Men's Basketball Opens 100th Season Friday vs. Yale

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Game #1: Yale at Creighton
Friday, Nov. 10, 2017 • 8:00 p.m.
2017 Hall of Fame Classic
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, KOOO 101.9 FM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FSN (complete list), DirecTV channel 671-1 (HD Only); AT&T U-verse channel 747 (SD) and 1747 (HD); Dish Network 445 or 412-33
Series History: First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting

Next Game
Creighton (0-0) starts its 100th season of basketball on Friday, Nov. 10, when it hosts Yale (0-0) in the regular-season opener for both squads.
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 8:00 p.m.
   The game is the first of four contests that Creighton will play in during the 2017 Hall of Fame Classic, along with Sunday's game vs. Alcorn State and games on Nov. 20 (UCLA) and Nov. 21 (Baylor/Wisconsin) that will be contested at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

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 Brody Deren will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Friday's game against Yale will be televised by Fox Sports Midwest, as well as multiple other channels (see complete list here), with Steve Physioc and Nick Bahe on the call. It can also be seen on DirecTV channel 671-1 (HD Only); AT&T U-verse channel 747 (SD) and 1747 (HD); Dish Network 445 or 412-33.
   The game will also be video webcast at FoxSportsGo.com and on the FOXSportsGo app.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Friday's game will be available via FOXSportsGO.com for desktop users, and via the FOX Sports GO app for mobile devices (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Window devices). A cable authorization may be required.
   The FOX Sports GO mobile app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store or the Windows Store, and the games are now available internationally.

Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.
   Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.

Scouting 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.
   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 handling Nebraska-Omaha (96-67) and UNC Pembroke (93-70) in public exhibition games.

Scouting Yale
Yale returns three of their top four scorers from last year's team that finished 18-11.
   Leading the returners are junior guard Alex Copeland (12.9 ppg.), sophomore guard Miye Oni (12.9 ppg., 6.3 rpg.) and junior forward Blake Reynolds (9.4 ppg., 5.0 rpg.)
   Also returning is senior guard Makai Mason, who averaged 16.0 points and 3.8 assists per game for Yale's 2015-16 team that defeated Baylor in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, but missed all of last year with a broken foot.
   The Bulldogs defeated Washington 98-90 in last year's season-opener, and ended the season with a 71-59 loss to Princeton in the Ivy League Tournament championship game.
   Yale earned a league-high eight first-place votes in a preseason Ivy League media poll, and were picked second overall behind Harvard.

The Series With Yale
Creighton and Yale have never met.
   Greg McDermott has never faced off against James Jones.
   McDermott has coached against teams in 31 of the current 32 conferences, but has never faced an Ivy League school until Friday's tilt vs. Yale.

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.
   James Jones (Albany, 1986) owns a 272-249 record entering his 19th season as head coach at Yale. He was previously an assistant at Albany, Yale and Ohio. Jones led the Bulldogs to the 2016 Ivy League championship, then saw his team beat Baylor in the NCAA Tournament. He is assisted by Matt Kingsley, Justin Simon and Tobe Carberry.

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 8-0 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, whlie 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.

Set Your Clocks Back, But Your Calendars Up
Friday will mark the first regular-season contest played on November 10th in program history.
   The earliest starting date to the regular-season in program history came when CU topped Alcorn State 107-61 on November 8, 2013.

Tournament Success
Creighton has had some great success in tournament play in recent seasons, especially under Greg McDermott. In McDermott's first seven seasons, CU is 22-4 in regular-season tournament action with four titles in seven events.
   Since 2002-03, Creighton is 36-8 (18-0 at home) with seven titles in 12 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

