Creighton University Athletics
Saturday, December 9
Omaha, Neb.
1:30 PM
Creighton University
vs
Nebraska
Khyri Thomas
Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann
Men's Basketball Hosts Nebraska on Saturday Afternoon
12/7/2017 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Bluejays seek seventh straight win in the series
Download Notes as a PDF
Game #9: Nebraska Cornhuskers at Creighton Bluejays
Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017 • 1:31 p.m.
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN (1620 AM), KOOO (101.9 FM), www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1
Series History: Series tied, 25-25
Last Meeting: Creighton 77, Nebraska 62 on Dec. 7, 2016 in Lincoln, Neb.
Live Stats: http://creighton.statbroadcast.com
Next Game
Creighton (6-2) hosts Nebraska (7-3) on Saturday, Dec. 9 in a 1:31 p.m. contest. Doors open at Noon.
The sold out contest will take place on First National Bank Court inside CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb.
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
Saturday's game will be televised nationally on FS1. The announcers for the game will be Justin Kutcher and Nick Bahe.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Saturday'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 is 6-2 this year with a 4-0 record at home, where CU has averaged 103.8 points per game and broken the century mark its last three games.
The Bluejays posted consecutive top-25 wins away from home over No. 20 Northwestern and No. 23 UCLA in November, and both losses have come against ranked teams away from home, as CU lost to No. 22 Baylor in Kansas City and No. 15 Gonzaga in Spokane.
Senior guard Marcus Foster (19.0 ppg.) 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.
Lockdown defender Khyri Thomas (16.8 ppg., 4.5 rpg.) 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 held things down in the middle, averaging 12.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in his first year as a starter.
CU's fourth- and fifth-leading scorers are both true freshmen, Mitch Ballock (8.1 ppg.) and Ty-Shon Alexander (7.8 ppg.), who have excelled off the bench.
Creighton is averaging 92.5 points per game this season, shooting 51.7 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from three-point range. CU also owns a 6.9 rebound margin and 152/91 assist/turnover ratio to date.
Scouting Nebraska
Nebraska is 7-3 this season, incluidng a 78-68 win over No. 14 Minnesota on Tuesday. The Cornhuskers are in the middle of a challenging stretch where it opened Big Ten play with Michigan State and Minnesota, visits Creighton, and hosts Kansas.
Glynn Watson Jr. (14.5 ppg., 3.5 apg.), James Palmer Jr. (14.0 ppg.) and Isaac Copeland (12.0 ppg., 6.2 rpg.) average in double-figures for the Cornhuskers, with Anton Gill (9.9 ppg.) and Evan Taylor (9.0 ppg., 69.2 3FG%) not far behind.
The Cornhuskers average 74.0 points per game and allow 70.7 per contest. NU is outrebounded by 2.6 caroms per contest, but does own a 146 assist / 118 turnover ratio.
The Series With Nebraska
Creighton has won 15 of the past 18 regular-season match-ups to tie the all-time series at 25-all. Creighton's six straight wins in the series is its longest run ever over NU.
The last previous time the series was tied, it was after the 1981 game when the matchups were deadlocked at 6-6.
A Creighton win would give the Bluejays their first lead in the series since a 6-5 lead after the 1980 contest.
Creighton won four of the first seven meetings in the history of the series before a 45-year break where the in-state rivals did not play each other. The series has been played at least once each season since 1977 and is CU's longest running non-conference series by a landslide.
Creighton has won 10 straight regular-season home games over Nebraska since a Dec. 6, 1995 loss in Omaha, and is 17-9 all-time at home against the Cornhuskers.
Greg McDermott is 12-3 all-time vs. Nebraska (6-1 as Creighton head coach) and 13-0 against Tim Miles all-time. Miles is 0-5 against Creighton.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his eighth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 172-84 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 452-279 in his 24th season and is 321-215 in his 17th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Preston Murphy and Alan Huss.
Tim Miles (Mary, 1989) is in his sixth year as head coach at Nebraska, owning an 82-89 record in Lincoln. He's previously been head coach at Mayville State, SW Minnesota State, North Dakota State and Colorado State, and owns a career mark of 365-309 in 23 years overall. Miles is assisted by Michael Lewis, Jim Molinari and Kenya Hunter.
