Tuesday, November 15
Omaha, Neb.
7:30 PM
Creighton University
vs
Wisconsin
Toby Hegner
Photo by: Steve Branscombe
#22 Men's Basketball hosts #9 Wisconsin on Tuesday in Gavitt Tipoff Games
11/14/2016 1:23:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Wisconsin is highest ranked non-conference team to visit Creighton since #4 DePaul in 1983
Download Notes as a PDF
No. 9 Wisconsin Badgers at No. 22 Creighton Bluejays
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, KOOO 101.9 FM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1 (Tim Brando, Jim Jackson)
Series History: Series tied, 1-1
Last Meeting: Creighton 84, Wisconsin 74 on Nov. 23, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Next Game
It's a top-25 battle on Tuesday night when No. 22 Creighton (1-0) hosts No. 9 Wisconsin (1-0) in the Gavitt Tipoff Games. Tip-off at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7:45 p.m.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2016-17 season, while KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
John Bishop and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action.
The game can also be heard in markets nationwide on Westwood One Sports, with Kevin Kugler and Austin Croshere announcing.
Television Information
Tuesday's game will air nationally on FS1, with Tim Brando and Jim Jackson on the call.
FS1 is also sending its studio show to Omaha for the game, which includes Rob Stone and Steve Lavin.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Tuesday'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.
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 No. 22 Creighton
Ranked 22nd in the preseason AP poll, Creighton returns 11 lettermen and four starters from last year's team that finished 20-15 and sixth in the BIG EAST Conference with a 9-9 league record. The Bluejays won a pair of postseason games before falling in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament.
Maurice Watson Jr. leads a talented group of returners after topping the Bluejays in both scoring (14.1 ppg.) and assists (6.5 apg.) last season. He's been voted on the Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team. Watson opened his senior campaign with 17 points and nine assists in Friday's 89-82 win over UMKC.
A strong crop of newcomers figures to play a vital role. Marcus Foster averaged 14.1 points per game over two seasons at Kansas State, led Creighton with 19 points in his Bluejay debut, while Justin Patton was named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year list before ever playing a collegiate game and had 12 points and eight rebounds on Friday.
Also in double-figures on Friday were Khyri Thomas (16) and Zach Hanson (11).
Scouting No. 9 Wisconsin
Ranked ninth nationally, Wisconsin is 1-0 after a 79-47 win over Central Arkansas in Friday's season-opener.
The Badgers return all five starters from a 22-13 team that reached the Sweet 16 last year, and 13 lettermen overall.
Nigel Hayes has been named Preseason National Player of the Year by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, as well as Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, after averaging 15.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last year.
Bronson Koenig also returns after a campaign that saw him average 13.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. His buzzer-beater in the NCAA Tournament last year helped the Badgers stun Xavier and advance to the Sweet 16.
Ethan Happ averaged 12.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game last year during a season that saw him attain Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
The Badgers are traditionally among the national leaders in fewest turnovers per game and have finished among the nation's top 10 in scoring defense in nine of the past 14 years.
The Series With Wisconsin
Creighton and Wisconsin have split two previous meetings. Wisconsin won the first meeting, 75-39, on Jan. 8, 1949, in Madison, before the Bluejays evened the series on Nov. 23, 2012 with an 84-74 win in Las Vegas.
Greg McDermott is 1-1 all-time against Wisconsin (1-0 as Creighton coach), and has never faced Greg Gard. Gard has never faced Creighton.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his seventh season as head coach at Creighton. He is 142-72 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 422-267 in his 23rd season and is 291-203 in his 16th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
Greg Gard (Wisconsin-Platteville, 1995) is 16-8 in his second season as Wisconsin head coach. He took over midway through last year for Bo Ryan and led the Badgers to the Sweet 16. Gard is assisted by Lamont Paris, Howard Moore and Joe Krabbenhoft.
Big Time vs. The Big Ten
Creighton has gone 9-2 against Big Ten teams (at time of game) under Greg McDermott, with eight double-digit victories. Five of those double-digit wins are against Nebraska, with the last four coming against Tim Miles, whom McDermott is 12-0 all-time against at a variety of schools.
Creighton has traditionally stepped its game up in home games against teams from the Big Ten, having won its last seven contests. No Big Ten team has beaten the Bluejays in Omaha since 1968.
