Men's Basketball Meets #23 UCLA in Kansas City on Monday

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2017 Hall of Fame Classic
Game #4: Creighton Bluejays vs. #23 UCLA Bruins
Monday, Nov. 20, 2017 • 6:00 p.m.
Sprint Center (18,972) • Kansas City, Mo.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: ESPNU
Series History: Creighton leads, 2-1
Last Meeting: UCLA 95, Creighton 79 on 12/21/63 in Long Beach, Calif.

Next Game
Creighton (3-0) continues play in the 2017 Hall of Fame Classic when it meets No. 23 UCLA (3-0) on Monday, Nov. 20th.
   Tip-off at Sprint Center (18,972) in Kansas City, Mo., is set for 6 p.m.
   Creighton will then meet either Baylor or Wisconsin on Tuesday, Nov. 21st. A Monday loss would have CU playing at 6:30 p.m., while a victory on Monday would have CU playing for the title at 9 p.m. on Tuesday night.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2017-18 season, 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.

Television Broadcast Information
Monday's game vs. UCLA will be televised by ESPNU, with Clay Matvick and Fran Fraschilla on the call.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of the games at the 2017 Hall of Fame Classic will come via WatchESPN app or ESPN3.com.
   Cable authorization may be required.

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 their fourth NCAA Tournament in the past six seasons.
   CU is 3-0 this year, including a 92-88 win at No. 20 Northwestern last Wednesday.
   Senior guard Marcus Foster (19.3 ppg., 60.6 FG%) 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 (17.7 ppg.) was named an Honorable Mention Preseason All-BIG EAST choice in October. Thomas was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year last season and scored a career-high 24 points in the win at Northwestern.
   Sophomore big man Martin Krampelj has also excelled in the middle averaging 12.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
   CU's fourth- and fifth-leading scorers are both true freshmen, Mitch Ballock (8.7 ppg.) and Ty-Shon Alexander (8.0 ppg.)
   Creighton is averaging 97.7 points per game this season, shooting 55.4 percent from the floor and 43.2 percent from three-point range. CU also owns a +8.7 rebound margin and 57/39 assist/turnover ratio to date.

Scouting #23 UCLA
UCLA enters Monday with a 3-0 record, winning 63-60 over Georgia Tech vs. Shanghai, China,, then returning to Los Angeles to defeat Central Arkansas 106-101 in overtime and South Carolina State 96-68.
   Kris Wilkes (17.3 ppg., 7.3 rpg.) leads UCLA in scoring and has drained 7-of-13 three-point shots.
   Aaron Holiday (14.3 ppg., 5.3 apg.), Thomas Welsh (13.0 ppg., 11.3 rpg.) and Jaylen Hands (15.3 ppg.) also average in double-figures.
   The Bruins have used just 10 players this season, and average 88.3 points per game while outrebounding foes by 10.3 caroms per contest. UCLA shoots 41.0 percent from downtown but just 59.7 percent from the charity stripe.

The Series With UCLA
Creighton leads the all-time series with UCLA by a 2-1 margin, though the teams have not met since 1963.
   Creighton won 34-18 in 1941, and 74-72 in 1961. UCLA won the most recent meeting, 95-79.
   Creighton coach Greg McDermott has never faced UCLA, and is 13-9 in his career (7-3 at Creighton) against the Pac-12.
   McDermott is 3-3 in head-to-head match-ups with UCLA coach Steve Alford, with all of those taking place when Alford was at Iowa. Alford is 8-7 in his career against CU.
Date   McDermott School   Alford School
12/04/01   Northern Iowa 78   Iowa 76
12/10/02   Northern Iowa 54   Iowa 63
12/09/03   Northern Iowa 77   Iowa 66
12/07/04   Northern Iowa 73   Iowa 76
12/06/05   Northern Iowa 67   Iowa 63 (OT)
12/08/06   Iowa State 59   Iowa 77

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his eighth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 169-82 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 449-277 in his 24th season and is 318-213 in his 17th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Preston Murphy and Alan Huss.
   Steve Alford (Indiana, 1987) is 562-280 in his 27th overall season as a head coach, which includes a 484-251 mark in 23 seasons in the Division I ranks. He is 99-45 in five years as a head coach at UCLA, having led the Bruins to the Sweet 16 in three of the last four years. He is assisted by Duane Broussard, David Grace and Tyus Edney.