McDermott vs. Miles
Greg McDermott and Tim Miles are long-time friends who have had teams playing each other for much of the past 20 years.
In fact, it was Miles who replaced McDermott as head coach at North Dakota State in 2001.
Saturday's meeting will be the third different school for both in a head-to-head match-up, as they squared off in match-ups between Wayne State and SW Minnesota State (seven times), Iowa State and North Dakota State (once) and Creighton and Nebraska (five times).
McDermott's teams are a perfect 13-0 in the head-to-head series, including seven straight double-digit victories, and 10 double-digit wins overall.
Greg McDermott vs. Tim Miles, Head-to-Head
Year McDermott's Team Miles' Team
1997-98 Wayne State 79 SW Minnesota St. 65
1997-98 Wayne State 72 SW Minnesota St. 69
1998-99 Wayne State 84 SW Minnesota St. 67
1998-99 Wayne State 65 SW Minnesota St. 62
1999-00 Wayne State 77 SW Minnesota St. 53
1999-00 Wayne State 67 SW Minnesota St. 65
1999-00 Wayne State 84 SW Minnesota St. 72
2006-07 Iowa State 67 North Dakota St. 54
2012-13 Creighton 64 Nebraska 42
2013-14 Creighton 82 Nebraska 67
2014-15 Creighton 65 Nebraska 55
2015-16 Creighton 83 Nebraska 67
2016-17 Creighton 77 Nebraska 62
Good Start vs. Nebraska
In 2013 Greg McDermott became the only coach in Creighton history to win three of his first four games against Nebraska, and three more wins have seen him improve that mark to 6-1 on the Bluejay sideline vs. NU.
McDermott is the only Creighton men's basketball coaches to win six straight games over the Cornhuskers.
McDermott's six-game win streak over Nebraska (all by double-digits) tie his longest win streak against any other team since moving to the Creighton sideline, as he's a perfect 6-0 against Southern Illinois (the last five by double-digits), and also won his last six games over DePaul (all by double-digits).
Nebraska Natives Fight For Bragging Rights
Creighton owns one player from the state of Nebraska, as junior Khyri Thomas hails from Omaha. He was not recruited by Nebraska.
Nebraska has three student-athletes that hail from the state in Gothenberg native Tanner Borchartdt and Omaha natives Justin Costello and Johnny Trublood.
I'll "Half" More Of That Please
Need one big reason why Creighton has won 15 of the past 18 regular-season meetings with Nebraska? Check out the quick starts the Bluejays have gotten off to on a consistent basis.
When the teams met in Omaha in 2013, the Bluejays raced to a 38-8 lead in the opening minutes before taking a 51-25 lead into intermission, never trailing in an 82-67 win. It was the fourth time in the first six regular-season meetings at CenturyLink Center Omaha that CU led by double-figures at the break, and third time in those first six CenturyLink Center Omaha meetings it owned a lead of 20 points at the break over the Huskers.
Two years ago in the most recent Omaha meeting, Creighton surged to an 18-4 lead, were up 36-30 at intermission, and never trailed in an 83-67 victory.
Last year in Lincoln, Nebraska took a 2-0 lead on its first possession, but Creighton answered with a 14-0 run and didn't trail after that in a 77-62 Bluejay triumph.
Creighton has led at halftime in 15 of the past 18 regular-season meetings (including 11 of the last 12 meetings), with seven double-digit leads at intermission in that span. The three times that Creighton trailed it half, it came back to win the game anyway.
Also of note, Creighton has held Nebraska to 30 first half points or less in each of the last 14 regular-season meetings at all sites.
Creighton is 144-23 all-time under Greg McDermott when leading at halftime, and has led at half in all eight contests this season.
