Creighton University Athletics
Tuesday, January 9
Omaha, Neb.
7:30 PM
Creighton University
vs
Butler
Ty-Shon Alexander
Photo by: Mitchell Layton
Men's Basketball Hosts Butler on Tuesday
1/8/2018 9:45:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Bluejays seek ninth win in the last 10 games
Download Notes as a PDF
Game #17: Butler Bulldogs at Creighton Bluejays
Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018 • 7:30 p.m.
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN (1620 AM), KOOO (101.9 FM), www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1
Series History: Creighton leads series, 9-6
Last Meeting: Creighton 76, Butler 67 on Jan. 31, 2017 in Indianapolis, Ind.
Next Game
Creighton (13-3, 3-1 BIG EAST) returns to Omaha to host Butler (12-5, 2-2 BIG EAST) on Tuesday, Jan. 9th.
Tip time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb.
Special Promotion on Tuesday
A special 90-minute beverage promotion will be available to early-arriving Creighton men's basketball fans at CenturyLink Center Omaha on Tuesday before the Bluejays take on Butler.
Venue doors open at 6:00 p.m., and the promotion, available from 6:00-7:30 p.m., only, includes 12-ounce beers and soft drinks for $1.00 each in the Bud Light Zone area (north end of arena's main concourse).
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
Tuesday's game will be televised nationally on FS1. The announcers for the game will be Justin Kutcher and Nick Bahe.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Tuesday's game will be available via FOXSportsGo.com for desktop users, and via the FOX Sports Go app for mobile devices (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Window devices). A cable authorization may be required.
The FOX Sports GO mobile app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store or the Windows Store, and the games are now available internationally.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 13-3 this year (3-1 BIG EAST) and were ranked 24th in the January 2nd USA Today Coaches poll. All three losses have come to teams that were ranked (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 10-0 at home, with eight double-digit victories, outscoring foes 94.4 - 66.1 in those contests in Omaha.
Senior guard Marcus Foster (18.8 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 eighth in career points as well.
Lockdown defender Khyri Thomas (14.9 ppg., 4.4 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 12.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in his first year as a starter, including double-doubles in three of the first four league contests.
Senior Toby Hegner ranks fourth on the team in scoring at 9.4 points per game and had a season-high 19 points at Georgetown last Saturday.
Creighton is averaging 90.2 points per game this season (third nationally), shooting 51.3 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from three-point range. CU also owns a +6.3 rebound margin and a 318/180 assist/turnover ratio to date.
Scouting Butler
Butler is 12-5 this season and 2-2 in the BIG EAST, including a 101-93 win over then-No. 1 Villanova on Dec. 30th at Hinkle Fieldhouse, but have lost close games to Xavier and Seton Hall since. The Bulldogs are 9-1 at home, but 1-2 in true road games.
Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Kelan Martin leads the Bulldogs with 19.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest. He was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Jan. 2nd.
Sophomore guard Kamar Baldwin (15.3 ppg., 3.1 apg.) is another dangerous weapon in the backcourt and tops the club with 31 steals.
Paul Jorgensen leads BU with 38 three-pointers and has 40 assists against just 12 turnovers.
As a team, Butler averages 80.5 points per game and shoots 47.7 percent from the field, 35.2 percent from downtown and 76.1 percent at the line. The Bulldogs allow 71.5 points per game and outrebound foes by 3.4 caroms per contest.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his eighth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 179-85 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 459-280 in his 24th season and is 328-216 in his 17th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Preston Murphy and Alan Huss.
LaVall Jordan (Butler, 2001) owns a 12-5 record in his first season at Butler, moving his career mark to 23-29 in two seasons as a head coach. Jordan is a previous Butler assistant who made his head coaching debut a year ago at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he led the Panthers to the Horizon League Tournament title game. Jordan is assisted by Jeff Meyer, Omar Lowery and Emerson Kampen.