Jays At Home Against Winless Teams
Creighton's opponent on Friday, Yale, is 0-0 on the young season. The Bluejays have won 35 straight home games against teams that are winless entering the night, winning those games by an average of 26.29 points. Fourteen of those wins came by 30 points or more, and only three were decided by single-digits.
   The streak dates to a 77-70 loss versus an 0-2 SMU team on Dec. 3, 1994. That game was Dana Altman's home debut at Creighton.
   Creighton has also won 99 straight home games against teams that enter the night with a record of .500 or worse, a streak that dates to Feb. 25, 2002.
Creighton at Home vs. Winless Teams, Since 12/3/1994
Opp. W-L    Opponent   CU Result   Date
   0-4   UMKC   W 75-61   12/17/94
   0-1   UMKC   W 70-68   11/25/96
   0-0   UMKC   W 81-59   11/14/97
   0-0   Towson   W 93-48   11/14/98
   0-1   Western Illinois   W 96-50   11/20/00
   0-1   North Carolina A&T   W 72-51   11/18/01
   0-0   Texas-Arlington   W 106-50   11/17/02
   0-3   San Diego   W 79-44   11/22/03
   0-1   Bethune-Cookman   W 69-49   12/03/03
   0-0   Alcorn State   W 74-40   11/15/04
   0-0   Arkansas-Pine Bluff   W 83-58   11/20/04
   0-0   Arkansas-Pine Bluff   W 87-55   11/19/05
   0-1   Miss. Valley State   W 78-42   11/13/06
   0-4   Arkansas-Pine Bluff   W 74-39   11/29/06
   0-0   DePaul   W 74-62   11/09/07
   0-2   Miss. Valley State   W 76-46   11/17/07
   0-2   Arkansas-Pine Bluff   W 82-50   11/20/08
   0-9   Miss. Valley State   W 82-58   12/02/08
   0-7   Southern   W 71-60   12/15/08
   0-1   Florida A&M   W 78-53   11/17/09
   0-0   Alabama State   W 71-57   11/12/10
   0-1   Northern Arizona   W 74-70   11/14/10
   0-0   N. Carolina A&T   W 97-65   11/11/11
   0-1   Chicago State   W 95-61   11/13/11
   0-0   North Texas   W 71-51   11/09/12
   0-2   Presbyterian   W 87-58   11/18/12
   0-4   Longwood   W 105-57   11/20/12
   0-0   Alcorn State   W 107-61   11/08/13
   0-1   UMKC   W 96-70   11/11/13
   0-3   Tulsa   W 82-72   11/23/13
   0-0   Central Arkansas   W 104-77   11/14/14
   0-1   Chicago State   W 84-66   11/16/14
   0-1   Texas Southern   W 93-70   11/14/15
   0-2   UTSA   W 103-78   11/17/15
   0-0   UMKC   W 89-82   11/11/16

Friday Night Lights
Creighton doesn't play many Friday home games, but judging by its success, it might not be a bad idea for the future, as CU has won 23 straight Friday home games.
   Creighton has won every Friday home game it's played since Dec. 12, 1975, back when Greg McDermott was 11 years old, and more than 23 years before current Bluejay freshman Ty-Shon Alexander, Mitch Ballock and Jacob Epperson were born.
    The Yale contest is Creighton's first of two scheduled home games for a Friday this season, joining the Dec. 15 game vs. Maryland Eastern Shore.

Season Opener History
Including last year's 89-82 win vs. UMKC, Creighton owns a sparkling 84-15 record (.848) on opening day, including wins in 19 of its last 20 lid-lifters.
   Creighton has won 12 of its last 17 season-openers by 20 or more points.
   The Jays have outscored foes by an average of 85.94 to 60.18 in the last 17 openers.

Home Opener History
Including last year's win over UMKC, Creighton is 88-11 (.889) in home openers all-time.        Creighton has won 22 straight home openers since a Dec. 3, 1994 setback against SMU.
   That 22-game home opener win streak is a school record, one more than the 21 straight from 1946-66 that was part of a stretch between 1936-80 where the Bluejays went 41-2 in home openers.

Opening Statements
Greg McDermott has won each of the last 15 season openers he's coached in, as he is 15-1 at the Division I level in season-openers. That includes double-digit victories in six of seven games on the Creighton sideline. Overall as a head coach, McDermott is 20-3 in season-opening games.
   That includes an impressive 99-point win (137-38) in his first game on the sidelines when he was at Wayne State.
Date   School   Opponent   Result
1994-95   Wayne St.   York   W 137-38
1995-96   Wayne St.   Nebraska-Omaha   L 63-72
1996-97   Wayne St.   St. Francis   W 72-66
1997-98   Wayne St.   Nebraska-Omaha   W 78-76
1998-99   Wayne St.   Mount Marty   W 76-70
1999-00   Wayne St.   South Dakota   L 64-66
11/17/00   NDSU   Macalester   W 81-69
11/16/01   UNI   vs. San Diego State   L 57-71
11/22/02   UNI   at Montana   W 77-71
11/21/03   UNI   Chicago State   W 83-59
11/21/04   UNI   Wayne State   W 84-66
11/20/05   UNI   Western Carolina   W 68-46
11/10/06   Iowa State   UC Riverside   W 69-61
11/09/07   Iowa State   Winston-Salem St.   W 58-44
11/14/08   Iowa State   UC Davis   W 61-58
11/13/09   Iowa State   Idaho State   W 88-68
11/12/10   Creighton   Alabama State   W 71-57
11/11/11   Creighton   N. Carolina A&T   W 97-65
11/09/12   Creighton   North Texas   W 71-51
11/08/13   Creighton   Alcorn State   W 107-61
11/14/14   Creighton   Central Arkansas   W 104-77
11/14/15   Creighton   Texas Southern   W 93-70
11/11/16   Creighton   UMKC   W 89-82

