Men's Basketball Readies To Host Georgetown in Eighth Annual Pink Out

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Game #22: Georgetown Hoyas at Creighton Bluejays
Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 • 7:05 p.m.
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN (1620 AM); KOOO (101.9 FM); www.1620thezone.com
Television: CBS Sports Network
Series History: Georgetown leads, 6-5
Last Meeting: Creighton 90, Georgetown 66 on Jan. 6, 2018 in Washington, D.C.

Next Game
Creighton (16-5, 6-3 BIG EAST) opens the second half of BIG EAST play when it hosts Georgetown (13-7, 3-6 BIG EAST) on Saturday, Jan. 27th.
   Tip off at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7:05 p.m.
   Red Panda will perform at halftime.
   The game is SOLD OUT but a limited number of standing room only tickets will be available for purchase ($12 each) starting at 10 a.m., on Saturday by stopping by the CenturyLink Center Omaha Box Office.

Pink Out Is Saturday Night
As part of the nationwide Coaches vs. Cancer event, fans are encouraged to wear pink to promote cancer awareness and participate in the "Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out" game Saturday night on First National Bank Court at CenturyLink Center Omaha (7:05 p.m., tip-off).
   Bluejay players will wear pink shooting shirts and pink jerseys for the game and the first 16,000 fans entering the venue will receive a complimentary pink t-shirt courtesy of Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center and CHI Health.
   "Pink Out" t-shirts are also available for purchase at the following Lawlor's Custom Sportswear locations: Westroads Mall and the Superstore located at 84th & J Streets.
   Complimentary "Pink Out" posters will be available to fans exiting the venue after the game. This year's Creighton vs. Cancer jersey auction raised $28,796, pushing the seven-year total of amount raised to over $186,300.
   All funds raised in the auction go to benefit Hope Lodge Nebraska.

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 Josh Dotzler 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 CBS Sports Network.
   The announcers for the game will be Carter Blackburn and Pete Gillen.

Video Webcast Information
To stream Saturday's game on CBS Sports Network, visit http://www.cbssports.com/watch/cbssportsnetwork and enter your provider for cable authorization.
   It is available on mobile devices using the CBS Sports App with the same info.

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

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 16-5 this year (6-3 BIG EAST) after splitting a two-game road trip to Providence and St. John's. Each of Creighton's first four losses came to teams that were ranked at the time (No. 22 Baylor, No. 15 Gonzaga, No. 23 Seton Hall, No. 10 Xavier), but the Bluejays are also one of 10 teams nationally with three wins over top-25 teams.
   Creighton is a perfect 12-0 at home, with nine double-digit victories, outscoring foes 92.4 - 66.5 in those contests in Omaha.
   Senior guard Marcus Foster (19.5 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 (14.3 ppg., 4.1 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.
   Senior Toby Hegner ranks fourth on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game and had a season-high 19 points in CU's win at Georgetown on Jan. 6.
   Creighton's front line took a major hit on January 17th when sophomore forward Martin Krampelj (11.9 ppg., 8.1 rpg.) was lost for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee.
   Creighton is averaging 86.5 points per game this season (ninth nationally), shooting 50.3 percent from the floor (11th nationally), and 37.9 percent from three-point range. CU also owns a 1.61 assist/turnover ratio (fifth nationally) to date, a +4.2 rebound margin and is first in the country with 30.67 defensive rebounds per game.

Scouting Georgetown
Georgetown is 13-7 on the season and 3-6 in BIG EAST play. The Hoyas are 3-2 in true road games this season, including league wins at DePaul and St. John's.
   Jessie Govan (16.7 ppg., 10.6 rpg.) has emerged as one of the nation's top big men and leads the club with 26 blocked shots.
   Marcus Derrickson averages 15.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest, with Kaleb Johnson close behind at 9.4 points per contest.
   The Hoyas average 78.1 points per game and allow 71.9 points per contest. GU shoots 45.2 percent from the field, 35.2 percent from three-point range and are in the top-10 nationally at the line at 78.1 percent.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his eighth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 182-87 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 462-282 in his 24th season and is 331-218 in his 17th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Preston Murphy and Alan Huss.
   Patrick Ewing (Georgetown, 1985) owns an 13-7 record in his first year at Georgetown, which doubles as his career mark. Ewing was a three-time All-American center for the Hoyas who led Georgetown to the 1984 NCAA title. Ewing would be the No. 1 pick in the 1985 NBA Draft and enjoy a Hall of Fame career as a player with the Knicks, Supersonics and Magic before serving as an NBA assistant for more than a decade. He is assisted by Louis Orr, Robert Kirby and Akbar Waheed.

