Men's Basketball Hosts Saint Mary's on Saturday
12/11/2014 12:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Creighton Men's Basketball Game #11 vs. Saint Mary's • Saturday, December 13, 2014 • 1:15 p.m.
Saint Mary's Gaels at Creighton Bluejays
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FOX Sports 1
Series History: Saint Mary's leads, 3-2
Last Time: Saint Mary's 74, Creighton 66 on Feb. 23, 2013 in Moraga, Calif.
Next Game
Creighton (8-2) looks to win a third straight game on Saturday when it welcomes Saint Mary's (5-1) to CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390).
Tip-off in Omaha is scheduled for 1:15 pm.
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 center 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 11:00 am - 12:45 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 Information
Saturday's game will be televised by FOX Sports 1. Adam Goldsmith and Nick Bahe will announce.
The game will re-air on FOX Sports 2 on Saturday at 6 pm.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Saturday'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). A cable authorization may be required.
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 is 8-2 on the young season, including wins over No. 18 Oklahoma, Nebraska and South Dakota after falling behind by double-figures.
The Bluejays have had five different leading scorers already, and five men are averaging at least 7.5 points per game.
Two of those men are scoring in double-figures, guards Austin Chatman (13.5 ppg., 5.1 apg., 4.8 rpg.) and Isaiah Zierden (12.4 ppg.). The duo combined for 32 points in Sunday's win at Nebraska, then 35 more in a double-OT victory over South Dakota on Tuesday.
Doing a little bit of everything has been senior guard Devin Brooks (7.9 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 3.5 apg.), who leads the team in steals, is second in assists and third 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. Chatman 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 Saint Mary's
A perennial contender in the West Coast Conference, Saint Mary's is 5-1 this season, but will be playing its first road game of the season on Saturday.
The Gaels own wins over the likes of New Mexico State, Denver and UC Irvine already, and its only loss was last Saturday's 82-71 defeat at the hands of Boise State.
Brad Waldow is one of the nation's best centers, averaging 22.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. He shoots 59.8 percent from the field and is also third on the club with 12 assists this winter. Waldow is already 13th in school history with 1,290 career points.
Also scoring in double-figures is Kerry Carter (14.3 ppg., 7.2 rpg., 1.8 spg.) and Aaron Bright (12.0 ppg.). Directing the offense is Emmett Naar (8.2 ppg., 6.3 apg.).
SMC averages 77.2 points per game on 48.0 percent shooting, including 39.5 percent from three-point land and 72.5 percent at the line. The Gaels also outrebound teams by 10.3 rebounds per contest.
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 115-40 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 395-235 in his 21st season and is 264-171 in his 14th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Patrick Sellers.
Randy Bennett (UC San Diego, 1986) is in his 14th year at Saint Mary's, where he owned a 288-136 record. He has guided SMC to eight postseasons (five NCAA's, three NIT's) and 25 or more wins in six of the last seven seasons. Bennett is assisted by Marty Clarke, Eran Ganot and Jim Shaw.
The Series With Saint Mary's
Saint Mary's owns a 3-2 lead in the all-time series over Creighton, and in 2013 won the only meeting between the schools since 1980.
Greg McDermott is 0-1 against Randy Bennett and Saint Mary's.
Last Time Out
Creighton rallied from an early 10-point deficit and came back to defeat South Dakota, 91-88, in double-overtime on Tuesday.
Austin Chatman (24) and James Milliken (23) had career-high point totals for CU, while Tyler Larson had 25 points and 10 rebounds for USD.
The Coyotes overcame a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes of regulation, and also a seven-point deficit in overtime, sinking late three-pointers to force an extra session each time.
McDermott's BracketBusters Success
Greg McDermott is 10-2 in his career in games associated with the BracketBuster series. McDermott is 5-2 in the original BracketBuster game, and is a perfect 5-0 in the return trips.
McDermott in BracketBuster Games
2003 UNI 76, @Louisiana Tech 71 -- (TV) (@UNI)
2004 UNI 82, @Wis.-Green Bay 75 (@UNI)
2005 @UNI 86, W. Michigan 75 -- (TV) (@UNI)
2006 @UNI 65, Bucknell 61 (2OT) -- (TV) (@UNI)
2011 @Akron 76, Creighton 67 (@CU)
2012 @Creighton 81, Long Beach St. 79 (TV) (@CU)
2013 @Saint Mary's 74, Creighton 66 (TV) (@CU)
McDermott in BracketBuster Rematches
2003 @UNI 75, @Louisiana Tech 72 (@UNI)
2004 @UNI 76, Wis.-Green Bay 65 (@UNI)
2005 UNI 69, @Western Michigan, 63 (@UNI)
2011 @CU 77, Akron 61 (@CU)
2013 CU 78, @Long Beach State 61 (@CU)
Bracket Buster History
Creighton owned a 7-4 record in BracketBusters match-ups, including a 5-3 mark in televised games (Games in 2005, 2010 and 2011 weren't televised).
In return trip rematches, Creighton owns a 5-4 record.
Opponent First Meeting Rematch
Fresno State W 67-66 (H) W 70-62 ot (R)
Kent State L 55-70 (R) L 58-67 (H)
Chattanooga W 100-68 (H) L 64-69 (R)
Fresno State W 67-62 (H) L 54-69 (R)
Drexel L 58-64 (H) W 72-48 (R)
Oral Roberts W 65-64 (R) W 87-65 (H)
George Mason W 76-63 (H) L 72-75 (R)
Loyola Chicago W 78-58 (H) TBD (R)
Akron L 67-76 (R) W 77-61 (R)
Long Beach State W 81-79 (H) W 78-61 (R)
Saint Mary's L 66-74 (R) Saturday (H)
BracketBuster Trivia
Did you know that Creighton played in the first game in BracketBusters history?
