Monday, December 28
CenturyLink Center Omaha
8:15 PM
Creighton University
vs
Coppin State
Tyler Clement
Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann
Non-Conference Play Ends Monday vs. Coppin State
12/26/2015 6:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bluejays seek fourth straight home win
Download Notes as a PDF
Game #13 • Coppin State at Creighton • Monday, Dec. 28, 2015 • 8:15 p.m.
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1
Series History: Coppin State leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Coppin State 66, Creighton 60 on Nov. 27, 1989 in Omaha, Neb.
Next Game
The Creighton men's basketball team (8-4) plays its final non-conference game on Monday night when it welcomes Coppin State (2-11, 0-2 MEAC) 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 Heath Gunderson 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 8-4 on the season, including a 6-1 mark at home and a 2-0 mark on neutral floors. CU has not trailed at any point of its last three home games, double-figure victories over Nebraska (83-67), IUPUI (90-65) and North Texas (105-82).
The Bluejays are scoring an impressive 86.2 points per game (ninth nationally), with all five starters averaging at least 9.8 in points per game.
Boston University transfer Maurice Watson Jr. leads Creighton with 6.3 assists per contest and 12.7 points per game, while Geoffrey Groselle tops the club with 6.8 rebounds per game and is second with 11.9 points per contest. He's coming off a career-high 27 points last Monday vs. North Texas.
Also at or near double-figures are remaining starters Cole Huff (11.3 ppg.), Isaiah Zierden (11.0 ppg., 1.7 spg.) and Khyri Thomas (9.8 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 Coppin State
Coppin State is 2-11 this season, including an 0-11 mark against Division I foes. The Eagles defeated Goldey Beacom (80-73) and Chestnut Hill (92-75), and have lost to the likes of Iowa (103-68), Kansas State (83-58) and California (84-51).
Terry Harris Jr. (12.8 ppg., 6.3 rpg.) leads CSU in scoring and rebounding, while Christian Kessee is second on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg.) and assists (1.6 apg.).
Coppin State averages 70.3 points per game and has shot 36.1 percent from the floor and 27.9 percent from three-point range. The Eagles allow 85.1 points per game (340th nationally as of Dec. 25), as foes shoot 49.8 percent from the field.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his sixth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 129-61 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 409-256 in his 22nd season and is 278-192 in his 15th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
Michael Grant (Malone, 1985) owns a 10-34 record in his second year at Coppin State, which moves his career mark to 262-232 in 17 seasons overall. He is assisted by Elwyn McRoy and Jake Morton.
The Series With Coppin State
Coppin State won the only previous meeting against Creighton, a 66-60 decision on Nov. 27, 1989. The game came in the 1989-90 season-opener for Creighton, who were coming off an MVC title. The Eagles would go on to earn an automatic bid to the 1990 NCAA Tournament.
In the previous meeting, Reggie Isaac led CSU with 23 points as the Eagles shot 54.5 percent. The Bluejays were held to 17 points in the first half and paced by Chad Gallagher's 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Greg McDermott has never coached against Coppin State, nor Michael Grant. McDermott is 5-0 all-time against teams that are currently in the MEAC.
Playing With The Lead
In 210 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 57 of those contests, a staggering 27.1 percent of the time, including five times (UTSA, Western Illinois, Nebraska, IUPUI and North Texas) this year.
Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 79-16 and hasn't trailed in 32 of those games.
Creighton has not trailed in either of its last three home games (wins over Nebraska, IUPUI and North Texas), hasn't trailed in nine of its last 12 December home games, and hasn't trailed in 13 of 25 all-time December home games under Greg McDermott.
Century Mark Back-to-Back???
Creighton scored 105 points on Dec. 21st against North Texas, and will host Coppin State on Dec. 28th.
The Eagles have allowed 85.1 points per game (340th nationally as of Dec. 25), and allowed a pair of teams to crack the 100-point mark.
Creighton has not scored 100 points or more in consecutive games since Jan. 29 (104 at Idaho State) and Feb. 2 (115 vs. Memphis) during the 1965-66 season.
