#25 Men's Basketball Visits #10 Xavier in Top 25 Showdown

Download Notes as a PDF

Game #18: #25 Creighton Bluejays at #10 Xavier Musketeers
Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018 • 1:07 p.m. CST
Cintas Center (10,224) • Cincinnati, Ohio
Radio: KOZN (1620 AM), www.1620thezone.com
Television: FOX
Series History: Xavier leads series, 13-12
Last Meeting: Creighton 75, Xavier 72 on March 10, 2017 in New York, N.Y.

Next Game
No. 25 Creighton (14-3, 4-1 BIG EAST) looks to retain its lead in the BIG EAST conference standings when it takes on No. 10 Xavier (15-3, 3-2 BIG EAST) on Saturday, Jan. 13.
   Tip time is scheduled for 1:07 p.m. CT at Cintas Center (10,224) in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2017-18 season, while KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games.
   John Bishop and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game will be televised nationally on FOX. The announcers for the game will be Tim Brando and Donny Marshall.

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. 25 Creighton
Creighton is 14-3 this year (4-1 BIG EAST) and ranked 25th in the AP poll and 22nd in the USA Today Coaches poll. All three losses have come to teams that were ranked at the time (No. 22 Baylor, No. 15 Gonzaga, No. 23 Seton Hall), but the Bluejays are also one of eight teams nationally with multiple top-25 wins away from home.
   Creighton is a perfect 11-0 at home, with nine double-digit victories, outscoring foes 93.5 - 66.8 in those contests in Omaha.
   Senior guard Marcus Foster (19.0 ppg.) was a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST pick last season, when he scored 18.2 points per game. Foster led the BIG EAST in field goals made last winter and has earned Preseason All-BIG EAST acclaim this winter. He is the nation's active leader in career field goals made and fifth in career points as well.
   Lockdown defender Khyri Thomas (14.9 ppg., 4.2 rpg.) was named an Honorable Mention Preseason All-BIG EAST choice in October. Thomas was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year last season and scored a career-high 24 points in the win at Northwestern.
   Sophomore big man Martin Krampelj has made a huge improvement from last year in the middle, averaging 12.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in his first year as a starter, including double-doubles in four of the first five league contests.
   Senior Toby Hegner ranks fourth on the team in scoring at 9.6 points per game and had a season-high 19 points at Georgetown last Saturday.
   Creighton is averaging 89.9 points per game this season (fourth nationally), shooting 51.5 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from three-point range. CU also owns a +5.7 rebound margin and a 1.82 assist/turnover ratio (second nationally) to date.

Scouting No. 10 Xavier
Xavier is 15-3 on the season and ranked 10th nationally, but the Musketeers have dropped consecutive contests to Providence and No. 1 Villanova and will enter Saturday's game with a 3-2 league record.
   A return home, where Xavier is 11-0, could help. The Musketeers already own home wins over the likes of Baylor, Cincinnati, East Tennessee State, Colorado and Butler at Cintas Center this season.
   Seniors Trevon Bluiett (18.9 ppg., 5.6 rpg.) and J.P. Macura (12.6 ppg., 3.1 apg.), lead XU in scoring, with both men having a history of hitting clutch shots. Tyrique Jones (9.0 ppg., 5.7 rpg.) and Wisconsin-Green Bay transfer Kerem Kanter (9.6 ppg.) and are a formidible duo inside, as well.
   The Musketeers average 84.5 points per game, outrebound foes by +8.0 caroms per contest, and shoot an even 50 percent from the field. XU shoots 35.9 percent from downtown, making 7.2 treys per contest, and also owns 77.9 percent marksmanship at the charity stripe.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his eighth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 180-85 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 460-280 in his 24th season and is 329-216 in his 17th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Preston Murphy and Alan Huss.
   Chris Mack (Xavier, 1992) owns a 201-94 mark in his ninth year at his alma mater, which also doubles as his career mark. He's led the Musketeers to seven NCAA Tournaments, including four Sweet Sixteen bids, and also won the Atlantic 10 regular-season title in both 2010 and 2011. Mack is assisted by Mike Pegues, Travis Steele and Luke Murray.

The Series With Xavier
Xavier owns a 13-12 lead in the series with Creighton, including a 7-6 mark in Cincinnati. Eighteen of the 25 meetings have been within five points in the final minute, including the last four.
   The teams have split the regular-season series each of the previous three years, with the road teams winning both games in 2014-15, the home teams taking both contests in 2015-16, and the road teams winning both contests a year ago before CU won the rubber match in the final seconds of the BIG EAST Tournament semifinal on a neutral floor.
   After becoming the first visiting team to ever beat Xavier three times at Cintas Center last January, Creighton can make be the first with four victories over the Musketeers at Cintas Center with a triumph on Saturday.
   Greg McDermott is 6-4 against Xavier and Chris Mack. Mack is 4-6 against Creighton.

Creighton & Xavier To The Wire
Since both teams joined the BIG EAST five years ago, nine of the 10 meetings between Creighton and Xavier have been decided by eight points or less.
   Since the league reconfigured prior to the start of the 2013-14 season, no other league rivalry has had nine meetings decided by eight points or less. Next-closest is Butler/Seton Hall (8 times in 10 meetings), while Butler/Georgetown has had seven such games (in 9 meetings).
   Creighton has had just one game this season decided by five points or less, a 92-88 road win at nationally-ranked Northwestern on Nov. 15.

With A Win...
- Creighton would win its fifth straight game (tying a season-high), and for the 10th time in 11 games.
- Creighton would remain in sole possession of first place in the BIG EAST, improving to 5-1 in league play.
- Creighton would become the first visiting team to beat Xavier four times at Cintas Center, which opened in 2000.
- Creighton would even the all-time series against Xavier at 13-13, including a 7-7 mark in Cincinnati.
- Creighton would a Xavier home win streak of 11 or longer for the third time in four years.
- Creighton would improve to 30-138 all-time against AP Top 25 teams, including a 3-3 mark this season.
- Creighton would join Oklahoma and Florida as the nation's only teams with three (or more) Top 25 wins away from home this season.
- Creighton would improve to 12-23 under Greg McDermott against top-25 foes, compared to an 18-115 mark by all previous Bluejay coaches.
- Creighton would improve to 7-72 all-time in true road games against top 25 opponents, including a 5-9 record under Greg McDermott.
- Creighton would move to 1-5 under Greg McDermott on FOX.
- Creighton would win its sixth conference game played for the 21st time in the last 24 campaigns.

Uniform Success at Cintas
Xavier has been near unbeatable at Cintas Center since its 2000 opening, going 230-35 (.868) in the facility. That includes an 11-0 home record this season.
   The Musketeers are also an impressive 117-23 (.836) all-time in conference home games at Cintas Center.
   One of those rare Musketeer home losses came on Nov. 30, 2004, when Creighton overcame an early 33-22 deficit (including 35-26 at half) to stun the Musketeers, 73-72, on a Tyler McKinney hoop with 21.5 ticks left. At the time, it was just Xavier's third non-conference home loss ever in the building.
   On Feb. 4, 2015, Creighton picked up a 79-72 overtime win at Cintas Center. The Bluejays overcame a seven-point second half deficit to force overtime, and outscored the Muskies 14-7 in the extra session to hand the X-Men their first home loss of the year.
   Last year on January 16th in Cincinnati, No. 7 Creighton earned a 72-67 victory over No. 22 Xavier thanks to a 6-0 run in the final 50 seconds. Justin Patton had a tip-in with 49.0 left to give CU the lead, and Cole Huff and Khyri Thomas made insurance free throws after defensive stops. The win improved Creighton to 18-1 for the first time, but national assist leader Maurice Watson Jr. suffered a knee injury early in the first half and would miss the rest of the season.
   Creighton (3x) is one of six visiting teams that have beaten Xavier at Cintas Center two or more times, joining UMass, Richmond, Saint Louis, Saint Joseph's and Villanova (3x). A win on Saturday would make Creighton the first visiting team with four wins over Xavier at Cintas Center.
   By comparison, Creighton is 208-42 (.832) all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha, another place where visiting teams have had trouble winning thanks to a tremendous home-court advantage.

Streakbusters
Each of Creighton's last two victories at Cintas Center have snapped long home winning streaks for Xavier, and it'll have a chance to repeat history.
   In 2015, Creighton's 79-72 triumph handed the Musketeers their first home loss in 12 games that season.
   Last year, Creighton's 72-67 victory ended a 15-game home win streak for the Muskies that dated back to late in the 2015-16 campaign.
   This year Xavier enters Saturday's game with an 11-game home win streak.