Led by Kyle Korver, the Jays defeated Fresno State 67-66 on Feb. 22, 2003, in an 11 am game on the inaugural weekend then known as Bracket Buster Saturday. The game aired on ESPN2 and was announced by Terry Gannon, Jay Bilas and Andy Katz.
Bay Area Standouts at Creighton
Ask any long-time Creighton fan who the best players in program history are, and two players from the Bay Area are likely to be mentioned in short order.
Oakland's Paul Silas attended McClymonds High School and still owns the Creighton record with 1,751 career rebounds and ranks ninth with 1,661 points. He is one of five men in NCAA history to average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds for a college career, joining Bill Russell, Artis Gilmore, Julius Erving and Kermit Washington.
San Francisco's Bob Portman attended St. Ignatius College Prep and still owns the Creighton record for points in a game (51) and career scoring average (24.7). He ranks fifth with 1,876 career points and fourth with 979 career rebounds.
Silas and Portman have both been enshrined in the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame.
Working Overtime
With Tuesday's 91-88 double-overtime victory over South Dakota, Creighton improved 6-2 all-time in overtime games (or longer) at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
The Bluejays are also 3-0 in double-overtime games at “The Link”, improving to 9-1 all-time in double-overtime at all home venues. Creighton is now 14-5 all-time in games that finish in double-overtime, including a 9-1 record in its last 10 double-overtime tilts.
Greg McDermott improved to 4-0 in overtime games as Creighton head coach.
Tuesday marked Creighton's first overtime game since defeating Illinois State in the 2012 MVC Tournament title game. It marked Creighton's first double-overtime game since beating Bradley 111-110 on March 1, 2008.
Including Tuesday, 10 of Creighton's last 11 overtime games have been won by the team to score first in the first overtime.
In case you're curious, Creighton has played consecutive overtime games on four occasions in school history, last doing it on Feb. 9 & 12, 1994.
A complete listing of overtime games can be found on page 164 of the 2014-15 Creighton Men's Basketball Media Guide.
Against The Best
Creighton has frequently scheduled some strong teams to come into CenturyLink Center Omaha, since the building opened in the fall of 2003.
Saturday's foe, Saint Mary's (5-1), will be the 44th team in 12 years to enter with either 0 or 1 losses. In the first 43 such games, Creighton is 39-4, with an average margin of +15.19 per game.
Date Opponent Pregame Record Result
11/29/03 St. Bonaventure 2-0 CU 83-63
12/03/03 Bethune-Cookman 0-1 CU 69-49
12/10/03 Nebraska 5-0 CU 61-54
11/15/04 Alcorn State 0-0 CU 74-40
11/16/04 Iona 1-0 CU 68-62
11/20/04 Ark.-Pine Bluff 0-0 CU 83-58
12/28/04 Bradley 7-1 CU 71-62
11/19/05 Ark.-Pine Bluff 0-0 CU 87-55
11/26/05 Dayton 2-1 CU 91-90 (2OT)
12/11/05 Nebraska 6-1 CU 70-44
12/18/05 Xavier 5-1 CU 61-59
12/28/05 Missouri State 7-1 CU 78-56
11/13/06 Miss. Valley State 0-1 CU 78-42
11/25/06 George Mason 2-1 CU 58-56
12/09/06 #24 Xavier 7-1 CU 73-67
11/09/07 DePaul 0-0 CU 74-62
11/24/07 Nebraska 3-0 CU 74-62
12/22/07 Arkansas-Little Rock 9-1 CU 80-61
01/22/08 #22 Drake 16-1 DU 68-60 (OT)
11/16/08 New Mexico 1-0 CU 82-75
11/22/08 Oral Roberts 1-1 CU 87-65
12/10/08 Dayton 8-0 CU 77-59
11/17/09 Florida A&M 0-1 CU 78-53
12/06/09 Nebraska 5-1 CU 67-61
12/29/09 Northern Iowa 9-1 UNI 60-52
11/12/10 Alabama State 0-0 CU 71-57
11/14/10 Northern Arizona 0-1 CU 74-70
11/17/10 Louisiana 1-1 CU 63-58
12/01/10 #21 BYU 6-0 BYU 77-65
11/11/11 North Carolina A&T 0-0 CU 97-65
11/13/11 Chicago State 0-1 CU 95-61
11/25/11 Campbell 5-0 CU 104-81
12/22/11 Northwestern 10-1 CU 87-79
11/09/12 North Texas 0-0 CU 71-51
11/14/12 UAB 1-0 CU 77-60
11/28/12 Boise State 4-1 BSU 83-70
12/01/12 Saint Joseph's 4-1 CU 80-51
11/08/13 Alcorn State 0-0 CU 107-61
11/11/13 UMKC 0-1 CU 96-70
11/14/14 Central Arkansas 0-0 CU 104-77
11/16/14 Chicago State 0-1 CU 84-66
11/19/14 #18 Oklahoma 1-0 CU 65-63
11/23/14 N.C. Central 1-1 CU 65-45
10-Game Report Card
Tuesday was Creighton's 10th game of the season. Currently 8-2, the Bluejays are 8-2 (or better) after 10 games for a fourth straight campaign.
Creighton has made the NCAA or NIT each of the last 11 previous times it has started 8-2 or better after 10 games, dating to the 1984-85 club that started 8-2 and missed the postseason.
Last 11 Starts of 8-2 Or Better After 10 Games
Year W-L After 10 Postseason?
