2016-17 Men's Basketball Season Recap

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    The Creighton men's basketball team spent eight weeks in the top-10, defeated four ranked teams, returned to the BIG EAST Tournament championship game and played in the NCAA Tournament during the 2016-17 season.
   The Bluejays entered the season ranked 22nd nationally in the Associated Press poll, but a red-hot start quickly catapulted CU back among the nation's elite. Put to the test on a national stage for the first time, Creighton handled No. 9 Wisconsin in the second game of the season, then went to the U.S. Virgin Islands and won the Paradise Jam with victories over Washington State, North Carolina State and Ole Miss.
   Creighton returned home to topple Loyola (Md.), Buffao and Akron to improve to 8-0, then picked up a sixth consecutive double-digit victory over Nebraska with a 77-62 win in Lincoln.
   The Bluejays moved to 11-0 with wins over Longwood and Oral Roberts, and closed out pre-conference play on December 20 with a 96-85 win over Arizona State.
   BIG EAST play began with an 89-75 win over defending league tournament champion Seton Hall as CU moved to 13-0. An electric crowd at CenturyLink Center Omaha on New Year's Eve saw defending national champion and top-ranked Villanova come to town in the second matchup in league history among unbeaten teams. The teams played a close contest before the Wildcats pulled away down the stretch to post an 80-70 victory.
   Creighton regrouped with an unbeaten road trip in wins at St. John's and Providence, then came home to trounce No. 12 Butler. After a win over Division II Truman State, Creighton found itself ranked seventh nationally in both the AP and coaches polls, the best mark in program history.
   Creighton won at No. 22 Xavier to improve to 18-1 on January 16th, but the victory didn't come without a heavy cost. Midway through the first half, star point guard Maurice Watson Jr. suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear, ending the season for the nation's leader in assists and assists per game at the time.
   With Watson out of the line-up, the Bluejays split playing time between Isaiah Zierden, Davion Mintz and Tyler Clement the rest of the season.
   Creighton lost to Marquette and at Georgetown while attempting to find its way. The Jays snapped that skid with a 83-66 win in the Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out game, then won its 20th game of the campaign with a 76-67 victory at No. 16 Butler.
   The win at Butler started a stretch where CU alternated wins and losses over a six-game stretch.
   CU closed out the regular-season with an 82-68 wire-to-wire victory over St. John's on Senior Day before falling at Marquette to drop into a four-way tie for third place in the BIG EAST.
   Creighton was the sixth seed in the BIG EAST Tournament while facing third-seeded Providence, even though both teams had identical 10-8 league records. The Bluejays overcame a halftime deficit to beat the Friars in the quarterfinals, then did the same thing one night later to beat Xavier in the semifinals. The victory over the Musketeers was among the season's most dramatic, as Marcus Foster drilled a game-winning three-pointer with 6.6 seconds left to defeat a team that eventually reached the Elite Eight.
   The victory advanced CU to a title game match-up against Villanova, a contest that was won by the Wildcats 74-60.
   Creighton would be awarded a sixth seed to the 2017 NCAA Tournament, the program's first trip since 2014 and 20th overall in program history. The Bluejays were shipped to Sacramento, only to fall to upstart Rhode Island in the first round of the postseason.
   Foster was a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST selection in his first year on the court for the Bluejays. He scored 18.2 points per game, and his 638 points set a school-record for a Bluejay newcomer.
   Another newcomer, redshirt freshman Justin Patton, made an immediate impact en route to BIG EAST Freshman of the Year honors. Patton averaged 12.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and ranked second nationally with 67.6 percent shooting from the field. Patton also had 72 of the team's 144 dunks. His rapid rise quickly garnered the interest of professional scouts and after the season, he would declare for the NBA Draft.
   Fellow Omaha native Khyri Thomas also picked up some BIG EAST hardware, sharing BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year accolades. Thomas averaged 12.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while developing into one of the league's top all-around players.
   Senior Zach Hanson earned the team's Most Inspirational Award at the year-end Athletics Hall of Fame banquet.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) broadcasted all Creighton men basketball games during the 2016-17 season, while KOOO (101.9 FM) also broadcasted all the home games. John Bishop and former Bluejay Nick Bahe, Brody Deren and Josh Dotzler called the action.
   All but the NCAA Tournament game were also streamed on 1620 The Zone's app, as well as www.1620thezone.com.

Television Information
All but one Creighton game was televised, with the Nov. 18 game vs. Washington State in the Paradise Jam the lone exception.
   Creighton appeared on FS1 on 13 occasions, FS2 six times, CBS Sports Network five times, FOX four times, FSN Midwest three times, and once each on TBS, BTN and ESPN2.

Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season had 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.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) completed his seventh season as head coach at Creighton. He is 166-82 with the Bluejays. McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000). He owns a career mark of 446-277 in 23 seasons and is 315-213 in 16 Division I campaigns. McDermott was assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
   After the season Lutz would accept a similar position at Purdue, and be replaced by CU alum Alan Huss.

NCAA Tournament History
Creighton made its 20th NCAA Tournament appearance, and 11th in the last 19 years. The Bluejays are now 12-21 all-time in NCAA action, including a 9-11 record in its first game.
   In 29 NCAA or NIT appearances, Creighton has won consecutive games in the same event just once, with that happening in the 2016 NIT.
   Creighton has had at least one sport reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 30 academic calendar years. So far in 2016-17, the men's soccer team reached the Sweet 16, the women's volleyball team advanced to the Elite Eight and the women's basketball team reached the Round of 32.

Coaching Experience In The Dance
Creighton's full-time coaching staff boasts a combined 40 Division I NCAA Tournament games under their collective belts as either a player, graduate manager, assistant coach or head coach.
   Greg McDermott is 3-7 in NCAA Tournament action as a head coach. He went 0-3 at Northern Iowa (0-1 in 2004, 2005 and 2006) and is 3-4 at Creighton (1-1 in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017).
   Darian DeVries is 5-11 in NCAA Tournament action, all of it as an assistant coach or graduate manager with Creighton (1-1 in 1999, 2002, 2012, 2013 and 2014; 0-1 in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2017).
   Steve Lutz is 3-4 in NCAA Tournament action, going 1-1 in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and 0-1 in 2017 as a Creighton assistant coach.
   Preston Murphy played in six games over the course of three NCAA Tournaments while enrolled at Rhode Island from 1995-99. The Rams went 0-1 in 1997 and 1999, but reached the Elite Eight in 1998. In six career NCAA Tourney games, Murphy had 57 points, 26 rebounds and 11 assists. This year's loss to Rhode Island marked his first NCAA game as an assistant coach.

Against Postseason Opponents
Creighton went 8-9 against teams that made the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The Jays were 2-0 against Butler, 2-1 against Providence and Xavier, 1-0 against Wisconsin, 1-1 against Seton Hall, , 0-1 against Rhode Island, 0-2 against Marquette and 0-3 against Villanova.
   Creighton also went 2-0 against NIT qualifiers, going 1-0 vs. Ole Miss and Akron.
   Creighton didn't play any CIT teams, and went 1-0 against CBI qualifier UMKC.

History As A No. 6 Seed
Creighton was a No. 6 seed for the second time in history, joining the 2002-03 club. It matched Creighton's second-best seed slot since the NCAA began seeding all the teams in 1979, three spots behind than the No. 3 seed during the 2013-14 campaign in the team's last previous appearance.
   Since 1985, No. 6 seeds are 83-49 (.629) against No. 11 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, including a 12-16 mark since 2011. At least one No. 6 seed has won every year since 1989, but at least one No. 6 seed has lost every year since 2004, as well.
   Since 1985, 44 No. 6 seeds have advanced to the Sweet 16, and there's been at least one No. 6 seed to reach the Sweet 16 in 22 of the last 26 seasons.
Creighton's NCAA Tourney Seeds
(since seeding began in 1979)
Year   Seed   Record
2017   6th   0-1
2014   3rd   2-1
2013   7th   1-1
2012   8th   1-1
2007   10th   0-1
2005   10th   0-1
2003   6th   0-1
2002   12th   1-1
2001   10th   0-1
2000   10th   0-1
1999   10th   1-1
1991   11th   1-1
1989   14th   0-1
1981   8th   0-1

McDermott In The Postseason
Creighton coach Greg McDermott made his sixth postseason appearance at Creighton, and ninth overall as a Division I head coach when you include his time at Northern Iowa.
   McDermott's Division I teams own a 9-10 record in those nine postseason appearances, including a 9-7 mark in six appearances at Creighton.
McDermott's Div. I Postseason Appearances
Year   Tourney   Postseason W-L
2003-04 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2004-05 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2005-06 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2010-11 (CU)   CBI   4-2
2011-12 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2012-13 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2013-14 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2015-16 (CU)   NIT   2-1
2016-17 (CU)   NCAA   0-1

McDermott Earns Milestone Win
Greg McDermott has 166 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list. That's one more than Arthur A. Schabinger (1922-35) for second place on Creighton's all-time list, as he passed Schabinger on March 9 vs. Xavier.
   McDermott's .669 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Schabinger's .714 win rate.
   Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk.   W-L   Name   Years
1.   327-176   Dana Altman   1994-2010
2.   166-82   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
3.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger    1922-35
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-69
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-81

