Creighton University Athletics
Saturday, February 11
Rosemont, Ill.
1:00 PM
Creighton University
at
DePaul
Toby Hegner
Photo by: Corey Solotorovsky
Men's Basketball Visits Blue Demons in Saturday Road Test
2/9/2017 12:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Creighton seeks win in final trip to Allstate Arena
Download Notes as a PDF
Game #25: #23 Creighton at DePaul • Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017 • 1:01 p.m.
Allstate Arena (18,600) • Rosemont, Ill.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1 (Jeff Levering, Dickey Simpkins)
Series History: DePaul leads, 16-15
Last Meeting: Creighton 83, DePaul 66 on Jan. Jan. 28, 2017
Next Game
No. 23 Creighton (20-4, 7-4 BIG EAST) starts a two-game road swing on Saturday when it ventures to Rosemont, Ill., to take on DePaul (8-16, 1-10 BIG EAST).
Tip-off at Allstate Arena (18,600) is set for 1:01 p.m.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2016-17 season, while KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
John Bishop and Brody Deren will call the action.
Television Information
Saturday's game will be televised nationally on FS1.
Jeff Levering and Dickey Simpkins will handle announcing duties.
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 No. 23 Creighton
Creighton is ranked 23rd in this week's Associated Press poll after a 20-4 start to the season that includes wins over No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 12 Butler, No. 16 Butler, No. 22 Xavier, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, Buffalo, Akron, Nebraska, Arizona State, Seton Hall, St. John's, Providence and DePaul.
Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster (18.0 ppg.) leads the Bluejays in scoring, and is averaging the most points by a Bluejay newcomer since Cyril Baptiste in 1969-70. He's scored 15 points or more in all but three games so far, and has already been named Paradise Jam MVP and a two-time BIG EAST Player of the Week in this young season.
Two Omaha products in the starting line-up are also doing big things. Vastly improved Khyri Thomas averages 12.0 points per game, and is second on the team in blocks, assists and rebounding, in addition to being a defensive stopper. Redshirt freshman big man Justin Patton averages 13.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He's shooting 70.6 percent from the field (third nationally) and has 55 dunks already.
Maurice Watson Jr. (12.9 ppg., 8.5 apg.) was a preseason All-BIG EAST selection who directed Creighton's potent offensive attack, but the nation's active leader with 801 career assists tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Jan. 16 at Xavier and will miss the rest of the year.
Scouting DePaul
DePaul brings an 8-16 record into the weekend, including a 1-10 BIG EAST mark. The Blue Demons are 8-6 at home this winter, including a 64-63 win over Providence on January 10 that stands as the team's lone league win to date.
Eli Cain averages 16.5 points per game and leads DePaul with 47 three-pointers and 37.0 percent marksmanship from downtown. Also in double-figures are Billy Garrett Jr. (15.5 ppg., 3.1 apg.) and Tre'Darius McCallum (10.1 ppg., 6.9 rpg.).
The Blue Demons average 70.0 points per game and shoot 42.9 percent from the floor, 32.9 percent from deep and 74.5 percent at the line.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his seventh season as head coach at Creighton. He is 161-76 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 441-271 in his 23rd season and is 310-207 in his 16th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
Dave Leitao (Northeastern, 1983) is 160-167 in his 11th year as a college head coach. He was 58-34 as DePaul head coach from 2002-05, taking the Blue Demons to two NIT's and an NCAA Tournament. He then spent four years as Virginia head coach from 2005-09 (going 63-60) before resigning. Leitao returned to DePaul last March, and is 17-38 in his second stint with the Blue Demons. Leitao is assisted by Rick Carter, Billy Garrett and Patrick Sellers.
The Series With DePaul
DePaul owns a 16-15 lead in the series, but the Bluejays have won 10 of the last 11 meetings. Each of the last nine meetings in the series have been decided by double-figures.
Creighton is 8-1 in the series since joining the BIG EAST, including a 91-80 victory in Rosemont last year and an 83-66 win in Omaha last month.
Greg McDermott is 8-1 against DePaul. He is 3-0 against Dave Leitao, while Leitao is 0-3 against Creighton.
More Points = Better Results
Creighton has won 8-of-9 meetings with DePaul since the schools became league rivals in the BIG EAST four years ago.
It's probably not a coincidence that Creighton's 79.8 points per game against the Blue Demons is its most against any BIG EAST foe in that span.
PPG Opponent CU W-L
79.8 DePaul 8-1
79.7 Xavier 5-4
76.6 St. John's 5-2
74.1 Seton Hall 4-4
74.0 Villanova 2-5
71.6 Marquette 4-3
71.4 Butler 5-3
65.5 Providence 2-6
62.3 Georgetown 2-6
S*W*A*T Team
Justin Patton had a career-high five rejections in Saturday's game vs. Xavier, twice blocking two shots on the same possession.
Patton's five blocked shots were the most by a Creighton player since Gregory Echenique swatted six shots in the 2013 MVC Tournament title game win over Wichita State, and one shy of Creighton's single-game record at CenturyLink Center Omaha, a mark held by Jeffrey Day.
Creighton's single-game blocked shot record is 12, set by Benoit Benjamin at Bradley on Feb. 2, 1985.
Adiós, Allstate Arena
Saturday will mark Creighton's final scheduled trip to Allstate Arena, the longtime home to DePaul men's basketball among other sporting events.
The facility opened on May 11, 1980 as the Rosemont Horizon before changing to its current name on June 9, 1999.
Creighton owns a 3-5 all-time record in the facility against DePaul and takes a three-game winning streak in the building into Saturday.
DePaul is scheduled to move into Wintrust Arena later this fall.
Road Warriors
Creighton is 9-1 away from home this winter (6-1 road, 3-0 neutral), outscoring foes by an average of 10.0 points per game. Creighton's victims in that time include Washington State, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Arizona State, St. John's, Providence, No. 22 Xavier and No. 16 Butler.
Prior to a Jan. 25 loss at Georgetown, Creighton had last won its first eight games away from home in 1942-43.
This year also marked the first time that Creighton has won its first five true road games since the 1942-43 club won its first eight.
Each of Creighton's last 11 NCAA Tournament teams have won 10 or more games away from home, and 10 of those teams had a winning record in true road contests.
Chicago Bulls Farm Club?
The Chicago Bulls have benefited in recent years from two of Creighton's most acclaimed alums.
Current Chicago Bulls forward Doug McDermott played at Creighton from 2010-14, where he was named National Player of the Year as a senior. His father, Greg, is the current Bluejays coach.
Former Bulls swing man Kyle Korver played at Creighton from 1999-2003, and for the Bulls from 2010-2012. Korver now plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Zierden With Efficient Eight Last Year At DePaul
Isaiah Zierden's eight three-pointers at DePaul (Jan. 17, 2016) were tied for third-most in Creighton history for a single-game, and one shy of the record set by Kyle Korver (1/15/03 vs. Evansville) and Ethan Wragge (1/20/14 at #4 Villanova).
Zierden is one of four men with exactly eight trifectas in a contest, joining Korver (12/31/02 at #19 Xavier), Tad Ackerman (1/23/95 at Drake) and Terrell Taylor (3/15/02 vs. #15 Florida).
Of the players to make eight or more three-pointers in a Creighton game, Zierden's 11 attempts are easily the fewest, two less than Ackerman and Korver (at Xavier). Both Korver (vs. Evansville) and Wragge needed 14 attempts, while Taylor set the school-record with 15 attempts against Florida.