1998-99 8-2 NCAA
1999-00 9-1 NCAA
2000-01 8-2 NCAA
2002-03 10-0 NCAA
2003-04 10-0 NIT
2004-05 8-2 NCAA
2007-08 9-1 NIT
2008-09 8-2 NIT
2011-12 9-1 NCAA
2012-13 9-1 NCAA
2013-14 8-2 NCAA
2014-15 8-2 ? ? ?
Run Of The Mill
James Milliken had the best performance of his young career when he scored 23 points vs. South Dakota on Tuesday night.
Milliken's 23 points were the most by any Bluejay reserve since Devin Brooks had 23 points on Nov. 28, 2013 vs. Arizona State.
Milliken now owns 63 points through 10 games. Here's a look at the school's previous 10 junior college transfers and how they fared after participating in 10 games as a Bluejay:
1st 10 Games, Recent Creighton JC Transfers
Name 1st Year Pts. Reb.
James Milliken 2014-15 63 24
Devin Brooks 2013-14 89 45
Darryl Ashford 2009-10 96 35
Wayne Runnels 2009-10 59 42
Justin Carter 2008-09 66 44
Cavel Witter 2007-08 78 11
Booker Woodfox 2007-08 52 14
Ty Morrison 2006-07 20 18
Nick Porter 2005-06 82 49
Brice Nengsu 2005-06 19 16
Manny Gakou 2005-06 8 7
Bench Rises Up
Key to Creighton's last two wins has been the play of its reserves. After outscoring the Nebraska bench 30-8 on Sunday, the Bluejay reserves outscored South Dakota's bench by a 54-7 margin on Tuesday.
For the season, CU's bench has outscored the opposition 315-173. The 31.5 points per game effort off the bench is on pace to be CU's most since the 2007-08 team got 36.9 points per game from the pine. That team went 22-11 and actually owned more bench points (1,218) than points by the starters (1,142).
Line It Up
In Creighton's eight wins this season, the Bluejays have made 150 free throws while sinking 77.7 percent of its 193 attempts.
On the other end, CU opponents have shot just 105 free throws, making only 63 of those (60.0 percent). By contrast, in CU's two losses, the opposition has made 37-of-54 fouls shots (68.6 percent).
Higher and Higher
Austin Chatman entered this month with a career-high of 19 points, but in three December contests he's averaged 20.7 points.
Chatman tied his career-high with 19 points in road games against both Tulsa and Nebraska, then upped the ante with 24 points in Tuesday's double-overtime win over South Dakota.
All 24 of his points against the Coyotes came in the final 16 minutes of regulation and the overtime sessions.
Of Creighton's 26 points during the overtime, Chatman made or assisted all six field goals, and also drained five of the team's 10 free throws.
Awesome Austin
Austin Chatman had identical stat lines in two games last week. In road games at Tulsa and Nebraska, Chatman had exactly 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists in both games.
Before Chatman, the last time a Creighton player had any game with at least 19/7/6 or more in each category was Ryan Sears at Southern Illinois on Jan. 8, 2000.
Before Chatman, Creighton's last player with two games of 19/7/6 in the same season was Rodney Buford, who did it in 1998-99.
Chatman also became the first Creighton player to own at least a share of the team in lead in points/rebounds/assists in consecutive games since Kyle Korver on Dec. 7 & 14, 2002.
Chatman was also stellar in Tuesday's win over South Dakota, finishing with 24 points and eight rebounds. In the process, he became the first Bluejay with 24 points and eight assists in the same game since Sears in the same Jan. 8, 2000 game listed above.
Through games of Wednesday, Dec. 10, Chatman was the nation's only player with at least 130 points, 47 rebounds and 50 or more assists.
Careful Chatman
Austin Chatman owns a 51/14 assist/turnover ratio (3.58) early this season, a figure that ranks first in the BIG EAST.
Last season Chatman finished third in the BIG EAST with a 2.6 assist/turnover ratio, good for 29th nationally.
For his career, Chatman owns 423 assists compared to 191 turnovers, good for a 2.21 ratio. The man considered by many to be Creighton's best point guard in recent history, Ryan Sears, finished his career with a 2.26 assist/turnover ratio.
Chatman Of The Boards
Creighton point guard Austin Chatman owned the team lead in rebounds just twice in his first three seasons (106 games) with the Bluejays.
Recently, however, the diminutive Chatman has led Creighton in rebounds in six of the last eight games.
No other player has led CU in rebounds more than twice this year.
For the season, Chatman leads the team with 41 defensive rebounds.
Moving On Up
Austin Chatman moved into seventh in Creighton history on the career assist chart, and now owns 423 in his career. Only seven previous men in school history have reached 400 career assists as a Bluejay.
Chatman owns six or more assists in five of the last six games.
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
423 Austin Chatman 2011-Pres.
418 Vernon Moore 1981-85
388 Josh Dotzler 2005-09
382 Duan Cole 1987-92
More Success At Home
Creighton has won 84 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 this past Tuesday, South Dakota, fell to 3-7 by the slimmest of margins.
Senior Trio Joins Elite Group
Creighton seniors Will Artino, Austin Chatman and Avery Dingman joined some elite company with Sunday's win at Nebraska, as the trio became the rare Bluejay players to appear in four wins vs. Nebraska.
Creighton's only previous six men to play in four career wins over the Cornhuskers were Kyle Korver, Joe Dabbert, Mike Grimes, Michael Lindeman, Tyler McKinney and Ethan Wragge.
Of those six, only Korver and McKinney had never played in a loss against NU, something Dingman, Artino and Chatman can now claim.
Toughest Thing In Sports
Creighton is 25-13 in true road games the last four years, and 41-19 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.
Creighton is currently 1-1 in true road games this season, and 2-2 away from home when you factor in a pair of games in Niceville, Fla., during the Emerald Coast Classic.
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 5-1 when leading at half and 3-1 when trailing at halftime.