Most Postseason Bids By CU Coaches
This year's bid to the NCAA Tournament was the sixth postseason bid for Greg McDermott at Creighton. Only Dana Altman (13) has taken the Bluejays to more postseason appearances.
   McDermott's three NCAA Tournament wins tie a school record, also held by John J. "Red" McManus.
   McDermott's nine postseason wins at Creighton are the most in school history, two more than Altman's seven.
   McDermott (9-7) is one of two coaches in program history with a winning record in postseason play, joining Eddie Sutton (2-1).
Coach (Bids)   NCAA   NIT   CBI   CIT   NCIT   Total
Hickey (3)   1-1   2-2   0-0   0-0   0-0   3-3
Belford (1)   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-1   0-1
McManus (3)   3-3   0-0   0-0   0-0   1-1   4-4
Sutton (1)   2-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-0   2-1
Apke (4)   0-3   0-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-4
Barone (3)   1-2   0-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   1-3
Altman (13)   2-7   3-5   0-0   2-1   0-0   7-13
McDermott (6)   3-4   2-1   4-2   0-0   0-0   9-7

BIG EAST Success
Creighton was one of seven BIG EAST teams to make the NCAA Tournament, as the league sent 70 percent of its teams to the Big Dance.
   The BIG EAST has had a Sweet 16 squad in 23 of the last 24 years, and multiple Sweet 16 teams in 10 of the last 13 years.
   The BIG EAST Conference has won a combined 14 NCAA men's and women's basketball titles in the last 18 years.

All-Conference Honors Roll In
Creighton had several student-athletes honored by the BIG EAST when league honors were announced.
   Junior guard Marcus Foster was a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team. He is the program's second man ever named First Team All-BIG EAST, joining Doug McDermott (2013-14). Foster ranked third in the league in scoring and led the BIG EAST in field goals made.
   Freshman center Justin Patton was named Second Team All-BIG EAST, a unanimous pick on the BIG EAST's All-Freshman Team, and BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. Patton led the league in field goal percentage and also topped Creighton in rebounding and blocked shots. He was the first Bluejay to be named to an All-Freshman Team since McDermott and Jahenns Manigat both were recognized by the MVC in 2010-11, and first Creighton's honoree as league Freshman of the Year since McDermott in 2010-11.
   Last but not least, sophomore guard Khyri Thomas was recognized as the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, an award he shared with Villanova's Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges. Thomas ranked among the league leaders in both steals and defensive rebounds, and was also second on the Bluejay team in blocked shots. He was Creighton's second man ever to win a league Defensive Player of the Year honor joining Gregory Echenique's Missouri Valley Conference honor in 2011-12.

Pink Out Auction Raises More Than $26,300
Creighton raised $26,361.64 in the Pink Out auction, and another $3,054 at the door, at the January 31st "Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out" Pink Out game on vs. DePaul.
   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

Neutral Site Cole Huff Is The Best Cole Huff
No player shines more on neutral floors than Cole Huff, and it's never been on display more than last year's 35 point outburst at Madison Square Garden in the BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals.
   Since becoming active for Creighton in 2015-16, Huff played in 10 games on neutral floors. He averaged 15.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in those games while shooting 49-for-93 from the floor (.527), 32-of-60 from three-point range (.533) and 27-of-30 at the line (.900).
   Huff was named MVP of the Men Who Speak Up Main Event in November of 2015 in Las Vegas, helping Creighton to a title. He then scored 35 points last year vs. Seton Hall in the BIG EAST Tournament. Earlier this season, Huff averaged 15.0 points and drained 10-of-15 three-pointers as Creighton went 3-0 en route to winning the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.
   At the BIG EAST Tournament in New York City, Huff averaged 11.3 points while scoring in double-figures in all three games. He finished his career with five points and three rebounds vs. Rhode Island.

Jays Were #1 on FS1
All but one of Creighton's games this season have been televised, with Creighton posting a 24-10 mark in those games.
   Put the Blujeays on FS1, and CU becomes nearly untouchable.
   Creighton was 12-1 this season on FS1, and 47-22 all-time on the network.

Foster Named To All-Tournament Team
Marcus Foster was named to the All-Tournament Team by the BIG EAST, averaging 16.3 points, 3.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds in three games last week. He scored in double-figures in all three games, and on Friday catapulted the Bluejays into the final with a game-winning three-pointer with 6.6 seconds left to beat Xavier.
   Foster joins Doug McDermott (2014) and Austin Chatman (2014) as Bluejays to ever earn All-Tourney honors at the BIG EAST Tournament.

