Men's Basketball Hosts North Texas on Monday Night

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Game #12
North Texas at Creighton Men's Basketball
Monday, Dec. 21, 2015 • 8:15 p.m.
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1
Series History: Series tied, 5-5
Last Meeting: North Texas 62, Creighton 58 on Dec. 21, 2014 in Denton, Texas

Next Game
The Creighton men's basketball team (7-4) plays its final game before the holiday break on Monday night when it welcomes North Texas (4-7) to CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb.
   Tip-off is scheduled for 8:15 pm.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 The Zone) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2015-16 season. John Bishop and former Bluejay Josh Dotzler will call the action.
   Prior to the game, Corey Lathrop and Matt Dorwart will host "Bluejay Shootaround", beginning at 7 pm.
   Following the game, Tim Krueger and Ravi Lulla will host "Overtime" for approximately one hour, while also taking calls from listeners.
   The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Monday's game will air live nationally on FS1, which can be found in Omaha on Cox Cable channel 78 (1078 in HD).
   Kevin Kugler and Nick Bahe will announce.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Monday'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, and the games are now available internationally.
   GoCreighton.com/watch 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 www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.
   Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 7-4 on the season, including a 5-1 mark at home and a 2-0 mark on neutral floors. The Bluejays are 0-3 on the road, including Saturday's 87-74 loss at No. 3 Oklahoma in which CU trailed by one with less than nine minutes to play.
   The Bluejays are scoring an impressive 84.5 points per game, with all five starters averaging double-figures in points per game.
   Boston University transfer Maurice Watson Jr. leads Creighton with 6.3 assists per contest and 12.4 points per game, while Isaiah Zierden tops the club with 1.7 steals per game and is second with 11.5 points per contest.
   Also in double-figures are remaining starters Cole Huff (11.1 ppg.), Geoffrey Groselle (10.5 ppg., 7.0 rpg.) and Khyri Thomas (10.4 ppg.).
   The Bluejays return nine lettermen and one starter (Toby Hegner) from last year's team that finished 14-19 and tied for ninth in the BIG EAST with a 4-14 league mark.
   The Bluejays got a head start on the season this summer with 10 practices in Omaha in July and three games in Italy in August.

Scouting North Texas
North Texas are 4-7 this season, with all four victories by double-figures.
   UNT beat Jarvis Christian (112-82) and Texas College (110-61) to open the year before a seven-game losing streak that included losses to Idaho, Samford, Troy, UNI, UT Arlington and Southern Illinois (twice). The Mean Green ended that skid with a 78-60 win over Nicholls State, and most recently topped Mississippi Valley State 87-74.
   J-Mychal Reese (13.9 ppg., 3.8 apg.) leads the team in scoring and assists, while Jeremy Combs (13.5 ppg., 9.0 rpg., 1.4 bpg.) tops the club in rebounding and blocked shots.
   The Mean Green score 78.4 points per game, but also allow 77.6 points per contest.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his sixth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 128-61 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 408-256 in his 22nd season and is 277-192 in his 15th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
   Tony Benford (Texas Tech, 1992) is in his fourth year as a head coach at the college level, owning a 46-60 record that doubles as his career mark. He'd previously been an assistant coach at Marquette, Nebraska, UTEP, Arizona State and New Mexico. Benford is assisted by Rob Evans, Scott Monarch and David Anwar.

The Series With North Texas
Creighton and North Texas have split 10 all-time meetings, but the Bluejays are 5-1 in games contested in Omaha. The current series is part of a 2-for-1 agreement that began three years ago with a 71-51 Bluejay win in Omaha, and continued in Denton last year with UNT's 62-58 win.
   Greg McDermott is 1-1 against North Texas and also 1-1 versus Tony Benford.