Creighton vs. Big Ten Teams Under Greg McDermott
Score Opponent Date
11/28/10 at Northwestern L 52-65
11/20/11 vs. Iowa W 82-59
12/04/11 Nebraska W 76-66
12/22/11 Northwestern W 87-79
11/23/12 vs. Wisconsin W 84-74
12/06/12 at Nebraska W 64-42
12/08/13 Nebraska W 82-67
12/07/14 at Nebraska W 65-55
11/19/15 at #14 Indiana L 65-86
11/23/15 vs. Rutgers W 85-75
12/09/15 Nebraska W 83-67
Creighton vs. Big Ten Teams in Omaha, Since 1970
Score Opponent Date
12/04/70 Iowa W 98-73
12/30/72 Ohio State W 79-71
11/27/99 #23 Iowa W 85-76
12/04/11 Nebraska W 76-66
12/22/11 Northwestern W 87-79
12/08/13 Nebraska W 82-67
12/09/15 Nebraska W 83-67
Omaha's Team
Tuesday's tilt at Creighton will not be Wisconsin Basketball's first foray into CenturyLink Center Omaha. The Badgers won a pair of NCAA Tournament games inside the facility in both 2008 and 2015 to secure Sweet 16 berths.
Wisconsin is one of just six teams in the 14-year history of CenturyLink Center Omaha (244 games) to win four or more games in the venue, and the only one that is undefeated in those contests.
Here's a list of the teams with four or more all-time wins at CenturyLink Center Omaha, a list that includes results from 21 games not involving Creighton:
All-Time Record at CenturyLink Center Omaha
Team W-L
Creighton 185-38
Kansas 5-1
Wisconsin 4-0
Southern Illinois 4-6
Illinois State 4-6
Wichita State 4-8
Omaha's Team, Part II
Creighton started Omaha natives Justin Patton and Khyri Thomas in last Friday's season-opener vs. UMKC.
It's the first time Creighton has started two Omaha products in the same game since March 16, 2000 vs. Auburn, when Matt West (Omaha Westside) and Donnie Johnson (Omaha Central) earning a nod.
Johnson, coincidentally, coached Thomas at Omaha Benson High School.
Wisconsin Products Do Well With Jays
Two of Creighton's top players in the last 20 years have been from Wisconsin.
Rodney Buford (Milwaukee Vincent HS) starred with the Jays from 1995-99 and is No. 2 on Creighton's all-time scoring list (trailing only Doug McDermott) with 2,116 career points.
Ben Walker (Oak Creek HS) started all but five games from 1997-2001, finishing his career with 1,238 points, 677 rebounds and 288 assists.
The current squad features Berlin, Wis., native Toby Hegner. Hegner owns 400 career points in 67 career games, which includes 40 starts.
Creighton assistant to the head coach Steve Merfeld is a Wisconsin native and attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Last Meeting Featured Two POY's
When Creighton beat Wisconsin in their last meeting on Nov. 23, 2012, few could have predicted it was a game to feature a pair of future NBA Lottery picks and National Player of the Year selections.
Creighton's Doug McDermott had 30 points and eight rebounds in 36 minutes during that game. McDermott went on to be the 11th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft after earning consensus National Player of the Year honors in 2013-14.
Coming off the Wisconsin bench that day was Frank Kaminsky, who had one steal but was held scoreless in nine minutes. Kaminsky was named 2014-15 National Player of the Year and went on to become the ninth pick of the 2015 NBA Draft.
In addition to McDermott, other recent Naismith Players of the Year to appear at CenturyLink Center Omaha at some point in their college career include Jimmer Fredette (with BYU) and Buddy Hield (with Oklahoma). Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes was named Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook's Preseason National Player of the Year this season.
All-Around Excellence
Creighton and Wisconsin are both ranked on the hardwood, but they also excel in several other sports as well.
In fact, Creighton, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Michigan State and Kentucky are the nation's only five schools that currently have a ranked team in men's basketball (AP poll), men's soccer (NSCAA poll) and women's volleyball (AVCA poll).
Gavitt Tipoff Games Information
The Gavitt Tipoff Games is an annual series between the BIG EAST and Big Ten Conferences and named in honor of Dave Gavitt, founder of the BIG EAST and basketball visionary. The series started last year and will span eight seasons with games being played at home sites. The Gavitt Tipoff Games will be played on four consecutive days in the first full week of the basketball season.
