No. 22 Men's Basketball Ready For Paradise Jam Showdown With NC State

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North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. No. 22 Creighton Bluejays
Sports and Fitness Center (3,500) • St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Radio:? KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television:?CBS Sports Network
Series History:?North Carolina State leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: North Carolina State 86, Creighton 55 on Dec. 26, 1987 in Honolulu, HI

Next Game
No. 22 Creighton (3-0) continues play in the winners bracket of the Paradise Jam on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Central when it takes on North Carolina State (3-0).
   The contest will take place at Sports and Fitness Center (3,500) 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
Sunday's game will be televised on CBS Sports Network, which can be found in Omaha on Cox Cable channel 234 and 1234 (HD).
   Darren Goldwater and Kevin Lehman will announce, with Monyka Johnigan serving as sideline reporter.

Video Webcast Information
Some cable providers permit streaming of CBS Sports Network. Check http://www.cbssports.com/watch/cbssportsnetwork/ for details.

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 3-0 after wins over UMKC, No. 9 Wisconsin and Washington State.
   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. (13.7 ppg., 10.7 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 (16.7 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 (13.0 ppg.) led CU with 18 points in Tuesday's win over No. 9 Wisconsin and has made 6-of-8 three-pointers.
   The Bluejays average 90.3 points per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and are third nationally at 48.5 percent from three-point range.

The Series With North Carolina State
Creighton is 0-1 all-time against North Carolina State, with the lone previous meeting coming during the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1987.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his seventh season as head coach at Creighton. He is 144-72 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 424-267 in his 23rd season and is 293-203 in his 16th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.

Elite Backcourt Match-up
NBCSports.com author Rob Dauster ranked the nation's best backcourts in an October article, and both Creighton and North Carolina State were listed in his top five.
   Dauster listed Duke with the best, followed by Kansas, Villanova, North Carolina State and Creighton. Rounding out his top-10 were Kentucky, Louisville, Xavier, UCLA and Gonzaga.

Watson Dishes Baker's Dozen
Maurice Watson Jr. dished 13 assists in Friday's win over Washington State, with those helpers accounting for 34 Bluejay points.
   Making his showing all the more impressive is that Watson did not play in the final 15:18 of the contest, and logged just 21 minutes of clock overall.
   Watson's 13 assists are tied for fifth-most in Creighton history for one game, and one shy of his Creighton high set last season in a road win at Seton Hall.
   Watson now owns two career games with 13+ assists, while no other Bluejay has done it in the past 20 years.
   Creighton's school record for assists in a game is 17, done twice by Ralph Bobik (1971-74).
   Watson is just the third Bluejay since 1990 to have consecutive games of 10 or more assists, joining Grant Gibbs (Dec. 19 & 22, 2011) and Duan Cole (Jan. 27 & 30, 1990).
   Watson leads the nation with 32 total assists this year, with 10.7 assists per game and with 14.1 assists per 40 minutes played.

Neutral Cole Huff Is The Best Cole Huff
Cole Huff continues to shine in neutral site games as a Creighton Bluejay. The senior poured in a team-high 19 points in Friday's win over Washington State.
   In Huff's Bluejay career, he has averaged 23.0 points per contest in four neutral site games. In those contests, he has made 30-of-51 shots from the floor (58.8 percent), including 18-of-32 three-point shots (56.3 percent).
   Huff was named MVP of the Men Who Speak Up Main Event in Las Vegas last year, then scored 35 points in his Madison Square Garden debut in the BIG EAST Tournament last spring.

Putting Up 60
Creighton led 60-36 at halftime on Friday vs. Washington State. The 60 points were the most by the Bluejays in one half since scoring 60 points in the second half vs. Massachusetts on Nov. 25, 2015.
   The last time Creighton had 60+ points in the first half of a game came Nov. 17, 2015, when CU led 61-37 at halftime over UTSA.

Keeping It 100
Creighton cracked the century mark in Friday's 103-77 win over Washington State.
   Creighton is 54-2 all-time when scoring 100 or more points, with 26 straight wins.
   Creighton will seek to score 100 points in consecutive games on Sunday for the first time since December 21 & 28, 2015. When CU did it last September, it was the first such time doing it since the 1965-66 campaign.
   Friday's win marked the sixth straight season that Creighton has put up 100 or more points in one of its first four games of the season.

All 14 Contributed
Creighton used all 14 eligible student-athletes on Friday vs. Washington State, and all 14 men contributed at least one field goal.
   Creighton's bench scored 46 points for the contest, adding 22 rebounds, seven assists and a pair of blocked shots.
   All three of Creighton's true freshmen -- Davion Mintz, Jordan Scurry and Kobe Paras -- scored their first points of their Bluejay career on Friday against the Cougars.

