Thursday, October 26
Omaha, Neb.
7:00 PM
Creighton University
vs
Nebraska-Omaha (Ex.)
Davion Mintz
Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann
Men's Basketball Hosts Omaha Thursday in Charity Exhibition
10/23/2017 4:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Teams haven't met on the basketball floor since 2009
Download Notes as a PDF
Exhibition Game #1: Omaha at Creighton (Charity Exhibition)
Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 • 7:00 p.m.
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: None
Series History: Creighton leads 40-3 in regular-season
Last Exhibition Meeting: Creighton 93, Omaha 77 on 11/8/09
Last Regular Season Meeting: Creighton 74, Omaha 71 on 11/30/95
Next Game
Creighton opens the 2017-18 season with a charity exhibition game on Thursday, Oct. 26 vs. Omaha.
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7:00 p.m.
   One-hundred percent of the net profits from the game will benefit the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2017-18 season, including Thursday's charity exhibition. John Bishop and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action.
   The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Broadcast Information
Thursday's charity exhibition against Omaha will not be video webcast, nor will it be televised.
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 Creighton
Creighton returns nine lettermen and two starters from last year's team that finished 25-10 and tied for third in the BIG EAST Conference with a 10-8 league record.
   The Bluejays reached the BIG EAST Tournament final for the second time in four seasons and advanced to its fourth NCAA Tournament in the past six seasons.
   Senior guard Marcus Foster was a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST pick last season, when he scored 18.2 points per game. Foster led the BIG EAST in field goals made last winter and has earned Preseason All-BIG EAST acclaim this winter.
   Junior guard Khyri Thomas (12.3 ppg., 5.8 rpg., 3.9 apg.) was named an Honorable Mention Preseason All-BIG EAST choice last week. Thomas was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year last season.
   The Bluejays feature a veteran team, with fifth-year seniors Toby Hegner, Tyler Clement and Manny Suarez and fourth-year juniors Ronnie Harrell Jr. and Kaleb Joseph all in the mix for playing time.
   Also back are sophomore guards Davion Mintz and Jordan Scurry and third-year sophomore forward Martin Krampelj.
   Three true freshman are also in the mix for playing time, guards Ty-Shon Alexander and Mitch Ballock, as well as center Jacob Epperson.
Scouting Omaha
Omaha went 18-14 and lost in the Summit League Tournament championship game by two points to South Dakota State.
   UNO's most impressive win last year was a 98-89 victory at Iowa, and the team also beat South Dakota State on the road last fall.
   Leading scorers Marcus Tyus (17.1 ppg.), Tre'Shawn Thurman (13.8 ppg., 7.8 rpg.) and Tra-Deon Hollins (13.4 ppg., 6.5 apg., 3.4 spg.) are gone, but double-figure scorers Mitch Hahn (11.7 ppg.) and Zach Jackson (10.8 ppg.) do return.
   The Mavericks averaged 83.9 points per game last season while shooting 45.4 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from downtown and 74.8 percent at the line.
   UNO was picked sixth in the Summit League Preseason Poll of league coaches, SID's and media.
The Series With Omaha
Creighton has won 40-of-43 regular-season meetings with Omaha, though the teams haven't met in the regular-season since a 74-71 Bluejay win on Nov. 30, 1995 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
   Omaha last beat Creighton in the regular-season on Dec. 11, 1982.
   The teams have met six times in exhibition play since Nov. 30, 1995, most recently a 93-77 Creighton win on Nov. 8, 2009 at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
   Creighton head coach Greg McDermott is 4-4 in games that count against Omaha. He went 3-3 when he was at Wayne State from 1994-2000, and split two meetings in 2000-01 while he coached at North Dakota State.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is entering his eighth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 166-82 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 446-277 entering his 24th season and is 315-213 entering his 17th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Preston Murphy and Alan Huss.
   Derrin Hansen (Nebraska Wesleyan, 1991) enters his 13th season at Omaha in 2017-18, where he owns a record of 197-166. He ranks second in school history in wins and led the Mavericks to conference titles in both the North Central Conference (2008) and Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association (2010). He is assisted by Pat Eberhart, Tyler Erwin and Tyler Bullock.
How Long Has It Been?
How much has changed since Creighton and Omaha last met on the basketball floor in 2009? The last time they met...
- Ethan Wragge was about to start his first year as a Bluejay and Grant Gibbs was starting his second season at Gonzaga.