Gavitt believed that the college basketball season needed a high profile event to start the year. He had a profound and lasting influence on the sport of basketball on the collegiate, professional and Olympic levels. Gavitt was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
First and foremost, Gavitt was a coach and he always believed in the role of a coach as a teacher and mentor for young people. He began his coaching career at Dartmouth, his alma mater, and then led Providence to eight straight postseason bids in 10 years and guided the Friars to the 1973 Final Four. Gavitt was chosen to coach the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, which did not have the opportunity to participate because of a U.S. boycott of the Games.
Great Programs, Great Fan Bases
Both Creighton and Wisconsin are known for their national following and strong fan bases.
The Bluejays averaged 15,941 fans per home game last season to rank 10th nationally, while Wisconsin was sixth with 17,287 fans per home game.
Below is a list of where these teams rank in the attendance standings during recent years:
Average Home Attendance, Previous Five Years
Year Creighton (Rank) Wisconsin (Rank)
2015-16 15,941 (10th) 17,287 (6th)
2014-15 17,048 (6th) 17,279 (5th)
2013-14 17,896 (5th) 17,104 (7th)
2012-13 17,155 (6th) 16,843 (7th)
2011-12 16,665 (6th) 17,181 (5th)
They Go Way Back
Greg McDermott and Greg Gard have known each other for many years, dating back to when McDermott was Wayne State head coach and interviewed him for a spot on his staff.
When Gard was named interim head coach last year at Wisconsin, McDermott had nothing but kind words to say about his peer:
"I've known Greg Gard since he was a young coach entering the profession. He has risen through this profession the right way, with hard work and tremendous dedication and loyalty to the institutions he has represented. His ability to relate to people, specifically student-athletes, will allow for a smooth transition at Wisconsin. The guy flat out knows the game of basketball. He will be a terrific head coach!"
Ranked vs. Ranked
Tuesday's game features a pair of teams ranked in the top-25 of the Associated Press poll, with Wisconsin ranked ninth and Creighton ranked 22nd.
Creighton is 2-7 all-time against top-25 foes when ranked itself, with the last such win coming on Feb. 16, 2014, when the No. 18 Bluejays defeated No. 6 Villanova, 101-80.
That was also the last time that a ranked Creighton team hosted a ranked opponent.
Ranking News & Notes
Wisconsin enters Tuesday's game as the nation's ninth-ranked team. Some notes of interest as it pertains to Creighton...
-Creighton is 23-132 all-time against nationally-ranked teams in the Associated Press poll, including wins last season over No. 5 Xavier and No. 18 Butler.
-Creighton owns an 0-5 mark against teams ranked exactly ninth all-time.
-Creighton is 8-58 all-time against top-10 teams, with seven of those eight wins coming in Omaha.
-Creighton is 2-1 under Greg McDermott at home against top-10 opponents, outscoring teams 243-212.
-Greg McDermott is 3-7 at Creighton against top-10 teams at all sites. The only other Bluejay coaches to ever knock off a top-10 foe have been Eddie Sutton (3-10) and Red McManus (2-18).
-Creighton owns a 15-37 record in home games against top-25 foes, including a 6-8 mark at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
-Creighton is 5-17 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams. Dana Altman (7) and Eddie Sutton (5) are the only other men with five or more wins on the Bluejay sideline against ranked foes.
Watch This!
Tuesday's tilt will feature a pair of players that have gained preseason acclaim on both teams.
The preseason Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Watch List features Creighton's Maurice Watson Jr. and Wisconsin's Bronson Koenig.
The preseason Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Watch List features Creighton's Justin Patton and Wisconsin's Ethan Happ.
Only 20 men are on each list.
November Reign
Creighton is a perfect 52-0 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th.
Creighton has won 54 of its 55 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012.
Overall, Creighton is 72-15 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
Creighton has also won 66 of its last 69 regular-season non-conference home games against unranked foes since falling to Drexel on Feb. 17, 2007.
Season Opener History
Including last week's 89-82 win vs. UMKC, Creighton owns a sparkling 84-15 record (.848) on opening day, including wins in 19 of its last 20 lid-lifters.
Creighton has won 12 of its last 17 season-openers by 20 or more points.
The Jays have outscored foes by an average of 85.94 to 60.18 in the last 17 openers.
Home Opener History
Including last week's win over UMKC, Creighton is 88-11 (.889) in home openers all-time. Creighton has won 22 straight home openers since a Dec. 3, 1994 setback against SMU.