Traditional Powers
Saturday's match-up features two teams that have traditionally excelled in their respective conferences.
   Creighton has gone .500 or better in league play 21 of the past 22 seasons.
   Xavier has been .500 or better in league play each of the last 35 seasons. That's the nation's longest active streak, five seasons longer than Murray State's 30. The rest of the top-five consists of Kansas (28), Kentucky (28) and Gonzaga (26).

Creighton Relative + Xavier Relative = Melo?
The blockbuster trade that sent Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks to the Oklahoma City Thunder would not have been possible without the family members of a few key participants in Saturday's match-up.
   In exchange for Anthony, the Knicks acquired Doug McDermott and Enes Kanter (plus Chicago's 2018 Second Round pick). McDermott is a former Creighton standout and the son of current Bluejay head coach Greg McDermott, while Kanter is the brother of Xavier big man Kerem Kanter.
   Anthony is averaging 17.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while McDermott and Kanter are combining to average 21.7 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.

Ranking News & Notes
Xavier is ranked No. 10 in this week's AP poll, and Creighton 25th. Some notes of interest as it pertains to Creighton and ranked foes...
- Creighton is 29-138 all-time (2-3 this year) against nationally-ranked teams in the Associated Press poll. A win on Saturday would see the 2017-18 team join the 2016-17 club as the only ones to defeat three or more ranked teams in the same season.
- A win on Thursday would make Creighton the nation's fifth team with three wins over top-25 competition this season. Making it all the more impressive is that all three wins would be away from home. Only Oklahoma and Florida own three top-25 wins away from home this season, and Oklahoma is the nation's only team with multiple top-25 true road wins this season.
- Creighton is 3-3 all-time against ranked Xavier teams. Creighton has never beaten the same ranked school four times, but has beaten both Xavier and Butler three times each.
- Creighton is 11-23 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams. He owns more top-25 wins than any coach in Creighton history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 18-115 all-time against top-25 foes.
- Creighton entered the 2017 calendar year having never beaten multiple ranked teams in the month, but did so twice in 2017. CU topped No. 12 Butler, No. 22 Xavier and No. 16 Butler in January, and then beat No. 20 Northwestern and No. 23 UCLA in November.
- Creighton has won six of its last nine games against top-25 teams not named Villanova.
- Creighton went 2-1 on the road last year against top-25 teams, topping No. 22 Xavier on Jan. 16 and No. 16 Butler on Jan. 31 before losing at Villanova on Feb. 25. Creighton had never before picked up multiple top-25 road wins in the same season before 2016-17, something it can duplicate with a win on Saturday after having already defeated No. 20 Northwestern on Nov. 15th at Allstate Arena.
- Creighton is 6-72 all-time in true road games against top-25 teams, but four of those wins have come in the past five seasons and under the direction of head coach Greg McDermott. The Jays are 4-9 under McDermott in true road games against top-25 foes after going 2-63 before his arrival.
- Creighton is 9-61 all-time against top-10 teams, including a 4-10 mark under Greg McDermott.

Ranked vs. Ranked
Creighton is 6-11 all-time as a ranked team when facing a ranked team, including an 0-2 record this year, a 4-2 mark last year and a 4-7 overall mark under Greg McDermott.
   Here's those games:
Date   CU Rank   Opponent Rank   Result
03/04/1974   #16   #14 South Carolina   L 69-78
03/14/1974   #19   vs. #14 Kansas   L 54-55
03/16/1974   #19   vs. #16 Louisville   W 80-71
03/08/1975   #13   #5 Marquette   L 60-64
12/31/2002   #15   at #19 Xavier   L 73-75
03/18/2012   #19   vs. #4 North Carolina   L 73-87
03/24/2013   #22   vs. #6 Duke   L 50-66
02/16/2014   #18   #6 Villanova   W 101-80
03/23/2014   #16   vs. #23 Baylor   L 55-85
11/15/2016   #22   #9 Wisconsin   W 77-69
12/31/2016   #10   #1 Villanova   L 70-80
01/11/2017   #8   #12 Butler   W 75-64
01/16/2017   #7   at #22 Xavier   W 72-67
01/31/2017   #22   at #16 Butler   W 76-67
02/25/2017   #23   at #2 Villanova   L 63-79
12/01/2017   #25   at #15 Gonzaga   L 74-91
12/28/2017   #25   at #23 Seton Hall   L 84-90
01/13/2018   #25   at #10 Xavier   1:07 p.m. CT

How They Rank?
Saturday's game at No. 10 Xavier will be Creighton's sixth game of the season against a top-25 team, tied for most nationally with Savannah State (Oklahoma and Texas Tech also face a sixth ranked team of 2017-18 on Saturday). All six of CU's top-25 games have come away from home, with the Bluejays going 2-3 against those clubs to date.
   In the five games against ranked foes, Creighton averaged 81.8 points per contest, lost the rebound battle by 0.6 caroms per game, and had 81 assists against just 54 turnovers.
   Khyri Thomas (17.2), Marcus Foster (16.4) and Martin Krampelj (14.4) have each averaged in double-figures, with true freshman Ty-Shon Alexander (9.6) not far behind.
   CU has led for 154:20, trailed for 35:33 and were tied for 10:07 in those 240 minutes against top-25 foes.

Top 25 Success
Creighton had four wins over top-25 teams last season, twice as many as any previous campaign in program history. Six other Bluejay teams had two top-25 victories in the same season, including this year's club.
   This year's team is 2-3 against ranked teams, beating No. 20 Northwestern on Nov. 15th and No. 23 UCLA on Nov. 20th. The victories over the Wildcats and Bruins marked the first time in program history that CU has ever beaten top-25 foes in consecutive games.
Most Top-25 Wins, Season
   Wins   Season   Top-25 Victims
   4   2016-17   #9 Wisconsin, #12 Butler,
           #16 Butler, #22 Xavier
   2   1973-74   #6 Marquette, #16 Louisville
   2   2001-02   #15 Florida, #17 Western Kentucky
   2   2006-07   #11 Southern Illinois, #24 Xavier
   2   2013-14   #4 Villanova, #6 Villanova
   2   2015-16   #5 Xavier, #18 Butler
   2   2017-18   #20 Northwestern, #23 UCLA

Rank And File
Creighton made some school history when it defeated top-25 teams in consecutive games for the first time in November with victories over No. 20 Northwestern and No. 23 UCLA.
   Through games of January 10th, Creighton is one of 22 teams nationally with a pair of top-25 wins this season, and is also one of 18 teams nationally with a top-25 true road win. With a victory on Saturday, Creighton can join Oklahoma as the nation's only teams with multiple top-25 true road wins this season.
   Ranked Wins   School   Home   Road   Neutral
   4   Oklahoma   1   2   1
   4   Texas Tech   2   1   1
   3   Duke   1   0   2
   3   Florida   0   1   2
   2   Creighton   0   1   1
   2   Arizona   1   0   1
   2   Arizona State   0   1   1
   2   Arkansas   2   0   0
   2   Auburn   1   1   0
   2   Colorado   2   0   0
   2   Florida State   1   1   0
   2   Kansas   1   0   1
   2   Miami (Fla.)   1   1   0
   2   Michigan State   1   0   1
   2   NC State   1   0   1
   2   Purdue   1   0   1
   2   Seton Hall   0   1   1
   2   Tennessee   1   0   1
   2   Texas A&M   0   1   1
   2   Villanova   1   0   1
   2   West Virginia   2   0   0
   2   Xavier   2   0   0
   1   Alabama   1   0   0
   1   Ball State   0   1   0
   1   Boston College   1   0   0
   1   Butler   1   0   0
   1   Clemson   0   0   1
   1   Georgia   0   0   1
   1   Georgia Tech   1   0   0
   1   Gonzaga   1   0   0
   1   Indiana   0   0   1
   1   Louisville   0   1   0
   1   Loyola (Chicago)   0   1   0
   1   LSU   0   1   0
   1   Marquette   1   0   0
   1   Minnesota   0   0   1
   1   Mississippi State   1   0   0
   1   Nebraska   1   0   0
   1   New Mexico State   0   0   1
   1   North Carolina   0   1   0
   1   Notre Dame   0   0   1
   1   Ohio State   1   0   0
   1   Oklahoma State   0   0   1
   1   Providence   1   0   0
   1   Rhode Island   0   0   1
   1   Rutgers   1   0   0
   1   San Diego State   1   0   0
   1   Seton Hall   1   0   0
   1   SMU   0   0   1
   1   TCU   0   0   1
   1   Texas   1   0   0
   1   UCF   0   1   0
   1   Virginia   1   0   0
   1   Washington   0   0   1
   1   Washington State   0   0   1
   1   Western Kentucky   0   0   1
   1   Wichita State   0   1   0
   1   Wofford   0   1   0

More Top 25 News
Creighton and Xavier both own six wins against the Top 25 since the start of last season, a figure that ranks tied for 12th-most nationally through games of January 10th.
   Ranked Wins   School
   12   Duke
   11   North Carolina
   9   Villanova
   8   Florida State
   8   Kansas
   7   Arizona
   7   Butler
   7   Gonzaga
   7   Purdue
   7   Texas Tech
   7   West Virginia
   6   Creighton
   6   Baylor
   6   Florida
   6   Kentucky
   6   Louisville
   6   Seton Hall
   6   South Carolina
   6   Xavier

FOX Trot
Creighton's game on Wednesday vs. Seton Hall will air nationally on FS1, a channel that has been quite kind to Creighton in recent seasons.
   Creighton is 8-1 on FS1 this winter, and last year went 12-1 on the network.
   Creighton is 53-23 when appearing on FS1 since the network formed in 2013. CU is also 12-1 when appearing on FS2 in program history.
   Superstitious fans will not be as excited to learn that Saturday's game at Xavier will air on FOX. Creighton is 0-5 all-time under Greg McDermott on FOX, including an 0-4 mark last year.

