Men's Basketball Back In Action Saturday Against Oral Roberts

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Game #11: Oral Roberts at No. 10 Creighton • Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016 • 7:00 p.m.
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; KOOO 101.9 FM; www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS2 (Steve Physioc, Nick Bahe)
Series History: Creighton leads, 6-4
Last Meeting: Creighton 87, Oral Roberts 65 on Nov. 22, 2008 in Omaha, Neb.

Next Game
One of six remaining unbeaten teams, No. 10 Creighton (10-0) hosts Oral Roberts (2-9) on Saturday, December 17 at 7:00 p.m.
   CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) in Omaha, Neb., will host the action.

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 Josh Dotzler will call the action.

Television Information
Saturday's game will be televised live on FS2, which can be found in Omaha on Cox Cable channel 216 and 1216 (HD).
   Steve Physioc and Nick Bahe will announce.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Saturday'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. 10 Creighton
Creighton ranks 10th in the Associated Press poll after a stellar start to the season that includes wins over UMKC, No. 9 Wisconsin, Washington State, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, Loyola (Md.), Buffalo, Akron, Nebraska and Longwood.
   The Bluejays are putting up 91.6 points per game (fifth nationally) while shooting 54.4 percent from the field (second nationally) and 44.8 percent from three-point territory (second nationally).
   Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster (17.8 ppg.) has lived up to lofty preseason expectations on the offensive end, leading the Bluejays in scoring. He's scored 15 points or more in nine different games so far, and has already been named Paradise Jam MVP and BIG EAST Player of the Week in this young season.
    Maurice Watson Jr. (13.1 ppg., 9.1 apg.) was a preseason All-BIG EAST selection. He's the nation's active leader in career assists (730), and his 9.1 assists per game this year rank lead in the country.
   Two Omaha products in the starting line-up are also doing big things. Khyri Thomas averages 13.3 points per game, as the sophomore wing shoots 60 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from deep. Redshirt freshman big man Justin Patton averages 12.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He's shooting 80.3 percent from the field (second nationally) and has 24 dunks already.

Scouting Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts owns a 2-9 record, which includes wins over John Brown and Rogers State. ORU is 0-8 away from home this season against a grueling schedule that includes Baylor, Michigan State and Oklahoma, among other squads.
   Kris Martin leads four players in double-figures with 15.0 points per game, with Albert Owens (13.7 ppg.) the second-leading scorer and the team-leader with nine blocked shots.
   Norfolk, Neb., native Jalen Bradley (12.7 ppg., 4.7 apg.) also produces at a double-figure clip, as does leading rebounder Emmanuel Nzekwesi (11.5 ppg., 8.5 rpg.).
   ORU shoots 43.1 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from three-point range while averaging 70.7 points per game. ORU also allows 80.5 points per game as teams shoot 46.2 percent versus the Golden Eagles.

The Series With Oral Roberts
Creighton leads the all-time series 6-4 over Oral Roberts, including a 4-1 record in Omaha.
   The teams have not met since Creighton won 87-65 on Nov. 22, 2008 in Omaha.
   Creighton head coach Greg McDermott is 15-15 in his career against the current members of The Summit League, which includes a 4-0 mark since coming to Creighton. Ten of those losses came when he was coaching at Division II Wayne State.
   McDermott has never faced ORU nor Scott Sutton. He went 1-1 against Scott's brother Sean's Oklahoma State teams from 2006-08 as Iowa State coach. Scott is now an ORU assistant coach.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his seventh season as head coach at Creighton. He is 151-72 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 431-267 in his 23rd season and is 300-203 in his 16th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
   Oral Roberts is coached by Scott Sutton (Oklahoma State, 1994), the son of former Creighton head coach Eddie Sutton. He owns a 322-235 record in his 18th year with the Golden Eagles, which also doubles as his career mark. Sutton is assisted by Sean Sutton, Marc Stricker and Rodney Perry.

Sutton Connections
Oral Roberts head coach Scott Sutton is the son of former Creighton head coach Eddie Sutton.
   Eddie Sutton got his first Division I head coaching gig at Creighton when he posted an 82-50 record from 1969-74. He took Creighton to the 1974 NCAA Tournament, where it lost to #14 Kansas 55-54 before rallying to beat #16 Louisville 80-71 in a consolation contest played at Oral Roberts' Mabee Center. Later he became the first coach to lead four schools to the NCAA Tournament (also Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State).
   Scott Sutton was born June 3, 1970 in Omaha.
   The Sutton family will be recognized by Creighton in a pregame ceremony on Saturday night.

Another Creighton/ORU Connection
Oral Roberts guard Darian Harris might look familiar to Creighton fans, as the junior spent the 2013-14 season in Omaha while redshirting alongside Toby Hegner within the Bluejay program.
   Harris transferred to Oral Roberts following the season and has contributed 124 points and 110 rebounds in 64 career games with the Golden Eagles.
   The departure of Harris opened up a scholarship in the summer of 2014 that eventually led to Creighton signing Cole Huff.

