No. 23 Men's Basketball Heads to Florida For Emerald Coast Classic
11/26/2014 10:37:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Creighton Men's Basketball Game #6 vs. Ole Miss • Friday, Nov. 28, 2014 • 7:30 p.m.
Ole Miss Rebels vs. #23 Creighton Bluejays
The Arena (2,200) • Niceville, Fla.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: None
Series History: First Meeting
Last Time: First Meeting
Next Game
No. 23 Creighton (5-0) continues play in the Emerald Coast Classic when it plays its first games of the season away from home this weekend.
First up is a Friday evening game vs. Ole Miss (3-1).
Tip-off at The Arena (2,200) in Niceville, Fla., is set for 7:30 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 Nick Bahe will call the action.
The pregame show “Bluejay Shootaround” is hosted by Josh Peterson and former Bluejay Josh Dotzler, and will air from 5:30 - 7:00 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 not be televised.
Video Webcast Information
Emerald Coast Television, in conjunction with presenting sponsor Okaloosa County Development Council will video stream all four third round games that will be played on Friday as well as the first three games in the championship round.
The video webcast link will be on the Emerald Coast Classic website - emeraldcoastclassic.com.
There is no charge for the webcast.
Live Stats Information
The status of live stats for this weekend was unknown when these notes were published. Visit GoCreighton.com and click on the Live Stats icon near the top right of the page for a link to the exact URL, if available.
Scouting #23 Creighton
No. 23 Creighton is 5-0 on the young season, posting home victories over Central Arkansas (104-77), Chicago State (84-66), No. 18 Oklahoma (65-63), North Carolina Central (65-45) and Eastern Illinois (75-53).
The Bluejays have had a different scorer in each victory, and six men are averaging at least 8.0 points per game.
Two of those men are scoring in double-figures, a group led by Isaiah Zierden (13.8 ppg.), with Will Artino (10.2 ppg. 6.0 rpg.) not far behind.
Doing a little bit of everything has been senior guard Devin Brooks (8.0 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 4.0 apg.), who leads the team in rebounding and steals and is second in rebounding while continuing to stuff the stat sheet.
Creighton returns 11 lettermen from last year's 27-8 team that reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season. However, Austin Chatman (9.6 ppg., 4.6 apg.) is the only returning starter from that group.
The Bluejays are trying 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.
Scouting Ole Miss
Ole Miss has won three straight games since suffering a 66-65 overtime loss at the buzzer to Charleston Southern in its season-opener.
Jarvis Summers (14.3 ppg., 3.8 rpg., 3.8 apg.) leads the team in scoring, just ahead of Stefan Moody (11.8 ppg., 2.5 spg.) and LaDarius White (11.5 ppg., 4.3 rpg.).
The Rebels are averaging 72.0 points per game, despite making just 18 three-pointers on 23.4 percent marksmanship from long-range. Ole Miss has outrebounded teams by eight caroms per contest and owns 21 blocked shots in four games.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his fifth season as head coach at Creighton. He led CU to a 27-8 mark last year, and is 112-38 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 392-233 in his 21st season and is 261-169 in his 14th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Patrick Sellers.
Andy Kennedy (UAB, 1991) is 174-102 in nine seasons as the Ole Miss head coach, moving his career mark to 195-115 in 10 seasons when you include a year as Cincinnati's interim coach. He was also previously an assistant coach at Cincinnati, UAB and South Alabama, and is assisted by Bill Armstrong, Tony Madlock and Todd Abernethy.
The Series With Ole Miss
Creighton has never faced Ole Miss.
Greg McDermott is 4-12 in his career against teams currently in the SEC, though the majority of those were against Missouri (2-6) and Texas A&M (0-5) when they were Big 12 rivals and he was at Iowa State.
McDermott's only previous game as Creighton coach against an SEC team came in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, a one-point win over Alabama.
McDermott has never squared off against a team coached by Andy Kennedy.
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.
No Blues On The First Trip
Friday will mark Creighton's first foray away from the friendly confines of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
In the previous 16 years, Creighton is 11-5 in its first non-home game of the season, which includes a 4-1 mark when that game takes place on a neutral floor.
Under Greg McDermott, CU is 3-1 in its first game away from home, losing only on a “buzzer-beating” three-pointer vs. Iowa State in his first season patrolling the Bluejays.
7-Foot Surprise
Redshirt junior center Geoffrey Groselle had the best game of his Bluejay career on Tuesday, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting in just 12 minutes of playing time. His play earned him a pair of standing ovations from the more than 17,400+ fans at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Groselle had owned just 44 career points in the first 36 games of his career before his outburst.
Groselle has made 26-of-34 career field goal attempts, good for 76.5 percent.
3-Headed Monster
Creighton has used three men who alternate playing time at the “5” position for most of this season, Will Artino, Zach Hanson and Geoffrey Groselle.
While none of them have stats that might jump off the page individually, as a collective group they're tough to beat, combining for 20.8 ppg. and 11.0 rpg. in 39.6 minutes per game, all while shooting 64.1 percent from the floor.
Name MPG FG-FGA RPG PPG
Artino 19.0 19-35 6.0 10.2
Hanson 12.8 10-15 3.8 5.2
Groselle 7.8 12-14 1.2 5.4
Total 39.6 41-64 11.0 20.8
Quick Starts Key To Playing in Postseason
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 14 of the previous 16 seasons, and has done so once again this winter. Each of Creighton's last 15 3-0 starts have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Creighton has started 5-0 or better for the fourth straight year. The only previous time CU has started 5-0 in four straight years had come in a five-year stretch from 1916-17 to 1920-21.