That 22-game home opener win streak is a school record, one more than the previous high done from 1946-66.
Opening Statements
Greg McDermott has won each of the last 15 season openers he's coached in, as he is 15-1 at the Division I level in season-openers. Overall as a head coach, McDermott is 20-3 in season-opening games.
That includes an impressive 99-point win (137-38) in his first game on the sidelines when he was at Wayne State.
Date School Opponent Result
1994-95 Wayne St. York W 137-38
1995-96 Wayne St. Nebraska-Omaha L 63-72
1996-97 Wayne St. St. Francis W 72-66
1997-98 Wayne St. Nebraska-Omaha W 78-76
1998-99 Wayne St. Mount Marty W 76-70
1999-00 Wayne St. South Dakota L 64-66
11/17/00 NDSU Macalester W 81-69
11/16/01 UNI vs. San Diego State L 57-71
11/22/02 UNI at Montana W 77-71
11/21/03 UNI Chicago State W 83-59
11/21/04 UNI Wayne State W 84-66
11/20/05 UNI Western Carolina W 68-46
11/10/06 Iowa State UC Riverside W 69-61
11/09/07 Iowa State Winston-Salem St. W 58-44
11/14/08 Iowa State UC Davis W 61-58
11/13/09 Iowa State Idaho State W 88-68
11/12/10 Creighton Alabama State W 71-57
11/11/11 Creighton N. Carolina A&T W 97-65
11/09/12 Creighton North Texas W 71-51
11/08/13 Creighton Alcorn State W 107-61
11/14/14 Creighton Central Arkansas W 104-77
11/14/15 Creighton Texas Southern W 93-70
11/11/16 Creighton UMKC W 89-82
Hello, World
Creighton has one player that could make his collegiate debut on Tuesday night, Jordan Scurry.
Below is a look at how Creighton's current players have done in their regular-season debut in a Division I uniform.
Name Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Min.
Thomas• 18 3 0 2 26
Patton 12 8 2 0 22
Krampelj 11 8 2 0 14
Huff (@UNR) 9 5 0 0 17
Hanson 9 2 0 0 11
Harrell 8 4 2 1 13
Foster• (@KSU) 8 4 2 0 30
Watson• (@BU) 6 1 4 0 23
Zierden 5 3 3 0 24
Joseph (@SU)• 4 5 7 2 23
Hegner 4 3 1 0 21
Clement 3 1 1 1 9
Paras 0 1 1 0 9
Mintz 0 0 0 0 8
•indicates game started
Making An Entrance
With 19 points vs. UMKC last Friday, Marcus Foster became CU's highest scorer in a debut since P'Allen Stinnett started his MVC Freshman of the Year campaign in 2007-08 with 23 points vs. DePaul.
Justin Patton's eight rebounds matched the most in a season-opener by any Bluejay freshman since 2001, as Martin Krampelj also snatched eight caroms in 2015.
Six years ago, Doug McDermott burst onto the scene with 16 points and seven rebounds in his debut, becoming the first Bluejay freshman since at least 1973 to have 15 or more points and five or more rebounds in a season-opener.
Below is a list of some of Creighton's most famous players and how they performed in their regular-season debuts in a Bluejay uniform.
Name, Yr. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Min. Result
Huff, 2015 12 6 2 1 23 W 93-70
Watson, 2015 10 0 7 1 24 W 93-70
Echenique, 2010 12 5 0 0 18 W 66-60
McDermott, 2010 16 7 0 1 32 W 71-57
Stinnett, 2007 23 4 3 3 26 W 74-62
Tolliver, 2003 0 1 2 0 7 W 79-44
Funk, 2002 3 5 4 1 21 W 106-50
Kyle Korver, 1999 2 2 0 1 10 W 70-62
Buford, 1995 3 4 0 0 19 W 63-59
Harstad, 1987 4 5 1 1 21 L 49-70
Gallagher, 1987 10 3 0 0 37 L 49-70
Benjamin, 1982 14 4 1 0 22 W 98-54
McKenna, 1977 14 3 7 ? ? W 95-66
Harmon, 1971 21 7 ? ? ? W 74-62
C. Baptiste, 1969 24 17 ? ? ? W 84-62
Portman, 1966 9 ? ? ? ? W 78-76
Silas, 1961 22 29 ? ? ? W 85-51
Gibson, 1954 19 ? ? ? ? W 66-51
Playing With The Lead
Incredibly, Creighton hasn't trailed in its home opener in nine of the past 17 seasons (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2014-15 and 2016-17).
