Men's Basketball Meets Washington State to Open Paradise Jam

Download Notes as a PDF

Washington State Cougars vs. No. 22 Creighton Bluejays
Sports and Fitness Center (3,000) • St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: None
Series History: Washington State leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Washington State 48, Creighton 39 on March 21, 1941 in Kansas City, Mo.

Next Game
No. 22 Creighton (2-0) opens play in the Paradise Jam on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Central when it takes on Washington State (2-0).
   The contest will take place at Sports and Fitness Center at the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas, USVI.

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 Brody Deren will call the action.

Television Information
Friday's game will not be televised. If Creighton wins on Friday, its' final two games of the Paradise Jam would appear on CBS Sports Network.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Friday's Creighton game will be available via flohoops.com, then clicking on the Events tab. A $20 monthly subscription is required to watch the action, and action may be needed to cancel the subscription to avoid automatic renewal charges.

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 AP poll, Creighton is 2-0 after wins over UMKC and No. 9 Wisconsin. The Bluejays
return 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. CU won a pair of postseason games before falling in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament.
   Maurice Watson Jr. (17.0 ppg., 9.5 apg in 2016-17) 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.
   A strong crop of newcomers figures to play a vital role. Marcus Foster (17.0 ppg.) averaged 14.1 points per game over two seasons at Kansas State, led Creighton with 19 points in his Bluejay debut, while fellow guard Khyri Thomas (17.0 ppg.) led CU with 18 points in Tuesday's win over No. 9 Wisconsin.

Scouting Washington State
Washington State is 2-0 this year, picking up a 69-65 win over Montana State and a 81-76 victory over Central Washington.
   Josh Hawkinson (17.0 ppg., 12.5 rpg.) led the Pac-12 in rebounding last year and is once again averaging a double-double this year.
   Also scoring in double-figures are Malachi Flynn (14.0 ppg., 7.5 rpg.), Derrien King (13.0 ppg., 6.0 rpg.) and Ike Iroegbu (11.5 ppg., 5.0 apg.).
   The Cougars return seven lettermen and three starters from last year's team that finished 9-22 and missed the postseason.

The Series With Washington State
Creighton is 0-1 all-time against Washington State, with the lone previous meeting coming in Kansas City, Mo. That contest was Creighton's first NCAA Tournament game (as well as loss) in program history.
   Greg McDermott has never faced Washington State nor Ernie Kent, and Kent has never faced Creighton. McDermott is 11-9 in his career against the current members of the Pac-12, including a 5-3 record at Creighton.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his seventh season as head coach at Creighton. He is 143-72 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 423-267 in his 23rd season and is 292-203 in his 16th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
   Ernie Kent (Oregon, 1977) is 24-40 in his third season at Washington State, which moves his career mark to 349-294 in 22 years overall as a head coach. He has also been a head coach at Saint Mary's (1991-97) and Oregon (1997-2010), and twice led the Ducks to the Elite 8. He is assisted by Greg Graham, Silvey Dominguez and Curtis Allen.

Kent's Departure Led To McDermott in Omaha
In a roundabout sort of way, Ernie Kent's departure as head coach at the University of Oregon in 2010 helped lead to the hiring of Greg McDermott at Creighton.
   Replacing Kent as coach of the Ducks was longtime Creighton coach Dana Altman. Upon learning of Altman's departure, it took less than 48 hours for Creighton to announce the hiring of McDermott. McDermott was previously head coach at Iowa State.

BIG EAST in the Paradise Jam
Creighton's participation in the Paradise Jam marks the 11th straight year at BIG EAST has participated in the event, which began in 2001. Last year DePaul went 1-2 in the event.
   Five previous BIG EAST teams have won the Paradise Jam title, a list that consists of Seton Hall (2014), Marquette (2011), Connecticut (2008), Boston College (2003) and Miami (2001).