Balanced Offense
Creighton owns six players who are averaging 8.0 points per game or more this season. Eight players have scored 12 or more points in a game this year, and CU has seen a different leading scorer in each contest.
Creighton also has seven different players with five or more rebounds in a game this year. The Bluejays have had a different player with 10 or more rebounds in four games this season after only having three players with double-figure rebound totals (McDermott, Gibbs, Artino) all last season. Three of those men (Chatman, Milliken, Brooks) are guards.
Austin Chatman has been Creighton's outright leader in rebounding two of his past three games after doing that just once in the first 108 games of his career.
State of Frustration
Creighton will be making its first trek to the state of Florida since an 0-3 trip to the Old Spice Classic in Orlando in 2009.
In fact, the Jays have lost five straight games in the state since its last win, a memorable 62-58 victory over Louisville in the 1999 NCAA Tournament.
Creighton's Last Six Games in Florida
Date Opponent Score City
03/11/99 vs. Louisville W 62-58 Orlando
03/13/99 vs. #5 Maryland L 63-75 Orlando
03/21/08 at Florida L 54-82 Gainesville
11/26/09 vs. #15 Michigan L 76-83 Orlando
11/27/09 vs. Xavier L 67-80 Orlando
11/29/09 vs. Iona L 55-63 Orlando
Tournament Tested
As Creighton continues play in the Emerald Coast Classic this weekend, it'll bring with it a strong tradition of tournament play.
Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Creighton has participated in 12 in-season (including the Emerald Coast Classic) and 16 conference tournaments.
In those events, the Jays are staggering 62-17. CU is 32-9 with five in-season titles and 30-8 in league tournament play with eight titles in those 16 seasons.
Creighton is 19-3 in regular-season tournaments the past four years, going 11-2 in MTE's (including double-digit wins over Iowa, Wisconsin and Arizona State twice) and 8-1 in conference tournament play.
Rank And File
Creighton jumped into the Associated Press Top 25 on Monday when the writers tabbed the Bluejays as the nation's 23rd-best team. Creighton was also among those receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches poll, earning nine points to tie for 35th.
Creighton is 85-32 as a ranked team in the AP poll, with a 51-20 mark under Greg McDermott (28-4 at home; 12-10 road; 11-6 neutral).
Poll Position
Creighton is one of 18 teams that have been ranked in the Top 25 in each of the last four seasons.
That select group features Arizona, Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, San Diego State, Syracuse, UCLA, UConn, Wichita State and Wisconsin.
Including this week's poll result, Creighton has been ranked 40 times in 81 weeks of AP polls under Greg McDermott, and ranked between 26th-to-28th in nine other AP polls. The 40 weeks in the top-25 under McDermott is more than all other coaches in Bluejay history combined.
Most Weeks in AP Top 25 at CU, By Coach
Greg McDermott, 2010-Pres. 40 (of 81)
Dana Altman, 1994-2010 18
Tom Apke, 1974-81 5
Eddie Sutton, 1969-74 5
Give Me Five
A win over Eastern Illinois on Tuesday was Creighton's fifth straight this season. The Bluejays have now had at least one five-game win streak in 17 of the last 18 seasons.
Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the NCAA's, NIT or CBI all 19 previous times they've had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the NCAA/NIT/CBI all seven times they haven't.
Including this year, Creighton has started 5-0 or better in 10 of the last 17 years, including four straight campaigns. The only previous time CU started 5-0 in four straight seasons came during a five-year stretch from 1916-17 to 1920-21.
Moving On Up
Austin Chatman moved into eighth in Creighton history on the career assist chart, and now owns 393 in his career. Only seven men in school history have reached 400 career assists as a Bluejay.
Most Career Assists (Since 1970-71)
Ast. Name Years
570 Ryan Sears 1997-01
549 Ralph Bobik 1971-74
505 Antoine Young 2008-12
498 Grant Gibbs 2011-14
458 Randy Eccker 1974-78
430 Tyler McKinney 2001-05
418 Vernon Moore 1981-85
393 Austin Chatman 2011-Pres.
388 Josh Dotzler 2005-09
382 Duan Cole 1987-92
Homestand To Start
Creighton opened the 2014-15 season with a five-game homestand in the friendly confines of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
The homestand matched Creighton's longest to start a season since 1982-83, when CU opened with seven in a row at home. The 2003-04 team also opened with five straight home games.
November Reign
Thanks to its 5-0 start this season at home, Creighton is now a perfect 49-0 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th.
Creighton has won 50 of its 51 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012.
Overall, Creighton is 65-13 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
Creighton has also won 56 of its last 58 regular-season non-conference home games since falling to Drexel on Feb. 17, 2007, including a 55-1 mark vs. unranked teams.
In 50-Game Increments
Tuesday marked the 150th game at Creighton for head coach Greg McDermott. With 112 wins, he is CU's winningest coach through 150 games on The Hilltop.
Below is a list showing his record compared to other CU coaches to patrol the Bluejay sideline for 150 games or more, as well as McDermott's record in 50-game increments since his arrival:
Best Records After 150 Games at Creighton
Coach Record
Greg McDermott 112-38
Arthur A. Schabinger 107-43
Tom Apke 104-46
Eddie Hickey 89-61
John J. “Red” McManus 88-62
Dana Altman 82-68
Tony Barone 78-72
Greg McDermott at CU in 50-Game Increments
Games #'s Record
1-50 33-17
51-100 39-11
101-150 40-10
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 191 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 12-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own an 166-25 (.869) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (9-0).