25 Wins Ranks Sixth-Most
In 99 seasons of Bluejay Basketball, this season was the sixth team to earn 25 or more wins.
   Creighton owns six seasons in history with 25 or more wins, and Greg McDermott has coached four of those in the past 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

Foster Reaches 600
Marcus Foster scored a team-high 638 points this season, including a career-high 35 points on Feb. 19 vs. Georgetown.
   Foster's mark is 10th-most in single-season history by a Bluejay, and most ever by a newcomer. The previous mark for points by a newcomer was 581 by Doug McDermott as a freshman in 2010-11.
Most Points, Season, Creighton History
   Pts.   Name (Class)   Year
   934   Doug McDermott (Sr.)   2013-14
   834   Doug McDermott (Jr.)   2012-13
   801   Doug McDermott (So.)   2011-12
   738   Bob Portman (Jr.)   1967-68
   734   Bob Harstad (Jr.)   1989-90
   688   Benoit Benjamin (Jr.)   1984-85
   681   Bob Portman (Sr.)   1968-69
   671   Vernon Moore (Sr.)   1984-85
   651   Rod Mason (Sr.)   1987-88
   638   Marcus Foster (Jr.)   2016-17
   620   Chad Gallagher (Sr.)   1990-91

Patton Pending
Justin Patton owned 453 points this season, second-most in program history by a freshman and trailing only Doug McDermott (581 in 2010-11).
   Patton's 21 points against Xavier in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals helped him pass former MVC Freshmen of the Year Rodney Buford (421 in 1995-96) and P'Allen Stinnett (416 in 2007-08) for second on the list.

More Patton, Please
Justin Patton ranked second nationally with 67.6 percent shooting from the field this year.
   Incredibly, the freshman shot better than 54 percent from the field in every game but two (Xavier; Rhode Island) this season.
   Patton's 33 games shooting 50.1 percent or better from the field led the nation, two more than UNCW's Devontae Cacock (31).
   Patton (32) and Akron's Isaiah Johnson (27) were the only men to exceed 50 percent from the field with at least four field goals made in more than 26 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.
Freshmen Seasons, Notable Big Men
Player, Year   PPG   RPG   BPG   APG   FG%
Justin Patton, 2017   12.9   6.2   1.4   1.2   .676
Henry Ellenson, 2016   17.0   9.7   1.5   1.8   .446
Karl-Anthony Towns, 2015   10.3   6.7   2.3   1.1   .566
Myles Turner, 2015   10.1   6.5   2.6   0.6   .455
Jahlil Okafor, 2015   17.3   8.5   1.4   1.3   .664
Joel Embiid, 2014   11.2   8.1   2.6   1.4   .626
Jabari Parker, 2014   19.1   8.7   1.2   1.2   .473
Steven Adams, 2013   7.2   6.3   2.0   0.6   .571
Nerlens Noel, 2013   10.5   9.5   4.4   1.6   .590
Anthony Davis, 2012   14.2   10.4   4.7   1.3   .623
Tristan Thompson, 2011   13.1   7.8   2.4   1.3   .546
Doug McDermott, 2011   14.9   7.2   0.1   1.2   .525

Patton Chasing History
Justin Patton has made 67.6 percent of his field goal attempts this season, good enough to lead the BIG EAST and rank second nationally in 2016-17.
   The best season-ending mark in NCAA history, with a minimum of 5 FG/game, had been 74.6 percent in 1980-81 by Oregon State's Steve Johnson, while the best mark by a freshman in NCAA history is 67.8 percent by Hampton's Michael Freeman (162-239) in 2006-07. Patton's figure ranked second-best ever among freshmen.
   That being said, Patton's marksmanship this season trailed UNCW sophomore Devontae Cacok, who shot an NCAA record 80.0 percent this season to break Johnson's all-time record.
   Previously, the top two field goal percentage marks in history by a "major conference" freshman (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC) had been 66.5 percent by Arkansas' Sidney Moncrief in 1975-76 and 66.4 percent by Duke's Jahlil Okafor in 2014-15.

Record Watch
Creighton set and approached numerous records this season, many of which can be found on pages 40-42 of this notes packet. Among those that were broken...
   Marcus Foster set a CenturyLink Center Omaha record with 109 three-pointers attempted in a season, three more than the previous mark shared by Booker Woodfox and Doug McDermott.
   Creighton owned 2,864 points this season, the most in school history. The previous mark of 2,787 was set in 35 games last season.
   Creighton also set a record by making 1,078 field goals this year. The old mark, first set in 1963-64, had been 1,024.
   Creighton allowed 259 three-point baskets this year, a school-record by the opposition. The previous high had been 244 last year.

A Special Winter
Creighton men's basketball (25) and Creighton women's basketball (24) each surpassed 20 wins this season, the 11th time in school history that both teams have 20 or more wins in the same winter (also 1984-85. 1990-91, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14). This is the fourth time that both teams have won 24 games or more (also 2001-02, 2002-03, 2012-13).
   Creighton was one of 16 schools with 24 or more wins in both men's and women's basketball this season. That elite group includes Baylor, Bucknell, Colorado State, Creighton, Duke, FGCU, Florida State, Gonzaga, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico State, Notre Dame, Oregon, South Carolina and UCLA.
   The 49 combined wins between the Creighton MBB and WBB programs is tied for third-most in school history for one winter. That record is 53, set during the winters of 2002-03 and 2012-13.
   Additionally, Creighton's .731 combined winning percentage (49-18) ranked as the fifth-best combined mark for one winter in program history. That school-record is a .791 mark set in 2002-03 (42-11).

