Men's Basketball Hosts No. 1 Gonzaga on Saturday

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Game #8: #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs at Creighton Bluejays
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018 • 1:00 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com; KOOO (101.9 FM)
Television: FOX
Series History: Creighton leads, 6-3
Last Meeting: Gonzaga 91, Creighton 74 on Dec. 1, 2017 in Spokane, Wash.
LIVE STATS | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE VIDEO

Next Game
Creighton (6-1) hosts the No. 1 ranked team in the country on Saturday when it welcomes Gonzaga (7-0) to town.
   Tip-off at CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) is set for 1:00 p.m.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2018-19 season, while KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games. John Bishop and former Bluejay Brody Deren will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game against Gonzaga will be televised by FOX, with Justin Kutcher and Donny Marshall on the call. Lisa Byington will serve as sideline reporter.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Saturday's game will be available via FOXSportsGO.com for desktop users, and via the FOX Sports GO app for mobile devices (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Window devices). A cable authorization may be required.
   The FOX Sports GO mobile app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store or the Windows Store, and the games are now available internationally.

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

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 6-1 after four straight victories, including wins over No. 16 Clemson and defending conference champions Montana and Georgia State The Bluejays have made 78-of-167 three-pointers to date (46.7 percent) to rank among the national leaders in both categories.
   Creighton returns eight lettermen and two starters from last year's team that finished 21-12 and tied for third in the BIG EAST Conference with a 10-8 league record. The Bluejays advanced to its fifth NCAA Tournament in the past seven seasons, where it fell to eventual Elite Eight qualifier Kansas State.
   Each of Creighton's top three scorers are sophomores, a trio led by Cayman Islands Classic MVP Ty-Shon Alexander (18.3 ppg.). Alexander poured in a career-high 36 points in the title game win over Clemson last Wednesday.
   Damien Jefferson sat out last year as a transfer from New Mexico and is averaging 11.9 points and a team-best 5.1 rebounds per contest.
   In addition, Mitch Ballock pours in 11.0 points per game and has dished a team-high 26 assists.
   Creighton averages 83.6 points per game and has shot 53.2 percent from the field, 46.7 percent from three-point land and 67.4 percent at the charity stripe.

Scouting No. 1 Gonzaga
Ranked first nationally, Gonzaga is 7-0 including wins over Texas A&M, Illinois, Arizona and Duke this season. The Bulldogs will be playing their first true road game of the year on Saturday.
   Preseason All-American Rui Hachimura (21.9 ppg., 5.4 rpg.) has lived up the hype and leads the team in scoring, while Zach Norvell Jr. averages 17.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest.
   Brandon Clarke averages 15.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game and also has 29 blocked shots to rank among the national leaders.
   Also in double-figures is Josh Perkins, who averages 11.4 points per game and has a team-best 12 steals.
   Making GU's start even more impressive is that star big man Killian Tillie (12.9 ppg., 5.9 rpg. last year) has not played this season due to injury.
   The Bulldogs average 97.7 points per game (second nationally) and limit foes to 73.7 per contest. GU shoots 54.5 percent from the field, outrebounds teams by 7.0 caroms per contest, and has dished 142 assists against just 83 turnovers to date.

The Series With Gonzaga
Creighton is 6-3 all-time against Gonzaga in a series that dates to 1947. Creighton is 5-1 at home in the series all-time, including a 70-62 victory in the Zags' last trip to Omaha.
   Greg McDermott is 0-1 against Gonzaga and Mark Few, and is 1-5 in his career against the current membership of the West Coast Conference (0-5 at Creighton).

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his ninth season as head coach at Creighton, where he is 193-95 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 473-290 in his 25th season and is 342-226 in his 18th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Preston Murphy, Alan Huss and Paul Lusk.

