McDermott swept all 14 National Player of the Year awards after leading the team with 26.7 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per contest. He was also named BIG EAST Player of the Year and wrapped his career as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 points.
Ethan Wragge (10.4 ppg.) was named Honorable-Mention All-BIG EAST after finishing in the top-10 in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage.
The Bluejays led the nation in three-pointers made (356), three-point percentage (41.4) and assist/turnover ratio (1.80).
After earning the program's first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2001, Creighton topped Louisiana before falling to No. 24 Baylor in the third round.
Big Margin Leads To Big Things
Creighton's 107-61 win last year vs. Alcorn State was its highest point total in a season-opener ever, one point more than the 2002-03 team that opened with a 106-50 win over Texas-Arlington. Nine of Creighton's 19 all-time NCAA Tournament teams have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
Here's a look at Creighton's last six teams to score 90 or more in a season-opener.
Final Post-
Score Opponent Date W-L Season
107-61 Alcorn State 11/08/13 27-8 NCAA
97-65 N. Carolina A&T 11/11/11 29-6 NCAA
106-50 Texas-Arlington 11/17/02 29-5 NCAA
96-50 Western Illinois 11/20/00 24-8 NCAA
93-48 Towson State 11/14/98 22-9 NCAA
93-47 UT-San Antonio 11/30/90 24-8 NCAA
Jays At Home Against Winless Teams
Creighton's opponent on Friday, Central Arkansas, is 0-0 on the season. The Bluejays have won 30 straight home games against teams that are winless entering the night, winning those games by an average of 27.33 points. Fourteen of those wins came by 30 points or more, and only two were decided by single-digits.
The streak dates to a 77-70 loss versus an 0-2 SMU team on Dec. 3, 1994. That game was Dana Altman's home debut at Creighton.
Creighton at Home vs. Winless Teams, Since 12/3/1994
Opp. W-L Opponent CU Result Date
0-4 UMKC W 75-61 12/17/94
0-1 UMKC W 70-68 11/25/96
0-0 UMKC W 81-59 11/14/97
0-0 Towson W 93-48 11/14/98
0-1 Western Illinois W 96-50 11/20/00
0-1 North Carolina A&T W 72-51 11/18/01
0-0 Texas-Arlington W 106-50 11/17/02
0-3 San Diego W 79-44 11/22/03
0-1 Bethune-Cookman W 69-49 12/03/03
0-0 Alcorn State W 74-40 11/15/04
0-0 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 83-58 11/20/04
0-0 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 87-55 11/19/05
0-1 Miss. Valley State W 78-42 11/13/06
0-4 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 74-39 11/29/06
0-0 DePaul W 74-62 11/09/07
0-2 Miss. Valley State W 76-46 11/17/07
0-2 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 82-50 11/20/08
0-9 Miss. Valley State W 82-58 12/02/08
0-7 Southern W 71-60 12/15/08
0-1 Florida A&M W 78-53 11/17/09
0-0 Alabama State W 71-57 11/12/10
0-1 Northern Arizona W 74-70 11/14/10
0-0 N. Carolina A&T W 97-65 11/11/11
0-1 Chicago State W 95-61 11/13/11
0-0 North Texas W 71-51 11/09/12
0-2 Presbyterian W 87-58 11/18/12
0-4 Longwood W 105-57 11/20/12
0-0 Alcorn State W 107-61 11/08/13
0-1 UMKC W 96-70 11/11/13
0-3 Tulsa W 82-72 11/23/13
November Reign
Creighton is a perfect 44-0 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th.
Creighton has won 45 of its 46 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012.
Overall, Creighton is 60-13 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
Creighton has also won 51 of its last 52 regular-season non-conference home games against unranked foes since falling to Drexel on Feb. 17, 2007.
Season Opener History
Including last year's win, Creighton now owns a sparkling 81-15 record (.844) on opening day, including wins in 16 of its last 17 lid-lifters.
Creighton has won 10 of its last 14 season-openers by 20 or more points. The Jays have outscored foes by an average of 83.9 to 56.7 in the last 14 openers.
Home Opener History
Including last year's win over Alcorn State, Creighton is 85-11 (.885) in home openers all-time. Creighton has now won 19 straight home openers since a Dec. 3, 1994 setback against SMU.
As impressive as that streak is, it's not a record. Between 1936 and 1980, the Jays went 41-2 in home openers, including 21 straight wins from 1946-66.