Creighton vs Nebraska, Last 18 Reg.-Season Meetings
Date City Half Score Final Score
12/09/99 Omaha CU 40-38 CU 89-72
01/02/01 Lincoln NU 24-22 CU 62-61
12/12/01 Omaha CU 30-23 CU 76-70
12/21/02 Lincoln CU 46-35 CU 81-73
12/10/03 Omaha CU 33-23 CU 61-54
12/11/04 Lincoln NU 22-18 CU 50-48
12/11/05 Omaha CU 31-11 CU 70-44
11/18/06 Lincoln CU 31-28 NU 73-61
11/24/07 Omaha CU 47-20 CU 74-62
11/29/08 Lincoln CU 31-18 NU 54-52
12/06/09 Omaha CU 32-27 CU 67-61
12/05/10 Lincoln CU 29-21 NU 59-54
12/04/11 Omaha CU 32-29 CU 76-66
12/06/12 Lincoln CU 28-17 CU 64-42
12/08/13 Omaha CU 51-25 CU 82-67
12/07/14 Lincoln NU 28-27 CU 65-55
12/09/15 Omaha CU 36-30 CU 83-67
12/07/16 Lincoln CU 31-30 CU 77-62
Follow The Leader
Creighton has not trailed in either of its last two home games against Nebraska.
The last time Nebraska led at any point against Creighton in Omaha came with 10:20 left in the second half on December 4, 2011, when the Huskers led 45-43 before Grant Gibbs' three-point play ignited an 11-0 run that gave CU the lead for good.
Since then, Creighton has led for 90 minutes and 20 seconds since last trailing against NU in Omaha.
Nebraska's last lead against Creighton in the first half of a game in Omaha came on Dec. 6, 2009, when the Cornhuskers led 25-23 with 3:33 left in the first half.
Creighton has not trailed in either of its last two home games, and hasn't trailed at home since being down 5-2 with 17:10 left in the first half on Nov. 12, vs. Alcorn State.
Dating back to last season, CU has not trailed in the final 37 minutes of any of its last five home games.
One For The Record Books
Nebraska enters Saturday with a 7-3 record, while Creighton is 6-2.
Creighton has finished with more wins than Nebraska in each of the last 19 seasons, a streak that started with the 1998-99 campaign.
Since the start of the 1998-99 season (including this winter), Creighton is 445-200, while Nebraska is 303-301 on the hardwood.
Year Nebraska Creighton
1998-99 20-13 22-9
1999-00 11-19 23-10
2000-01 14-16 24-8
2001-02 13-15 23-9
2002-03 11-19 29-5
2003-04 18-13 20-9
2004-05 14-14 23-1
2005-06 19-14 20-10
2006-07 17-14 22-11
2007-08 20-13 22-11
2008-09 18-13 27-8
2009-10 15-18 18-16
2010-11 19-13 23-16
2011-12 12-18 29-6
2012-13 15-18 28-8
2013-14 19-13 27-8
2014-15 13-18 14-18
2015-16 16-18 20-15
2016-17 12-19 25-10
2017-18 7-3 so far 6-2 so far
Mac Against The Big Ten Recently
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 13 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
Fan-Tazz-Tic Shooting Streak
Khyri Thomas enters Saturday's game having made a three-pointer in each of his last 22 games dating to last season.
He's the first Bluejay to sink a trey in 22 games in a row since Ethan Wragge's streak of 23 in a row from Nov. 8, 2013 - Feb. 9, 2014.
Double-Digits x 8
Marcus Foster has scored in double-figures in each of Creighton's first eight games of the season, the second straight campaign that's been true.
Last year in CU's ninth game, also against Nebraska, Foster was held to seven points. That remains his fewest in any of his 43 games to date as a Bluejay.
Doug McDermott is the last player with nine straight double-figure games to start any season, doing so in his 2011-12 sophomore season that ended with First Team All-America accolades.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest double figure scoring streaks to start a season since 1979-80, where you can see that Foster (2016-17 and 2017-18) and McDermott (2010-11 and 2011-12) are the only men to start consecutive seasons with eight or more double-figure contests since 1979-80.
Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games
To Start Year, Since 1979-80
Consec. Name, Class Year
all 35 Doug McDermott, So. 2011-12
all 32 Vernon Moore, Sr. 1984-85
28 Benoit Benjamin, Jr. 1984-85
27 Bob Harstad, Sr. 1990-91
16 Rod Mason, Sr. 1987-88
13 Rodney Buford, Sr. 1998-99
12 Gary Swain, Sr. 1986-87
10 Chad Gallagher, Sr. 1990-91
9 Rodney Buford, So. 1996-97
8 Benoit Benjamin, Fr. 1982-83
8 Gregory Brandon, Sr. 1983-84
8 Doug McDermott, Fr. 2010-11
8 Justin Patton, Fr. 2016-17
8 Marcus Foster, Jr. 2016-17
8 Marcus Foster, Sr. 2017-18
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 eight straight double-figure contests.