Scoreboard Watching
Creighton and North Texas had combined for 4,858 games in history prior to last Thursday, and only three of them had ended with an 87-74 score.
   Creighton's loss at Oklahoma on Saturday was the program's second-ever (of 2,496) game that ended with an 87-74 score, joining a March 4, 2001 MVC Tournament semifinal loss to Indiana State.
   North Texas' last game also ended with an 87-74 score, as the Mean Green topped Mississippi Valley State by that margin on Thursday afternoon. It marked the third time in UNT history (of 2,364 games) that the Mean Green have played a game with an 87-74 score, joining a win over UT-Arlington (Feb. 6, 1993) and a loss at Bradley on Jan. 20, 1973.

#ShooterU
Creighton launched 74 shots in Saturday's loss at Oklahoma, the most in any game since attempting 74 shots vs. Grambling on Nov. 29, 2001. The Bluejays have not launched 75 or more shots in any game since hoisting 76 attempts at Wyoming on Nov. 22, 1996.
   Per KenPom.com, Creighton ranks 62nd nationally with 72.6 possessions per game, and are also 31st in adjusted offensive efficiency with 110.7 points per 100 possessions.
   North Texas ranks 318th in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing 108.9 points per 100 possessions this season.

Watson Chasing Milestones
Though he's still relatively new to Creighton, that doesn't mean that Maurice Watson Jr. isn't close to reaching a couple big milestones at the collegiate level.
   Watson owns 136 points and 69 assists at Creighton this season, and when combined with his 800 points and 410 assists in two seasons at Boston University, now owns career collegiate totals of 936 points and 479 assists.
   Only two players have ever attained 1,000 points and 500 assists (all with CU) during their Creighton careers, Ryan Sears (1,309/570) and Antoine Young (1,342/505).

Success At Home
Creighton has won 89 straight home games against teams that enter with a record of .500 or worse. The last team to pull such an upset was Feb. 25, 2002, when Drake won at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
   North Texas enters Monday's match-up with a 4-7 record this season.

Quest For 16,000
Creighton has scored 15,881 points all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha, and stands a slim chance to surpass 16,000 points on Monday.
    Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 15,881 to 13,521 at the 13-year old facility, but never scored more than 111 in 210 all-time games in the building that count.
    Creighton is 14-1 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone at CenturyLink Center Omaha, as seen below:
Date   Pts-Opp (CLCO Game #)   Who/How vs. Opp.
02/18/04   1,000-787 (14)   Lindeman FG vs. Indiana State
02/05/05   2,000-1,696 (28)   Funk FG vs. Missouri St.
01/18/06   3,000-2,504 (41)   Watts FT vs. Bradley
01/09/07   4,000-3,359 (56)   Tolliver FG vs. Drake
12/17/07   5,000-4,174 (69)   Ka. Korver 3FG vs. Hou. Baptist
11/16/08   6,000-5,048 (82)   Dotzler FG vs. New Mexico
02/11/09   7,000-5,870 (95)   Witter 3FG vs. Bradley
01/16/10   8,000-6,750 (109)   Young FG vs. Wichita State
12/20/10   9,000-7,645 (123)   Wragge FG vs. W. Illinois
03/23/11   10,000-8,500 (136)   Lawson FG vs. UCF
01/21/12   11,000-9,310 (148)   McDermott FG vs. Ind. St.
12/19/12   12,000-10,136 (161)   Echenique FG vs. Tulsa
11/23/13   13,000-10,922 (173)   Artino FG vs. Tulsa
02/23/14   14,000-11,711 (185)   Gibbs FG vs. Seton Hall
01/28/15   15,000-12,612 (198)   Hanson FT vs. St. John's

3D For the Win
In Creighton's last four victories, it has held teams to 26.8 percent (22-82) from three-point range. By comparison, in CU's last three losses, foes have made 23-of-57 three-point tries (40.4 percent).
   North Texas ranks 228th nationally in three-point percentage, draining 32.2 percent of its long-range attempts this winter.

McDermott Moves Into Top Five
CU's Dec. 9 win over Nebraska was the 127th on the Creighton sideline for head coach Greg McDermott.
   The triumph helped McDermott pass Eddie Hickey for fifth in Creighton history in wins, as he now has 128 after the IUPUI win.
   Up next is Tom Apke, who had 130 wins from 1974-81 to stand in fourth place.
   McDermott's .677 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more 80 years ago.