Opening Statements
Greg McDermott has won each of the last 12 season openers he's coached in, as he improved to 12-1 at the Division I level in season-openers. Overall as a head coach, McDermott is 17-3 in season-opening games.
That includes an impressive 99-point win (137-38) in his first game on the sidelines when he was at Wayne State.
Date School Opponent Result
1994-95 Wayne St. York W 137-38
1995-96 Wayne St. Nebraska-Omaha L 63-72
1996-97 Wayne St. St. Francis W 72-66
1997-98 Wayne St. Nebraska-Omaha W 78-76
1998-99 Wayne St. Mount Marty W 76-70
1999-00 Wayne St. South Dakota L 64-66
11/17/00 NDSU Macalester W 81-69
11/16/01 UNI vs. San Diego State L 57-71
11/22/02 UNI at Montana W 77-71
11/21/03 UNI Chicago State W 83-59
11/21/04 UNI Wayne State W 84-66
11/20/05 UNI Western Carolina W 68-46
11/10/06 Iowa State UC Riverside W 69-61
11/09/07 Iowa State Winston-Salem St. W 58-44
11/14/08 Iowa State UC Davis W 61-58
11/13/09 Iowa State Idaho State W 88-68
11/12/10 Creighton Alabama State W 71-57
11/11/11 Creighton N. Carolina A&T W 97-65
11/09/12 Creighton North Texas W 71-51
11/08/13 Creighton Alcorn State W 107-61
Crowd Control
Creighton's sellout crowd of 17,740 last year vs. Alcorn State was its largest ever for a home-opener. It was also Creighton's largest home crowd for any November game, and the ninth-largest home crowd in program history at the time.
Last Friday night's crowd of 16,317 was the largest exhibition crowd in Creighton history.
Quick Starts Key To Playing in Postseason
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 14 of the previous 16 seasons. Each of Creighton's last 15 3-0 starts have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Last season marked the third straight year Creighton has opened 4-0, something last done from 2002-03 to 2004-05. The only other time CU started 4-0 in three straight years had come in a five-year stretch from 1916-17 to 1920-21.
Good Defense, A Good Sign
Each of the last nine times that Creighton has held its season-opening opponent to 50 points or less, the Bluejays have advanced to the postseason. That list is seen below:
Date Opponent Score NCAA/NIT
11/30/73 Regis W 93-38 NCAA
11/27/76 St. Thomas (MN) W 79-39 NIT
11/30/90 UT San Antonio W 93-47 NCAA
11/14/98 Towson State W 93-48 NCAA
11/20/00 Western Illinois W 96-50 NCAA
11/17/02 Texas-Arlington W 106-50 NCAA
11/22/03 San Diego W 76-44 NIT
11/15/04 Alcorn State W 74-40 NCAA
11/13/06 Mississippi Valley St. W 78-42 NCAA
Hello, World
Creighton has six players (Gilmore, Connealy, Harrell, Clement, Milliken, Hegner) who could make their regular-season Division I debut on Friday.
Below is a look at how Creighton's current players have done in their regular-season debut in a Division I uniform.
Name Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Min.
Brooks 15 6 5 3 16
Artino 13 3 0 0 13
Dingman 11 2 0 0 12
Huff (@UNR) 9 5 0 0 17
Hanson 9 2 0 0 11
Watson• (@BU) 6 1 4 0 23
Zierden 5 3 3 0 24
Groselle 1 0 0 0 2
Kreklow (@MIZZ) 0 2 2 0 13
Chatman 0 0 4 0 12
Oginni 0 0 0 0 1
•indicates game started
Making An Entrance
Below is a list of some of Creighton's most famous players and how they performed in their regular-season debuts in a Bluejay uniform.
Four years ago, Doug McDermott burst onto the scene with 16 points and seven rebounds in his debut, becoming the first Bluejay freshman since at least 1973 to have 15 or more points and five or more rebounds in a season-opener.