- Dana Altman was about to start his final year as Creighton head coach.
- The game was played at a facility known as Qwest Center Omaha.
- Omaha was in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and had a Division II program, while Creighton was in the Missouri Valley Conference.
- Current Creighton freshmen Ty-Shon Alexander, Mitch Ballock and Jacob Epperson were each 11 years old.
- The number one movie in the US was A Christmas Carol, an American 3D computer animated motion-capture fantasy film written and directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Jim Carrey.
Unlocking The Link
Creighton and Omha played the first college basketball exhibition game in CenturyLink Center Omaha history on Nov. 9, 2003.
   In that contest, Creighton rallied from a 14-point deficit in the final nine minutes to defeat Omaha, 72-66 in overtime, at a facility then-known as Qwest Center OMAHA.
   UNO led 31-27 at the half and opened the second stanza with a 15-4 surge to go up 46-31 with 14:04 left. With 8:20 to play, Creighton's Jimmy Motz drained a three-pointer to start an 18-2 run that was capped by three consecutive three-pointers from Kellen Miliner.
   Michael Lindeman drained two free throws with 26 seconds left to tie the score at 60 and UNO was unable to get off a shot in the waning seconds of regulation.
   In the overtime, Brody Deren's dunk in the final minute gave CU the lead and Johnny Mathies drained four free throws in the closing seconds to ice the victory.
   Miliner scored 13 points to lead all players, while C.J. Martin paced UNO with 11 points.
Crowd Watch
Over the previous five years, Creighton has averaged 16,598 fans per home game.
   Creighton's largest exhibition attendance in school history was 16,317 on Nov. 7, 2014 vs. Sioux Falls. Last year's exhibition win vs. Wayne State attracted 15,128 fans.
   This Thursday's game is not part of either team's season-ticket package, and is being played just eight days after it was announced last Wednesday.
   More than 5,600 tickets had been sold as of Monday afternoon.
McDermott's Exhibition History
Greg McDermott is 24-0 in exhibition games as a Division I head coach, including a 10-0 mark at UNI, a 7-0 record at Iowa State, and a 7-0 mark at Creighton. All but one of his triumphs has been by double-digits.
   Below is a list of McDermott's exhibition games at the Division I level.
Greg McDermott's Division I Exhibition Scores
Date   McD School   Opponent   Result
2001-02   UNI   London Leopards   W 89-74
2001-02   UNI   Lake Superior State   W 74-63
2002-03   UNI   Dominican National Team   W 73-56
2002-03   UNI   H.P. Minnesota   W 90-76
2003-04   UNI   H.P. Minnesota   W 89-79
2003-04   UNI   Australian Select Team   W 92-58
2004-05   UNI   Dubuque   W 93-34
2004-05   UNI   SW Minnesota State   W 71-40
2005-06   UNI   Lewis   W 77-50
2005-06   UNI   Wayne State   W 74-57
11/03/06   Iowa State   EA Sports   W 58-57
11/06/06   Iowa State   Wayne State   W 55-41
11/01/07   Iowa State   Dubuque   W 66-38
11/04/07   Iowa State   EA Sports   W 74-63
11/08/08   Iowa State   Nebraska-Omaha   W 74-54
11/02/09   Iowa State   Black Hills State   W 96-47
11/06/09   Iowa State   UNC Pembroke   W 106-54
11/04/10   Creighton   Northern State   W 79-67
11/06/11   Creighton   Rockhurst   W 81-42
11/02/12   Creighton   Mary   W 89-51
11/01/13   Creighton   Northern State   W 89-61
11/07/14   Creighton   Sioux Falls   W 91-72
11/06/15   Creighton   Upper Iowa   W 113-77
11/04/16   Creighton   Wayne State   W 93-46
Recent Exhibition History
Creighton is 42-6 since 1987 in fall exhibition games thanks to 16 straight victories. The only team since 1994 to beat Creighton in an exhibition setting has been Global Sports, which eventually merged and changed their name to EA Sports and had three victories.
   A complete listing of Creighton's exhibition games since 1987 can be found on page four of this release.
Closed Scrimmage Update
Creighton lost 91-79 on Sunday in a closed scrimmage at Minnesota, a team picked 15th in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll.
   The Bluejays led 15-6 early but trailed 43-37 at the half and did not lead after the intermission.
   Marcus Foster led Creighton with 19 points, while Gopher forward Jordan Murphy led all players with 24 points.