Sixty Percent Club
Creighton shot a season-best 60.4 percent from the field in Wednesday's win over Montana. It was the 21st time since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010 that the Bluejays have shot 60 percent or better.
   The only team with more games making 60 percent or better in that span is Gonzaga (22), while Kansas also has 21.
   Here's that list, per Basketball-Reference.com.
Most Games, 60%+ FG Shooting, Since 2010-11
Rk.   Games   Team
1.   22   Gonzaga
2.   21   Creighton
   21   Kansas
4.   20   Michigan State
5.   19   Indiana
   19   Ohio State
   19   Utah

Shooting Stars
Here's some other charts that show where Creighton and Gonzaga rank nationally since 2010-11, when Greg McDermott was hired.
Most Games, 50%+ FG Shooting, Since 2010-11
Rk.   Games   Team
1.   151   Gonzaga
2.   132   Kansas
3.   129   Creighton
   129   Saint Mary's
5.   124   Belmont

Best Field Goal Percentage, Since 2010-11
Rk.   FG%   Team
1.   .496   Gonzaga
2.   .484   Kansas
3.   .4834   Belmont
4.   .4828   Creighton
5.   .481   Saint Mary's

Best 2-Point Field Goal Percentage, Since 2010-11
Rk.   2FG%   Team
1.   .575   Belmont
2.   .553   Gonzaga
3.   .546   Creighton
4.   .540   Saint Mary's
5.   .534   William & Mary

Taking Down No. 1?
Across the Creighton sports landscape, the last time the Bluejays beat a No. 1-ranked team in any sport was April 24, 2001. On that night, Creighton Baseball beat No. 1 Nebraska, with an 11-8 win in 10 innings at Buck Beltzer Field in Lincoln.

Ranking News & Notes
Gonzaga is ranked first in this week's AP poll. Some notes of interest as it pertains to Creighton and ranked foes...
- Creighton is 32-141 all-time (1-0 this year) against nationally-ranked teams in the Associated Press poll.
- The Bluejays are 19-39 all-time at home against ranked foes, including an 8-9 mark under Greg McDermott.
- The last time CU hosted a ranked team, the Jays defeated No. 3 Villanova, 89-83 (OT). It remains the highest-ranked team that CU has ever beaten.
- Creighton has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the last six seasons (including 2018-19), and multiple ranked foes in each of the previous four years.
- Creighton is 14-26 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams. He owns twice as many top-25 wins as any other coach in Creighton history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 18-115 all-time against top-25 foes.
- Creighton is 9-9 since the start of the 2016-17 season against ranked teams. The nine wins over ranked teams in that time is tied for 11th nationally, one behind Gonzaga (10). Duke (17) leads the way.
- Creighton has played the No. 1 team in the country just twice before. The Bluejays lost 84-73 to DePaul in Omaha on Jan. 28, 1980, and fell 80-70 to No. 1 Villanova on Dec. 31, 2016, also in Omaha.
- Creighton has won its last two non-conference home games against top-25 competition, defeating No. 9 Wisconsin (79-67) on Nov. 15, 2016 and besting No. 18 Oklahoma (65-63) on Nov. 19, 2014. Creighton is 6-2 in the last 20 years in home non-conference games against top-25 foes, also beating No. 24 Xavier (12/9/06), No. 17 Western Kentucky (11/27/01), No. 23 Iowa (11/27/99) and No. 18 Oklahoma State (12/20/98).

Against The Best?
Creighton has frequently scheduled some strong teams to come into CHI Health Center Omaha, since the building opened in the fall of 2003.
    Saturday's foe, Gonzaga (7-0), will be the 57th team in 16 years to enter with either 0 or 1 losses. In the first 56 such games, Creighton is 49-7, with an average scoring margin of +14.46 per game.
   Gonzaga is the third different Creighton opponent to arrive at CHI Health Center Omaha with an unbeaten record of 7-0 or better. Creighton beat an 8-0 Dayton team (77-59) on Dec. 10, 2008, and fell to a 13-0 Villanova team (80-70) on Dec. 31, 2016.