The Series With Georgetown
Creighton is 5-6 all-time against Georgetown, but is 3-1 in Omaha against the Hoyas. The home team has won four of the last five meetings.
   The series began in 1970 in West Palm Beach, Fla., before resuming in 2014 in BIG EAST play.
   Greg McDermott is 4-7 all-time (4-6 at Creighton) against Georgetown and 1-0 when facing Patrick Ewing.

Pink Out Auction Raises $28,796 This Year
Creighton raised $28,796 for this weekend's "Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out" Pink Out game on Saturday vs. Georgetown.
   Below is the final numbers for each jersey/item in the auction this year:
#0   $3450   #1   $1135   #2   $4250
#4   $2650   #5   $1625   #11   $1425
#12   $950   #14   $944   #15   $1050
#23   $830   #24   $3500   #32   $1350
#41   $1025   #44   $1300
Basketballs: $380, 405, 400, 510, 335, 400
McDermott's Shoes: $510   McDermott's Tie: $372

Yearly Pink Out Totals
Creighton has raised $186,360.68 since the start of the 2011-12 season during its annual men's basketball Pink Out.
2011-12:   $20,600
2012-13:   $24,444
2013-14:   $48,247.11
2014-15:   $16,384.03
2015-16:   $16,527.90 (plus another $5,000 in donations)
2016-17:   $26,361.64
2017-18:   $28,796
Seven-Year Totals: $186,360.68

Creighton's Pink Out History
This year will mark Creighton's eighth Pink Out, which coincides with the arrival of head coach Greg McDermott. The Bluejays are 5-2 in the first seven Pink Out games, while playing in front of an average of 17,804 fans per game, as seen below:
Date   Result   Attendance
01/29/11   Creighton 83, Indiana State 69   16,044
01/28/12   Creighton 73, Bradley 59   18,436
02/02/13   Creighton 75, Bradley 58   18,111
01/25/14   Creighton 76, Georgetown 63   18,859
01/17/15   Providence 74, Creighton 65   17,640
01/30/16   Seton Hall 75, Creighton 65   17,924
01/28/17   Creighton 83, DePaul 66   17,611

The Rare Three-Time All-Americans
Doug McDermott, the son of Creighton head coach Greg McDermott, wrapped up a memorable career in 2014 with his third straight First Team All-America honor and a sweep of all 14 National Player of the Year awards.
   On Saturday Creighton will face Georgetown and coach Patrick Ewing. Ewing starred from 1981-85 with the Hoyas and in 1985 was named National Player of the Year by the Associated Press, NABC, Sporting News and won the Naismith Award.
   Prior to McDermott (in 2012, 2013 and 2014), the last player to be a three-time First Team All-American by the Associated Press had been Ewing and Oklahoma standout Wayman Tisdale, who both did so in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Other three-time First Team All-Americans by the AP are Oscar Robertson, Lew Alcindor, Pete Maravich, Ralph Sampson, David Thompson, Jerry Lucas, Tom Gola and Bill Walton.
   McDermott currently plays for the New York Knicks, the same franchise that Ewing played for from 1985-2000.

Scurry Earns A Schollie
Sophomore guard Jordan Scurry was awarded a scholarship for the 2017-18 season on January 21st during a team meeting.
   The surprise came on the same day the Dedham, Mass., native saw his beloved Boston Celtics play in person at TD Garden, while later watching the telecast as the New England native saw his Patriots rally to qualify for Super Bowl LII.
   Scurry is in his second season with the Bluejays. he's played in 23 games for CU in his two years in the program, contributing 36 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

Toby! Toby! Toby!
Toby Hegner scored 16 points in Creighton's 68-63 win at St. John's on Tuesday, the fifth time in the last six games that the fifth-year senior has scored in double-figures.
   Hegner is now averaging 13.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in the three games that Martin Krampelj has missed (including the Seton Hall game, when Krampelj was hurt in the first half), compared to 9.1 points and 2.6 rebounds before Krampelj was sidelined.
   Hegner's best game of the season came on January 6 at Georgetown, when he poured in a season-best 19 points, including five three-pointers in the first half as Creighton raced to a 45-21 lead.
   Prior to the last meeting with the Hoyas, Hegner had been just 1-for-16 from three-point range in his career against Georgetown.