Name, Yr. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Min. Result
Echenique, 2010 12 5 0 0 18 W 66-60
McDermott, 2010 16 7 0 1 32 W 71-57
Stinnett, 2007 23 4 3 3 26 W 74-62
Tolliver, 2003 0 1 2 0 7 W 79-44
Funk, 2002 3 5 4 1 21 W 106-50
Kyle Korver, 1999 2 2 0 1 10 W 70-62
Buford, 1995 3 4 0 0 19 W 63-59
Harstad, 1987 4 5 1 1 21 L 49-70
Gallagher, 1987 10 3 0 0 37 L 49-70
Benjamin, 1982 14 4 1 0 22 W 98-54
McKenna, 1977 14 3 7 ? ? W 95-66
Harmon, 1971 21 7 ? ? ? W 74-62
C. Baptiste, 1969 24 17 ? ? ? W 84-62
Portman, 1966 9 ? ? ? ? W 78-76
Silas, 1961 22 29 ? ? ? W 85-51
Gibson, 1954 19 ? ? ? ? W 66-51
Double-Double Opener
Creighton has won either a conference regular-season title or conference Tournament each of its last seven seasons it has had a player with a double-double in the opener (2012-13, 2001-02, 1999-00, 1998-99, 1990-91, 1989-90, 1988-89).
Each of Creighton's last two players to open the year with a double-double (Doug McDermott in 2012-13 and Kyle Korver in 2001-02) were named MVC Player of the Year and MVC Tournament MVP.
Playing With The Lead
Incredibly, Creighton hasn't trailed in its home opener in seven of the past 14 seasons (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10 and 2011-12).
In 186 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 48 of those contests, a staggering 25.8 percent of the time, including seven wire-to-wire wins last season.
More Debut News
Some more facts of interest about players making their Bluejay debut.
The last player to start their first game at Creighton was Grant Gibbs, who started the 2011-12 opener. Gibbs was on his fourth year of college at that point, after spending two years at Gonzaga and redshirting one season at Creighton.
When Doug McDermott started the 2010-11 lid-lifter, he became CU's first true freshman to start his first game since Ryan Sears in 1997. Sears started all 124 games of his Bluejay career and remains the MVC's all-time leader with 283 steals. A pair of Bluejay legends, McDermott and Sears are the only freshmen since 1992-93 to start their Creighton's season-opener.
Should Toby Hegner earn a start on Friday, he would make some history, becoming the first freshman in CU history to redshirt his first season, then start the season opener the following year, since freshmen became eligible until 1972-73.
CU's best opening-day effort in history would have to be the way Creighton Hall of Famer Bob Harstad began his senior season. Harstad went 13-for-13 from the floor and 12-for-13 at the line to score 38 points against Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 30, 1990.
The most rebounds on opening day in Creighton history is 30, which Paul Silas snared on Dec. 1, 1962 at La Salle. Silas also had 22 points and 29 rebounds in his varsity debut on Dec. 1, 1961.
Friday Night Lights
Creighton doesn't play many Friday home games, but judging by its success, it might not be a bad idea for the future.
Creighton has won every Friday home game it's played since Dec. 2, 1989 by double-digits.
In fact, the last time Creighton lost a Friday home game came on Dec. 12, 1975, when Greg McDermott was 11 years old, and it was 14 years before Grant Gibbs was born.
The Central Arkansas contest is one of Creighton's two scheduled home games for a Friday this season, joining Texas-Pan American on Dec. 19.
Crowd Watch
Last year Creighton averaged 17,896 in 16 regular-season games at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Creighton's largest home opener attendance in school history was 17,740 last season vs. Alcorn State.
Central Arkansas averaged 955 fans per home game last season, and played before a grand total of 14,324 total fans in 15 home contests last year.
Central Arkansas played in front of just one crowd larger than 5,500 all of last season, an 87-54 loss at Kansas State before 11,651 fans.
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 186 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time entering its 12th season at the facility.
The Bluejays own an 161-25 (.866) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (8-0).
Creighton has outscored its opponents 14,125-11,941 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.74 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 48 different times, including seven times last season.
Creighton is also 23-15 all-time in the 38 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
Creighton is 64-7 (.901) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 33-1 record vs. unranked non-conference teams.
Factor in a 17-0 home mark at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 and two wins at the Civic in the 2010 CIT, and the Bluejays are 180-25 (.878) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Creighton trailed for just 33:30 of 640:00 minutes last season at home, and just 36:24 of its last 720:00 minutes during its 18-game home win streak. Impressively, Creighton has not trailed at any point in the second half during that home win streak, winning 15 of the 18 games by double-digits.
Just Win, Baby
Creighton has won 18 straight home games, a streak that began on Feb. 19, 2013 vs. Southern Illinois. That's the longest streak in facility history by Creighton.
Creighton has not trailed at any point in the second half during that home win streak, winning 15 of the 18 games by double-digits.