Scoring In Bunches
Creighton has scored 916 points through 10 games, to rank fifth nationally with 91.6 points per contest.
   The 916 points are 50 more points than Creighton has EVER scored in its first 10 games of any season, as seen below:
Most Points Through 10 Games, Creighton History
   Points   Year   Final W-L (Postseason)
   916   2016-17   ? ? ?
   866   1965-66   14-12
   860   2011-12   29-6 (NCAA)
   855   1964-65   13-10
   855   2015-16   20-15 (NIT)

A Good Start
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 10 games in recent seasons.
   Of note, Creighton has started 5-5 or better after 10 games in 22 of the past 23 seasons.
   This year's team, with four double-figure scorers, is only the second time since 1994-95 that Creighton has had more than three players scoring in double-figures after 10 games.
   Creighton's 91.6 points per game clip is the team's highest mark after 10 games in the last 23 years.
   Creighton's 54.4 percent field goal percentage through 10 games is the best mark in the last 23 years, a good trend since the next three spots are owned by the three winningest teams in program history.
   Creighton's 99 three-pointers through 10 games are second-most in the last 23 years, as well.
Creighton Stats Through 10 Games, Since 1994-95
Year   W-L   PPG   FG%   3FG   10+ PPG guys
2016-17   10-0   91.6   .544   99   4
2015-16   7-3   85.5   .506   93   5
2014-15   8-2   73.8   .438   85   2
2013-14   8-2   83.7   .491   113   2
2012-13   9-1   80.2   .519   90   2
2011-12   9-1   86.0   .516   90   2
2010-11   6-4   69.0   .426   74   3
2009-10   4-6   71.3   .450   78   2
2008-09   8-2   75.6   .439   89   3
2007-08   9-1   80.8   .478   84   2
2006-07   6-4   66.0   .408   59   3
2005-06   7-3   69.3   .405   70   3
2004-05   8-2   69.2   .434   80   2
2003-04   10-0   72.1   .463   61   2
2002-03   10-0   84.9   .526   97   1
2001-02   6-4   75.9   .439   63   3
2000-01   8-2   76.0   .445   83   3
1999-00   9-1   74.7   .458   84   2
1998-99   8-2   78.4   .454   79   2
1997-98   7-3   77.3   .467   73   1
1996-97   5-5   65.7   .409   57   2
1995-96   5-5   66.7   .390   56   3
1994-95   4-6   65.1   .404   66   3

Playing With The Lead
With the exception of the Ole Miss game on November 21st, Creighton has played with the lead on a consistent basis this season.
   In CU's last three games, Creighton led wire-to-wire against Akron, and trailed only 2-0 against both Nebraska (before a 14-0 run) and Longwood (before an 11-0 run).
   On the season, Creighton has trailed for just 49:40 of 400 possible minutes of action, a figure that ranks fourth-lowest nationally among remaining unbeaten teams, as seen below:
Team   Time Trailing   Next Game
Gonzaga   33:06   12/18
UCLA   45:44   12/17
Villanova   48:56   12/21
Creighton   49:40   12/17
Southern California   87:46   12/17
Baylor   90:41   12/17

Perfect 10
Creighton is off to an 10-0 start for the first time since the 2003-04 team started 12-0. That team's first loss came to a Northern Iowa club coached by...Greg McDermott.
   This is Creighton's third different 10-0 start or better since 1999-2000, and the seventh time in school history. Below is a list of Creighton's most successful starts all-time:
Best Starts, Creighton History
Start   Year       Final W-L   First Loss
16-0   1942-43   *   16-1   Washington & Jefferson
13-0   1916-17   !   18-2   Dubuque
12-0   2003-04   #   20-9   at Northern Iowa
11-0   1917-18   !   11-0   - - -
10-0   2002-03   *   29-5   at #19 Xavier
10-0   1918-19   !   10-0   - - -
10-0   2016-17       ? ? ?   ? ? ?
*Reached NCAA Tournament
#Reached NIT
!No postseason tournaments existed yet

Still Unbeaten
Through games of December 16th, Creighton was one of the nation's six remaining teams that were still unbeaten.
   Below is a list of the nation's remaining unbeaten teams:
Team   W-L Record   Next Game
Villanova   11-0   12/21
UCLA   11-0   12/17
Creighton   10-0   12/17
Gonzaga   10-0   12/18
USC   9-0   12/17
Baylor   9-0   12/17

Give Me 10?
Creighton has won nine straight home games, and looks to extend that mark into double-figures on Saturday against Oral Roberts.
   Creighton owns five previous home win streaks of 10 or longer at CenturyLink Center Omaha, as seen below:
Streak   Dates   Snapped by
   24   Feb. 19, 2013 - Dec. 9, 2014   Saint Mary's
   16   Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 31, 2006   Southern Illinois
   16   Jan. 19, 2011 - Dec. 22, 2011   Missouri State
   14   Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008   Northern Iowa
   11   Nov. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004   Southern Illinois

Reason For Concern?
Don't be misled by Oral Roberts 2-9 record, the Golden Eagles have shown that they're capable of competing against some of the country's top teams.
   The Golden Eagles opened the season with a 15-point loss at Baylor, but trailed just 38-31 at halftime. Baylor is currently ranked fourth nationally.
   ORU lost 95-88 in overtime to Ole Miss in the Paradise Jam, just three days before Ole Miss gave Creighton its toughest test of the season. In that game, Oral Roberts led the Rebels 79-74 with 36 seconds to play.
   More recently, Oral Roberts lost at perennial power Michigan State by an 80-76 count despite missing starters Aaron Anderson and Javan White.