Creighton has outscored its opponents 14,518-12,245 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.90 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 51 different times, including seven times last season and three times already this year.
Creighton is also 24-15 all-time in the 39 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
Creighton is 69-7 (.908) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 38-2 record vs. 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 185-25 (.881) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Creighton's 23-game home win streak is also the longest in facility history by Creighton. 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
23 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 23 straight home games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, the nation's fifth-longest active home win streak. Here's the active top-seven:
Rk. Streak Team Next Home Game
1. Duke 35 Furman, 11/26
2. Gonzaga 29 SE Louisiana, 12/2
3. N.C. Central 24 Johnson & Wales, 12/2
Arizona 24 Gardner-Webb, 12/2
5. Creighton 23 South Dakota, 12/9
6. VCU 22 Virginia, 12/6
7. Wichita State 19 Tulsa, 11/29
More Success At Home
Creighton has won 83 straight home games against teams that enter with a record of .500 or worse. The last team to upset the applecart was Feb. 25, 2002, when Drake won at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Creighton's opponent on Tuesday, Eastern Illinois, fell to 1-4 after losing by 22 points.
League Off To A Strong Start
The BIG EAST is off to a strong start, with nine of 10 teams still unbeaten after games of Nov. 25th and the conference owning a 36-2 record overall.
The league has already picked up wins over ranked teams such as Oklahoma, Michigan and VCU and won the Legends Classic (Villanova), Paradise Jam (Seton Hall) and the Hall of Fame Tipoff (Providence).
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 12 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including six such comebacks away from home.
On Nov. 19, Creighton trailed 42-24 to No. 18 Oklahoma with 18:30 to go before putting together a comeback for the ages. It was CU's largest comeback victory under Greg McDermott (see chart below), the second-largest since 2000 (see chart below), and the second-biggest in the history of CenturyLink Center Omaha (see chart, left column).
On the other hand, CU is 97-5 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 85 of the last 86 times.
Double-Digit Comebacks Under Greg McDermott
Deficit Opponent Date
18 #18 Oklahoma 11/19/14
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
Largest Double-Digit Comebacks Since 2000
Deficit Opponent Date
19 (25-6) Wichita State 01/28/06
18 (37-19) #17 Western Kentucky 11/27/01
18 (42-24*) #18 Oklahoma 11/19/14
17 (34-17) Missouri State 02/12/03
17 (25-8) DePaul 11/09/07
17 (52-35*) Rhode Island 03/18/08
17 (31-14) at San Diego State 11/30/11
16 (53-37*) TCU 01/26/03
16 (43-28*) at Drake 02/04/06
16 (59-43*) New Mexico 11/16/08
16 (31-15) at Evansville 02/16/13
15 (54-39*) Wichita State 02/02/08
*second half
Zierden Does It All From I to Z
Isaiah Zierden scored in double-figures just three times in 28 games as a freshman, but he opened his sophomore season with four straight games of 10 or more points.
Creighton had just one player reach double-figures each of the first four games during the previous three seasons, Doug McDermott (2011-12 and 2013-14). McDermott would go on to earn First Team All-American accolades following each campaign.
Zierden is leading Creighton with 13.8 points per game, 2.0 steals per game and 2.80 three-pointers per contest.
Hanson Steps Up
Sophomore Zach Hanson had his best game as a Bluejay on Nov. 19 vs. Oklahoma, tying his career-high with nine points while sinking 4-of-4 shots from the floor and adding four rebounds and a steal in 18 minutes of work.
Hanson's basket with 51.4 seconds left and the score tied gave Creighton the lead for good.
Playing With The Lead
Creighton has not trailed in three of its five games this season.
In 191 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 51 of those contests, a staggering 26.7 percent of the time, including seven wire-to-wire wins last season and three this year.
In Creighton's 23-game home winning streak, Creighton has trailed for 12:39 in the second half (all vs. Oklahoma on Nov. 19), has led wire-to-wire in 11 of those wins, and trailed for just 79:08 of 920 minutes of action (31:53 of those vs. Oklahoma).
We Shall Overcome
Creighton trailed by 11 points at halftime in its Nov. 19 comeback win over Oklahoma.
It was the first time Creighton trailed at halftime at home since Feb. 2, 2013 against Bradley. The Jays trailed 30-27 at the break but would go on to win, 75-58.
The 11 point halftime deficit was the largest in a home victory since trailing by 15 in the 2008 NIT against Rhode Island.
Creighton improved to 7-3 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha in games in which it has TRAILED by 10 points or more at halftime.
Backcourt Boarders
Senior guard Austin Chatman had a career-high 11 rebounds in that Nov. 19 win over Oklahoma, three more than his previous career-high of eight.
Chatman became the first Bluejay player with a game of at least 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in the same game at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Link Notes
Creighton is 83-1 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha in games decided by 15 points or more.
The 65-63 win over No. 18 Oklahoma on Nov. 19 improved Creighton to 33-10 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha in games decided by five points or less.
Creighton is also 14-2 in regular-season home games at CenturyLink Center Omaha decided by two points or less.
