Men's Basketball Hosts Final Exhibition Friday vs. UNC Pembroke

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Exhibition Game #2: UNC Pembroke Braves at Creighton Bluejays • Friday, Nov. 3, 2017 • 7:00 p.m.
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, KOOO 101.9 FM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: None
Series History: Teams have never met in regular-season
Last Meeting: None

Next Game
Creighton (1-0 exhibition) takes on UNC Pembroke (1-0 exhibition) in an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 3.
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7:00 p.m.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2017-18 season, including Friday's exhibition, while KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games. John Bishop and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Broadcast Information
Friday's exhibition against UNC Pembroke will not be televised, but it will be video webcast for free at http://www.gocreighton.com/watch.

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 in October. 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.
   Creighton lost a closed scrimmage at Minnesota by a 91-79 score before opening exhibition play last Thursday with a lopsided 96-67 victory over Nebraska-Omaha.

Scouting UNC Pembroke
UNC Pembroke went 24-8 last season and was 14-5 in league play to sweep the Peach Belt Conference regular-season and tournament titles. The Braves have been picked to win the league again this season.
   The Braves return starters Nigel Grant (14.6 ppg., 6.0 rpg.), Brandon Watts (13.3 ppg., 5.8 rpg.) and Akia Pruitt (11.4 ppg., 8.5 rpg.). All three men scored 12 points or more in last Thursday's 81-67 exhibition game victory over All Army, while James Murray-Boyles (9.8 ppg. last year) added 12 points last Thursday as well.
   UNCP averaged 85.9 points per game last year and outrebounded clubs by 7.4 caroms per contest.

The Series With UNC Pembroke
Creighton and UNC Pembroke have never met.
   Greg McDermott's final exhibition game as Iowa State head coach was a 106-54 win over UNC Pembroke on Nov. 6, 2009.

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.
   Ben Miller (Luther, 1991) owns a 151-115 entering his 10th season at UNC Pembroke. Miller led the Braves to NCAA Tournament bids in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 and division titles in 2015 and 2017. Miller is a former assistant coach at Kansas and Missouri State before heading to UNC Pembroke, and is assisted by Drew Richards, Tony Jones, Eldon Miller and Kalen Eddings.

Miller, McDermott and DeVries Go Way Back
Ask Greg McDermott who some of his mentors in coaching have been and one of his first answers is likely to be his final coach at Northern Iowa, Eldon Miller.
   Miller left Ohio State in 1986 to coach McDermott's final two seasons at Northern Iowa, eventually guiding the Panthers to the program's first NCAA Tournament in 1990 (McDermott became the second, with NCAA trips in 2004, 2005 and 2006).
   Miller was also the coach for current Creighton assistant coach Darian DeVries all five years he was in the UNI program from 1993-98.
   In 36 years as a head coach at Wittenberg (1962-70), Western Michigan (1971-76), Ohio State (1977-86) and Northern Iowa (1987-98), Miller owned an overall record of 568-419 with six trips to the Division I NCAA Tournament.
   Miller is now a volunteer assistant at UNC Pembroke for his son, Ben Miller.

Not The Only Miller Connection
While Eldon Miller is closely connected to Greg McDermott and Darian DeVries, his son and current UNC Pembroke head coach Ben Miller has ties to former Bluejay and current CU radio voice Nick Bahe.
   Miller was on staff at Kansas when Bahe was recruited to and later played for the Jayhawks in 2003-04.
   Ironically, Miller moved on to be an assistant to Barry Hinson at Missouri State from 2004-08 and later coached against Bahe as a Bluejay in 2006-07 and 2007-08. CU won all five meetings, with Bahe contributing 17 points.

Carolina Invades The CenturyLink
Creighton has a pair of guards on its roster that hail from North Carolina, as sophomore Davion Mintz and freshman Ty-Shon Alexander both call the Charlotte area home.
   UNC Pembroke is located roughly 110 miles from Charlotte.
   Eleven of the players listed on the UNC Pembroke roster hail from North Carolina.

UNC Pembroke's Past
UNC Pembroke is no stranger to stepping up a level to play exhibition games against Division I opposition, having played 12 such games since 2010 alone.
   Last year the Braves first exhibition game versus a D-I squad came against a team that went on to win the national title, as it fell at North Carolina 124-63.
   In 2014, UNC Pembroke won an exhibition game at UAB, 72-71. That UAB team went on to reach the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament.
   After meeting CU on Friday night, the Braves will trek to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to play at Northern Iowa on Sunday afternoon.
   Below is a look at UNCP's exhibition results against Division I teams since 2010:
Date   Opponent   UNCP Result
11/05/10   at West Virginia   L 87-53
11/06/10   at Winthrop   L 68-52
10/28/11   at North Carolina   L 100-58
11/04/12   at Stanford   L 85-71
11/05/12   at San Francisco   L 94-57
10/30/13   at North Carolina State   L 96-85
11/01/13   at North Carolina   L 82-63
11/04/13   at Georgia   L 81-69
11/07/14   at UAB   W 72-71
11/06/15   at Wake Forest   L 86-64
11/04/16   at North Carolina   L 124-63
11/05/16   at Houston   L 94-67

Crowd Watch
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.
   UNC Pembroke played in front of a total of 17,409 fans at home last season, an average of 1,161 fans per contest.

McDermott's Exhibition History
Greg McDermott is 25-0 in exhibition games as a Division I head coach, including a 10-0 mark at UNI, a 7-0 record at Iowa State, and an 8-0 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
10/26/17   Creighton   Nebraska-Omaha   W 96-67

Recent Exhibition History
Creighton is 43-6 since 1987 in fall exhibition games thanks to 17 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.