Tournament Success
Creighton has had some great success in tournament play in recent seasons, especially under Greg McDermott. In McDermott's tenure, CU is 24-4 in regular-season tournament action with four titles in seven completed events.
   Since 2002-03, Creighton is 38-8 (20-0 at home) with seven titles in 12 completed preseason tournaments, as seen below. Creighton last lost at home in a regular-season tournament in 1975.
Preseason Tournament Performances, Last 15 Seasons
Year   Tourney (Site)   W-L (Home W-L)
2002-03   Guardians Classic (Omaha/KC)   4-0 (2-0)
2004-05   Guardians Classic (Omaha/KC)   4-0 (2-0)
2006-07   Rainbow Classic (Honlulu)   2-1
2008-09   Las Vegas Classic (Omaha/Las Vegas)   4-0 (2-0)
2009-10   Old Spice Classic (Orlando)   0-3
2010-11   Hy-Vee Challenge (Omaha/Des Moines   3-1 (3-0)
2011-12   Dale Howard Classic (Omaha/Des Moines)   4-0 (3-0)
2012-13   Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas)   4-0 (2-0)
2013-14   Wooden Legacy (Fullerton/Anaheim)   1-2
2014-15   Emerald Coast Classic (Omaha/Niceville)   3-1 (2-0)
2015-16   MGM Grand Main Event (Omaha/Las Vegas)   4-0 (2-0)
2016-17   Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)   3-0
2017-18   Hall of Fame Classic (Omaha/Kansas City)   2-0 (2-0)

Hall of Fame Classic History
This is Creighton's third appearance in the Hall of Fame Classic (2002, 2004), with both previous showings taking place when the event was known as the Guardians Classic.
   The Bluejays are a perfect 10-0 in the event all-time, and were the first team to win the event twice. Other teams to win the event twice include Missouri (2001, 2011), Texas (2005, 2009) and Kansas (2012, 2016).
   In 2002 Creighton defeated UT Arlington (106-50) and Furman (82-57) to start the final season at the Omaha Civic Auditorium before heading to the venerable Municipal Auditorium and defeating IUPUI (99-52) and Notre Dame (80-75). Kyle Korver was honored as the MVP, while current Bluejay radio analyst Brody Deren also earned All-Tournament Team accolades.
   In 2004, Creighton beat Alcorn State (74-40) and Iona (68-62) in Omaha. The Jays then trekked to Kansas City and beat Missouri (78-54) and Ohio State (65-63 in overtime). Tyler McKinney was named Tournament MVP after setting an event record with 30 assists and draining a game-winning shot with 4.2 seconds left in the final.

Silas To Enter College Hoops Hall of Fame
Creighton alum Paul Silas will be enshrined into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City on Sunday, November 19th.
   In addition to Silas, the elite class includes Wake Forest's Tim Duncan, Winston-Salem State's Cleo Hill, Indiana's Scott May, Purdue's Rick Mount, Gonzaga's John Stockton and Duke's Jay Williams join former Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Wisconsin-Platteville coach Bo Ryan to form the Class of 2017.
   Silas remains one of the most dominant rebounders in college basketball history. Following a season with the freshman team, Silas pulled down 1,751 rebounds for Creighton from 1961 to 1964 – a number that currently ranks sixth in Division I history and first among three-year players.
   He's also third all-time at Creighton with a career average of 20.5 points per game, and earned various All-America accolades in each of his three varsity seasons, including Academic All-America recognition from CoSIDA. The Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Famer won three NBA titles as a player in the 1970s, and later coached four different NBA franchises.
   Silas' No. 35 jersey was retired by Creighton, and he joins Bill Russell, Julius Erving, Kermit Washington and Artis Gilmore as one of five players in NCAA history to average at least 20 points (20.5) and 20 rebounds (21.6) during his college career.
   Silas owns the top 22 single-game rebounding totals in Creighton history, with a high of 38 vs. Centenary on Feb. 19, 1962. He grabbed 33 rebounds ("only" the sixth-most of his career) on Dec. 21, 1963 against then-No. 6 UCLA.
   Silas owns more rebounds (1,751) than any player in the last 55 years (by comparison, Lehigh's Tim Kempton led all active rebounders at the end of 2016-17 with 1,095 career rebounds).
   Last year, across all of Division I, there were only 36 games where an individual grabbed 20+ rebounds. Caleb Swanigan led all of college hoops with four games of 20+ boards.