What A Difference A Year Makes
The star of Creighton's team last year, Doug McDermott, scored 3,150 points as a Bluejay.
The players on the 2014-15 Creighton team have scored a total of 2,208 career points in a Bluejay uniform entering Friday's game.
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.
Why does this matter? Because Will Artino had 14 points and 10 rebounds vs. Central Arkansas in this year's opener.
Artino, who played just 17 minutes vs. Central Arkansas, also became the only Bluejay in the last 25 years to have a double-double in 17 minutes or less.
Big Margin Leads To Big Things
This year's Creighton team scored 104 points against Central Arkansas on Nov. 14, a good omen for things to come.
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 seven teams to score 90 or more in a season-opener.
Final Post-
Score Opponent Date W-L Season
104-77 Central Arkansas 11/14/14 ? ? ? ? ? ?
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
Crowd Control
Creighton's sellout crowd of 18,160 on Nov. 14 vs. Central Arkansas was its largest ever for a home-opener. It was also Creighton's largest home crowd for any November game, and the 12th-largest home crowd in program history at the time.
Creighton has sold out 14 of its last 16 regular-season home games.
Walk-On the Wild Side
For most programs, a walk-on might not see the court a whole lot. Creighton is not most programs.
In the season-opening win over Central Arkansas, Rick Kreklow led the Bluejays with 18 points.
Dating to last year, it marked the 17th straight game Creighton has been led in scoring by a walk-on.
Kreklow spurned several scholarship offers (including Butler, Nebraska and Missouri) to walk-on at Creighton this year.
Last year Doug McDermott led Creighton in scoring during the final 16 games. He, too, was a walk-on as a senior.
The streak ended on Nov. 16 vs. Chicago State, but CU has still had a walk-on as a scoring leader for 17 of the past 21 games.
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Toby Hegner had 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots on Nov. 16 in his second career game.
He's the first Bluejay with a 17-7-2 line since Gregory Echenique in the 2012 MVC Tournament vs. Evansville.
Hegner's predecessor at CU, National Player of the Year Doug McDermott, never had a game with 17-7-2 or better in his career.
Milliken Joins Quad Squad
James Milliken's second career shot was a three-pointer from the corner in which he was also fouled. He would go on to successfully complete the rare four-point play.
In Greg McDermott's five years at Creighton, the only six men to convert a four-point play have been Milliken, Kaleb Korver, Ethan Wragge, Doug McDermott, Avery Dingman and Isaiah Zierden.
Bluejay Debuts
Senior transfer Rick Kreklow and redshirt freshman Toby Hegner both started on Nov. 14 in the season-opener vs. Central Arkansas. The last player to start their first game at Creighton had been 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.
Hegner's start was especially historic, as he became just the third freshman to start since 1992-93, joining Bluejay legends Doug McDermott (2010-11) and Ryan Sears (1997-98).
Hegner became 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. McDermott remains the last true freshman to start his first game.
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
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.
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 entered the year owning 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
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 18th in NBA history with 1,542 three-pointers and is also ninth in league history with 42.73 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Nov. 25). 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.
Key Number From 3-Point Range
Creighton's key number from three-point range seems to be 40 percent.
In the last four years under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 34-18 (.65.3) 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 last four years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 78-9 in the past four years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 11-13 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 last 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.
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 ranked 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 entering 2014-15, 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
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
17,279 Creighton 2014-15
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 Iowa preps 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 prep in 661 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 685 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.
Halftime Lead A Key
Creighton was 26-0 last year when leading at halftime, but just 1-8 when trailing at intermission.
This year's team is 4-0 when leading at half and 1-0 when trailing at halftime.
Dating to 2012-13, Creighton has won 37 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 60 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 59-1 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 40 straight games when leading with 5:00 to play.
Overall under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 103-4 when leading with 5:00 left, including victories in 65 of the last 66 scenarios. The Bluejays are also 3-0 under McDermott when tied with 5:00 to play.
CU is 6-34 under McDermott when trailing with 5:00 left, with the last such rally coming on Nov. 19, 2014 vs. No. 18 Oklahoma.
Winning Formulas
Below are the records for each current BIG EAST school over the previous four, eight and 14 (since 2000-01) seasons, ranked by overall wins, entering the 2014-15 season.
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 112-38 on the Creighton sideline in his fifth year at the helm. The 112 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first five seasons.
How good are McDermott's 112 wins after four seasons (plus five games)? The only coach to start his Creighton career with more than 108 wins after SIX seasons was Tom Apke (109). Apke also owned the best mark after five seasons, going 93-43 to open his career on the Bluejay sideline.
Most Wins at CU, First Five Seasons
Coach Years W-L After 5 Yrs
Greg McDermott 2010-Pres. 112-38 so far
Tom Apke 1974-78 93-43
Eddie Sutton 1969-73 82-50
Tony Barone 1985-89 78-74
Red McManus 1959-63 78-53
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 82-0 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
In other words, Creighton is a perfect 94-0 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 78.43 points per home game (5,961 points in 76 home games).
That's a vital number since Creighton is 107-0 at home (78-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more and 89-0 at home (62-0 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. 18,160 Central Arkansas 11/14/14
13. 18,111 Bradley 02/02/13
14. 18,078 Tulsa 11/23/13
15. 18,073 Drake 01/08/13
16. 17,954 Wichita State 12/28/08
17. 17,740 Alcorn State 11/08/13
18. 17,694 Indiana State 01/05/13
19. 17,676 Northwestern 12/22/11
20. 17,665 Missouri State 12/28/11
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.