#Timeout2Vote #CoachGregMcDermott
Greg McDermott is 1 of 24 Division I men's basketball coaches still participating in the eighth annual Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge, as announced by Infiniti and partners the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the NCAA and ESPN. The Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge is a four-round online bracket tournament in which coaches represent charities and compete for fan votes.
   McDermott will represent and compete on behalf Abide, an amazing charity that is an inner city nonprofit with a mission to transform Omaha one neighborhood at a time.
   To vote for McDermott each day, visit GoCreighton.com/VoteCoachMac.

With A Win...
- Creighton would even the all-time series against Georgetown, 6-6, with its third straight win over the Hoyas.
- Creighton would improve to 13-0 at home this season with its 14th straight home victory dating to last year.
- Creighton would earn a regular-season sweep of Georgetown for the first time.

Some Loyal Fans
Creighton has played in front of 196,237 home fans this season, and is virtually guaranteed of surpassing the 200,000 mark this Saturday for the 13th straight season.
   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
6.   2014-15   17   289,808   17,048
7.   2013-14   16   286,329   17,896
8.   2007-08   18   276,000   15,333
9.   2011-12   16   266,632   16,665
10.   2009-10   17   246,419   14,495
11.   2005-06   17   236,313   13,901
12.   2006-07   14   222,728   15,909
13.   2017-18   12   196,237   16,353
14.   2003-04   16   192,258   12,016
15.   2004-05   16   179,335   11,208
16.   2002-03   17   140,174   8,246

Baker's Dozen
Creighton has won 13 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
   13   Feb. 28, 2017- Present   ? ? ?
   11   Nov. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004   Southern Illinois
   11   Feb. 28, 2016 - Dec. 31, 2016   #1 Villanova

Streaking, At Home
Creighton has won 13 straight games at home dating to late last season, which ranks as one of the nation's 11 longest home winning streaks:
Nation's Longest Active Home Win Streaks (thru 1/24)
Streak   Team   Next Home Game
   37   Cincinnati   1/31
   20   Vermont   2/11
   19   Purdue   1/25
   17   UC Davis   1/25
   15   Virginia   1/31
   15   Duke   1/27
   15   Nevada   1/31
   15   South Dakota State   1/27
   14   Texas Tech   1/31
   14   Xavier   2/3
   13   Creighton   1/27
   13   Saint Mary's   1/25
   13   Rhode Island   1/27
   13   Oklahoma   1/30
   13   Bradley   1/31

Over .500, Again
Creighton has been better than .500 at the midway point in league play in 21 of the last 22 seasons, including this year's 6-3 mark.
   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 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
2017-18   6-3   TBD
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   132-75 (.638)   126-72 (.636)

As The Schedule Turns
Saturday will be Creighton's 10th BIG EAST game of the season, but those 10 games will have come against just six different opponents.
   When play concludes on Saturday, the Bluejays will be finished with the regular-season series against Seton Hall (1-1), Providence (1-1), St. John's (2-0) and Georgetown (1-0 so far).
   Next week Creighton will meet Villanova and DePaul for the first time each, and the Bluejays have their initial meeting with Marquette on February 17th.

Marcus' Theater
Marcus Foster had 25 points (vs. Seton Hall) and 22 points (at Providence) last week before pumping in 24 more at St. John's on Tuesday.
   Foster is the first Creighton player with three straight games of 20 or more points since Doug McDermott's streak of 14 straight games from Jan. 25 - March 21, 2014 when he was named National Player of the Year.
   Foster owns 72 points in four career games against Georgetown, good for 18.0 ppg. Foster scored a career-high 35 points in last year's victory over Georgetown in Omaha.

Krampelj Out For Season With Torn ACL
Sophomore forward Martin Krampelj will miss the rest of the 2017-18 season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Creighton's win over No. 19 Seton Hall on January 17th.
   Krampelj was widely regarded as one of the BIG EAST's most improved players in 2017-18, as he was averaging 11.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game on 67.1 percent shooting after averaging 2.8 points,.2.2 rebounds and 5.9 minutes last year.
   This is the third torn ACL for Krampelj, and second time he's injured his left knee. Surgery for Krampelj was scheduled to take place on January 25th.