Jays Ranked In 14th Straight Poll
The Creighton men's basketball team is ranked 23rd in the country in this week's Associated Press poll. That's down from the No. 7 spot that was in the best in program history three weeks ago on Jan. 16th.
Creighton has now been ranked in all 14 AP polls this year and been ranked 82 weeks in program history, with 54 of those under the direction of seventh-year head coach Greg McDermott.
The Bluejays are one of four BIG EAST teams in the top-25, as Villanova ranks second, Butler is 22nd and Xavier is 24th.
Creighton is ranked 23rd in this week's USA Today Coaches Poll. On January 16th, the team was ranked seventh to mark the program's best in that poll, as well.
Below is a list of the top 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
Most Consecutive Weeks in AP Poll, Creighton History
Weeks Dates
17 Feb. 27, 2012 - Feb. 4, 2013
15 Dec. 14, 2002 - March 20, 2003
14 Nov. 11, 2016 - Present
8 Jan. 27, 2014 - March 17, 2014
5 Feb. 12, 1974 - March 12, 1974
5 Feb. 4, 1975 - March 4, 1975
5 Jan. 9, 2012 - Feb. 6, 2012
Most Weeks in AP Poll, Same Season, Creighton History
Weeks Season Final W-L Postseason
16 2012-13 28-8 NCAA (1-1)
15 2002-03 29-5 NCAA (0-1)
14 2016-17 20-4 so far TBD
12 2011-12 29-6 NCAA (1-1)
11 2013-14 27-8 NCAA (1-1)
20 Wins, 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 previous 18 years (entering 2016-17): Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
Kentucky , Florida, Texas and Syracuse have each done it in 17 of the previous 18 seasons (entering 2016-17).
Along with Arizona, Xavier and Connecticut, Creighton was one of four schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 16 of the previous 18 years (entering 2016-17).
This is the 26th time in program history that Creighton has won 20 or more games in a season.
The win also matched Creighton's victory total (20) from all of last season in 35 games.
20 Wins Reached, Again
Creighton picked up its 20th win of the season on Tuesday, Jan. 31, with a victory at Butler.
It's the second time in program history that Creighton has reached the 20-win milestone before the end of January.
The 2011-12 team that tied a school-record with 29 victories improved to 20-2 with a win on January 28, 2012.
Clement Honored By CoSIDA
Creighton men's basketball guard Tyler Clement has been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 7 First Team. A junior from Shawnee, Kan., Clement owns a perfect 4.00 GPA in Creighton's Heider College of Business as a Financial Analysis and Marketing major.
Clement is Creighton's first men's basketball student-athlete to receive Academic All-District acclaim since Anthony Tolliver in 2006-07. Tolliver would go on to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team honors.
Clement averages 2.0 points, 1.5 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per game. He's seen a recent uptick in his playing time, averaging 4.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 25.3 minutes in Creighton's last three games.
Clement is a three-time selection to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team and has also been named to the Creighton Dean's List after all seven semesters that he's been enrolled. Last season Clement was also named to the NABC Honors Court.
3-Ball Returns
Creighton was leading the nation in three-point percentage (45.3 percent) when it took the floor to open BIG EAST play on December 28th.
Since then, the Bluejays have shot a rather pedestrian 34.9 percent from three-point in league play to lower their season cumulative total to 40.2 percent.
Creighton shot better than 36 percent from deep in just two of its first nine league games before converting a season-best 61.9 percent (13-21) in its Jan. 31 victory at Butler. Creighton then shot 13-of-28 vs. Xavier last Saturday.
Saturday marked the 10th different game this season that Creighton has made 10 or more treys in a single game, and sixth contest with 13 or more.
More From Deep
Creighton shot 55.8 percent from the field (29-for-52) and 61.9 percent from three-point range (13-for-21) in its 76-67 win at Butler on Jan. 31.
Per STATS Inc., Creighton is one of five major conference (ACC, Big 12, BIG EAST, Big 10, Pac-12, SEC) teams to shoot at least 55% from the field and 60% from three-point range in a league road game this year.
Team Date Opponent FG% 3FG%
Arizona 01/01 at Stanford .625 .714
UCLA 01/12 at Colorado .565 .613
Oklahoma State 01/21 at Texas Tech .550 .688
Creighton 01/31 at Butler .558 .619
Michigan State 02/02 at Nebraska .558 .647
Talented Thomas
Best Defensive Player? Most Improved? Most Underrated? There's a lot of titles you could bestow on Khyri Thomas, who continues to fly under the radar as one of Creighton's top players.
The sophomore from Omaha leads the team in steals and is second on the squad in rebounding, assists and blocked shots.
Thomas tied a career-high by sinking 4-of-5 three-point shots in last Tuesday's win at Butler. Creighton is 14-1 this year, and 23-6 in his career, when he drains a trifecta.
Since arriving on campus, Thomas has made 40-of-86 (46.5 percent) three-pointers in Creighton wins compared to 12-of-43 (27.9 percent) marksmanship from deep in Bluejay losses.
Thomas, who has led or tied for the CU lead in scoring in two of the last three games, has now scored in double-figures in 7-of-11 BIG EAST games this winter after never doing that as a freshman.
Thomas entered the Butler game 9-for-55 (16.4 percent) in his career against BIG EAST foes from three-point range, compared to 36-of-64 (56.3 percent) shooting from deep in games against all other clubs.
Foster A Naismith Trophy Candidate
Creighton guard Marcus Foster is one of 30 players in consideration for the 2017 Naismith Men's College Player of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Thursday.
Foster ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring at 18.0 points per game, which puts him on pace for the highest scoring average by a Bluejay newcomer since 1969-70. He's been a two-time BIG EAST Player of the Week (Nov. 28, Dec. 26), and was also named MVP of the Paradise Jam in November. The Wichita Falls, Texas, native, has scored 12 points or more in 22-of-24 games to date, including a season-high 30 vs. Marquette on Jan. 21. Foster owns 432 points so far at Creighton after scoring 875 points in his first two years at Kansas State.
Foster has started all 24 games this season for the No. 23 Bluejays, who are off to a 20-4 start. He is one of three BIG EAST players on the list, joining the Villanova duo of Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson.
The 10 semifinalists will be announced March 1, 2017. Foster is looking to become Creighton's second Naismith Men's College Player of the Year winner in the last four years, as Doug McDermott hauled in the honor following the 2013-14 season.
Foster Up For Jerry West Award
Creighton men's basketball guard Marcus Foster is one of 10 finalists for the 2017 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Named after Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor in its third year recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men's college basketball.
Foster ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring at 18.0 points per game, which puts him on pace for the highest scoring average by a Bluejay newcomer since 1969-70. He's been a two-time BIG EAST Player of the Week (Nov. 28, Dec. 26), and was also named MVP of the Paradise Jam in November. The Wichita Falls, Texas, native, has scored 15 points or more in 21-of-24 games to date, including a season-high 30 vs. Marquette on Jan. 21. Foster owns 432 points so far at Creighton after scoring 875 points in his first two years at Kansas State.
The winner of the 2017 Jerry West Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show live from The Novo by Microsoft in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, April 7, 2017. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
Previous winners of the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award include Buddy Hield, Oklahoma (2016) and D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State (2015).
Patton Up For Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award
Creighton's Justin Patton is one of 10 finalists for the 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today.
Named after Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its third year recognizes the top centers in men's college basketball.