In 223 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 62 of those contests, a staggering 27.8 percent of the time.
Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 88-20 and hasn't trailed in 37 of those games.
Quest For 17,000
Creighton has scored 16,999 points all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha, so it's a virtual guarantee the Bluejays will surpass 17,000 on Tuesday.
Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 16,999 to 14,349 at the 14-year old facility in 223 all-time games in the building that count.
Creighton is 15-1 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
12/28/15 16,000-13,498 (211) Huff FG vs. Coppin State
Closed Scrimmage A Success
Creighton played Missouri in a closed scrimmage on October 30th. The Bluejays and Tigers tied the first half, 41-41, before the score and fouls were reset. CU won the final 20 minutes, 45-31. Marcus Foster led Creighton with 23 points, while Maurice Watson Jr. added a team-best six assists.
Greg McDermott was pleased with how the afternoon went. "It was great to be back on the floor against another team in a competition setting. We did some things well but still have plenty of room to improve. We've been banged up with injuries, but I was pleased we were able to get 12 men double-figure minutes on the afternoon."
Nationally Ranked, Again
Creighton is ranked No. 22 in the preseason Associated Press poll and No. 23 in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll.
It's just the third time in program history the AP has voted CU to the top-25 in the preseason, joining 2006-07 (No. 19) and 2012-13 (No. 16).
Creighton was last ranked the week of Nov. 24, 2014, when it was No. 23 in the country but dropped out after a 2-1 week. That No. 22 ranking is the best since Creighton was No. 16 on March 17, 2014.
In this week's polls, Creighton is 22nd in the AP poll and 20th in the coaches poll.
In program history, CU has now been ranked 70 weeks, with 42 of those under the direction of seventh-year head coach Greg McDermott.
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish third in its fourth 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 Xavier and Creighton round out the top three. Seton Hall and Georgetown tied for fourth place, while Butler, Marquette, St. John's, Providence and DePaul rounded out the bottom half.
Creighton guard Maurice Watson Jr. was named Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team, while Marcus Foster was picked to be a Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable-Mention choice.
Freshman Starts Almost Unheard Of
Only three true freshmen in the last 20 seasons have started a regular-season opener for Creighton.
Ryan Sears started Creighton's 1997-98 lid-lifter to begin a brilliant career. He would start all 124 games of his career and remains the Bluejay program leader in career assists (570) and steals (283).
Doug McDermott opened the 2010-11 season in the first five, as well. McDermott started all 145 games of his career. All he did was go on to become the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 career points, become National Player of the Year as a senior, and become an NBA Lottery pick.
Last year Thomas joined that elite duo with a starting nod. He started CU's first 24 games, and 28 of his 34 games played overall.
Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns four regular starters (Maurice Watson Jr., Isaiah Zierden, Khyri Thomas and Cole Huff) from last year's team that finished 20-15. Creighton's roster contains players who made 130 starts a year ago (35 by Watson, 31 by Zierden, 28 by Thomas, 23 by Huff, 12 by Toby Hegner, 1 by Zach Hanson), and a combined 173 career starts as Bluejays. That doesn't factor in the 57 starts for Marcus Foster at Kansas State or the 30 starts at Syracuse for Kaleb Joseph.
Each of Creighton's five teams since 1980-81 to return 130 or more starts from the previous season won 20 or more games and went on to reach the postseason.
Returning Returning Starts Final
Year Starters From Previous Year W-L
2016-17 4 130 ? ? ?
2015-16 1 64 20-15
2014-15 1 49 14-19
2013-14 4 144 27-8
2012-13 4 140 28-8
2011-12 3 101 29-6
2010-11 4 123 23-16
2009-10 3 106 18-16
2008-09 3 83 27-8
2007-08 1 44 22-11
2006-07 4 120 22-11
2005-06 4 134 20-10
2004-05 2 58 23-11
2003-04 3 101 20-9
2002-03 5 159 29-5
2001-02 2 65 23-9
2000-01 3 90 24-8
1999-00 3 84 23-10
1998-99 3 84 22-9
1997-98 4 72 18-10
1996-97 4 126 15-15
1995-96 4 100 14-15
1994-95 2 52 7-19
1993-94 3 73 7-22
1992-93 2 64 8-18
1991-92 2 51 9-19
1990-91 4 132 24-8
1989-90 4 127 21-12
1988-89 4 123 20-11
1987-88 3 83 16-16
1986-87 2 65 9-19
1985-86 1 48 12-16
1984-85 4 124 20-12
1983-84 3 72 17-14
1982-83 3 77 8-19
1981-82 2 78 7-20
1980-81 4 112 21-9
Times, They Are A Changin'
Creighton made two changes to its schedule in late October.