Foster Chases 1,000 at Creighton
Marcus Foster owns 961 points at Creighton through 52 career games, and is quickly closing in on 1,000 points as a Bluejay. That doesn't include the 875 points that Foster scored at Kansas State his first two years of college.
   Saturday will be the 53rd game of his Creighton career, putting him on a position to reach 1,000 career points in fewer games than any Bluejay since Bob Portman did it in a Bluejay record 43 games on Feb. 8, 1968.
   The only players in Creighton history to score 1,000 points or more in their first two seasons are   Doug McDermott (1,382), Portman (1,195), Silas (1,124), Rod Mason (1,023) and Rodney Buford (1,010).
   Foster leads Creighton with 19.0 points per game and has averaged 18.5 per contest in his Bluejay career. He's scored seven points or more in every game since arriving at CU, and owns a career-high of 35 points (last season vs. Georgetown).
   Foster would be just the second Bluejay transfer from a four-year school to reach 1,000 career points at CU, joining Gregory Echenique (Rutgers). Two other junior college transfers (Mason and Johnny Mathies) have also scored 1,000 points after joining the Bluejays.
   Foster would be the 40th player overall to score 1,000 career points as a Bluejay.
Games To 1,000 Points, Last 15 Bluejays
Name   CU Games to 1,000 pts.    Date
Austin Chatman   138   03/11/15
Ethan Wragge   132   01/18/14
Gregory Echenique   101   03/24/13
Doug McDermott   57   01/15/12
Antoine Young   115   12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr.   108   11/21/10
P'Allen Stinnett   86   01/16/10
Dane Watts   115   01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver   124   03/16/07
Johnny Mathies   91   03/03/06
Nate Funk   92   02/28/05
Kyle Korver   81   01/30/02
Ben Walker   105   01/06/01
Ryan Sears   97   12/01/00
Rodney Buford   59   03/01/97

Marcus Foster, Bucket Getter
Marcus Foster ranks among the nation's best when it comes to putting the ball in the hole and scoring.
   Foster ranks first among the nation's active Division I players in field goals made, and fifth in scoring.
   Xavier's Trevon Bluiett is also in the top-five of both categories.
   Here's that list, through games of Jan. 10:
Most Career Field Goals, Nation's Active Leaders
   Rank   FG   Name, School   Next Game
   1.   662   Marcus Foster, Creighton   1/13
   2.   656   Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas   1/13
   3.   636   Peyton Aldridge, Davidson   1/14
   4.   622   Jonathan Stark, Murray State   1/11
   5.   620   Trevon Bluiett, Xavier   1/13

Most Career Points, Nation's Active Leaders
   Rank   Points   Name, School   Next Game
   1.   2,091   Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas   1/13
   2.   2,036   James Daniel III, Tennessee   1/13
   3.   1,982   Andrew Rowsey, Marquette   1/12
   4.   1,925   Trevon Bluiett, Xavier   1/13
   5.   1,836   Marcus Foster, Creighton   1/13
   6.   1,831   Jonathan Stark, Murray State   1/11
   7.   1,828   Mike Daum, South Dakota St.   1/11
   8.   1,827   Wesley Person, Troy   1/13

Foster On Midseason List For Wooden Award
Senior guard Marcus Foster landed a spot on the Midseason Top 25 for the John R. Wooden® Award presented by Wendy's®. Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 25 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for college basketball's most prestigious individual honor.
   Foster is the third Bluejay in the last five seasons to represent the Bluejays on the Wooden Award Midseason 25 list. Creighton's Doug McDermott won the Wooden Award following the 2013-14 season, while Maurice Watson Jr. was on the list of 25 last season but did not advance to the final cut.

Overtime Optional
Creighton has played 100 games in program history that have gone to overtime, going 55-45 in those contests.
   However, the Bluejays have completed 96 straight games since last going to overtime, the longest stretch without an extra session for the program since 136 straight games from 1939-47.
   CU's last overtime contest came Feb. 4, 2015 at Xavier, a 79-72 win at Cintas Center.
   Creighton is 5-1 under Greg McDermott in overtime games, including a 4-0 mark in conference play.
   Twelve of Creighton's last 13 games have been won by the team to score first in the extra session.

My Favorite Martin
Martin Krampelj owns a double-double in each of the last three games, finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds vs. St. John's, contributing 12 points and 11 rebounds at Georgetown, and adding 14 points and 14 boards vs. Butler.
   Since the 1994-95 season, Krampelj and Doug McDermott are the only two Bluejays to record three straight double-doubles. McDermott had a streak of three straight double-dips from Feb. 9-16, 2013, as well as a streak of four straight double-doubles in 2011-12. Both of McDermott's streaks came while CU was a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
   Besides Krampelj, the only other Bluejay to ever have four or more double-doubles in one season of BIG EAST play is McDermott, who had four such games in CU's inaugural season in the league in 2013-14.

Krampelj Replaces Patton
One of Creighton's biggest question marks entering the season was how the team would replace NBA First Round Draft pick Justin Patton. To date, Martin Krampelj has answered the questions.
   Here's a look at the stats for the two men:
Stat   Patton   Krampelj
Year   2016-17   2017-18
PPG   12.9   12.8
RPG   6.2   8.5
BPG   1.4   0.6
APG   1.2   1.4
FG%   .676   .669
FT%   .517   .623
Double-Doubles   3   6
Dunks/Game   2.06   1.88

High Five
Creighton is 4-1 in the BIG EAST after five games after winning its fifth league contest of the winter on Tuesday against Butler.
   Creighton started 5-0 in 2013-14, 0-5 in 2014-15, 3-2 in 2015-16 and 4-1 in 2016-17 after five conference competitions.
   Both of Creighton's previous teams to start 4-1 or better in BIG EAST action made the NCAA Tournament, the 3-2 team made the NIT, and the 0-5 team missed the postseason entirely.
   Creighton has won its sixth conference game of the season in 20 of the previous 23 seasons, including a win at Xavier last year. This Saturday's game at Xavier is Creighton's sixth BIG EAST contest this season.

Playing With A Lead
Creighton has done a good job of starting the game strong this season and playing with a lead.
   The Bluejays have led for 85.3 percent of the time this season while trailing a combined 11.1 percent of the time. Creighton has not trailed at any point in the last 88:56 of game action entering Saturday's tilt in Cincinnati.
   Creighton has trailed for just 75:49 of 680 possible minutes this season. By comparison, last year's club trailed for 85:37 over the course of its first 17 games while starting 16-1 a year ago.
Opponent   Leading   Trailing   Tied
Yale   39:29   0:20   0:11
Alcorn State   36:22   2:45   0:53
at #20 Northwestern   36:21   1:54   1:45
vs. #23 UCLA   31:42   5:09   3:09
vs. #22 Baylor   31:48   6:00   2:12
SIU Edwardsville   39:46   --   0:14
at #15 Gonzaga   22:06   16:28   1:26
North Dakota   38:11   --   1:49
Nebraska   15:53   19:20   4:47
Maryland Eastern Shore   39:43   --   0:17
UT Arlington   37:18   1:22   1:20
USC Upstate   38:32   0:55   0:33
at #23 Seton Hall   32:24   6:02   1:34
Providence   39:03   --   0:57
St. John's   22:01   15:34   2:25
Georgetown   39:30   --   0:30
Butler   39:55   --   0:55
Total   580:04   75:49   24:57

More On The Score
As if the above note isn't impressive enough, keep in the mind the following...
   Creighton has trailed after the second media timeout in just two home games this season (Nebraska and St. John's), and has not trailed in the final 9:31 of any home game this year.
   Creighton's first BIG EAST team in 2013-14 went a perfect 16-0 and never trailed in the second half of any home game.
   In 250 all-time games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, Creighton has not trailed 72 different times, including 20 of its last 47 home games and five of its last nine home contests.