The Bluejays were 16-0 at home last year, clinching its first unbeaten home season since closing the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 with a 17-0 mark.
The school-record for longest home win streak is 28, done from 1917-1920 and again from 2002-04.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest home win streaks in the 12-year history of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Streak Dates Snapped By
18 Feb. 19, 2013 - Present ? ? ?
16 Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 31, 2006 Southern Illinois
16 Jan. 19, 2010 - Dec. 22, 2011 Missouri State
14 Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008 Northern Iowa
11 Nov. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004 Southern Illinois
Let's Go Streaking
Creighton has won 18 straight home games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, the nation's eighth-longest active home win streak.
Here's the active top-10:
Rk. Streak Team Next Home Game
1. Duke 33 Presbyterian, 11/14
Stephen F. Austin 33 Mississippi College, 11/14
3. Florida 32 William & Mary, 11/14
4. Gonzaga 25 Sacramento State, 11/14
5. N.C. Central 23 College of Faith, 11/18
6. Arizona 21 Mount St. Mary's, 11/14
7. VCU 20 Toledo, 11/18
8. Creighton 18 Central Arkansas, 11/14
9. Wichita State 17 New Mexico State, 11/14
10. Toledo 16 Northern Arizona, 11/16
Recent Exhibition History
Creighton is 40-6 since 1987 in fall exhibition games thanks to 14 straight victories. The only team since 1994 to beat Creighton in an exhibition setting has been Global Sports, which merged 11 years ago and later changed their name to EA Sports.
A complete listing of Creighton's exhibition games since 1987 can be found on page four of this release.
McDermott's Exhibition History
Greg McDermott is 22-0 in exhibition games as a Division I head coach, including a 10-0 mark at UNI, a 7-0 record at Iowa State, and a 5-0 mark at Creighton. All but one of his triumphs has been by double-digits.
Below is a list of McDermott's exhibition games at the Division I level.
Greg McDermott's Division I Exhibition Scores
Date McD School Opponent Result
2001-02 UNI London Leopards W 89-74
2001-02 UNI Lake Superior St. W 74-63
2002-03 UNI Dominican Nat'l Team W 73-56
2002-03 UNI H.P. Minnesota W 90-76
2003-04 UNI H.P. Minnesota W 89-79
2003-04 UNI Australian Select Team W 92-58
2004-05 UNI Dubuque W 93-34
2004-05 UNI SW Minnesota St. W 71-40
2005-06 UNI Lewis W 77-50
2005-06 UNI Wayne State W 74-57
11/03/06 Iowa State EA Sports W 58-57
11/06/06 Iowa State Wayne State W 55-41
11/01/07 Iowa State Dubuque W 66-38
11/04/07 Iowa State EA Sports W 74-63
11/08/08 Iowa State Nebraska-Omaha W 74-54
11/02/09 Iowa State Black Hills State W 96-47
11/06/09 Iowa State UNC-Pembroke W 106-54
11/04/10 Creighton Northern State W 79-67
11/06/11 Creighton Rockhurst W 81-42
11/02/12 Creighton Mary W 89-51
11/01/13 Creighton Northern State W 89-61
11/07/14 Creighton Sioux Falls W 91-72
Newcomer Report
Four players made their exhibition debut in a Creighton uniform last Friday in the exhibition against Sioux Falls as Rick Kreklow, Leon Gilmore III, Ronnie Harrell and Gabriel Connealy combined for 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists in a combined 34 minutes of action in Creighton's 91-72 triumph.
Below is a look at the last five years and how Creighton's newcomers have produced in their exhibition debuts:
2014
Kreklow, Gilmore, Connealy, Harrell
10 pts., 9 reb., 5 ast., 34 min. (W 91-72)
2013
Ferrarini/Brooks/Clement/Harris/Burns
Milliken/Roberts/Hegner/Hanson
26 pts., 8 reb., 10 ast., 52 min. (W 89-61)
2012
Kelling/Yates/Zierden
8 pts., 11 reb., 4 ast., 39 min. (W 89-51)
2011
Gibbs/Chatman/Olsen/Dingman
Groselle/Johnson/Oginni
22 pts., 11 reb., 8 ast., 70 min. (W 81-42)
2010
Stormberg/McDermott/
Manigat/Ingle/Artino
25 pts., 11 reb., 0 ast., 44 min. (W 79-67)
Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns just one regular starter (Austin Chatman) from last year's team that finished 27-8. Creighton's roster contains players who made 49 starts a year ago (also 7 by Will Artino and Avery Dingman last year), and own a combined 85 career starts (Chatman 71, Artino 7, Dingman 7).