Challenging Schedule
Saturday's game against Gonzaga will be the latest test in Creighton's challenging non-conference schedule.
   The Bulldogs, will be the seventh straight Creighton opponent who won 23 or more games last season.
   East Tennessee State (25-9 last year), Ohio State (25-9), Boise State (23-9), Georgia State (24-11), Clemson (25-10), Montana (26-8) and Gonzaga (32-5) all won 23 or more times a year ago, and combined for a 180-61 record (.747) in 2017-18.
   The stretch continues next Saturday as well, when Creighton visits a Nebraska team that went 22-11 a year ago.

Thank Goodness For Gibbs
One of the players vital to Creighton's early success under Greg McDermott was guard Grant Gibbs.
   Gibbs grew up idolizing Gonzaga grad John Stockton and spent two injury-plagued seasons at Gonzaga before transferring to Creighton not long after Greg McDermott was hired in 2010.
   Gibbs sat out the 2010-11 season as a transfer before leading the Missouri Valley Conference in assists in both 2011-12 and 2012-13 for a pair of NCAA Tournament teams.
   He then applied for a sixth year of eligibility, and thanks in part to a letter of recommendation from Mark Few, learned that appeal was approved on July 2nd.
   Skeptical of Gibbs' potential return, the Jays had given out all of its scholarships in the spring, so teammate Doug McDermott gave up his scholarship to Gibbs, and McDermott immediately became the best walk-on in the history of mankind.
   Gibbs ranks fourth in CU history with 498 assists as a Bluejay, including helpers on 199 three-pointers, 192 lay-ups, 44 dunks and 63 two-point shots outside the paint. Gibbs assisted on 241 of McDermott's baskets (including 122 lay-ups and 75 three-pointers), which led directly to 557 points from the coach's son.
   Gibbs is currently an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Blue, the G-League affiliate for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

High Five
Creighton placed five men in double-figures in Wednesday's victory over Montana, Damien Jefferson (18), Martin Krampelj (17), Mitch Ballock (14), Ty-Shon Alexander (13) and Marcus Zegarowski (11).
   It's the first time that Creighton had five men score in double-figures since Feb. 24, 2018, when Marcus Foster (28), Khyri Thomas (24), Mitch Ballock (13), Jacob Epperson (12) and Davion Mintz (10) all did it in an overtime win over No. 3 Villanova.

Offense Is Clicking
Creighton's offense has been even hotter than the weather in the Cayman Islands in the last four games.
   Creighton has averaged 93.0 points per game in that span, shooting 57 percent from the field, 47.1 percent from three-point range (making 49 three-pointers) and 70 percent at the line.
   Sophomores Ty-Shon Alexander, Damien Jefferson and Mitch Ballock have combined to average 47 points per game in that time while shooting a collective 52.2 percent from three-point range.

Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 18 of the last 20 seasons (entering 2018-19), 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 20 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.    Kentucky and Florida have done it in 19 of the last 20 seasons.
   Creighton, Xavier, Syracuse and Arizona each are in the 18-of-20 seasons club.

Eight Out Of 20 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 20 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (16), Duke (11), Winthrop (10), Kentucky (10), Kansas (9), New Mexico State (9) and Creighton (8).

Alexander The Great
Ty-Shon Alexander is the lone Bluejay this season to score in double-figures in each of Creighton's first seven games this season.
   He's the first sophomore to score in double-figures in seven straight games to start the year since Doug McDermott did it in all 35 games in 2011-12, a year that saw him attain First Team All-America honors.
   Alexander had nine games last season with 10 or more points, but never more than four in a row.
   Alexander has averaged 13.6 points per career game in the month of November, compared to 5.0 points per game in all other months, though his role is certainly much more prominent this season.