Tournament History
Creighton is seeking its sixth tournament title in seven years (and fourth in a preseason event) under Greg McDermott this weekend at the Paradise Jam.
   Creighton won the 2011 Dale Howard Classic (including a win over Iowa), the 2012 Las Vegas Invitational (Wisconsin & Arizona State) and the 2015 Men Who Speak Up Main Event (UMass and Rutgers).
   The Bluejays also won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in both 2012 (Illinois State) and 2013 (Wichita State).
Creighton in MTE's Under Greg McDermott
Year   W-L   Event Name
2010   3-1   Global Sports Hy-Vee Challenge
2011   4-0   Dale Howard Classic
2012   4-0   Las Vegas Invitational
2013   1-2   Wooden Legacy
2014   3-1   Emerald Coast Classic
2015   4-0   Men Who Speak Up Main Event
Total   19-4   Three titles

Assist Leader
Not only is Maurice Watson Jr. is the nation's active leader in assists with 658, but he's also fourth in steals (165), sixth in assist/turnover ratio (2.08) and 11th in field goals made (503).
   Below is a look at the national active leaders in assists and steals, through Nov. 16th.
Active Leaders in Career Assists
1.   Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton   658
2.   Monte Morris, Iowa State   565
3.   Alec Wintering, Portland   486
4.   Marquis Wright, Siena   458
5.   Siyani Chambers, Harvard   449
   Bryce Alford, UCLA   449

Active Leaders in Career Steals
1.   Paris Lee, Illinois Stsate   186
2.   Monte Morris, Iowa State   176
3.   Justin Robinson, Monmouth   166
4.   Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton   165
   Marquis Wright, Siena   165

Watson Brings The Electricity
Maurice Watson Jr. owns eight or more assists in both of Creighton's first two games this season, and his last four contests dating to last year. He is tied for fourth nationally with 8.5 assists per game.
   Watson is one of 10 men nationally with eight or more assists in every game played this season, but the only one with an active streak of four or longer.
   Watson, Houston's Wes VanBeck and Portland's Alec Wintering are the only men with nine or more assists in every game this season.
8+ Assists, Every Game This Season (through 11/16)
Games   Player, School   Next Game
   2   Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton    11/18
   2   Bryant Crawford, Wake Forest   11/17
   2   C.J. Jackson, Ohio State   11/17
   2   Emmett Naar, Saint Mary's   11/19
   2   Alec Wintering, Portland   11/18
   1   Jaylen Adams, St. Bonaventure   11/17
   1   Wes VanBeck, Houston   11/21
   1   Kyron Cartwright, Providence   11/17
   1   Dominic Artis, UTEP   11/17
   1   Kahron Ross, Lehigh   11/17

What's With The Fans?
Don't be surprised at the contingent that heads to the US Virgin Islands to support Creighton this week at the Paradise Jam
   The team chartered to St. Thomas on a 174-seat plane that had every seat filled, and it's possible a 100-250 more fans that travelled commercially are on there way as well.
   Last season, Creighton ranked 10th nationally by averaging 15,941 fans per home game.

Double-Digit Duo
Both Marcus Foster and Justin Patton have scored in double-figures during each of Creighton's first two games this season.
   In the last 22 years, the only newcomers to score in double-figures during CU's first three games have been Doug McDermott (8 straight in 2010-11) and Maurice Watson Jr. (5 in 2015-16).
   With eight points on Friday against Washington State, Foster will own the most points for any Bluejay newcomer through three games since 1994-95. That is, unless Justin Patton scores at least 20 or more points and 12 or more than Foster.
Most Points, Newcomers First 3 Games Since 1994-95
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year
   41   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02
   41   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08
   41   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16
   39   Edward St. Fleur, Jr.   1995-96
   38   Darryl Ashford, Jr.   2009-10
   38   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11
   35   Devin Brooks, Jr.   2013-14
   34   Johnny Mathies, So.   2003-04
   34   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11
   34*   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17
   33   Tad Ackerman, Jr.   1994-95
   33   Khyri Thomas, Fr.   2015-16
   33   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16
   32   Toby Hegner, Fr.   2014-15
   30   Ryan Sears, Fr.   1997-98
   30   Ethan Wragge, Fr.   2009-10

Next Game Depends on Result
If Creighton beats Washington State, it would play the Montana/NC State winner on Sunday at 7:30 pm Central on CBS Sports Network.
   If Creighton loses to Washington State, it would play the Montana/NC State loser on Saturday at 5 pm Central on Saturday. That game would not be televised, but would have a video webcast available for purchase on FloHoops.com.