Jays Hold Serve
One of the keys for any team with BIG EAST title aspirations is to hold serve at home, and find a way to win road games in conference play.
   Creighton is a perfect 12-0 at home this year, and 4-0 in league play in Omaha.
   The top seven teams in the BIG EAST standings after Wednesday are a combined 75-7 overall at home, and a collective 23-4 at home in league play.
   The only four home losses in conference action by those top seven teams have come by Providence (Marquette 95-90 in OT), Marquette (Xavier 91-87) and Butler (Seton Hall, 90-87) and Seton Hall (Xavier, 73-64).
   The bottom three teams in the league standings are 0-16 against the top seven clubs in the standings at all sites this season.

Foster Reaches 1,000 Points at Creighton
Marcus Foster owns 1,048 points at Creighton through 56 career games, surpassing the 1,000 mark on Jan. 17 vs. No. 19 Seton Hall with a three-pointer in the final minutes. That doesn't include the 875 points that Foster scored at Kansas State his first two years of college.
   Foster is the 40th player overall to score 1,000 career points as a Bluejay, and currently is tied for 34th in program history.
   Here's the top 50 career scorers in Creighton history. In addition to Foster's chase for 1,000 points, it's worth noting that Khyri Thomas is currently 45th.
Most Career Points, Creighton History
   Rank   Pts.   Name   Years
   1.   3,150   Doug McDermott   2010-14
   2.   2,116   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   3.   2,110   Bob Harstad    1987-91
   4.   1,983   Chad Gallagher    1987-91
   5.   1,876   Bob Portman    1966-69
   6.   1,801   Kyle Korver   1999-03
   7.   1,754   Nate Funk   2002-07
   8.   1,682   Rick Apke    1974-78
   9.   1,661   Paul Silas   1961-64
   10.   1,654   Vernon Moore    1981-85
   11.   1,575   Benoit Benjamin    1982-85
   12.   1,526   John C. Johnson   1975-79
   13.   1,500   Kevin McKenna   1977-81
   14.   1,437   Eddie Cole   1951-55
   15.   1,369   Gene Harmon   1971-74
   16.   1,361   Duan Cole   1987-92
   17.   1,342   Antoine Young   2008-12
   18.   1,313   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2006-11
   19.   1,309   Ryan Sears   1997-01
   20.   1,303   Elton Tuttle   1951-54
   21.   1,272   Bob Gibson   1954-57
   22.   1,267   Wally Anderzunas   1965-67, 1968-69
   23.   1,254   Gary Swain   1983-87
   24.   1,238   Ben Walker   1997-01
   25.   1,196   Ray Yost   1951-54
   26.   1,172   Dick Harvey   1956-59
   27.   1,155   Ethan Wragge   2009-14
   28.   1,152   Dane Watts   2004-08
   29.   1,116   Kenny Evans   1982-87
   30.   1,115   Doug Brookins   1972-75
   31.   1,115   Daryl Stovall   1978-82
   32.   1,093   Tim Powers   1964-67
   33.   1,050   Reggie Morris   1982-86
   34.   1,048   Marcus Foster   2016-Pres.
   35.   1,031   Johnny Mathies   2003-06
   36.   1,024   P'Allen Stinnett   2007-10
   37.   1,023   Rod Mason   1986-88
   38.   1,013   Austin Chatman   2011-15
   39.   1,006   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
   40.   1,004   Anthony Tolliver   2003-07
   41.   994   Chuck Officer   1960-62, 1963-64
   42.   979   Terrell Taylor   1999-02
   43.   967   David Wesely   1975-79
   44.   965   Fritz Pointer   1963-66
   45.   943   Khyri Thomas   2015-Pres.
   46.   939   Cyril Baptiste   1969-71
   47.   931   Cornell Smith   1973-77
   48.   921   Jim Berry   1955-59
   49.   915   Darryl Stovall   1978-82
   50.   914   Francis (Ick) Miller   1948-51