Alexander The Great, Part II
Ty-Shon Alexander's performance against No. 16 Clemson on Nov. 21 was historic for a number of reasons.
- Alexander's 36 points were the most by any Bluejay in a game since Doug McDermott had 45 points on March 8, 2014 vs. Providence. Since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010, the only other Bluejay with a game of 36 points or more is Doug McDermott, who did it eight times.
- Alexander's 36 points were the most by a Bluejay sophomore since McDermott had 36 points vs. Long Beach State on Feb. 18, 2012.
- Alexander's 36 points were the most by a player against Clemson since North Carolina's Harrison Barnes had 40 points in the 2011 ACC Tournament against the Tigers. Barnes was a former high school teammate of McDermott.
- Alexander is the first Bluejay to shoot 100 percent from the free-throw line with 11 attempts or more since McDermott was 13-for-13 at the stripe on Dec. 17, 2013 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff. No player had done that against Clemson since South Carolina's Chuck Eidson on Feb. 12, 2003.
- Alexander's 36 points vs. Clemson required just 16 field goal attempts. That's the fewest number of shot attempts to score 36+ points by a Creighton player since Bob Harstad had 38 points on 13-of-13 shooting in a win over UTSA on Nov. 30, 1990.
- Alexander's seven three-point baskets were the most by a Bluejay in one game since Cole Huff had seven on March 10, 2016 vs. Seton Hall, and the most by any Clemson opponent since Charlotte's Ian Anderson on Nov. 22, 2008.
- Alexander is the first Creighton player to make a three-pointer in 10 straight games (dating to last season) since Marcus Foster's streak of 20 in a row from Jan. 3-March 16, 2018.

Z For 3
Marcus Zegarowski has made a three-pointer in each of Creighton's first seven games this season.
   He's the first Bluejay freshman to open his career like that since Ryan Sears, in 1997-98. Sears did it in eight straight games. Sears wrapped up his career with a school-record 245 three-pointers, which currently ranks fourth in program history.

Mitchapalooza
Mitch Ballock had the best all-around night of his career on Nov. 20 vs. Georgia State, finishing with team-highs of 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists. His 23 points were a career-high, one more than the 22 he scored exactly one year earlier in a win over nationally-ranked UCLA.
   Ballock is the first Creighton player with at least 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the same game since Ryan Sears had a 25/8/8 line at Southern Illinois on Jan. 8, 2000.
   In last Monday's win over Boise State, Ballock dished seven assists, one shy of his career-best. He leads CU with 26 assists against just eight turnovers this winter despite seeing much of his playing time as the "3" man in Creighton's offense.

More Than Just A Passing Fancy
One reason for Creighton's success in the Cayman Islands was the way it shared the ball last week. The Bluejays owned 58 assists on 98 baskets last week, compared to 36 helpers on 78 hoops in three games entering the Cayman Islands Classic. Mitch Ballock had 16 assists and just three turnovers in three games at the Cayman Islands Classic.
   Creighton's opponents, on the other hand, owned just 27 assists on 87 hoops in three games on the island.

Jefferson's Career High Is Movin' On Up
Sophomore Damien Jefferson posted career-high in scoring each of the first two games of the Cayman Islands Classic. He arrived in the Cayman Islands with a career-high of 14 points, done twice previously. He had 16 points against Boise State on Monday, then added 20 points a night later against Georgia State.
   Jefferson ranks second on the team with 11.9 points per game and leads the club with 5.1 rebounds per contest. He is shooting 66.7 percent (30-45) from the field this year, including 73.3 percent (22-30) in the last four games.
   For the season, Jefferson has made 9-of-12 shots from downtown to lead the BIG EAST in three-point marksmanship (75.0 percent), not bad for a guy who sank just 9-of-42 three-pointers (21.7 percent) as a freshman at New Mexico before using much of his redshirt year to hone his shot.