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.
Ole Miss Rebels vs. #23 Creighton Bluejays
The Arena (2,200) • Niceville, Fla.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: None
Series History: First Meeting
Last Time: First Meeting
Next Game
No. 23 Creighton (5-0) continues play in the Emerald Coast Classic when it plays its first games of the season away from home this weekend.
First up is a Friday evening game vs. Ole Miss (3-1).
Tip-off at The Arena (2,200) in Niceville, Fla., is set for 7:30 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 Nick Bahe will call the action.
The pregame show “Bluejay Shootaround” is hosted by Josh Peterson and former Bluejay Josh Dotzler, and will air from 5:30 - 7:00 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 not be televised.
Video Webcast Information
Emerald Coast Television, in conjunction with presenting sponsor Okaloosa County Development Council will video stream all four third round games that will be played on Friday as well as the first three games in the championship round.
The video webcast link will be on the Emerald Coast Classic website - emeraldcoastclassic.com.
There is no charge for the webcast.
Live Stats Information
The status of live stats for this weekend was unknown when these notes were published. Visit GoCreighton.com and click on the Live Stats icon near the top right of the page for a link to the exact URL, if available.
Scouting #23 Creighton
No. 23 Creighton is 5-0 on the young season, posting home victories over Central Arkansas (104-77), Chicago State (84-66), No. 18 Oklahoma (65-63), North Carolina Central (65-45) and Eastern Illinois (75-53).
The Bluejays have had a different scorer in each victory, and six men are averaging at least 8.0 points per game.
Two of those men are scoring in double-figures, a group led by Isaiah Zierden (13.8 ppg.), with Will Artino (10.2 ppg. 6.0 rpg.) not far behind.
Doing a little bit of everything has been senior guard Devin Brooks (8.0 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 4.0 apg.), who leads the team in rebounding and steals and is second in rebounding while continuing to stuff the stat sheet.
Creighton returns 11 lettermen from last year's 27-8 team that reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season. However, Austin Chatman (9.6 ppg., 4.6 apg.) is the only returning starter from that group.
The Bluejays are trying 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.
Scouting Ole Miss
Ole Miss has won three straight games since suffering a 66-65 overtime loss at the buzzer to Charleston Southern in its season-opener.
Jarvis Summers (14.3 ppg., 3.8 rpg., 3.8 apg.) leads the team in scoring, just ahead of Stefan Moody (11.8 ppg., 2.5 spg.) and LaDarius White (11.5 ppg., 4.3 rpg.).
The Rebels are averaging 72.0 points per game, despite making just 18 three-pointers on 23.4 percent marksmanship from long-range. Ole Miss has outrebounded teams by eight caroms per contest and owns 21 blocked shots in four games.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his fifth season as head coach at Creighton. He led CU to a 27-8 mark last year, and is 112-38 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 392-233 in his 21st season and is 261-169 in his 14th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Patrick Sellers.
Andy Kennedy (UAB, 1991) is 174-102 in nine seasons as the Ole Miss head coach, moving his career mark to 195-115 in 10 seasons when you include a year as Cincinnati's interim coach. He was also previously an assistant coach at Cincinnati, UAB and South Alabama, and is assisted by Bill Armstrong, Tony Madlock and Todd Abernethy.
The Series With Ole Miss
Creighton has never faced Ole Miss.
Greg McDermott is 4-12 in his career against teams currently in the SEC, though the majority of those were against Missouri (2-6) and Texas A&M (0-5) when they were Big 12 rivals and he was at Iowa State.
McDermott's only previous game as Creighton coach against an SEC team came in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, a one-point win over Alabama.
McDermott has never squared off against a team coached by Andy Kennedy.
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.
No Blues On The First Trip
Friday will mark Creighton's first foray away from the friendly confines of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
In the previous 16 years, Creighton is 11-5 in its first non-home game of the season, which includes a 4-1 mark when that game takes place on a neutral floor.
Under Greg McDermott, CU is 3-1 in its first game away from home, losing only on a “buzzer-beating” three-pointer vs. Iowa State in his first season patrolling the Bluejays.
7-Foot Surprise
Redshirt junior center Geoffrey Groselle had the best game of his Bluejay career on Tuesday, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting in just 12 minutes of playing time. His play earned him a pair of standing ovations from the more than 17,400+ fans at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Groselle had owned just 44 career points in the first 36 games of his career before his outburst.
Groselle has made 26-of-34 career field goal attempts, good for 76.5 percent.
3-Headed Monster
Creighton has used three men who alternate playing time at the “5” position for most of this season, Will Artino, Zach Hanson and Geoffrey Groselle.
While none of them have stats that might jump off the page individually, as a collective group they're tough to beat, combining for 20.8 ppg. and 11.0 rpg. in 39.6 minutes per game, all while shooting 64.1 percent from the floor.
Name MPG FG-FGA RPG PPG
Artino 19.0 19-35 6.0 10.2
Hanson 12.8 10-15 3.8 5.2
Groselle 7.8 12-14 1.2 5.4
Total 39.6 41-64 11.0 20.8
Quick Starts Key To Playing in Postseason
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 14 of the previous 16 seasons, and has done so once again this winter. Each of Creighton's last 15 3-0 starts have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Creighton has started 5-0 or better for the fourth straight year. The only previous time CU has started 5-0 in four straight years had come in a five-year stretch from 1916-17 to 1920-21.