This year marks just the second time since 1986-87 that Creighton returns one starter or less (also 2007-08; Dane Watts).
Additionally, the 49 starts from a year ago ranks as the second-fewest in the same time span, as the 2007-08 team returned 44 starts prior to its 22-11 campaign.
Returning Returning Starts Final
Year Starters From Previous Year W-L
2014-15 1 49 ? ? ?
2013-14 4 144 27-8
2012-13 4 140 28-8
2011-12 3 101 29-6
2010-11 4 123 23-16
2009-10 3 106 18-16
2008-09 3 83 27-8
2007-08 1 44 22-11
2006-07 4 120 22-11
2005-06 4 134 20-10
2004-05 2 58 23-11
2003-04 3 101 20-9
2002-03 5 159 29-5
2001-02 2 65 23-9
2000-01 3 90 24-8
1999-00 3 84 23-10
1998-99 3 84 22-9
1997-98 4 72 18-10
1996-97 4 126 15-15
1995-96 4 100 14-15
1994-95 2 52 7-19
1993-94 3 73 7-22
1992-93 2 64 8-18
1991-92 2 51 9-19
1990-91 4 132 24-8
1989-90 4 127 21-12
1988-89 4 123 20-11
1987-88 3 83 16-16
1986-87 2 65 9-19
1985-86 1 48 12-16
1984-85 4 124 20-12
1983-84 3 72 17-14
1982-83 3 77 8-19
1981-82 2 78 7-20
1980-81 4 112 21-9
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish ninth in its first season as BIG EAST Conference members according to a preseason poll of league coaches. Villanova was picked first with 81 points and nine first-place votes, while Georgetown (67, 1), St. John's (65), Xavier (52) and Providence (49) round out the top half. The predicted lower half was Seton Hall (43), Butler (28), Marquette (28), Creighton (25) and DePaul (12).
The ninth-place prognostication is the program's lowest mark since being tabbed 10th of 11 Missouri Valley Conference teams in 1995-96. That team tied for fifth in The Valley. It also snaps a streak of 14 straight years being picked fourth or higher in its preseason league poll.
Creighton did not have any honorees on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Teams, which was led by Preseason Player of the Year D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera from Georgetown.
This marks the first time since 2009-10 that Creighton has not had the Preseason Conference Player of the Year. It's also just the sixth time in the last 20 years that Creighton did not have a first team all-conference honoree in the preseason.
Consistent Challengers
Last year's Creighton team finished second in the BIG EAST. Including last year, 12 of Creighton's last 17 teams have finished either first or second the regular-season race of league play. 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 and second last year in the BIG EAST, 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 League Finishes, Previous 17 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.), 2013-14
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
NBA Representation
This year marks the first time since 1970 that Creighton has three NBA players at the same time, as Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks), Anthony Tolliver (Phoenix Suns) and Doug McDermott (Chicago Bulls) are all in the league.
Including 2014-15, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 31 of the last 32 years.
Korver ranks 20th in NBA history with 1,530 three-pointers and is also 10th in league history with 42.6 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Nov. 10). Last year he set an NBA record with 127 straight games with a three-pointer, and in 2009-10 he set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range.
Tolliver ranked 15th in the NBA in three-point percentage with the Charlotte Bobcats (41.3 percent) last season.
McDermott is a rookie who was the 11th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, then traded an hour later to the Chicago Bulls.
Nation's Best Offense?
You can make a case that Creighton boasted the nation's best offensive production last year.
Creighton finished the 2013-14 season leading the nation with 41.4 percent marksmanship from three-point range, a 1.80 assist/turnover ratio and 356 three-point field goals.
The Bluejays were second in assists per game (17.5) and three-pointers per game (10.2), fourth in field goal percentage (.497) and total assists (614), 10th in fewest turnovers per game (9.8), 24th in both scoring average (78.7) and winning percentage and 29th in free throw percentage.