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish fifth in the BIG EAST Conference according to a preseason poll of league coaches. Villanova was picked first with 80 points and eight first-place votes, while Seton Hall and Xavier, Providence round out the top four. After Creighton, St. John's, Marquette, Butler, Georgetown and DePaul rounded out the bottom half.
   Creighton guard Marcus Foster was named Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team, while Khyri Thomas was picked to be a Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention choice.
Newcomer Report
Four players made their exhibition debut in a Creighton uniform last year in the win against Wayne State as Marcus Foster, Davion Mintz, Kobe Paras and Jordan Scurry combined for 23 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in a combined 57 minutes of action in Creighton's 93-46 triumph. Kaleb Joseph, who redshirted due to his transfer from Syracuse, did not see action in the game.
   This year's exhibition vs. Nebraska-Omaha could mark the first action at Creighton for Joseph, Ty-Shon Alexander, Mitch Ballock, Jacob Epperson and graduate transfer Manny Suarez.
   Below is a look at the last five years and how Creighton's newcomers have produced in their exhibition debuts:
2016
Foster/Mintz/Paras/Scurry
23 pts., 8 reb., 5 ast., 57 min. (W 93-46)
2015
Thomas/Huff/Watson Jr./Patton/Albert, Krampelj/O'Neill/Cayce/Stewart
61 pts., 16 reb., 14 ast., 92 min. (W 113-77)
2014
Kreklow/Gilmore III/Connealy/Harrell Jr.
10 pts., 9 reb., 5 ast., 34 min. (W 91-72)
2013
Ferrarini/Brooks/Clement/Harris/Burns
Milliken/Roberts/Hegner/Hanson
26 pts., 8 reb., 10 ast., 52 min. (W 89-61)
2012
Kelling/Yates/Zierden
8 pts., 11 reb., 4 ast., 39 min. (W 89-51)
Freshman Starts Almost Unheard Of
Khyri Thomas made a little bit of history in 2015-16 when he started the exhibition opener as a true freshman.
   Before Thomas had 10 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 2 rebounds in 17 minutes, to find the last Creighton true freshman to start the team's exhibition opener you'd have to go all the way back to Nov. 14, 1988. That's when Latrell Wrightsell had eight points, four rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes of a 75-66 win over Turkey.
   Ryan Sears, who started all 124 regular-season games of his illustrious career from 1997-2001, came off the bench for his exhibition debut before replacing Matt West in the second exhibition game of the 1997-98 campaign.
   Sears had remained the last CU true freshman to start a Creighton regular-season opener (1997-98), until Doug McDermott did so in 2010-11. McDermott started all 145 games of his career but also came off the bench in his first exhibition game. Thomas would also go on to start the season-opener as a true freshman in 2015-16, and remained in the starting five each of the first 24 games.
   Among recent redshirt freshmen to start Creighton's first exhibition game have been Toby Hegner (2014-15) and Justin Patton (2016-17).
They Do Run, Run
Both Creighton and Omaha ranked among the top-20 teams in the nation last year in scoring offense.
   Creihgton ranked 20th with 81.8 points per game, while Omaha was 13th with 83.9 points per contest.
   Creighton's 2,864 points in 2016-17 were a school-record.
Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns two regular starters (Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas) from last year's team that finished 25-10. Creighton's roster contains players who made 72 starts a year ago (35 by Foster, 35 by Thomas and 12 by Davion Mintz), and a combined 147 career starts as Bluejays. That doesn't factor in the 57 starts for Marcus Foster at Kansas State, the 30 starts at Syracuse for Kaleb Joseph, one start at Fordham and 57 starts at Adelphi for Manny Suarez, or six starts at New Mexico for Damien Jefferson.
   Each of Creighton's six 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
2017-18Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 72Â Â Â ? ? ?
