Men's Basketball Hits Windy City To Take on Ramblers

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Game #8 • Creighton Men's Basketball at Loyola (Chicago) • Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015 • 1:00 p.m.
Creighton Bluejays at Loyola (Chicago) Ramblers
Gentile Arena (4,963) • Chicago, Ill.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: Comcast Sports Net Chicago / ESPN3.com
Series History: Loyola (Chicago) leads, 11-6
Last Meeting: Creighton 78, Loyola (Chicago) 58 on Feb. 20, 2010 in Omaha, Neb.

Next Game
The Creighton men's basketball team (5-2) faces a Missouri Valley Conference team for the first time since leaving the league in 2013 when it travels to meet Loyola (Chicago) (4-3) on Saturday.
   Tip-off at Gentile Arena (4,963) in Chicago, Ill., is set for 1 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 Brody Deren will call the action.
   Prior to the game, Corey Lathrop and Matthew Dorwart will host "Bluejay Shootaround", beginning at 11 am.
   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
Saturday's game will air on Comcast Sports Net Chicago, and can be viewed in the Omaha area on ESPN3.com. ~~The game is also likely to be found on the sports and information tier on Cox Cable channels 601-607.~~
   Announcers on Saturday will be John Fitzgerald and Jeff Dickerson.

Video Webcast Information
Saturday's game can be viewed on ESPN3.com.

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 5-2 on the season, with victories over Texas Southern, UTSA, Rutgers, Massachusetts and Western Illinois. CU's only losses have come at No. 14 Indiana on Nov. 19 and on Wednesday vs. Arizona State.
   The Bluejays are scoring an impressive 88.1 points per game, with transfers Cole Huff and Maurice Watson Jr. leading the way. Huff leads the club with 12.6 points per game after his arrival from Nevada, while Watson averages 12.4 points and a team-best 6.3 assists per game since arriving from Boston University.
   Also scoring at a prolific clip has been junior guard Isaiah Zierden, who has recovered from back-to-back season-ending knee injuries to average 12.3 points and lead the team with 20 three-point baskets, while also owning 23 assists compared to just three turnovers.
   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 Loyola (Chicago)
Loyola (Chicago) is 4-3 on the season, including a 3-0 home record. The Ramblers own wins over UTSA, Eureka, Toledo and San Diego, but have lost to New Mexico, Toledo and UNC Asheville.
   The team returns four starters from last year's team that went 24-13 and won the College Basketball Invitational with a 5-0 postseason record.
   Leading the Ramblers this season have been Milton Doyle (14.0 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 3.1 apg.), Devon Turk (13.0 ppg.) and Earl Peterson (11.3 ppg., 3.6 apg.).
   Loyola averages 67.0 points per game and allows 64.3 points per contest. The Ramblers win the rebound battle by 1.3 caroms per contest, but have 18 more turnovers (107) than assists (89).

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his sixth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 126-59 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 404-254 in his 22nd season and is 273-190 in his 15th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
   Porter Moser (Creighton, 1990) is 165-178 in his 12th year as a head coach, including a 60-77 record in five years with Loyola (Chicago). Last season Moser led Loyola (Chicago) to the CBI title with a 5-0 postseason run. Moser is assisted by Bennie Seltzer, Emanuel Dildy and Bryan Mullins.

The Series With Loyola (Chicago)
Loyola leads the all-time series with Creighton by an 11-6 margin, including a 7-3 edge in Chicago. The Ramblers won eight of the first nine meetings, but the series has evened out since then.
   In the only meeting since 1982, Creighton topped the Ramblers, 78-58, in 2010 in Omaha.
   Greg McDermott is 2-0 against Loyola -- both as head coach at UNI -- winning 80-73 in Chicago in 2004 and 72-56 in Cedar Falls in 2005.
   Porter Moser is 3-6 against Creighton, but has not faced his alma mater since taking over at Loyola.