Balance Is Key
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 11 games in recent seasons.
   Of note, Creighton has started 6-5 or better after 11 games in 18 of the past 19 seasons.
   This year's team, with five double-figure scorers, is the only time since 1995-96 that Creighton has had more than three players scoring in double-figures after 11 games.
   Creighton's 84.5 points per game clip is the team's second-highest mark after 11 games in the last 20 years, trailing only the 2011-12 team.
   Creighton's 49.0 percent field goal percentage through 11 games is the fourth-best mark in the last 20 years, trailing only the three winningest teams in program history.
   Creighton's 105 three-pointers through 11 games are third-most in the last 20 years, as well.
Year   W-L   PPG   FG%   3FG   10+ PPG guys
2015-16   7-4   84.5   .490   105   5
2014-15   8-3   73.2   .435   98   2
2013-14   9-2   82.3   .487   120   2
2012-13   10-1   79.6   .508   98   2
2011-12   10-1   86.1   .517   102   2
2010-11   7-4   68.2   .427   77   3
2009-10   5-6   72.5   .455   91   2
2008-09   9-2   76.4   .442   97   3
2007-08   9-2   79.5   .476   92   2
2006-07   7-4   67.0   .418   65   3
2005-06   7-4   69.3   .401   77   3
2004-05   8-3   68.5   .432   87   2
2003-04   11-0   70.6   .459   66   1
2002-03   10-1   83.8   .521   110   1
2001-02   7-4   75.9   .453   67   3
2000-01   9-2   77.0   .451   90   3
1999-00   9-2   73.2   .457   88   2
1998-99   9-2   77.2   .462   86   2
1997-98   8-3   78.1   .474   81   1
1996-97   5-6   64.8   .406   60   2
1995-96   6-5   66.6   .395   65   3
1994-95   5-6   65.0   .401   74   4

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton has averaged 84.5 points per game in its first 11 regular-season contests to date.
   Greg McDermott is 33-0 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 27-0 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   Creighton has won 71 straight games when scoring 90 or more points at all sites since a Jan. 11, 1988 loss to Southern Illinois.
   Creighton is 50-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 22 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas State.

Give Them A Ten
A pair of newcomers are among Creighton's leading scorers through 11 games, as Cole Huff has 122 points and Maurice Watson Jr. has 136.
   Since 1995-96, Watson's figure trails only Doug McDermott's 137 points through 11 contests among newcomers.
   McDermott would finish his career with 3,150 in 145 career games to rank fifth in NCAA history.
   Khyri Thomas owns 114 points after 11 games. CU's only other freshmen to score 114 points or more since 1995-96 are McDermott, P'Allen Stinnett and Rodney Buford, all of whom would go on to be named MVC Freshman of the Year.
Most Points, Newcomers First 11 Games Since 1995-96
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year   After 12
   137   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11   151
   136   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16   TBD
   128   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11   138
   125   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08   130
   122   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16   TBD
   116   Rodney Buford, Fr.   1995-96   128
   115   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02   134
   114   Khyri Thomas, Fr.   2015-16   TBD
   110   Edward St. Fleur, Jr.   1995-96   115

Pace Makers
Creighton ranks 25th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 84.5 points per game to date.
   This year's team has scored 83 points or more in all seven victories, significantly better than last year's team that reached 85 just twice all winter.
   Since 2000-01, Creighton owns 54 games of 85+ points in the eight seasons it has made the NCAA Tournament, compared to 19 such outbursts in the seven years it has missed the Big Dance.
Year   85+ Point Games   Postseason?
2015-16   6   TBD
2014-15   2   None
2013-14   12   NCAA
2012-13   7   NCAA
2011-12   13   NCAA
2010-11   3   CBI
2009-10   2   CIT
2008-09   3   NIT
2007-08   6   NIT
2006-07   0   NCAA
2005-06   2   NIT
2004-05   1   NCAA
2003-04   1   NIT
2002-03   11   NCAA
2001-02   6   NCAA
2000-01   4   NCAA

Assists Are Elementary For Watson
Maurice Watson Jr. had his second game this season with 10 assists on Dec. 12th against IUPUI. Watson had six such games at Boston University in his first two years as a collegian.
   Watson is the first Bluejay with two games of 10 or more assists in the same season since Austin Chatman had two in 2012-13.
   Since 2001-02, the only Bluejay with more than two games of 10+ assists in the same year has been Grant Gibbs, who had three such games in 2011-12.

