Men's Basketball Visits BYU For NIT Quarterfinals

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Game #35 • Creighton at BYU • Tuesday, March 22, 2016 • 8:05 p.m CST
No. 4 seed Creighton Bluejays at No. 2 seed BYU Cougars
Marriott Center (22,700) • Provo, Utah
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: ESPN
Series History: BYU leads, 6-3
Last Meeting: #21 BYU 77, Creighton 65 on Dec. 1, 2010 in Omaha, Neb.

Next Game
Fourth-seeded Creighton (20-14) visits second-seeded BYU (25-10) in the quarterfinal round of the National Invitation Tournament on Tuesday night.
   Tip-off at Marriott Center (22,700) in Provo, Utah, is scheduled for 8:05 pm CT.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 The Zone) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2015-16 season. John Bishop and Brody Deren will call the action.
   The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Tuesday's game will air nationally on ESPN. Announcers are not yet known

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Tuesday's game can be found on ESPN3.com.

Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 20-14, with wins over the likes of Xavier, Seton Hall and Butler this season prior to a 72-54 victory over Alabama last Tuesday and an 87-54 triumph over Wagner on Saturday. Picked to finish ninth in the preseason, the Bluejays went 9-9 in league play and finished sixth in the BIG EAST this year.
   The Bluejays are averaging 79.6 points per game and are 15-1 when scoring 80 or more points this season.
   Second Team All-BIG EAST guard Maurice Watson Jr. leads the conference with 6.5 assists per contest and Creighton with 14.2 points per game, while Geoffrey Groselle tops the club with 6.1 rebounds per game and is third with 10.9 points per game. He's shooting 69.7 percent from the field this year, second nationally among players with at least five attempts per game.
   Cole Huff (11.1 ppg.) has been in double-figures in eight of the last 11 games, including a career-high 35 points vs. Seton Hall in the BIG EAST Tournament, while James Milliken (9.7 ppg.) has scored 103 points in his last six games and played some of his best basketball in March the past two seasons.

Scouting BYU
BYU is 25-10 this season, including a 15-2 mark at home. The Cougars went 13-5 in the West Coast Conference, finishing third behind Saint Mary's and Gonzaga.
   Chase Fischer (18.3 ppg.), Nick Emery (16.2 ppg.) and Kyle Collinsworth (15.3 ppg.) give the Cougars one of the highest-scoring trio's in the college game.
   Fischer has made 109 three-pointers and made big play after big play down the stretch of BYU's 80-77 win over Virginia Tech on Friday.
   Collinsworth owns the NCAA single-season (6) and career (12) records for triple-doubles and leads the team in rebounds (8.4 rpg.), assists (7.6 apg.) and steals (1.9 spg.) per contest.
   The Cougars are +4.8 on the glass and shoot 46.4 percent from the field, 38.4 percent from three-point range and 68.9 percent from the line.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his sixth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 141-71 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 421-266 in his 22nd season and is 290-202 in his 15th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
   Dave Rose (Houston, 1983) is in his 11th season at BYU, where he owns a 282-98 mark. The former co-captain of Houston's famed "Phi Slamma Jamma" national runner-up is assisted by Andrew May, Terry Nashif and Tim LaComb.

The Series With BYU
BYU leads the all-time series with Creighton, 6-3, including a 2-0 mark in Provo.
   The teams last met on Dec. 1, 2010 in a game that featured future National Players of the Year Jimmer Fredette (BYU) and Doug McDermott (Creighton). BYU won that game, 77-65, but Fredette was held to a season-low 13 points in the contest.
   Greg McDermott is 1-3 in his career against the current West Coast Conference membership, with the lone win coming over Loyola Marymount.
   McDermot is 0-1 against BYU and teams coached by Dave Rose.

Lots Has Changed Since Last Meeting
The last time these teams met in 2010, it was part of the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Conference Challenge Series. BYU has since left the MWC for the West Coast Conference, while Creighton left The Valley to join the BIG EAST Conference.
   That last meeting also featured a pair of eventual National Player of the Year winners.
   The 2013-14 National Player of the Year Doug McDermott (Creighton) was a freshman for Creighton in that contest, while 2010-11 NPOY Jimmer Fredette (BYU) was a senior.
   Fredette was held to a season-low 13 points in that game, while McDermott had 20 points and 12 rebounds in becoming the first Bluejay freshman since 1988 to record a double-double.

Only One Name Needed
Alums Doug McDermott and Jimmer Fredette each are considered among the all-time greats in their respective program, and among the nation's best players in the last decade.
   Both men swept the National Player of the Year awards as seniors, appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and are among the NCAA's all-time scoring leaders (McDermott is 5th, Fredette 35th).
   McDermott and Fredette are among 13 players in the last 22 years who have scored 900 points or more in a college season, a list that also includes the likes of Stephen Curry (twice), Kemba Walker, J.J. Redick, Allen Iverson, Adam Morrison and Kevin Durant.
   Here's a closer look at their basketball stats:
Category   McDermott   Fredette
College Games   145   139
College Points   3,150   2,599
College Points/Game   21.7   18.7
College Rebounds   1,088   367
College Assists   194   515
College 3FG Made   274   296
College 3FG Percentage   .458   .394
NBA Draft   11th (2014)   10th (2011)
NBA Games   103   235
NBA Points   759   1,416
NBA Points/Game   7.4   6.0
NBA 3FG Made   111   193
NBA 3FG Percentage   .413   .381

Watson Nears 500/200 Club
Maurice Watson Jr. enters Tuesday's game with 483 points and 220 assists. With 17 points, he can become the first player in CU history with 500 points and 200 assists in the same season.
   Currently, the only man to ever score 500 points and dish 160 or more assists in the same year is Antoine Young, who did so with 511 points and 195 assists in 2010-11 when he was also a junior under Greg McDermott.
   Nationally, through games of Saturday, Watson was one of nine players nationally had both 480 points and 200 or more assists this season, as seen below. That list includes BYU's Kyle Collinsworth.
480 Points & 200 Assists in 2015-16 (through 3/19)
Name, School   Assists   Points
Kay Felder, Oakland   296   773
Kyle Collinsworth, BYU   266   537
Jaaron Simmons, Ohio   260   502
Tyler Ulis, Kentucky   246   606
Juan'ya Green, Hofstra   243   606
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State   241   595
Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton   220   483
Kris Dunn, Providence   206   542
Dallas Moore, North Florida   205   672

20 Wins, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games for the 16th time in 18 seasons, 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.
20-Win Seasons, Since 1998-99 (through 3/19)
   20+ Win       2015-16   Next
   Seasons   Team   W-L   Game
   18   Kansas   32-4   3/24
   18   Gonzaga   28-7   3/25
   18   Duke   25-10   3/24
   17   Kentucky   27-9   Done
   17   Florida   20-14   3/20
   17   Texas   20-13   Done
   17   Syracuse   20-13   3/20
   16   Xavier   28-5   3/20
   16   Arizona   25-9   Done
   16   Connecticut   25-11   Done
   16   Creighton   20-14   3/22

Playing With The Lead
Both Creighton and BYU have spent the majority of the NIT with a lead.
   Creighton trailed for 7:11 against Alabama and just 35 seconds vs. Wagner.
   BYU trailed for 7:08 against Virginia Tech in the second round after never trailing in the first round.
   Creighton has owned a lead at some point in each of its last 42 games, dating to an 84-66 setback at St. John's late last season.

With A Win...
-Creighton would win its third straight game, tying a season-high win streak, and improve to 21-14.
-Secure a trip to Madison Square Garden for the second time this month, the first BIG EAST team to do so since 2008-09 (Notre Dame)
-Reach the NIT semifinals for the first time, but the semifinals of a postseason tournament for the third time in the last seven seasons.
-Win a third straight postseason game for the second time in program history, joining the 2011 run to the CBI Finals when CU won four straight.
-Improve Greg McDermott to 10-5 in the postseason at Creighton, and 142-71 overall.
-Give Creighton an NIT win away from home for the first time since 1942.
-Give Creighton its first true road win in the school's postseason history.

Garden Reunion?
With a win at BYU, Creighton would clinch a trip to Madison Square Garden for the second time this month. CU played Seton Hall at the "World's Most Famous Arena" on March 10th in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Tournament.
   Prior to joining the BIG EAST, Creighton had not played at the current Madison Square Garden facility since it opened in 1967.
   However, since joining the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013, Creighton has played there eight times (six BIG EAST Tournament games, twice vs. St. John's), going 3-5.
   Creighton did reach previous versions of Madison Square Garden in both the 1942 and 1943 NIT's.

Making A Jump
Creighton has gone from 14-19 last year to 20-14 so far this season. In the last 50 seasons of Creighton basketball, there's only been four seasons where the team has made a bigger leap from one year to the next:
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   20-14

Defense Wins Championships
Creighton has made its name over the years for its offensive prowess, shooting ability and "Let It Fly" philosophy, but this year's team has done its best work in the NIT on the defensive side of the court.
   Creighton held Alabama to 28.3 percent shooting from the floor, and 54 points overall, last Tuesday. Those two figures led all NIT teams on the defensive end in the first round of the postseason.
   In a second round win over Wagner, Creighton held the Seahawks to 27.9 percent shooting from the field and 54 points overall. The 27.9 percent shooting is the second-best defensive effort by the Bluejays in the six-year Greg McDermott era.
   This is also the first time since November 23 & 25, 2014, that Creighton has held consecutive opponents to 54 points or less. CU has not held three straight foes to 54 or less since December of 2010.
   Through games of Saturday, Creighton leads all teams in the NIT in scoring defense (54.0), field goal percentage defense (.281) and rebound margin (+16.0).