2016-17Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 130Â Â Â 25-10
2015-16Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 64Â Â Â 20-15
2014-15Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 49Â Â Â 14-19
2013-14Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 144Â Â Â 27-8
2012-13Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 140Â Â Â 28-8
2011-12Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 101Â Â Â 29-6
2010-11Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 123Â Â Â 23-16
2009-10Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 106Â Â Â 18-16
2008-09Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 27-8
2007-08Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 44Â Â Â 22-11
2006-07Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 120Â Â Â 22-11
2005-06Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 134Â Â Â 20-10
2004-05Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 58Â Â Â 23-11
2003-04Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 101Â Â Â 20-9
2002-03Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 159Â Â Â 29-5
2001-02Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 65Â Â Â 23-9
2000-01Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 90Â Â Â 24-8
1999-00Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 23-10
1998-99Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 22-9
1997-98Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 18-10
1996-97Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 126Â Â Â 15-15
1995-96Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 100Â Â Â 14-15
1994-95Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 52Â Â Â 7-19
1993-94Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 73Â Â Â 7-22
1992-93Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 64Â Â Â 8-18
1991-92Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 51Â Â Â 9-19
1990-91Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 132Â Â Â 24-8
1989-90Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 127Â Â Â 21-12
1988-89Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 123Â Â Â 20-11
1987-88Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 16-16
1986-87Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 65Â Â Â 9-19
1985-86Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 48Â Â Â 12-16
1984-85Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 20-12
1983-84Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 17-14
1982-83Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 77Â Â Â 8-19
1981-82Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 78Â Â Â 7-20
1980-81Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 112Â Â Â 21-9
Racking Up The Victories
In 99 previous seasons of Bluejay Basketball, last season was the sixth team to earn 25 or more wins.
   Of Creighton's six seasons in history with 25 or more wins, Greg McDermott has coached four of those in the previous six years.
Most Creighton MBB Wins, Season
      Pre   Pre-Post   Postseason
Year   Final W-L   Tourney   Season   Tournament
2002-03Â Â Â 29-5Â Â Â 26-4Â Â Â 29-4Â Â Â NCAA
2011-12Â Â Â 29-6Â Â Â 25-5Â Â Â 28-5Â Â Â NCAA
2012-13Â Â Â 28-8Â Â Â 24-7Â Â Â 27-7Â Â Â NCAA
2008-09Â Â Â 27-8Â Â Â 25-6Â Â Â 26-7Â Â Â NIT
2013-14Â Â Â 27-8Â Â Â 24-6Â Â Â 26-7Â Â Â NCAA
2016-17Â Â Â 25-10Â Â Â 23-8Â Â Â 25-9Â Â Â NCAA
1990-91Â Â Â 24-8Â Â Â 20-7Â Â Â 23-7Â Â Â NCAA
2000-01Â Â Â 24-8Â Â Â 23-6Â Â Â 24-7Â Â Â NCAA
1921-22Â Â Â 23-5Â Â Â 23-5Â Â Â 23-5Â Â Â didn't exist
1973-74Â Â Â 23-7Â Â Â 21-7Â Â Â 21-7Â Â Â NCAA
2001-02Â Â Â 23-9Â Â Â 19-8Â Â Â 22-8Â Â Â NCAA
1999-00Â Â Â 23-10Â Â Â 20-9Â Â Â 23-9Â Â Â NCAA
2004-05Â Â Â 23-11Â Â Â 20-10Â Â Â 23-10Â Â Â NCAA
2010-11Â Â Â 23-16Â Â Â 18-14Â Â Â 19-15Â Â Â CBI
*Bold italics indicates Greg McDermott teams
Shooting Stars
Creighton ranked second in the nation in field goal percentage last year, connecting at a 50.5 percent clip. Only UCLA (52.1 percent) was better.
   Creighton also shot the ball well in league play, draining BIG EAST best 49.4 percent of its attempts, the best mark in league play since Creighton shot 49.9 percent in 2013-14, and the best mark by a non-Creighton team in BIG EAST action since Georgetown (.505) in 2006-07.
Foster Up For Jerry West Award
Creighton men's basketball guard Marcus Foster is one of 20 preseason candidates for the 2018 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, which is bestowed by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Last year Foster was one of five finalists for the award.
   Named after Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor in its fourth year recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men's college basketball.
   Previous winners of the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award include Malik Monk, Kentucky (2017) Buddy Hield, Oklahoma (2016) and D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State (2015).
#ProJays
For the first time since 1969-70, Creighton has four NBA players at the same time as Kyle Korver (Cleveland Cavaliers), Anthony Tolliver (Detroit Pistons), Doug McDermott (New York Knicks) and Justin Patton (Minnesota Timberwolves) are all in the league.
   Including 2017-18, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 34 of the last 35 years.
   Korver ranks fifth in NBA history with 2,054 three-pointers and is sixth in league history with 43.1 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through October 22nd). 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 four times. Korver is averaging 6.3 points per game this year and shooting 62.5 percent from downtown.
   Tolliver is averaging 9.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game this season for the Pistons, his 11th NBA organization.