Mintz Condition Better Than Excellent
Sophomore Davion Mintz had what Greg McDermott called his best half as a Bluejay last Saturday in the first half of Creighton's romp at Georgetown.
   After not shooting and playing just 11 minutes three days earlier against St. John's, Mintz drained three-pointers on two of CU's first four possessions.
   Mintz finished the first half with nine points and five assists, and collected 17 points and six assists without a turnover for the game.
   Mintz's 17 points matched his career-high, and his six assists tied a season-best.
   Mintz then had nine points and five assists without a turnover on Tuesday in the win vs. Butler.
   For the season, Mintz owns 49 assists and only 16 turnovers.

A Great Start
Creighton is off to a strong start with a 14-3 record.
   In fact, it's the eighth time in the last 16 years that Creighton has started 14-3 or better through 17 games, which includes 16-1 starts in 2002-03, 2012-13 and 2016-17.
   By comparison, before that stretch, Creighton did not have any 14-3 starts or better in the 25 seasons from 1977-78 to 2001-02.

Scoring In Bunches
Creighton has scored 1,528 points through 17 games, to rank fourth nationally with 89.9 points per contest.
   The 1,528 points are 10 more points than Creighton has EVER scored in its first 17 games of any season, as seen below:
Most Points Through 17 Games, Creighton History
   Points   Year   Final W-L (Postseason)
   1,528   2017-18   14-3 so far
   1,518   1965-66   14-12
   1,475   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
   1,475   1970-71   14-11
   1,448   2015-16   20-15 (NIT)
   1,425   1963-64   22-7 (NCAA)

TOBY!
Senior Toby Hegner had a season-best 19 points last Saturday at Georgetown, draining 5-of-8 three-point tries.
   Hegner's 19 points were second-most in his career, trailing only the 21 against St. John's on Jan. 28, 2015 when he was a freshman.
   Hegner made five three-pointers in a game for the third time, joining two games during his frershman campaign.
   Hegner's 136 three-pointers and 359 trifecta tries both lead the team among active players in a Bluejay uniform.

Let It Fly
Creighton has made 10 or more three-pointers in 9-of-11 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha this season.
   The Bluejays own 93 three-pointers in their last eight games at all sites, an average of 11.63 per game. In the same time period, CU has made 98 free throws, an average of 12.25 charity throws per game.

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 800 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 19th-longest active streak.
   Creighton's last win without making a three-point basket came on March 3, 1991 when the Jays went 0-for-2 from three-point range in a 71-66 win over Southern Illinois in the championship game of the MVC Tournament.
   Below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks, through January 10th.
Longest Active 3-Point Streak, Through 1/10
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,029   Kentucky   1/13
   2.   1,023   UNLV   1/17
   3.   1,015   Vanderbilt   1/13
   4.   1,000   Duke   1/13
   5.   958   Arkansas   1/13
   6.   952   Western Kentucky   1/11
   7.   942   East Tennessee State   1/11
   8.   934   Pacific   1/11
   9.   921   Oakland   1/12
   10.   909   Texas   1/13
   11.   890   Princeton   1/12
   12.   859   Marshall   1/11
   13.   850   Baylor   1/13
   14.   830   Gonzaga   1/11
   15.   826   LIU-Brooklyn   1/11
   16.   814   Cornell   1/12
   17.   808   Mount St. Mary's   1/11
   18.   801   Tennessee State   1/11
   19.   800   Creighton   1/13
   20.   797   East Carolina   1/11

Triple Trivia
During Creighton's current streak of 800 straight games with a three-pointer, the Bluejays have drained 6,103 trifecas, an average of 7.63 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 127 times, more than any figure.
   Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 198 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including a BIG EAST record 21 on Jan. 20, 2014 at Villanova.
Team 3FG During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1: 4 times   11: 40 times
2: 15 times   12: 41 times
3: 30 times   13: 32 times
4: 67 times   14: 9 times
5: 94 times   15: 6 times
6: 85 times   16: 6 times
7: 127 times   19: 1 time
8: 108 times   20: 1 time
9: 72 times   21: 1 time
10: 61 times

Game 250 at The Link
Tuesday marked Creighton's 250th game that counted at CenturyLink Center Omaha. The Bluejays are 208-42 (.832) all-time at the Link.
   Below is a list of some of the milestone games at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Creighton's Milestone Games at CenturyLink Center
Game (W-L)   Opponent (Score)   Date
1 (1-0)   San Diego (W 79-44)   11/22/03
50 (41-9)   Mississippi Valley St. (W 78-42)   11/13/06
100 (82-18)   Kentucky (L 63-65)   03/23/09
125 (104-21)   Drake (W 73-57)   01/01/11
150 (128-22)   Illinois State (W 102-74)   02/01/12
200 (170-30)   Marquette (W 77-70)   02/14/15
250 (208-42)   Butler (W 85-74)   01/09/18

CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 250 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 15-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 208-42 (.832) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (14-0).
   Creighton's Nov. 25 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 19,370-16,212 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.63 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 72 different times, including 20 of its last 47 home games.
   Creighton is also 26-24 all-time in the 50 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 33-22 when trailing at halftime at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 111-24 (.822) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 65-4 record vs. non-conference teams.
   Factor in a 17-0 home mark at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 and two wins at the Civic in the 2010 CIT, and the Bluejays are 228-42 (.844) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

All The Three's
Creighton drilled 19 three-point shots in its Dec. 20 home game vs. USC Upstate, third-most in a game in program history. That's one of three games this season with 16 or more three-pointers.
   Here's a list of the games with 16 or more treys.
Most 3FG in a Game, Creighton History
   Rank   3FG   Opponent   Date   Score
   1.   21   at #4 Villanova   1/20/2014   W 96-68
   2.   20   Chattanooga   2/19/2005   W 100-69
   3.   19   USC Upstate   12/20/2017   W 116-62
   4.   16   Evansville   1/4/1999   L 79-84
       16   Drake   1/8/2013   W 91-61
       16   Chicago State   12/29/2013   W 90-58
       16   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/2016   W 86-77
       16   Alcorn State   11/12/2017   W 109-72
       16   at Georgetown   01/06/18   W 90-66

Nifty Fifty For Foster
Marcus Foster owned 929 points after 50 career games as a Bluejay before his nine-point effort at Georgetown.
   By comparison, here's how some other recent high-profile Bluejays have scored after 50 games in Blue & White, which doesn't include Georgetown or Butler.
Most Points After 50 Games at CU (Select Players)
   Points   Name   First Season
   1,195   Bob Portman   1966-67
   1,069   Paul Silas   1961-62
   929   Marcus Foster   2016-17
   860   Doug McDermott   2010-11
   837   Rod Mason   1986-87
   820   Rodney Buford   1995-96
   750   Benoit Benjamin   1981-82
   625   Bob Harstad   1987-88
   610   Chad Gallagher   1987-88
   535   Kyle Korver   1999-00
   329   Nate Funk   2002-03
   116   Anthony Tolliver   2003-04

Foster Does It All
Marcus Foster is averaging 19.0 points and 3.0 assists per game this year. Only two previous Creighton players have averaged more than 19.0 points and 2.5 assists per game for a full season.
Seasons With 19 PPG, 2.5 APG, Creighton History
Name   Year   PPG   APG
Rick Apke   1976-77   19.8   2.9
Rod Mason   1987-88   20.3   3.4
Marcus Foster   2017-18   19.0   3.0

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 17 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, and overcame a pair of second half 10-point deficits on Jan. 3 vs. St. John's. Nine of those comebacks have come away from home.
   On the other hand, CU is 157-14 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 145 of the last 155 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
10   St. John's   01/03/18

Foster A Candidate For Senior CLASS Award
Marcus Foster 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 2017-18 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.
   Foster averages 19.0 points per game this season to lead Creighton. His 662 career field goals is the most among the nation's active players, while his 1,836 career points are fifth-most. He was named a Preseason All-BIG EAST pick and is one of the leaders on a Bluejay basketball team that is off to a 14-3 start and ranked 22nd nationally in the Associated Press poll. Last season Foster averaged 18.2 points per game and was First Team All-BIG EAST selection for the Bluejays.
   Foster is the eighth 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) and Maurice Watson Jr. (2016-17). Former Creighton men's soccer goalkeeper Brian Holt won the 2011 Senior CLASS Award, while McDermott won the 2014 Senior CLASS Award on the hardwood.
   The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four® and NCAA Women's Final Four® this spring. For more information on each of the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.