Patton has burst onto the scene in a big way, leading the team with 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots per game, while ranking second with 13.7 points per contest. The electrifying 7-footer ranks third nationally in field goal percentage (.706), including 55 dunks.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played for legendary coach John Wooden at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1966-1969. He is a three-time NCAA Champion who earned numerous accolades including three-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player, three-time National College Player of the Year and three-time Consensus First-Team All-American (1967-1969). Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA Champion and a 1995 inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The winner of the 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented at ESPN's College Basketball Awards, presented by Wendy's, live from The Novo by Microsoft in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, April 7, 2017.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016) and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).
Patton Up For Wayman Tisdale Award
Creighton center Justin Patton has been named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's midseason watch list for the Wayman Tisdale Award, given to the National Freshman of the Year.
Patton ranks second on the Creighton team with 13.7 points per game, and leads the club with 6.3 rebounds per game and 42 blocked shots. Patton ranks third nationally in field goal percentage (70.6 percent) and owns 55 dunks through 24 career games.
Balloting for the USBWA's All-America Team, All-District Teams and the association's individual awards will take place in March.
More Patton, Please
Justin Patton ranks third nationally with 70.6 percent shooting from the field this year.
Incredibly, the freshman has shot better than 55 percent from the field in every game but one (Xavier) this season.
Patton's 23 games shooting 50.1 percent or better from the field leads the nation, one more than UNCW's Devontae Cacock (22) and two more than Florida Gulf Coasts's Demetris Morant (20).
Patton (23) and UCLA's T.J. Leaf (20) are the only men to exceed 50 percent from the field with at least four field goals made in more than 19 contests this season.
Patton vs. Other Freshman Years
How does Justin Patton's freshman season compare to those of some other notable freshmen post players in recent seasons?
Quite favorably, if you ask us, through 24 career games:
Through 24 Career Games
Player, Year PPG RPG BPG APG FG%
Justin Patton, 2017 13.7 6.3 1.8 1.2 .706
Henry Ellenson, 2016 16.3 9.8 1.8 1.8 .431
Karl-Anthony Towns, 2015 9.1 6.5 2.4 1.1 .513
Myles Turner, 2015 10.8 6.3 2.7 0.7 .452
Jahlil Okafor, 2015 18.0 9.1 1.5 1.4 .665
Joel Embiid, 2014 10.7 7.8 2.5 1.3 .612
Jabari Parker, 2014 19.2 8.5 1.2 1.3 .482
Steven Adams, 2013 6.9 6.7 2.0 0.5 .583
Nerlens Noel, 2013 10.5 9.5 4.4 1.6 .590
Anthony Davis, 2012 13.9 10.1 4.8 1.0 .663
Tristan Thompson, 2011 12.6 7.3 2.3 1.3 .531
Doug McDermott, 2011 14.4 7.7 0.1 1.1 .512
Patton On The Point Total
Freshman Justin Patton had a streak of 13 straight games in double-figures snapped by Xavier, when the center was held to a season-low seven points.
Patton's streak of 13 straight double-figure games was the longest by any Bluejay since Doug McDermott closed his career in 2014 with 28 consecutive games of 14 points or more.
Patton's double-figure scoring streak of 13 was the longest by any Creighton freshman since Rodney Buford's stretch of 17 straight games from Jan. 3 - Feb. 21, 1996.
We're Jamming!
Justin Patton has 55 of CU's 105 dunks this season, with Marcus Foster (20), Khyri Thomas (15), Martin Krampelj (4), Ronnie Harrell Jr. (3), Toby Hegner (2), Zach Hanson (3), Cole Huff (1), Davion Mintz (1) and Kobe Paras (1) accounting for the others. Of Patton's dunks, 27 have been on lobs.
The 105 dunks are far more than any previous season under Greg McDermott, easily eclipsing the mark of 58 dunks in 35 games last year, and exceeding the 87 dunks in 68 games over the previous two seasons combined.
Here's a look at the Creighton student-athletes with 20 or more dunks in a season, and 19 or more dunks in a career, under McDermott:
Most Creighton Dunks, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks Name Year
55 Justin Patton 2016-17
36 Gregory Echenique 2012-13
30 Gregory Echenique 2011-12
24 Gregory Echenique 2010-11
22 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2010-11
Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks Name Years
90 Gregory Echenique 2010-13
55 Justin Patton 2016-Pres.
38 Will Artino 2011-15
30 Zach Hanson 2013-Pres.
27 Khyri Thomas 2015-Pres.
25 Geoffrey Groselle 2012-16
22 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2010-11
20 Marcus Foster 2016-Pres.
19 Doug McDermott 2010-14
Most Creighton Dunks, Team, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks Year Team W-L
105 2016-17 ? ? ?
58 2015-16 20-15 (NIT)
56 2010-11 23-16 (CBI)
54 2012-13 28-8 (NCAA)
42 2011-12 29-6 (NCAA)
35 2013-14 27-8 (NCAA)
29 2014-15 14-19
Outright Awesome
Khyri Thomas led Creighton in points (18), rebounds (7), assists (6) and steals (2) in Creighton's win over DePaul on January 28.
To find the last Bluejay to own the outright lead in each of those four categories in the same game, you'd have to go back to Dec. 7, 2014, when Austin Chatman had a near-identical line. Chatman had 19 points, seven rebounds, six assists and one steal in a 65-55 win at Nebraska.
Top 25 Success
Creighton has four wins over top-25 teams this season, more than any campaign in program history. Five previous teams had two top-25 victories in the same season.
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
Point Taken
The absence of Maurice Watson Jr. has changed the rotation around a little bit, but Creighton still boasts an offense with multiple weapons.
Including the Xavier game, when Watson went out in the 14th minute, Creighton has used three other men at point guard over the past six games. Creighton is 3-3 in those contests.
Here's how those figures break down since Watson left the game for the final time.
Player PTS REB AST TO MIN
Mintz 36 10 15 8 87
Zierden 35 8 5 3 120
Clement 14 13 16 6 87
Secret Weapon
Tyler Clement had played a total of 12 minutes in Creighton's first eight BIG EAST games, accumulating no points, one rebound and one assist.
His role has grown dramatically in the past three games. In that time, Clement has averaged 4.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 25.3 minutes per game.
Over .500, Again
Creighton has been better than .500 at the midway point in league play in 20 of the last 21 seasons, including this year.
Creighton has also gone 5-4 or better in the second half of league action in 18 of the last 20 seasons.
Creighton has made the postseason each of the previous 18 times it's been 5-4 or better at the midway point, and missed it the only time they weren't in that span.
Here's how Creighton's teams have fared in the various halves of the MVC/BIG EAST season since 1995-96.
Year 1st Half 2nd Half
2016-17 6-3 1-1 so far
2015-16 5-4 4-5
2014-15 1-8 3-6
2013-14 8-1 6-3
2012-13 7-2 6-3
2011-12 8-1 6-3
2010-11 5-4 5-4
2009-10 5-4 5-4
2008-09 5-4 9-0
2007-08 5-4 5-4
2006-07 6-3 7-2
2005-06 7-2 5-4
2004-05 5-4 6-3
2003-04 7-2 5-4
2002-03 8-1 7-2
2001-02 8-1 6-3
2000-01 5-4 9-0
1999-00 5-4 6-3
1998-99 6-3 5-4
1997-98 5-4 7-2
1996-97 5-4 5-4
1995-96 4-5 5-4
Total 126-72 (.636) 123-68 (.644)
Pink Out Auction Raises More Than $26,300
Creighton raised $26,361.64 in the auction, and another $3,054 at the door, at the "Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out" Pink Out game on vs. DePaul on Jan. 28.