The Fast And The Furious
Creighton has 149 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.
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.
The Link Turns Into The Dunk Tank
Creighton has put down 27 dunks in 12 regular-season games as a unit this year. By comparison, Creighton had 29 dunks in 33 games all last season.
Seven different men have thrown down a dunk this winter, led by 10 from Khyri Thomas and seven by Geoffrey Groselle.
Quest For 16,000
Creighton has scored 15,995 points all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha, and is a virtual lock to surpass 16,000 points on Monday.
Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 15,995 to 13,495 at the 13-year old facility 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
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 725 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 88, which is second-longest nationally. The only team with a longer streak, Coppin State, is Creighton's opponent on Monday.
Courtesy Stats Inc., below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks, through games of Dec. 26.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (thru 12/26)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 953 UNLV 12/30
2. 950 Kentucky 1/2
3. 942 Vanderbilt 12/30
4. 922 Duke 12/28
5. 883 Western Kentucky 12/28
6. 880 Arkansas 12/30
7. 870 East Tennessee State 12/30
8. 868 Pacific 12/31
9. 846 Oakland 12/28
10. 836 Texas 12/29
11. 825 Princeton 12/29
12. 808 Florida 12/29
13. 788 La Salle 12/31
14. 787 Marshall 12/27
15. 777 Baylor 12/29
16. 755 LIU-Brooklyn 12/29
755 Cornell 12/28
18. 750 Gonzaga 12/31
19. 736 Tennessee State 12/29
20. 735 Mount St. Mary's 12/29
21. 733 Samford 12/29
22. 729 East Carolina 1/2
23. 725 Creighton 12/28
24. 690 Lafayette 12/30
25. 688 DePaul 12/30
26. 680 Davidson 12/28
Longest Active Streaks of 15+ 3FG Attempts
(Source: STATS Inc., thru Dec. 26)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 147 Coppin State 12/28
2. 88 Creighton 12/28
3. 79 Iona 12/28
4. 78 San Jose State 12/30
5. 70 Lipscomb 12/29
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 129 after the North Texas win.
Up next is Tom Apke, who had 130 wins from 1974-81 to stand in fourth place.
McDermott's .679 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more 80 years ago.
With a win in CU's next two games, McDermott will reach 130 wins quicker than any coach except Schabinger, as well.
Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton MBB coaches in history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk. W-L Name (games to 130 wins) Years
1. 327-176 Dana Altman (220) 1994-2010
2. 165-66 Arthur A. Schabinger (182) 1922-35
3. 138-118 John J. "Red" McManus (242) 1959-69
4. 130-64 Tom Apke (193) 1974-81
5. 129-61 Greg McDermott 2010-Pres.
6. 126-71 Eddie Hickey 1935-43, '46-47
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 152 points and 76 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 952 points and 486 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). Both Sears and Young got there as seniors.
Speaking Of Watson
Maurice Watson Jr. had 29 assists and 19 turnovers in Creighton's first five games, but he's taken better care of the ball since the team's return from Las Vegas in late November.
Since then, Watson has 47 assists and 12 turnovers.
Overall, Watson's 2.45 assist/turnover ratio this year ranks eighth in the BIG EAST (min. 2.5 assists per game), and his career ratio (including Boston) of 2.18 assists per turnover ranks sixth-best nationally among active players with 400 or more career assists.
That ratio ranks better that such highly-touted point guards such as Marucs Paige (2.12), Nic Moore (2.10), Ryan Arcidiacono (2.04), Yogi Ferrell (2.02) and Kris Dunn (1.84).
Double R's, Double L's, Double-Double Harrell
With Toby Hegner and Martin Krampelj out of the line-up, Ronnie Harrell Jr. took advantage of an opportunity to play extended minutes last Monday vs. North Texas.
Harrell, who entered the game with 16 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and two steals in his first six career games, had career-highs with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two steals against the Mean Green.
Harrell became the first Creighton freshman with a double-double since Doug McDermott had 31 points and 10 rebounds against Davidson in the 2011 CBI.