Creighton's home game vs. Longwood, originally set for Dec. 10th, was moved to 6:30 pm on December 9th. It will now air on FS1.
Creighton's home game on January 21st vs. Marquette was moved up two hours to a 1:30 pm start. It will now air nationally on FOX.
NBA Representation
This year marks the third straight season that Creighton has three NBA players at the same time, as Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks), Anthony Tolliver (Sacramento Kings) and Doug McDermott (Chicago Bulls) are all in the league.
Including 2016-17, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 33 of the last 34 years.
Korver ranks eighth in NBA history with 1,905 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 43.0 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through November 13). He set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range in 2009-10, and is the only player in league history to lead the NBA in three-point percentage three times. He's currently averaging 9.8 points per game while making 45.0 percent of his three-point attempts this year.
Tolliver is averaging 3.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game this season for the Kings, his 11th NBA organization.
McDermott is in his third season with the Chicago Bulls, where he's averaging 10.6 points per game and shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 36.4 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.
Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the since Greg McDermott took over in 2010-11, per Basketball-Reference.com:
2010-11 to 2015-16
Category Stat NCAA Rank
FG Percentage .476 4th
3FG Made 1,775 4th
3FG Percentage .386 5th
Assists 3392 7th
FG Made 5,534 18th
Wins 141 31st
Winning Percentage .662 47th
Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 16 of the last 18 seasons (including 2015-16), 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 18 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
Kentucky , Florida, Texas and Syracuse have each done it in 17 of the last 18 seasons.
Along with Arizona, Xavier and Connecticut, Creighton is one of four schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 16 of the past 18 years.
Eight Out Of 18 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 18 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (14), Duke (10), Winthrop (9), Creighton (8), Kansas (8) and Kentucky (8).
Full House
Creighton's 2015-16 team averaged 15,941 fans per game, which ranked 10th nationally, and was even ahead of five NBA franchises (Milwaukee, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Minnesota and Denver). Creighton would have been eighth with 17,065 fans per game without two home NIT crowds that lowered the final average.
It's the 11th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the fifth straight season in the top-10 nationally in attendance, as well.
2015-16 Attendance Leaders
Rk. School Average
1. Kentucky 23,362
2. Syracuse 21,592
3. Louisville 20,860
4. North Carolina 18,326
5. Maryland 17,863
6. Wisconsin 17,287
7. Indiana 17,106
8. North Carolina State 16,758
9. Kansas 16,436
10. Creighton 15,941
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
Avg. Att. School Year
17,896 Creighton 2013-14
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
17,048 Creighton 2014-15
16,686 Creighton 2016-17
16,665 Creighton 2011-12
15,941 Creighton 2015-16
Some Loyal Fans
Creighton attracted 302,887 fans at home in 2015-16, surpassing 200,000 fans for the 11th straight season. The 302,887 home fans this season ranked as the most in school history.
Creighton had never attracted more than 141,000 home fans in any season prior to the opening of CenturyLink Center Omaha, and now has done it in the past 13 seasons.
Creighton has led its conference in home attendance every year since moving into CenturyLink Center Omaha, which is opening its 14th season.
Creighton's Most Home Fans, Season
Rk. Year G Attendance Average
1. 2015-16 19 302,887 15,941
2. 2008-09 19 302,676 15,930
3. 2010-11 22 297,161 13,507
4. 2012-13 17 291,643 17,155
5. 2014-15 17 289,808 17,048
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 749 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is tied for the nation's 21st-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.