   McDermott is in his fourth season in the NBA, and first with the New York Knicks. He was traded to the Knicks with Enes Kanter in exchange for All-Star Carmelo Anthony. McDermott is averaging 4.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game this season.
   Creighton's newest NBA product is Justin Patton, who is now with the Minnesota Timberwolves but currently injured. Patton redshirted in 2015-16 before turning pro and being the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. Patton was then part of the Jimmy Butler trade to end up in Minneapolis.
   In addition, May graduates Cole Huff and Isaiah Zierden were each selected in the 2017 NBA G League Draft last Saturday.
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 2016-17
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank  Â
FG Percentage   .480   4th
3FG Made   2,079   6th
3FG Percentage   .387   4th  Â
Assists   3,991   6th
FG Made   6,612   12th
Wins   166   T-29th
Winning Percentage   .669   41st
Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 17 of the last 19 seasons (including 2016-17), 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 19 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
   Kentucky and Florida have each done it in 18 of the last 19 seasons.
   Along with Arizona, Syracuse and Xavier, Creighton is one of four schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 17 of the past 19 years.
Eight Out Of 19 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 19 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (15), Duke (11), Winthrop (10), Kentucky (9), Creighton (8), Kansas (8) and New Mexico State (8).
Full House
Creighton averaged 17,413 fans per home game last season, fifth-best nationally. That figure would rank 17th best in the NBA, ahead of 14 franchises.
   Last year was the 12th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the sixth straight season in the top-10 nationally in attendance, as well.
2016-17 Attendance Leaders (FINAL)
   Rk.   School   Average  Â
   1.   Kentucky   23,462  Â
   2.   Syracuse   21,181  Â
   3.   Louisville   20,846  Â
   4.   North Carolina   18,067  Â
   5.   Creighton   17,413  Â
   6.   Wisconsin   17,286  Â
   7.   Maryland   16,628  Â
   8.   Kansas   16,395  Â
   9.   Indiana   16,364  Â
   10.   North Carolina State   15,907  Â
Some Loyal Fans
Creighton attracted 296.013 fans at home in 2016-17, surpassing 200,000 fans for the 12th straight season. CU's average of 17,413 was second-most in program history, while the 296,013 fans were the fourth-most ever.
   Creighton had never attracted more than 141,000 home fans in any season prior to the opening of CenturyLink Center Omaha, and now has done it in the past 14 seasons.
   Creighton has led its conference in home attendance every year since moving into CenturyLink Center Omaha, which is opening its 15th season.
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,413   Creighton   2016-17
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12
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.   2016-17   17   296,013   17413
5.   2012-13   17   291,643   17,155
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 783 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak was the nation's 20th-longest active streak through the end of the 2016-17 season.
   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 entering 2017-18.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,013   Kentucky   11/10
   2.   1,006   UNLV   11/11
   3.   999   Vanderbilt   11/10
   4.   984   Duke   11/10
   5.   937   Arkansas   11/10
   6.   936   Western Kentucky   11/10
   7.   927   East Tennessee State   11/10
   8.   917   Pacific   11/12
   9.   900   Oakland   11/10
   10.   893   Texas   11/10
   11.   874   Princeton   11/12
   12.   843   Marshall   11/10
   13.   840   La Salle   11/11
   14.   835   Baylor   11/10
   15.   813   Gonzaga   11/10
   16.   808   LIU-Brooklyn   11/10
   17.   801   Cornell   11/10
   18.   792   Mount St. Mary's   11/10
   19.   785   Tennessee State   11/10
   20.   783   Creighton   11/10
   21.   782   East Carolina   11/12
Multiple Choices
Creighton has had four men average in double-figures in each of the last two seasons.
   Last year, Marcus Foster (18.2), Justin Patton (12.9), Maurice Watson Jr. (12.9) and Khyri Thomas (12.3) all put up double-digits on a nightly basis.
   In 2015-16 it was Watson (14.1), Cole Huff (11.3), Geoffrey Groselle (11.2) and Isaiah Zierden (10.2).
   Before 2015-16, 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.
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 16 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point. Nine of those comebacks have come away from home.