How's This, For Starters?
Creighton started 5-1 or better after six games for the eighth straight season, and is now 6-1 after Wednesday's romp over Montana. Five of the previous seven times it happened, the Bluejays reached the NCAA Tournament and in four of those campaigns the Bluejays won 25 games or more.
Creighton's Record After 6 Games, Last 8 years
Year   W-L After 6 Games   Final W-L   Postseason
2011-12   6-0   29-6   NCAA
2012-13   6-0   28-8   NCAA
2013-14   5-1   27-8   NCAA
2014-15   5-1   14-19   --
2015-16   5-1   20-15   NIT
2016-17   6-0   25-10   NCAA
2017-18   5-1   21-12   NCAA
2018-19   5-1   TBD   TBD

Three If By Sea
Creighton made 10 or more three-pointers in all three games of the Cayman Islands Classic, going 12-for-22 vs. Boise State, 14-for-32 vs. Georgia State and 10-of-26 vs. No. 16 Clemson. The trend continued on Wednesday vs. Montana when Creighton made its first five tries from long-range and shot 13-of-24 overall from deep.
   With 10 or more three-pointers vs. Gonzaga, Creighton would compile a streak of five straight games with 10+ three-pointers for the first time since March 1-14, 2014 back when Ethan Wragge and Doug McDermott connected from deep with regularity.
   Creighton has made 10 or more three-pointers 114 times (third nationally since 2010-11) in 288 games under Greg McDermott, winning 90 of those (78.9 percent).
   Creighton ranks third nationally in three-point percentage (.467), 14th in three-pointers made per game (11.1) and 15th in three-pointers made (78).

Sophomore Stars
Each of Creighton's top three scorers this season are sophomores, Ty-Shon Alexander (18.3 ppg.), Damien Jefferson (11.9 ppg.) and Mitch Ballock (11.0 ppg.).
   Of Creighton's 585 points this season, the sophomore class has scored 22 of them (55.0 percent).
   Creighton's freshmen have scored 17.8 percent, the juniors 20.2 percent and the seniors 7.0 percent.

Tournament Success
Both Creighton and Gonzaga won a tournament on a tropical island last week, with Creighton winning the Cayman Islands Classic and Gonzaga taking home the Maui Invitational crown.
   Creighton has had some great success in tournament play in recent seasons, especially under Greg McDermott. In McDermott's tenure, CU is 29-5 in regular-season tournament action with five titles in nine completed events.
   Since 2002-03, Creighton is 42-9 (21-0 at home) with eight titles in 14 preseason tournaments, as seen below. Creighton last lost at home in a regular-season tournament in 1975.
Preseason Tournament Performances, Last 16 Seasons
Year   Tourney (Site)   W-L (Home W-L)
2002-03   Guardians Classic (Omaha/KC)   4-0 (2-0)
2004-05   Guardians Classic (Omaha/KC)   4-0 (2-0)
2006-07   Rainbow Classic (Honolulu)   2-1
2008-09   Las Vegas Classic (Omaha/Las Vegas)   4-0 (2-0)
2009-10   Old Spice Classic (Orlando)   0-3
2010-11   Hy-Vee Challenge (Omaha/Des Moines)   3-1 (3-0)
2011-12   Dale Howard Classic (Omaha/Des Moines)   4-0 (3-0)
2012-13   Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas)   4-0 (2-0)
2013-14   Wooden Legacy (Fullerton/Anaheim)   1-2
2014-15   Emerald Coast Classic (Omaha/Niceville)   3-1 (2-0)
2015-16   MGM Grand Main Event (Omaha/Las Vegas)   4-0 (2-0)
2016-17   Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)   3-0
2017-18   Hall of Fame Classic (Omaha/Kansas City)   3-1 (2-0)
2018-19   Cayman Islands Classic (Omaha/Cayman Islands)   4-0 (1-0)