Omaha's Team
Creighton has started Omaha natives Justin Patton and Khyri Thomas in each of its first two games.
   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.
   Both Patton and Thomas have scored in double-figures in both games this season.

All-Around Excellence
Creighton is ranked on the hardwood, but also excels 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).

November Reign
Creighton is a perfect 53-0 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th.
   Creighton has won 55 of its 56 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012.
   Overall, Creighton is 73-15 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.

Nationally Ranked, Again
Creighton is ranked No. 22 in this week's Associated Press poll and No. 20 in this week's USA Today Coaches poll.
   Creighton's No. 22 preseason ranking marked 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).
   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.

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 1,907 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 42.9 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through November 16). 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 9.3 points per game while making 40.8 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 is averaging 17,282 fans per home game this season, good for fifth-best nationally. That figure would rank 17th best in the NBA, ahead of 14 franchises.
   Last year was 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.
2016-17 Attendance Leaders
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Syracuse   22,625   11/18
   2.   Kentucky   22,346   11/20
   3.   Louisville   20,222   11/17
   4.   Wisconsin   17,287   11/17
   5.   Creighton   17,282   11/26
   6.   Maryland   17,078   11/17
   7.   BYU   15,926   11/17

Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,282   Creighton   2016-17
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   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 previous 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 750 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 (11/16)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   977   Kentucky   11/20
   2.   975   UNLV   11/19
   3.   966   Vanderbilt   11/18
   4.   950   Duke   11/19
   5.   907   Western Kentucky   11/19
   6.   903   Arkansas   11/18
   7.   894   East Tennessee State   11/20
   8.   887   Pacific   11/19
   9.   869   Oakland   11/18
   10.   860   Texas   11/17
   11.   845   Princeton   11/20
   12.   835   Florida   11/17
   13.   812   La Salle   11/19
   14.   810   Marshall   11/19
   15.   802   Baylor   11/18
   16.   778   LIU-Brooklyn   11/19
   17.   775   Gonzaga   11/18
       775   Cornell   11/20
   19.   758   Tennessee State   11/19
   20.   759   Mount St. Mary's   11/18
   21.   750   Creighton   11/18
       750   East Carolina   11/17

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 71-10 (.877) 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 105-30 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 126-9 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 114 of the last 119 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. 16.
Most Wins - Last 4+ Years (2012-13 - Present)
Team   W   L
Villanova   119   27
Creighton   91   50
Xavier   91   47
Providence   89   50
Butler   88   48
Georgetown   81   52
Marquette   78   56
Seton Hall   75   59
St. John's   68   65
DePaul   45   84

Most Wins - Last 10+ Years (2006-07 - Present)
Team   W   L
Butler   256   95
Villanova   252   98
Xavier   246   101
Creighton   232   118
Georgetown   223   111
Marquette   223   121
Providence   183   146
Seton Hall   175   149
St. John's   162   164
DePaul   112   208

Most Wins Since 2000-01
Team   W   L
Xavier   383   155
Butler   382   157
Villanova   374   170
Creighton   371   170
Marquette   349   183
Georgetown   341   183
Providence   283   227
Seton Hall   271   233
St. John's   244   258
DePaul   203   293

McDermott Passes McManus On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 143 victories at Creighton, good for third place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .665 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.   143-72   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 224 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 14-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 186-38 (.830) 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 17,078-14,416 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 21 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 89-20 (.817) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 51-4 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 206-38 (.844) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 143-72 on the Creighton sideline in his seventh year at the helm. The 143 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.   143-72 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 98-1 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is 109-1 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 (8,584 points in 109 home games).
   Since a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000, Creighton is 121-0 at home (92-0 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.

Men's Basketball Meets Washington State to Open Paradise Jam

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Marcus Foster

Geoffrey Groselle

Zach Hanson

Toby Hegner

Cole Huff

Kaleb Joseph

Justin Patton

Khyri Thomas

Maurice Watson Jr.

Isaiah Zierden