The Under .500 Streak
Creighton has won 96 straight home contests against teams that enter the game with a record of .500 or worse, a streak that dates to Feb. 25, 2002.
   Oral Roberts is 2-9 entering Saturday's game.

Keeping It 100
Creighton cracked the century mark in its 103-77 win over Washington State on Nov. 18, then did it again two days later in a 112-94 win over North Carolina State. Creighton also scored 113 points against Longwood on Dec. 9th.
   Creighton is 56-2 all-time when scoring 100 or more points, with 28 straight wins.
   Creighton scored 100+ points in consecutive games for the fourth time in school history, having also done it once last year and twice in 1965-66. Creighton has never scored 100 points in three straight games.
   Creighton's 215 points over those two games were the second-most in school history for point totals in consecutive contests, trailing only the 219 in two straight games (104 & 115) in 1965-66.
   Creighton's 301 points at the Paradise Jam were its most points in a three-game stretch since scoring 303 points (84, 104, 115) over the course of three games from Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 1966.
   Creighton's 113 points on December 9th vs. Longwood were its fifth-most in school history for a game, and the most since 115 vs. Indiana State on Jan. 19, 1985.
   Below is a list of the most points in a game in Creighton history:
Score   Opponent   Date
124-94   at Miami (Fla.)   02/10/1964
120-76   Nevada   12/21/1962
115-80   Indiana State   01/19/1985
115-82   Memphis   02/02/1966
113-58   Longwood   12/09/2016
112-94   vs. North Carolina St.   11/20/2016
111-110 (2ot)   Bradley   03/11/2008

Double-Doubles In Limited Minutes
Maurice Watson Jr. needed just 23 minutes of playing time to earn a double-double (10 points, 11 assists) against Longwood last Friday.
   In the seven-year era under Greg McDermott, only Will Artino (3x) and Gregory Echenique (2x) have produced double-doubles in less than 23 minutes, but all of those were of the point/rebound variety.
   The only previous Bluejay with a point/assist double-double in less than 30 minutes under McDermott had been Austin Chatman, who had 14 points and 10 assists in 28 minutes vs. Missouri State on Jan. 30, 2013.

Have A Half
Creighton opened up a 62-25 halftime lead over Longwood last Friday, the program's largest lead at intermission since a 56-19 lead over IUPUI on Nov. 25, 2002 in a game played in Kansas City, Mo.
   Longwood is one of two schools that Creighton has had multiple halftime leads of more than 25 points against since 1990-91, joining Nebraska.
   Below is a list of Creighton's largest halftime margins since 1990-91.
Largest Halftime Leads, Since 1990-91
   Margin   Score   Opponent   Date
   38   54-16   Grambling State   12/06/99
   37   56-19   IUPUI   11/25/02
   37   62-25   Longwood   12/09/16
   29   48-19   Towson   11/14/98
   29   53-24   Longwood   11/20/12
   29   53-24   Butler   01/14/14
   29   53-24   St. John's   02/28/16
   28   54-26   Western Illinois   11/20/00
   28   39-11   Alcorn State   11/15/04
   27   49-22   Texas-San Antonio   11/30/90
   27   47-20   Nebraska   11/24/07
   27   47-20   Saint Joseph's   12/01/12
   26   52-26   Southern   12/20/97
   26   42-16   Southern Illinois   03/10/03
   26   43-17   Presbyterian   11/18/12
   26   51-25   Nebraska   12/08/13
   25   57-32   Grambling State   11/29/01
   25   49-24   Bradley   01/19/11

Most Lopsided Wins
Creighton's 113-58 win over Longwood is tied for the third-largest margin of victory in school history, just two behind a record set 91 years ago.
Most Lopsided Wins
Opponent   Margin   Score   Date
Midland   57   63-6   12/12/25
Texas-Arlington   56   106-50   11/17/02
Regis   55   93-38   11/30/73
Longwood   55   113-58   12/09/16
Morningside   54   105-51   02/17/61
Drake   53   79-26   02/14/33
Northern Colorado   51   105-54   12/02/59
South Dakota State   51   67-16   01/11/27
Nebraska-Omaha   50   90-40   03/01/52
Washburn   50   66-16   03/06/37
Yankton   50   70-20   01/07/22

Toby Steps Up
Toby Hegner grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds in just 17 minutes during Creighton's Dec. 7 win at Nebraska.
   Making the achievement all the more impressive is that he played just two minutes before half thanks to two quick fouls.
   Hegner's previous high for rebounds in a game was eight vs. Georgetown during his freshman season.
   Hegner also established a career-high in dunks vs. Nebraska, when he had back-to-back throwdowns in a span of 38 seconds. Prior to that, the 6-foot-10 perimeter-based big man had one career dunk at Creighton in 74 career games.
   Hegner continued his prowess last Friday with 10 points and nine rebounds in 14 minutes vs. Longwood.