Khyri Lets It Fly
Khyri Thomas had the best scoring game of his young career on Dec. 5 when he poured in 22 points at Loyola (Chicago). Thomas sank 9-of-10 shots from the field, and was 4-for-4 from three-point range.
   Thomas' 22 points were the most by a Bluejay freshman in a game since Doug McDermott had 31 vs. Davidson on March 21, 2011, and the most points by a Creighton freshman in a true road game since Rodney Buford also scored 22 points at Wichita State on Feb. 3, 1996.
   Thomas' 90 percent marksmanship from the field was the second-best single-game showing by a Bluejay (minimum 8 FG) since 1994, trailing only an 11-for-11 outing from Anthony Tolliver vs. Illinois State on Jan. 1, 2007.
   Thomas' 4-for-4 showing from three-point range was the most makes without a miss from downtown since Devin Brooks also went 4-for-4 from deep on Nov. 28, 2013 vs. Arizona State.
   Creighton hasn't had a player go 5-for-5 (or better) from three-point range since Michael Lindeman was 5-for-5 vs. Bradley on Feb. 8, 2003.
   Thomas had made nine of his last 11 three-point attempts and at 12-of-18 overall. He leads the BIG EAST in three-point percentage (66.7 percent).

Triple Threat
Khyri Thomas entered the Dec. 9 game vs. Nebraska with five total assists in Creighton's first eight games, but the freshman guard would match that total in the first 14 minutes, and tallied seven helpers overall.
   Thomas finished with seven points, seven assists and nine rebounds against the Cornhuskers. He is just the third Bluejay in Greg McDermott's six-year tenure to post at least seven points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the same game, joining Austin Chatman and Grant Gibbs. Both Chatman and Gibbs did it twice each.
   Creighton has never had a traditional point/rebound/assist triple-double.
7+ Point, 7+ Rebound, 7+ Assist Games, Since 2010-11
   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Name   Date
   12   10   7   Grant Gibbs   1/13/12
   12   7   9   Austin Chatman   11/11/13
   9   7   10   Grant Gibbs   12/19/11
   9   7   7   Austin Chatman   1/25/14
   7   9   7   Khyri Thomas   12/9/15

Playing With The Lead
In 209 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 56 of those contests, a staggering 26.8 percent of the time, including four times (UTSA, Western Illinois, Nebraska and IUPUI) this year.
   Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 78-16 and hasn't trailed in 31 of those games.
   Creighton has not trailed in either of its last two home games (wins over Nebraska and IUPUI), hasn't trailed in eight of its last 11 December home games, and hasn't trailed in 12 of 24 all-time home games under Greg McDermott.

Full House
Creighton's Dec. 9 crowd of 17,766 was the program's 18th largest home crowd ever. 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.   17,971   #19 Butler   02/16/15
   17.   17,954   Wichita State   12/28/08
   18.   17,766   Nebraska   12/09/15
   19.   17,740   Alcorn State   11/08/13
   20.   17,694   Indiana State   01/05/13

Huff Earns MVP Honor
Nevada transfer Cole Huff returned to the Silver State and picked up MVP honors of the 2015 Men Who Speak Up Main Event after averaging 19.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in the two wins.
   Huff made 13-of-25 field goal attempts, including 7-of-15 three-pointers. He scored 26 points in the victory over Rutgers before a 12-point effort over UMass in the title game.