Nationally Elite
Creighton ranks in the top 20 of 14 categories nationally, through games of Jan. 10.
   Perhaps the most impressive figure on the list is in defensive rebounds per game, where CU is first with 31.41 per game. No team nationally has finished a season averaging more than 31.30 defensive rebounds per game in the last five seasons, and last year CU was 63rd with 26.69 per game.
Category   Rank   Stat
Defensive Rebounds/Game   1st   31.41
Assist/Turnover Ratio   2nd   1.82
Total Assists   3rd   341
Assists Per Game   3rd   20.1
Scoring Offense   4th   89.9
FG Percentage   5th   .515
Scoring Margin   8th   +17.9
Fewest Fouls/Game   9th   14.9
3FG% Defense   10th   .295
Total 3FG Made   10th   183
3FG/Game   15th   10.8
3FG Attempts   16th   475
W/L Percentage   18th   .824
Turnovers/Game   19th   11.0

Both Ends Of The Floor
Creighton gets much of its attention for its offensive proficiency, but the Jays are also doing some noteworthy things on the defensive end of the court.
   In league play only, Creighton leads the BIG EAST in scoring defense, scoring margin, field goal percentage defense, three-point field goal percentage defense, defensive rebounds and defensive rebound percentage.

We Can Play Defense, Too
Creighton limited Maryland Eastern Shore to just 36 points and 23.6 percent shooting on Dec. 15.
   Creighton had not held an opponent under 40 points since Indiana State (38) on March 2, 2008, and the 36 were the fewest by a Bluejay opponent since Illinois State scored 35 on Jan. 13, 1986.
   Indiana State (10-43, 23.3%), in that same 2008 game, had also been the last CU foe to shoot 25 percent or less from the field.
   Both the points scored and the field goal percentage are the lowest marks in the 270 game history of Century Link Center Omaha, which includes 21 tournament games that did not involve Creighton.
   While Creighton's offense gets all the attention, the Bluejay defense has made huge strides in recent seasons, especially when you consider the move to the BIG EAST. Here's where CU has ranked in KenPom.com's adjusted defensive ratings under Greg McDermott.
Year   Adj. D   Adj. D Rating   Team W-L
2010-11   103.5   174th   23-16 (CBI)
2011-12   102.7   166th   29-6 (NCAA)
2012-13   96.5   66th   28-8 (NCAA)
2013-14   102.5   124th   27-8 (NCAA)
2014-15   102.6   138th   14-19
2015-16   97.6   49th   20-15 (NIT)
2016-17   96.5   46th   25-10 (NCAA)
2017-18   96.0   42nd   14-3 so far

Balance Is Key
Creighton enters this week as the nation's only team with three players that are shooting at least 50 percent from the field while making at least five field goals per game.
   Composing that trio is Marcus Foster, Khyri Thomas and Martin Krampelj.
   Making their shooting stats all the more impressive is that they combine to shoot more than 12 three-pointers per contest.

Against The BIG EAST
Since joining the BIG EAST in 2014, Creighton is unbeaten at home against St. John's, the only league team it can say that for.
   DePaul is the only school where Creighton has not lost a road game.
Team   CU Home Games   CU Road Games
Butler   4-1   2-2
DePaul   3-1   4-0
Georgetown   3-1   1-4
Marquette   2-2   2-2
Providence   2-3   1-3
Seton Hall   2-2   2-3
St. John's   5-0   2-2
Villanova   1-3   1-3
Xavier   2-2   2-2
Total   24-15   17-21

We're Jamming!
Creighton owns 61 dunks already this season, which its second-most in any season under Greg McDermott, but still well behind the 144 last season that ranked fourth-most nationally.
   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
32   Martin Krampelj   2017-18
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
46   Martin Krampelj   2015-Pres.
38   Will Artino   2011-15
38   Khyri Thomas   2015-Pres.
37   Marcus Foster   2016-Pres.
32   Zach Hanson   2013-17
25   Geoffrey Groselle   2012-16
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)
61   2017-18   14-3 so far
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

Chairmen Of The Boards
Martin Krampelj (145 rebounds) and Ronnie Harrell Jr. (120) both have more rebounds this season than they did all of last year, by a large margin.
   Harrell had 49 rebounds last year (in 26 games) and entered this season with 125 career caroms in 55 games played.
   Krampelj owned 69 rebounds in 29 games a year ago and entered this season with 89 rebounds in 36 career contests.
   Krampelj, who had 26 points and 19 rebounds in Creighton's 21 games against BIG EAST foes last year (including 5 DNP's), has recorded 76 points and 54 rebounds in CU's first five league games this season.

A Dozen, Cousin
Creighton has won 12 straight home games dating to last season. It's CU's fifth-longest home win streak ever at CenturyLink Center Omaha, as seen below:
Longest Home Win Streaks at CenturyLink Center
Streak   Dates   Snapped by
   24   Feb. 19, 2013 - Dec. 9, 2014   Saint Mary's
   16   Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 31, 2006   Southern Illinois
   16   Jan. 19, 2011 - Dec. 22, 2011   Missouri State
   14   Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008   Northern Iowa
   12   Feb. 28, 2017- Present   ? ? ?
   11   Nov. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004   Southern Illinois
   11   Feb. 28, 2016 - Dec. 31, 2016   #1 Villanova

Ronnie On The Spot
Ronnie Harrell Jr. continues to provide a spark off the bench, with much of his best work coming on the glass.
   Harrell owned 10 or more rebounds in consecutive games against Nebraska and Maryland Eastern Shore, both in a reserve role. Harrell is the only Bluejay reserve with consecutive games of 10 or more rebounds in the last 25 years.
   Harrell is one of six Creighton players to have 10 or more rebounds off the bench in a game under Greg McDermott, and the only player to do it more than once in a season or three times in a career.
Most Rebounds Off The Bench Under McDermott
   Reb.   Min.   Player   Date
   14   20   Will Artino   02/14/15
   11   25   Ronnie Harrell Jr.   12/21/15
   11   30   Ronnie Harrell Jr.   12/09/17
   10   25   Wayne Runnels   11/14/10
   10   22   Will Artino   02/13/14
   10   29   James Milliken   11/25/14
   10   23   Devin Brooks   01/21/15
   10   17   Toby Hegner   12/07/16
   10   22   Ronnie Harrell Jr.   12/15/17
   10   28   Ronnie Harrell Jr.   12/28/17

A Reason To Yell For Harrell
On a national basis, Ronnie Harrell Jr. ranks tied for third nationally with three games of 10+ rebounds off the bench this season.
   Here's that list, through games of January 10th.
10+ Rebounds Off The Bench in 2017-18 (thru 1/10)
   Rank   10+ Reb.   Name, School
   1.   5   Chris Clarke, Virginia Tech
   2.   4   Malik Petteway, Robert Morris
   3.   3   Ronnie Harrell Jr., Creighton
       3   Zion Cousins, Howard
       3   Christian Cunningham, Jacksonville St.
       3   Wenyen Gabriel, Kentucky
       3   Moses Greenwood, S'eastern Louisiana
       3   Cameron Lard, Iowa State
       3   Jalen McDaniels, San Diego State
       3   Pablo Rivas, North Carolina Central
       3   Eli Scott, Loyola Marymount

Krampelj's Quick Route To 20 & 10
Martin Krampelj scored a career-best 23 points and added 10 rebounds in 20 minutes at Seton Hall on Dec. 28th.
   Krampelj is just the seventh player under Greg McDermott with games of 20 points and 10 rebounds. Doug McDermott did it an incredible 25 different times from 2010-14, while six others have done it once.
   Krampelj is the only player on that list to have a 20 & 10 contest in 25 minutes or less.
20+ Point & 10+ Rebound+ under Greg McDermott
   Rank   20 & 10 Games   Name   Years
   1.   25   Doug McDermott   2010-14
   2.   1   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11
       1   Geoffrey Groselle   2012-16
       1   Cole Huff   2015-17
       1   Justin Patton   2016-17
       1   Khyri Thomas   2015-Pres.
       1   Martin Krampelj   2015-Pres.