McDermott Earns 150th Win At Creighton
With a win at Nebraska on Dec. 7th, Greg McDermott became the third coach in CU history to record 150 wins on the Bluejay sideline, as only Arthur A. Schabinger (165) and Dana Altman (327) had previously reached that milestone.
   McDermott needed 71 games at Creighton to win his 50th contest and 134 games to earn his 100th win.
   The Nebraska win marked McDermott's 222nd game on the Bluejay sideline.
   McDermott is now 151-72 with the Bluejays when you include his Longwood victory. That Longwood win was the 300th Division I victory of McDermott's career.

If At 1st You Don't Succeed, Try The 2nd Half
Creighton has been on an absolute terror in the second half of its last six games as its up-tempo style wears down the opposition.
   The Bluejays have outscored teams just 241-195 in the first half of games vs. Ole Miss, Loyola (Md.), Buffalo, Akron, Nebraska and Longwood, but crushed those same foes by a combined 292-196 after intermission.
   Creighton has shot 60.5 percent from the field after the break in those six contests, with Justin Patton a near-perfect 22-for-24 (91.7 percent) from the floor. CU's top three second-half scorers in those games (Patton, Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas) are a combined 52-64 (81.3%) from 2-point range in the second half of those six games.

1,000 x 3
Cole Huff became the third member of the current Creighton team to surpass 1,000 career points when he reached the mark at Nebraska on Dec. 7. Huff entered the game with 999 points (including 527) at Nevada, then added 13 points in the win on 4-of-5 shooting from long-range.
   Marcus Foster surpassed the 1,000 point mark during the Nov. 29 win over Buffalo. Foster owns 178 points this season, and scored 875 points during his first two seasons at Kansas State. It took Foster 69 games total to reach the mark.
   Last year Maurice Watson Jr. surpassed 1,000 career points (including Boston), and he now owns 1,423 career points.
   Creighton has never previously had three players with 1,000 career points on the roster at the same time.

BIG EAST > "Football 5" So Far
Creighton has knocked off teams from the Big Ten (Wisconsin and Nebraska), Pac-12 (Washington State), ACC (North Carolina State) and SEC (Ole Miss) this year, all by nine or more points.
   Those five wins over the "Football 5" leagues are the most of any other team in the nation.
   The BIG EAST owns 21 wins over "Football 5" leagues, second-most of any conference in the nation.
   Both figures are through games of Dec. 14.
MBB Wins Over "Football 5" Leagues, By Team
   5   Creighton
   4   Butler
   4   Gonzaga
   4   Kansas
   4   UCLA

MBB Wins Over "Football 5" Leagues, By Conference
   25   Atlantic Coast
   21   BIG EAST
   16   Big 12
   15   Big Ten
   9   Southeastern
   9   American

Double-Digits x 8
Marcus Foster and Justin Patton each scored in double-figures during each of Creighton's first eight games this season.
   They joined Doug McDermott as the only Bluejays to open their career in double-figures during CU's first eight games in the last 35 years. McDermott opened his 2010-11 campaign with eight straight games in double-figures before being held scoreless in his ninth contest (against Saint Joseph's) for the only time in his college career.
   Before Foster this year, Rod Mason was the last Bluejay with seven straight games of 15+ points to start any season, having done so in 1987-88.
   Below is a list of Creighton's longest double figure scoring streaks to start a season since 1979-80.
Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games
To Start Year, Since 1979-80
   Consec.   Name, Class   Year
   all 35   Doug McDermott, So.   2011-12
   all 32   Vernon Moore, Sr.   1984-85
   28   Benoit Benjamin, Jr.   1984-85
   27   Bob Harstad, Sr.   1990-91
   16   Rod Mason, Sr.   1987-88
   13   Rodney Buford, Sr.   1998-99
   12   Gary Swain, Sr.   1986-87
   10   Chad Gallagher, Sr.   1990-91
   9   Rodney Buford, So.   1996-97
   8   Benoit Benjamin, Fr.   1982-83
   8   Gregory Brandon, Sr.    1983-84
   8   Doug McDermott, Fr.   2010-11
   8   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17
   8   Justin Patton, Fr.   2016-17

Terrific Ten
Junior Marcus Foster's 178 points so far are the most by any Bluejay newcomer through 10 games since at least 1979-80.
   For comparison, Doug McDermott had 128 points through 10 games and 137 points after the 11th career game of his freshman season. He would finish his career with 3,150 in 145 career games to rank fifth in NCAA history.
Most Points, Newcomers First 10 Games Since 1995-96
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year   After 11
   178   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17   ? ? ?
   128   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11   137
   120   Justin Patton, Fr.   2016-17   ? ? ?
   117   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16   136
   111   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11   128
   110   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16   122
   108   Khyri Thomas, Fr.   2015-16   114
   104   Rodney Buford, Fr.   1995-96   116
   103   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08   125
   101   Edward St. Fleur, Jr.   1995-96   110
   101   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02   115