His current 26-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.
Earlier this fall 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.
Per STATS Inc., here's the nation's longest active streaks of double-figure scoring games.
10 Point Streak, Nation's Active Leaders (12/6)
Rank Streak Name, School Next Game
1. 57 Chris Clemons, Campbell 12/14
2. 54 Fletcher Magee, Wofford 12/9
3. 44 Jon Elmore, Marshall 12/9
4. 38 Rob Gray, Houston 12/9
5. 36 Kevin Hervey, UT Arlington 12/7
6. 34 Bryant Crawford, Wake Forest 12/8
7. 33 Victor Sanders, Idaho 12/9
8. 30 Matt Morgan, Cornell 12/16
30 Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra 12/9
10. 29 Justin Strings, Sacramento State 12/9
11. 28 Thomas Wilder, Western Michigan 12/9
12. 26 Marcus Foster, Creighton 12/9
They Can All Shoot
All 12 Creighton men to see the floor this season have made multiple three-pointers, and each of them have also attempted at least five trifectas.
As a team, Creighton has made 85 treys this season, good for 10.6 per game, to rank second in the BIG EAST and 21st nationally.
Marcus Foster, Bucket Getter
Marcus Foster ranks among the nation's best when it comes to putting the ball in the hole and scoring.
Foster ranks first among the nation's active Division I players in field goals made, and fifth in scoring. Here's that list, through games of Dec. 6:
Most Career Field Goals, Nation's Active Leaders
Rank FG Name, School Next Game
1. 595 Marcus Foster, Creighton 12/9
2. 589 Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas 12/9
3. 580 Peyton Aldridge, Davidson 12/16
4. 567 Jahad Thomas, UMass Lowell 12/9
5. 574 Trevon Bluiett, Xavier 12/9
Most Career Points, Nation's Active Leaders
Rank Points Name, School Next Game
1. 1,972 James Daniel III, Tennessee 12/9
2. 1,882 Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas 12/9
3. 1,809 Andrew Rowsey, Marquette 12/9
4. 1,777 Trevon Bluiett, Xavier 12/9
5. 1,665 Marcus Foster, Creighton 12/9
The 1 For Sports
Saturday's game will air nationally on FS1, a channel that has been quite kind to Creighton in recent seasons.
Creighton is 1-0 on FS1 this winter, and last year went 12-1 on the network.
Creighton is 48-22 when appearing on FS1 since the network formed in 2013. CU is also 12-1 when appearing on FS2 in program history.
A Saturday Special
This weekend's match-up between Creighton and Nebraska will be the first between the teams in Omaha on a Saturday since 2007.
Lucky Number Nine
Saturday's game against Nebraska will be Creighton's ninth game of the season.
This will be the eighth time that Creighton has met the Cornhuskers in the ninth game of the season, and sixth straight campaign.
Creighton is 7-0 in those previous meetings against NU in the ninth game, including wins in 2002-03 (81-73), 2004-05 (50-48), 2012-13 (64-42), 2013-14 (82-67), 2014-15 (65-55), 2015-16 (83-67), and 2016-17 (77-62).
Creighton has won its ninth game of the season in each of the last 15 years, dating to a loss to Xavier during the 2001-02 campaign.
Friendly Confines
Creighton has scored 103 points in each of its last three home games (109, 103, 111), and has scored exactly 60 points in the second half in each of its last three home contests. It's the first time in program history CU has scored 100 points in three straight home games.
Creighton is averaging 103.8 points per home game this season, outrebounding foes by 13.5 caroms per contest, shooting 57.5 percent from the floor, and holding foes to 39.5 percent shooting.
Below is a list of seasons with the most 100 point games in Creighton history
Most 100 Point Games, Creighton History
Rank Games Year Team W-L
1. 7 1965-66 14-12
2. 5 1971-72 15-11
3. 4 2015-16 20-15
4 2016-17 25-10
4 2017-18 6-2 so far
6. 3 1989-90 21-12
Tough At Home
Creighton has won 18 straight non-conference home games dating to a Dec. 2, 2015 loss to Arizona State.