Below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (11/13)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 976 Kentucky 11/15
2. 974 UNLV 11/16
3. 965 Vanderbilt 11/15
4. 949 Duke 11/15
5. 906 Western Kentucky 11/16
6. 902 Arkansas 11/14
7. 893 East Tennessee State 11/14
8. 886 Pacific 11/15
9. 868 Oakland 11/14
10. 859 Texas 11/14
11. 844 Princeton 11/14
12. 835 Florida 11/17
13. 811 La Salle 11/15
14. 809 Marshall 11/16
15. 801 Baylor 11/15
16. 777 LIU-Brooklyn 11/16
17. 774 Gonzaga 11/14
774 Cornell 11/16
19. 758 Tennessee State 11/19
20. 757 Mount St. Mary's 11/14
21. 749 Creighton 11/15
749 East Carolina 11/14
Making A Jump
Creighton went from 14-19 in 2014-15 to 20-15 last season. In the last 50 seasons of Creighton basketball, there has been only six seasons where the team has grown its win total by six or more victories from one year to the next, with two of those gains under the direction of Greg McDermott:
Biggest Win Improvements, Last 50 Years
Jump Year W-L Year W-L
+8 1972-73 15-11 1973-74 23-7
+7 1986-87 9-19 1987-88 16-16
+7 1994-95 7-19 1995-96 14-15
+6 2001-02 23-9 2002-03 29-5
+6 2010-11 23-16 2011-12 29-6
+6 2014-15 14-19 2015-16 20-15
Multiple Choices
Creighton had four men average in double-figures in 2015-16, Maurice Watson Jr. (14.1), Cole Huff (11.3), Geoffrey Groselle (11.2) and Isaiah Zierden (10.2).
Creighton had not previously had four men finish the year scoring in double-figures since 1979-80, when Kevin McKenna, Jim Honz, George Morrow and Daryl Stovall did so.
Top-20 Crowds
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. 17,924 Seton Hall 01/30/16
19. 17,766 Nebraska 12/09/15
20. 17,740 Alcorn State 11/08/13
Très Bien
Since 2011-12, Creighton is 49-45 (.521) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 70-10 (.875) mark the last six years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 104-30 in the last six years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 15-25 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 15 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point. Eight of those comebacks came 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), and the second-biggest in the history of CenturyLink Center Omaha (see chart, left column on page four).
On the other hand, CU is 125-9 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 113 of the last 118 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
12 at DePaul 01/17/16
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
CenturyLink Center Omaha Dramatics
Providence's Kris Dunn hit a game-winning shot as time expired to beat Creighton last Jan. 12th. It was the first game-winning shot with no time left to ever to beat Creighton at CenturyLink Center Omaha, exceeding the previous low with 1.9 seconds left by Butler's Roosevelt Jones in 2014-15.
Dunn's shot was the first to beat Creighton (at any site) with no time left on the clock since Anthony James drained a game-winning three-pointer for Northern Iowa in a 65-62 win on Feb. 4, 2012 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Creighton is 7-6 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds in the 14-year old facility.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at CLCO, Last 10 Seconds
Date Opponent Score Player/Score Time
11/26/05 Dayton W 91-90* Funk FG :5.7
01/28/06 Wichita St. W 57-55 Tolliver FG :0.0
11/25/06 George Mason W 58-56 Watts FT :7.5
03/18/08 Rhode Island W 74-73 Witter 3FG :3.2
01/13/10 Southern Illinois W 71-69 Young FG :1.3
02/18/12 Long Beach St. W 81-79 Young FG :0.3
01/28/14 St. John's W 63-60 McDermott 3FG :2.8
*double-overtime
Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses at CLCO, Last 10 Seconds
Date Opponent Score Player/Score Time
03/20/06 Miami (Fla.) 53-52 G. Diaz FT :2.6
01/20/07 Southern Illinois 58-57 B. Mullins FG :4.1
01/10/15 #19 Seton Hall 68-67 S. Gibbs 3FG :2.2
02/16/15 #19 Butler 58-56 R. Jones FG :1.9
03/07/15 Xavier 74-73 D. Davis FT's :6.3
01/12/16 #12 Providence 50-48 K. Dunn FG :0.0
Winning Formulas
Below are the records for each current BIG EAST school over the last four, 10 and 16 (since 2000-01) seasons, ranked by overall wins, through games of Nov. 13.