Jays Stay 10th in AP Poll
The Creighton men's basketball team is ranked 10th in the country in this week's Associated Press poll.
   It's the fifth time in program history CU has been tabbed a top-10 team by AP poll, which started in 1949. The Bluejays were previously ranked ninth on February 24, 2014 and 10th the week of January 20, 2003, November 28th and December 5th.
   CU has now been ranked 74 weeks in program history, with 46 of those under the direction of seventh-year head coach Greg McDermott.
   The Bluejays are one of four BIG EAST teams in the top-16, as Villanova ranks first, Xavier is 17th and Butler is 18th.
   Below is a list of the top weekly rankings in the AP poll in program history:
Best Weekly AP rankings, Creighton History
9th - 3/1/14
10th - 1/20/03
10th - 11/28/16
10th - 12/5/16
10th - 12/12/16
11th - 11/26/12
11th - 2/17/14
12th - 2/10/03
12th - 1/14/13
12th - 2/3/14
12th - 11/21/16

Opposites Attract
UCF's 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall entered his game Thursday night leading the nation in field goal percentage at 83.3 percent, making 55-of-66 field goal attempts.
   That put Fall just ahead of Creighton center Justin Patton, who is at 80.3 percent while shooting 53-for-66 to rank second.
   Making Patton's figures all the more impressive is that he's also 3-for-5 from three-point range this fall.
   Despite their marksmanship while being guarded, both men have struggled at the charity stripe. Fall is 14-for-41 (34.1 percent) at the free throw line this year, while Patton is 11-for-28 (39.3 percent).

Patton Wins Second BIG EAST Freshman Honor
Creighton basketball center Justin Patton has won BIG EAST Freshman of the Week accolades for the second straight week, the league announced on Monday, Dec. 5th.
   Patton averaged 16.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocked shots per game on 82.4 percent shooting from the field as Creighton posted a pair of double-digit wins over the defending champions from the Mid-American Conference Tournament (Buffalo) and regular-season (Akron).
   Patton started his week by becoming just the third Creighton freshman in the last 25 years to post a double-double, as he had 21 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and a steal in a win vs. Buffalo. Patton made 9-of-10 shots from the field, becoming the first 7-footer in program history to sink a three-pointer.
   He then had 11 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks in a win vs. Akron. Patton had eight of his points and five of his rebounds after halftime, including a pair of slams that give him 21 dunks in eight games the season.

Baker's Dozen For Watson
Maurice Watson Jr. had a CenturyLink Center Omaha 13 assists in a Dec. 3 win over Akron. That's one more than the previous record held by Creighton's Grant Gibbs vs. Northwestern on December 22, 2011.
   The contest was the third of Watson's Creighton career with 13 or more helpers, and fifth overall as a collegian.
   Per Sports-Reference.com, Watson is one of nine men with five games of 13+ assists since 2010-11, and the only active player. He's joined on that list by players such as Kris Dunn, Kendall Marshall and Michael Carter-Williams. The list is topped by Marshall and LIU-Brooklyn's Jason Brickman, with 10 each.
   Watson now owns three of Creighton's eight games all-time of 13+ assists, with Ralph Bobik (3), Latrell Wrightsell (1) and Jason Bey (1) owning the others.

We're Jamming!
Justin Patton has 24 of CU's 46 dunks this season, with Marcus Foster (8), Khyri Thomas (4), Martin Krampelj (3), Toby Hegner (2), Zach Hanson (2), Cole Huff (1), Davion Mintz (1) and Kobe Paras (1) and accounting for the others. Nine of those dunks came last Friday against Longwood.
   Last season Creighton had 58 dunks total in 35 games, the most its had in any of Greg McDermott's first six years at the helm of the Bluejays. That group had 21 dunks after 10 games.
   Here's a look at the Creighton student-athletes with 20 or more dunks in a season, and 19 or more dunks in a career, under McDermott:
Most Creighton Dunks, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Year
36   Gregory Echenique   2012-13
30   Gregory Echenique   2011-12
24   Gregory Echenique   2010-11
24   Justin Patton   2016-17
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11

Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Years
90   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
38   Will Artino   2011-15
29   Zach Hanson   2013-Pres.
25   Geoffrey Groselle   2012-16
24   Justin Patton   2016-Pres.
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11
19   Doug McDermott   2010-14

Most Creighton Dunks, Team, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Year   Team W-L
58   2015-16   20-15 (NIT)
56   2010-11   23-16 (CBI)
54   2012-13   28-8 (NCAA)
46   2016-17   10-0 so far
42   2011-12   29-6 (NCAA)
35   2013-14   27-8 (NCAA)
29   2014-15   14-19