Balanced Offense
Creighton owns six players who are averaging 8.0 points per game or more this season. Eight players have scored 12 or more points in a game this year, and CU has seen a different leading scorer in each contest.
Creighton also has seven different players with five or more rebounds in a game this year. The Bluejays have had a different player with 10 or more rebounds in four games this season after only having three players with double-figure rebound totals (McDermott, Gibbs, Artino) all last season. Three of those men (Chatman, Milliken, Brooks) are guards.
Austin Chatman has been Creighton's outright leader in rebounding two of his past three games after doing that just once in the first 108 games of his career.
State of Frustration
Creighton will be making its first trek to the state of Florida since an 0-3 trip to the Old Spice Classic in Orlando in 2009.
In fact, the Jays have lost five straight games in the state since its last win, a memorable 62-58 victory over Louisville in the 1999 NCAA Tournament.
Creighton's Last Six Games in Florida
Date Opponent Score City
03/11/99 vs. Louisville W 62-58 Orlando
03/13/99 vs. #5 Maryland L 63-75 Orlando
03/21/08 at Florida L 54-82 Gainesville
11/26/09 vs. #15 Michigan L 76-83 Orlando
11/27/09 vs. Xavier L 67-80 Orlando
11/29/09 vs. Iona L 55-63 Orlando
Tournament Tested
As Creighton continues play in the Emerald Coast Classic this weekend, it'll bring with it a strong tradition of tournament play.
Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Creighton has participated in 12 in-season (including the Emerald Coast Classic) and 16 conference tournaments.
In those events, the Jays are staggering 62-17. CU is 32-9 with five in-season titles and 30-8 in league tournament play with eight titles in those 16 seasons.
Creighton is 19-3 in regular-season tournaments the past four years, going 11-2 in MTE's (including double-digit wins over Iowa, Wisconsin and Arizona State twice) and 8-1 in conference tournament play.
Rank And File
Creighton jumped into the Associated Press Top 25 on Monday when the writers tabbed the Bluejays as the nation's 23rd-best team. Creighton was also among those receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches poll, earning nine points to tie for 35th.
Creighton is 85-32 as a ranked team in the AP poll, with a 51-20 mark under Greg McDermott (28-4 at home; 12-10 road; 11-6 neutral).
Poll Position
Creighton is one of 18 teams that have been ranked in the Top 25 in each of the last four seasons.
That select group features Arizona, Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, San Diego State, Syracuse, UCLA, UConn, Wichita State and Wisconsin.
Including this week's poll result, Creighton has been ranked 40 times in 81 weeks of AP polls under Greg McDermott, and ranked between 26th-to-28th in nine other AP polls. The 40 weeks in the top-25 under McDermott is more than all other coaches in Bluejay history combined.
Most Weeks in AP Top 25 at CU, By Coach
Greg McDermott, 2010-Pres. 40 (of 81)
Dana Altman, 1994-2010 18
Tom Apke, 1974-81 5
Eddie Sutton, 1969-74 5
Give Me Five
A win over Eastern Illinois on Tuesday was Creighton's fifth straight this season. The Bluejays have now had at least one five-game win streak in 17 of the last 18 seasons.
Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the NCAA's, NIT or CBI all 19 previous times they've had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the NCAA/NIT/CBI all seven times they haven't.
Including this year, Creighton has started 5-0 or better in 10 of the last 17 years, including four straight campaigns. The only previous time CU started 5-0 in four straight seasons came during a five-year stretch from 1916-17 to 1920-21.
Moving On Up
Austin Chatman moved into eighth in Creighton history on the career assist chart, and now owns 393 in his career. Only seven men in school history have reached 400 career assists as a Bluejay.
Most Career Assists (Since 1970-71)
Ast. Name Years
570 Ryan Sears 1997-01
549 Ralph Bobik 1971-74
505 Antoine Young 2008-12
498 Grant Gibbs 2011-14
458 Randy Eccker 1974-78
430 Tyler McKinney 2001-05
418 Vernon Moore 1981-85
393 Austin Chatman 2011-Pres.
388 Josh Dotzler 2005-09
382 Duan Cole 1987-92
Homestand To Start
Creighton opened the 2014-15 season with a five-game homestand in the friendly confines of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
The homestand matched Creighton's longest to start a season since 1982-83, when CU opened with seven in a row at home. The 2003-04 team also opened with five straight home games.
November Reign
Thanks to its 5-0 start this season at home, Creighton is now a perfect 49-0 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th.
Creighton has won 50 of its 51 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012.
Overall, Creighton is 65-13 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
Creighton has also won 56 of its last 58 regular-season non-conference home games since falling to Drexel on Feb. 17, 2007, including a 55-1 mark vs. unranked teams.
In 50-Game Increments
Tuesday marked the 150th game at Creighton for head coach Greg McDermott. With 112 wins, he is CU's winningest coach through 150 games on The Hilltop.
Below is a list showing his record compared to other CU coaches to patrol the Bluejay sideline for 150 games or more, as well as McDermott's record in 50-game increments since his arrival:
Best Records After 150 Games at Creighton
Coach Record
Greg McDermott 112-38
Arthur A. Schabinger 107-43
Tom Apke 104-46
Eddie Hickey 89-61
John J. “Red” McManus 88-62
Dana Altman 82-68
Tony Barone 78-72
Greg McDermott at CU in 50-Game Increments
Games #'s Record
1-50 33-17
51-100 39-11
101-150 40-10
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 191 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 12-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own an 166-25 (.869) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (9-0).