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
Five players made their exhibition debut in a Creighton uniform last Thursday in the win against Nebraska-Omaha as Ty-Shon Alexander, Mitch Ballock, Jacob Epperson, Kaleb Joseph and Manny Suarez combined for 27 points, 16 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals and 5 blocks in a combined 67 minutes of action in Creighton's 96-67 triumph. Damien Jefferson, who is redshirting due to his transfer from New Mexico, did not see action in the game.
   Below is a look at the last five years and how Creighton's newcomers have produced in their exhibition debuts:
2017
Alexander/Ballock/Epperson/Joseph/Suarez
27 pts., 16 reb., 9 ast., 67 min. (W 96-67)
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)

Mr. Versatility
Ronnie Harrell Jr. spent the majority of his playing time as a point guard in CU's final two games last year, but look for the versatile junior to play the forward position this season.
   Harrell snared 13 rebounds in 21 minutes against Nebraska-Omaha last Thursday, including 10 rebounds in the second half alone.
   Last season Toby Hegner's nine rebounds in the second half at Nebraska were the most for any half by one individual.In fact, no Bluejay had collected 10 or more rebounds in any half since Doug McDermott had 10 by halftime vs. Louisiana in the 2014 NCAA Tournament.

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 2,067 three-pointers and is sixth in league history with 43.2 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through October 30th). 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 10.4 points per game this year and shooting 52.9 percent from downtown.
   Tolliver is averaging 7.3 points and 3.8 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 6.8 points and 3.2 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 on Oct. 21st.

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).

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.
   Eleven of Creighton's last 12 teams to return 101 or fewer starts from the previous season still went on to reach the postseason.
   Returning   Returning Starts    Final
Year   Starters   From Previous Year   W-L
2017-18   2   72   ? ? ?
2016-17   4   130   25-10
2015-16   1   64   20-15
2014-15   1   49   14-19
2013-14   4   144   27-8
2012-13   4   140   28-8
2011-12   3   101   29-6
2010-11   4   123   23-16
2009-10   3   106   18-16
2008-09   3   83   27-8
2007-08   1   44   22-11
2006-07   4   120   22-11
2005-06   4   134   20-10
2004-05   2   58   23-11
2003-04   3   101   20-9
2002-03   5   159   29-5
2001-02   2   65   23-9
2000-01   3   90   24-8
1999-00   3   84   23-10
1998-99   3   84   22-9
1997-98   4   72   18-10
1996-97   4   126   15-15
1995-96   4   100   14-15
1994-95   2   52   7-19
1993-94   3   73   7-22
1992-93   2   64   8-18
1991-92   2   51   9-19
1990-91   4   132   24-8
1989-90   4   127   21-12
1988-89   4   123   20-11
1987-88   3   83   16-16
1986-87   2   65   9-19
1985-86   1   48   12-16
1984-85   4   124   20-12
1983-84   3   72   17-14
1982-83   3   77   8-19
1981-82   2   78   7-20
1980-81   4   112   21-9

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
2002-03   29-5   26-4   29-4   NCAA
2011-12   29-6   25-5   28-5   NCAA
2012-13   28-8   24-7   27-7   NCAA
2008-09   27-8   25-6   26-7   NIT
2013-14   27-8   24-6   26-7   NCAA
2016-17   25-10   23-8   25-9   NCAA
1990-91   24-8   20-7   23-7   NCAA
2000-01   24-8   23-6   24-7   NCAA
1921-22   23-5   23-5   23-5   didn't exist
1973-74   23-7   21-7   21-7   NCAA
2001-02   23-9   19-8   22-8   NCAA
1999-00   23-10   20-9   23-9   NCAA
2004-05   23-11   20-10   23-10   NCAA
2010-11   23-16   18-14   19-15   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.

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
FG Percentage   .480   4th
3FG Made   2,079   6th
3FG Percentage   .387   4th
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).

Closed Scrimmage Update
Creighton lost 91-79 on October 22nd 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.

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
   1.   Kentucky   23,462
   2.   Syracuse   21,181
   3.   Louisville   20,846
   4.   North Carolina   18,067
   5.   Creighton   17,413
   6.   Wisconsin   17,286
   7.   Maryland   16,628
   8.   Kansas   16,395
   9.   Indiana   16,364
   10.   North Carolina State   15,907

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
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
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
03/20/06   Miami (Fla.)   L 53-52   G. Diaz FT   :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
Marquette   69   60
Georgetown   69   62
St. John's   63   68
DePaul   42   86

Most Wins - Last 10 Years (2007-08 - Present)
Team   W   L
Villanova   260   91
Butler   250   97
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
Creighton   394   180
Marquette   366   196
Georgetown   354   200
Providence   302   240
Seton Hall   290   245
St. John's   256   277
DePaul   211   316

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:   3rd (per WarrenNolan.com)
2015-16:   4th
2014-15:   3rd
2013-14:   4th
2012-13:   2nd
2011-12:   2nd
2010-11:   1st
2009-10:   3rd
2008-19:   4th
2007-08:   5th
2006-07:   5th
2005-06:   3rd
2004-05:   2nd
2003-04:   4th
2002-03:   5th
2001-02:   3rd
2000-01:   3rd

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.

Men's Basketball Hosts Final Exhibition Friday vs. UNC Pembroke

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Ty-Shon Alexander

Mitch Ballock

Tyler Clement

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Jacob Epperson

Marcus Foster

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Geoffrey Groselle

Ronnie Harrell Jr.

Ronnie Harrell Jr.

Toby Hegner

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Cole Huff

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Damien Jefferson

Kaleb Joseph

Martin Krampelj

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Davion Mintz

Justin Patton

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Jordan Scurry

Manny Suarez

Khyri Thomas

Khyri Thomas

Maurice Watson Jr.

Maurice Watson Jr.

Isaiah Zierden

Isaiah Zierden