Creighton has won all but one of its last 39 games played when leading at the half, falling only vs. Ole Miss on Nov. 28, 2014.
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 192 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 12-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own an 167-25 (.870) 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 14,609-12,333 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.85 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 25-15 all-time in the 40 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
Creighton is 70-7 (.909) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 39-2 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 186-25 (.882) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Creighton's 24-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
24 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 24 straight home games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, the nation's fifth-longest active home win streak. Here's the active top-six:
Rk. Streak Team Next Home Game
1. Duke 37 Elon, 12/15
2. Gonzaga 31 Texas Southern, 12/15
3. Arizona 27 Michigan, 12/13
4. N.C. Central 25 Barber-Scotia, 12/17
5. Creighton 24 Saint Mary's, 12/13
6. Wichita State 22 Alabama, 12/16
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 14 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including its last two games, and seven 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 page 2).
On the other hand, CU is 99-5 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 87 of the last 88 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
10 at Nebraska 12/07/14
10 South Dakota 12/09/14
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
Come One, Come All
Creighton has thrived when playing in front of large crowds of late.
Creighton is 26-1 in its last 27 games played before 14,000 fans or more.
In six games this season, all at home, Saint Mary's has played in front of 15,509 fans total.
Since the start of last season, Creighton has seen an average crowd of 14,549 in its 35 victories, and an average crowd of 8,435 in 10 losses.
Winning With Defense...It's True
Creighton held Middle Tennessee to 15 first half points and 47 points overall in its Nov. 29 win over the Blue Raiders.
That defensive effort helped CU withstand a drought of more than 16 minutes without a field goal, and a 3-for-14 second half showing from the field.
Creighton's 57-47 win was its fewest points in a victory since a 57-56 home win over Wichita State on Jan. 16, 2010. CU had been 0-9 under Greg McDermott when scoring 57 or less before the victory, and lost 11 straight overall as a program in that situation.
The 15 points scored by MTSU were the fewest by any Bluejay opponent in a half since Savannah State scored 15 points in the first half on Dec. 16, 2009.
Zierden Earns Honor
Sophomore guard Isaiah Zierden was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Emerald Coast Classic. He led the Bluejays in scoring during three of the four games in the event, including both contests in Florida.
7-Foot Surprise
Redshirt junior center Geoffrey Groselle had the best game of his Bluejay career on Nov. 25th, 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 28-of-40 career field goal attempts, good for 70 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 17.0 ppg. and 9.7 rpg. in 39.5 minutes per game, all while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor.
Name MPG FG-FGA RPG PPG
Artino 18.1 35-63 5.2 8.7
Hanson 14.6 20-30 3.3 5.2
Groselle 7.6 14-20 1.3 3.4
Total 39.5 69-113 9.7 17.0
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 also 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 five players who are averaging 7.5 points per game or more this season. Eight players have scored 12 or more points in a game this year, and CU has seen five different leading scorers.
Creighton also has nine 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.
Rank And File
Creighton jumped into the Associated Press Top 25 on Nov. 24th 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 86-33 as a ranked team in the AP poll, with a 52-21 mark under Greg McDermott (28-4 at home; 12-10 road; 12-7 neutral).
Poll Position
Creighton is one of 20 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, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, 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 83 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 83)
Dana Altman, 1994-2010 18
Tom Apke, 1974-81 5
Eddie Sutton, 1969-74 5
Give Me Five
A win over Eastern Illinois on Nov. 25 was Creighton's fifth straight victory 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.
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.
In 50-Game Increments
Nov. 25th marked the 150th game at Creighton for head coach Greg McDermott. With 112 wins, he was 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
151-155 3-2 so far
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 (and 6-of-7) 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 second on the Creighton team with 12.5 points per game and tops the BIG EAST with 2.70 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 six home games this season.
In 192 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 51 of those contests, a staggering 26.6 percent of the time, including seven wire-to-wire wins last season and three this year.
In Creighton's 24-game home winning streak, Creighton has led wire-to-wire in 11 of those wins, and trailed for just 103:04 of 970 minutes of action. Only Oklahoma and South Dakota have even led the Bluejays in the second half during that streak.
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.
Creighton's 91-88 double-overtime win over South Dakota on Dec. 9 improved the Bluejays to 34-10 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 2,553 career points in a Bluejay uniform entering Saturday's game.
Last year McDermott averaged 14.0 points in the first half of games. This year, the team's leading scorer (Austin Chatman) averages 13.3 points for an entire 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 17 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 26 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.
Isaiah Zierden became the second player this season to do it when he made a four-point play vs. Middle Tennessee on Nov. 29.
In Greg McDermott's five years at Creighton, the only six men to convert a four-point play have been Milliken, Zierden, Kaleb Korver, Ethan Wragge, Doug McDermott and Avery Dingman.
Of that group, Zierden is the only one to do it twice.
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 16th in NBA history with 1,572 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 42.92 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Dec. 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.
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 35-19 (.660) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 57-5 (.919) 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 81-11 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
Creighton was a remarkable 84-22 during the previous three seasons. 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
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
17,111 Creighton 2014-15
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 666 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 690 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.
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 43 of its last 44 games when leading with 5:00 to play. A Nov. 28 loss to Ole Miss is the only exception.
Overall under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 106-5 when leading with 5:00 left, including victories in 68 of the last 70 scenarios. The Bluejays are also 3-0 under McDermott when tied with 5:00 to play.
CU is 6-35 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 115-40 on the Creighton sideline in his fifth year at the helm. The 115 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first five seasons.
How good are McDermott's 115 wins after four seasons (plus 10 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. 115-40 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 83-0 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
In other words, Creighton is a perfect 95-0 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 78.60 points per home game (6,052 points in 77 home games).