100 And Counting...
Creighton's 116 points against USC Upstate on Dec. 20th were its most since 1964, and the third-highest scoring game in program history.
   The 116 points were also a CenturyLink Center Omaha record, and third time this season that the Bluejays have scored 109 or more points.
Creighton's Highest Scoring Games, By Points
Date   Opponent   W   L   CU   Opp.
02/10/64   at Miami (Fla.)   W       124   94
12/21/62   Nevada   W       120   76
12/20/17   USC Upstate   W       116   62
01/19/85   Indiana State   W       115   80
02/02/66   Memphis   W       115   82
12/09/16   Longwood   W       113   58
11/20/16   vs. North Carolina State   W       112   94
03/11/08   Bradley (2OT)   W       111   110
12/05/17   North Dakota   W       111   68
12/17/07   Houston Baptist   W       110   73
12/16/67   Wisconsin-Milwaukee   W       109   81
11/12/17   Alcorn State   W       109   72

Double-Digits x 15
Marcus Foster scored in double-figures in each of Creighton's first 15 games of the season, the first Bluejay to start his senior season with 15 straight games of 10 or more points since Bob Harstad had 27 straight in 1990-91.
   Doug McDermott had been the last player with nine straight double-figure games to start any season, doing so in all 35 games of his 2011-12 sophomore season that ended with First Team All-America accolades.
   Below is a list of Creighton's longest double figure scoring streaks to start a season since 1979-80, where you can see that Foster (2016-17 and 2017-18) and McDermott (2010-11 and 2011-12) are the only men to start consecutive seasons with eight or more double-figure contests since 1979-80.
CU's Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games
To Start Year, Since 1979-80
   Consec.   Name, Class   Year
   all 35   Doug McDermott, So.   2011-12
   all 32   Vernon Moore, Sr.   1984-85
   28   Benoit Benjamin, Jr.   1984-85
   27   Bob Harstad, Sr.   1990-91
   16   Rod Mason, Sr.   1987-88
   15   Marcus Foster, Sr.   2017-18
   13   Rodney Buford, Sr.   1998-99
   12   Gary Swain, Sr.   1986-87
   10   Chad Gallagher, Sr.   1990-91
   9   Rodney Buford, So.   1996-97
   8   Benoit Benjamin, Fr.   1982-83
   8   Gregory Brandon, Sr.    1983-84
   8   Doug McDermott, Fr.   2010-11
   8   Justin Patton, Fr.   2016-17
   8   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17

It's A WWWWWinning Streak
Creighton's season-best five-game winning streak was snapped at Seton Hall after the Bluejays swept a long homestand prior to the holiday break.
   Including this winter, Creighton has had at least one streak of five or more wins in 20 of the last 22 seasons.
   Last season's team won 13 straight games to open the year, with the final victory in that stretch coming on Dec. 28 against Seton Hall, before falling to No. 1 Villanova on New Year's Eve.

Top 25 Jays
Creighton ranks 25th in this week's Associated Press Top 25, and was 22nd in the USA Today Coaches poll.
   Creighton is 113-42 all-time when playing as a ranked team in the AP poll.
   Creighton has now been ranked in the AP poll 88 times in program history, with 60 of those under the direction of eighth-year head coach Greg McDermott. Creighton has also been ranked in the USA Today Coaches poll in 70 weeks under McDermott.
   Creighton has been ranked in the top-10 in 10 different weeks in program history, with eight of those coming last season when the Jays reached an all-time best of seventh the week of January 16th.
   Below is a list of the best weekly rankings in the AP poll in program history:
Best Weekly AP Rankings, Creighton History
7th - 1/16/17
8th - 1/9/17
9th - 3/1/14
9th - 12/19/16
10th - 1/20/03
10th - 11/28/16
10th - 12/5/16
10th - 12/12/16
10th - 12/26/16
10th - 1/2/17

Sharing The Sugar
Creighton distributed 32 assists on 42 field goals in its Dec. 20 victory over USC Upstate.
   The 32 helpers exceeded the previous school record of 31 done twice previously, most recently in 1990 vs. Siena.
   All 12 Bluejays in uniform dished at least one assist.
   For the season, Creighton ranks third nationally with 19.9 assists per game, which also leads the BIG EAST.
   All 12 Bluejays own an assist/turnover ratio this season of 0.95 or better, and CU's 1.82 assist/turnover ratio ranks second nationally.

Jays Sweep Weekly BIG EAST Honors
The Creighton men's basketball program swept the BIG EAST Conference weekly awards on Dec. 26th, as Marcus Foster was named BIG EAST Player of the Week and Mitch Ballock tabbed as BIG EAST Freshman of the Week.
   It's the third honor this season for Ballock, joining his similar accolades on Nov. 27 and Dec. 11th. It's Foster's first recognition this season, though he was honored by the BIG EAST last season on both Nov. 28th and Dec. 26th.
   Foster averaged nearly a point a minute in leading Creighton to a pair of wins. In 25.0 minutes per game, Foster averaged 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals. He shot 66.7 percent (18-27) from the field, 58.3 percent (7-12) from downtown and also converted 83.3 percent (5-6) at the line.
   The Wichita Falls, Texas, native had a season-high 32 points in 35 minutes in a 90-81 win over Sun Belt Conference champion UT Arlington on Monday. Foster had 22 points in the first half, most by a Bluejay at intermission since Doug McDermott at the 2014 BIG EAST Tournament, as the Bluejays raced to a 52-32 halftime lead. Foster added six rebounds and two steals while matching his season-best with four assists.
   Foster capped his week with 16 points in just 15 minute of a lopsided win over USC Upstate. Foster made 6-of-7 shots, including 3-of-4 three-pointers, adding three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
   Ballock averaged 13.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists off the bench in two victories. The Eudora, Kan., native shot 7-of-13 (53.8%) from three-point range and 9-of-19 (47.4%) from the field while also draining both free throw attempts.
   Ballock opened his week with 14 points, two rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot in a 90-81 win over Sun Belt Conference champion UT Arlington. He then scored 13 points and added four rebounds and three assists in 20 minutes of a win over USC Upstate.

They Can All Shoot
All 12 Creighton men to see the floor this season have made three or more three-pointers, and each of them have also attempted at least nine trifectas.
   All 12 Bluejays in uniform attempted at least one three-pointer on both Dec. 15 and Dec. 20.
   As a team, Creighton has made 183 treys this season (10th nationally), good for 10.76 per game (15th nationally).

Friendly Confines
Creighton has scored 103 points or more in four of 11 home games this season, and 75 points or more in all 11 home contests.
   Creighton is averaging 93.5 points per home game this season, outrebounding foes by 9.4 caroms per contest, shooting 54.2 percent from the floor, and holding foes to 39.4percent shooting.
   In the second half of home games this season, Creighton has outscored teams 532-384 (48.4-34.9) and shot 56.1 percent from the field. In the second half, Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas are a combined 24-for-47 from three-point range (51.1 percent), compared to CU's opponents who are 29-for-130 (22.3 percent) from downtown after the break.
   Below is a list of seasons with the most 100+ point games in Creighton history
Most 100 Point Games in a Season, Creighton History
   Rank   Games   Year   Team W-L
   1.   7   1965-66   14-12
   2.   5   1971-72   15-11
       5   2017-18   14-3 so far
   4.   4   2015-16   20-15
       4   2016-17   25-10
   6.   3   1989-90   21-12

100 Grand Passed
Creighton has drawn 178,532 home fans this season, an average of 16,230 per contest.
   This season marks the 16th straight season of 100,000 or more home fans for the program, a streak that started in the final season (2002-03) of the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
   Creighton has led its conference in home attendance each of the last 14 completed seasons, and is once again leading the way in the BIG EAST in 2017-18.

McDermott Earns 175th Win at Creighton
With a Dec. 18 win over UT Arlington, Greg McDermott became the second coach in program history to record 175 wins on the Bluejay sideline, as only Dana Altman (327) has previously reached that milestone.
   McDermott reached the mark in his 259th game on the Bluejay sideline, whereas Altman didn't win his 175th game at CU until his 274th contest.
   McDermott needed 71 games at Creighton to win his 50th contest and 134 games to earn his 100th win.
McDermott's Milestone Wins at Creighton
W-L Milestone   Opponent   Date
25-16   Chicago State   11/13/11
50-21   vs. Evansville   03/03/12
75-29   at Bradley   02/27/13
100-34   at Butler   02/15/14
125-58   vs. Massachusetts   11/25/15
150-72   at Nebraska   12/07/16
175-84   UT Arlington   12/18/17

Quest For 20,000
Creighton has scored 19,370 points all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha, moving over 19,000 points on Dec. 18 vs. UT Arlington on a three-pointer by Marcus Foster with 5:12 to go to make it 82-67.
    Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 19,370 to 16,212 at the 15-year old facility in 250 all-time games in the building that count.
    Creighton is 18-1 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
12/18/17   19,000-15,927 (246)   Foster 3FG vs. UT Arlington

Give Me Five
Creighton has had four or more players score 10+ points in all 16 of 17 games (all but UT Arlington) this season.
   In Creighton's last non-conference game on Dec. 20 vs. USC Upstate, six men scored in double-figures for the first time since on Dec. 20, 2016 at Arizona State.
   In Creighton's Dec. 31 win over Providence, the Bluejays had all five starters finish in double-figures for the first time since last year's BIG EAST home opener on Dec. 28, 2016 vs. Seton Hall.
   Creighton has had four men average in double-figures in each of the last two seasons.
   Last year, Marcus Foster (18.2), Justin Patton (12.9), Maurice Watson Jr. (12.9) and Khyri Thomas (12.3) all put up double-digits on a nightly basis.
   In 2015-16 it was Watson (14.1), Cole Huff (11.3), Geoffrey Groselle (11.2) and Isaiah Zierden (10.2).
   Before 2015-16, Creighton had not previously had four men finish the year scoring in double-figures since 1979-80, when Kevin McKenna, Jim Honz, George Morrow and Daryl Stovall did so.