On a national basis, that ranks as the 17th-longest streak, per recent research from the NCAA
Non-Conference Home Win Streaks (Through 12/6)
Rank Streak School Next Home N-C Game
1. 138 Duke 12/20
2. 44 Arizona 12/9
3. 40 Butler 12/9
4. 35 Arizona 12/9
5. 34 Texas Tech 12/13
34 Villanova 12/10
7. 29 SMU 12/13
8. 26 Evansville 12/9
9. 24 Seton Hall 12/9
24 South Dakota State 12/12
24 Florida State 12/10
12. 22 William & Mary 12/17
22 North Carolina 12/20
14. 21 West Virginia 12/20
15. 19 IPFW 12/16
19 NC State 12/16
17. 18 Creighton 12/9
18. 16 Marshall 12/16
19. 15 Oklahoma State 12/9
On The Rebound
Martin Krampelj (7.8) and Ronnie Harrell Jr. (7.4) are each putting together some of better Creighton rebounding figures in recent memory.
Harrell had 15 rebounds against UCLA on Nov. 20th, while Krampelj snared 14 caroms on Dec. 5 vs. North Dakota.
Since the start of the 1994-95 season, only one Bluejay player has averaged more than 7.4 rebounds per game. That player, Doug McDermott, did it twice.
Here's Creighton's single-season rebounds per game leaders since 1994-95.
Rank RPG Name Season
1. 8.2 Doug McDermott 2011-12
2. 7.8 Martin Krampelj 2017-18
3. 7.7 Doug McDermott 2012-13
4. 7.4 Ronnie Harrell Jr. 2017-18
5. 7.3 Rodney Buford 1997-98
7.3 Gregory Echenique 2011-12
Toby!
Toby Hegner sprained his ankle on Nov. 15 at Northwestern and it was expected that he'd miss 3-6 weeks.
Instead, the fifth-year senior from Berlin, Wis., made a surprise return on December 1st at Gonzaga. Almost immediately, he drew a charge, and a short time later he hit back-to-back three-pointers. Hegner finished the game with 10 points in 16 minutes on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor.
Hegner then scored a season-high 15 points in 17 minutes vs. North Dakota on Dec. 5, adding three rebounds and a blocked shot.
This marks the first time Hegner has scored in double-figures in consecutive games since December of 2014.
Home For The Holidays
Tuesday's game against North Dakota started a five-game homestand for Creighton, as the Bluejays won't have to don their road jerseys until December 28th at Seton Hall.
The last time Creighton played five straight home games came to open the 2014-15 campaign, a stretch that saw the Jays go 5-0.
Creighton also went 5-0 in a five-game homestand under Greg McDermott in December of 2013.
Shooters Shoot
Since Greg McDermott was hired eight years ago at Creighton, the Bluejays have shot 50 percent or better from the field in 114 games. That ranks third nationally, trailing only Gonzaga (129) and Kansas (121), Saint Mary's (109) and Kentucky (107) round out the top five.
In those eight years, Gonzaga has shot 49.5 percent from the field, just ahead of Kansas (48.4%) and Creighton (48.1%). Belmont (48.0%) and Saint Mary's (47.8%) round out the top five.
Top 25 Jays
Creighton moved into the top 25 of both national polls on Monday, Nov. 27th, coming in at No. 25 in the Associated Press poll and No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches poll, though the team dropped out on Dec. 4th.
Creighton is 109-41 all-time when playing as a ranked team in the AP poll.
Creighton has now been ranked in 85 weeks in program history, with 57 of those under the direction of eighth-year head coach Greg McDermott.
Creighton has been ranked in the top-10 in 10 different weeks in program history, with eight of those coming last season when the Jays reached an all-time best of seventh the week of January 16th.
Below is a list of the best weekly rankings in the AP poll in program history:
Best Weekly AP Rankings, Creighton History
7th - 1/16/17
8th - 1/9/17
9th - 3/1/14
9th - 12/19/16
10th - 1/20/03
10th - 11/28/16
10th - 12/5/16
10th - 12/12/16
10th - 12/26/16
10th - 1/2/17
Rank And File
Creighton made some school history when it defeated top-25 teams in consecutive games for the first time last month with victories over No. 20 Northwestern and No. 23 UCLA.
Through games of December 6th, Creighton is one of eight teams nationally with a pair of top-25 wins this season, and is also one of nine teams nationally with a top-25 true road win.