Creighton has outscored its opponents 14,518-12,245 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.90 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 51 different times, including seven times last season and three times already this year.
Creighton is also 24-15 all-time in the 39 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
Creighton is 69-7 (.908) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 38-2 record vs. 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 185-25 (.881) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Creighton's 23-game home win streak is also the longest in facility history by Creighton. 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
23 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 23 straight home games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, the nation's fifth-longest active home win streak. Here's the active top-seven:
Rk. Streak Team Next Home Game
1. Duke 35 Furman, 11/26
2. Gonzaga 29 SE Louisiana, 12/2
3. N.C. Central 24 Johnson & Wales, 12/2
Arizona 24 Gardner-Webb, 12/2
5. Creighton 23 South Dakota, 12/9
6. VCU 22 Virginia, 12/6
7. Wichita State 19 Tulsa, 11/29
More Success At Home
Creighton has won 83 straight home games against teams that enter with a record of .500 or worse. The last team to upset the applecart was Feb. 25, 2002, when Drake won at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Creighton's opponent on Tuesday, Eastern Illinois, fell to 1-4 after losing by 22 points.
League Off To A Strong Start
The BIG EAST is off to a strong start, with nine of 10 teams still unbeaten after games of Nov. 25th and the conference owning a 36-2 record overall.
The league has already picked up wins over ranked teams such as Oklahoma, Michigan and VCU and won the Legends Classic (Villanova), Paradise Jam (Seton Hall) and the Hall of Fame Tipoff (Providence).
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 12 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including six such comebacks away from home.
On Nov. 19, Creighton trailed 42-24 to No. 18 Oklahoma with 18:30 to go before putting together a comeback for the ages. It was CU's largest comeback victory under Greg McDermott (see chart below), the second-largest since 2000 (see chart below), and the second-biggest in the history of CenturyLink Center Omaha (see chart, left column).
On the other hand, CU is 97-5 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 85 of the last 86 times.
Double-Digit Comebacks Under Greg McDermott
Deficit Opponent Date
18 #18 Oklahoma 11/19/14
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
Largest Double-Digit Comebacks Since 2000
Deficit Opponent Date
19 (25-6) Wichita State 01/28/06
18 (37-19) #17 Western Kentucky 11/27/01
18 (42-24*) #18 Oklahoma 11/19/14
17 (34-17) Missouri State 02/12/03
17 (25-8) DePaul 11/09/07
17 (52-35*) Rhode Island 03/18/08
17 (31-14) at San Diego State 11/30/11
16 (53-37*) TCU 01/26/03
16 (43-28*) at Drake 02/04/06
16 (59-43*) New Mexico 11/16/08
16 (31-15) at Evansville 02/16/13
15 (54-39*) Wichita State 02/02/08
*second half
Zierden Does It All From I to Z
Isaiah Zierden scored in double-figures just three times in 28 games as a freshman, but he opened his sophomore season with four straight games of 10 or more points.
Creighton had just one player reach double-figures each of the first four games during the previous three seasons, Doug McDermott (2011-12 and 2013-14). McDermott would go on to earn First Team All-American accolades following each campaign.
Zierden is leading Creighton with 13.8 points per game, 2.0 steals per game and 2.80 three-pointers per contest.
Hanson Steps Up
Sophomore Zach Hanson had his best game as a Bluejay on Nov. 19 vs. Oklahoma, tying his career-high with nine points while sinking 4-of-4 shots from the floor and adding four rebounds and a steal in 18 minutes of work.
Hanson's basket with 51.4 seconds left and the score tied gave Creighton the lead for good.
Playing With The Lead
Creighton has not trailed in three of its five games this season.
In 191 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 51 of those contests, a staggering 26.7 percent of the time, including seven wire-to-wire wins last season and three this year.
In Creighton's 23-game home winning streak, Creighton has trailed for 12:39 in the second half (all vs. Oklahoma on Nov. 19), has led wire-to-wire in 11 of those wins, and trailed for just 79:08 of 920 minutes of action (31:53 of those vs. Oklahoma).
We Shall Overcome
Creighton trailed by 11 points at halftime in its Nov. 19 comeback win over Oklahoma.
It was the first time Creighton trailed at halftime at home since Feb. 2, 2013 against Bradley. The Jays trailed 30-27 at the break but would go on to win, 75-58.
The 11 point halftime deficit was the largest in a home victory since trailing by 15 in the 2008 NIT against Rhode Island.
Creighton improved to 7-3 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha in games in which it has TRAILED by 10 points or more at halftime.
Backcourt Boarders
Senior guard Austin Chatman had a career-high 11 rebounds in that Nov. 19 win over Oklahoma, three more than his previous career-high of eight.
Chatman became the first Bluejay player with a game of at least 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in the same game at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Link Notes
Creighton is 83-1 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha in games decided by 15 points or more.
The 65-63 win over No. 18 Oklahoma on Nov. 19 improved Creighton to 33-10 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha in games decided by five points or less.
Creighton is also 14-2 in regular-season home games at CenturyLink Center Omaha decided by two points or less.
What A Difference A Year Makes
The star of Creighton's team last year, Doug McDermott, scored 3,150 points as a Bluejay.