What's Your Twenty?
Creighton has had five different players score 20 points or more this season, as Isaiah Zierden, Cole Huff, Maurice Watson Jr., Khyri Thomas and Geoffrey Groselle have all reached that mark.
   By comparison, last year Creighton had five players all year reach 20+ points (Austin Chatman, James Milliken, Toby Hegner, Will Artino and Zierden), and in the two previous years had only three players surpass 20 points in any game.

Thomas Makes History
Khyri Thomas opened his Creighton career with 18 points in a win over Texas Southern, which earned him BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors on Nov. 16th.
   Thomas is the first Bluejay in program history to be named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week.
   Creighton's last player to be named league Freshman/Newcomer of the Week following the first week of the season was Doug McDermott on Nov. 15, 2010, when CU was in the Missouri Valley Conference. McDermott would go on to be named First-Team All-MVC and, MVC Newcomer of the Year and MVC Freshman of the Year.

Among The Best
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, which coincides with Greg McDermott's arrival, Creighton has been the nation's most accurate team from three-point range.
   The Bluejays are 1597-4057 from deep in that time, shooting 39.4 percent from deep in that span.
Best 3FG%, Since 2010-11
Rk.   Pct.   Team   3FG   3FGA
1.   .3936   Creighton   1597   4057
2.   .3935   Northern Colorado   1129   2869
3.   .393   Indiana   1293   3290
4.   .392   Weber State   1334   3400
5.   .390   UC Davis   1311   3362

Shooting Stars
Creighton has proven to be one of the nation's best shooting teams since the 2010-11 season, which coincides with when Greg McDermott arrived at Creighton.
   Check out the lists below that show various categories showcasing their dominance, through Dec. 19:
Most Games, 50% FG & 40% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   65   Creighton
2.   56   Kansas
3.   54   Denver
   54   Gonzaga
5.   53   Belmont

Most Games, 50% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   43   Creighton
2.   39   Northern Colorado
3.   38   UCLA
   38   Northeastern
5.   37   Michigan State

Most Games, 40% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   99   Creighton
2.   94   Duke
3.   90   Indiana
4.   88   Weber State
5.   84   Denver
   84   Saint Mary's

Most Games, 50% FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   89   Gonzaga
2.   86   Kansas
3.   81   Creighton
   81   Belmont
5.   77   Indiana

Most Games, 60% FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   16   Ohio State
2.   15   Creighton
3.   14   Kansas
4.   13   Gonzaga
   13   North Dakota State
   13   Valparaiso
   13   Utah

Most Games, 25+ Assists
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   17   Michigan State
2.   16   North Carolina
3.   15   Iona
4.   14   Sam Houston State
5.   13   Creighton

A 60 Point Half!
Creighton scored 61 points in the first half on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA, tying a CenturyLink Center Omaha record first done in the second half vs. Houston Baptist on Dec. 12, 2007.
   It was also the most points in any first half since scoring 61 vs. Drake on Feb. 3, 1990.
   Creighton had not scored 60 points in any half since doing so in the first half on Nov. 25, 2011 vs. Campbell, and the 61 were tied for its second-most point in any half since 1996-97, trailing only a 63-point outburst in the second half of the 2002-03 opener vs. Texas-Arlington.
   Creighton scored 60 points in a half for the second time this year when it did so in the second half of a 97-76 win over Massachusetts on Nov. 25th.

Malik's Magic
Junior guard Malik Albert got extended run on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA with Maurice Watson Jr. saddled to the bench with two personal fouls. The Detroit native responded in a big way, finishing with 10 assists in 20 minutes of work. The 10 assists led to 28 points from his Bluejay teammates.
   In the process, Albert became the nation's third reserve with 10 or more assists in 20 minutes or less in a win against a Division I team since 2010-11. He joins Kansas's Naadir Tharpe (12 assists in 20 minutes vs. American on Dec. 29, 2012) and Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Smith (10 assists in 20 minutes on Nov. 20, 2013 vs. Central Arkansas).
   Per STATS Inc., Albert became the second BIG EAST reserve since 2004-05 with 10+ assists in 20 minutes or less against a Division I team, joining Marquette's Maurice Acker (12/28/08 vs. Presbyterian).
   Albert is Creighton's only player in the last 30 years to have a game of 10 or more assists as a reserve.