Some Loyal Fans
Creighton attracted 302,887 fans at home this season, surpassing 200,000 fans for the 11th straight season. The 302,887 home fans this season ranks 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 13 straight seasons.
   Creighton has led its conference in home attendance every year since moving into CenturyLink Center Omaha, which is now in its 13th 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

No Doubting Thomas
Khyri Thomas had his best game of 2016 last Tuesday vs. Alabama when he had 15 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists in a career-best 33 minutes. Thomas came out strong early and in the second half threw down his first dunk since December.
   The Omaha native continued his resurgence on Saturday with 13 points, four rebounds and two assists in the victory over Wagner.
   It marks the first time in the freshman's college career he's scored in double-figures in consecutive games.
   Thomas averaged 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds on 20 percent shooting from three-point range against BIG EAST teams this winter, compared to 10.4 points and 4.9 rebounds on 63.0 percent shooting from three-point range against teams not in the BIG EAST. All 12 of his dunks this season have come in non-conference play.
Opponents   PPG   RPG   3FG%   Dunks
vs. BE Teams   2.6   2.8   .200   0
Non-BE Teams   10.4   4.9   .630   12

Confident Khyri
Head coach Greg McDermott was quick to point out the importance the NIT will have on Khyri Thomas' confidence moving forward.
   "Outside the experience for the seniors of getting to play extra games, his play in these two games is the most valuable thing that's happened. Because of where he was mentally and from a confidence standpoint, and how he's been able to flip it against teams that have had really good seasons. We're not playing slouches...Khyri's put two together back-to-back, which probably hasn't happened since December. Moving forward for him into the offseason, it's incredible the impact it will have on him."

Accuracy, Thy Name Is Geoffrey
Geoffrey Groselle was 7-for-7 vs. Wagner and has made 30-of-38 field goals during the last six games, upping his league-best accuracy to 69.7 percent of his field goal attempts from the field (138-198).
   He recently surpassed the minimum 300 attempts required to qualify for Creighton's career leaders in field goal percentage.
   Groselle enters Tuesday's NIT quarterfinal having made 224-of-329 career shots from the field, good for 68.1 percent. Creighton's all-time leader in field goal percentage had been Gregory Echenique, who made 62.5 percent (374-598).
   Groselle could etch his name into the single-season record book for field goal percentage in a season with two or more field goal attempts on Tuesday. Groselle, at 69.7 percent (138-198), would rank first on the list as long as he takes multiple attempts and doesn't go 0-for-7 or worse.
Field Goal Percentage, Career (min. 300 att.)
   Rank   Pct.   Name (Years)   FG-FGA
   1.   .681   Geoffrey Groselle (2012-Pr.)   224-329
   2.   .625   Gregory Echenique (2010-13)   374-598
   3.   .615   Will Artino (2011-15)   256-416
   4.   .611   Mike Grimes (2000-04)   292-478
   5.   .585   Vernon Moore (1981-85)   649-1,109

Field Goal Percentage, Season (Minimum 200 Attempts)
Rank       Pct.   Name (Class, Year)       FGM-FGA
   1.   .674   Vernon Moore (Sr., 1984-85)       265-393
   2.   .657   Gregory Echenique (Sr., 2012-13)   138-210
   3.   .607   Gregory Echenique (Jr., 2011-12)   130-214
   4.   .601   Doug McDermott (So., 2011-12)   307-511
   5.   .595   Vernon Moore (Jr., 1983-84)       188-316
   6.   .594   Jim Honz (Jr., 1979-80)       149-251
   7.   .582   Benoit Benjamin (Jr., 1984-85)   258-443
   8.   .578   Rick Apke (Jr., 1976-77)       220-380
   9.   .567   Brody Deren (Jr., 2002-03)       115-203
   10.   .566   Chad Gallagher (Sr., 1990-91)       237-419

Guarded Optimism
Take a look at the career stats (through March 19th) for some of the nation's elite guards, and decide for yourself which ones are most impressive:
Player, Team   Career GP   AST   STL   PTS
Fred VanVleet, Wichita St.   141   637   225   1439
D. Valentine, Michigan St.   144   639   132   1645
Mo Watson Jr., Creighton   99   630   157   1282
Yogi Ferrell, Indiana   136   629   114   1961
Kyle Collinsworth, BYU   102   619   184   1468
M. Paige, North Carolina   137   584   200   1776
Kris Dunn, Providence   95   552   208   1214
Monte Morris, Iowa State   104   543   172   1123
R. Arcidiacono, Villanova   139   521   163   1523

Go Mo Go
Creighton's Maurice Watson Jr. is one of four players nationally this year with at least 200 assists, 150 two-point baskets and 30 steals or more.
   Last year the only men to do this nationally were Jerian Grant, Kris Dunn and Cameron Payne.
   Joining him this year are some of the top point guards in the nation, as seen below:
150 2FG's, 200 Assists & 30 Steals (thru 3/19)
Name, School   2FG   AST   STL   TO
Kay Felder, Oakland   175   296   65   110
Kyle Collinsworth, BYU   185   266   68   120
Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton   158   220   33   113
Dallas Moore, North Florida   192   205   31   64

All-Time In The NIT
Creighton owns a 7-10 all-time record in 11 appearances in the NIT after two wins last week in the event. This year marks Creighton's first trip to the NIT since 2009, when it topped Bowling Green 73-71 before falling to Kentucky, 65-63.
   Creighton had gone 1-1 in each of its previous three NIT appearances (2009, 2008, 2006), and hasn't won a NIT game away from home since a March 25, 1942 victory vs. Toledo at Madison Square Garden (the one that was open from 1925-68).

Make It A Double
Creighton has 12 all-time wins in 19 NCAA Tournament appearances and seven wins in 11 NIT appearances (including this year), but this season is the first time the Bluejays have never won consecutive postseason games in the same year in either of those tournaments.
   Creighton did start 2-0 in the 2010 CIT and 4-0 in the 2011 CBI.

McDermott In The NIT
At the Division I level Greg McDermott has taken six teams to the NCAA Tournament and one to the CBI, but this is his first time coaching a team in the NIT.
   McDermott is 9-8 in his Division I career in the postseason, including a 2-0 NIT mark. He was 0-3 at Northern Iowa and is 9-5 at Creighton.

Common Opponents?
Creighton and BYU share no common opponents this season.

Against Postseason Qualifiers
Creighton is 6-9 against teams that qualified for the postseason, including a 3-9 mark against NCAA qualifiers (wins over Xavier, Butler and Seton Hall), and a 3-0 mark against NIT qualifiers (Texas Southern, Alabama and Wagner).
   BYU went 8-7 against teams that qualified for the postseason. That includes a 3-4 mark over NCAA qualifiers (defeating Weber State, Northern Iowa and Gonzaga), a 4-2 mark vs. NIT teams (defeating Belmont, Saint Mary's, UAB and Virginia Tech) and a 1-1 record over CBI qualifier Pepperdine.

BIG EAST History In The NIT
Creighton was the only BIG EAST team selected to the 2016 NIT.
   The BIG EAST did not send any teams to the NIT last year. In 2013-14, Georgetown went 1-1 in the NIT, while St. John's was 0-1.
   The last BIG EAST team to make the trek to Madison Square Garden to play in the NIT semifinals was Notre Dame in 2008-09.
   The last BIG EAST team to win a postseason tournament in men's basketball was Louisville, which won the NCAA Tournament in 2012-13. No BIG EAST team has won the NIT since West Virginia in 2006-07.
   The BIG EAST has picked up multiple postseason victories every season since the formation of the league in 1979-80.

Back In The Postseason
Creighton is returning to the postseason for the 18th time in 19 years this spring.
   That span includes 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, six NIT appearances (including 2016), one CBI and one CIT appearance.
   Prior to last year's postseason miss, Creighton had been one of eight teams to make 17 straight postseason appearances. That elite list consisted of Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Syracuse.

Most Postseason Bids By CU Coaches
This year's bid to the NIT is the fifth postseason bid for Greg McDermott at Creighton. Only Dana Altman (13) has taken the Bluejays to more postseason appearances.
   McDermott's nine postseason wins at Creighton are the most in school history, two more than Altman's seven.
   McDermott (9-5) is one of two coaches in program history with a winning record in postseason play, joining Eddie Sutton (2-1).
Coach (Bids)   NCAA   NIT   CBI   CIT   NCIT   Total
Hickey (3)   1-1   2-2   0-0   0-0   0-0   3-3
Belford (1)   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-1   0-1
McManus (3)   3-3   0-0   0-0   0-0   1-1   4-4
Sutton (1)   2-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-0   2-1
Apke (4)   0-3   0-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-4
Barone (3)   1-2   0-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   1-3
Altman (13)   2-7   3-5   0-0   2-1   0-0   7-13
McDermott (5)   3-3   2-0   4-2   0-0   0-0   9-5

Home Sweet NIT Home
If past years are any indication, having the home-court advantage during the NIT is a tremendous factor. Since the NIT was trimmed to 32 teams and taken over by the NCAA in 2007, home-court teams are a combined 201-67 in the event.
   In the last 10 years, home teams are 123-37 in the first round, 58-18 in the second round (through 3/20) and 23-13 in the quarterfinals.
Home Court Records, NIT, By Round
Year   Rd. 1   Rd. 2   Rd. 3   Total
2007   13-3   7-1   4-0   24-4
2008   13-3   7-1   1-3   21-7
2009   13-3   6-2   3-1   22-6
2010   11-5   6-2   1-3   18-10
2011   13-3   4-4   4-0   21-7
2012   10-6   5-3   2-2   17-11
2013   12-4   8-0   1-3   21-7
2014   12-4   6-2   4-0   22-6
2015   12-4   6-2   3-1   21-7
2016   14-2   3-1*   0-0   17-3
Totals   123-37   58-18   23-13   204-68*
*through 3/20