The Series With Butler
Creighton is 9-6 all-time vs. Butler in a series that dates to a 27-22 Bluejay win in 1933, including a 5-2 mark in Omaha. The teams played twice each in 1933 and 1934, then took a 40-year break in the series.
Creighton swept the Bulldogs last season, winning 75-64 in Omaha over No. 12 Butler on Jan. 11 before posting a 76-67 road win on Jan. 31 at No. 16 Butler.
Greg McDermott is 5-5 in his career vs. Butler, including a 5-3 mark on the Creighton sideline. He has never faced LaVall Jordan.
Mintz Condition Better Than Excellent
Sophomore Davion Mintz had what Greg McDermott called his best half as a Bluejay on 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.
TOBY!
Senior Toby Hegner had a season-best 19 points on 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 134 three-pointers and 356 trifecta tries both lead the team among active players in a Bluejay uniform.
My Favorite Martin
Martin Krampelj owned a double-double in both games last week, finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds vs. St. John's, then contributing 12 points and 11 rebounds at Georgetown.
Krampelj could become the first Bluejay with a double-double in three straight games since Doug McDermott from Feb. 9-16, 2013. McDermott also had a streak of four straight double-doubles in 2011-12, when he became CU's first player with three straight double-doubles since Nate King in the 1993-94 campaign.
Besides Krampelj, the only other Bluejay to ever have three 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.
Let It Fly
Creighton has made 10 or more three-pointers in each of their last five home games, and 8-of-10 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha this season.
The Bluejays own 85 three-pointers in their last seven games at all sites, an average of 12.1 per game. In the same time period, CU has made 87 free throws, an average of 12.4 charity throws per game.
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 799 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 8th.
Longest Active 3-Point Streak, Through 1/8
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 1,028 Kentucky 1/9
2. 1,023 UNLV 1/10
3. 1,014 Vanderbilt 1/9
4. 1,000 Duke 1/10
5. 952 Western Kentucky 1/11
952 Arkansas 1/10
7. 942 East Tennessee State 1/11
8. 934 Pacific 1/11
9. 920 Oakland 1/10
10. 909 Texas 1/10
11. 889 Princeton 1/12
12. 859 Marshall 1/11
13. 850 Baylor 1/9
14. 830 Gonzaga 1/11
15. 826 LIU-Brooklyn 1/11
16. 814 Cornell 1/12
17. 809 Mount St. Mary's 1/11
18. 800 Tennessee State 1/11
19. 799 Creighton 1/9
20. 797 East Carolina 1/11
Triple Trivia
During Creighton's current streak of 799 straight games with a three-pointer, the Bluejays have drained 6,095 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: 107 times 20: 1 time
9: 72 times 21: 1 time
10: 61 times
High Five?
Creighton is 3-1 in the BIG EAST after four games and will play 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.
Game 250 at The Link
Tuesday will mark Creighton's 250th game that counts at CenturyLink Center Omaha. The Bluejays are 207-42 (.831) 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
249 (207-42) St. John's (W 78-71) 01/03/18
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 249 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 15-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 207-42 (.831) 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 19,285-16,138 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.64 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 71 different times, including 19 of its last 46 home games.
Creighton is also 26-24 all-time in the 49 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-9 when down by 10+ points at halftime at The Link, and 33-22 when trailing at halftime at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Creighton is 110-24 (.821) 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 227-42 (.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
Bulldog Effort On Defense Slows Down Butler
Creighton has had some success in slowing down Kelan Martin (19.8 ppg. this year) in recent meetings, as the versatile forward has not shot well at all while being hounded by reigning BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Khyri Thomas.
Last year in Omaha Martin missed his first eight shots and scored seven points, his fewest in any of his 39 starts since the start of last season.