Since Greg McDermott took over as coach six years (190 games) ago, the only other Creighton player with at least 14 points, 11 rebounds and five or more assists was Austin Chatman. Chatman had 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in Creighton's 65-63 win over Ok;lahoma on Nov. 19, 2014.
Big Men In The Middle
Geoffrey Groselle and Zach Hanson were a big part of Creighton's 105-82 romp over North Texas on Dec. 21, as both men went for career-highs and combined for 40 points on 14-of-15 shooting from the floor, adding five blocked shots.
Groselle's 27 points were seven more than his previous best and came on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor and 11-of-14 free throw marksmanship.
Hanson's 13 points were two more than his previous best. He was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor and also 1-for-2 at the line.
Home Sweet Home
Creighton has averaged 92.6 points per game at home this season. CU has shot 50 percent or better in all seven games, and 53.8 percent overall.
Creighton is also shooting 41.0 percent from three-point land at home, and has made 10 or more trifectas in five of the seven contests.
Making the high-octane offense all the more impressive is that the team is doing it while averaging just 10.4 turnovers per game, slightly more than the team's 9.7 three-pointers per contest.
Success At Home
Creighton has won 90 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.
Coppin State enters Monday's match-up with a 2-11 record this season.
Balance Is Key
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 12 games in recent seasons.
Of note, Creighton has started 7-5 or better after 12 games in 18 of the past 19 seasons.
This year's team, with four double-figure scorers, is the second time since 1995-96 that Creighton has had more than three players scoring in double-figures after 12 games, joining 2000-01.
Creighton's 86.2 points per game clip is the team's highest mark after 12 games not just in 20 years, but since 1964-65.
Creighton's 49.7 percent field goal percentage through 12 games is the fourth-best mark in the last 20 years, trailing only the three winningest teams in program history.
Creighton's 109 three-pointers through 12 games are fourth-most in the last 20 years, as well.
Year W-L PPG FG% 3FG 10+ PPG guys
2015-16 8-4 86.2 .497 109 4
2014-15 9-3 73.3 .441 106 2
2013-14 10-2 82.9 .492 136 2
2012-13 11-1 78.9 .509 107 2
2011-12 10-2 84.3 .506 111 2
2010-11 8-4 67.3 .426 85 3
2009-10 5-7 70.8 .447 98 1
2008-09 10-2 76.9 .445 106 3
2007-08 9-3 77.4 .468 100 2
2006-07 8-4 68.0 .433 69 2
2005-06 8-4 69.4 .414 86 3
2004-05 9-3 68.7 .434 93 2
2003-04 12-0 71.2 .467 75 1
2002-03 11-1 83.8 .520 116 1
2001-02 7-5 76.2 .451 71 3
2000-01 10-2 75.8 .446 95 4
1999-00 9-3 73.3 .459 96 2
1998-99 10-2 76.2 .466 90 2
1997-98 8-4 77.4 .473 88 2
1996-97 5-7 65.4 .407 66 2
1995-96 6-6 65.8 .389 69 2
1994-95 5-7 65.0 .396 81 4
Dozen Dandy
A pair of newcomers are among Creighton's leading scorers through 12 games, as Cole Huff has 135 points and Maurice Watson Jr. has 152.
Since 1995-96, Watson's figure leads all Creighton newcomers through 12 games, one more than Doug McDermott's 151 points.
McDermott would finish his career with 3,150 in 145 career games to rank fifth in NCAA history.
Khyri Thomas owns 118 points after 12 games. CU's only other freshmen to score 118 points or more since 1995-96 are McDermott, P'Allen Stinnett, Rodney Buford and Ryan Sears all of whom would go on to be named MVC Freshman of the Year.