   On the other hand, CU is 144-12 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 132 of the last 140 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
10Â Â Â UABÂ Â Â 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
Creighton is 7-7 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CenturyLink Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
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
03/20/06Â Â Â Miami (Fla.)Â Â Â L 53-52Â Â Â G. Diaz FTÂ Â Â :2.6
01/20/07   Southern Illinois   L 58-57   B. Mullins FG   :4.1
01/10/15   #19 Seton Hall   L 68-67   S. Gibbs 3FG   :2.2
02/16/15   #19 Butler   L 58-56   R. Jones FG   :1.9
03/07/15   Xavier   L 74-73   D. Davis FT's   :6.3
01/12/16   #12 Providence   L 50-48   K. Dunn FG   :0.0
02/22/17   Providence   L 68-66   K. Cartwright 3FG   :2.4
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.
Most Wins - Last 4 Years (2013-14 - Present)
Team   W   L   Next
Villanova   129   17
Xavier   96   47
Providence   89   48
Creighton   86   52
Butler   84   48
Seton Hall   79   53  Â
Marquette   69   60  Â
Georgetown   69   62  Â
St. John's   63   68  Â
DePaul   42   86
Most Wins - Last 10 Years (2007-08 - Present)
Team   W   L
Villanova   260   91
Butler   250   97    Â
Xavier   243   106
Creighton   233   117
Marquette   216   124
Georgetown   206   121
Providence   184   146
Seton Hall   181   145
St. John's   158   168
DePaul   100   216
Most Wins Since 2000-01
Team   W   L
Xavier   405   169
Butler   405   166
Villanova   404   174     Â
Creighton   394   180
Marquette   366   196
Georgetown   354   200  Â
Providence   302   240  Â
Seton Hall   290   245
St. John's   256   277  Â
DePaul   211   316  Â
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 166 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .669 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.   166-69   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
3.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger    1922-35
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-69
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-81
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.   18,831   #1 Villanova   12/31/16
   4.   18,797   #6 Villanova   02/16/14
   5.   18,742   Seton Hall   02/23/14
   6.   18,735   Wichita State   02/11/12
   7.   18,613   Wichita State   03/02/13
   8.   18,525   Marquette   12/31/13
   9.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   10.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   11.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   12.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   13.   18,160   Central Arkansas   11/14/14
   14.   18,145   Marquette   01/21/17
   15.   18,111   Bradley   02/02/13
   16.   18,084   Seton Hall   12/28/16
   17.   18,078   Tulsa   11/23/13
   18.   18,073   Drake   01/08/13
   19.   18,032   #12 Butler   01/11/17
   20.   17,971   #19 Butler   02/16/15
Très Bien
Since 2011-12, Creighton is 62-51 (.549) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 80-14 (.851) mark the previous six years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
   Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 123-36 in the previous six years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 19-30 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 239 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 15-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 197-42 (.824) 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 18,341-15,477 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.98 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 67 different times, including 15 of its last 36 home games.
   Creighton is also 25-24 all-time in the 47 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-9 when down by 10+ points at halftime at The Link, and 31-22 when trailing at halftime at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 100-24 (.806) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 57-4 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 217-42 (.838) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton averaged 81.83 points per game in 2016-17, and its 2,864 points a year ago were a school-record.
   Greg McDermott is 44-2 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 38-2 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   In fact, McDermott's team scored 90 or more points eight 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 is 57-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 25 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas State.
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 79.41 points per home game (9,847 points in 124 home games), a figure that climbs to 83.52 points in non-conference home games (5,095 points in 61 home games).
   Creighton is 83-2 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points and has won 81 straight non-conference home games when scoring 80 or more points, dating to a 90-85 loss to Nebraska on Dec. 7, 1991.
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:Â Â Â 3rd (per WarrenNolan.com)
2015-16:Â Â Â 4th
2014-15:Â Â Â 3rd
2013-14:Â Â Â 4th
2012-13:Â Â Â 2nd
2011-12:Â Â Â 2nd
2010-11:Â Â Â 1st
2009-10:Â Â Â 3rd
2008-19:Â Â Â 4th
2007-08:Â Â Â 5th
2006-07:Â Â Â 5th
2005-06:Â Â Â 3rd
2004-05:Â Â Â 2nd
2003-04:Â Â Â 4th
2002-03:Â Â Â 5th
2001-02:Â Â Â 3rd
2000-01:Â Â Â 3rd
Did You Know???
Marcus Foster is the only Bluejay that's played Omaha in a game that counts before. He had 16 points and seven rebounds on Dec. 2, 2014 while Foster was at Kansas State.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2017-18 season went on sale on October 18th.
   Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CenturyLink Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com, and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any regular-season game.
   For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballCreighton Men's Basketball Availability - 9/24/25
Wednesday, September 24
Meet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
Friday, August 15