Date Result Martin Pts (FG) Site
1/21/15 BU 64-61 7 (2-6) Indianapolis
2/16/15 BU 58-56 2 (1-1) Omaha
1/23/16 CU 72-64 22 (8-23) Omaha
2/16/16 BU 88-75 21 (6-18) Indianapolis
1/11/17 CU 75-64 7 (3-14) Omaha
1/31/17 CU 76-67 11 (5-12) Indianapolis
TOTALS Tied 3-3 70 (25-64)
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.
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
Marcus Chases 1,000 at Creighton
Marcus Foster owns 938 points at Creighton through 51 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.
Tuesday will be the 52nd 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 in 1967-68. While it's not known how many games each player in CU history has needed to reach 1,000 games, it is known that Paul Silas needed just 47 games.
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 18.8 points per game and has averaged 18.4 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.
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
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 Wednesday vs. St. John's. Nine of those comebacks have come away from home.
On the other hand, CU is 156-14 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 144 of the last 154 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 18.8 points per game this season to lead Creighton. His 652 career field goals is the most among the nation's active players, while his 1,813 career points are eighth-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 13-3 start and ranked 24th nationally in the USA Today Coaches 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.
Foster Does It All
Marcus Foster is averaging 18.8 points and 2.7 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
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 95.7 38th 13-3 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.
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 84.4 percent of the time this season while trailing a combined 11.8 percent of the time.
Creighton has trailed for just 75:49 of 640 possible minutes this season. By comparison, last year's club trailed for 83:17 over the course of its first 16 games while starting 15-1 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
Total 540:09 75:49 24:02
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 10:01 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 249 all-time games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, Creighton has not trailed 71 different times, including 19 of its last 46 home games and four of its last eight home contests.
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 3-1 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 23-15 17-21
We're Jamming!
Creighton owns 56 dunks already this season, which is already more than four entire seasons 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
30 Gregory Echenique 2011-12
30 Martin Krampelj 2017-18
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
44 Martin Krampelj 2015-Pres.
38 Will Artino 2011-15
37 Khyri Thomas 2015-Pres.
35 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)
58 2015-16 20-15 (NIT)
56 2010-11 23-16 (CBI)
56 2017-18 12-3 so far
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 (131 rebounds) and Ronnie Harrell Jr. (117) 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 62 points and 40 rebounds in CU's first four league games this season.
A Great Start
Creighton is off to a strong start with a 13-3 record.
In fact, it's the eighth time in the last 16 years that Creighton has started 13-3 or better through 16games, which includes 15-1 starts in 2002-03, 2003-04, 2012-13 and 2016-17.
By comparison, before that stretch, Creighton did not have any 13-3 starts or better in the 25 seasons from 1977-78 to 2001-02.
Scoring In Bunches
Creighton has scored 1,443 points through 16 games, to rank sixth nationally with 90.2 points per contest.
The 1,443 points are 40 more points than Creighton has EVER scored in its first 16 games of any season, as seen below:
Most Points Through 16 Games, Creighton History
Points Year Final W-L (Postseason)
1,443 2017-18 13-3 so far
1,403 1965-66 14-12
1,400 2016-17 25-10 (NCAA)
1,385 1970-71 14-11
1,366 2015-16 20-15 (NIT)
1,351 1963-64 22-7 (NCAA
It Goes Up To 11
Creighton has won 11 straight home games dating to last season. The Bluejays now own seven home win streaks of 10 or longer 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
11 Nov. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004 Southern Illinois
11 Feb. 28, 2016 - Dec. 31, 2016 #1 Villanova
11 Feb. 28, 2017- Present ? ? ?
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 3rd.