Ranked Wins School Home Road Neutral
2 Creighton 0 1 1
2 Duke 0 0 2
2 Michigan State 1 0 1
2 Purdue 1 0 1
2 Seton Hall 0 1 1
2 Texas A&M 0 1 1
2 Texas Tech 1 0 1
2 Xavier 2 0 0
1 Arizona 0 0 1
1 Arizona State 0 0 1
1 Ball State 0 1 0
1 Florida 0 0 1
1 Florida State 0 1 0
1 Georgia 0 0 1
1 Gonzaga 1 0 0
1 Kansas 0 0 1
1 Loyola (Chicago) 0 1 0
1 Miami (Fla.) 0 1 0
1 Minnesota 0 0 1
1 NC State 0 0 1
1 Nebraska 1 0 0
1 Notre Dame 0 0 1
1 Rhode Island 0 0 1
1 SMU 0 0 1
1 Tennessee 0 0 1
1 UCF 0 1 0
1 Villanova 0 0 1
1 Washington 0 0 1
1 Washington State 0 0 1
1 West Virginia 1 0 0
1 Western Kentucky 0 0 1
1 Wichita State 0 1 0
More Top 25 News
Creighton owns six wins against the Top 25 since the start of last season, a figure that ranks tied for eighth-most nationally through games of December 6th:
Ranked Wins School
11 Duke
10 North Carolina
8 Villanova
7 Kansas
7 Gonzaga
7 Purdue
7 Florida State
6 Creighton
6 Arizona
6 Baylor
6 Butler
6 Kentucky
6 South Carolina
6 West Virginia
6 Xavier
Dunk You Very Much
Creighton ranked fifth nationally last year with 144 dunks, with half of those coming from future NBA First Round Draft pick Justin Patton. Of Patton's 72 dunks last year, 32 came on alley-oops.
This year's Bluejay squad owns 25 dunks through seven games this season, including nine against SIU Edwardsville. Five of the dunks against SIUE came from Martin Krampelj, who leads this year's club with 13 slams.
Putting Up The Points
Creighton scored 111 points on Dec. 5th vs. North Dakota, tied for the seventh-most in school history, and second-most ever recorded by the Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Creighton has now scored 111 points or more three times in the last 13 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 19 games of 100 points since 2010-11 (when Greg McDermott was hired) are third-most in the nation, as seen below.
Most 100 Point Games Since 2010-11 (thru 12/6/17)
Rank 100 Pt. Games Team
1. 28 VMI
2. 23 North Carolina
3. 19 Indiana
19 Creighton
5. 18 Oakland
18 Charleston Southern
Top 25 Success
Creighton had four wins over top-25 teams last season, twice as many as any previous campaign in program history. Six other Bluejay teams had two top-25 victories in the same season, including this year's club.
This year's team is 2-2 against ranked teams, beating No. 20 Northwestern on Nov. 15th and No. 23 UCLA on Nov. 20th. The victories over the Wildcats and Bruins marked the first time in program history that CU has ever beaten top-25 foes in consecutive games.
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
2 2017-18 #20 Northwestern, #23 UCLA
Fantastic Freshmen
Creighton has gotten tremendous production from the two true freshmen to play this season, Ty-Shon Alexander and Mitch Ballock.
Both average 20.8 minutes per game off the bench and the duo has combined for 15.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game this winter.
Alexander was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Nov. 20th, with Ballock honored a week later on Nov. 27th.
Mitch-A-Palooza Makes A Stop in Kansas City
Freshman Mitch Ballock had 22 points on Nov. 20 vs. No. 23 UCLA, after scoring 26 points combined in his first three games as a Bluejay. The game was especially meaningful as the Eudora, Kan., native was playing just 35 miles from his hometown.
Ballock's 22 points were the most by a Creighton freshman since Justin Patton had 25 points at St. John's on Jan. 4, 2017 in the eventual BIG EAST Freshman of the Year's breakout game on a national level.
Silas Enters College Hoops Hall of Fame
Creighton alum Paul Silas was enshrined into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City on Sunday, November 19th.
In addition to Silas, the elite class included Gonzaga's John Stockton, Wake Forest's Tim Duncan, Winston-Salem State's Cleo Hill, Indiana's Scott May, Purdue's Rick Mount, 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.