Foster's Race To 1,000
Marcus Foster reached 1,000 career points at Creighton in the 54th game of his Creighton career, reaching 1,000 points in fewer games than any Bluejay since Bob Portman did it in a school-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   now Doug McDermott (1,382), Portman (1,195), Paul Silas (1,124), Foster (1,048), Rod Mason (1,023) and Rodney Buford (1,010).
   Foster leads Creighton with 19.5 points per game and has averaged 18.6 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 is 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.
Games To 1,000 Points, Last 16 Bluejays
Name   CU Games to 1,000 pts.    Date
Marcus Foster   54   01/17/18
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, third in double-figure scoring games, and fifth in points. Former Bluejay Doug McDermott owns the NCAA record with 135 career double-figure scoring games.
   Here's that list, through games of Jan. 24:
Most Career Field Goals, Nation's Active Leaders
   Rank   FG   Name, School   Next Game
   1.   693   Marcus Foster, Creighton   1/27
   2.   689   Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas   1/27
   3.   657   Peyton Aldridge, Davidson   1/28
   4.   654   Jonathan Stark, Murray State   1/25
   5.   647   Trevon Bluiett, Xavier   1/30

Most Career Points, Nation's Active Leaders
   Rank   Points   Name, School   Next Game
   1.   2,197   Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas   1/27
   2.   2,052   James Daniel III, Tennessee   1/27
   3.   2,016   Andrew Rowsey, Marquette   1/28
   4.   2,000   Trevon Bluiett, Xavier   1/30
   5.   1,923   Marcus Foster, Creighton   1/27
   6.   1,922   Jonathan Stark, Murray State   1/25
   7.   1,918   Mike Daum, South Dakota St.   1/27
   8.   1,865   Wesley Person, Troy   1/25

Most Career Games, 10+ Points, Active Players
   Rank   10+ Games   Name, School   Next Game
   1.   107   Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas   1/27
   2.   106   Trevon Bluiett, Xavier   1/30
   3.   100   Marcus Foster, Creighton   1/27
   4.   99   Wesley Person, Troy   1/25

He Shoots, He Scores!
Marcus Foster is shooting 50.5 percent from the field (on all shots) this year despite shooting 6.6 three-pointers per game.
   Per stats from Basketball-Reference.com, Foster is one of four Power Conference players since 1992-93 that has shot 49 percent or better overall despite attempting 6.5 three-pointers per game.
   Each of the other three men were named consensus All-Americans.
50% FG & 6.5 3FGA/Game Since 1992-93, Power Leagues
Name, School   Year   FG%   3FGA/G
Shan Foster, Vanderbilt   2007-08   .523   8.4
Marcus Foster, Creighton   2017-18   .505   6.6
Salim Stoudamire, Arizona   2004-05   .504   6.6
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma   2015-16   .501   8.7

How They Rank?
The Jan. 16 game vs. No. 19 Seton Hall was Creighton's seventh game of the season against a top-25 team, the most in the country. Creighton is 3-4 in those contests, including a 2-4 mark away from home.
   In the seven games against ranked foes, Creighton averaged 79.9 points per contest, lost the rebound battle by 1.4 caroms per game, and had 110 assists against just 88 turnovers.
   Marcus Foster (17.6), Khyri Thomas (14.1), and Martin Krampelj (11.7) have each averaged in double-figures.
   CU has led for 194:30, trailed for 72:51 and were tied for 12:39 in those 280 minutes against top-25 foes.
   Below is a list of schools with the most games this season played against AP Top 25 teams (at time of game), through January 24:
   Games   School
   7   Creighton
   7   Oklahoma
   7   Oklahoma State
   6   Baylor
   6   Kansas
   6   Marquette
   6   Nebraska
   6   Rutgers
   6   Savannah State
   6   Texas
   6   Texas Tech
   6   Vanderbilt

Loaded Schedule Under McDermott
The Jan. 16th contest against No. 19 Seton Hall was Creighton's seventh different game this season against a team ranked in the top-25. This is the fourth straight season that the Bluejays have faced at least seven ranked teams in one season, after never having done it prior to Greg McDermott's arrival in 2010-11.
Most Games vs. Top 25 Teams, Season
   Games   Season   Coach
   8   2014-15   Greg McDermott
   8   2015-16   Greg McDermott
   7   2016-17   Greg McDermott
   7   2017-18   Greg McDermott
   6   1971-72   Eddie Sutton
   5   1968-69   Eddie Sutton
   5   1969-70   Eddie Sutton
   5   1981-82   Willis Reed

Top 25 Success
Creighton had four wins over top-25 teams last season, twice as many as any previous campaign in program history. This year's team owns three wins over the top-25, second-most in program history.
   This year's team is 3-4 against ranked teams, beating No. 20 Northwestern on Nov. 15th, No. 23 UCLA on Nov. 20th and No. 19 Seton Hall on Jan. 17th. 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
   3   2017-18   #20 Northwestern, #23 UCLA,
           #19 Seton Hall
   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