Schedule Of Events
The ceremonies for the College Basketball Hall of Fame can be followed a myriad of ways.
   From 5:30 - 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, the
@CollegeHoopHall account will stream the Hall of Fame Red Carpet arrival, including short interviews with each inductee.
   The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place on Sunday, Nov. 19 from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. at the Midland Theater.
   Members of the Class of 2017 will participate in a roundtable/press conference from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. on Monday. That event will also be streamed live on Facebook Live from the @CollegeHoopHall account.
   For additional information on the events, visit HallOfFameWeekend.com, follow @HOFClassic on Twitter, @CollegeHoopHall on Facebook or search the hashtag #CBHOF.

Silas Not The First
Paul Silas will become the fifth person with Creighton connections to enter the College Basketball Hall of Fame. He joins the following...
   Eddie Hickey, a 2006 inductee into the coaches wing, won 126 games as head coach at Creighton from 1935-43 and 1946-47.
   Willis Reed, a 2006 inductee as a player (at Grambling State), won 52 games as head coach at Creighton from 1981-85.
   Arthur A. Schabinger, a 2006 inductee as a contributor, won 165 games as head coach at Creighton from 1922-35.
   Eddie Sutton, a 2011 inductee into the coaches wing, won 82 games as head coach at Creighton from 1969-74.

Like Father, Like Son
When Creighton's Greg McDermott coaches against UCLA's Steve Alford on Monday, it'll be a battle between two coaches who are among the most prolific father/son scoring duos in NCAA history.
   Greg McDermott scored 1,033 points at Northern Iowa, while his son Doug McDermott scored 3,150 points at Creighton while playing for his father. Steve Alford scored 2,438 points at Indiana, while his son Bryce Alford scored 1,922 points at UCLA while playing for his father.
Most Points, Father/Son Combinations
Points   Last Name   Father (Pts.)   Son (Pts.)
5,024   Curry   Dell (2,389)   Stephen (2.635)
4,568   Burtt   Steve (2,534)   Steve Jr. (2,034)
4,490   Curry   Dell (2,389)   Seth (2,101)
4,360   Alford   Steve (2,438)   Bryce (1,922)
4,183   McDermott   Greg (1,033)   Doug (3,150)

More Father/Son Combos
Greg McDermott coached his son Doug McDermott from 2010-14, and Doug scored 3,150 career points. That's fifth-most in NCAA history, and second-most for a son playing for his father.
   The brother of Baylor coach Scott Drew, Bryce Drew (now the Vanderbilt coach), ranks fifth on that list while playing for his father, Homer Drew. (at Valparaiso). Bryce Alford scored 1,922 points for his father, Steve Alford, at UCLA.
Most Points By A Son Playing For His Father
Name, School   Points   Father
Pete Maravich, LSU   3,667   Press
Doug McDermott, Creighton   3,150   Greg
Allan Houston, Tennessee   2,801   Wade
Tony Bennett, UW-Green Bay   2,285   Dick
Bryce Drew, Valparaiso   2,142   Homer

KC Family
Four members of the Creighton program have connections to the Kansas City area.
   Senior guard Tyler Clement hails from the Kansas City suburb of Shawnee, Kan.
   Freshman guard Mitch Ballock hails from nearby Eudora, Kan.
   Senior guard Marcus Foster played the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons at Kansas State University.
   Creighton assistant coach Alan Huss played at North Kansas City High School, earning All-Kansas City metro honors as a senior, before heading to play at Creighton from 1997-2001.

Fantastic Freshmen
Creighton got a huge lift from its freshmen last Wednesday at Northwestern, as Ty-Shon Alexander (14) and Mitch Ballock (6) combined for 20 points to help fuel the Bluejays to a 33-4 lead in bench points.
   Alexander and Ballock scored 14 straight points for CU at one point in the first half.
   Ballock and Alexander have combined for 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 37 minutes per game this winter.