Senior Success
Creighton honored three senior players following its Feb. 28 game vs. St. John's, as Zach Hanson, Cole Huff and Isaiah Zierden were recognized. Hanson was in his fourth year with the program, Huff in his third, and Zierden his fifth campaign.
   During the past five years, Creighton went 114-60. The team has been to the NCAA Tournament three times, winning twice, in addition to last year's run to the NIT quarterfinals. The 114 victories trail only Villanova among current BIG EAST schools.
   Creighton went 5-0 with five double-digit victories against in-state rival Nebraska since Zierden arrived on campus and 8-4 in conference tournament play. The trio combined for 2,009 points, 840 rebounds and 211 assists in a collective 293 games and 110 starts in a Bluejay uniform.

Top 25 Success
Creighton had 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

Foster Chased BIG EAST Scoring Lead
Creighton guard Marcus Foster scored in double-figures each of the last 18 games and ranked third in the BIG EAST Conference with 18.2 points per game.
   That put him just behind Villanova's Josh Hart (18.7 ppg.) and Xavier's Trevon Bluiett (18.5 ppg.) in the race for the league lead.
   In conference-only action, Foster's 18.0 ppg. ranked second, trailing only Hart (18.2 ppg.) by three points over the course of 18 games.

McDermott Earned 100th Home Win
Creighton's Feb. 28 win over St. John's marked Greg McDermott's 100th home victory at Creighton, as he moved to 100-24. All of those home games have come at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
   In Creighton history, only Dana Altman (199-46 at home) and Arthur A. Schabinger (108-30) at home) had previously reached 100 home wins.
   Schabinger coached at Creighton from 1922-35, when Creighton played its games at the Vinardi Center's "Old Gym" on campus.
   Altman was 102-28 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium and 97-18 at CenturyLink Center Omaha as CU head coach. Altman's Oregon team went 1-1 at CenturyLink Center Omaha in the 2015 NCAA Tournament was 0-1 in the 2011 CBI at CenturyLink Center Omaha.

Road Warriors
Creighton was 12-6 away from home this winter (7-4 road, 5-2 neutral), outscoring foes by an average of 5.2 points per game. Creighton's victims in that time featured Washington State, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Arizona State, St. John's, Providence (twice), No. 22 Xavier, No. 16 Butler, DePaul and Xavier.
   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 won its first five true road games since the 1942-43 club won its first eight.
   Each of Creighton's last 12 NCAA Tournament teams have won 10 or more games away from home, and 11 of those teams had a winning record in true road contests.
   Creighton shot 41.3 percent from three-point range in road/neutral games this season while holding foes to 30.7 percent marksmanship from deep. In those games, Creighton's senior class shot a combined 47.3 percent (61-129) from three-point territory in those games.

Going Streaking, Part 1
Isaiah Zierden had a streak of 26 straight free throws made between Jan. 4 and March 9 come to an end vs. Providence.
   For the season, Zierden was 37-of-40 (92.5 percent) from the charity stripe overall on the year, and a career 87.0 (140-161) percent shooter at the line.
   Below is a list of Creighton's longest streaks on record for consecutive free throws made:
Consecutive Free Throws Made, Since 1980
   FT   Name   Dates of Streak
   45   Doug McDermott   Dec. 1, 2013 - Jan. 4, 2014
   36   Booker Woodfox   Dec. 6, 2008-Jan. 6, 2009
   35   Bob Portman   1967-68
   32   Michael Lindeman   Jan. 23-Nov. 29, 2003
   28   Kyle Korver   Jan. 27-March 15, 2001
   28   Doug McDermott   March 10 - Nov. 8, 2013
   27   Matt West   Nov. 27, 1999-Jan. 15, 2000
   27   Kyle Korver   Jan. 29-Nov. 20, 2000
   27   Nate Funk   Dec. 30, 2006-Jan. 12, 2007
   26   Isaiah Zierden   Jan. 7 - March 9, 2017
   24   Rick Apke   Jan. 22-Feb. 5, 1977
   24   Rod Mason   Jan. 28-Feb. 4, 1988
   24   Kyle Korver   Mar. 15-Dec. 4, 2001
   24   Ethan Wragge   Feb. 3, 2010 - Feb. 1, 2012

Going Streaking, Part 2
Marcus Foster scored at least 10 points in each of his last 18 games. Other players in the BIG EAST with double-figure scoring streaks of 15 or longer to end the season included Villanova's Josh Hart (41), Georgetown's Rodney Pryor (16) and Seton Hall's Angel Delgado (15).