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 24th, Creighton is one of 10 teams nationally with three or more top-25 wins this season.
   Ranked Wins   School   Home   Road   Neutral
   6   Oklahoma   3   2   1
   5   Texas Tech   3   1   1
   4   Duke   1   1   2
   4   Florida   0   2   2
   4   Xavier   3   1   0
   3   Creighton   1   1   1
   3   Kansas   1   1   1
   3   NC State   2   0   1
   2   Alabama   2   0   0
   2   Arizona   1   0   1
   2   Arizona State   0   1   1
   2   Arkansas   2   0   0
   2   Auburn   1   1   0
   2   Clemson   1   0   1
   2   Colorado   2   0   0
   2   Florida State   1   1   0
   2   Kansas State   2   0   0
   2   Miami (Fla.)   1   1   0
   2   Michigan State   1   0   1
   2   Nebraska   2   0   0
   2   North Carolina   1   1   0
   2   Oklahoma State   1   0   1
   2   Purdue   1   0   1
   2   Seton Hall   0   1   1
   2   SMU   0   1   1
   2   South Carolina   1   1   0
   2   TCU   1   0   1
   2   Tennessee   1   0   1
   2   Texas   2   0   0
   2   Texas A&M   0   1   1
   2   Villanova   1   0   1
   2   Virginia   2   0   0
   2   West Virginia   2   0   0
   1   Ball State   0   1   0
   1   Boston College   1   0   0
   1   Butler   1   0   0
   1   Georgia   0   0   1
   1   Georgia Tech   1   0   0
   1   Gonzaga   1   0   0
   1   Houston   1   0   0
   1   Indiana   0   0   1
   1   Iowa State   1   0   0
   1   Louisville   0   1   0
   1   Loyola (Chicago)   0   1   0
   1   LSU   0   1   0
   1   Marquette   1   0   0
   1   Michigan   0   1   0
   1   Minnesota   0   0   1
   1   Mississippi State   1   0   0
   1   Missouri   1   0   0
   1   New Mexico State   0   0   1
   1   Notre Dame   0   0   1
   1   Ohio State   1   0   0
   1   Oregon   0   1   0
   1   Providence   1   0   0
   1   Rhode Island   0   0   1
   1   Rutgers   1   0   0
   1   Saint Mary's   0   1   0
   1   San Diego State   1   0   0
   1   Seton Hall   1   0   0
   1   UCF   0   1   0
   1   Virginia Tech   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
   1   Wyoming   1   0   0

More Top 25 News
Creighton owns seven wins against the Top 25 since the start of last season, a figure that ranks tied for ninth-most nationally through games of January 24th.
   Ranked Wins   School
   13   Duke
   12   North Carolina
   9   Kansas
   9   Villanova
   8   Florida State
   8   South Carolina
   8   Texas Tech
   8   Xavier
   7   Creighton
   7   Arizona
   7   Butler
   7   Florida
   7   Gonzaga
   7   Oklahoma
   7   Purdue
   7   West Virginia

Ranked vs. Ranked
Creighton is 6-12 all-time as a ranked team when facing a ranked team, including an 0-3 record this year, a 4-2 mark last year and a 4-8 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   L 70-92

The 1 For Sports
Next Thursday's game at No. 1 Villanova will air nationally on FS1, a channel that has been quite kind to Creighton in recent seasons.
   Creighton is 10-1 on FS1 this winter, and last year went 12-1 on the network.
   Creighton is 55-23 when appearing on FS1 since the network formed in 2013. CU is also 12-1 when appearing on FS2 in program history.

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.

My Favorite Martin
Martin Krampelj owned a double-double in three straight games from Jan. 3-9, 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. The streak was snapped last Saturday at Xavier, when he had four points and four rebounds.
   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. Martin Krampelj answered those questions until tearing his ACL on January 17th.
   Here's a look at the stats for the two men:
Stat   Patton   Krampelj
Year   2016-17   2017-18
PPG   12.9   11.9
RPG   6.2   8.1
BPG   1.4   0.7
APG   1.2   1.2
FG%   .676   .671
FT%   .517   .623
Double-Doubles   3   6
Dunks/Game   2.06   1.74

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 100 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.