Sea Of Blue
Creighton ranked fifth nationally in average home attendance last year (17,413 per game), the sixth straight season the Bluejays have ranked among the top-10 nationally.
   Expect a large contingent of those fans to make the three-hour (190 miles) trek to Kansas City.
   Creighton sold 1,800 tickets to the event, and a similar number bought tickets through the Sprint Center directly for the event.
   The large numbers wouldn't be anything new. In 2014, Creighton sold more than 2,500 all-session tickets to the BIG EAST Tournament in New York City, the highest total for any visiting fan base since Connecticut in the mid-2000s.

No Doubting Thomas
Khyri Thomas had 24 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and a blocked shot last Wednesday at No. 20 Northwestern.
   Thomas is the first Creighton player with 24 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in the same game since Rodney Buford had 24/11/7 on Nov. 25, 1998 at Iowa. That game, like last Wednesday, was also CU's third game of the year, that saw Creighton win a road game against a Big Ten team that entered the night 2-0.
   Thomas is the nation's only player this year with 24 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and a blocked shot in a game this season, and one of 50 men with a 24/11/5 line, plus a block and a steal, since the start of 2010-11.

What Could Have Been
Everyone knows that reigning NBA MVP Russell Westbrook attended UCLA, but not many realize that the Oklahoma City Thunder guard took his first official recruiting visit to Creighton.
   Westbrook came to Omaha in September of 2005 (the itinerary, tweeted in 2013 by Doug McDermott, is at http://tinyurl.com/RW-visit).
   Westbrook eventually ended up at UCLA when a scholarship opened up after Jordan Farmar turned pro, and the rest, as they say, is history.
   More details on Westbrook's recruiting trip can be found at http://tinyurl.com/RW-Jays.

Comparing Scores
All four teams in Kansas City for the 2017 Hall of Fame Classic went 2-0 in preliminary round home games against a group that consisted of Alcorn State, Central Arkansas, South Carolina St. and Yale.
   Leading the way in point differential was Wisconsin (63), followed by Baylor (58), Creighton (53) and UCLA (33).
   Alcorn   UCA   SC St.   Yale
Baylor   78-61   107-66   -   -
Creighton   109-72   -   -   92-76
UCLA   -   106-101   96-68   -
Wisconsin   -   -   85-50   89-61

A 50/50/50 Chance
Creighton has shot better than 51.4 percent in each of the first three games of the season. CU is one of three teams that can say that, joining Arizona and Purdue.
   It's the first time since 2013-14 that Creighton has started the year with three straight games making 51.4 percent or better from the field, when it did so in the first five contests.
   Last year's team started the season with 10 straight games of 50 percent or better shooting and finished second in the year-end rankings by making shots at a 50.5 percent clip. Only Monday's foe, UCLA (52.2 percent), was better.

Putting Up The Points
Creighton scored 109 points on Nov. 12th vs. Alcorn State, tied for the ninth-most in school history, and third-most ever recorded by the Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
   Creighton has now scored 109 points or more three times in the last 12 months (113 vs. Longwood; 112 vs. North Carolina State), after not doing it a single time from 2008-09 to 2015-16.
   The school record for points in a game by Creighton is 124, done on Feb. 10, 1964 vs. Miami (Fla.) in a 30-point win.
   Per Basketball-Reference.com, Creighton's 16 games of 100+ points since 2010-11 (when Greg McDermott was hired) are the sixth-most in the nation, as seen below. Monday's opponent, UCLA, has also done it 16 times.
Most 100+ Point Games Since 2010-11 (thru 11/16/17)
   Rank   100 Pt. Games   Team
   1.   28   VMI
   2.   21   North Carolina
   3.   19   Indiana
   4.   18   Oakland
   5.   17   Charleston Southern
   6.   16   Creighton
       16   UCLA
   8.   15   Central Arkansas
       15   Central Michigan
       15   Morehead State
       15   Nebraska-Omaha
       15   Northwestern State

All The Points
Creighton has scored 90 or more points in each of its first three games of the season for the first time in program history.
   Creighton's 293 points to date are its most ever after three games by six points. The 2002-03 team (which won the Guardians Classic in Kansas City) scored 287 points (106, 82, 99) after three games.
   Through games of Thursday, Creighton was one of four teams nationally to score 90 or more points in three or more games this season, joining Arizona, Appalachian State and Cincinnati.