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 20 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including the Nov. 11 win vs. East Tennessee State when CU trailed by 12 points with seven minutes left. Ten of those comebacks have come away from home.
   The comeback win over East Tennessee State was just the second time in nine seasons under Greg McDermott that the Bluejays had trailed by 12+ points with less than seven minutes left and won. It first happened on Feb. 21, 2012, when Creighton trailed 73-61 to Evansville with 6:20 left before rallying to post a 93-92 overtime win.
   Creighton also overcame a 12-point second half deficit against Ohio State to go ahead by four, only to surrender the last 13 points of the game and lose by nine.
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
12   East Tennessee State   11/11/18
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
10   at DePaul   02/07/18
10   Bemidji State   02/13/18

Rebound Bonanza
Damien Jefferson had to sit out last year after transferring in from New Mexico, but he made up for lost time on the glass in the season-opener.
   Jefferson grabbed 12 rebounds in just 23 minutes of work, breaking his previous high by three.
   Jefferson's 12 rebounds were the most by any Creighton player in their debut since Cyril Baptiste snared 17 boards in 1969.
   In his second game at CU, Jefferson had 14 points and two blocked shots vs. East Tennessee State. The two blocks were a career-high, while the 14 points matched his previous best (at the time).

Playing With The Lead
In 261 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 73 of those contests, a staggering 28.0 percent of the time.
   Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 119-27 and hasn't trailed in 48 of those games.

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 261 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 16-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 216-45 (.828) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (14-0).
   Creighton's Nov. 25, 2017 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 20,268-16,977 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.61 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 73 different times, including 21 of its last 58 home games.
   Creighton is also 28-26 all-time in the 54 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-10 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 34-24 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 119-27 (.814) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 69-5 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 234-45 (.839) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Preseason BIG EAST Poll Picks CU Ninth
Creighton has been picked to finish ninth in a preseason poll of BIG EAST coaches.
   Villanova earned 8-of-9 possible first place votes and finished ahead of Marquette and Providence. St. John's and Butler rank fourth and fifth, while the bottom half consists of Xavier, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Creighton and DePaul.
   Creighton is one of two schools (Providence) to match or exceed its preseason prognostication every year since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST.
   St. John's junior guard Shamorie Ponds was tabbed Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, and Providence's David Duke and Villanova's Jahvon Quinerly shared Preseason Freshman of the Year laurels.
   Creighton's Martin Krampelj was a Preseason Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST pick.

#ProJays
For the first time ever, Creighton has five NBA players at the same time as Kyle Korver (Utah Jazz), Anthony Tolliver (Minnesota Timberwolves), Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers, Justin Patton (Philadelphia 76ers) and Khyri Thomas (Detroit Pistons) are all in the league.
   Including 2018-18, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 35 of the last 36 years.
   Korver leads all active players and ranks fourth in NBA history with 2,238 three-pointers. He's also second among active players and sixth all-time in league history with 43.2 percent marksmanship from three-point range. He set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range in 2009-10, and is the only player in league history to lead the NBA in three-point percentage four times.
   Tolliver is averaging 5.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game on 40.4 percent shooting from deep this season for the Timberwolves.
   McDermott is in his fifth season in the NBA, and first with the Indiana Pacers. He's averaging 7.1 points per game on 42.9 percent three-point shooting this year.
   Patton was traded on Nov. 10 from Minnesota to Philadelphia, but currently rehabbing an injured foot. Patton redshirted in 2015-16 before turning pro and being the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He spent most of last year in the G-League, but did score two points in his lone NBA appearance last April.
   Creighton's newest NBA product is Khyri Thomas, who was the 38th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers before being traded minutes later to the Detroit Pistons. Thomas was a two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. He scored three points in his NBA debut on Nov. 9th.

Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the since Greg McDermott took over in 2010-11, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 to Nov. 28, 2018
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
3FG Percentage   .387   3rd
FG Percentage   .483   3rd
3FG Made   2,500   4th
Assists   4,690   4th
FG Made   7,828   10th
Wins   193   29th
Winning Percentage   .670   35th

Full House
Creighton averaged 17,000 fans per home game last season, good for fifth-best nationally.
   Last year was the 13th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the seventh straight season in the top-10 nationally in attendance, as well.
   Creighton is averaging 16,640 fans per game this season at home.
2017-18 Attendance Leaders
   Rk.   School   Average
   1.   Kentucky   21,875
   2.   Syracuse   21,462
   3.   North Carolina   18,379
   4.   Wisconsin   17,272
   5.   Creighton   17,000
   6.   Louisville   16,883
   7.   Kansas   16,345
   8.   Tennessee   16,210
   9.   Arkansas   16,181
   10.   Indiana   15,591

Some Loyal Fans
Creighton played in front of 306,000 home fans last season, surpassing the 200,000 mark for the 13th straight season.
   Creighton had never attracted more than 141,000 home fans in any season prior to the opening of CHI Health 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 CHI Health Center Omaha, which is in its 16th 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
   17,000   Creighton   2017-18
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12
   16,640 so far   Creighton   2018-19

Creighton's Most Home Fans, Season
Rk.   Year   G   Attendance   Average
1.   2017-18   18   306,000   17,000
2.   2015-16   19   302,887   15,941
3.   2008-09   19   302,676   15,930
4.   2010-11   22   297,161   13,507
5.   2016-17   17   296,013   17,413

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 823 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 17th-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.
Longest Active 3-Point Streak
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,045   UNLV   12/1
   2.   1,037   Vanderbilt   12/1
   3.   1,028   Duke   12/1
   4.   981   Arkansas   12/1
   5.   980   Western Kentucky   12/1
   6.   968   East Tennessee State   12/1
   7.   958   Pacific   12/1
   8.   944   Oakland   12/1
   9.   934   Texas   11/30
   10.   909   Princeton   12/1
   11.   885   Marshall   12/1
   12.   875   Baylor   12/1
   13.   856   Gonzaga   12/1
   14.   852   LIU-Brooklyn   11/29
   15.   836   Cornell   12/1
   16.   831   Mount St. Mary's   12/1
   17.   823   Creighton   12/1
   18.   821   Tennessee State   12/1
   19.   819   East Carolina   11/30

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 193 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .670 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.   193-95   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

Scoring In Bunches
Creighton scored 2,756 points and ranked 12th nationally with 83.5 points per contest last season.
   The 2,756 points rank tied for fourth-most in program history for one season, and were 128 behind the 2,864 points that the 2016-17 team scored to establish the record.
   This year's team has averaged 83.6 points per game to date.
   Greg McDermott is 57-2 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 51-2 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.

CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 7-8 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at
CHI Health Center Omaha, 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
CHI Health Center Omaha, 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
02/10/18   #5 Xavier   L 71-72   Q. Goodin FT's   :0.3

Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time, which features five games from last year.
      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.   18,518   Georgetown   01/27/18
   10.   18,495   Marquette   02/17/18
   11.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   12.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   13.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   14.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   15.   18,321   #3 Villanova   02/24/18
   16.   18,257   #5 Xavier   02/10/18
   17.   18,191   DePaul   02/27/18
   18.   18,160   Central Arkansas   11/14/14
   19.   18,145   Marquette   01/21/17
   20.   18,111   Bradley   02/02/13

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 80.64 points per home game (11,774 points in 146 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.91 points in non-conference home games (6,283 points in 74 home games).
   Creighton is 98-3 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points and has won 90 straight non-conference home games when scoring 80 or more points, dating to a 90-85 loss to Nebraska on Dec. 7, 1991.

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
2018-19   1st
2017-18:   2nd
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

Clear Bag Policy Now In Place
CHI Health 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 CHI Health 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.

Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2018-19 season went on sale on October 16th.
   Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CHI Health 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.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Mitch Ballock

Jacob Epperson

Marcus Foster

Damien Jefferson

Martin Krampelj

Davion Mintz

Khyri Thomas

Marcus Zegarowski