The past six seasons has seen $160,618.68 raised.
Below is the final numbers for each jersey/item in the auction this year:
#0 $1875 #1 $1700 #2 $3300
#4 $627 #5 $510 #10 $2408
#11 $760 #13 $1530 #14 $590
#15 $620 #21 $1525 #23 $3850
#24 $610 #31 $426.65 #32 $1054.99
#40 $850 Basketballs: $910, $590, $585, $660
McDermott's Shoes: $1,025 McDermott's Tie: $355
At the Door: $3,054
Yearly Pink Out Totals
Creighton has raised $160,618.68 since the start of the 2011-12 season during its annual men's basketball Pink Out.
2011-12: $20,600
2012-13: $24,444
2013-14: $48,247.11
2014-15: $16,384.03
2015-16: $16,527.90 (plus another $5,000 in donations)
2016-17: $26,361.64 (plus another $3,064 in donations)
Six-Year Totals: $160,618.68
Quest For 18,000 A Success
Creighton has scored 18,106 points all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha, surpassing 18,000 points on January 28 vs. DePaul on a Zach Hanson lay-up.
Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 18,106 to 15,271 at the 14-year old facility in 236 all-time games in the building that count.
Creighton is 17-1 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone at CenturyLink Center Omaha, as seen below:
Date Pts-Opp (CLCO Game #) Who/How vs. Opp.
02/18/04 1,000-787 (14) Lindeman FG vs. Indiana State
02/05/05 2,000-1,696 (28) Funk FG vs. Missouri St.
01/18/06 3,000-2,504 (41) Watts FT vs. Bradley
01/09/07 4,000-3,359 (56) Tolliver FG vs. Drake
12/17/07 5,000-4,174 (69) Ka. Korver 3FG vs. Hou. Baptist
11/16/08 6,000-5,048 (82) Dotzler FG vs. New Mexico
02/11/09 7,000-5,870 (95) Witter 3FG vs. Bradley
01/16/10 8,000-6,750 (109) Young FG vs. Wichita State
12/20/10 9,000-7,645 (123) Wragge FG vs. W. Illinois
03/23/11 10,000-8,500 (136) Lawson FG vs. UCF
01/21/12 11,000-9,310 (148) McDermott FG vs. Ind. St.
12/19/12 12,000-10,136 (161) Echenique FG vs. Tulsa
11/23/13 13,000-10,922 (173) Artino FG vs. Tulsa
02/23/14 14,000-11,711 (185) Gibbs FG vs. Seton Hall
01/28/15 15,000-12,612 (198) Hanson FT vs. St. John's
12/28/15 16,000-13,498 (211) Huff FG vs. Coppin State
11/15/16 17,000-14,349 (224) Patton FG vs. #9 Wisconsin
01/28/17 18,000-15,166 (235) Hanson FG vs. DePaul
Hanson Hurt, But Heals
Senior center Zach Hanson was expected to miss 8-12 weeks after tearing a tendon and the ligaments in his left ankle during Creighton's win over Ole Miss on Nov. 21st. Hanson underwent surgery on Nov. 28th, and the senior played five minutes at Georgetown on Jan. 28 in his first action in nearly two months.
Hanson has made 10-of-14 shots since he returned, contributing 22 points and eight rebounds in 37 minutes of work.
A Pierre, S.D., native, Hanson is averaging 6.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 69.2 percent from the field in 11.4 minutes per game.
Even though he wasn't on the court while injured, Hanson maintained a strong leadership role on the team as he mentored freshmen centers Justin Patton and Martin Krampelj.
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 79.44 points per home game (9,612 points in 121 home games).
Since a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000, Creighton had been 127-0 at home (97-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more, and 107-0 at home (80-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to that same setback, before a January 21st, 102-94 loss to Marquette. Creighton also lost on Feb. 4 vs. Xavier, 82-80.
BIG EAST > "Football 5" ???
Creighton has knocked off teams from the Big Ten (Wisconsin and Nebraska), Pac-12 (Arizona State and Washington State), ACC (North Carolina State) and SEC (Ole Miss) this year, all by nine or more points.
Those six non-conference wins over the "Football 5" leagues are the most of any other team in the nation.
The BIG EAST owns 27 non-conference wins over "Football 5" leagues, second-most of any league in the nation.
Both figures are through games of February 8.
MBB Non-Conference Wins Over
"Football 5" Leagues, By Team
6 Creighton
5 Butler
5 Gonzaga
5 UCLA
5 Kansas
4 Xavier
4 Seton Hall
4 Clemson
4 Baylor
MBB Wins Over "Football 5" Leagues, By Conference
31 Atlantic Coast
27 BIG EAST
21 Big 12
18 Southeastern
17 Big Ten
12 Pac-12
Mintz Shows His Stuff
Freshman Davion Mintz showed what he was capable of on January 21 vs. Marquette in his first extensive playing time with the regular rotation.
Mintz came off the bench and established or tied season-highs in virtually every category, including minutes (26), points (17), assists (8), rebounds (3), field goals (4), free throws (7) and blocks (1). Creighton outscored Marquette 69-63 with him on the floor.
Mintz is one of seven BIG EAST players in the last seven years with a game of at least 17 points and eight assists against Marquette, joining star guards such as Ryan Arcidiacono, Bryce Cotton, Sterling Gibbs, Isaiah Whitehead, Trevon Bluiett and Maurice Watson Jr. Of that group, Mintz was the only one to do it in a reserve role.
Among Creighton players, Mintz joins Austin Chatman (twice), Grant Gibbs (once), Maurice Watson Jr. (six times) and Antoine Young (once) as the only players with a game of 17 points and eight assists in the seven-year era of Greg McDermott.
No other Bluejay has had a game of 17 points and eight assists off the bench in the last 35 seasons (going back to 1981-82).
Standard Five
Creighton used the same starting line-up in each of its first 19 games before finally making a change on Jan. 21 (in game 20) when Isaiah Zierden replaced Maurice Watson Jr. in the first five. The starting five changed has again, as Davion Mintz has started for Isaiah Zierden the last three games.
Last year Creighton used the same starting line-up in each of its first 18 games this season before finally making a change on Jan. 17 (in game 19) when Toby Hegner replaced Cole Huff. The Bluejays ended up using six different combinations a year ago.
In 2014-15, Creighton used 10 different starting line-up combinations, its most in any season since using 11 pairings in 1994-95.
Creighton used the same starting five combination for every game in 2011-12, and then again in 2012-13.
Against The BIG EAST
Since joining the BIG EAST in 2014, Creighton is unbeaten at home against St. John's, the only team it can say that for.
Georgetown remains the only place it hasn't won a visiting game in BIG EAST play, while DePaul is the only school where Creighton has not won a road game.
Team CU Home Games CU Road Games
Butler 3-1 2-2
DePaul 3-1 3-0
Georgetown 2-1 0-4
Marquette 2-2 2-1
Providence 1-2 1-3
Seton Hall 2-2 2-1
St. John's 3-0 2-2
Villanova 1-3 1-2
Xavier 2-2 2-2
Total 19-14 15-17
Watson Out With Torn ACL
Creighton University senior guard Maurice Watson Jr. tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Creighton's 72-67 win at No. 22 Xavier on Jan. 16, head coach Greg McDermott confirmed the following day.