Good Company
The field for the Hall of Fame Classic features an outstanding field, with all four teams spending time in the top-10 last season.
   In fact, on the week of January 2, 2017, Baylor was ranked first, UCLA ranked fourth, Creighton eighth and Wisconsin 13th.
   The tournament field combined to spend 40 weeks in the top-10 of last year's weekly polls (14 by Baylor and UCLA, 8 by Creighton, 4 by Wisconsin).

All The Three's
Creighton drilled 16 three-point shots last Sunday vs. Alcorn State, tied for the third-most in a game in program history.
   Here's a list of the games with 16 or more treys.
Most 3FG in a Game, Creighton History
   Rank   3FG   Opponent   Date   Score
   1.   21   at #4 Villanova   1/20/2014   W 96-68
   2.   20   Chattanooga   2/19/2005   W 100-69
   3.   16   Evansville   1/4/1999   L 79-84
       16   Drake   1/8/2013   W 91-61
       16   Chicago State   12/29/2013   W 90-58
       16   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/2016   W 86-77
       16   Alcorn State   11/12/2017   W 109-72
   8.   15   Six times

Foster Fills It Up
Marcus Foster finished last season with 10 or more points in each of his final 18 games, and has started his senior season with games of 23, 23 and 12 points.
   His current 21-game double-figure streak is the longest by any Bluejay since Doug McDermott closed his career with 28 straight double-figure games from Dec. 3, 2013 to March 23, 2014.
   Foster scored seven points or more in all 35 games last season, finishing in double-figures in 33 of them.
   Foster became the first Creighton player with 23 points in each of CU's first two games of a season since Cyril Baptiste in 1970-71.

McDermott Coaches In 250th Game at Creighton
Greg McDermott coached in his 250th game at Creighton last Sunday vs. Alcorn State, the third Bluejay basketball coach in history to reach that milestone.
   McDermott owned a record of 168-82 after 250 games, more wins than both Dana Altman (160) and Red McManus (134) after 250 games.
Creighton Coaches To Reach 250 Games
W-L After 250   Coach   Game 250 Date
   134-116   Red McManus   02/08/1969
   160-90   Dana Altman   01/30/2002
   168-82   Greg McDermott   11/12/17

Top 25 Success
Creighton had four wins over top-25 teams last season, twice as many as any previous campaign in program history. Five other Bluejay teams had two top-25 victories in the same season.
   This year's team is 1-0 against ranked teams, beating No. 20 Northwestern on Nov. 15th.
Most Top-25 Wins, Season
   Wins   Season   Top-25 Victims
   4   2016-17   #9 Wisconsin, #12 Butler,
           #16 Butler, #22 Xavier
   2   1973-74   #6 Marquette, #16 Louisville
   2   2001-02   #15 Florida, #17 Western Kentucky
   2   2006-07   #11 Southern Illinois, #24 Xavier
   2   2013-14   #4 Villanova, #6 Villanova
   2   2015-16   #5 Xavier, #18 Butler

Ranking News & Notes
UCLA is ranked 23th in the Nov. 13th AP poll, though a new edition will come out a few hours before UCLA meet the Bluejays on Monday. Some notes of interest as it pertains to Creighton...
- Creighton is 28-135 all-time (1-0 this year) against nationally-ranked teams in the Associated Press poll.
- Creighton is 10-20 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams. He owns more top-25 wins than any coach in Creighton history, having passed Dana Altman (7) with a win at No. 22 Xavier in January of 2017.
- Creighton beat three ranked teams in January of 2017 (No. 12 Butler on Jan. 11; No. 22 Xavier on Jan. 16 and No. 16 Butler on Jan. 31). It was the first time in program history that CU beat multiple ranked teams in the same month.
- Creighton has won five straight games against top-25 teams not named Villanova.
- Creighton went 2-1 on the road last year against top-25 teams, topping No. 22 Xavier on Jan. 16 and No. 16 Butler on Jan. 31 before losing at Villanova on Feb. 25. Creighton had never before picked up multiple top-25 road wins in the same season before 2016-17.
- Creighton is 6-70 all-time in true road games against top-25 teams, but four of those wins in the last five seasons and under the direction of head coach Greg McDermott. Creighton's win over Northwestern was its first true road top-25 non-conference win since 1974 (#6 Marquette).
- Creighton has never beaten ranked teams in consecutive games, something it will try to do on Monday (assuming UCLA is still ranked).