That's a vital number since Creighton is 108-0 at home (79-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more and 90-0 at home (63-0 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.
Saint Mary's Gaels at Creighton Bluejays
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FOX Sports 1
Series History: Saint Mary's leads, 3-2
Last Time: Saint Mary's 74, Creighton 66 on Feb. 23, 2013 in Moraga, Calif.
Next Game
Creighton (8-2) looks to win a third straight game on Saturday when it welcomes Saint Mary's (5-1) to CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390).
Tip-off in Omaha is scheduled for 1:15 pm.
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 center 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 11:00 am - 12:45 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 Information
Saturday's game will be televised by FOX Sports 1. Adam Goldsmith and Nick Bahe will announce.
The game will re-air on FOX Sports 2 on Saturday at 6 pm.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Saturday'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). A cable authorization may be required.
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 is 8-2 on the young season, including wins over No. 18 Oklahoma, Nebraska and South Dakota after falling behind by double-figures.
The Bluejays have had five different leading scorers already, and five men are averaging at least 7.5 points per game.
Two of those men are scoring in double-figures, guards Austin Chatman (13.5 ppg., 5.1 apg., 4.8 rpg.) and Isaiah Zierden (12.4 ppg.). The duo combined for 32 points in Sunday's win at Nebraska, then 35 more in a double-OT victory over South Dakota on Tuesday.
Doing a little bit of everything has been senior guard Devin Brooks (7.9 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 3.5 apg.), who leads the team in steals, is second in assists and third 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. Chatman 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 Saint Mary's
A perennial contender in the West Coast Conference, Saint Mary's is 5-1 this season, but will be playing its first road game of the season on Saturday.
The Gaels own wins over the likes of New Mexico State, Denver and UC Irvine already, and its only loss was last Saturday's 82-71 defeat at the hands of Boise State.
Brad Waldow is one of the nation's best centers, averaging 22.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. He shoots 59.8 percent from the field and is also third on the club with 12 assists this winter. Waldow is already 13th in school history with 1,290 career points.
Also scoring in double-figures is Kerry Carter (14.3 ppg., 7.2 rpg., 1.8 spg.) and Aaron Bright (12.0 ppg.). Directing the offense is Emmett Naar (8.2 ppg., 6.3 apg.).
SMC averages 77.2 points per game on 48.0 percent shooting, including 39.5 percent from three-point land and 72.5 percent at the line. The Gaels also outrebound teams by 10.3 rebounds per contest.
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 115-40 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 395-235 in his 21st season and is 264-171 in his 14th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Patrick Sellers.
Randy Bennett (UC San Diego, 1986) is in his 14th year at Saint Mary's, where he owned a 288-136 record. He has guided SMC to eight postseasons (five NCAA's, three NIT's) and 25 or more wins in six of the last seven seasons. Bennett is assisted by Marty Clarke, Eran Ganot and Jim Shaw.
The Series With Saint Mary's
Saint Mary's owns a 3-2 lead in the all-time series over Creighton, and in 2013 won the only meeting between the schools since 1980.
Greg McDermott is 0-1 against Randy Bennett and Saint Mary's.
Last Time Out
Creighton rallied from an early 10-point deficit and came back to defeat South Dakota, 91-88, in double-overtime on Tuesday.
Austin Chatman (24) and James Milliken (23) had career-high point totals for CU, while Tyler Larson had 25 points and 10 rebounds for USD.
The Coyotes overcame a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes of regulation, and also a seven-point deficit in overtime, sinking late three-pointers to force an extra session each time.
McDermott's BracketBusters Success
Greg McDermott is 10-2 in his career in games associated with the BracketBuster series. McDermott is 5-2 in the original BracketBuster game, and is a perfect 5-0 in the return trips.
McDermott in BracketBuster Games
2003 UNI 76, @Louisiana Tech 71 -- (TV) (@UNI)
2004 UNI 82, @Wis.-Green Bay 75 (@UNI)
2005 @UNI 86, W. Michigan 75 -- (TV) (@UNI)
2006 @UNI 65, Bucknell 61 (2OT) -- (TV) (@UNI)
2011 @Akron 76, Creighton 67 (@CU)
2012 @Creighton 81, Long Beach St. 79 (TV) (@CU)
2013 @Saint Mary's 74, Creighton 66 (TV) (@CU)
McDermott in BracketBuster Rematches
2003 @UNI 75, @Louisiana Tech 72 (@UNI)
2004 @UNI 76, Wis.-Green Bay 65 (@UNI)
2005 UNI 69, @Western Michigan, 63 (@UNI)
2011 @CU 77, Akron 61 (@CU)
2013 CU 78, @Long Beach State 61 (@CU)
Bracket Buster History
Creighton owned a 7-4 record in BracketBusters match-ups, including a 5-3 mark in televised games (Games in 2005, 2010 and 2011 weren't televised).
In return trip rematches, Creighton owns a 5-4 record.
Opponent First Meeting Rematch
Fresno State W 67-66 (H) W 70-62 ot (R)
Kent State L 55-70 (R) L 58-67 (H)
Chattanooga W 100-68 (H) L 64-69 (R)
Fresno State W 67-62 (H) L 54-69 (R)
Drexel L 58-64 (H) W 72-48 (R)
Oral Roberts W 65-64 (R) W 87-65 (H)
George Mason W 76-63 (H) L 72-75 (R)
Loyola Chicago W 78-58 (H) TBD (R)
Akron L 67-76 (R) W 77-61 (R)
Long Beach State W 81-79 (H) W 78-61 (R)
Saint Mary's L 66-74 (R) Saturday (H)
BracketBuster Trivia
Did you know that Creighton played in the first game in BracketBusters history?