Watson was leading the nation with 162 overall assists and 8.5 assists per game at the time of his injury, also leads the nation's active players with 801 career assists. He is ranked ninth in Creighton history with 391 assists. The Philadelphia, Pa., native spent the first two years of his college career at Boston University.
Watson was a Preseason All-BIG EAST selection and was one of 25 men on the Wooden Award Midseason List, as well as one of 30 men up for the Senior CLASS Award. Sites such as CBSSports.com and NBCSports.com had him among their top-10 in the National Player of the Year standings.
"We are sorry to learn of the severity of Maurice's injury, but are thankful for his contributions since joining the Bluejay program three years ago," said McDermott. "Our team will regroup, and we have a lot of young men who are capable of stepping up to fill the void in Maurice's absence. Maurice's leadership role on our team will continue to be huge part of our success."
"I'm going to fight to get back," said Watson. "And my teammates need to keep fighting through the year. The fact that these guys battled through yesterday's game gives me confidence and security that they'll be able to go on and do great things. I intend to finish my college career and have a great impact, even if it's not on the court."
Watson underwent successful surgery on February 6 in his hometown of Philadelphia.
Paint It Blue
Creighton's offense is known for its proficiency from three-point range, but don't overlook the work done inside the paint, as well.
Creighton has outscored opponents 952-732 in the paint this year, the program's best margin in that category since the school started tracking the stat in 2003-04.
Only four opponents all year have outscored CU in the paint this season over the course of a game.
Quick Out Of The Gates
Creighton continues to race to the lead in the opening minutes on a regular basis this season.
In fact, Creighton owned a double-digit lead at some point in each of its first 19 games this year, then never had a lead more than four in losses to Marquette and Georgetown in the last two weeks.
Below is a list of some of Creighton's runs to start the game this season:
Opponent Score Time Left in 1st Half
UMKC 15-2 14:25
#9 Wisconsin 8-0 18:39
Washington State 12-4 17:27
Buffalo 15-6 13:18
Akron 12-3 15:20
Nebraska 14-2 15:17
Longwood 11-2 16:42
Oral Roberts 6-0 19:10
#1 Villanova 19-9 14:30
St. John's 7-0 16:25
Providence 10-0 16:31
#12 Butler 19-9 12:12
Truman State 17-3 13:56
#22 Xavier 11-4 15:16
DePaul 15-2 13:15
Follow The Leader
Creighton trailed for just 86:10 of a possible 733:05 minutes before Maurice Watson Jr. suffered his final knee injury (11.8 percent of the time).
In the 226:55 of court time since then, the Bluejays have trailed for 91:49 (40.5 percent).
The two Xavier games are the only contests this season in which Creighton has had a lead change in the final three minutes of any game. There was two such lead changes down the stretch in the first Xavier game in Cincinnati, and one more when the teams met again in Omaha three weeks later.
Watson Makes Cut On Wooden List
Creighton guard Maurice Watson Jr. was one of three BIG EAST players on the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's Midseason Top 25, it was announced on January 11. Watson joins Villanova's Josh Hart and Butler's Kelan Martin.
Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts, the list comprises of 25 student-athletes who are front-runners for the sport's most prestigious honor, based on their performances during the first half of the 2016-17 season.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2017 John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's. The leading candidates will be further pared to 20 top players in early February.
Fifteen top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA will be submitted to voters on the Final Ballot prior to the NCAA Tournament.
Every year, players have made the Final Ballot that were not on the preseason or midseason lists. Voters are permitted to take into consideration the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament when casting the ballot. The 10-man Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament.
Watson is the first CU player named to the Midseason Top 25 list for the Wooden Award since 2013-14, when Doug McDermott went on to win the award.
It's Been 100 Years
January 12th marked the 100th anniversary of the first recorded game in Creighton men's basketball history, as Creighton topped Peru State 30-17 on January 12, 1917 in Omaha.
Creighton went 17-3 in that first season despite never scoring more than 40 points in any game.
Thomas E. Mills was the coach of that team.
Omaha's population in 1920 was 191,601, while Creighton has hosted 226,113 fans this season in 13 home games.
Watson's Dimes
Maurice Watson Jr. owns 801 career assists to date, easily the most among the nation's active players.
Watson also leads the nation with 8.5 assists per game and was topping the country with 162 overall helpers at the time of his injury.
Watson's 162 assists this year were spread among nine different players, and led to 71 three-pointers, 46 lay-ups, 30 dunks and 15 other two-point jump shots.
Including eight converted "and-1" free throw opportunities, Watson's 162 assists led to 403 points, an average of 21.2 points per game that he appeared in.
Watson Moves Into Creighton's Top 10
Just 54 games into his Bluejay career, Maurice Watson Jr. ranks ninth on Creighton's all-time assists chart with 391. No other player in the top-10 has appeared in fewer than 82 games.
Watson's 162 assists this season rank tied for ninth on Creighton's all-time list.
Most Career Creighton Assists, Since 1970-71
Ast. GP Name Years
570 124 Ryan Sears 1997-01
549 82 Ralph Bobik 1971-74
505 142 Antoine Young 2008-12
498 100 Grant Gibbs 2011-14
493 139 Austin Chatman 2011-15
458 89 Randy Eccker 1974-78
430 110 Tyler McKinney 2001-05
418 115 Vernon Moore 1981-85
391 54 Maurice Watson Jr. 2015-Pres.
388 117 Josh Dotzler 2005-09
Most Single-Season Creighton Assists, Since 1970-71
Ast. GP Name (Class) Year
252 30 Ralph Bobik (Sr.) 1973-74
229 35 Maurice Watson Jr. (Jr.) 2015-16
210 36 Grant Gibbs (Jr.) 2012-13
205 28 Randy Eccker (Jr.) 1976-77
195 39 Antoine Young (Jr.) 2010-11
184 34 Tyler McKinney (Sr.) 2004-05
176 35 Grant Gibbs (So.) 2011-12
175 33 Ryan Sears (Jr.) 1999-00
162 26 Ralph Bobik (Jr.) 1972-73
162 19 Maurice Watson Jr. (Sr.) 2016-17
159 32 Vernon Moore (Sr.) 1984-85
Terrific Start
Junior Marcus Foster's 432 points so far are the most by any Bluejay newcomer through 24 games since at least 1979-80. No Bluejay newcomer has finished a season averaging more than Foster's current mark of 18.0 points per game since Cyril Baptiste's 18.9 points per game in 1969-70.
For comparison, Doug McDermott had 346 points through 24 games and 361 points after the 25th career game of his freshman season. He would finish his career with 3,150 in 145 career games to rank fifth in NCAA history.
Most Points, CU Newcomers First 24 Games Since 1995-96
Pts. Name, Class Year After 25
432 Marcus Foster, Jr. 2016-17 ? ? ?
356 Rodney Buford, Fr. 1995-96 370
346 Doug McDermott, Fr. 2010-11 361
338 Maurice Watson Jr., Jr. 2015-16 370
329 Justin Patton, Fr. 2016-17 ? ? ?
280 P'Allen Stinnett, Fr. 2007-08 298
269 Doug Swenson, Jr. 1997-98 276
253 Ryan Sears, Fr. 1997-98 270
251 Brody Deren, So. 2001-02 257
248 Cole Huff, Jr. 2015-16 259
232 Gregory Echenique, So. 2010-11 250
On Pace For History?