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the first four years of the Greg McDermott tenure:
Category Stat NCAA Rank
FG Percentage .4897 1st
3FG Percentage .4050 1st
Assists 2,407 1st
Assists/Game 16.60 2nd
3FG Made 1,230 2nd
Assist/Turnover Ratio 1.436 4th
3FG Made/Game 8.483 5th
FG Made 3,809 9th
Wins 107 15th
Winning Pct. .7379 22nd
Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 15 of the last 16 seasons, a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
Just five schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 16 years: Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse.
Along with Kentucky, Creighton is one of two schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 15 of the past 16 years.
That's better than traditional powers Arizona, Connecticut and Memphis (14 each) and also ahead of Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin (13 each).
10 Conference Wins x 18
Last season's Creighton team won 10 or more league games for a 18th consecutive season.
On a national basis, the only other current school with at least 18 straight years of 10 or more league wins is Kansas (20).
Each of the last 18 seasons has seen the team finish fourth place or better in the league standings as well, though all but one of those took place in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Postseason x 17
Creighton has made the postseason in 17 consecutive seasons. The only eight schools to make the postseason in each of the last 17 years are Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Syracuse.
Postseason Win Streak
Thanks to an NCAA Tournament win over Louisiana last spring, the Creighton men's basketball team has now won a postseason game in a school-record seven straight seasons. The previous mark was three in a row from 1962-64.
The following four programs are the only ones that have won a postseason game in seven straight seasons, including 2013-14: Creighton, Kansas, North Carolina and Syracuse.
Eight Out Of 16 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 16 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (12), Duke (10), Winthrop (9) and Creighton (8).
On A Roll
Since the start of 2011-12, Creighton is a remarkable 84-22. On a national basis, Creighton's 84 wins rank tied for 10th, as seen below.
Most Wins, Since 2011-12
School '11-12 '12-13 '13-14 W-L
Louisville 30-10 35-5 31-6 96-21
Wichita State 27-6 30-9 35-1 92-17
Syracuse 34-3 30-10 28-6 92-19
Florida 26-11 29-8 36-3 91-22
Kansas 32-7 31-6 25-10 88-23
Kentucky 38-2 21-12 29-11 88-25
Gonzaga 26-7 32-3 29-7 87-17
Ohio State 31-8 29-8 25-10 85-26
Michigan State 29-8 27-9 29-9 85-26
Creighton 29-6 28-8 27-8 84-22
New Mexico 28-7 29-6 27-7 84-20
McDermott Sweeps Player of the Year
Doug McDermott swept all 14 National Player of the Year awards handed out by the media in 2013-14.
He was honored by the USBWA (Oscar Robertson Trophy), John R. Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, Adolph F. Rupp Trophy, Associated Press, NABC, CollegeInsider.com Lute Olson Award, Sporting News, Basketball Times, NBCSports.com, CBSSports.com, BleacherReport.com, USA Today and Dick Vitale.
In addition, he was also honored with the Senior CLASS Award that took into account his off-court contributions.
It was McDermott's second year with such lofty honor. As a sophomore, he was named CollegeInsider.com's Lute Olson Player of the Year.
McDermott finished his career last March ranking fifth in NCAA history with 3,150 career points.
NCAA Division I - Most Career Points All-Time
Rk. Name, School Years Points
1. Pete Maravich, LSU 1967-70 3,667
2. Freeman Williams, Portland State 1974-78 3,249
3. Lionel Simmons, La Salle 1986-90 3,217
4. Alphonso Ford, Miss. Valley State 1989-93 3,165
5. Doug McDermott, Creighton 2010-14 3,150
6. Harry Kelly, Texas Southern 1979-83 3,066
7. Keydren Clark, Saint Peter's 2002-07 3,058
8. Hersey Hawkins, Bradley 1984-88 3,008
9. Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati 1957-60 2,973
10. Danny Manning, Kansas 1984-88 2,951
Full House
Last year's Creighton team averaged 17,896 in 16 home dates, good for fifth-nationally, and better than 16 NBA clubs.
It's the eighth straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the third straight season in the top-six nationally in attendance, as well.
2013-14 Attendance Leaders (Final)
Rk. School Average
1. Syracuse 26,253
2. Kentucky 22,964
3. Louisville 21,282
4. North Carolina 18,025
5. Creighton 17,896
6. Indiana 17,358
7. Wisconsin 17,104
8. Ohio State 16,474
9. Kansas 16,437
10. Memphis 16,121
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
Avg. Att. School Year
17,896 Creighton 2013-14
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
16,665 Creighton 2011-12
15,930 Creighton 2008-09
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception.