Playing With A Lead
Creighton has done a good job of starting the game strong this season and playing with a lead, with the exception of its last two road losses.
   The Bluejays have led for 77.6 percent of the time this season while trailing just 18.9 percent of the time.
   Creighton has trailed for just 158:24 of 840 possible minutes this season. By comparison, last year's club trailed for 155:18 (18.5%) over the course of its first 21 games while starting 18-3 a year ago.
   Creighton has not trailed in four of its six BIG EAST wins this season, with St. John's (on Jan. 3 and Jan. 23) being the lone exceptions.
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
at Georgetown   39:30   --   0:30
Butler   39:55   --   0:55
at #10 Xavier   0:51   37:18   1:51
#19 Seton Hall   39:19   --   0:41
at Providence   0:18   38:01   1:41
at St. John's   31:29   7:16   1:15
Total   652:01   158:24   30:25

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 251 all-time games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, Creighton has not trailed 73 different times, including 21 of its last 48 home games and six of its last 10 home contests.

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 804 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 24th.
Longest Active 3-Point Streak, Through 1/24
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,033   Kentucky   1/27
   2.   1,026   UNLV   1/27
   3.   1,019   Vanderbilt   1/27
   4.   1,004   Duke   1/27
   5.   962   Arkansas   1/27
   6.   956   Western Kentucky   1/27
   7.   947   East Tennessee State   1/27
   8.   938   Pacific   1/25
   9.   924   Oakland   1/26
   10.   913   Texas   1/27
   11.   892   Princeton   1/28
   12.   863   Marshall   1/27
   13.   854   Baylor   1/27
   14.   833   Gonzaga   1/25
   15.   830   LIU-Brooklyn   1/25
   16.   817   Cornell   1/27
   17.   814   Mount St. Mary's   1/25
   18.   805   Tennessee State   1/25
   19.   804   Creighton   1/27
   20.   801   East Carolina   1/28

Triple Trivia
During Creighton's current streak of 804 straight games with a three-pointer, the Bluejays have drained 6,142 trifectas, an average of 7.64 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 128 times, more than any figure.
   Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 201 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: 42 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: 128 times   19: 1 time
8: 108 times   20: 1 time
9: 72 times   21: 1 time
10: 62 times

Scoring In Bunches
Creighton has scored 1,817 points through 21 games, to rank ninth nationally with 86.5 points per contest.
   The 1,817 points are the second-most points the team has ever scored in its first 21 games of any season, trailing only the 1965-66 club.
Most Points Through 21 Games, Creighton History
   Points   Year   Final W-L (Postseason)
   1,863   1965-66   14-12
   1,817   2017-18   16-5 so far
   1,793   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
   1,796   1970-71   14-11

CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 251 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 15-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 209-42 (.833) 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 19,450-16,275 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.65 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 73 different times, including 21 of its last 48 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 112-24 (.824) 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 229-42 (.845) 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

Foster Does It All
Marcus Foster is averaging 19.5 points and 2.8 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   19.5   2.8

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 159-14 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 147 of the last 157 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 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 12 categories nationally, through games of Jan. 23.
   Perhaps the most impressive figure on the list is in defensive rebounds per game, where CU is first with 30.67 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   30.67
Total Assists   4th   394
Assist/Turnover Ratio   5th   1.61
Assists Per Game   5th   18.8
Scoring Offense   10th   86.5
FG Percentage   12th   .503
3-Point FG Percentage Defense   12th   .303
Total 3FG Made   12th   222
3-Point Field Goal Attempts   14th   585
Scoring Margin   15th   +13.8
Personal Fouls/Game   15th   15.3
3FG/Game   17th   10.6

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 history of Century Link Center Omaha.
   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   95.8   35th   16-5 so far

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   1-4
Seton Hall   3-2   2-3
St. John's   5-0   3-2
Villanova   1-3   1-3
Xavier   2-2   2-3
Total   25-15   18-23

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 fifth nationally with 18.8 assists per game, which also leads the BIG EAST.
   All 12 Bluejays own an assist/turnover ratio this season of 0.92 or better, and CU's 1.61 assist/turnover ratio ranks fifth nationally.

We're Jamming!
Creighton owns 66 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
33   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
47   Martin Krampelj   2015-Pres.
40   Marcus Foster   2016-Pres.
39   Khyri Thomas   2015-Pres.
38   Will Artino   2011-15
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)
66   2017-18   16-5 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 (153 rebounds) and Ronnie Harrell Jr. (139) both have more rebounds this season than they in their careers before 2017-18, 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), had 86 points and 62 rebounds in CU's first seven league games this season before suffering a season-ending injury.