Led by Kyle Korver, the Jays defeated Fresno State 67-66 on Feb. 22, 2003, in an 11 am game on the inaugural weekend then known as Bracket Buster Saturday. The game aired on ESPN2 and was announced by Terry Gannon, Jay Bilas and Andy Katz.
Bay Area Standouts at Creighton
Ask any long-time Creighton fan who the best players in program history are, and two players from the Bay Area are likely to be mentioned in short order.
Oakland's Paul Silas attended McClymonds High School and still owns the Creighton record with 1,751 career rebounds and ranks ninth with 1,661 points. He is one of five men in NCAA history to average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds for a college career, joining Bill Russell, Artis Gilmore, Julius Erving and Kermit Washington.
San Francisco's Bob Portman attended St. Ignatius College Prep and still owns the Creighton record for points in a game (51) and career scoring average (24.7). He ranks fifth with 1,876 career points and fourth with 979 career rebounds.
Silas and Portman have both been enshrined in the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame.
Working Overtime
With Tuesday's 91-88 double-overtime victory over South Dakota, Creighton improved 6-2 all-time in overtime games (or longer) at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
The Bluejays are also 3-0 in double-overtime games at “The Link”, improving to 9-1 all-time in double-overtime at all home venues. Creighton is now 14-5 all-time in games that finish in double-overtime, including a 9-1 record in its last 10 double-overtime tilts.
Greg McDermott improved to 4-0 in overtime games as Creighton head coach.
Tuesday marked Creighton's first overtime game since defeating Illinois State in the 2012 MVC Tournament title game. It marked Creighton's first double-overtime game since beating Bradley 111-110 on March 1, 2008.
Including Tuesday, 10 of Creighton's last 11 overtime games have been won by the team to score first in the first overtime.
In case you're curious, Creighton has played consecutive overtime games on four occasions in school history, last doing it on Feb. 9 & 12, 1994.
A complete listing of overtime games can be found on page 164 of the 2014-15 Creighton Men's Basketball Media Guide.
Against The Best
Creighton has frequently scheduled some strong teams to come into CenturyLink Center Omaha, since the building opened in the fall of 2003.
Saturday's foe, Saint Mary's (5-1), will be the 44th team in 12 years to enter with either 0 or 1 losses. In the first 43 such games, Creighton is 39-4, with an average margin of +15.19 per game.
Date Opponent Pregame Record Result
11/29/03 St. Bonaventure 2-0 CU 83-63
12/03/03 Bethune-Cookman 0-1 CU 69-49
12/10/03 Nebraska 5-0 CU 61-54
11/15/04 Alcorn State 0-0 CU 74-40
11/16/04 Iona 1-0 CU 68-62
11/20/04 Ark.-Pine Bluff 0-0 CU 83-58
12/28/04 Bradley 7-1 CU 71-62
11/19/05 Ark.-Pine Bluff 0-0 CU 87-55
11/26/05 Dayton 2-1 CU 91-90 (2OT)
12/11/05 Nebraska 6-1 CU 70-44
12/18/05 Xavier 5-1 CU 61-59
12/28/05 Missouri State 7-1 CU 78-56
11/13/06 Miss. Valley State 0-1 CU 78-42
11/25/06 George Mason 2-1 CU 58-56
12/09/06 #24 Xavier 7-1 CU 73-67
11/09/07 DePaul 0-0 CU 74-62
11/24/07 Nebraska 3-0 CU 74-62
12/22/07 Arkansas-Little Rock 9-1 CU 80-61
01/22/08 #22 Drake 16-1 DU 68-60 (OT)
11/16/08 New Mexico 1-0 CU 82-75
11/22/08 Oral Roberts 1-1 CU 87-65
12/10/08 Dayton 8-0 CU 77-59
11/17/09 Florida A&M 0-1 CU 78-53
12/06/09 Nebraska 5-1 CU 67-61
12/29/09 Northern Iowa 9-1 UNI 60-52
11/12/10 Alabama State 0-0 CU 71-57
11/14/10 Northern Arizona 0-1 CU 74-70
11/17/10 Louisiana 1-1 CU 63-58
12/01/10 #21 BYU 6-0 BYU 77-65
11/11/11 North Carolina A&T 0-0 CU 97-65
11/13/11 Chicago State 0-1 CU 95-61
11/25/11 Campbell 5-0 CU 104-81
12/22/11 Northwestern 10-1 CU 87-79
11/09/12 North Texas 0-0 CU 71-51
11/14/12 UAB 1-0 CU 77-60
11/28/12 Boise State 4-1 BSU 83-70
12/01/12 Saint Joseph's 4-1 CU 80-51
11/08/13 Alcorn State 0-0 CU 107-61
11/11/13 UMKC 0-1 CU 96-70
11/14/14 Central Arkansas 0-0 CU 104-77
11/16/14 Chicago State 0-1 CU 84-66
11/19/14 #18 Oklahoma 1-0 CU 65-63
11/23/14 N.C. Central 1-1 CU 65-45
10-Game Report Card
Tuesday was Creighton's 10th game of the season. Currently 8-2, the Bluejays are 8-2 (or better) after 10 games for a fourth straight campaign.
Creighton has made the NCAA or NIT each of the last 11 previous times it has started 8-2 or better after 10 games, dating to the 1984-85 club that started 8-2 and missed the postseason.
Last 11 Starts of 8-2 Or Better After 10 Games
Year W-L After 10 Postseason?
1998-99 8-2 NCAA
1999-00 9-1 NCAA
2000-01 8-2 NCAA
2002-03 10-0 NCAA
2003-04 10-0 NIT
2004-05 8-2 NCAA
2007-08 9-1 NIT
2008-09 8-2 NIT
2011-12 9-1 NCAA
2012-13 9-1 NCAA
2013-14 8-2 NCAA
2014-15 8-2 ? ? ?