CenturyLink Center Home To Some Close Games
Last Saturday was Creighton's 12th postseason game at the 13-year-old CenturyLink Center Omaha. Three of the 12 games were decided by a single point, and two others were decided by just two points.
   Creighton has won eight of its last nine postseason home games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, and 10 of the last 11 postseason games at home if you factor in two 2010 CIT games that were played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Creighton's Postseason Games,
CenturyLink Center Omaha History
Date   Att.   Score
3/16/04   13,483   Nebraska 71, Creighton 70
3/16/06   10,197   Creighton 71, Akron 60
3/20/06   10,018   Miami 53, Creighton 52
3/18/08   7,948   Creighton 74, Rhode Island 73
3/18/09   9,577   Creighton 73, Bowling Green 71
3/23/09   16,984   Kentucky 65, Creighton 63
3/15/11   3,086   Creighton 85, San Jose State 74
3/21/11   4,832   Creighton 102, Davidson 92
3/23/11   6,392   Creighton 82, UCF 64
3/28/11   12,381   Creighton 84, Oregon 76
3/15/16   6,305   Creighton 72, Alabama 54
3/19/16   6,471   Creighton 87, Wagner 54

Previously In The NIT
Before last week, only one current Creighton player had ever played in the NIT, Maurice Watson Jr.
   Watson had seven points, 12 assists and four rebounds vs. Illinois in the 2014 NIT while playing at Boston University. The Fighting Illini won that game, 66-62.
   Creighton has suited up -- and played -- all 11 men in uniform in each of its first two NIT games this March.

Postseason Wins In Eight Straight Appearances
Including last Tuesday's NIT win over Alabama, the Creighton men's basketball team has won a postseason game in eight straight appearances.
   That figure is easily the longest streak in school history.

Postseason Features Last-Second Drama
Eleven of Creighton's previous 13 postseason runs (all but 2010 and 2014) have included a game that was decided in the final seconds.
   In fact, Creighton's past 14 postseason openers have had four games decided by one point (including a double-OT finish), two by two points, one game by four points, two by six points (including an OT finish), one game by 10 points, three games by 11 points and two decided by 18 points (including 2016).
   In 2013 Cincinnati missed a game-tying three-pointer in the final 20 seconds and Creighton guard Austin Chatman made 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to hold on to a 67-63 win.
   In 2012 Creighton edged Alabama in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 58-57, as Trevor Releford's game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer came up short.
   Creighton's 2010-11 campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion in the CBI title game at Oregon. Creighton had the ball in a tie game with the shot clock off, but committed a backcourt violation on Oregon's "unique" floor. The Ducks' E.J. Singler then banked in a game-winning shot with 2.0 seconds left. A desperation three-pointer by Creighton was off the mark.
   In 2009, Creighton rallied from a 14-point deficit and would hang on to beat Bowling Green, 73-71 in the first round of the NIT. The Jays needed a last-second defensive stand, as BGSU's Darryl Clements' game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.
   The following game, Creighton led Kentucky by one with 36 seconds left, only to miss two free throws and see UK All-American Jodie Meeks convert a three-point play. CU's Booker Woodfox, the nation's No. 2 three-point shooter, missed an open trey as time expired, and Creighton lost 65-63.
   In 2008, Creighton rallied from a 12-point deficit in the final 3:07 to top Rhode Island, 73-72, in the first round of the NIT. Cavel Witter hit the game-winner with 3.2 seconds left to give CU its first lead of the game since 3-0.
   In 2007, Creighton had the ball for a final shot in a tie game against Nevada in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Nate Funk's shot attempt missed, and a tip-in try was also not converted. The Jays would eventually lose 77-71 in overtime.
   In second round of the 2006 NIT, Miami (Fla.) guard Guilermo Diaz drained a free throw with 2.6 seconds left to beat Creighton 53-52. A last-second shot attempt by Bluejay senior Johnny Mathies was knocked out of his hands.
   In the 2005 NCAA Tourney, Nate Funk had his three-point try with seven seconds left blocked by Tyrone Sally, and Sally raced downcourt for a breakaway dunk with 2.4 seconds left to give West Virginia a 63-61 win. Funk's three-point try from the corner missed at the buzzer.
   In 2004, Creighton fell 71-70 to Nebraska in the NIT. The Jays led nearly the entire second half before NU's go-ahead basket with 12 seconds left. Nate Funk's game-winning jumper from 18-feet away was blocked by Husker guard Jake Muhleisen.
   In 2003 Creighton lost 79-73 to Central Michigan in the NCAA's. The Jays trailed 50-24 with 16:24 left but a furious rally got them within two points (72-70) with 1:20 left, only to turn it over the next three possessions.
   In the 2002 NCAA's, Creighton beat #15 Florida, 83-82, in Chicago. Terrell Taylor hit a game-winning trey with 0.2 seconds left in double-overtime, his final three of 28 points after a scoreless first half.

About Creighton
Creighton is a private, Jesuit institution located in Omaha, Neb., with 8,435 students. The University was founded in 1878 by Mary Lucretia Creighton, who established it in memory of her husband, telegraph pioneer Edward Creighton.
   Prominent alumni include J. Joseph Ricketts (Chicago Cubs owner and founder of TD Ameritrade), Bob Gibson (Hall of Fame pitcher), Kyle Korver (professional basketball player) and Pat Venditte (ambidextrous baseball player).

McDermott In The Postseason
Creighton coach Greg McDermott is making his fifth postseason appearance at Creighton, and seventh overall as a Division I head coach when you include his time at Northern Iowa.
   McDermott's Division I teams own a 9-8 record in eight postseason appearances, including a 9-5 mark in five appearances at Creighton.
McDermott's Div. I Postseason Appearances
Year   Tourney   Postseason W-L
2003-04 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2004-05 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2005-06 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2010-11 (CU)   CBI   4-2
2011-12 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2012-13 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2013-14 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2015-16 (CU)   NIT   2-0

Huff Doing His Stuff
Cole Huff has thrived of late, scoring 10 or more points in eight of his last 11 games, and leading CU in rebounding in six of the last nine contests. He's averaging 13.2 points per game in that time, along with 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.
   Huff had 21 points in Creighton's game at Xavier on March 5th, making 8-of-14 shots from the field in his first start since January 12th.
   He then went for a career-high 35 points at the BIG EAST Tournament vs. Seton Hall while making 7-of-11 three-point attempts. He also added nine rebounds without a turnover.
   Per Basketball-Reference.com, Huff joined Jared Sullinger and Bobby Portis as the only men in the last six seasons with a game of at least 35 points, nine rebounds and no turnovers with one foul or less.

Multiple Choices
Creighton has four men currently averaging in double-figures, and can add a fifth if James Milliken scores 20 points or more on Tuesday (If Isaiah Zierden plays, he'd need to score three or more points to keep his scoring average at 10.0 or more).
   Creighton has had three men finish the season averaging in double-figures just once since 2007-08 (that coming in 2010-11), and has not had four men finish the year in double-figures since 1979-80, when Kevin McKenna, Jim Honz, George Morrow and Daryl Stovall did so.
   Creighton has not had as many as five men finish the season scoring with a double-figure average since 1964-65, when Neil Johnson, Elton McGriff, Fritz Pointer, Tim Powers, Bob Miles and Charlie Brown all did so.

New And Improved
Last season's rare down year saw Creighton finish 14-19 overall, and just 4-14 in the BIG EAST. This year's team is 19-14 overall and 9-9 in league play.
   The Bluejays have already greatly exceeded both win totals from a year ago.
   Creighton's five-win improvement in league play this season trailed only Seton Hall (+6) for the best in the BIG EAST this year. The only other team to increase its BIG EAST win total by five or more since the league reconfigured in 2014 had been Butler (+8 in 2014-15).

Milliken Marches On
James Milliken scored a career-high 26 points on March 2nd at Providence, then added 22 more on March 5th at Xavier. It was the first time in the senior's career that he's had 20 or more points in back-to-back games.
   Milliken has scored in double-figures in eight of nine career games he's played during the month of March during his Creighton career, averaging 17.0 points per game in that span.
   Milliken is also 27-for-54 (50.0 percent) from three-point range in March during his career.

200 Assist Club Adds Watson
Maurice Watson Jr. owns 220 assists this winter, a figure that ranks second in program history for a single season.
   Ralph Bobik owns the CU record with 252 assists in 1973-74, and that mark has never been approached.

Watson Nabs All-BIG EAST Honor
Junior point guard Maurice Watson Jr. was named Second Team All-BIG EAST on March 6th, as selected by league coaches.
   Watson led Creighton in scoring and led the entire conference in assists.
   Watson is just the second Bluejay in program history to be named First or Second Team All-Conference since CU joined the league in 2013-14, joining Player of the Year and First Team honoree Doug McDermott in 2013-14.
   Watson is Creighton's first point guard named first or second team all-conference since Antoine Young was named Second Team all-Missouri Valley Conference in 2011-12.