Patton On The Button
Justin Patton has made 34 of his last 38 field goal attempts dating back to midway through the Ole Miss (Nov. 21) win and now is second the nation in field goal percentage at 80.3 percent.
   Patton owns 24 dunks this year, which no doubt contributes to his high accuracy rate, but he also shown his range by making 3-of-5 three-point attempts.
   Patton is the only Bluejay 7-footer in history to make a three-point shot.
   Since 1994-95, Creighton has had six performances where a player shot 90 percent or better from the field with eight or more attempts. Two of those were done by Justin Patton in his consecutive games in late November, as seen below:
Best FG%, Since 1994-95, Minimum 8 FG
   FG%   Name (FG-FGA), Opponent   Date
   1.000   Anthony Tolliver (11-11) vs. Illinois State   1/1/07
   1.000   Geoffrey Groselle (8-8) vs. Coppin State   12/28/15
   1.000   Justin Patton (8-8) vs. Loyola (Md.)   11/26/16
   .900   Khyri Thomas (9-10) at Loyola (IL)   12/5/15
   .900   Geoffrey Groselle (9-10) at St. John's   12/31/15
   .900   Justin Patton (9-10) vs. Buffalo   11/29/16

More From Patton
Justin Patton made more history when he had 21 points in 10 rebounds vs. Buffalo on Nov. 29.
   He's just the third Creighton freshman since 1988-89 to post a double-double. Ronnie Harrell Jr. had 14 points and 11 rebounds vs. North Texas last December, while Doug McDermott had nine double-dips as a freshman in 2010-11.
   McDermott had three games of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds during his freshman campaign, with his first one coming in his seventh game (like Patton) when he had 20 points and 12 rebounds vs. BYU.

Doubling Up
Omaha natives Khyri Thomas (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Justin Patton (20 points, 10 rebounds) both had double-doubles in CU's Nov. 29 win over Buffalo.
   The Bluejay duo were the first Creighton teammates with 10+ rebounds in the same game since Doug McDermott and Gregory Echenique on Dec. 29, 2012 and the first Creighton teammates with a double-double in the same game since Doug McDermott and Austin Chatman on Jan. 30, 2013.

Foster & Patton Honored By BIG EAST
Creighton picked up a pair of weekly awards from the BIG EAST Conference on Nov. 28th. Marcus Foster was named BIG EAST Player of the Week, while Justin Patton was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week. It was the first weekly league honor for both as Bluejays.
   Foster averaged 20.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in a pair of Bluejay victories, shooting 60 percent from the floor (15-25), 50 percent from downtown (6-12) and 83.3 percent at the line (5-6).
   Foster's week began with a season-high 25 points against Ole Miss in the title game of the Paradise Jam. He scored 17 points in the first half to help keep Creighton within six at the break, and would take home Tournament MVP honors on the All-Tournament Team after leading CU back from a 11-point deficit.
   On Saturday, Foster had 16 points and two assists in an 82-52 win over Loyola (Md.). With Creighton off to a sluggish start, Foster scored the first nine points in an 11-2 Bluejay run as Creighton overcame a 20-18 deficit to take the lead for good.
   Patton averaged 14.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in two games while shooting 86.7 percent from the field. He added two assists, two blocked shots and a steal to help Creighton improve to 6-0. Twenty-two of his 28 points came after halftime, as Creighton outscored foes 98-58 (the Jays were outscored 71-70 in the first half).
   Patton's week began on Monday in a win over Ole Miss in the title game of the Paradise Jam. Patton had 11 points and five rebounds in 28 minutes, making 5-of-7 field goal attempts.
   He then had 15 of his season-high 17 points after halftime in Saturday's 82-52 win over Loyola (Md.). Patton was a perfect 8-for-8 from the field and also led CU with six rebounds.

Shooting Stars
Creighton is second nationally in field goal percentage at 54.4 percent, trailing only UCLA (56.0).
   Nationally, Creighton is the only team to shoot 50 percent or better in every game this season.
   Creighton ranks fifth nationally with 91.6 points per game and has scored 77 points or more in all nine games this winter.

It Do Run, Run
Creighton ranks seventh in the KenPom.com's Adjusted Offensive rankings this year and 37th in tempo through Thursday morning.
   Per figures from StatBroadcast.com, Creighton has scored on more than half its possessions in all but one game this season, despite averaging just 14 seconds per possession.
Creighton Offense
Opponent   Poss.   Scores   Pts/Poss.   Sec/Poss.
UMKC   80   40   1.113   :14
#9 Wisconsin   68   35   1.162   :15
Washington St.   84   44   1.226   :13
NC State   80   45   1.400   :15
Ole Miss   70   35   1.229   :15
Loyola (Md.)   71   40   1.155   :14
Buffalo   79   43   1.177   :13
Akron   70   37   1.171   :12
Nebraska   78   37   .987   :12
Longwood   82   54   1.378   :13
TOTALS   762   410   1.202   :14