10+ Rebounds Off The Bench in 2017-18 (thru 1/6)
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
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 12.7
RPG 6.2 8.2
BPG 1.4 0.7
APG 1.2 1.4
FG% .676 .656
FT% .517 .612
Double-Doubles 3 5
Dunks/Game 2.06 1.88
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
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 eighth in scoring. Here's that list, through games of Jan. 7:
Most Career Field Goals, Nation's Active Leaders
Rank FG Name, School Next Game
1. 652 Marcus Foster, Creighton 1/9
2. 636 Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas 1/10
3. 630 Peyton Aldridge, Davidson 1/10
4. 612 Trevon Bluiett, Xavier 1/10
5. 622 Jonathan Stark, Murray State 1/11
Most Career Points, Nation's Active Leaders
Rank Points Name, School Next Game
1. 2,050 Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas 1/10
2. 2,029 James Daniel III, Tennessee 1/9
3. 1,951 Andrew Rowsey, Marquette 1/9
4. 1,914 Trevon Bluiett, Xavier 1/10
5. 1,831 Jonathan Stark, Murray State 1/11
6. 1,828 Mike Daum, South Dakota St. 1/11
7. 1,827 Wesley Person, Troy 1/13
8. 1,813 Marcus Foster, Creighton 1/9
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 fell out of the Associated Press Top 25 in the poll released on January 1st, but was No. 24 in the USA Today Coaches Poll from January 2nd.
Creighton is 112-42 all-time when playing as a ranked team in the AP poll.
Creighton has now been ranked in the AP poll 87 times in program history, with 59 of those under the direction of eighth-year head coach Greg McDermott. Creighton has also been ranked in the USA Today Coaches poll in 69 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
How They Rank?
Creighton's Dec. 28 game at Seton Hall marked its fifth game of the season against a top-25 team. All five of Creighton's top-25 games have come away from home, with the Bluejays going 2-3 against those clubs.
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 led for 154:20, trailed for 35:33 and were tied for 10:07 in those 240 minutes against top-25 foes.
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 7th, Creighton is one of 21 teams nationally with a pair of top-25 wins this season, and is also one of 17 teams nationally with a top-25 true road win.
Ranked Wins School Home Road Neutral
4 Texas Tech 2 1 1
3 Duke 1 0 2
3 Florida 0 1 2
3 Oklahoma 0 2 1
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 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 Loyola (Chicago) 0 1 0
1 LSU 0 1 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 UCF 0 1 0
1 Villanova 0 0 1
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 owns 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 7th.
Ranked Wins School
12 Duke
11 North Carolina
8 Florida State
8 Kansas
8 Villanova
7 Arizona
7 Butler
7 Gonzaga
7 Purdue
7 Texas Tech
7 West Virginia
6 Creighton
6 Baylor
6 Florida
6 Kentucky
6 Seton Hall
6 South Carolina
6 Xavier
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 0.90 or better, and CU's 1.77 assist/turnover ratio ranks third 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.
The 1 For Sports
Tuesday's game airs nationally on FS1, a channel that has been quite kind to Creighton in recent seasons.
Creighton is 7-1 on FS1 this winter, and last year went 12-1 on the network.
Creighton is 52-23 when appearing on FS1 since the network formed in 2013. CU is also 12-1 when appearing on FS2 in program history.
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 175 treys this season (14th nationally), good for 10.94 per game (14th nationally).
Friendly Confines
Creighton has scored 103 points or more in four of their 10 home games this season, and 75 points or more in all 10 home contests.
Creighton is averaging 94.4 points per home game this season, outrebounding foes by 10.8 caroms per contest, shooting 54.2 percent from the floor, and holding foes to 38.7 percent shooting.
In the second half of home games this season, Creighton has outscored teams 496-342 (49.6-34.2) and shot 56.1 percent from the field. In the second half, Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas are a combined 24-for-44 from three-point range (54.5 percent), compared to CU's opponents who are 27-for-122 (22.1 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 13-3 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 161,303 home fans this season, an average of 16,130 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 19,285 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 19,285 to 16,138 at the 15-year old facility in 249 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 15 of 16 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.
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 95 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.
Nationally Elite
Creighton ranks in the top 20 of 11 categories nationally, through games of Jan. 6.