Some Of The Best Wins
Creighton's Feb. 9th win over No. 5 Xavier was the program's eighth all-time victory over a team ranked in the top-10 of the Associated Press poll, and third in the last three seasons.
   Each of Creighton's last three wins against top-10 foes have come by 14 points or more.
   It was Greg McDermott's third win over a top-10 foe as Creighton coach, matching the three such wins by Eddie Sutton from 1969-74.
   The Feb. 13th win over Marquette improved Creighton to 7-1 in games following a victory against a top-10 foe.
Top-10 Wins, School History
Date   Opponent (Score)   Next Game
12/13/1963   #4 Arizona State (84-83)   Won
12/01/1965   #10 Kansas State (83-75)   Won
01/29/1970   #5 New Mexico State (72-68)   Lost
02/17/1973   #7 Houston (78-77)   Won
02/09/1974   at #6 Marquette (75-69)   Won
01/20/2014   at #4 Villanova (96-68)   Won
02/16/2014   #6 Villanova (101-80)   Won
02/09/2016   #5 Xavier (70-56)   Won

Defense Limits Xavier
Creighton held No. 5 Xavier to a season-low 56 points on Feb. 9th, well under the 80.8 points per game the Musketeers had been averaging.
   Keying that defensive effort was limiting Xavier from behind the three-point line, where the Musketeers where 1-for-21.
   That game marked the first Bluejay opponent to make just one three-pointer since Indiana State on March 9, 2013 (1-for-13), and it was the first team to shoot less than 7 percent from three-point range against the Jays since Illinois State was 0-for-8 on Dec. 12, 1999.
   Creighton held BIG EAST foes to 29.1 percent marksmanship (44-151) from three-point range in its nine league wins, compared to 37.3 percent (75-201) in its nine league setbacks.

League Leaders
Creighton had two men lead the BIG EAST in a statistical category in league play.
   Maurice Watson Jr. paced the league with 6.7 assists per game, finishing ahead of Kris Dunn's 5.9. Watson had 15 more assists (121) than any other player in league action.
   Geoffrey Groselle owned commanding lead in field goal percentage, having made 65.6 percent of his attempts to rank ahead of Luke Fischer's 61.0 percent.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton has averaged 79.56 points per game in its first 34 contests to date.
   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 has already scored 90 or more points 10 times (in 34 games) this 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 State.

Big Win on February 28th
Creighton's 100-59 win over St. John's on Feb. 28th was the program's largest margin of victory since a 107-61 win over Alcorn State on Nov. 8, 2013.
   Creighton's 53-24 halftime lead was its largest halftime lead since an identical score vs. Butler on Jan. 14, 2014.
   Creighton's 41-point victory was the school's largest in a BIG EAST Conference game, and the fifth-largest margin of victory all-time for a league game. The league's last previous win by 41 or more points came on March 5, 2011, when Syracuse topped DePaul 107-59.
   Creighton's 47-21 margin on the backboards was also significant. It was tied for the eighth-largest rebound margin ever for a BIG EAST Conference game, and widest spread since Providence outrebounded Connecticut 55-24 on Jan. 31, 2013. Creighton's +26 rebound margin also tied a CenturyLink Center Omaha record, first set vs. Samford on Dec. 22, 2011 (45-19).

BIG EAST Stat Breakdown
Creighton started the season as one of the BIG EAST's best offensive and worst statistically defensive teams in non-conference play. In league play, those numbers have nearly flipped where CU is now among the league's best on the defensive side of the ball in BIG EAST action.
Creighton's BIG EAST Ranks
   Non-Con (Rank)   League-Only (Rank)
Scoring Offense   87.4 (2)   74.3 (5)
FG Percentage   .506 (2)   .443 (4)
3FG Percentage   .401 (1)   .317 (8)
Assists/Game   18.1 (2)   13.5 (7)
3FGM/Game   9.3 (1)   7.4 (5)
Scoring Defense   75.2 (10)   71.1 (3)
FG Pct. Defense   .440 (10)   .434 (5)

Most Improved Big Men?
With the possible exception of Providence's Ben Bentil, few players around the BIG EAST have improved more than Creighton's Geoffrey Groselle.
   Groselle entered his senior season averaging 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per contest, collecting 200 career points and 102 career rebounds in his first 63 games. This year Groselle owns 10.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and has 371 points and 207 rebounds in 34 games (33 starts).

Senior Day Stars
Creighton honored two senior players following a Feb. 28th win over St. John's, as Geoffrey Groselle and James Milliken were recognized. Groselle is a fifth-year senior currently in graduate school, while Milliken transferred in prior to the 2012-13 season and is wrapping up his third year in the program.
   During the past five years, Creighton has gone 118-55. The team has been to the NCAA Tournament three times and the NIT once, winning a game each trip. Groselle also won two league tournaments and one regular-season conference title in 2012-13.
   Creighton is 5-0 against in-state rival Nebraska since Groselle arrived on campus, 9-3 in conference tournament play, and he and Milliken have combined for 1,198 points, 464 rebounds and 144 assists in a collective 64 starts.

Home Season Finale History
Creighton is 19-2 in the last 21 years in its final home game of the regular-season, losing only in 2002 to Drake, and last year to Xavier.
   Each of the last 17 Creighton teams to win on Senior Day would go on to reach the postseason.
   Creighton's 41-point win over St. John's was the program's largest margin of victory in its final regular-season home game of a season since a 105-51 win over Morningside in 1961.

Senior Citizens
Below is a list of statistics by the Creighton players honored during Senior Day since 2003. Geoffrey Groselle's 22 points and 11 rebounds vs. St. John's on Feb. 28th made him the first senior with a double-double on Senior Day since Randall Crutcher in 1997.
Name   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Stl.   Min.
Groselle-16•   22   11   0   1   26
Milliken-16•   19   4   2   0   28
Kreklow-15•   8   5   2   0   34
Artino-15•   5   1   0   1   12
Chatman-15•   18   2   5   0   38
Brooks-15•   5   3   4   1   20
Dingman-15•   6   0   0   1   23
Oginni-15       Did   Not   Play
Connealy-15       Did   Not   Play
McDermott-14•   45   7   2   0   36
Gibbs-14•   9   0   3   0   18
Manigat-14•   5   4   1   1   34
Wragge-14•   3   1   1   0   25
Echenique-13•   9   4   0   0   26
Stormberg-13   0   0   0   0   0+
Kelling-13   0   0   0   0   0+
Young-12•   21   3   7   1   39
Dorwart-12       Did   Not   Play
Sebastian-12       Did   Not   Play
R. Ferrarini-12       Did   Not   Play
Lawson-11   11   4   0   1   20
Ka. Korver-11•   7   2   5   0   29
Ashford-11   3   1   2   0   15
Runnels-11   1   3   1   1   14
Harriman-11       Did   Not         Play (Hurt)
Carter-10•   17   6   3   0   34
Millard-10       Did   Not         Play (Hurt)
Witter-10   8   1   3   0   21
Woodfox-09•   20   3   1   3   27
Dotzler-09•   6   1   4   2   21
Sitzmann-09       Did   Not   Play
Bahe-08•   9   2   3   0   29
Watts-08•   7   4   0   0   34
Hibma-08•   0   3   0   0   21
Funk-07•   16   0   5   0   34
Tolliver-07•   11   7   2   0   32
Porter-07•   17   4   3   0   25
Gakou-07   2   0   0   0   7
Day-06   5   4   2   1   26
Mathies-06•   18   5   4   7   39
Motz-06   6   0   0   0   12
McKinney-05•   12   4   4   1   29
Miliner-05•   5   2   0   0   21
Dabbert-04   13   5   1   0   22
Deren-04•   6   10   2   0   19
Grimes-04•   16   8   2   0   29
Lindeman-04•   15   5   5   0   32
House-03•   28   6   1   0   22
Ky. Korver-03•   13   7   3   1   28
Bowden-03•   4   2   1   2   20
• indicates game started

Watson Among An Elite Group
Maurice Watson Jr. leads Creighton in both scoring (14.2 ppg.) and assists per game (6.5 apg.), and is also grabbing 3.4 rebounds per game in his 31.3 minutes per contest.
   Nationally, Watson joins Michigan State's Denzel Valentine and Providence's Kris Dunn as the only players to average at least 14 points, six assists and three rebounds per game in less than 34 minutes per game, as seen below:
Name, School   PPG   RPG   APG   MPG
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State   19.2   7.5   7.8   33.0
Kris Dunn, Providence   16.4   5.3   6.2   33.0
Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton   14.2   3.4   6.5   31.3

McDermott Passes McManus On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 141 victories, as the Feb. 28 win over St. John's allowed him to pass John J. "Red" McManus (1959-69) 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.   141-71   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-69
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-81

Playing With The Lead At Home
Creighton did not trail in 9-of-19 home games this season, and hasn't trailed in 61-of-222 overall games played at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time.