Ronnie On The Spot
Ronnie Harrell Jr. continues to provide a spark off, 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

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 is among teams "also receiving votes" in both major polls that were released on January 22nd.
   Creighton is 113-43 all-time when playing as a ranked team in the AP poll.
   Creighton has 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

They Can All Shoot
All 12 Creighton men to see the floor this season have made four 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 211 treys this season (17th nationally), good for 10.55 per game (17th nationally).

Friendly Confines
Creighton has scored 103 points or more in four of 12 home games this season, and 75 points or more in all 12 home contests.
   Creighton is averaging 92.4 points per home game this season, outrebounding foes by 8.4 caroms per contest, shooting 54.0 percent from the floor, and holding foes to 39.3 percent shooting.
   In the second half of home games this season, Creighton has outscored teams 573-415 (47.8-34.6) and shot 55.5 percent from the field. In the second half, Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas are a combined 27-for-52 from three-point range (51.9 percent), compared to CU's opponents who are 34-for-144 (23.6 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   16-5 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 196,237 home fans this season, an average of 16,353 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

Give Me Five
Creighton has had four or more players score 10+ points in all 17 of 21 games (all but UT Arlington, at #10 Xavier, at Providence and at St. John's) 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 also had 11 rebounds in three straight games from Jan. 3-9, 2018, the first Bluejay to accomplish that since McDermott from Nov. 30-Dec. 10, 2011.

Full House
Creighton is averaging 16,353 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 1/24)
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   21,608   1/30
   2.   Syracuse   19,980   2/3
   3.   Louisville   17,540   1/27
   4.   Wisconsin   17,265   1/29
   5.   North Carolina   17,221   1/27
   6.   Kansas   16,367   1/27
   7.   Creighton   16,353   1/27
   8.   Tennessee   16,003   1/31
   9.   Arkansas   15,734   1/27
   10.   Nebraska   15,316   1/27

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 (8.1) and Ronnie Harrell Jr. (6.9) 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.   8.2   Doug McDermott   2011-12
   2.   8.1   Martin Krampelj   2017-18
   3.   7.7   Doug McDermott   2012-13
   4.   7.286   Rodney Buford   1997-98
       7.286   Gregory Echenique   2011-12
   6.   7.18   Doug McDermott   2010-11
   7.   7.16   Rodney Buford   1998-99
   8.   6.97   Doug McDermott   2013-14
   9.   6.83   Nate King   1994-95
   10.   6.81   Ronnie Harrell Jr.   2017-18
   11.   6.77   Randall Crutcher   1996-97
   12.   6.76   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2009-10

Shooters Shoot
Since Greg McDermott was hired eight years ago at Creighton, the Bluejays have shot 50 percent or better from the field in 120 games. That ranks third nationally, trailing only Gonzaga (137) and Kansas (124), Saint Mary's (119) and Belmont (112) round out the top five.
   In those eight years, Gonzaga has shot 49.6 percent from the field, just ahead of Kansas (48.4%) and Creighton (48.2%). Belmont (48.1%) and Saint Mary's (48.1%) 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 66 dunks through 21 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 33 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 1/24)
   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 2,154 three-pointers and is seventh in league history with 43.10 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through January 24). 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 9.3 points per game this year and shooting 43.0 percent from downtown.
   Tolliver is averaging 7.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game this season for the Pistons, his 11th NBA organization.
   McDermott is in his fourth season in the NBA, and first with the New York Knicks. He was traded to the Knicks with Enes Kanter in exchange for All-Star Carmelo Anthony. McDermott is averaging 7.8 points and 2.5 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 24th.
2010-11 to Present
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
FG Percentage   .482   3rd
3FG Percentage   .387   3rd
Assists   4,385   3rd
3FG Made   2,301   4th
FG Made   7,274   11th
Wins   182   29th
Winning Percentage   .677   35th

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.

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 86.5 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 182 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .677 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.   182-87   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

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 1/24)
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 80.33 points per home game (10,845 points in 135 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.19 points in non-conference home games (5,878 points in 69 home games).
   Creighton is 93-2 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.

Men's Basketball Readies To Host Georgetown in Eighth Annual Pink Out

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Tyler Clement

Marcus Foster

Ronnie Harrell Jr.

Toby Hegner

Martin Krampelj

Davion Mintz

Jordan Scurry

Manny Suarez

Khyri Thomas