Road Openers
Creighton improved to 5-3 under Greg McDermott in its first true road game of the season with this year's win at Northwestern, and 14-10 in the last 24 years in the initial road game.
   The road opener has been the barometer for Creighton's postseason plans in the previous nine years. Creighton has made the NCAA Tournament the four times it has won the road opener, and missed the tournament the other five seasons.
Creighton in Road Openers, Last 9 Years
Year   Opponent   Score   CU in NCAA's?
2008-09   Ark.-Little Rock   L 69-71   No (NIT)
2009-10   #21 Dayton   L 80-90   No (CIT)
2010-11   Northwestern   L 52-65   No (CBI)
2011-12   UAB   W 70-60   Yes
2012-13   Nebraska   W 64-42   Yes
2013-14   Saint Joseph's   W 83-79   Yes
2014-15   Tulsa   L 64-77   No
2015-16   #14 Indiana   L 65-86   No (NIT)
2016-17   Nebraska   W 77-62   Yes
2017-18   #20 Northwestern   W 92-88   ? ? ?

My Favorite Martin
Martin Krampelj's first career start was a memorable one, as the redshirt sophomore had career-highs with 12 points and nine rebounds vs. Yale on Friday.
   All he's done since then is exceed both career-highs.
   Krampelj had 12 rebounds against Alcorn State on Nov. 15th, then had 17 points and three assists (also a career-high) on Nov. 15th at No. 20 Northwestern.
   Before Krampelj, the last Bluejay with 9+ rebounds in each of CU's first two games of a season was Wayne Runnels in 2009-10.

Happy Birthday, Old Man(ny)
Manny Suarez turned 24 on November 12th. He's nearly 14 months older than his next-closest teammate, Tyler Clement (Dec. 25, 1994).
   Per a list compiled by Northwestern State SID Doug Ireland, Suarez is the nation's 14th-oldest active player with six men above him having served a church mission while in school.
NCAA's Oldest Players (as of 11/12/17)
Age (Yrs-Days)   Name, Current School   Key
   25-309   Josh Boutte, Sam Houston State
   25-275   Gibson Johnson, Hawai'i   C
   25-145   Zach Nelson, Utah Valley   C
   24-354   Isaac Neilson, Utah Valley   C
   24-347   Kyle Brown, Cornell   C
   24-298   Ron Patterson, IUPUI
   24-284   Dusty Baker, Weber State   C
   24-228   Ronald Delph, Florida Atlantic
   24-215   Jalan West, Northwestern State
   24-175   David Collette, Utah   C
   24-132   Kevin Mickle, Ohio
   24-27   Isaiah Brock, Oakland
   24-5   Peter Ryckbosch, DePaul
   24-0   Manny Suarez, Creighton
   23-346   Quinn Taylor, Utah State   C
KEY: C = served church mission

20/20 Vision
Both Marcus Foster (23) and Khyri Thomas (22) scored 20 or more points in Creighton's season-opening win vs. Yale.
   Creighton had not seen multiple players each surpass 20 or more points in the same season-opener since Nov. 16, 2008, when both P'Allen Stinnett (30) and Booker Woodfox (26) did it against New Mexico.
   Incredibly, both Woodfox (23) and Stinnett (21) exceeded 20 points in the second half alone to fuel a Bluejay comeback from 16 points down with 10:10 to play.
   That comeback came against ex-New Mexico coach Steve Alford, who now leads the UCLA team that the Bluejays will face Monday in Kansas City when the Hall of Fame Classic continues.