Against The BIG EAST
Since joining the BIG EAST in 2014, Creighton is unbeaten at home against St. John's, the only team it can say that for. The only two road venues in which it has not won are Providence and Georgetown.
Team   CU Home Games   CU Road Games
Butler   2-1   1-2
DePaul   2-1   3-0
Georgetown   2-1   0-3
Marquette   2-1   2-1
Providence   1-2   0-3
Seton Hall   1-2   2-1
St. John's   3-0   1-2
Villanova   1-2   1-2
Xavier   2-1   1-2
Total   16-11   11-16

Watson Named National Player of the Week
Creighton guard Maurice Watson Jr. was named National Player of the Week by CBSSports.com and NBCSports.com on Feb. 15th after leading the Bluejays to a pair of wins in the previous week. He was also the BIG EAST Player of the Week for the second time this season for his efforts.
   Watson averaged 25.0 points, 7.5 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals as Creighton defeated No. 5 Xavier (70-56) and won at Marquette (65-62). Watson made 54.5 percent of his shots from the field and 81.3 percent of his free throw attempts.
   The Philadelphia, Pa., native began his week with 32 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals in Creighton's victory over No. 5 Xavier. Watson scored 22 of his points after the intermission as Creighton picked up a win at home over a top-five team for the first time since 1970. Watson also became Creighton's first player since Benoit Benjamin (in 1985) with at least 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a game.
   Watson then had 18 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in a 65-62 win at Marquette. Watson tied the game with 2:32 left with a pair of free throws, and assisted on the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:05 left that helped CU move into sole possession of third place in the BIG EAST. The game was Watson's third double-double of the winter, and he became the first Bluejay since Duan Cole in 1989-90 with four games of 10+ assists in the same season.
   Watson was the first Creighton player named National Player of the Week by CBSSports.com since Doug McDermott was three times (Jan. 6, Jan. 13, Feb. 17) during a 2013-14 season that saw him sweep National Player of the Year honors. McDermott was also named NBCSports.com National Player of the Week on both Jan. 13 and Feb. 17 of that same season.

Late Game Treys
Toby Hegner made three three-pointers in the second half of the Feb. 13 win at Marquette, none bigger than one that tied the game with 3:26 left.
   Hegner improved to 12-for-18 from three-point range in the final five minutes of games this season, good for 66.7 percent. Hegner also leads the team with 26 rebounds, eight more than any other teammate, in the last five minutes of games this season.
   On a related topic, James Milliken's go-ahead three-pointer with 1:05 left also was a key to victory. It was Creighton's first go-ahead three-point basket in the final 65 seconds of a game since Doug McDermott at Butler on Feb. 13, 2014, exactly two years earlier to the day. McDermott also drained a go-ahead trey to beat St. John's on Jan. 28, 2014, with 2.8 seconds left.

Stat Sheet Stuffer
Maurice Watson Jr. did a little bit of everything in carrying Creighton to a 70-56 win over No. 5 Xavier on Feb. 9, finishing with 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the victory.
   Watson is Creighton's second player with at least 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the same game since the 1980-81 season, joining Benoit Benajamin's monstrous game of 45 points, 16 rebounds and five assists vs. Indiana State on January 19, 1985.
   Per Basketball-Reference.com, Watson is just the third BIG EAST player in the last six seasons with a 32/7/5 game, joining UConn's Kemba Walker (33/12/5) vs. Syracuse on March 11, 2011, and Villanova's Maalik Wayns (39/13/6) at Cincinnati on Jan. 14, 2012.

Stuff On Huff
Cole Huff made his first seven shots and finished with 28 points vs. DePaul in Creighton's Feb. 6 win.
   Eighteen of Huff's points came in the final 5:14 of the first half, a span during which Creighton scored 20 points as a team. Huff made seven straight shots.
   Huff's 28 points came in just 22 minutes, as he drained 9-of-11 shots overall. Huff's the first Bluejay with at least 28 points in 22 minutes or less since Larry House had 28 points in 22 minutes in his final home game, a March 3, 2003 win over Wichita State.
   Huff's 28 points were the most by a Bluejay reserve since Cavel Witter scored 42 points in a double-overtime win over Bradley on March 1, 2008.

More Points = Better Results
History has shown that the more Creighton scores, the better the team does.
   Creighton's best record against any BIG EAST foe since joining the league is the 7-1 mark against DePaul, a team it scores 79.4 points per game against.
   Creighton's worst record against any BIG EAST foe since joning the league is the 1-6 mark against Providence, a team is scores just 63.7 per game against.
PPG   Opponent   CU W-L
79.4   DePaul   7-1
79.3   Xavier   4-3
75.2   St. John's   4-2
74.7   Villanova   2-4
72.0   Seton Hall   3-4
70.0   Butler   3-3
67.8   Marquette   4-2
63.9   Georgetown   2-5
63.7   Providence   1-6

Bench Impressive
Creighton's bench contributed 51 points in its Feb. 6th victory over DePaul, with 28 of those points coming from Cole Huff.
   Creighton's 51 points by its reserves were the most since it scored 54 in a double-overtime win over South Dakota on Dec. 9, 2014 and its most in regulation since putting up 54 vs. Alcorn State on Nov. 8, 2013. Creighton last had 50+ points off the bench in a league game on March 1, 2008, when the reserves supplied 77 points in a double-overtime win over Bradley.
   The Bluejay bench has scored 911 points so far this season, an average of 26.79 points per contest. That's the program's best figure since the 2007-08 team averaged 36.91 points per game.
   Creighton's bench has contributed 35 double-figure performances this season.
   Creighton's bench has outscored the bench of its opponents 911-670 this season, and 4,721-3,632 in Greg McDermott's six years on the Bluejay sideline.

Zierden With Efficient Eight vs. DePaul
Isaiah Zierden's eight three-pointers at DePaul (Jan. 17) are tied for third-most in Creighton history for a single-game, and one shy of the record set by Kyle Korver (1/15/03 vs. Evansville) and Ethan Wragge (1/20/14 at #4 Villanova).
   Zierden is one of four men with exactly eight trifectas in a contest, joining Korver (12/31/02 at #19 Xavier), Tad Ackerman (1/23/95 at Drake) and Terrell Taylor (3/15/02 vs. #15 Florida).
   Of the players to make eight or more three-pointers in a Creighton game, Zierden's 11 attempts are easily the fewest, two less than Ackerman and Korver (at Xavier). Both Korver (vs. Evansville) and Wragge needed 14 attempts, while Taylor set the school-record with 15 attempts against Florida.
   Zierden's eight three-pointers vs. DePaul are tied for the most by any BIG EAST player in a game this season.

30 Point Efforts
In Greg McDermott's first five years at Creighton, only Kenny Lawson Jr. (once) and Doug McDermott (27 times) ever scored 30 or more points in a game.
   In the last two months alone, Maurice Watson Jr. (32 vs. No. 5 Xavier on Feb. 9), Isaiah Zierden (31 points at DePaul on Jan. 17) and Cole Huff (35 points vs. Seton Hall on March 10) have each surpassed 30 points in a game.
   This is the first time since at least 1967-68 that Creighton has had three different players reach 30 points in the same season.
   Huff's 35 points are the most by any Bluejay since Doug McDermott also scored 35 in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Tournament vs. DePaul in 2014.
   Before the Seton Hall loss in the quarterfinals, the last time a Bluejay scored 31 or more in a loss came on Dec. 31, 2002, when Kyle Korver compiled 32 points in a two-point loss at No. 19 Xavier.
   Creighton had won 29 straight games in which an individual has scored 31 points or more. In addition to one such game from Zierden and Watson, that streak included 31 point (or more) games from Doug McDermott (21 times), Nate Funk (3), Kyle Korver (1), Johnny Mathies (1) and Cavel Witter (1).

Dynamite Start For Watson
Maurice Watson Jr. has 483 points in his first 34 games as a Creighton Bluejay.
   Since 1995-96, Watson's figure is the second-most among all Creighton newcomers through 34 games, 11 less than than Doug McDermott's 494 points at this point.
   McDermott would finish his career with 3,150 in 145 career games to rank fifth in NCAA history.
Most Points In CU Newcomer's First Season Since 1995-96
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year
   581   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11
   483   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16
   421   Rodney Buford, Fr.   1995-96
   416   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08
   378   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16
   317   Doug Swenson, Jr.   1997-98
   317   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02
   316   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11
   295   Ryan Sears, Fr.   1997-98

What's Your Twenty?
James Milliken had a career-high 26 points on March 2nd at Providence, and is one of six Creighton players to score 20 points or more this season. In addition to Milliken (3x), Isaiah Zierden (2x), Cole Huff (4x), Maurice Watson Jr. (6x), Khyri Thomas and Geoffrey Groselle (5x) have all reached that mark.
   By comparison, last year Creighton had five players all year reach 20+ points (Austin Chatman, Toby Hegner, Will Artino, Milliken and Zierden), and in the two previous years had only three players surpass 20 points in any game.
   The last previous time that Creighton had six men have 20 or more points in a game during the same season was 1972-73, when Gene Harmon, Al Lewis, Ted Wuebben, Doug Brookins, Ralph Bobik and Gene Ellefson all did it.
   Creighton also has five different men with 25 points or more in a game this season, the first time it's had five or more 25+ point scorers in the same season since at least 1968-69. The last time CU had four men with games of 25+ points in the same campaign was 1976-77 (Rick Apke, Robert Scrutchens, John C. Johnson and Cornell Smith).