Justin Patton has made 70.6 percent of his field goal attempts this season, good enough to lead the BIG EAST and rank third nationally in 2016-17.
The best season-ending mark in NCAA history, with a minimum of 5 FG/game, is 74.6 percent in 1980-81 by Oregon State's Steve Johnson.
That being said, Patton's marksmanship this season trails two other men who are also on pace to set the NCAA record for field goal percentage, as UNCW's Devontae Cacok is at 79.3 percent and UCF's Tacko Fall not far behind at 75.7 percent this season.
The chart below lists the top-five single-season marks for field goal percentage in NCAA history entering 2016-17:
Best FG %, NCAA History
(minimum 5 FG/game)
1. Steve Johnson, Oregon State 1980-81 235-315 .746
2. Dwayne Davis, Florida 1988-89 179-248 .722
3. Evan Bradds, Belmont 2015-16 210-294 .714
4. Keith Walker, Utica 1984-85 154-216 .713
5. Steve Johnson, Oregon State 1979-80 211-297 .710
Patton Wins Third Freshman of the Week Honor
Creighton's Justin Patton was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for the third time this season on January 9th. This week's recognition comes after the 7-footer led Creighton to a 2-0 week on the road with team-high averages of 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game.
The Omaha native made 20-of-27 shots from the field (74.1%), including his only three-point attempt, and also drained 4-of-7 free throw attempts (57.1%).
Patton's week started with a season-high 25 points to go with nine rebounds, a season-high four assists, a block and a steal in a road win at St. John's. Patton sank 11-of-14 shot attempts, including five dunks, as Creighton never trailed.
On Saturday at Providence, Patton delivered 20 points and six rebounds while matching his career-high with three blocked shots. Patton converted 9-of-13 shots from the floor, including three more dunks, and was 2-of-3 at the charity stripe.
Wire-To-Wire Road Wins
Creighton never trailed in its Jan. 4th win at St. John's, throwing a lob to Marcus Foster in the opening seconds en route to a 7-0 lead out of the gates of a 85-72 victory.
The Bluejays also didn't trail in its 78-64 win at Providence on Saturday, Jan. 7th.
It was just the second and third times in Creighton's 29 all-time BIG EAST road games that the Bluejays never trailed.
The first time came on January 20, 2014, in a 96-68 win at No. 4 Villanova. In that contest, Creighton made a three-pointer on its first nine possessions and finished with a league-record 21 trifectas overall.
Watson A Senior CLASS Candidate
Creighton men's basketball point guard Maurice Watson Jr. is one of 30 NCAA men's basketball student-athletes who excel both on and off the court that were selected as candidates for the 2016-17 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate basketball.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Each of the 30 candidate classes will be narrowed to fields of 10 finalists in February, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
Watson is the seventh Creighton Men's Basketball student-athlete to make the Senior CLASS cut in recent seasons, joining Kyle Korver (2002-03), Anthony Tolliver (2006-07), Dane Watts (2007-08), Josh Dotzler (2008-09), Kenny Lawson Jr. (2010-11), Doug McDermott (2013-14). Former Creighton men's soccer goalkeeper Brian Holt won the 2011 Senior CLASS Award on the pitch, while McDermott won the 2014 Senior CLASS Award on the hardwood.
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four® and NCAA Women's Final Four® this spring.
Three-Point Options
Toby Hegner's fourth and final trey at Arizona State was the 100th trifecta of his career. He now owns 108, and is the fourth active Bluejay with 100 or more three-pointers, joining Marcus Foster (187, with 49 at CU), Isaiah Zierden (158) and Cole Huff (172, with 105 at CU).
Zierden stands in 10th place in Creighton history with 157 career three-pointers.
3FG Name Years
371 Kyle Korver 1999-03
334 Ethan Wragge 2009-14
274 Doug McDermott 2010-14
245 Ryan Sears 1997-01
212 Rodney Buford 1995-99
206 Jahenns Manigat 2010-14
200 Nate Funk 2002-07
185 Matt Roggenburk 1986-90
177 Duan Cole 1987-92
158 Isaiah Zierden 2013-17
147 Booker Woodfox 2007-09
About That 13-0 Start
Creighton started this season 13-0 for the first time since the 1942-43 team started 16-0. Below is a list of Creighton's most successful starts without a loss, all-time:
Best Starts Without A Loss, Creighton History
Start Year Final W-L First Loss
16-0 1942-43 * 16-1 Washington & Jefferson
13-0 2016-17 ? ? ? #1 Villanova
12-0 2003-04 # 20-9 Northern Iowa
*Reached NCAA Tournament; #Reached NIT
!No postseason tournaments existed yet
#Winning
Creighton reeled off 13 straight wins to start the 2016-17 season. It was Creighton's longest win streak under Greg McDermott, as seen below.
Longest Win Streaks Under Greg McDermott at CU
W's Dates Snapped By
13 Nov. 11, 2016 - Present #1 Villanova
11 Dec. 1, 2012 - Jan. 15, 2013 at Wichita State
11 Dec. 31, 2011 - Feb. 1, 2012 at Northern Iowa
10 Dec. 3, 2013 - Jan. 14, 2014 at Providence
Win Streak History
Creighton's 13-0 start was its sixth streak of 13 straight wins or more all-time, and Creighton's longest winning streak since Tom Apke's 1974-75 club won 14 straight.
The school-record streak is 38 straight wins, set over the course of CU's first four seasons of organized basketball nearly 100 years ago.
Creighton's Longest Win Streaks, All-Time
W's Dates Coach NCAA/NIT
38 Feb. 22, 1917 - Feb. 11, 1920 Mills Didn't exist
17 Mar. 25, 1942 - Mar. 4, 1943 Hickey NIT
16 Jan. 31, 1928 - Jan. 23, 1929 Schabinger Didn't exist
14 Jan. 3 - Feb. 21, 1925 Schabinger Didn't exist
14 Jan. 2 - Feb. 22, 1975 Apke NCAA
13 Nov. 11 - Dec. 28, 2016 McDermott ? ? ?
Scoring In Bunches
Creighton has scored 2,032 points through 24 games, to rank 16th nationally with 84.7 points per contest.
The 2,032 points are the third-most points than Creighton has ever scored in its first 24 games of any season, as seen below:
Most Points Through 24 Games, Creighton History
Points Year Final W-L (Postseason)
2,136 1965-66 14-12
2,060 1963-64 22-7 (NCAA)
2,032 2016-17 ? ? ?
2,002 1970-71 14-11
100!
Creighton is 107-37 all-time when ranked in the Associated Press poll, picking up its 100th win as a top-25 team on Dec. 28th when it hosted and beat Seton Hall.
That includes a 73-25 mark under Greg McDermott when ranked.
Defense Pitches A Late Shutout
Creighton's offense gets all the attention, but the defense stepped up when it was needed most on Dec. 17 against Oral Roberts.
Creighton found itself trailing 65-60 with 6:08 left after ORU's Albert Owens banked in a three-pointer to stun the crowd. The Golden Eagles would go scoreless in their final 10 possessions the rest of the way.
Creighton would steadily come back, getting two hoops from Justin Patton before a Marcus Foster drive with 3:21 to play gave CU a 66-65 lead.
Neither team would score in the final 3:21 of the contest.
That contest marked the first time since December 22, 2010, that Creighton held an opponent scoreless over the final 6:08 of regulation. That came when CU held Samford scoreless in the final 6:48 of a 58-40 victory.