Foster Up For Citizen Naismith Award
Creighton men's basketball senior Marcus Foster has been named one of 50 candidates for the Citizen Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced. A list of 30 midseason candidates will be released on Feb. 14, 2018 before the 50th presentation of the award April 1, 2018.
   A senior from Wichita Falls, Texas, Foster was a unanimous All-BIG EAST selection last year after leading Creighton with 18.2 points per game a year ago. He ranked among the league leaders in scoring after posting the highest scoring average for a Bluejay newcomer since 1970. Foster's 638 points were the 10th-most in CU history and the most ever by a Bluejay newcomer in their debut season on the court.
   Foster is also one of 50 preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award.
   Creighton has had one previous winner of the Naismith Trophy and the Wooden Award, as Doug McDermott collected the hardware for both following the 2013-14 campaign.

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).

Fan-Tazz-Tic Shooting Streak
Khyri Thomas enters Monday's game having made a three-pointer in each of his last 17 games dating to last season.
   He's the first Bluejay to sink a trey in 17 games in a row since Ethan Wragge's streak of 23 in a row from Nov. 8, 2013 - Feb. 9, 2014.

Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Creighton shot 58.8 percent from the floor on November 10th, the program's best mark in a season-opener since blistering UT Arlington 106-50 on 59.4 percent shooting to open the 2002-03 season.
   Creighton has made the postseason all eight times in the previous 25 seasons in which it has made at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts to open the year. The last time that didn't hold true was 1991-92, when CU shot 51.0 percent in the opener but finished just 9-19.
CU Season-Opener Field Goal Percentage Over 50%
Since 1992-93
FG%   Year   Opponent   Postseason
.541   1997-98   UMKC   NIT
.524   1998-99   Towson State   NCAA
.569   2000-01   Western Illinois   NCAA
.594   2002-03   UT Arlington   NCAA
.500   2012-13   North Texas   NCAA
.556   2013-14   Alcorn State   NCAA
.528   2015-16   Texas Southern   NIT
.508   2016-17   UMKC   NCAA
.558   2017-18   Yale   TBD

Against The Big Ten
Including last Wednesday's win at No. 20 Northwestern, Creighton is 12-1 in its last 13 games against teams from the Big Ten. Creighton has outscored foes by an average of 10.31 points in those 13 games, which include 10 double-figure victories.
   Greg McDermott is 25-13 in his career against teams that are currently in the Big Ten, including a 12-3 mark on the Creighton sideline.
Creighton's Last 12 Games vs. the Big Ten
Date   Opponent   Score
11/20/11   vs. Iowa (in Des Moines)   W 82-59
12/04/11   Nebraska   W 76-66
12/22/11   Northwestern   W 87-79
11/23/12   vs. Wisconsin (in Las Vegas)   W 84-74
12/06/12   at Nebraska   W 64-42
12/08/13   Nebraska   W 82-67
12/07/14   at Nebraska   W 65-55
11/19/15   at #14 Indiana   L 65-86
11/23/15   vs. Rutgers (in Las Vegas)   W 85-75
12/09/15   Nebraska   W 83-67
11/15/16   #9 Wisconsin   W 79-67
12/07/16   at Nebraska   W 77-62
11/15/17   at #20 Northwestern   W 92-88

Big Margin Can Lead To Big Things
Creighton beat Yale, 92-76, in the season-opener.
   Of Creighton's 20 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, nine 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.
               Final   Post-
   Score   Opponent   Date   W-L   Season
   92-76   Yale   11/10/17   TBD   TBD
   93-70   Texas Southern   11/14/15   20-15   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

November Reign
Creighton is a perfect 56-0 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th.
   Creighton has won 59 of its 60 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012.
   Overall, Creighton is 81-15 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
   Creighton has also won 74 of its last 77 regular-season non-conference home games against unranked foes since falling to Drexel on Feb. 17, 2007.

Two Of The Best
A pair of Creighton players were recently ranked among the best in college basketball in some preseason rankings of top-100 players.
   CBSSports.com lists Marcus Foster as the nation's 31st-best player and Khyri Thomas as 70th-best.
   NBCSports.com listed Foster as the No. 21 player, and Thomas as 67th-best nationally.
   ESPN.com did a list of the nation's top 50 players, and Foster finished 30th in that voting.