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 March 19.
Most Wins - Last 4 Years (2012-13 - Present)
Team   W   L   Next
Villanova   112   27   3/20
Creighton   89   49   3/22
Xavier   89   46   3/20
Providence   88   50
Butler   86   48
Georgetown   80   51
Marquette   76   56
Seton Hall   73   59
St. John's   66   65
DePaul   44   84

Most Wins - Last 10 Years (2006-07 - Present)
Team   W   L
Butler   254   95
Xavier   244   100
Villanova   245   98
Creighton   230   117
Georgetown   222   110
Marquette   221   121
Providence   182   146
Seton Hall   173   149
St. John's   160   164
DePaul   111   208

Most Wins Since 2000-01
Team   W   L
Xavier   381   154
Butler   380   157
Creighton   369   169
Villanova   367   170
Marquette   347   183
Georgetown   340   182
Providence   282   227
Seton Hall   269   233
St. John's   242   258
DePaul   202   293

Pink Out Auction Raises More Than $21,000
Creighton raised more than $21,000 during its "Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out" game vs. Seton Hall on Jan. 30th.
   Bluejay players wore pink shooting shirts and pink jerseys for the game and, like last year's event, fans had the opportunity to honor a friend or family member who has battled cancer or is currently battling cancer by purchasing the apparel via auction (the shooting shirt could be personalized – last name, nickname, etc.).
   The first 16,000 fans entering the venue received a complimentary pink t-shirt courtesy of CHI Health and Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center.
   Complimentary "Pink Out" posters were also available to fans exiting the venue after the game.
   This year's Creighton vs. Cancer jersey auction raised $16,527.90 and donations brought in an additional $5,000. The past five seasons has seen $126,203.04 raised in the jersey auction.
   Below is the final numbers for each item in the auction this year:
#0   $710   #1   $532.40   #2   $1125
#4   $1035   #5   $455   #10   $1397
#11   $910   #12   $620   #13   $1009
#15   $610   #20   $485   #21   $1280
#22   $960   #23   $860   #32   $1125
#40   $1025   #41   $1275
Basketballs: $242.50, $230.50, $227.50, $210.50, $203.50

Some People Call Him Maurice
Maurice Watson Jr. dished 14 assists in Creighton's win at Seton Hall on Jan. 9. While it was three shy of his collegiate high accomplished while he was at Boston University, the 14 helpers were his most in a Creighton uniform.
   Watson's 14 assists tie Providence's Kris Dunn (twice) for the most by any BIG EAST player this season, and were the most in a regular-season BIG EAST game since Dee Davis had 15 assists vs. Providence on Feb. 7, 2015.
   Watson's 14 assists are tied for eighth-most nationally in a game this season, and directly led to 37 points by the Bluejays in that game.
   Watson's 14 assists were the most ever by a Creighton player in any conference game.
   Watson's 14 assists were the most by any Bluejay since Ralph Bobik tied his own school-record with 17 assist vs. Bradley on Jan. 22, 1974. Below is a list of the six occasions in CU history in which a player has had 13 or more assists.
   Ast.   Name, Opponent   Date
   17   Ralph Bobik at St. Francis (Pa.)   02/23/73
       Ralph Bobik vs. Bradley   01/22/74
   16   Ralph Bobik vs. BYU   12/17/73
   14   Maurice Watson Jr. at Seton Hall   01/09/16
   13   Latrell Wrightsell vs. Nebraska   12/07/91
       Jason Bey vs. Southern Illinois   02/27/95

Full House
Last year's Creighton team averaged 17,048 fans in 17 home dates, good for sixth-nationally, and better than 11 NBA franchises.
   It's the 10th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the fourth straight season in the top-six nationally in attendance, as well.
   Last year Creighton was the nation's first team to average 17,000+ fans, despite a losing record, since Louisville in 2000-01.
   This year's team is averaging 15,941 fans per game, which ranks 10th nationally through March 19th.
2015-16 Attendance Leaders
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   23,362   Done
   2.   Syracuse   21,592   Done
   3.   Louisville   20,860   Done
   4.   North Carolina   18,326   Done
   5.   Maryland   17,863   Done
   6.   Wisconsin   17,287   Done
   7.   Indiana   17,106   Done
   8.   North Carolina State   16,758   Done
   9.   Kansas   16,436   Done
   10.   Creighton   15,941   Done
   11.   Nebraska   15,430   Done
   12.   Arkansas   14,879   Done
   13.   Arizona   14,527   Done
   14.   Marquette   13,808   Done
   15.   Purdue   13,662   Done

Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12
   15,941   Creighton   2015-16
   15,930   Creighton   2008-09
   15,909   Creighton   2006-07
   15,333   Creighton   2007-08
   14,495   Creighton   2009-10
   13,901   Creighton   2005-06

Over .500, Again
Creighton has been better than .500 at the midway point in league play in 19 of the last 20 seasons, including this year.
   Creighton has also gone 5-4 or better in the second half of league action in 18 of the last 20 seasons.
   Creighton has now made the postseason each of the last 18 times it's been 5-4 or better at the midway point, and missed it the only time they weren't in that span.
   Here's how Creighton's teams have fared in the various halves of the MVC/BIG EAST season since 1995-96.
Year   1st Half   2nd Half
2015-16   5-4   4-5
2014-15   1-8   3-6
2013-14   8-1   6-3
2012-13   7-2   6-3
2011-12   8-1   6-3
2010-11   5-4   5-4
2009-10   5-4   5-4
2008-09   5-4   9-0
2007-08   5-4   5-4
2006-07   6-3   7-2
2005-06   7-2   5-4
2004-05   5-4   6-3
2003-04   7-2   5-4
2002-03   8-1   7-2
2001-02   8-1   6-3
2000-01   5-4   9-0
1999-00   5-4   6-3
1998-99   6-3   5-4
1997-98   5-4   7-2
1996-97   5-4   5-4
1995-96   4-5   5-4
Total   120-69 (.635)   122-67 (.646)

Standard Five
Creighton used the same starting line-up in each of its first 18 games this season before finally making a change on Jan. 17 (in game 19) when Toby Hegner replaced Cole Huff in the first five.
   Creighton has used six starting line-up combinations this season overall now.
   Last season Creighton used 10 different starting line-up combinations, its most in any season since using 11 pairings in 1994-95.
   Creighton used the same starting five combination for every game in 2011-12, and then again in 2012-13.

Watson Dishes and Scores
Maurice Watson Jr. continues to extend his team lead in both scoring and assists. In fact, in Watson had owned or shared the team lead in assists in 23 straight games before that streak was snapped vs. Alabama last Tuesday.
   Watson is on pace to become 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   14.2   6.5

Mo' Points, Mo' Assists
Maurice Watson Jr. leads Creighton in both scoring and assists, and he's doing things at a rate that has never been approached in school history.
   Since the program began tracking assists in 1970-71, Watson is one of four men to average at least 12 points and five assists per game. However, he's the only one in that quartet that's scored 12 points per game while also averaging six assists per contest.
12+ PPG & 5+ APG, Since 1970-71 at Creighton
Name, Year   PPG   APG
Ralph Bobik, 1971-72   14.1   5.2
James Farr, 1988-89   12.0   5.0
Antoine Young, 2010-11   13.1   5.0
Maurice Watson Jr., 2015-16   14.2   6.5

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 15 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including DePaul (down 12) on January 17th. 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), the second-largest since 2000 (see chart below), and the second-biggest in the history of CenturyLink Center Omaha (see chart, left column on page five).
   On the other hand, CU is 124-8 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 112 of the last 116 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 on 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 last year.
   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.
   After allowing just two game-winning go-ahead scores in the last 10 seconds in the first 11 seasons at CenturyLink Center Omaha, Creighton has allowed that to happen four times in the past 13 months alone.
   Creighton is now 7-6 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds in the 13-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

Assists Are Elementary For Watson
Maurice Watson Jr. had his fifth game this season with 10 or more assists when he dished 10 dimes on March 5th at Xavier. Watson had six such games at Boston University in his first two years as a collegian.
   Watson is the first Bluejay with four or more games of 10 or more assists in the same season since Duan Cole, who had four such games in 1989-90.

Magic Number is 79
Creighton has scored 79 points or more in 16 of its 20 wins thus far. Creighton averages 87.1 points per game in its 20 wins this winter, compared to 68.9 per game when it loses.

Watson Reaches Milestones
Though he's still relatively new to Creighton, that hasn't kept Maurice Watson Jr. from reaching a couple big milestones at the collegiate level.
   Watson owns 483 points and 220 assists at Creighton this season, and when combined with his 800 points and 410 assists in two seasons at Boston University, now owns career collegiate totals of 1,283 points and 630 assists.
   Only two players have ever attained 1,000 points and 500 assists (all with CU) during their Creighton careers, Ryan Sears (1,309/570) and Antoine Young (1,342/505). Both Sears and Young got there as seniors.
   Watson is currently averaging 6.47 assists per game. Creighton's last player to average 6.0 assists per game or more for an entire season is Randy Eccker's 7.3 assists per contest in 1976-77.
   Overall, Watson's 1.95 assist/turnover ratio this year ranks seventh in the BIG EAST (min. 3.0 assists per game), and his career ratio (including Boston) of 2.07 assists per turnover ranks 19th-best nationally among active players with 400 or more career assists.
   That ratio ranks better that such highly-touted men such as Yogi Ferrell (2.03), Denzel Valentine (2.02), Kyle Collinsworth (1.92) and Kris Dunn (1.75).
   Watson surpassed 1,000 career points on Jan. 5 vs. Georgetown in the 81st game of Watson's collegiate career. If you're curious to see how that stacks up with others in recent Creighton history to reach 1,000 career points, here's a list:
Games To 1,000 CU Points, Last 15 Bluejays
Name   Games to 1,000 pts.    Date
Austin Chatman   139   03/11/15
Ethan Wragge   132   01/18/14
Gregory Echenique   101   03/24/13
Doug McDermott   57   01/15/12
Antoine Young   115   12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr.   108   11/21/10
P'Allen Stinnett   86   01/16/10
Dane Watts   115   01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver   124   03/16/07
Johnny Mathies   91   03/03/06
Nate Funk   92   02/28/05
Kyle Korver   81   01/30/02
Ben Walker   105   01/06/01
Ryan Sears   97   12/01/00
Rodney Buford   59   03/01/97