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. McDermott is 20-4 in preseason tournaments at Creighton.
   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
2016   1-0   Paradise Jam
Total   20-4   Three titles

Assist Leader
Not only is Maurice Watson Jr. is the nation's active leader in assists with 671, but he's also third in steals (166), sixth in assist/turnover ratio (2.08) and 11th in field goals made (506).
   Below is a look at the national active leaders in assists and steals, through Nov. 18th.
Active Leaders in Career Assists
1.   Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton   671
2.   Monte Morris, Iowa State   565
3.   Alec Wintering, Portland   491
4.   Marquis Wright, Siena   463
5.   Siyani Chambers, Harvard   449
   Bryce Alford, UCLA   449

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

Watson Brings The Electricity
Maurice Watson Jr. owns eight or more assists in each of Creighton's first three games this season, and his last five contests dating to last year. He leads the nation with 10.7 assists per game.
   Watson is one of four men nationally with eight or more assists in every game played this season, but the only one with an active streak of five or longer.
   Watson and Houston's Wes VanBeck are the only men with nine or more assists in every game this season.
8+ Assists, Every Game This Season (through 11/18)
Games   Player, School   Next Game
   3   Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton    11/20
   2   Emmett Naar, Saint Mary's   11/19
   2   Kyron Cartwright, Providence   11/19
   1   Wes VanBeck, Houston   11/21

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 three games this season.
   In the last 22 years, the only previous 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).
   Foster owns the most points for any Bluejay newcomer through three games since at least 1994-95.
Most Points, Newcomers First 3 Games Since 1994-95
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year
   50*   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17
   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
   33   Tad Ackerman, Jr.   1994-95
   33   Khyri Thomas, Fr.   2015-16
   33   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16
   32   Toby Hegner, Fr.   2014-15
   32   Justin Patton, Fr.   2016-17
   30   Ryan Sears, Fr.   1997-98
   30   Ethan Wragge, Fr.   2009-10

Next Game Depends on Result
Regardless of Sunday's result, Creighton will finish play at the Paradise Jam on Monday.
   If Creighton beats North Carolina State, it would play the Saint Joseph's/Ole Miss winner on Monday at 7:30 pm Central on CBS Sports Network.
   If Creighton loses to North Carolina State, it would play the Saint Joseph's/Ole Miss loser on Monday at 5 pm Central on Saturday. That game would also air on CBS Sports Network.

Shooting Stars
Creighton has shot 52.7 percent from the field this season, and an equally impressive 48.5 percent from three-point range.
   Zach Hanson has shot 91.7 percent from the field this year (11-12), with his only miss being a dunk attempt.
   Fellow big man Justin Patton is shooting 70 percent from the field, making 14-of-20 shots.
   Of CU's long-range marksmen, Khyri Thomas (6-8) is shooting 75 percent from three-point range, with Marcus Foster (57.9 percent) and Maurice Watson Jr., (66.7 percent) not far behind.

ACC On The Bucket List
Creighton head coach Greg McDermott has beaten teams that are currently in 30 different conferences, but is winless in four coaching attempts against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
   McDermott is 0-2 against Duke, 0-1 versus North Carolina and 0-1 when facing Georgia Tech.
   Three of those four losses have come during NCAA Tournament play.

Carolina Dreaming
Creighton has one North Carolina native on its current roster, freshman guard Davion Mintz. Mintz hails from Charlotte and attended North Mecklenburg High School in Huntersville.
   Creighton also recently signed current Oak Hill Academy star Ty-Shon Alexander. Alexander is a Charlotte native, as well.

How Many Treys?
Creighton made 10-of-15 three-pointers in the first half of Friday's 103-77 win over Washington State.
   The 10 three-pointers were the most in a half since 11 treys on March 13, 2014, in CU's first BIG EAST Tournament game ever.
   Earlier that year Creighton sank 14-of-22 first half three-pointers in a memorable victory at No. 4 Villanova. That game is historic because the Bluejays were 9-for-9 from three-point range after nine possessions.
   Creighton's 15 three-pointers were its most in any game since scoring 15 on Nov. 17, 2015, vs. UTSA.

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).

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).
   All three ranked Creighton teams will be in action on Sunday. Volleyball looks to close out a perfect 18-0 BIG EAST slate at 1 pm Central vs. Villanova, men's soccer visits No. 18 Kentucky at 3:30 pm in an NCAA Tournament Second Round match, while men's basketball takes on North Carolina State at 7:30 pm Central.

No. 22 Men's Basketball Ready For Paradise Jam Showdown With NC State

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Players Mentioned

Marcus Foster

Zach Hanson

Toby Hegner

Cole Huff

Davion Mintz

Kobe Paras

Justin Patton

Jordan Scurry

Khyri Thomas

Maurice Watson Jr.