Creighton has one player from Iowa on this season's team (Waukee native Will Artino), continuing a long trend of relying on some of the Hawkeye State's top preps.
Past notable Iowans include Doug McDermott (Ames), Grant Gibbs (Marion), 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 656 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 680 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993.
Creighton's last win without making a three-point basket came on March 3, 1991 when the Jays went 0-for-2 from three-point range in a 71-66 win over Southern Illinois in the championship game of the MVC Tournament.
Key Number From 3-Point Range
Creighton's key number from three-point range seems to be 40 percent.
In the previous three years under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 29-18 (.617) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 55-4 (.932) mark the previous three years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 74-9 in the previous three years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 10-13 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.
Last season, Creighton led the nation with 41.4 percent shooting from deep, a figure that ranked ahead of 43 teams overall field goal percentage nationally.
Three-Mendous Shooting
Creighton owned 356 three-pointers last season, most in school history. The 2012-13 club set the previous school standard with 307 in 36 games.
Creighton's 356 three-pointers ranked 11th-best in NCAA single-season history, and led the nation this year.
In addition, Creighton's 41.4 percent marksmanship from three-point range ranked tied for third-best in school history.
Last year's Creighton team owned 173 three-pointers in BIG EAST play alone, breaking a conference record (in league play) of 155 first set by the 2004-05 Notre Dame team.
Halftime Lead A Key
Creighton was 26-0 last year when leading at halftime, but just 1-8 when trailing at intermission.
Dating to 2012-13, Creighton has won 33 straight games when leading at the break.
Streak Week
Creighton ranked fourth nationally in field goal percentage last season, making 49.7 percent of its shots from the floor.
The Bluejays have won 59 straight games when shooting 50.0 percent or better from the field since a loss to Wichita State in 2011.
All-time under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 58-1 when shooting 50.01 percent or better.
Special Senior Class
Last year's senior class featured four men who have graduated and moved on to the professional level; Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat, Doug McDermott and Ethan Wragge.
During the past four years, the Jays went 107-38 while appearing in the postseason every season, claiming the 2012-13 MVC regular-season title, as well as the 2012 and 2013 MVC Tournament titles. The 29 wins in 2011-12 tied a school-record, as are the 57 wins from 2011-13 for a two-year span, the 84 wins from 2011-14 the mark for a three-year span and 107 wins are the most-ever in a four-year span at Creighton.
In those four years the team was 64-7 at home, including a 31-5 mark in league play at home, and that group was part of the first teams in school history to win NCAA Tournament games in consecutive seasons.
The quartet combined for 5,964 points, 2,250 rebounds and 1,062 assists while shooting a combined 872-2013 (43.3%) from three-point range at Creighton.
Most Wins, 3-Year Stretch
W-L Years
84 2011-14
80 2010-13
76 2000-03
72 2001-04
72 2002-05
Most Wins, 4-Year Stretch
W-L Years
107 2010-14
99 1999-03
98 2009-13
97 2008-12
96 2000-04
Closing Strong
Creighton has won 36 straight games when leading with 5:00 to play.
Overall under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 99-4 when leading with 5:00 left, including victories in 61 of the last 62 scenarios. The Bluejays are also 3-0 under McDermott when tied with 5:00 to play.
CU is 5-34 under McDermott when trailing with 5:00 left, with the last such rally coming on Feb. 25, 2011 at Indiana State.
Big Deficits, Big Deal
Creighton owns 11 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including six such comebacks away from home.
On the other hand, CU is 93-5 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 81 of the last 82 times.
Double-Digit Comebacks Under Greg McDermott
Deficit Opponent Date
17 at San Diego State 11/30/11
16 at Evansville 02/16/13
14 Evansville 02/21/12
13 at Saint Joseph's 11/16/13
13 Xavier 01/12/14
12 Saint Joseph's 12/11/10
11 at Wichita State 12/31/11
11 Northern Iowa 01/10/12
11 vs. Alabama 03/16/12
10 UAB 11/14/12
10 vs. Drake 03/02/12
Winning Formulas
Below is the records for each current BIG EAST school over the previous four, eight and 14 (since 2000-01) seasons, ranked by overall wins.
The three relative newcomers to the league, Butler, Creighton and Xavier, are at the top of nearly each category.