Groselle Good As Gold
Geoffrey Groselle made his last five shots in an 8-for-9 against North Texas on Dec. 21, then followed it with an 8-for-8 showing from the floor vs. Coppin State one week later. On Dec. 31 at St. John's, Groselle made his first eight shots before finishing 9-of-10. Groselle was also perfect from the field vs. Villanova on Jan. 2nd, though he only attempted one shot.
   The streak of 21 straight field goals made was just nine shy of the NCAA record set this season by Yale's Brandon Sherrod.
   The recent play has moved Groselle's field goal percentage to 69.7 percent, the second-best mark nationally (min 5 FGA/game) and best in the BIG EAST (min. 3 FG/game).
   If you're curious, the NCAA record (min. 5 FG/game) was set in 1981 by Oregon State's Steve Johnson, who shot 74.6 percent, while the Creighton record (min. 200 attempts) is 67.4 percent set by Vernon Moore in 1984-85.
   Groselle's older brother, Mike Groselle, played at The Citadel from 2009-13 and ranks eighth in Southern Conference history with a 58.9 career field goal percentage and led the league in that category as a senior when he shot 57.4 percent from the floor.
FG Percentage Leaders (through 3/19)
Minimum 5 FGA/game
   Rk.   Team       FG%
   1.   Evan Bradds, Belmont       .712
   2.   Geoffrey Groselle, Creighton   .697
   3.   Thomas Bryant, Indiana   .689
   4.   Venky Jois, Eastern Washington   .679
   5.   Mamadou Ndiaye, UC Irvine   .668

Century Mark Back-to-Back
Creighton scored 105 points on Dec. 21st against North Texas, then had 102 more on Dec. 28th vs. Coppin State.
   Creighton had not scored 100 points or more in consecutive games since Jan. 29 (104 at Idaho State) and Feb. 2 (115 vs. Memphis) during the 1965-66 season, and had not scored 100 points twice in the same month since February of 1990.
   Creighton has scored 100 points or more in fourth different games this season. It's the fourth different season in program history it's done that, and first time since 1971-72's squad did it five times.
   The 1965-66 team cracked the century mark seven times, while the 1971-72 club reached triple-digits five times.

Man Of Steal
Isaiah Zierden ranks ninth in the BIG EAST with 44 steals this season. He owns nine games this season with three steals or more, and had at least three in each of CU's first four BIG EAST victories this winter.
   By comparison, Zierden had a total of three steals (in 28 games and 304 minutes) as a freshman, and 12 steals (in 20 games and 558 minutes) a year ago. Zierden owned just two steals in 23 career BIG EAST games entering the season.

The Link Turns Into The Dunk Tank
Creighton has put down 56 dunks in 34 games as a unit this year. By comparison, Creighton had 29 dunks in 33 games all last season.
   Eight different men have thrown down a dunk this winter, led by 17 from Geoffrey Groselle, 12 from Zach Hanson and 11 by Khyri Thomas.

The Fast And The Furious
Creighton has 317 fast break points already this winter. By comparison, last year Creighton had a total of 143 fast break points (4.3 per game), and never had more than 11 in any contest.
   Creighton had a whopping 30 fast break points in its Nov. 14 win over Texas Southern, then added 24 more on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA.
   Creighton's 30 fast break points are believed to be its most since moving to CenturyLink Center Omaha in 2003, with the next highest mark on file (before Texas Southern on Nov. 14) was listed as 24 vs. Kennesaw State on Nov. 26, 2010.

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 747 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 22nd-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.
   Courtesy Stats Inc., below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (thru 3/20)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   974   Kentucky   Done
   2.   973   UNLV   Done
   3.   964   Vanderbilt   Done
   4.   946   Duke   3/24
   5.   905   Western Kentucky   Done
   6.   901   Arkansas   Done
   7.   892   East Tennessee State   Done
   8.   885   Pacific   Done
   9.   867   Oakland   Done
   10.   858   Texas   Done
   11.   844   Princeton   Done
   12.   832   Florida   3/23
   13.   810   La Salle   Done
   14.   808   Marshall   Done
   15.   800   Baylor   Done
   16.   776   LIU-Brooklyn   Done
   17.   772   Cornell   Done
   18.   772   Gonzaga   3/25
   19.   756   Mount St. Mary's   Done
   20.   755   Tennessee State   Done
   21.   748   East Carolina   Done
   22.   747   Creighton   3/22
   23.   709   Lafayette   Done
   24.   707   DePaul   Done
   25.   703   Davidson   Done

Pace Makers
Creighton ranks 31st nationally in scoring offense, averaging 79.56 points per game to date.
   This year's team has scored 79 points or more in 16 of its 20 victories, significantly better than last year's team that reached 85 points just twice all winter.
   Since 2000-01, Creighton owns 54 games of 85+ points in the eight seasons it has made the NCAA Tournament, compared to 31 such outbursts in the eight years it has missed the Big Dance.
Year   85+ Point Games   Postseason?
2015-16   13   NIT
2014-15   2   None
2013-14   12   NCAA
2012-13   7   NCAA
2011-12   13   NCAA
2010-11   3   CBI
2009-10   2   CIT
2008-09   3   NIT
2007-08   6   NIT
2006-07   0   NCAA
2005-06   2   NIT
2004-05   1   NCAA
2003-04   1   NIT
2002-03   11   NCAA
2001-02   6   NCAA
2000-01   4   NCAA

Triple Threat
Khyri Thomas entered the Dec. 9 game vs. Nebraska with five total assists in Creighton's first eight games, but the freshman guard would match that total in the first 14 minutes, and tallied seven helpers overall.
   Thomas finished with seven points, seven assists and nine rebounds against the Cornhuskers. He is just the third Bluejay in Greg McDermott's six-year tenure to post at least seven points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the same game, joining Austin Chatman and Grant Gibbs. Both Chatman and Gibbs did it twice each. Maurice Watson Jr. has also done it once since then (Jan. 26 at Georgetown).
   Creighton has never had a traditional point/rebound/assist triple-double.
7+ Point, 7+ Rebound, 7+ Assist Games, Since 2010-11
   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Name   Date
   12   10   7   Grant Gibbs   1/13/12
   12   7   9   Austin Chatman   11/11/13
   9   7   10   Grant Gibbs   12/19/11
   9   7   7   Austin Chatman   1/25/14
   7   9   7   Khyri Thomas   12/9/15
   16   8   7   Maurice Watson Jr.   1/26/16

Thomas Makes History
Khyri Thomas opened his Creighton career with 18 points in a win over Texas Southern, which earned him BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors on Nov. 16th.
   Thomas is the first Bluejay in program history to be named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week.
   Creighton's last player to be named league Freshman/Newcomer of the Week following the first week of the season was Doug McDermott on Nov. 15, 2010, when CU was in the Missouri Valley Conference. McDermott would go on to be named First-Team All-MVC and, MVC Newcomer of the Year and MVC Freshman of the Year.

Among The Best
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, which coincides with Greg McDermott's arrival, Creighton has been the nation's fifth-most accurate team from three-point range.
   The Bluejays are 1767-4574 from deep in that time, shooting 38.63 percent.
Best 3FG%, Since 2010-11
Rk.   Pct.   Team   3FG   3FGA
1.   .394   Indiana   1502   3812
2.   .390   Northern Colorado   1261   3237
3.   .389   Weber State   1537   3953
4.   .387   Denver   1451   3747
5.   .386   Creighton   1767   4574

Shooting Stars
Creighton has proven to be one of the nation's best shooting teams since the 2010-11 season, which coincides with when Greg McDermott arrived at Creighton.
   Check out the lists below that show various categories showcasing their dominance, through March 19th:
Most Games, 50% FG & 40% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   70   Creighton
2.   64   Gonzaga
3.   62   Kansas
4.   60   Denver
5.   59   Saint Mary's

Most Games, 50% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   46   Michigan State
2.   45   Creighton
3.   42   UCLA
   42   Northern Colorado
5.   41   Weber State

Most Games, 40% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   106   Creighton
   106   Duke
3.   102   Indiana
4.   99   Weber State
5.   98   Michigan State

Most Games, 50% FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   102   Gonzaga
2.   98   Kansas
3.   91   Belmont
4.   89   Kentucky
5.   88   Creighton

Most Games, 60% FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   18   Utah
2.   17   Creighton
3.   16   Ohio State
4.   15   Kansas
   15   Gonzaga

Most Games, 25+ Assists
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   22   Michigan State
2.   17   North Carolina
   17   Sam Houston State
4.   16   BYU
5.   15   Iona
6.   14   Creighton

A 60 Point Half!
Creighton scored 61 points in the first half on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA, tying a CenturyLink Center Omaha record first done in the second half vs. Houston Baptist on Dec. 12, 2007.
   It was also the most points in any first half since scoring 61 vs. Drake on Feb. 3, 1990.
   Creighton had not scored 60 points in any half since doing so in the first half on Nov. 25, 2011 vs. Campbell, and the 61 were tied for its second-most point in any half since 1996-97, trailing only a 63-point outburst in the second half of the 2002-03 opener vs. Texas-Arlington.
   Creighton scored 60 points in a half for the second time this year when it did so in the second half of a 97-76 win over Massachusetts on Nov. 25th.