Moser at Creighton
Loyola (Chicago) head coach Porter Moser played four years at Creighton from 1986-90, scoring 469 points and grabbing 133 rebounds in 107 games for CU.
   He was a member of Creighton's 1989 squad that won the Missouri Valley Conference and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

McDermott's BracketBusters Success
Greg McDermott is 10-3 in his career in games associated with the BracketBuster series. McDermott is 5-2 in the original BracketBuster game, and is a 5-1 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   @St. Mary's 74, Creighton 66 (TV) (@SMC)

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)
2014   Saint Mary's 71, @CU 67 (OT) (@CU)

Bracket Buster History
Creighton owns 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 game rematches, Creighton owns a 5-5 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)   Saturday (R)
Akron   L 67-76 (R)   W 77-61 (H)
Long Beach State   W 81-79 (H)   W 78-61 (R)
Saint Mary's   L 66-74 (R)   L 71-61 ot (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.

History In The Valley
When the original Creighton vs. Loyola (Chicago) BracketBusters match-up was played, it was Creighton that was the Missouri Valley Conference team.
   The Bluejays would announce in March of 2013 that it was leaving the MVC, effective July 1st, and it would be Loyola (Chicago) that was tabbed to replace CU.
   Creighton was a member of the MVC from 1928-48 and after a stint as an independent, returned from 1977-2013.
   As members CU went 475-328 in league play over the course of 54 seasons, winning eight outright and seven shared regular-season titles. Creighton's 12 MVC Tournament titles remain a league record. Among CU's standouts in the MVC were Doug McDermott, Kyle Korver, Bob Harstad, Chad Gallagher, Ryan Sears and Benoit Benjamin.
   Saturday's soiree marks the first time Creighton men's basketball has faced an MVC school since departing The Valley.

Groselle's Game Keeps Growing
Geoffrey Groselle had a night to remember on Nov. 25 against Massachusetts, finishing with career-highs in points (20) and rebounds (9) while tying his high in blocked shots (2).
   Groselle's big game came exactly one year to the day of his previous breakout game last year vs. Eastern Illinois, when he had 15 points in 12 minutes off the bench.
   That day, November 25th, also happens to be the birthday of his head coach, Greg McDermott.
   Groselle had another strong game last Saturday vs. Western Illinois, finishing with 17 points, tying his best with nine rebounds, and setting a career-high with three blocked shots.
   Groselle tied his career-high with nine rebounds for the third straight game on Dec. 2 vs. Arizona State, adding a team-best 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
   Over the course of his last three games, Groselle has averaged 17.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, sinking 76 percent of his field goals (19-25) and 73.7 percent at the line (14-19). Prior to this stretch, he had owned career highs of 15 points and eight rebounds in his first four years on campus.

Pace Makers
Creighton ranks 14th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 88.1 points per game to date.
   This year's team has scored 85 points or more in all five 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   5   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

Ball Control Offense
Despite Creighton's rapid pace of play, the Bluejays have done a relatively good job taking care of the ball.
   In its outing last Saturday night vs. Western Illinois, Creighton had 97 points and just four turnovers. Per Basketball-Reference.com data, Creighton is the only school in the nation to do that this season.
   Creighton scored on 42-of-66 possessions on Saturday vs. Western Illinois, averaging 1.470 points per possession. The stat is even more remarkable when you consider that the Leathernecks entered the game ninth nationally in scoring defense.

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 four different players score 20 points or more, as Isaiah Zierden, Cole Huff, Maurice Watson Jr. 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.

McDermott Reaches 125 Wins
CU's Nov. 25 win over Massachusetts was the 125th on the Creighton sideline for head coach Greg McDermott.
   He reached the milestone in his 183rd game at CU, quicker than all but the 175 games needed by Arthur A. Schabinger from 1922-35.
   McDermott's .681 winning percentage is the best since Schabinger's .714 win rate.
   With last Saturday's triumph, McDermott tied Eddie Hickey for fifth in Creighton history with 126 victories with the Bluejay program.

11 Deep
Creighton used at least 11 players in each of its first six contests, and recently added Ronnie Harrell Jr. and Marlon Stewart to the fold during the past 10 days as they've returned to full health.
   Currently, Isaiah Zierden (29.1 mpg.) is the only Bluejay averaging more than 26 minutes per game.
   Creighton has outscored foes 217-130 in bench points this year.

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.