Run Of The Mill
James Milliken had the best performance of his young career when he scored 23 points vs. South Dakota on Tuesday night.
Milliken's 23 points were the most by any Bluejay reserve since Devin Brooks had 23 points on Nov. 28, 2013 vs. Arizona State.
Milliken now owns 63 points through 10 games. Here's a look at the school's previous 10 junior college transfers and how they fared after participating in 10 games as a Bluejay:
1st 10 Games, Recent Creighton JC Transfers
Name 1st Year Pts. Reb.
James Milliken 2014-15 63 24
Devin Brooks 2013-14 89 45
Darryl Ashford 2009-10 96 35
Wayne Runnels 2009-10 59 42
Justin Carter 2008-09 66 44
Cavel Witter 2007-08 78 11
Booker Woodfox 2007-08 52 14
Ty Morrison 2006-07 20 18
Nick Porter 2005-06 82 49
Brice Nengsu 2005-06 19 16
Manny Gakou 2005-06 8 7
Bench Rises Up
Key to Creighton's last two wins has been the play of its reserves. After outscoring the Nebraska bench 30-8 on Sunday, the Bluejay reserves outscored South Dakota's bench by a 54-7 margin on Tuesday.
For the season, CU's bench has outscored the opposition 315-173. The 31.5 points per game effort off the bench is on pace to be CU's most since the 2007-08 team got 36.9 points per game from the pine. That team went 22-11 and actually owned more bench points (1,218) than points by the starters (1,142).
Line It Up
In Creighton's eight wins this season, the Bluejays have made 150 free throws while sinking 77.7 percent of its 193 attempts.
On the other end, CU opponents have shot just 105 free throws, making only 63 of those (60.0 percent). By contrast, in CU's two losses, the opposition has made 37-of-54 fouls shots (68.6 percent).
Higher and Higher
Austin Chatman entered this month with a career-high of 19 points, but in three December contests he's averaged 20.7 points.
Chatman tied his career-high with 19 points in road games against both Tulsa and Nebraska, then upped the ante with 24 points in Tuesday's double-overtime win over South Dakota.
All 24 of his points against the Coyotes came in the final 16 minutes of regulation and the overtime sessions.
Of Creighton's 26 points during the overtime, Chatman made or assisted all six field goals, and also drained five of the team's 10 free throws.
Awesome Austin
Austin Chatman had identical stat lines in two games last week. In road games at Tulsa and Nebraska, Chatman had exactly 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists in both games.
Before Chatman, the last time a Creighton player had any game with at least 19/7/6 or more in each category was Ryan Sears at Southern Illinois on Jan. 8, 2000.
Before Chatman, Creighton's last player with two games of 19/7/6 in the same season was Rodney Buford, who did it in 1998-99.
Chatman also became the first Creighton player to own at least a share of the team in lead in points/rebounds/assists in consecutive games since Kyle Korver on Dec. 7 & 14, 2002.
Chatman was also stellar in Tuesday's win over South Dakota, finishing with 24 points and eight rebounds. In the process, he became the first Bluejay with 24 points and eight assists in the same game since Sears in the same Jan. 8, 2000 game listed above.
Through games of Wednesday, Dec. 10, Chatman was the nation's only player with at least 130 points, 47 rebounds and 50 or more assists.
Careful Chatman
Austin Chatman owns a 51/14 assist/turnover ratio (3.58) early this season, a figure that ranks first in the BIG EAST.
Last season Chatman finished third in the BIG EAST with a 2.6 assist/turnover ratio, good for 29th nationally.
For his career, Chatman owns 423 assists compared to 191 turnovers, good for a 2.21 ratio. The man considered by many to be Creighton's best point guard in recent history, Ryan Sears, finished his career with a 2.26 assist/turnover ratio.
Chatman Of The Boards
Creighton point guard Austin Chatman owned the team lead in rebounds just twice in his first three seasons (106 games) with the Bluejays.
Recently, however, the diminutive Chatman has led Creighton in rebounds in six of the last eight games.
No other player has led CU in rebounds more than twice this year.
For the season, Chatman leads the team with 41 defensive rebounds.
Moving On Up
Austin Chatman moved into seventh in Creighton history on the career assist chart, and now owns 423 in his career. Only seven previous men in school history have reached 400 career assists as a Bluejay.
Chatman owns six or more assists in five of the last six games.
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
423 Austin Chatman 2011-Pres.
418 Vernon Moore 1981-85
388 Josh Dotzler 2005-09
382 Duan Cole 1987-92
More Success At Home
Creighton has won 84 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 this past Tuesday, South Dakota, fell to 3-7 by the slimmest of margins.
Senior Trio Joins Elite Group
Creighton seniors Will Artino, Austin Chatman and Avery Dingman joined some elite company with Sunday's win at Nebraska, as the trio became the rare Bluejay players to appear in four wins vs. Nebraska.
Creighton's only previous six men to play in four career wins over the Cornhuskers were Kyle Korver, Joe Dabbert, Mike Grimes, Michael Lindeman, Tyler McKinney and Ethan Wragge.
Of those six, only Korver and McKinney had never played in a loss against NU, something Dingman, Artino and Chatman can now claim.
Toughest Thing In Sports
Creighton is 25-13 in true road games the last four years, and 41-19 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.
Creighton is currently 1-1 in true road games this season, and 2-2 away from home when you factor in a pair of games in Niceville, Fla., during the Emerald Coast Classic.
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 5-1 when leading at half and 3-1 when trailing at halftime.
Creighton has won all but one of its last 39 games played when leading at the half, falling only vs. Ole Miss on Nov. 28, 2014.