The Fast And The Furious
Creighton had a whopping 30 fast break points in its Nov. 14 win over Texas Southern, added 24 more on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA.
   Creighton's 30 fast break points are believed to be its most since moving to CenturyLink Center Omaha in 2003, with the next highest mark on file (before Texas Southern on Nov. 14) was listed as 24 vs. Kennesaw State on Nov. 26, 2010.
   In all, Creighton has 131 fast break points already this winter. By comparison, last year Creighton had a total of 143 fast break points (4.3 per game), and never had more than 11 in any contest.

The Link Turns Into The Dunk Tank
Creighton put down seven dunks in its Nov. 14 opener vs. Texas Southern, as Khyri Thomas (3), Martin Krampelj (2), Geoffrey Groselle (1) and Malik Albert (1) all got into the act above the rim.
   Creighton has put down 21 dunks in 11 regular-season games as a unit this year.
   By comparison, Creighton had 29 dunks in 33 regular-season games all of last season.

Big Margin Can Lead To Big Things
Creighton's 104-77 win last year vs. Central Arkansas was the second straight season the team has cracked triple-digits in a season-opener.
   The 2015-16 season has seen Creighton reach 90 points in each of its first two games this season, just the fourth time that's happened. Each of the previous three times (1973-74, 2011-12, 2013-14), the Bluejays would reach the NCAA Tournament and then win at last one game in the Big Dance.
   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 eight teams to score 90 or more in a season-opener, which shows that six of the previous seven to do so reached the NCAA Tournament.
               Final   Post-
   Score   Opponent   Date   W-L   Season
   93-70   Texas Southern   11/14/15   ? ? ?   ? ? ?
   104-77   Central Arkansas   11/14/14   14-19   --
   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

Debut News
Creighton started three players on Nov. 14 who were making their Bluejay debut, as transfers Cole Huff and Maurice Watson Jr. joined true freshman Khyri Thomas in the first five.
   Thomas' start was especially historic, as he became just the third true freshman to start since 1992-93, joining Bluejay legends Doug McDermott (2010-11) and Ryan Sears (1997-98). Both McDermott (145 games) and Sears (124) started every contest of their four-year Creighton careers.

Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish ninth in its third 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 (70, 1), Butler (67), Xavier (55) and Providence (45) round out the top half. The predicted lower half was Marquette (44), Seton Hall (27), DePaul (25), Creighton (23) and St. John's (13).
   Creighton did not have any honorees on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Teams, which was led by Preseason Player of the Year Kris Dunn from Providence.

Zierden Returns From Second Knee Injury
Isaiah Zierden had 15 points on Nov. 14 after missing the second half of last season after suffering a season-ending injury to his right knee for the second straight campaign.
   Zierden was carried off the floor with 4:05 left in the first half on Jan. 21, 2015 at Butler and did not return.
   An MRI two days later determined that Zierden partially tore the MCL in his knee, while also suffering an injury to his patella.
   Unlike his first injury, Zierden elected to have surgery this time around, as he underwent a medical procedure in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 13, 2015.
   The uncommon injury is very similar to one he suffered the previous March at Xavier, which caused him to miss CU's last seven games.
   Zierden's 15 points and four assists vs. Texas Southern were both second-most on the team.
   He did even better on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA, scoring a career-high 24 points in 23 minutes.