My Favorite Martin
Martin Krampelj did not have a double-double in the first 44 games of his career, but turned in consecutive double-doubles on Dec. 5 (North Dakota) and Dec. 9 (Nebraska).
   Krampelj became the first Creighton player with point/rebound double-doubles in consecutive contests since Doug McDermott on March 1 and March 4, 2014.    Krampelj leads CU with six double-doubles this season.
   McDermott's performance on Feb. 9 and 13 of 2013 was also the last previous time a Bluejay had 11 or more rebounds in consecutive games. Krampelj has now had 11 rebounds in each of his last three games, the first Bluejay to accomplish that since McDermott from Nov. 30-Dec. 10, 2011.

Full House
Creighton is averaging 16,230 fans per home game this season, good for seventh-best nationally.
   Last season Creighton averaged 17,413 fans per home game, fifth-best in the country, and a figure that would have ranked 17th best in the NBA, ahead of 14 franchises.
   Last year was the 12th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the sixth straight season in the top-10 nationally in attendance, as well.
2017-18 Attendance Leaders (through 1/10)
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   21,445   1/20
   2.   Syracuse   19,766   1/16
   3.   Louisville   17,673   1/13
   4.   Wisconsin   17,263   1/19
   5.   North Carolina   16,466   1/16
   6.   Kansas   16,381   1/13
   7.   Creighton   16,230   1/17
   8.   Tennesssee   15,786   1/13
   9.   Nebraska   15,237   1/15
   10.   Arkansas   15,194   1/13

2016-17 Attendance Leaders (FINAL)
   Rk.   School   Average
   1.   Kentucky   23,462
   2.   Syracuse   21,181
   3.   Louisville   20,846
   4.   North Carolina   18,067
   5.   Creighton   17,413
   6.   Wisconsin   17,286
   7.   Maryland   16,628
   8.   Kansas   16,395
   9.   Indiana   16,364
   10.   North Carolina State   15,907

Ty-Shon Time
Ty-Shon Alexander made his first career start on Dec. 9 against Nebraska, coming through with three assists, one rebound and one steal in 19 minutes of a double-digit victory.
   Alexander is just the second true freshman point guard to start a game for Creighton in the last 10 seasons, joining Davion Mintz (12 starts in 2016-17).
   Like Alexander, Mintz also won his starting debut by double-figures (beating DePaul 83-66).
   Mintz returned to the starting line-up vs. Maryland Eastern Shore on Dec. 15.

Tough At Home
Creighton has won 22 straight non-conference home games dating to a Dec. 2, 2015 loss to Arizona State.
   On a national basis, that ranks as the 13th-longest streak, per recent research from the NCAA
Non-Conference Home Win Streaks (Through 1/26)
   Rank   Streak   School   Next Home N-C Game
   1.   139   Duke   Next Season
   2.   47   Arizona   Next Season
   3.   43   Butler   Next Season
   4.   38   Texas Tech   Next Season
   5.   35   Villanova   Next Season
   6.   32   SMU   Next Season
   7.   29   Evansville   Next Season
   8.   28   Seton Hall   Next Season
   9.   26   South Dakota State   Next Season
       26   Florida State   Next Season
   11.   23   William & Mary   Next Season
       23   West Virginia   1/27
   13.   22   Creighton   2/13
       22   IPFW   Next Season
   15.   18   Marshall   Next Season

On The Rebound
Martin Krampelj (8.5) and Ronnie Harrell Jr. (7.1) are each putting together some of better Creighton rebounding figures in recent memory.
   Harrell had 15 rebounds against UCLA on Nov. 20th, while Krampelj snared 14 caroms on Dec. 5 vs. North Dakota. Both men finished with 11 rebounds vs. Nebraska on Dec. 9th.
   Since the start of the 1994-95 season, only one Bluejay player has averaged more than 7.4 rebounds per game over the course of a season. That player, Doug McDermott, did it twice.
   Here's Creighton's single-season rebounds per game leaders since 1994-95.
   Rank   RPG   Name   Season
   1.   8.5   Martin Krampelj   2017-18
   2.   8.2   Doug McDermott   2011-12
   3.   7.7   Doug McDermott   2012-13
   4.   7.3   Rodney Buford   1997-98
       7.3   Gregory Echenique   2011-12
   6.   7.18   Doug McDermott   2010-11
   7.   7.16   Rodney Buford   1998-99
   8.   7.1   Ronnie Harrell Jr.   2017-18
   9.   7.0   Doug McDermott   2013-14
   10.   6.8   Nate King   1994-95

Shooters Shoot
Since Greg McDermott was hired eight years ago at Creighton, the Bluejays have shot 50 percent or better from the field in 119 games. That ranks third nationally, trailing only Gonzaga (134) and Kansas (124), Saint Mary's (115) and Kentucky (110) round out the top six.
   In those eight years, Gonzaga has shot 49.5 percent from the field, just ahead of Kansas (48.5%) and Creighton (48.3%). Belmont (48.1%) and Saint Mary's (47.9%) round out the top five.

Dunk You Very Much
Creighton ranked fifth nationally last year with 144 dunks, with half of those coming from future NBA First Round Draft pick Justin Patton. Of Patton's 72 dunks last year, 32 came on alley-oops.
   This year's Bluejay squad owns 61 dunks through 17 games this season, including nine against SIU Edwardsville. Five of the dunks against SIUE came from Martin Krampelj, who leads this year's club with 32 slams.

Putting Up The Points
Creighton scored 116 points on Dec. 20th vs. USC Upstate, third-most in school history, and the-most ever recorded by the Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
   Creighton has now scored 116 points or more four times in the last 13 months (113 vs. Longwood; 112 vs. North Carolina State, 111 vs. North Dakota and 116 vs. USC Upstate), after not doing it a single time from 2008-09 to 2015-16.
   The school record for points in a game by Creighton is 124, done on Feb. 10, 1964 at Miami (Fla.) in a 30-point win.
   Per Basketball-Reference.com, Creighton's 20 games of 100+ points since 2010-11 (when Greg McDermott was hired) are third-most in the nation, as seen below.
Most 100+ Point Games Since 2010-11 (thru 1/10/18)
   Rank   100 Pt. Games   Team
   1.   28   VMI
   2.   23   North Carolina
   3.   20   Creighton
   4.   19   Indiana
       19   Charleston Southern

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

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

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

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

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

Foster Up For Jerry West Award
Creighton men's basketball guard Marcus Foster is one of 20 preseason candidates for the 2018 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, which is bestowed by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
   Last year Foster was one of five finalists for the award.
   Named after Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor in its fourth year recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men's college basketball.
   Previous winners of the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award include Malik Monk, Kentucky (2017) Buddy Hield, Oklahoma (2016) and D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State (2015).

Heeeeeeerrrrrreeeeee's Ronnie
Ronnie Harrell Jr.'s 15 rebounds vs. No. 23 UCLA on Nov. 20th were three more than his previous career-high, and the most by a Bluejay in any game since Doug McDermott had 15 boards vs. Tulsa on Nov. 23, 2013.
   Harrell's 14 defensive rebounds were the most by any Bluejay since Kenny Lawson Jr. had 18 rebounds (14 defensive) vs. Saint Joseph's on Dec. 11, 2010.