Hello, World
Creighton has five players that could make their Bluejay debut on Friday night: Ty-Shon Alexander, Mitch Ballock, Jacob Epperson, Kaleb Joseph and Manny Suarez.
   Below is a look at how Creighton's current players have done in their regular-season and Creighton debuts in a Division I uniform.
Name   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Stl.   Min.
Foster• (@CU)   19   1   2   0   28
Thomas•   18   3   0   2   26
Krampelj   11   8   2   0   14
Harrell   8   4   2   1   13
Foster• (@KSU)   8   4   2   0   30
Joseph (@SU)•   4   5   7   2   23
Hegner   4   3   1   0   21
Clement   3   1   1   1   9
Scurry   3   1   0   0   5
Suarez (@FORD)   3   0   0   0   8
Jefferson (@UNM)   2   0   1   0   8
Mintz       0   0   0   0   8
•indicates game started

Making An Entrance
With 19 points vs. UMKC last season, Marcus Foster became CU's highest scorer in his debut since P'Allen Stinnett started his MVC Freshman of the Year campaign in 2007-08 with 23 points vs. DePaul.
   Creighton's last freshmen to debut with 10 or more points came last season, when Justin Patton scored 12 points in 22 minutes. Patton also had eight rebounds in his debut. Patton and Martin Krampelj (8 in 2015) own the most boards in their freshmen debut for CU since Joe Dabbert (9) in 2000.
   Creighton's best opening-day effort in history would have to be the way Hall of Famer Bob Harstad began his senior season. Harstad went 13-for-13 from the floor and 12-for-13 at the line to score 38 points against Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 30, 1990.
   Seven years ago, Doug McDermott burst onto the scene with 16 points and seven rebounds in his debut, becoming the first Bluejay freshman since at least 1973 to have 15 or more points and five or more rebounds in a season-opener.
   Below is a list of some of Creighton's most famous players and how they performed in their regular-season debuts in a Bluejay uniform.
Name, Yr.   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Stl.   Min.   Result
Foster, 2016   19   1   2   0   28   W 89-82
Patton, 2016   12   8   2   0   22   W 89-82
Thomas, 2015   18   3   0   2   26   W 93-70
McDermott, 2010   16   7   0   1   32   W 71-57
Stinnett, 2007   23   4   3   3   26   W 74-62
Tolliver, 2003   0   1   2   0   7   W 79-44
Funk, 2002   3   5   4   1   21   W 106-50
Kyle Korver, 1999   2   2   0   1   10   W 70-62
Buford, 1995   3   4   0   0   19   W 63-59
Harstad, 1987   4   5   1   1   21   L 49-70
Gallagher, 1987   10   3   0   0   37   L 49-70
Benjamin, 1982   14   4   1   0   22   W 98-54
McKenna, 1977   14   3   7   ?   ?   W 95-66
Harmon, 1971   21   7   ?   ?   ?   W 74-62
C. Baptiste, 1969   24   17   ?   ?   ?   W 84-62
Portman, 1966   9   ?   ?   ?   ?   W 78-76
Silas, 1961   22   29   ?   ?   ?   W 85-51
Gibson, 1954   19   ?   ?   ?   ?   W 66-51

More Debut News
Some more facts of interest about players making their Bluejay debut.
   Last year redshirt freshman Justin Patton and redshirt junior Marcus Foster both started the season-opener.
   In 2015, Khyri    Thomas became just the third true freshman to start since 1992-93 to start the opener, joining Bluejay legends Doug McDermott (2010-11) and Ryan Sears (1997-98). Both McDermott (145 games) and Sears (124) started every contest of their four-year Creighton careers, while Thomas has started 63 times of 69 appearances thus far in his career.