NBA Representation
This year marks the second time since 1970 (joining last season) that Creighton has three NBA players at the same time, as Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks), Anthony Tolliver (Detroit Pistons) and Doug McDermott (Chicago Bulls) are all in the league.
   Including 2015-16, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 32 of the last 33 years.
   Korver ranks 10th in NBA history with 1,778 three-pointers and is also sixth in league history with 43.1 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Dec. 19). He owns NBA records with 127 straight games with a three-pointer, and also set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range. Last season he was named an All-Star and led the league in three-point percentage for the third time.
   Tolliver is averaging 4.5 points per game this season for the Pistons, his 10th NBA organization.
   McDermott is in his second season with the Chicago Bulls, where he's averaging 8.9 points per game and is 15th in the NBA by shooting 42.5 percent from three-point range for fellow Ames High alum Fred Hoiberg. Hoiberg, ironically, is the same man who replaced Greg McDermott as Iowa State's head coach in 2010.

Productive Offense?
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the first five years since Greg McDermott took over in 2010-11:
2010-11 to 2014-15
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
3FG Percentage   .3930   2nd
Assists   2,856   3rd
FG Percentage   .4768   4th
3FG Made   1,492   4th
Assists/Game   16.045   5th
Assist/Turnover Ratio   1.382   5th
3FG Made/Game   8.382   9th
FG Made   4,555   22nd
Wins   121   T-25th
Winning Percentage   .6798   T-34th

Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 15 of the last 17 seasons (including 2014-15), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
   Just three schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 17 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
   Kentucky , Florida, Texas and Syracuse have each done it in 16 of the last 17 seasons.
   Along with Arizona, Xavier, Kent State and Connecticut, Creighton is one of five schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 15 of the past 17 years.

Full House
Last year's Creighton team averaged 17,048 fans in 17 home dates, good for sixth-nationally, and better than 11 NBA franchises.
   It's the 10th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the fourth straight season in the top-six nationally in attendance, as well.
   Last year Creighton was the nation's first team to average 17,000+ fans, despite a losing record, since Louisville in 2000-01.
   This year's team is averaging 16,678 fans per game after six home dates, which ranks eighth nationally through Dec. 19.
2015-16 Attendance Leaders
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   22,577   12/26
   2.   Syracuse   20,175   12/22
   3.   Louisville   20,088   12/22
   4.   Indiana   17,472   12/22
   5.   Wisconsin   17,287   12/23
   6.   Maryland   16,873   12/27
   7.   Kansas   16,685   12/29
   8.   Creighton   16,678   12/21
   9.   North Carolina State   15,920   12/22
   10.   Nebraska   15,515   12/20

Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   16,678 so far   Creighton   2015-16
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12

Long-Distance Streak Surpasses 700
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 724 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the 23rd-longest active streak.
   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.
   Creighton's streak of games with at least 15 trey attempts stands at 87, which is second-longest nationally.
   Courtesy Stats Inc., below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks, through games of Dec. 19.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (thru 12/19)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   952   UNLV   12/22
   2.   949   Kentucky   12/26
   3.   941   Vanderbilt   12/22
   4.   922   Duke   12/28
   5.   882   Western Kentucky   12/22
   6.   879   Arkansas   12/22
   7.   869   East Tennessee State   12/22
   8.   866   Pacific   12/21
   9.   845   Oakland   12/22
   10.   836   Texas   12/29
   11.   824   Princeton   12/22
   12.   807   Florida   12/22
   13.   787   La Salle   12/22
   14.   785   Marshall   12/21
   15.   776   Baylor   12/23
   16.   754   Cornell   12/23
       754   LIU-Brooklyn   12/22
   18.   748   Gonzaga   12/21
   19.   735   Tennessee State   12/22
   20.   734   Mount St. Mary's   12/22
   21.   732   Samford   12/20
   22.   728   East Carolina   12/22
   23.   724   Creighton   12/21
   24.   689   Lafayette   12/23
   25.   687   DePaul   12/22
   26.   679   Davidson   12/23

Longest Active Streaks of 15+ 3FG Attempts
(Source: STATS Inc., thru Dec. 19)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   146   Coppin State   12/21
   2.   87   Creighton   12/21
   3.   77   Iona   12/22
   4.   76   San Jose State   12/20
   5.   70   Lipscomb   12/29

Très Bien
Creighton made 39-of-91 three-pointers (42.9 percent) in its BIG EAST victories last season, but just 93-for-299 (31.1 percent) from deep in its league losses.
   For the season Creighton shot 34.5 percent from three-point land.
   Since 2011-12, Creighton is 40-34 (.541) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 65-10 (.867) mark the last five years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
   Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 94-24 in the last five years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 11-20 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.