Most Wins - Last 4+ Years (2012-13 - Present)
Team W L
Villanova 118 27
Creighton 90 50
Xavier 90 47
Providence 88 50
Butler 87 48
Georgetown 81 51
Marquette 77 56
Seton Hall 75 59
St. John's 67 65
DePaul 45 84
Most Wins - Last 10+ Years (2006-07 - Present)
Team W L
Butler 255 95
Villanova 251 98
Xavier 245 101
Creighton 231 118
Georgetown 223 110
Marquette 222 121
Providence 182 146
Seton Hall 175 149
St. John's 161 164
DePaul 112 208
Most Wins Since 2000-01
Team W L
Xavier 382 155
Butler 381 157
Villanova 373 170
Creighton 370 170
Marquette 348 183
Georgetown 341 182
Providence 282 227
Seton Hall 271 233
St. John's 243 258
DePaul 203 293
McDermott Passes McManus On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 142 victories at Creighton, good for third place on CU's all-time wins list.
McDermott's .664 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more 80 years ago.
Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk. W-L Name Years
1. 327-176 Dana Altman 1994-2010
2. 165-66 Arthur A. Schabinger 1922-35
3. 142-72 Greg McDermott 2010-Pres.
4. 138-118 John J. "Red" McManus 1959-69
5. 130-64 Tom Apke 1974-81
Watson Dishes and Scores
Maurice Watson Jr. led the team lead in both scoring and assists last season. In fact, Watson had owned or shared the team lead in assists in 23 straight games before that streak was snapped in the NIT vs. Alabama on March 15th.
Watson became Creighton's sixth player since 1970-71 to lead the club in both points per game and assists per game, as seen below:
Creighton Leaders in PPG & APG, Since 1970-71
Name, Year PPG APG
Kevin McKenna, 1979-80 16.5 3.7
Matt Petty, 1992-93 17.2 3.1
Kyle Korver, 2001-02 15.1 3.3
Nate Funk, 2003-04 11.1 2.7
Nate Funk, 2006-07 17.7 3.0
Austin Chatman, 2014-15 11.5 3.7
Maurice Watson Jr., 2015-16 14.1 6.5
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 223 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 14-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 185-38 (.829) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (11-0).
Creighton has outscored its opponents 16,999-14,349 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.88 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 62 different times, including 10 of its last 20 home games.
Creighton is also 25-22 all-time in the 47 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-8 when down by 10+ points at halftime at The Link, and 31-20 when trailing at halftime at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Creighton is 88-20 (.815) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 50-4 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 205-38 (.844) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 142-72 on the Creighton sideline in his seventh year at the helm. The 142 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first seven seasons, way more than Tom Apke's 109.
Most Wins at CU, First Seven Seasons
Coach Years W-L After 7 Yrs
Greg McDermott 2010-Pres. 142-72 so far
Tom Apke 1974-80 130-64
Dana Altman 1994-00 123-86
Red McManus 1959-65 105-75
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton averaged 79.63 points per game in 2015-16.
Greg McDermott is 37-1 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 31-1 mark on the Creighton sideline.
In fact, McDermott's team scored 90 or more points 10 times (in 35 games) last season, compared to six total times in 280 games on the sideline in nine years at Northern Iowa and Iowa State.
Creighton had won 75 straight games when scoring 90 or more points at all sites since a Jan. 11, 1988 loss to Southern Illinois, before a March 5th 98-93 loss at Xavier.
Creighton is 53-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 25 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas.
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 97-1 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is 108-1 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 78.75 points per home game (8,505 points in 108 home games).
Since a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000, Creighton is 120-0 at home (91-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more, and 101-0 at home (74-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to that same setback.
Last Season Recap
Creighton went 20-15 last season and reached the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament before being eliminated at BYU. Maurice Watson Jr. (14.1 ppg., 6.5 apg.) led the Bluejays in both scoring and assists, while senior Geoffrey Groselle (6.1 rpg.) led the team in rebounding and set a Creighton record by shooting 70.2 percent from the field.
Creighton's best victories last season included a 70-56 win over No. 5 Xavier, and a pair of wins to claim the title at the Men Who Speak Up Main Event in Las Vegas.
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 Harper Dining Center (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 2016-17 season went on sale on October 24th.
Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CenturyLink Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any game.
For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
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/ Men's BasketballCreighton & Gonzaga Men's Basketball Press Conferences - 11/11/25
Wednesday, November 12
Creighton Men's Basketball Media Availability - 11/10/25
Monday, November 10
Creighton Men's Basketball vs. South Dakota Press Conference - 11/5/25
Tuesday, November 04
Creighton Men's Basketball Availability - 11/3/25
Monday, November 03