Shooting Stars
Creighton ranked second in the nation in field goal percentage, connecting at a 50.5 percent clip. Only UCLA (52.1 percent) was better.
   Creighton also shot the ball well in league play, draining BIG EAST best 49.4 percent of its attempts, the best mark in league play since Creighton shot 49.9 percent in 2013-14, and the best mark by a non-Creighton team since Georgetown (.505) in 2006-07.

Among The Nation's Best Under McDermott
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the since Greg McDermott took over in 2010-11, per Basketball-Reference.com:
2010-11 to 2016-17
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
FG Percentage   .480   4th
3FG Percentage   .387   4th
3FG Made   2,079   6th
Assists   3,991   6th
FG Made   6,612   12th
Wins   166   T-29th
Winning Percentage   .669   41st

Foster Distributes, Too
Marcus Foster had a season-high eight assists in the Feb. 25 game at Villanova. He distributed 52 helpers in his last 15 games after dishing just 32 dimes in the first 20 games of the year.
   Against Seton Hall, Foster became the first Bluejay since 2000 to have at least 23 points, six rebounds and six assists in the same game. On that occasion, Ryan Sears had 25 points, eight rebounds and assists at Southern Illinois on January 8, 2000.
   The only other BIG EAST players with a game of at least 23 points, six rebounds and six assists this year have been Xavier's Edmond Sumner and St. John's Shamorie Ponds.
   Foster's game against Georgetown of 35 points, five rebounds and five assists. He's Creighton's first player with a 35/5/5 line since Benoit Benjamin had 45 points, 16 rebounds and five assists vs. Indiana State on January 19, 1985.

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 vs. Seton Hall on December 28th.
   Creighton struggled in the first half of BIG EAST play, making just 54-of-180 (30.0 percent) of its attempts in the first nine league games.
   The Bluejays regained their shooting stroke in the last 11 games, draining 120-of-294 three-point shots (40.8 percent). That stretch started not long after a dreadful 1-for-18 showing from long-range at Georgetown on January 25th.
   Creighton made 13 or more trifectas eight times this winter, and 10 or more in 14 contests.

Double-Double Fun
Justin Patton had 11 points and a season-high 11 rebounds in a Feb. 11th at DePaul, the third double-double of the season for the Omaha native.
   Patton is just the third Creighton freshman since 1988-89 to post a double-double, joining Ronnie Harrell Jr. (1 in 2015-16) and Doug McDermott (9 in 2010-11).
   Patton (1) and McDermott (5) are the only two freshmen in that time to have a double-double in a league game, as well.

Jays Were Ranked In 16th Straight Polls
The Creighton men's basketball team fell out of the top-25 for the first time all season when the Feb. 27 poll was released.
   That snapped a 16-week stretch of rankings that had been one shy of the school-record.
   The 16 weeks the Bluejays were ranked this year tie a school-record for one season, first done in 2012-13.
   Creighton has now been ranked in 84 weeks in program history, with 56 of those under the direction of seventh-year head coach Greg McDermott.
   Earlier this year on Jan. 16 Creighton was ranked as high as seventh in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches poll, the best mark in program history.
   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

Most Consecutive Weeks in AP Poll, Creighton History
   Weeks   Dates
   17   Feb. 27, 2012 - Feb. 4, 2013
   16   Nov. 11, 2016 - Feb. 20, 2017
   15   Dec. 14, 2002 - March 20, 2003
   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)
   16   2016-17   25-10   NCAA (0-1)
   15   2002-03   29-5   NCAA (0-1)
   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 last 19 years (including 2016-17): Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
   Kentucky and Florida have each done it in 18 of the last 19 seasons (including 2016-17).
   Along with Arizona and Xavier, Creighton is one of four schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 17 of the last 19 years (including 2016-17).
   This is the 28th 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.
   Below is a list of the teams with at least 17 seasons (including 2016-17) of 20 or more wins since 1998-99.
20+ Wins - Last 19 Seasons (including 2016-17)
Team   2016-17 W-L   Next Game
Gonzaga   37-2   Done
Kansas   31-5   Done
Duke   28-9   Done

20+ Wins - 18 of Last 19 Seasons (including 2016-17)
Team   2016-17 W-L   Next Game
Kentucky   32-6   Done
Florida   27-9   Done

20+ Wins - 17 of Last 19 Seasons (including 2016-17)
Team   2016-17 W-L   Next Game
Arizona   32-5   Done
Creighton   25-10   Done
Xavier   24-14   Done
Syracuse   19-15   Done

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 averaged 1.5 points, 1.3 assists and 0.9 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per game.
   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.