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. Purdue's Caleb Swanigan led all of college hoops with four games of 20 boards.
Silas Not The First
Paul Silas is the fifth person with Creighton connections to enter the College Basketball Hall of Fame. He joined 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.
No Doubting Thomas
Khyri Thomas had 24 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and a blocked shot on Nov. 15 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 this year's, 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 steal and 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.
All The Three's
Creighton drilled 16 three-point shots in its Nov. 12 home game vs. Alcorn State, tied for the third-most in a game in program history.
Here's a list of the games with 15 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
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 ? ? ?
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
Foster Up For Naismith & Wooden Awards
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).
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 243 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 15-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 201-42 (.827) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (13-0).
Creighton's Nov. 25 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 18,756-15,759 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.33 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 69 different times, including 17 of its last 40 home games.
Creighton is also 25-24 all-time in the 49 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 104-24 (.810) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 61-4 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 221-42 (.840) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Heeeeeeerrrrrreeeeee's Ronnie
Ronnie Harrell Jr.'s 15 rebounds vs. No. 23 UCLA on Nov. 20th were three more than his previous career-high, and the most by a Bluejay in any game since Doug McDermott had 15 boards vs. Tulsa on Nov. 23, 2013.
Harrell's 14 defensive rebounds were the most by any Bluejay since Kenny Lawson Jr. had 18 rebounds (14 defensive) vs. Saint Joseph's on Dec. 11, 2010.
All-Tourney Duo
Creighton's Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas were both named to the 2017 Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team last week.
Foster averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals in two games in Kansas City, while Thomas averaged 15.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the championship rounds.
Foster has now played in three tournaments since coming to Creighton, and been named All-Tournament in each one, as he was recognized last season in the Paradise Jam (MVP) as well as the BIG EAST Tournament.
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
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
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 2,113 three-pointers and is sixth in league history with 43.1 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through December 6). 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 10.5 points per game this year and shooting 43.8 percent from downtown.
Tolliver is averaging 6.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game this season for the Pistons, his 11th NBA organization.
McDermott is in his fourth season in the NBA, and first with the New York Knicks. He was traded to the Knicks with Enes Kanter in exchange for All-Star Carmelo Anthony. McDermott is averaging 7.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game this season.
Creighton's newest NBA product is Justin Patton, who is now with the Minnesota Timberwolves but currently injured. Patton redshirted in 2015-16 before turning pro and being the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. Patton was then part of the Jimmy Butler trade to end up in Minneapolis, and was assisgned to the G-League affiliate in Des Moines on December 3rd.
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 December 5th.
2010-11 to Present
Category Stat NCAA Rank
FG Percentage .481 3rd
3FG Percentage .387 4th
3FG Made 2,164 5th
Assists 4,143 5th
FG Made 6,880 11th
Wins 172 29th
Winning Percentage .672 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
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. This year's team is averaging 92.5 points per game.
Greg McDermott is 50-2 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 44-2 mark on the Creighton sideline.
Creighton is 61-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 32 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas State.
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 791 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 19th-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 December 6.
Longest Active 3-Point Streak, Through 12/6
Rk. Streak School Next
1. 1,021 Kentucky 12/9
2. 1,016 UNLV 12/9
3. 1,008 Vanderbilt 12/17
4. 996 Duke 12/9
5. 945 Arkansas 12/9
6. 944 Western Kentucky 12/10
7. 934 East Tennessee State 12/10
8. 927 Pacific 12/9
9. 909 Oakland 12/9
10. 901 Texas 12/12
11. 882 Princeton 12/12
12. 852 Marshall 12/9
13. 843 Baylor 12/9
14. 822 Gonzaga 12/10
15. 819 LIU-Brooklyn 12/10
16. 808 Cornell 12/16
17. 801 Mount St. Mary's 12/9
18. 792 Tennessee State 12/12
19. 791 Creighton 12/9
791 East Carolina 12/18
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 150-13 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 138 of the last 147 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 172 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
McDermott's .672 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. 172-84 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.
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).
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 64-52 (.552) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 83-15 (.847) 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 129-37 in the last seven years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 19-31 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 79.93 points per home game (10,151 points in 127 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.77 points in non-conference home games (5,510 points in 65 home games).
Creighton is 87-2 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points and has won 85 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
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
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.
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