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 192 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 12-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own an 167-25 (.870) 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 14,609-12,333 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.85 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 25-15 all-time in the 40 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
Creighton is 70-7 (.909) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 39-2 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 186-25 (.882) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Creighton's 24-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
24 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 24 straight home games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, the nation's fifth-longest active home win streak. Here's the active top-six:
Rk. Streak Team Next Home Game
1. Duke 37 Elon, 12/15
2. Gonzaga 31 Texas Southern, 12/15
3. Arizona 27 Michigan, 12/13
4. N.C. Central 25 Barber-Scotia, 12/17
5. Creighton 24 Saint Mary's, 12/13
6. Wichita State 22 Alabama, 12/16
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 14 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including its last two games, and seven 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 page 2).
On the other hand, CU is 99-5 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 87 of the last 88 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
10 at Nebraska 12/07/14
10 South Dakota 12/09/14
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
Come One, Come All
Creighton has thrived when playing in front of large crowds of late.
Creighton is 26-1 in its last 27 games played before 14,000 fans or more.
In six games this season, all at home, Saint Mary's has played in front of 15,509 fans total.
Since the start of last season, Creighton has seen an average crowd of 14,549 in its 35 victories, and an average crowd of 8,435 in 10 losses.
Winning With Defense...It's True
Creighton held Middle Tennessee to 15 first half points and 47 points overall in its Nov. 29 win over the Blue Raiders.
That defensive effort helped CU withstand a drought of more than 16 minutes without a field goal, and a 3-for-14 second half showing from the field.
Creighton's 57-47 win was its fewest points in a victory since a 57-56 home win over Wichita State on Jan. 16, 2010. CU had been 0-9 under Greg McDermott when scoring 57 or less before the victory, and lost 11 straight overall as a program in that situation.
The 15 points scored by MTSU were the fewest by any Bluejay opponent in a half since Savannah State scored 15 points in the first half on Dec. 16, 2009.
Zierden Earns Honor
Sophomore guard Isaiah Zierden was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Emerald Coast Classic. He led the Bluejays in scoring during three of the four games in the event, including both contests in Florida.
7-Foot Surprise
Redshirt junior center Geoffrey Groselle had the best game of his Bluejay career on Nov. 25th, 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 28-of-40 career field goal attempts, good for 70 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 17.0 ppg. and 9.7 rpg. in 39.5 minutes per game, all while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor.
Name MPG FG-FGA RPG PPG
Artino 18.1 35-63 5.2 8.7
Hanson 14.6 20-30 3.3 5.2
Groselle 7.6 14-20 1.3 3.4
Total 39.5 69-113 9.7 17.0
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 also 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 five players who are averaging 7.5 points per game or more this season. Eight players have scored 12 or more points in a game this year, and CU has seen five different leading scorers.
Creighton also has nine 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.
Rank And File
Creighton jumped into the Associated Press Top 25 on Nov. 24th 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 86-33 as a ranked team in the AP poll, with a 52-21 mark under Greg McDermott (28-4 at home; 12-10 road; 12-7 neutral).
Poll Position
Creighton is one of 20 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, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, 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 83 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 83)
Dana Altman, 1994-2010 18
Tom Apke, 1974-81 5
Eddie Sutton, 1969-74 5
Give Me Five
A win over Eastern Illinois on Nov. 25 was Creighton's fifth straight victory 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.
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.
In 50-Game Increments
Nov. 25th marked the 150th game at Creighton for head coach Greg McDermott. With 112 wins, he was 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
151-155 3-2 so far
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 (and 6-of-7) 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 second on the Creighton team with 12.5 points per game and tops the BIG EAST with 2.70 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 six home games this season.
In 192 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 51 of those contests, a staggering 26.6 percent of the time, including seven wire-to-wire wins last season and three this year.
In Creighton's 24-game home winning streak, Creighton has led wire-to-wire in 11 of those wins, and trailed for just 103:04 of 970 minutes of action. Only Oklahoma and South Dakota have even led the Bluejays in the second half during that streak.
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.
Creighton's 91-88 double-overtime win over South Dakota on Dec. 9 improved the Bluejays to 34-10 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 2,553 career points in a Bluejay uniform entering Saturday's game.
Last year McDermott averaged 14.0 points in the first half of games. This year, the team's leading scorer (Austin Chatman) averages 13.3 points for an entire 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 17 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 26 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.
Isaiah Zierden became the second player this season to do it when he made a four-point play vs. Middle Tennessee on Nov. 29.
In Greg McDermott's five years at Creighton, the only six men to convert a four-point play have been Milliken, Zierden, Kaleb Korver, Ethan Wragge, Doug McDermott and Avery Dingman.
Of that group, Zierden is the only one to do it twice.
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 16th in NBA history with 1,572 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 42.92 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Dec. 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.
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 35-19 (.660) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 57-5 (.919) 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 81-11 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
Creighton was a remarkable 84-22 during the previous three seasons. 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
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
17,111 Creighton 2014-15
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 666 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 690 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.
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 43 of its last 44 games when leading with 5:00 to play. A Nov. 28 loss to Ole Miss is the only exception.
Overall under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 106-5 when leading with 5:00 left, including victories in 68 of the last 70 scenarios. The Bluejays are also 3-0 under McDermott when tied with 5:00 to play.
CU is 6-35 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 115-40 on the Creighton sideline in his fifth year at the helm. The 115 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first five seasons.
How good are McDermott's 115 wins after four seasons (plus 10 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. 115-40 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 83-0 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
In other words, Creighton is a perfect 95-0 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 78.60 points per home game (6,052 points in 77 home games).
That's a vital number since Creighton is 108-0 at home (79-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more and 90-0 at home (63-0 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.
Players Mentioned
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