The players on the 2014-15 Creighton team have scored a total of 2,208 career points in a Bluejay uniform entering Friday's game.
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.
Why does this matter? Because Will Artino had 14 points and 10 rebounds vs. Central Arkansas in this year's opener.
Artino, who played just 17 minutes vs. Central Arkansas, also became the only Bluejay in the last 25 years to have a double-double in 17 minutes or less.
Big Margin Leads To Big Things
This year's Creighton team scored 104 points against Central Arkansas on Nov. 14, a good omen for things to come.
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 seven teams to score 90 or more in a season-opener.
Final Post-
Score Opponent Date W-L Season
104-77 Central Arkansas 11/14/14 ? ? ? ? ? ?
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
Crowd Control
Creighton's sellout crowd of 18,160 on Nov. 14 vs. Central Arkansas was its largest ever for a home-opener. It was also Creighton's largest home crowd for any November game, and the 12th-largest home crowd in program history at the time.
Creighton has sold out 14 of its last 16 regular-season home games.
Walk-On the Wild Side
For most programs, a walk-on might not see the court a whole lot. Creighton is not most programs.
In the season-opening win over Central Arkansas, Rick Kreklow led the Bluejays with 18 points.
Dating to last year, it marked the 17th straight game Creighton has been led in scoring by a walk-on.
Kreklow spurned several scholarship offers (including Butler, Nebraska and Missouri) to walk-on at Creighton this year.
Last year Doug McDermott led Creighton in scoring during the final 16 games. He, too, was a walk-on as a senior.
The streak ended on Nov. 16 vs. Chicago State, but CU has still had a walk-on as a scoring leader for 17 of the past 21 games.
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Toby Hegner had 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots on Nov. 16 in his second career game.
He's the first Bluejay with a 17-7-2 line since Gregory Echenique in the 2012 MVC Tournament vs. Evansville.
Hegner's predecessor at CU, National Player of the Year Doug McDermott, never had a game with 17-7-2 or better in his career.
Milliken Joins Quad Squad
James Milliken's second career shot was a three-pointer from the corner in which he was also fouled. He would go on to successfully complete the rare four-point play.
In Greg McDermott's five years at Creighton, the only six men to convert a four-point play have been Milliken, Kaleb Korver, Ethan Wragge, Doug McDermott, Avery Dingman and Isaiah Zierden.
Bluejay Debuts
Senior transfer Rick Kreklow and redshirt freshman Toby Hegner both started on Nov. 14 in the season-opener vs. Central Arkansas. The last player to start their first game at Creighton had been 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.
Hegner's start was especially historic, as he became just the third freshman to start since 1992-93, joining Bluejay legends Doug McDermott (2010-11) and Ryan Sears (1997-98).
Hegner became 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. McDermott remains the last true freshman to start his first game.
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
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.
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 entered the year owning 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
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 18th in NBA history with 1,542 three-pointers and is also ninth in league history with 42.73 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Nov. 25). 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.
Key Number From 3-Point Range
Creighton's key number from three-point range seems to be 40 percent.
In the last four years under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 34-18 (.65.3) 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 last four years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 78-9 in the past four years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 11-13 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 last 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.
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 ranked 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 entering 2014-15, 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
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
17,279 Creighton 2014-15
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 Iowa preps 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 prep in 661 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 685 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.
Halftime Lead A Key
Creighton was 26-0 last year when leading at halftime, but just 1-8 when trailing at intermission.
This year's team is 4-0 when leading at half and 1-0 when trailing at halftime.
Dating to 2012-13, Creighton has won 37 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 60 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 59-1 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 40 straight games when leading with 5:00 to play.
Overall under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 103-4 when leading with 5:00 left, including victories in 65 of the last 66 scenarios. The Bluejays are also 3-0 under McDermott when tied with 5:00 to play.
CU is 6-34 under McDermott when trailing with 5:00 left, with the last such rally coming on Nov. 19, 2014 vs. No. 18 Oklahoma.
Winning Formulas
Below are the records for each current BIG EAST school over the previous four, eight and 14 (since 2000-01) seasons, ranked by overall wins, entering the 2014-15 season.
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 112-38 on the Creighton sideline in his fifth year at the helm. The 112 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first five seasons.
How good are McDermott's 112 wins after four seasons (plus five games)? The only coach to start his Creighton career with more than 108 wins after SIX seasons was Tom Apke (109). Apke also owned the best mark after five seasons, going 93-43 to open his career on the Bluejay sideline.
Most Wins at CU, First Five Seasons
Coach Years W-L After 5 Yrs
Greg McDermott 2010-Pres. 112-38 so far
Tom Apke 1974-78 93-43
Eddie Sutton 1969-73 82-50
Tony Barone 1985-89 78-74
Red McManus 1959-63 78-53
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 82-0 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
In other words, Creighton is a perfect 94-0 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 78.43 points per home game (5,961 points in 76 home games).
That's a vital number since Creighton is 107-0 at home (78-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more and 89-0 at home (62-0 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. 18,160 Central Arkansas 11/14/14
13. 18,111 Bradley 02/02/13
14. 18,078 Tulsa 11/23/13
15. 18,073 Drake 01/08/13
16. 17,954 Wichita State 12/28/08
17. 17,740 Alcorn State 11/08/13
18. 17,694 Indiana State 01/05/13
19. 17,676 Northwestern 12/22/11
20. 17,665 Missouri State 12/28/11
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.
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