BIG EAST Playing Big
Though the BIG EAST may not be considered of the traditional "Football 5" Conferences due to its lack of big time football, the performance of the league has been big time for a long time.
   The league has owned a top-five RPI in the NCAA RPI rankings in every season since 2000-01, as seen below:
BIG EAST in Conference RPI Rankings
2016-17:   1st (per WarrenNolan.com)
2015-16:   4th
2014-15:   3rd
2013-14:   4th
2012-13:   2nd
2011-12:   2nd
2010-11:   1st
2009-10:   3rd
2008-19:   4th
2007-08:   5th
2006-07:   5th
2005-06:   3rd
2004-05:   2nd
2003-04:   4th
2002-03:   5th
2001-02:   3rd
2000-01:   3rd

Top Five RPI
According to WarrenNolan.com on Thursday morning, Creighton ranked No. 4 nationally in the RPI.
   Villanova was first, Xavier was third and Butler 17th, which has helped the BIG EAST to No. 1 in the conference RPI rankings.

15 Treys & 50 Percent?
Creighton shot made 44-of-81 three-point attempts in three games at the Paradise Jam, good for 54.3 percent, in its only three previous games outside Omaha.
   The Bluejays shot 15-of-28 (53.6%) against Washington State, 13-of-27 (48.1%) against North Carolina State and 16-of-26 (61.5%) in the title tilt vs. Ole Miss.
   In program history, Creighton owns 11 all-time games in which it has made 15 or more three-pointers and shot 50 percent or better, as seen below. Two of those were in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Best 3FG%, Minimum 15 3FG Made
3FG%   Opponent   3FG-3FGA   Date
.667   Chattanooga   20-30   02/19/05
.640   Chicago State   16-25   12/29/13
.625   at Indiana State   15-24   12/31/08
.615   vs. Ole Miss   16-26   11/21/16
.600   at #4 Villanova   21-35   01/24/14
.600   Texas-Arlington   15-25   11/17/02
.600   vs. IUPUI   15-25   11/25/02
.593   Drake   16-27   01/08/13
.536   Missouri State   15-28   01/30/13
.536   vs. Washington State   15-28   11/18/16
.533   Evansville   16-30   01/04/99

Virgin Territory
Creighton rewrote the Paradise Jam record books during its week in the Virgin Islands in late November.
   On Nov. 18 vs. Washington State, Creighton tied a tournament record with 25 assists as Maurice Watson Jr. tied a tourney mark with 13 helpers in a game. Two days later vs. North Carolina State, Creighton set a tournament record with 112 points in a game.
   On Nov. 21, Creighton finished the tournament with records for points, assists, field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage, most of them by a significant margin.
Category   Old Record   Creighton in 2016
Points   267   301
Assists   55   64
FG Percentage   .516   .569
3FG Percentage   .491   .543

Not 1, Not 2, Not 3, Not 4, Not 5, Not 6...
Creighton placed seven men in double-figures last Sunday against North Carolina State. All five starters scored in double-figures, as did Isaiah Zierden and Zach Hanson off the bench.
   It was just the second time since 1980-81 that Creighton has had seven men score 10 or more points in the same game, joining a win over Coppin State on Dec. 28, 2015.

First Half Blitz
Creighton led 62-25 at halftime on Dec. 9 vs. Longwood. The 62 points were a CenturyLink Center Omaha record for points in a half, and the most by the Bluejays in any half since scoring 63 in the second half of a 106-50 win over Texas-Arlington on Nov. 17, 2002.
   Creighton's 55-point win was also its largest since that same 106-50 win over Texas-Arlington on Nov. 17, 2002.
   Creighton has won 66 straight games in which it has scored 42 or more points in the first half, and 51 straight when scoring 44 or more in the first half.

Assist Leader
Not only is Maurice Watson Jr. is the nation's active leader in assists with 730, but he's also fifth in steals (175), eighth in assist/turnover ratio (2.13) and 12th in field goals made (543).
   Watson is the nation's only active Division I player with at least 600 field goals and 600 assists.
   Below is a look at the national active leaders in assists and steals, through Dec. 14th.
Active Leaders in Career Assists
1.   Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton   730
2.   Monte Morris, Iowa State   606
3.   Alec Wintering, Portland   517
4.   Siyani Chambers, Harvard   500
   Marquis Wright, Siena   500

Active Leaders in Career Steals
1.   Paris Lee, Illinois State   200
2.   Monte Morris, Iowa State   182
3.   Justin Robinson, Monmouth   180
5.   Damon Lynn, NJIT   177
4.   Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton   175

Shooting Stars
Creighton has shot 54.4 percent from the field this season, and an equally impressive 44.8 percent from three-point range.
   No team has shot better than 47 percent from three-point territory for an entire season since Indiana (47.6) in 1988-89. When Creighton led the nation in three-point shooting percentage in 2013-14, it finished the year at 41.4 percent.
   Big man Justin Patton is shooting 80.3 percent from the field (second nationally), with 24 dunks among his 53 made field goals. Patton has made 34 of his last 38 field goal attempts dating to midway through the Ole Miss game.
   Each of Creighton's nine players with multiple made three-pointers have connected on 39.1 percent or better of their shots from downtown.