NCAA Success
Creighton is one of 18 schools to have won an NCAA Tournament game in at least three of the last four seasons.
   Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State and North Carolina are the only five teams to have won at least one game all four seasons.
   The list of teams with an NCAA win in three of the last four campaigns consists of Arizona, Creighton, Florida, Iowa State, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oregon, Saint Louis, San Diego State, Syracuse, Wichita State and Wisconsin.

CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 209 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 13-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 175-34 (.837) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (10-0).
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 15,890-13,413 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.85 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 56 different times, including four times this year (UTSA, Western Illinois, Nebraska and IUPUI).
   Creighton is also 25-19 all-time in the 44 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
   Creighton is 78-16 (.830) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 45-4 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 194-34 (.851) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 14 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including three games last year, and seven such comebacks away from home.
   On Nov. 19, 2014, 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 two).
   On the other hand, CU is 112-6 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 100 of the last 102 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

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, through games of the end of the 2014-15 campaign.
Most Wins Since 2000-01 (to end 2014-15)
Team   W   L
Butler   358   146
Xavier   353   149
Creighton   349   155
Villanova   337   165
Marquette   327   170
Georgetown   325   164
Providence   258   216
Seton Hall   244   224
St. John's   234   234
DePaul   193   271

Most Wins - Last 10 Years (2005-06 to end 2014-15)
Team   W   L
Butler   252   97
Villanova   243   98
Xavier   237   106
Georgetown   230   102
Creighton   230   113
Marquette   221   119
Providence   170   150
Seton Hall   166   152
St. John's   164   155
DePaul   114   200

Most Wins - Last 4 Years (2011-12 to end 2014-15)
Team   W   L
Creighton   98   41
Villanova   95   41
Georgetown   89   42
Butler   86   52
Xavier   84   54
Marquette   83   51
Providence   79   56
St. John's   71   60
Seton Hall   69   63
DePaul   47   81

What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 128-61 on the Creighton sideline early in his sixth year at the helm. The 128 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first six seasons, way more than Tom Apke's 109.
Most Wins at CU, First Six Seasons
Coach   Years   W-L After 6 Yrs
Greg McDermott   2010-Pres.   128-61 so far
Tom Apke   1974-80   109-55
Tony Barone   1985-91   102-82
Dana Altman   1994-00   99-78
Red McManus   1959-65   91-63

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 91-1 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is 103-1 in CenturyLink Center Omaha since Feb. 6, 2005 when scoring enough points to earn its fans some free pizza. The perfect streak of 101-0 was snapped on Dec. 2, 2015 when Arizona State scored three points in the final 15 seconds to sneak away with a 79-77 victory.

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 77.91 points per home game (7,324 points in 94 home games).
   Since a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000, Creighton is 113-0 at home (84-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more, and 95-0 at home (68-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to

Last Season Recap
Creighton went 14-19 last season, finishing 4-14 to tie for ninth place in the BIG EAST Conference.
   The Bluejays started the season 5-0, including a win over No. 18 Oklahoma, before losing eight remaining games in the final minute.
   Senior point guard Austin Chatman led Creighton in scoring (11.5 ppg.) and assists (3.7 apg.), while fellow senior Devin Brooks paced the team in rebounds (5.0 ppg.) and steals (1.0 spg.).
   Despite the struggles on the court, Creighton still ranked sixth nationally with 17,048 fans per home game.

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 2015-16 season went on sale on October 29th.
   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.

Men's Basketball Hosts North Texas on Monday Night

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Malik Albert

Will Artino

Devin Brooks

Austin Chatman

Geoffrey Groselle

Toby Hegner

Cole Huff

Martin Krampelj

James Milliken

Khyri Thomas

Maurice Watson Jr.

Isaiah Zierden