Most Points, Newcomers First 12 Games Since 1995-96
Pts. Name, Class Year After 13
152 Maurice Watson Jr., Jr. 2015-16 TBD
151 Doug McDermott, Fr. 2010-11 157
138 Gregory Echenique, So. 2010-11 145
135 Cole Huff, Jr. 2015-16 TBD
130 P'Allen Stinnett, Fr. 2007-08 148
134 Brody Deren, So. 2001-02 142
128 Rodney Buford, Fr. 1995-96 145
121 Darryl Ashford, Jr. 2009-10 128
120 Ryan Sears, Fr. 1997-98 131
118 Khyri Thomas, Fr. 2015-16 TBD
115 Edward St. Fleur, Jr. 1995-96 117
109 Doug Swenson, Jr. 1997-98 128
Pace Makers
Creighton ranks ninth nationally in scoring offense, averaging 86.2 points per game to date.
This year's team has scored 83 points or more in all eight 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 7 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
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton has averaged 86.2 points per game in its first 12 regular-season contests to date.
Greg McDermott is 34-0 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 28-0 mark on the Creighton sideline.
Creighton has won 72 straight games when scoring 90 or more points at all sites since a Jan. 11, 1988 loss to Southern Illinois.
Creighton is 51-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 23 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas State.
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 12 three-point attempts and at 12-of-19 overall. He leads the BIG EAST in three-point percentage (63.2 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
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 (twice) 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 fourth-most accurate team from three-point range.
The Bluejays are 1601-4074 from deep in that time, shooting 39.3 percent from deep in that span.
Best 3FG%, Since 2010-11
Rk. Pct. Team 3FG 3FGA
1. .3941 Indiana 1304 3309
2. .3934 Northern Colorado 1141 2900
3. .3931 Weber State 1346 3424
4. .3930 Creighton 1601 4074
5. .3894 UC Davis 1315 3377
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. 25:
Most Games, 50% FG & 40% 3FG
Rk. Occasions Team
1. 65 Creighton
2. 56 Kansas
56 Gonzaga
4. 54 Denver
54 Saint Mary's
Most Games, 50% 3FG
Rk. Occasions Team
1. 43 Creighton
2. 39 Northern Colorado
3. 38 UCLA
38 Northeastern
5. 38 Michigan State
Most Games, 40% 3FG
Rk. Occasions Team
1. 99 Creighton
2. 94 Duke
3. 91 Indiana
4. 89 Weber State
5. 86 Saint Mary's
Most Games, 50% FG
Rk. Occasions Team
1. 91 Gonzaga
2. 86 Kansas
3. 82 Creighton
4. 81 Belmont
5. 78 Indiana
Most Games, 60% FG
Rk. Occasions Team
1. 16 Ohio State
2. 15 Creighton
3. 14 Kansas
14 Gonzaga
14 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.
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 saw 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 ninth in NBA history with 1,787 three-pointers and is also sixth in league history with 43.2 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Dec. 25). 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 4.6 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 8.8 points per game and is 12th in the NBA by shooting 42.3 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 16,798 fans per game after seven home dates, which ranks seventh nationally through Dec. 25.
2015-16 Attendance Leaders
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 22,577 12/26
2. Louisville 19,927 1/3
3. Syracuse 19,750 12/27
4. Maryland 17,839 12/27
5. Wisconsin 17,287 12/29
6. Indiana 17,253 1/5
7. Creighton 16,798 12/28
8. Kansas 16,685 12/29
9. North Carolina 15,963 12/28
10. North Carolina State 15,894 12/29
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
Avg. Att. School Year
17,896 Creighton 2013-14
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
17,048 Creighton 2014-15
16,798 so far Creighton 2015-16
16,665 Creighton 2011-12
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 41-34 (.547) 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 12-20 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 210 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 13-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 176-34 (.838) 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 15,995-13,495 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.90 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 57 different times, including five times this year (UTSA, Western Illinois, Nebraska, IUPUI and North Texas).
Creighton is also 25-19 all-time in the 44 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
Creighton is 79-16 (.832) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 46-4 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 195-34 (.852) 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 113-6 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 101 of the last 103 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 129-61 on the Creighton sideline early in his sixth year at the helm. The 129 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. 129-61 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 92-1 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is 104-1 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 78.20 points per home game (7,429 points in 95 home games).
Since a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000, Creighton is 114-0 at home (85-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more, and 96-0 at home (69-0 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.
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/ Men's BasketballMeet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
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