Talented Thomas
Best Defensive Player? Most Improved? Most Underrated? There's a lot of titles you could bestow on Khyri Thomas, who continued to fly under the radar as one of the BIG EAST's top players.
   The sophomore from Omaha led the team in steals and was second on the squad in rebounding, assists and blocked shots.
   Thomas tied a career-high by sinking 4-of-5 three-point shots in Creighton's Jan. 31 win at Butler. Creighton was 19-7 this year, and is 28-12 in his career, when he drains a trifecta.
   Since arriving on campus, Thomas has made 46-of-103 (44.7 percent) three-pointers in Creighton wins compared to 23-of-69 (33.3 percent) marksmanship from deep in Bluejay losses.
   Thomas scored in double-figures in 13-of-18 BIG EAST games this winter after never scoring 10 or more against a BIG EAST foe that as a freshman.
   Thomas entered that 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 was one of the final 30 players in consideration for the 2017 Naismith Men's College Player of the Year, though he did not advance to the final 10.
   Foster was third in the BIG EAST in scoring at 18.2 points per game, the highest scoring average by a Bluejay newcomer since 1969-70. He was 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 scored 10 points or more in 33-of-35 games. Foster owns 638 points at Creighton after scoring 875 points in his first two years at Kansas State.
   Foster started all 35 games this season for the Bluejays, who went 25-10. He was one of three BIG EAST players on the list, joining the Villanova duo of Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson.
   Foster had been 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 was one of five finalists for the 2017 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. This year's honor went to Kentucky's Malik Monk.
   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.
   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 Wayman Tisdale Award
Creighton center Justin Patton was 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.
   This year's Wayman Tisdale Award went to UCLA's Lonzo Ball.

Doctors of Dunk
Creighton finished the season with 144 dunks. Per research from Florida State, that ranked fifth-most in the country in 2016-17, trailing only Florida State (183), Kentucky (179), Florida Gulf Coast (159) and USC (153).

We're Jamming!
Justin Patton had 72 of CU's 144 dunks this season, with Marcus Foster (23), Khyri Thomas (19), Martin Krampelj (12), Zach Hanson (6), Ronnie Harrell Jr. (5), Toby Hegner (2), Cole Huff (3), Davion Mintz (1) and Kobe Paras (1) accounting for the others. Of Patton's dunks, 32 came on lobs.
   The 144 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
72   Justin Patton   2016-17
36   Gregory Echenique   2012-13
30   Gregory Echenique   2011-12
24   Gregory Echenique   2010-11
23   Marcus Foster   2016-17
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11

Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Years
90   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
72   Justin Patton   2016-17
38   Will Artino   2011-15
32   Zach Hanson   2013-17
31   Khyri Thomas   2015-Pres.
25   Geoffrey Groselle   2012-16
23   Marcus Foster   2016-Pres.
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11
19   Doug McDermott   2010-14

Most Creighton Dunks, Team, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Year   Team W-L
144   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
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

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).

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 21 seasons.
   Creighton has made the postseason each of the previous 19 times (including 2016-17) 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   4-5
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)   126-72 (.636)

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 31-of-50 shots since he's returned, contributing 68 points and 29 rebounds in 138 minutes of work.
   A Pierre, S.D., native, Hanson averaged 5.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while shooting 64.0 percent from the field in 10.2 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 79.41 points per home game (9,847 points in 124 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 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 were the most of any other team in the nation during the regular-season.
   The BIG EAST owns 27 non-conference wins over "Football 5" leagues, second-most of any league in the nation.
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

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 outscored opponents 1,292-1,046 in the paint this year, the program's best margin, and most points in the paint scored, in that category since the school started tracking the stat in 2003-04.
   Only six opponents all year outscored CU in the paint this season over the course of a game.

Quick Out Of The Gates
Creighton frequently raced to the lead in the opening minutes this season.
   In fact, Creighton owned a double-digit lead at some point in each of its first 19 games this year, and all but eight games overall (Marquette; at Georgetown; at Seton Hall, at Villanova, at Marquette, vs. Xavier, vs. Villanova, vs. Rhode Island) this season.
   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
Georgetown   11-4   16:34
St. John's   11-0   15:35

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 hosted 296,013 fans this season in 17 home games.