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.
   Since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in 2013, Creighton, Providence and Villanova are the only teams to meet or exceed their poll prediction each season.

#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 2,088 three-pointers and is seventh in league history with 43.1 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through November 16th). 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 10.9 points per game this year and shooting 43.8 percent from downtown.
   Tolliver is averaging 7.1 points and 2.9 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 7.9 points and 2.6 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. Huff is now on the Greensboro Swarm roster, while Zierden was cut.

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

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, through games of Thursday, Nov. 16th
2010-11 to Present
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
FG Percentage   .481   3rd
3FG Percentage   .388   4th
3FG Made   2,111   5th
Assists   4,048   5th
FG Made   6,720   12th
Wins   169   29th
Winning Percentage   .673   37th

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.

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 in 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

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).

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 47-2 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 41-2 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   Creighton is 58-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 30 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas State.

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 786 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 20th-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.
   Below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks, through Nov. 17th.
Longest Active 3-Point Streak, Through 11/17
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,017   Kentucky   11/20
   2.   1,009   UNLV   11/20
   3.   1,001   Vanderbilt   11/17
   4.   988   Duke   11/20
   5.   939   Arkansas   11/17
   6.   938   Western Kentucky   11/19
   7.   929   East Tennessee State   11/17
   8.   919   Pacific   11/18
   9.   902   Oakland   11/18
   10.   895   Texas   11/18
   11.   876   Princeton   11/18
   12.   846   Marshall   11/19
   13.   843   La Salle   11/18
   14.   837   Baylor   11/17
   15.   815   Gonzaga   11/18
   16.   812   LIU-Brooklyn   11/18
   17.   804   Cornell   11/19
   18.   795   Mount St. Mary's   11/18
   19.   787   Tennessee State   11/18
   20.   786   Creighton   11/20
   21.   785   East Carolina   11/20

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 147-12 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 135 of the last 143 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

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 169 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .673 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.   169-82   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

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.

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 82-14 (.854) mark the last seven years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
   Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 126-36 in the last seven 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 241 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 15-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 199-42 (.825) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (13-0).
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 18,542-15,625 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.10 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 67 different times, including 15 of its last 38 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 102-24 (.810) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 59-4 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 219-42 (.839) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 79.75 points per home game (10,048 points in 126 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.06 points in non-conference home games (5,296 points in 63 home games).
   Creighton is 85-2 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points and has won 83 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
2017-18:   3rd (via WarrenNolan.com)
2016-17:   3rd
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.

Clear Bag Policy Comes to CenturyLink on 12/31
Starting December 31, 2017, CenturyLink Center Omaha will adopt new clear bag regulations for all arena events including Creighton University men's home basketball games. Bags permitted under the policy include clear plastic, vinyl or PVC totes.
   Additionally, small clutch-sized bags will also be allowed inside the arena after a proper security inspection. However, oversized bags or purses will no longer be allowed inside the premises.
   After observing the success and ease of transition with arenas and venues across the state, MECA and Creighton University believe the updated policy to be the best safety practice for the thousands of fans who loyally attend each basketball game, and countless concert-goers who walk through the doors at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
   Here are the main bullet-points of the new bag policy, effective on December 31 when the Bluejays host Providence (1:30 p.m., tip-off):
•   Clear plastic bags, measuring 12 inches tall, 12 inches long, and 6 inches wide
•   Small or clutch-sized purses or wallets, not exceeding 4.5 inches tall by 6.5 inches long
•   One-gallon, clear plastic freezer bags are permitted (Ziploc bag or similar)
•   No large purses, bags, backpacks or fanny-packs will be allowed inside
•   MECA staff members are not allowed to hold bags during an event
•   Exceptions will be made for bags with medical necessity after appropriate inspection

Men's Basketball Meets #23 UCLA in Kansas City on Monday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Mitch Ballock

Tyler Clement

Tyler Clement

Marcus Foster

Marcus Foster

Geoffrey Groselle

Cole Huff

Martin Krampelj

Martin Krampelj

Justin Patton

Manny Suarez

Khyri Thomas

Khyri Thomas

Maurice Watson Jr.

Isaiah Zierden