Most Wins Since 2000-01
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 335 136 .711
Butler 335 135 .713
Xavier 330 135 .710
Marquette 314 151 .675
Villanova 304 162 .652
Georgetown 303 153 .664
Providence 236 204 .536
Seton Hall 228 209 .522
St. John's 213 221 .491
DePaul 181 251 .419
Most Wins - Last 8 Years
Team W L Pct.
Butler 209 73 .741
Creighton 196 84 .700
Xavier 193 81 .704
Marquette 188 89 .679
Georgetown 185 81 .695
Villanova 182 90 .669
Providence 136 123 .525
Seton Hall 132 125 .514
St. John's 131 128 .506
DePaul 90 165 .353
Most Wins - Last 4 Years
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 107 38 .738
Marquette 92 47 .662
Butler 91 51 .641
Georgetown 88 42 .677
Xavier 85 48 .639
Villanova 83 50 .624
Providence 72 61 .541
St. John's 71 60 .542
Seton Hall 66 66 .500
DePaul 42 85 .331
What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 107-38 on the Creighton sideline entering his fifth year at the helm. The 107 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first four seasons.
How good are McDermott's 107 wins after four seasons? The only coach to start his Creighton career with more than 107 wins after SIX seasons was Tom Apke (109). Apke also owned the mark after five seasons, going 93-43 to open his career on the Bluejay sideline.
Most Wins at CU, First Four Seasons
Coach Years W-L After 4 Yrs
Greg McDermott 2010-Pres. 107-38
Tom Apke 1974-78 79-30
Eddie Sutton 1969-73 59-43
Tony Barone 1985-89 57-62
Red McManus 1959-63 56-46
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 79-0 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
In other words, Creighton is a perfect 91-0 in CenturyLink Center Omaha since Feb. 6, 2005 when scoring enough points to earn its fans some free pizza.
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over five years ago, Creighton is averaging 78.42 points per home game (5,568 points in 71 home games).
That's a vital number since Creighton is 105-0 at home (76-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more and 87-0 at home (60-0 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.
Full House
Creighton attracted eight of its 20 largest home crowds in program history last season. Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time.
Rank Att. Opponent Date
1. 18,868 Providence 03/08/14
2. 18,859 Georgetown 01/25/14
3. 18,797 #6 Villanova 02/16/14
4. 18,742 Seton Hall 02/23/14
5. 18,735 Wichita State 02/11/12
6. 18,613 Wichita State 03/02/13
7. 18,525 Marquette 12/31/13
8. 18,494 Illinois State 02/09/13
9. 18,458 Evansville 12/29/12
10. 18,436 Bradley 01/28/12
11. 18,323 DePaul 02/07/14
12. 18,111 Bradley 02/02/13
13. 18,078 Tulsa 11/23/13
14. 18,073 Drake 01/08/13
15. 17,954 Wichita State 12/28/08
16. 17,740 Alcorn State 11/08/13
17. 17,694 Indiana State 01/05/13
18. 17,676 Northwestern 12/22/11
19. 17,665 Missouri State 12/28/11
20. 17,607 Drexel 02/17/07
Toughest Thing In Sports
Creighton is 24-12 in true road games the previous three years, and 39-17 when you also include neutral site games.
Last year's team was 7-4 in true road games and 4-4 at neutral sites. Each of Creighton's last 11 NCAA Tournament qualifiers have had 10 or more road/neutral wins.
Shuttle Service Provided Again
Chief Bus will provide complimentary shuttle service from the Creighton University campus to CenturyLink Center Omaha for all men's basketball home games this season. The service is available to all fans, not just Creighton students.
The shuttle will start 75 minutes before tip-off and shuttles will continue to operate the route during the game. The three designated stops for pick-up around the CU campus are: 24th & California (nearside/southbound); 20th & Cass (nearside/eastbound) and at Billy Blues Alumni Grill (outside the Mike & Josie Harper Center in the turnaround which is on the east side of the building).
The shuttle will then go eastbound on Capitol Avenue and then go north up 10th Street for drop-off at the CenturyLink Center Omaha convention center entrance. The route is designed for each shuttle driver to make a roundtrip every 15 minutes.
Following the game's conclusion, the shuttle will start at the CenturyLink Center Omaha convention center entrance on 10th Street and loop the original route with the first of three stops at 24th & California Streets.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2014-15 season went on sale on November 3rd at 10 am.
Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CenturyLink Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any game.
For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
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/ Men's BasketballCreighton Men's Basketball Availability - 9/24/25
Wednesday, September 24
Meet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
Friday, August 15