Suarez Doubles Up
In the two public exhibition games, Manny Suarez has per-40 minute averages of 37.2 points and 27.6 rebounds per game.
   Suarez had a double-double last Friday vs. UNC Pembroke with 13 points and 12 rebounds in just 18 minutes off the bench. One week earlier, Suarez provided 14 points and eight rebounds in 11 minutes of work.
   In two seasons at Division II Adelphi University (Garden City, N.J.), Suarez averaged 15.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in 58 contests. He produced 20 double-doubles in that time, with single-game highs of 32 points and 17 rebounds. He had career per-40-minute averages of 24.0 points and 13.6 rebounds per game for the Panthers.

Playing With The Lead
Incredibly, Creighton hasn't trailed in its home opener in nine of the past 17 seasons (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2014-15 and 2016-17).
   In 239 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 67 of those contests, a staggering 28.0 percent of the time.
   Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 100-24 and hasn't trailed in 42 of those games.

November Reign
Creighton is a perfect 54-0 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th.
   Creighton has won 57 of its 58 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012.
   Overall, Creighton is 78-15 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
   Creighton has also won 72 of its last 75 regular-season non-conference home games against unranked foes since falling to Drexel on Feb. 17, 2007.

Big Margin Can Lead To Big Things
Creighton's 93-70 win in 2015 vs. Texas Southern was the third straight year the team has scored 90 or more points in a season-opener, while last year's team was "held" to 89 points.
   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
   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

Good Defense, A Good Sign
Each of the last nine times that Creighton has held its season-opening opponent to 50 points or less, the Bluejays have advanced to the postseason.
   That list is seen below:
Date   Opponent   Score   NCAA/NIT
11/30/73   Regis   W 93-38   NCAA
11/27/76   St. Thomas (MN)   W 79-39   NIT
11/30/90   UT San Antonio   W 93-47   NCAA
11/14/98   Towson State   W 93-48   NCAA
11/20/00   Western Illinois   W 96-50   NCAA
11/17/02   Texas-Arlington   W 106-50   NCAA
11/22/03   San Diego   W 76-44   NIT
11/15/04   Alcorn State   W 74-40   NCAA
11/13/06   Mississippi Valley St.   W 78-42   NCAA

Foster Fills It Up
Marcus Foster finished last season with 10 or more points in each of his final 18 games.
   The 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.

Fan-Tazz-Tic Shooting Streak
Khyri Thomas enters the 2017-18 season having made a three-pointer in each of his last 14 games.
   He's the first Bluejay to sink a trey in 14 games in a row since Cole Huff in 14 straight from Jan. 7-Feb. 25, 2017.
   Rick Kreklow is the last Bluejay to sink a trey in 15 consecutive contests, doing so from Jan. 3-March 3, 2015.
   The last Bluejay with a trifecta in 16 straight games or more is Doug McDermott, who had a streak of 16 straight from Jan. 20-March 21, 2014.
   No Bluejay has made a three-pointer in 17 straight games or longer since Ethan Wragge's streak of 23 in a row from Nov. 8, 2013 - Feb. 9, 2014.

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.

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 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.

McDermott's Exhibition History
Greg McDermott is 26-0 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 9-0 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
11/03/17   Creighton   UNC Pembroke   W 93-70

Recent Exhibition History
Creighton is 44-6 since 1987 in fall exhibition games thanks to 18 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.
   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.

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, nine assists, three steals and five blocks in a combined 67 minutes of action in Creighton's 96-67 triumph over Nebraska-Omaha.
   Against UNC Pembroke, Alexander, Ballock, Joseph and Suarez (Epperson did not play) combined for 29 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, two steals and one blocked shot in 70 minutes of play.
   Damien Jefferson, who is redshirting due to his transfer from New Mexico, must sit out this season and did not suit up for either contest.
   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 2,075 three-pointers and is sixth in league history with 43.1 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through November 6th). 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 47.3 percent from downtown.
   Tolliver is averaging 7.4 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 7.0 points and 2.3 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.

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

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.

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.

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
   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

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.

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 previous four, 10 and 16 (since 2000-01) seasons, ranked by overall wins.
Most Wins - Last 4 Years (2013-14 to 2016-17)
Team   W   L
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 to 2016-17)
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 (through 2016-17)
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.

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
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 Opens 100th Season Friday vs. Yale

Players Mentioned

Tyler Clement

Marcus Foster

Geoffrey Groselle

Ronnie Harrell Jr.

Toby Hegner

Cole Huff

Martin Krampelj

Justin Patton

Khyri Thomas

Maurice Watson Jr.

Isaiah Zierden

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