Perhaps the most impressive figure on the list is in defensive rebounds per game, where CU is first with 31.69 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 31.69
Total Assists 3rd 318
Assist/Turnover Ratio 3rd 1.77
Assists Per Game 3rd 19.9
Scoring Offense 3rd 90.2
FG Percentage 7th .513
Scoring Margin 10th +18.3
3FG% Defense 12th .295
Fewest Fouls/Game 14th 15.2
Total 3FG Made 14th 175
3FG/Game 14th 10.9
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 five 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.
Full House
Creighton is averaging 16,130 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 1/8)
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 21,326 1/9
2. Syracuse 19,766 1/16
3. Louisville 17,673 1/13
4. Wisconsin 17,263 1/19
5. Kansas 16,390 1/9
6. North Carolina 16,374 1/9
7. Creighton 16,130 1/9
8. Tennesssee 15,786 1/13
9. Nebraska 15,191 1/9
10. Missouri 15,061 1/10
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 (8.2) and Ronnie Harrell Jr. (7.3) 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. 8.2 Martin Krampelj 2017-18
3. 7.7 Doug McDermott 2012-13
4. 7.3 Ronnie Harrell Jr. 2017-18
7.3 Rodney Buford 1997-98
7.3 Gregory Echenique 2011-12
Shooters Shoot
Since Greg McDermott was hired eight years ago at Creighton, the Bluejays have shot 50 percent or better from the field in 118 games. That ranks third nationally, trailing only Gonzaga (134) and Kansas (124), Saint Mary's (115), Belmont (109) and Kentucky (109) 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 (48.2%). 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 56 dunks through 16 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 30 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 1/3/18)
Rank 100 Pt. Games Team
1. 28 VMI
2. 23 North Carolina
3. 20 Creighton
4. 19 Indiana
19 Charleston Southern
Top 25 Success
Creighton had four wins over top-25 teams last season, twice as many as any previous campaign in program history. Six other Bluejay teams had two top-25 victories in the same season, including this year's club.
This year's team is 2-3 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
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 & Wooden Awards
Creighton men's basketball senior Marcus Foster has been named one of 50 candidates for the Citizen Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced. A list of 30 midseason candidates will be released on Feb. 14, 2018 before the 50th presentation of the award April 1, 2018.
A senior from Wichita Falls, Texas, Foster was a unanimous All-BIG EAST selection last year after leading Creighton with 18.2 points per game a year ago. He ranked among the league leaders in scoring after posting the highest scoring average for a Bluejay newcomer since 1970. Foster's 638 points were the 10th-most in CU history and the most ever by a Bluejay newcomer in their debut season on the court.
Foster is also one of 50 preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award.
Creighton has had one previous winner of the Naismith Trophy and the Wooden Award, as Doug McDermott collected the hardware for both following the 2013-14 campaign.
Foster Up For Jerry West Award
Creighton men's basketball guard Marcus Foster is one of 20 preseason candidates for the 2018 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, which is bestowed by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Last year Foster was one of five finalists for the award.
Named after Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor in its fourth year recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men's college basketball.
Previous winners of the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award include Malik Monk, Kentucky (2017) Buddy Hield, Oklahoma (2016) and D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State (2015).
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 2,143 three-pointers and is sixth in league history with 43.14 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through January 6). He set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range in 2009-10, and is the only player in league history to lead the NBA in three-point percentage four times. Korver is averaging 9.9 points per game this year and shooting 44.1 percent from downtown.
Tolliver is averaging 6.8 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 8.2 points and 2.8 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.
This is 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 6th.
2010-11 to Present
Category Stat NCAA Rank
FG Percentage .482 3rd
3FG Percentage .387 3rd
Assists 4,309 3rd
3FG Made 2,254 4th
FG Made 7,137 11th
Wins 179 29th
Winning Percentage .678 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 90.2 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 179 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
McDermott's .678 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. 179-85 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
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 80.30 points per home game (10,680 points in 133 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.19 points in non-conference home games (5,878 points in 69 home games).
Creighton is 91-2 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.
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 67-52 (.563) 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 135-37 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
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.
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