Double-Digits x 5
Maurice Watson Jr. scored in double-figures during each of Creighton's first five games this season before scoring seven on last Saturday vs. Western Illinois.
   Watson joined Doug McDermott as the only Bluejays to open his career in double-figures during CU's first five games in the last 20 years. McDermott opened his 2010-11 campaign with eight straight games in double-figures.
   The last Bluejay transfer to start his career with 10 or more points in each of CU's first five games was Wabash Valley JC transfer Tad Ackerman. Ackerman did it in six straight contests to open the 1994-95 season.

Super Seven
A pair of newcomers are leading Creighton in scoring through seven games, as Cole Huff has 88 points and Maurice Watson Jr. has 87.
   Since 1994-95, those figures trail only Doug McDermott's 106 points through seven contests among newcomers.
   McDermott had 106 points after his eighth career game, and would finish his career with 3,150 in 145 career games to rank fifth in NCAA history.
Most Points, Newcomers First 7 Games Since 1994-95
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year   After 8
   106   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11   116
   88   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16   TBD
   87   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16   TBD
   81   Ryan Sears, Fr.   1997-98   90
   78   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08   86
   74   Terrell Taylor, Fr.   1999-00   85
   74   Rodney Buford, Fr.   1995-96   87
   74   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11   90
   73   Devin Brooks, Jr.   2013-14   79
   71   Edward St. Fleur, Jr.   1995-96   76
   69   Doug Swenson, Jr.   1997-98   81
   66   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02   81

Among The Best
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, which coincides with Greg McDermott's arrival, Creighton has been the nation's second-most accurate team from three-point range.
   The Bluejays are 1561-3974 from deep in that time, shooting 39.2 percent from deep in that span.
Best 3FG%, Since 2010-11
Rk.   Pct.   Team   3FG   3FGA
1.   .395   Weber State   1305   3305
2.   .393   Creighton   1561   3974
3.   .392   Northern Colorado   1097   2801
   .392   UC Davis   1296   3310
   .392   Indiana   1256   3205

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. 2:
Most Games, 50% FG & 40% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   64   Creighton
2.   53   Denver
   53   Gonzaga
   53   Belmont
   53   Kansas

Most Games, 50% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   42   Creighton
2.   37   Northern Colorado
   37   UCLA
4.   36   Rider
   36   Weber State
   36   Michigan State
   36   Northeastern

Most Games, 40% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   97   Creighton
2.   93   Duke
3.   88   Weber State
4.   87   Indiana
5.   82   Denver
   82   UC Davis

Most Games, 50% FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   88   Gonzaga
2.   83   Kansas
3.   79   Creighton
   79   Belmont
5.   74   Kentucky
   74   Indiana

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

Most Games, 25+ Assists
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   16   Michigan State
2.   15   North Carolina
   15   Iona
4.   13   Creighton
5.   12   Memphis
   12   Sam Houston State

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton has averaged 88.1 points per game in its first seven regular-season contests to date.
   Greg McDermott is 32-0 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 26-0 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   Creighton has won 70 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.

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 last Tuesday vs. UTSA. In all, Creighton has 102 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'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 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.
   On Nov. 17 vs. UTSA, Thomas had two more dunks while Zach Hanson rocked the rim for the first time in 2015-16.
   Thomas also had a pair of dunks on Nov. 19 at No. 14 Indiana.
   Creighton has now put down 19 dunks in seven regular-season games as a unit this year.
   By comparison, Creighton had 29 dunks in 33 regular-season games all of last season.

Foreign Tours Lead To Early Success
Creighton is coming off a trip to Italy in August, which it hopes will prepare the team for early victories as past trips have done.
   A 2011 trip to the Bahamas helped get the Bluejays ready for a 7-0 start.
   A 2007 trip to Canada paid dividends as Creighton started 5-0.
   In 2003, the Bluejays also went to Canada and started the subsequent season 12-0.

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

Playing With The Lead
In 207 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 54 of those contests, a staggering 26.1 percent of the time, including twice (UTSA & Western Illinois) this year.
   Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 76-16 and hasn't trailed in 29 of those games.