BIG EAST in the Paradise Jam
Creighton's participation in the Paradise Jam marked the 11th straight year at BIG EAST has participated in the event, which began in 2001.
   Creighton's title was the sixth by a team that was a BIG EAST member at the time it won the title, joining Seton Hall (2014), Marquette (2011), Connecticut (2008), Boston College (2003) and Miami (2001).

Hanson Hurt
Senior center Zach Hanson was expected to miss 8-12 weeks after tearing a tendon and the ligaments in his left ankle during Creighton's win over Ole Miss on Nov. 21st.
   Hanson underwent surgery on Nov. 28th.
   A Pierre, S.D., native, Hanson was averaging 8.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 68.0 percent from the field in 13.2 minutes per game.
   Though he will not be on the court, look for Hanson to maintain a strong leadership role on the team as he mentors freshmen centers Justin Patton and Martin Krampelj.

All-Around Excellence
Creighton is ranked on the hardwood, but also excels in several other sports as well.
   In fact, Creighton, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Kentucky are the nation's only four schools that currently have a ranked team in men's basketball (AP poll), men's soccer (NSCAA poll) and women's volleyball (AVCA poll).

Omaha's Team
Creighton has started Omaha natives Justin Patton and Khyri Thomas in each of its first 10 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.

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.

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 1,929 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 42.9 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through December 14). 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 8.9 points per game while making 40.4 percent of his three-point attempts this year.
   Tolliver is averaging 3.4 points and 2.7 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 9.9 points per game and shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 31.0 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.

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

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 16,909 fans per home game this season, 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 (12/16)
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   22,509   1/3
   2.   Syracuse   21,701   12/17
   3.   Louisville   18,945   12/17
   4.   Wisconsin   17,284   12/23
   5.   Creighton   16,909   12/17
   6.   Indiana   16,553   12/19
   7.   Kansas   16,300   1/3
   8.   Maryland   15,812   12/27

Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   16,909   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 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 758 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 22nd-longest active streak as of Dec. 14th.
   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 (12/14)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   984   Kentucky   12/17
   2.   983   UNLV   12/17
   3.   974   Vanderbilt   12/17
   4.   958   Duke   12/19
   5.   915   Western Kentucky   12/17
   6.   910   Arkansas   12/17
   7.   902   East Tennessee State   12/17
   8.   894   Pacific   12/15
   9.   877   Oakland   12/20
   10.   868   Texas   12/17
   11.   853   Princeton   12/20
   12.   843   Florida   12/17
   13.   818   La Salle   12/17
   14.   817   Marshall   12/17
   15.   809   Baylor   12/17
   16.   787   LIU-Brooklyn   12/18
   17.   783   Gonzaga   12/18
   18.   779   Cornell   12/17
   19.   765   Tennessee State   12/18
   20.   767   Mount St. Mary's   12/19
   21.   759   East Carolina   12/15
   22.   758   Creighton   12/17

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

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

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.
   This year's team also has four men scoring at a double-figure clip, with Huff not far behind at 9.5 ppg.

Très Bien
Since 2011-12, Creighton is 53-45 (.541) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 75-10 (.882) 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 112-30 in the last six years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 16-25 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 16 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point. Nine of those comebacks came away from home, including the win over Ole Miss in the Virgin Islands on Nov. 21st.
   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 131-9 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 119 of the last 124 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
11   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/16
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

What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 151-72 on the Creighton sideline in his seventh year at the helm. The 151 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first seven seasons, way more than Tom Apke's 130.
Most Wins at CU, First Seven Seasons
Coach   Years   W-L After 7 Yrs
Greg McDermott   2010-Pres.   151-72 so far
Tom Apke   1974-80   130-64
Dana Altman   1994-00   123-86
Red McManus   1959-65   105-75

McDermott Passes McManus On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 151 victories at Creighton, good for third place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .677 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.   151-72   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 has also led Creighton in assists every game this season, which means he's led or tied for the team lead in assists in all but three of his 45 games since becoming eligble at Creighton.
   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 228 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 14-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 190-38 (.833) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (12-0).
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 17,448-14,668 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.19 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 63 different times, including 11 of its last 25 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 93-20 (.823) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 55-4 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 210-38 (.847) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton averaged 79.63 points per game in 2015-16, and is scoring 91.60 points per game in 2016-17.
   Greg McDermott is 41-1 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 35-1 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 56-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 28 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 102-1 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is 114-1 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 79.24 points per home game (8,954 points in 113 home games).
   Since a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000, Creighton is 125-0 at home (95-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more, and 105-0 at home (78-0 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 Back In Action Saturday Against Oral Roberts

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Marcus Foster

Geoffrey Groselle

Zach Hanson

Ronnie Harrell Jr.

Toby Hegner

Cole Huff

Kaleb Joseph

Martin Krampelj

Davion Mintz

Kobe Paras

Justin Patton

Khyri Thomas

Maurice Watson Jr.

Isaiah Zierden