Those are the only two contests in the 436 games since the start of 2004-05 campaign that the Bluejays have held an opponent scoreless in the final 6:08 of any game.
1,000 x 3
Cole Huff became the third member of the current Creighton team to surpass 1,000 career points when he reached the mark at Nebraska on Dec. 7. Huff entered the game with 999 points (including 527) at Nevada, then added 13 points in the win on 4-of-5 shooting from long-range.
Marcus Foster surpassed the 1,000 point mark during the Nov. 29 win over Buffalo. Foster owns 432 points this season, after scoring 875 points during his first two seasons at Kansas State. It took Foster 69 games total to reach the mark.
Last year Maurice Watson Jr. surpassed 1,000 career points (including Boston), and he now owns 1,537 career points.
Creighton has never previously had three players with 1,000 career points on the roster at the same time.
BIG EAST Playing Big
Though the BIG EAST may not be considered of the traditional "Football 5" Conferences due to its lack of big time football, the performance of the league has been big time for a long time.
The league has owned a top-five RPI in the NCAA RPI rankings in every season since 2000-01, as seen below:
BIG EAST in Conference RPI Rankings
2016-17: 3rd (per WarrenNolan.com)
2015-16: 4th
2014-15: 3rd
2013-14: 4th
2012-13: 2nd
2011-12: 2nd
2010-11: 1st
2009-10: 3rd
2008-19: 4th
2007-08: 5th
2006-07: 5th
2005-06: 3rd
2004-05: 2nd
2003-04: 4th
2002-03: 5th
2001-02: 3rd
2000-01: 3rd
Top Five RPI
According to WarrenNolan.com on Thursday morning, Creighton ranked No. 16 nationally in the RPI.
Villanova was second, Xavier was 13th and Butler eighth, which has helped the BIG EAST to No. 3 in WarrenNolan.com's conference RPI rankings.
Creighton owns a 4-2 mark against top-25 RPI teams and a 6-2 record against top-50 RPI clubs this season.
15 Treys & 50 Percent?
Creighton shot made 44-of-81 three-point attempts in three games at the Paradise Jam, good for 54.3 percent, in its only three previous games outside Omaha.
The Bluejays shot 15-of-28 (53.6%) against Washington State, 13-of-27 (48.1%) against North Carolina State and 16-of-26 (61.5%) in the title tilt vs. Ole Miss.
In program history, Creighton owns 11 all-time games in which it has made 15 or more three-pointers and shot 50 percent or better, as seen below. Two of those were in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Best 3FG%, Minimum 15 3FG Made
3FG% Opponent 3FG-3FGA Date
.667 Chattanooga 20-30 02/19/05
.640 Chicago State 16-25 12/29/13
.625 at Indiana State 15-24 12/31/08
.615 vs. Ole Miss 16-26 11/21/16
.600 at #4 Villanova 21-35 01/24/14
.600 Texas-Arlington 15-25 11/17/02
.600 vs. IUPUI 15-25 11/25/02
.593 Drake 16-27 01/08/13
.536 Missouri State 15-28 01/30/13
.536 vs. Washington State 15-28 11/18/16
.533 Evansville 16-30 01/04/99
First Half Blitz
Creighton led 62-25 at halftime on Dec. 9 vs. Longwood. The 62 points were a CenturyLink Center Omaha record for points in a half, and the most by the Bluejays in any half since scoring 63 in the second half of a 106-50 win over Texas-Arlington on Nov. 17, 2002.
Creighton's 55-point win was also its largest since that same 106-50 win over Texas-Arlington on Nov. 17, 2002.
Creighton has won 58 straight games when scoring 44 or more in the first half.
Watson Still The Assists Per Game Leader
Despite the torn ACL he suffered on Jan. 16 at Xavier, Maurice Watson Jr. remains the nation's active leader in assists with 801.
At the time of his injury he was also fifth in steals (187), 11th in field goals made (590), 12th in assist/turnover ratio (2.12) and 31st in points scored (1,537).
Below is a look at the national active leaders in assists, through Feb. 8.
Active Leaders in Career Assists
1. Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton 801
2. Monte Morris, Iowa State 682
3. Alec Wintering, Portland 568
4. Marquis Wright, Siena 566
5. Siyani Chambers, Harvard 550
Omaha's Team
Creighton has started Omaha natives Justin Patton and Khyri Thomas in each of its games so far.
It's the first time Creighton has started two Omaha products in the same game since March 16, 2000 vs. Auburn, when Matt West (Omaha Westside) and Donnie Johnson (Omaha Central) earned a nod.
Johnson, coincidentally, coached Thomas at Omaha Benson High School.
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish third in its fourth season as BIG EAST Conference members according to a preseason poll of league coaches. Villanova was picked first with 81 points and nine first-place votes, while Xavier and Creighton round out the top three. Seton Hall and Georgetown tied for fourth place, while Butler, Marquette, St. John's, Providence and DePaul rounded out the bottom half.
Creighton guard Maurice Watson Jr. was named Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team, while Marcus Foster was picked to be a Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable-Mention choice.
NBA Representation
This year marks the third straight season that Creighton has three NBA players at the same time, as Kyle Korver (Cleveland Cavaliers), Anthony Tolliver (Sacramento Kings) and Doug McDermott (Chicago Bulls) are all in the league.
Including 2016-17, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 33 of the last 34 years.
Korver ranks seventh in NBA history with 1,992 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 43.0 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through February 8). 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 three times. He's currently averaging 9.9 points per game while making 43.4 percent of his three-point attempts this year.
Tolliver is averaging 7.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game this season for the Kings, his 11th NBA organization.
McDermott is in his third season with the Chicago Bulls, where he's averaging 9.7 points per game and shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from three-point range for fellow Ames High alum Fred Hoiberg. Hoiberg, ironically, is the same man who replaced Greg McDermott as Iowa State's head coach in 2010.
Full House
Creighton is averaging 17,428 fans per home game this season, fourth-best nationally. That figure would rank 17th best in the NBA, ahead of 14 franchises.
Last year was the 11th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the fifth straight season in the top-10 nationally in attendance, as well.
2016-17 Attendance Leaders (2/8)
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 23,285 2/14
2. Syracuse 21,555 2/13
3. Louisville 20,488 2/11
4. Creighton 17,428 2/19
5. Wisconsin 17,286 2/12
6. North Carolina 17,271 2/18
7. Kansas 16,417 2/13
8. Maryland 16,317 2/11
9. Indiana 16,192 2/9
10. North Carolina State 15,567 2/15
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
Avg. Att. School Year
17,896 Creighton 2013-14
17,428 so far Creighton 2016-17
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
17,048 Creighton 2014-15
16,665 Creighton 2011-12
Some Loyal Fans
Creighton has surpassed 200,000 home fans for the 12th straight season in 2016-17. The 302,887 home fans last season ranked as the most in school history.
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 last 14 seasons (including this year).
Creighton has led its conference in home attendance every year since moving into CenturyLink Center Omaha, which is in its 14th season.
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. 2012-13 17 291,643 17,155
5. 2014-15 17 289,808 17,048
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 772 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 21st-longest active streak through games of February 8.