Malik's Magic
Junior guard Malik Albert got extended run on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA with Maurice Watson Jr. saddled to the bench with two personal fouls. The Detroit native responded in a big way, finishing with 10 assists in 20 minutes of work. The 10 assists led to 28 points from his Bluejay teammates.
   In the process, Albert became the nation's third reserve with 10 or more assists in 20 minutes or less in a win against a Division I team since 2010-11. He joins Kansas's Naadir Tharpe (12 assists in 20 minutes vs. American on Dec. 29, 2012) and Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Smith (10 assists in 20 minutes on Nov. 20, 2013 vs. Central Arkansas).
   Per STATS Inc., Albert became the second BIG EAST reserve since 2004-05 with 10+ assists in 20 minutes or less against a Division I team, joining Marquette's Maurice Acker (12/28/08 vs. Presbyterian).
   Albert is Creighton's only player in the last 30 years to have a game of 10 or more assists as a reserve.

Big Margin Can Lead To Big Things
Creighton's 104-77 win last year vs. Central Arkansas was the second straight season the team has cracked triple-digits in a season-opener.
   The 2015-16 season saw Creighton reach 90 points in each of its first two games this season, just the fourth time that's happened. Each of the previous three times (1973-74, 2011-12, 2013-14), the Bluejays would reach the NCAA Tournament and then win at last one game in the Big Dance.
   Nine of Creighton's 19 all-time NCAA Tournament teams have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
   Here's a look at Creighton's last eight teams to score 90 or more in a season-opener, which shows that six of those teams to do so reached the NCAA Tournament.
               Final   Post-
   Score   Opponent   Date   W-L   Season
   93-70   Texas Southern   11/14/15   ? ? ?   NIT
   104-77   Central Arkansas   11/14/14   14-19   --
   107-61   Alcorn State   11/08/13   27-8   NCAA
   97-65   N. Carolina A&T   11/11/11   29-6   NCAA
   106-50   Texas-Arlington   11/17/02   29-5   NCAA
   96-50   Western Illinois   11/20/00   24-8   NCAA
   93-48   Towson State   11/14/98   22-9   NCAA
   93-47   UT-San Antonio   11/30/90   24-8   NCAA

Debut News
Creighton started three players on Nov. 14 who were making their Bluejay debut, as transfers Cole Huff and Maurice Watson Jr. joined true freshman Khyri Thomas in the first five.
   Thomas' start was especially historic, as he became just the third true freshman to start since 1992-93, joining Bluejay legends Doug McDermott (2010-11) and Ryan Sears (1997-98). Both McDermott (145 games) and Sears (124) started every contest of their four-year Creighton careers.

Huff Earns MVP Honor
Nevada transfer Cole Huff returned to the Silver State and picked up MVP honors of the 2015 Men Who Speak Up Main Event after averaging 19.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in the two wins.
   Huff made 13-of-25 field goal attempts, including 7-of-15 three-pointers. He scored 26 points in the victory over Rutgers before a 12-point effort over UMass in the title game.

Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish ninth in its third season as BIG EAST Conference members according to a preseason poll of league coaches. Villanova was picked first with 81 points and nine first-place votes, while Georgetown (70, 1), Butler (67), Xavier (55) and Providence (45) round out the top half. The predicted lower half was Marquette (44), Seton Hall (27), DePaul (25), Creighton (23) and St. John's (13).
   Creighton did not have any honorees on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Teams, which was led by Preseason Player of the Year Kris Dunn from Providence.

Zierden Returns From Second Knee Injury
Isaiah Zierden had 15 points on Nov. 14 after missing the second half of last season after suffering a season-ending injury to his right knee for the second straight campaign.
   Zierden was carried off the floor with 4:05 left in the first half on Jan. 21, 2015 at Butler and did not return.
   An MRI two days later determined that Zierden partially tore the MCL in his knee, while also suffering an injury to his patella.
   Unlike his first injury, Zierden elected to have surgery this time around, as he underwent a medical procedure in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 13, 2015.
   The uncommon injury is very similar to one he suffered the previous March at Xavier, which caused him to miss CU's last seven games.
   Zierden has missed three of the last four games with a shoulder injury.

NBA Representation
This year marks the second time since 1970 (joining last season) that Creighton has three NBA players at the same time, as Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks), Anthony Tolliver (Detroit Pistons) and Doug McDermott (Chicago Bulls) are all in the league.
   Including 2015-16, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 32 of the last 33 years.
   Korver ranks eighth in NBA history with 1,865 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 43.0 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through March 19). He set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range in 2009-10. Last season he was named an All-Star and led the league in three-point percentage for the third time.
   Tolliver is averaging 5.3 points per game this season for the Pistons, his 10th NBA organization.
   McDermott is in his second season with the Chicago Bulls, where he's averaging 9.7 points per game and ranks sixth in the NBA by shooting 43.0 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.

Top-20 Crowds
Creighton's Jan. 30 crowd of 17,924 was the program's 18th largest home crowd ever. Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time.
      Rank   Att.   Opponent   Date
   1.   18,868   Providence   03/08/14
   2.   18,859   Georgetown   01/25/14
   3.   18,797   #6 Villanova   02/16/14
   4.   18,742   Seton Hall   02/23/14
   5.   18,735   Wichita State   02/11/12
   6.   18,613   Wichita State   03/02/13
   7.   18,525   Marquette   12/31/13
   8.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   9.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   10.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   11.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   12.   18,160   Central Arkansas   11/14/14
   13.   18,111   Bradley   02/02/13
   14.   18,078   Tulsa   11/23/13
   15.   18,073   Drake   01/08/13
   16.   17,971   #19 Butler   02/16/15
   17.   17,954   Wichita State   12/28/08
   18.   17,924   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 48-44 (.522) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 70-10 (.875) mark the last five years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
   Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 103-29 in the last five years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 15-25 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.

NCAA Success
Creighton is one of 18 schools to have won an NCAA Tournament game in at least three of the last four seasons.
   Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State and North Carolina are the only five teams to have won at least one game all four seasons.
   The list of teams with an NCAA win in three of the last four campaigns consists of Arizona, Creighton, Florida, Iowa State, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oregon, Saint Louis, San Diego State, Syracuse, Wichita State and Wisconsin.

CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 222 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 13-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 184-38 (.829) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (10-0).
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 16,910-14,267 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.91 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 61 different times, including nine times this year (UTSA, Western Illinois, Nebraska, IUPUI, North Texas, Coppin State, DePaul, No. 5 Xavier and St. John's).
   Creighton is also 25-22 all-time in the 47 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
   Creighton is 87-20 (.813) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 49-4 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 204-38 (.843) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 141-71 on the Creighton sideline during his sixth year at the helm. The 141 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first six seasons, way more than Tom Apke's 109.
Most Wins at CU, First Six Seasons
Coach   Years   W-L After 6 Yrs
Greg McDermott   2010-Pres.   141-71 so far
Tom Apke   1974-80   109-55
Tony Barone   1985-91   102-82
Dana Altman   1994-00   99-78
Red McManus   1959-65   91-63

Pizza Pie, Piled High = Wins
Thanks to a promotion with Omaha-based Godfather's Pizza, Creighton season ticket-holders can get a free mini pizza any time the Jays score 75 points at home.
   History has proven that when the team earns the fans pizza, it often leads to a victory as well.
   The first three years of CenturyLink Center Omaha (2003-06), Creighton needed 70 points to earn its fans free pizza, and the Jays went 27-3 when reaching that threshold, closing out that run with 12 straight wins.
   Since upping the standard to 75 points prior to the 2006-07 campaign, Creighton is 96-1 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is 108-1 in CenturyLink Center Omaha since Feb. 6, 2005 when scoring enough points to earn its fans some free pizza. The perfect streak of 101-0 was snapped on Dec. 2, 2015 when Arizona State scored three points in the final 15 seconds to sneak away with a 79-77 victory.

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 78.65 points per home game (8,416 points in 107 home games).
   Since a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000, Creighton is 119-0 at home (90-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more, and 100-0 at home (73-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to that same setback.

Last Season Recap
Creighton went 14-19 last season, finishing 4-14 to tie for ninth place in the BIG EAST Conference.
   The Bluejays started the season 5-0, including a win over No. 18 Oklahoma, before losing eight remaining games in the final minute.
   Senior point guard Austin Chatman led Creighton in scoring (11.5 ppg.) and assists (3.7 apg.), while fellow senior Devin Brooks paced the team in rebounds (5.0 ppg.) and steals (1.0 spg.).
   Despite the struggles on the court, Creighton still ranked sixth nationally with 17,048 fans per home game.

Shuttle Service Provided Again
Chief Bus will provide complimentary shuttle service from the Creighton University campus to CenturyLink Center Omaha for all men's basketball home games this season. The service is available to all fans, not just Creighton students.
   The shuttle will start 75 minutes before tip-off and shuttles will continue to operate the route during the game. The three designated stops for pick-up around the CU campus are: 24th & California (nearside/southbound); 20th & Cass (nearside/eastbound) and at Billy Blues Alumni Grill (outside the Mike & Josie Harper Center in the turnaround which is on the east side of the building).
   The shuttle will then go eastbound on Capitol Avenue and then go north up 10th Street for drop-off at the CenturyLink Center Omaha convention center entrance. The route is designed for each shuttle driver to make a roundtrip every 15 minutes.
   Following the game's conclusion, the shuttle will start at the CenturyLink Center Omaha convention center entrance on 10th Street and loop the original route with the first of three stops at 24th & California Streets.

Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2015-16 season went on sale on October 29th.
   Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CenturyLink Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any game.
   For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Malik Albert

Will Artino

Devin Brooks

Austin Chatman

Geoffrey Groselle

Zach Hanson

Toby Hegner

Cole Huff

James Milliken

Khyri Thomas

Maurice Watson Jr.

Isaiah Zierden