More Debut News
Some more facts of interest about players making their Bluejay debut.
   Creighton started three players on Nov. 14 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 1,767 three-pointers and is also sixth in league history with 43.3 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Dec. 2). 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 4.2 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 9.1 points per game and is eighth in the NBA by shooting 46.2 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 16,380 fans per game after fourth home dates, which ranks seventh nationally through Dec. 2.
2015-16 Attendance Leaders
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   22,366   12/9
   2.   Syracuse   20,389   12/8
   3.   Louisville   19,696   12/5
   4.   Maryland   17,783   12/4
   5.   Indiana   17,472   12/5
   6.   Wisconsin   17,287   12/5
   7.   Creighton   16,380   12/9
   8.   Kansas   16,300   12/5
   9.   North Carolina State   15,892   12/5
   10.   Nebraska   15,523   12/5

Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12
   16,380 so far   Creighton   2015-16
   15,930   Creighton   2008-09

Long-Distance Streak Surpasses 700
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 720 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 83, 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. 2.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (thru 12/2)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   947   UNLV   12/4
   2.   945   Kentucky   12/5
   3.   938   Vanderbilt   12/6
   4.   919   Duke   12/5
   5.   878   Western Kentucky   12/5
   6.   875   Arkansas   12/4
   7.   866   East Tennessee State   12/10
   8.   863   Pacific   12/4
   9.   841   Oakland   12/5
   10.   831   Texas   12/4
   11.   819   Princeton   12/5
   12.   804   Florida   12/8
   13.   785   La Salle   12/5
   14.   779   Marshall   12/4
   15.   772   Baylor   12/6
   16.   752   Cornell   12/5
   17.   750   LIU-Brooklyn   12/3
   18.   743   Gonzaga   12/5
   19.   730   Tennessee State   12/5
       730   Mount St. Mary's   12/5
   21.   729   Samford   12/4
   22.   723   East Carolina   12/4
   23.   720   Creighton   12/5
   24.   686   Lafayette   12/5
   25.   682   DePaul   12/5
   26.   675   Davidson   12/6

Longest Active Streaks of 15+ 3FG Attempts
(Source: STATS Inc., thru Dec. 2)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   140   Coppin State   12/5
   2.   83   Creighton   12/5
   3.   73   Iona   12/4
       73   San Jose State   12/5
   5.   65   Lipscomb   12/5

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 39-33 (.542) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 64-9 (.877) 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 92-22 in the last five years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 11-20 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.

Early Birds Get The Win
When Creighton's offense gets rolling under Greg McDermott, the results have been evident.
   Prior to Wednesday's loss to Arizona State, Creighton had won 54 straight games under McDermott when scoring 40 or more points in the first half.
   CU had also won 71 straight home games when scoring 40 or more points in the first half dating to a Feb. 3, 2002 loss to Southern Illinois, including a perfect 61-1 mark at CenturyLink Center Omaha.

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 207 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 13-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own an 173-34 (.836) 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 15,717-13,281 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.77 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 54 different times, including twice this year (UTSA and Western Illinois).
   Creighton is also 25-19 all-time in the 44 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
   Creighton is 76-16 (.826) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 43-4 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 192-34 (.850) 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 110-6 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 98 of the last 100 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 126-59 on the Creighton sideline early in his sixth year at the helm. The 126 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.   126-59 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 89-1 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is a perfect 101-1 in CenturyLink Center Omaha since Feb. 6, 2005 when scoring enough points to earn its fans some free pizza. The perfect streak 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 77.73 points per home game (7,151 points in 92 home games).
   That's a vital number since Creighton is 111-0 at home (82-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more, and 93-0 at home (66-0 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
The 2014-15 season included two of the school's top-16 home crowds 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.   17,740   Alcorn State   11/08/13
   19.   17,694   Indiana State   01/05/13
   20.   17,676   Northwestern   12/22/11

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 Hits Windy City To Take on Ramblers

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Players Mentioned

Malik Albert

Will Artino

Devin Brooks

Austin Chatman

Geoffrey Groselle

Zach Hanson

Ronnie Harrell Jr.

Toby Hegner

Cole Huff

Martin Krampelj

James Milliken

Marlon Stewart

Khyri Thomas

Maurice Watson Jr.

Isaiah Zierden