Three-Point Options
Four Bluejays have made 100 or more collegiate three-pointers in their college careers.
   Marcus Foster owns 211 three-pointers, including 73 at Creighton.
   Isaiah Zierden owned 171 three-pointers in his career, 10th-most in schoon history.
   Toby Hegner owns 119 career treys, while Cole Huff has made 191 trifectas and 124 as a Bluejay.
   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
   171   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       25-10   #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 - Dec. 28, 2016   #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   NCAA

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

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. 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

Omaha's Team
Creighton started Omaha natives Justin Patton and Khyri Thomas in all but one of its games, as Patton came off the bench on Senior Day when Zach Hanson got the start.
   It's the first time Creighton 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 (Oklahoma City Thunder) are all in the league.
   Including 2016-17, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 33 of the last 34 years.
   Korver ranks fifth in NBA history with 2,049 three-pointers and is also seventh in league history with 43.1 percent marksmanship from three-point range. 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. He averaged 10.1 points per game while making a league-leading 45.1 percent of his three-point attempts this year.
   Tolliver averaged 7.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game this season for the Kings, his 11th NBA organization.
   McDermott was traded by the Chicago Bulls to Oklahoma City in late February. He averaged 9.0 points per game and shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from three-point range.

Full House
Creighton averaged 17,413 fans per home game this season, fifth-best nationally. That figure would rank 17th best in the NBA, ahead of 14 franchises.
   This 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   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   23,462   Done
   2.   Syracuse   21,181   Done
   3.   Louisville   20,846   Done
   4.   North Carolina   18,067   Done
   5.   Creighton   17,413   Done
   6.   Wisconsin   17,286   Done
   7.   Maryland   16,628   Done
   8.   Kansas   16,395   Done
   9.   Indiana   16,364   Done
   10.   North Carolina State   15,907   Done

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

Some Loyal Fans
Creighton surpassed 200,000 home fans for the 12th straight season in 2016-17, and its 296,013 fans rank fourth-most in program history. 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.   2016-17   17   296,013   17,413
5.   2012-13   17   291,643   17,155

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 783 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 20th-longest active streak through the end of the 2016-17 season.
   Creighton's last win without making a three-point basket came on March 3, 1991 when the Jays went 0-for-2 from three-point range in a 71-66 win over Southern Illinois in the championship game of the MVC Tournament.
   Below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (FINAL)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,013   Kentucky   Done
   2.   1,006   UNLV   Done
   3.   999   Vanderbilt   Done
   4.   984   Duke   Done
   5.   937   Arkansas   Done
   6.   936   Western Kentucky   Done
   7.   927   East Tennessee State   Done
   8.   917   Pacific   Done
   9.   900   Oakland   Done
   10.   893   Texas   Done
   11.   874   Princeton   Done
   12.   843   Marshall   Done
   13.   840   La Salle   Done
   14.   835   Baylor   Done
   15.   813   Gonzaga   Done
   16.   808   LIU-Brooklyn   Done
   17.   801   Cornell   Done
   18.   792   Mount St. Mary's   Done
   19.   785   Tennessee State   Done
   20.   783   Creighton   Done
   21.   782   East Carolina   Done

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

Très Bien
Since 2011-12, Creighton is 62-51 (.549) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 80-14 (.851) mark the last six years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
   Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 123-36 in the last six years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 19-30 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 the other hand, CU is 144-12 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 132 of the last 140 times.
Double-Digit Comebacks Under Greg McDermott
Deficit   Opponent   Date
18   #18 Oklahoma   11/19/14
17   at San Diego State   11/30/11
16   at Evansville   02/16/13
14   Evansville   02/21/12
13   at Saint Joseph's   11/16/13
13   Xavier   01/12/14
12   Saint Joseph's   12/11/10
12   at DePaul   01/17/16
11   at Wichita State   12/31/11
11   Northern Iowa   01/10/12
11   vs. Alabama   03/16/12
11   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/16
10   UAB   11/14/12
10   vs. Drake   03/02/12
10   at Nebraska   12/07/14
10   South Dakota   12/09/14

CenturyLink Center Omaha Dramatics
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 7-7 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.)   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

What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 166-82 on the Creighton sideline after his seventh year at the helm. The 166 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.   166-82
Tom Apke   1974-80   130-64
Dana Altman   1994-00   123-86
Red McManus   1959-65   105-75

CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 239 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 14-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 197-42 (.824) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (12-0).
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 18,341-15,477 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.98 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 67 different times, including 15 of its last 36 home games.
   Creighton is also 25-24 all-time in the 47 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-9 when down by 10+ points at halftime at The Link, and 31-22 when trailing at halftime at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 100-24 (.806) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 57-4 record vs. non-conference teams.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton averaged 79.63 points per game in 2015-16, and scored 81.83 points per game in 2016-17.
   Greg McDermott is 44-2 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 38-2 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   In fact, McDermott's team scored 90 or more points 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.

Players Mentioned

Tyler Clement

Marcus Foster

Geoffrey Groselle

Zach Hanson

Ronnie Harrell Jr.

Toby Hegner

Cole Huff

Martin Krampelj

Davion Mintz

Kobe Paras

Justin Patton

Khyri Thomas

Maurice Watson Jr.

Isaiah Zierden

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