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

Big Margin Can Lead To Big Things
Creighton beat Yale, 92-76, in the season-opener.
   Of Creighton's 20 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, nine have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
   Here's a look at Creighton's last eight teams to score 90 or more in a season-opener.
               Final   Post-
   Score   Opponent   Date   W-L   Season
   92-76   Yale   11/10/17   TBD   TBD
   93-70   Texas Southern   11/14/15   20-15   NIT
   104-77   Central Arkansas   11/14/14   14-19   --
   107-61   Alcorn State   11/08/13   27-8   NCAA
   97-65   N. Carolina A&T   11/11/11   29-6   NCAA
   106-50   Texas-Arlington   11/17/02   29-5   NCAA
   96-50   Western Illinois   11/20/00   24-8   NCAA
   93-48   Towson State   11/14/98   22-9   NCAA
   93-47   UT-San Antonio   11/30/90   24-8   NCAA

CenturyLink Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 7-7 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CenturyLink Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at CLCO, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
11/26/05   Dayton   W 91-90*   Funk FG   :5.7
01/28/06   Wichita St.   W 57-55   Tolliver FG   :0.0
11/25/06   George Mason   W 58-56   Watts FT   :7.5
03/18/08   Rhode Island   W 74-73   Witter 3FG   :3.2
01/13/10   Southern Illinois   W 71-69   Young FG   :1.3
02/18/12   Long Beach St.   W 81-79   Young FG   :0.3
01/28/14   St. John's   W 63-60   McDermott 3FG   :2.8
*double-overtime

Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses at CLCO, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
03/20/06   Miami (Fla.)   L 53-52   G. Diaz FT   :2.6
01/20/07   Southern Illinois   L 58-57   B. Mullins FG   :4.1
01/10/15   #19 Seton Hall   L 68-67   S. Gibbs 3FG   :2.2
02/16/15   #19 Butler   L 58-56   R. Jones FG   :1.9
03/07/15   Xavier   L 74-73   D. Davis FT's   :6.3
01/12/16   #12 Providence   L 50-48   K. Dunn FG   :0.0
02/22/17   Providence   L 68-66   K. Cartwright 3FG   :2.4

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

#ProJays
For the first time since 1969-70, Creighton has four NBA players at the same time as Kyle Korver (Cleveland Cavaliers), Anthony Tolliver (Detroit Pistons), Doug McDermott (New York Knicks) and Justin Patton (Minnesota Timberwolves) are all in the league.
   Including 2017-18, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 34 of the last 35 years.
   Korver ranks fourth in NBA history with 2,148 three-pointers and is sixth in league history with 43.18 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through January 10). He set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range in 2009-10, and is the only player in league history to lead the NBA in three-point percentage four times. Korver is averaging 10.2 points per game this year and shooting 44.8 percent from downtown.
   Tolliver is averaging 6.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game this season for the Pistons, his 11th NBA organization.
   McDermott is in his fourth season in the NBA, and first with the New York Knicks. He was traded to the Knicks with Enes Kanter in exchange for All-Star Carmelo Anthony. McDermott is averaging 8.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game this season.
   Creighton's newest NBA product is Justin Patton, who is now with the Minnesota Timberwolves organization but currently healing a broken foot. Patton redshirted in 2015-16 before turning pro and being the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. Patton was then part of the Jimmy Butler trade to end up in Minneapolis, and on December 24th was recalled to the Timberwolves from the G-League affiliate in Des Moines, only to be sent down two days later.
   Patton will become the 14th different player in history with Creighton ties to play in the NBA.
   The two-day stretch in December marked the first time since 1969-70 that Creighton has had four NBA players at the same time.

Racking Up The Victories
In 99 previous seasons of Bluejay Basketball, last season was the sixth team to earn 25 or more wins.
   Of Creighton's six seasons in history with 25 or more wins, Greg McDermott has coached four of those in the previous six years.
Most Creighton MBB Wins, Season
       Pre   Pre-Post   Postseason
Year   Final W-L   Tourney   Season   Tournament
2002-03   29-5   26-4   29-4   NCAA
2011-12   29-6   25-5   28-5   NCAA
2012-13   28-8   24-7   27-7   NCAA
2008-09   27-8   25-6   26-7   NIT
2013-14   27-8   24-6   26-7   NCAA
2016-17   25-10   23-8   25-9   NCAA
1990-91   24-8   20-7   23-7   NCAA
2000-01   24-8   23-6   24-7   NCAA
1921-22   23-5   23-5   23-5   didn't exist
1973-74   23-7   21-7   21-7   NCAA
2001-02   23-9   19-8   22-8   NCAA
1999-00   23-10   20-9   23-9   NCAA
2004-05   23-11   20-10   23-10   NCAA
2010-11   23-16   18-14   19-15   CBI
*Bold italics indicates Greg McDermott teams

Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the since Greg McDermott took over in 2010-11, per Basketball-Reference.com, through games of January 10th.
2010-11 to Present
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
FG Percentage   .483   3rd
3FG Percentage   .387   3rd
Assists   4,332   3rd
3FG Made   2,262   4th
FG Made   7,170   11th
Wins   180   29th
Winning Percentage   .679   32nd

All-Tourney Duo
Creighton's Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas were both named to the 2017 Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team in November.
   Foster averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals in two games in Kansas City, while Thomas averaged 15.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the championship rounds.
   Foster has now played in three tournaments since coming to Creighton, and been named All-Tournament in each one, as he was recognized last season in the Paradise Jam (MVP) as well as the BIG EAST Tournament.

Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 17 of the last 19 seasons (including 2016-17), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
   Just three schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 19 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
   Kentucky and Florida have each done it in 18 of the last 19 seasons.
   Along with Arizona, Syracuse and Xavier, Creighton is one of four schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 17 of the past 19 years.

Some Loyal Fans
Creighton attracted 296.013 fans at home in 2016-17, surpassing 200,000 fans for the 12th straight season. CU's average of 17,413 was second-most in program history, while the 296,013 fans were the fourth-most ever.
   Creighton had never attracted more than 141,000 home fans in any season prior to the opening of CenturyLink Center Omaha, and now has done it in the past 15 seasons.
   Creighton has led its conference in home attendance every year since moving into CenturyLink Center Omaha, which is in its 15th season.
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,413   Creighton   2016-17
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12

Creighton's Most Home Fans, Season
Rk.   Year   G   Attendance   Average
1.   2015-16   19   302,887   15,941
2.   2008-09   19   302,676   15,930
3.   2010-11   22   297,161   13,507
4.   2016-17   17   296,013   17413
5.   2012-13   17   291,643   17,155

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton averaged 81.83 points per game in 2016-17, and its 2,864 points a year ago were a school-record. This year's team is averaging 89.9 points per game.
   Greg McDermott is 53-2 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 47-2 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   Creighton is 62-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 35 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas State.

Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish fifth in the BIG EAST Conference according to a preseason poll of league coaches. Villanova was picked first with 80 points and eight first-place votes, while Seton Hall and Xavier, Providence round out the top four. After Creighton, St. John's, Marquette, Butler, Georgetown and DePaul rounded out the bottom half.
   Creighton guard Marcus Foster was named Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team, while Khyri Thomas was picked to be a Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention choice.
   Since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in 2013, Creighton, Providence and Villanova are the only teams to meet or exceed their poll prediction each season.

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 180 victories at Creighton, good for second 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.   180-85   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
3.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger    1922-35
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-69
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-81

Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time.
      Rank   Att.   Opponent   Date
   1.   18,868   Providence   03/08/14
   2.   18,859   Georgetown   01/25/14
   3.   18,831   #1 Villanova   12/31/16
   4.   18,797   #6 Villanova   02/16/14
   5.   18,742   Seton Hall   02/23/14
   6.   18,735   Wichita State   02/11/12
   7.   18,613   Wichita State   03/02/13
   8.   18,525   Marquette   12/31/13
   9.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   10.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   11.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   12.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   13.   18,160   Central Arkansas   11/14/14
   14.   18,145   Marquette   01/21/17
   15.   18,111   Bradley   02/02/13
   16.   18,084   Seton Hall   12/28/16
   17.   18,078   Tulsa   11/23/13
   18.   18,073   Drake   01/08/13
   19.   18,032   #12 Butler   01/11/17
   20.   17,971   #19 Butler   02/16/15

Très Bien
Since 2011-12, Creighton is 68-52 (.567) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 87-15 (.853) mark the last seven years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
   Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 136-37 in the last seven years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 20-32 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.

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 (after 1/7)
2017-18:   2nd (via WarrenNolan.com)
2016-17:   3rd
2015-16:   4th
2014-15:   3rd
2013-14:   4th
2012-13:   2nd
2011-12:   2nd
2010-11:   1st
2009-10:   3rd
2008-19:   4th
2007-08:   5th
2006-07:   5th
2005-06:   3rd
2004-05:   2nd
2003-04:   4th
2002-03:   5th
2001-02:   3rd
2000-01:   3rd

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 80.34 points per home game (10,765 points in 134 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.19 points in non-conference home games (5,878 points in 69 home games).
   Creighton is 92-2 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points and has won 88 straight non-conference home games when scoring 80 or more points, dating to a 90-85 loss to Nebraska on Dec. 7, 1991.

Eight Out Of 19 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 19 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (15), Duke (11), Winthrop (10), Kentucky (9), Creighton (8), Kansas (8) and New Mexico State (8).

Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2017-18 season went on sale on October 18th.
   Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CenturyLink Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com, and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any regular-season game.
   For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.

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

#25 Men's Basketball Visits #10 Xavier in Top 25 Showdown

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Mitch Ballock

Tyler Clement

Marcus Foster

Ronnie Harrell Jr.

Toby Hegner

Martin Krampelj

Davion Mintz

Manny Suarez

Khyri Thomas