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.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (2/8)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 998 Kentucky 2/11
998 UNLV 2/11
3. 988 Vanderbilt 2/11
4. 970 Duke 2/9
5. 929 Western Kentucky 2/11
6. 925 Arkansas 2/11
7. 916 East Tennessee State 2/9
8. 909 Pacific 2/9
9. 891 Oakland 2/10
10. 884 Texas 2/11
11. 863 Princeton 2/10
12. 832 Marshall 2/11
13. 832 La Salle 2/11
14. 824 Baylor 2/11
15. 801 LIU-Brooklyn 2/9
16. 797 Gonzaga 2/9
17. 793 Cornell 2/10
18. 781 Mount St. Mary's 2/9
19. 779 Tennessee State 2/9
20. 773 East Carolina 2/11
21. 772 Creighton 2/11
Making A Jump
Creighton went from 14-19 in 2014-15 to 20-15 last season. In the last 50 seasons of Creighton basketball, there has been only six seasons where the team has grown its win total by six or more victories from one year to the next, with two of those gains under the direction of Greg McDermott:
Biggest Win Improvements, Last 50 Years
Jump Year W-L Year W-L
+8 1972-73 15-11 1973-74 23-7
+7 1986-87 9-19 1987-88 16-16
+7 1994-95 7-19 1995-96 14-15
+6 2001-02 23-9 2002-03 29-5
+6 2010-11 23-16 2011-12 29-6
+6 2014-15 14-19 2015-16 20-15
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 2015-16
Category Stat NCAA Rank
FG Percentage .476 4th
3FG Made 1,775 4th
3FG Percentage .386 5th
Assists 3392 7th
FG Made 5,534 18th
Wins 141 31st
Winning Percentage .662 47th
Eight Out Of 18 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 18 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (14), Duke (10), Winthrop (9), Creighton (8), Kansas (8) and Kentucky (8).
Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time. The Villanova crowd of 18,831 Dec. 31 was third-most in school history.
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
Multiple Choices
Creighton had four men average in double-figures in 2015-16, Maurice Watson Jr. (14.1), Cole Huff (11.3), Geoffrey Groselle (11.2) and Isaiah Zierden (10.2).
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.
This year's team also has four men scoring at a double-figure clip, with Huff not far behind at 9.0 ppg.
Très Bien
Since 2011-12, Creighton is 60-47 (.561) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 77-12 (.865) mark the last six years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 119-32 in the last six years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 18-28 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 16 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point. Nine of those comebacks came away from home, including the win over Ole Miss in the Virgin Islands on Nov. 21st.
On Nov. 19, 2014, Creighton trailed 42-24 to No. 18 Oklahoma with 18:30 to go before putting together a comeback for the ages. It was CU's largest comeback victory under Greg McDermott (see chart below), and the second-biggest in the history of CenturyLink Center Omaha (see chart, left column on page four).
On the other hand, CU is 140-11 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 128 of the last 135 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
Providence's Kris Dunn hit a game-winning shot as time expired to beat Creighton last Jan. 12th. It was the first game-winning shot with no time left to ever to beat Creighton at CenturyLink Center Omaha, exceeding the previous low with 1.9 seconds left by Butler's Roosevelt Jones in 2014-15.
Dunn's shot was the first to beat Creighton (at any site) with no time left on the clock since Anthony James drained a game-winning three-pointer for Northern Iowa in a 65-62 win on Feb. 4, 2012 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Creighton is 7-6 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds in the 14-year old facility.
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.) 53-52 G. Diaz FT :2.6
01/20/07 Southern Illinois 58-57 B. Mullins FG :4.1
01/10/15 #19 Seton Hall 68-67 S. Gibbs 3FG :2.2
02/16/15 #19 Butler 58-56 R. Jones FG :1.9
03/07/15 Xavier 74-73 D. Davis FT's :6.3
01/12/16 #12 Providence 50-48 K. Dunn FG :0.0
What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 161-76 on the Creighton sideline in his seventh year at the helm. The 161 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first seven seasons, way more than Tom Apke's 130.
Most Wins at CU, First Seven Seasons
Coach Years W-L After 7 Yrs
Greg McDermott 2010-Pres. 161-76 so far
Tom Apke 1974-80 130-64
Dana Altman 1994-00 123-86
Red McManus 1959-65 105-75
McDermott Passes McManus On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 161 victories at Creighton, good for third place on CU's all-time wins list.
McDermott's .679 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. 165-66 Arthur A. Schabinger 1922-35
3. 161-76 Greg McDermott 2010-Pres.
4. 138-118 John J. "Red" McManus 1959-69
5. 130-64 Tom Apke 1974-81
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 236 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 14-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 195-41 (.826) 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 18,106-15,271 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.01 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 65 different times, including 13 of its last 33 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 98-22 (.817) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 57-4 record vs. non-conference teams.
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton averaged 79.63 points per game in 2015-16, and is scoring 84.67 points per game in 2016-17.
Greg McDermott is 43-2 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 37-2 mark on the Creighton sideline.
In fact, McDermott's team scored 90 or more points 10 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 had won 75 straight games when scoring 90 or more points at all sites since a Jan. 11, 1988 loss to Southern Illinois, before a March 5, 2016 loss at Xavier by a 98-93 score.
Creighton is 57-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 29 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas.
Pizza Pie, Piled High = Wins
Thanks to a promotion with Omaha-based Godfather's Pizza, Creighton season ticket-holders can get a free mini pizza any time the Jays score 75 points at home.
History has proven that when the team earns the fans pizza, it often leads to a victory as well.
The first three years of CenturyLink Center Omaha (2003-06), Creighton needed 70 points to earn its fans free pizza, and the Jays went 27-3 when reaching that threshold, closing out that run with 12 straight wins.
Since upping the standard to 75 points prior to the 2006-07 campaign, Creighton is 106-3 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is 118-3 in CenturyLink Center Omaha since Feb. 6, 2005 when scoring enough points to earn its fans some free pizza. A perfect streak of 101-0 was snapped on Dec. 2, 2015 when Arizona State scored three points in the final 15 seconds to sneak away with a 79-77 victory.
Last Season Recap
Creighton went 20-15 last season and reached the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament before being eliminated at BYU. Maurice Watson Jr. (14.1 ppg., 6.5 apg.) led the Bluejays in both scoring and assists, while senior Geoffrey Groselle (6.1 rpg.) led the team in rebounding and set a Creighton record by shooting 70.2 percent from the field.
Creighton's best victories last season included a 70-56 win over No. 5 Xavier, and a pair of wins to claim the title at the Men Who Speak Up Main Event in Las Vegas.
Shuttle Service Provided Again
Chief Bus will provide complimentary shuttle service from the Creighton University campus to CenturyLink Center Omaha for all men's basketball home games this season. The service is available to all fans, not just Creighton students.
The shuttle will start 75 minutes before tip-off and shuttles will continue to operate the route during the game. The three designated stops for pick-up around the CU campus are: 24th & California (nearside/southbound); 20th & Cass (nearside/eastbound) and at Harper Dining Center (outside the Mike & Josie Harper Center in the turnaround which is on the east side of the building).
The shuttle will then go eastbound on Capitol Avenue and then go north up 10th Street for drop-off at the CenturyLink Center Omaha convention center entrance. The route is designed for each shuttle driver to make a roundtrip every 15 minutes.
Following the game's conclusion, the shuttle will start at the CenturyLink Center Omaha convention center entrance on 10th Street and loop the original route with the first of three stops at 24th & California Streets.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2016-17 season went on sale on October 24th.
Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CenturyLink Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any game.
For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
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/ Men's BasketballThursday, July 23
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