Men's Basketball Welcomes Green Bay For Friday Night Contest

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Game #10: Green Bay Phoenix at Creighton Bluejays
Friday, Dec. 14, 2018 • 8:00 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com; 101.9 FM
Television: FS1
Series History: First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting

Next Game
Creighton (6-3) returns to Omaha to host Green Bay (6-4) on Friday, Dec. 14 in the first meeting between the schools.
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 8:00 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
Friday's game against Green Bay will be televised by FS1, with Wayne Randazzo and Dickey Simpkins on the call.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Friday'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 6-3 overall, including wins over No. 16 Clemson and defending conference champions Montana and Georgia State, while playing a challenging schedule that has already featured eight teams that won 22 or more games a year ago. The Bluejays are looking to snap a two-game losing streak, having dropped games to No. 1 Gonzaga and at No. 24 Nebraska the past two Saturday's.
   On a national basis, Bluejays rank second in three-point percentage (.452), sixth in field goal percentage (.514) and eighth in three-pointers made per game (11.4).
   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 (18.3ppg.). Alexander poured in a career-high 36 points in the win over Clemson in the Cayman Islands Classic title game and scored 27 more vs. No. 1 Gonzaga on Dec. 1
   Damien Jefferson sat out last year as a transfer from New Mexico and is averaging 11.9 points and a team-best 5.6 rebounds per contest. He leads the BIG EAST with 61.1 percent shooting from three-point range.
   In addition, Mitch Ballock pours in 12.1 points per game and has dished a team-high 30 assists. Ballock drained 7-of-10 three-point shots and tied his career-high with 23 points at Nebraska last Saturday.
   Creighton is leading the BIG EAST with 83.6 points per gam, but also surrenders 78.4 points per contest.

Scouting Green Bay
Green Bay is 6-4 on the season, including a 1-3 mark in true road games. The Phoenix lost by just 11 in road trips to both Iowa (93-82) and Oregon (83-72), and have allowed 77.4 points per game.
   Marquette transfer Sandy Cohen III does a little bit of everything, leading the team in scoring (14.6), assists (5.7), steals (2.3) and blocks (1.3) per game while ranking second with 5.6 caroms per contest.
   ShanQuan Hemphill (13.8 ppg., 4.8 rpg.) and JayQuan McCloud (13.7 ppg.) also score in double-figures for an offense that averages 87.2 points per contest. The Phoenix were held to a season-low 68 points in a 29-point loss at Bowling Green last Saturday, then won by 66 (112-46) on Tuesday vs. Wisconsin-Stout.

The Series vs. Green Bay
Creighton and Green Bay have never met.
   Greg McDermott is 4-0 all-time against Green Bay, but all four of those meetings came between 2001-05 when McDermott was the coach at Northern Iowa. McDermott is 6-0 all-time against the current membership of the Horizon League, including a 90-65 win over IUPUI on Dec. 12, 2015.
   McDermott has never coached against Linc Darner.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his ninth season as head coach at Creighton, where he is 193-97 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 473-292 in his 25th season and is 342-228 in his 18th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Preston Murphy, Alan Huss and Paul Lusk.

Come One, Come All
Did you know that local area high school students can attend Creighton men's basketball home games during winter break at no charge?
   It's true.
   Tickets for CU's Dec. 14 (Green Bay), Dec. 20 (Coe), Dec. 27 (UMKC) and Jan. 9 (Marquette) are available for students, subject to availability, by presenting an active school ID on gameday.
   Tickets will be redeemed at the top of the escalators at the main west entrance of CHI Health Center Omaha starting 90 minutes prior to tip off.
   For more information, call the CU Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.

No Husker Hangover Here
Creighton has dominated the recent series over Nebraska, winning seven of the past eight meetings by double-digits.
    The Bluejays have been even more dominant in the game following the Nebraska game in recent seasons, winning the last six games following a contest vs. the Huskers by an average of 32.83 points.
   Creighton has won the first home game after meeting Nebraska in each of the previous 13 seasons, and by an average of 22.92 points.

Friday Night Lights
Creighton doesn't play many Friday home games, but judging by its success, it might not be a bad idea for the future, as CU has won 25 straight Friday home games.
   Creighton has won every Friday home game it's played since Dec. 12, 1975, back when Greg McDermott was 11 years old, and more than 24 years before current Bluejay freshmen Christian Bishop, Jett Canfield, Samson Froling and Marcus Zegarowski were born.
   The Green Bay contest is Creighton's first of two scheduled home games for a Friday this year, joining the January 25th game vs. Butler.

100,00 Fans In Sight
Having drawn 85,317 fans this season, Creighton is likely to surpass 100,000 home fans during Friday night's game vs. Green Bay.
   This season will mark the 17th 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 15 completed seasons, and is once again leading the way in the BIG EAST in 2018-19.

A Good Start
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 10 games in recent seasons.
   Notably, this year's 103 three-pointers would already rank second most (with a 10th game still to be played) at this point, trailing only CU's 2013-14 team that featured sharpshooters Doug McDermott, Ethan Wragge and Jahenns Manigat among others. That 2013-14 club had exactly 103 three-pointers after nine games.
    Of note, Creighton has started 5-5 or better after 10 games in 24 of the past 25 seasons (including 2018-19).
Creighton Stats Through 10 Games, Since 1994-95
Year   W-L   PPG   FG%   3FG   10+ PPG guys
2018-19 6-3 so far   83.6   .514   103   3
2017-18   8-2   90.2   .516   102   3
2016-17   10-0   91.6   .544   99   4
2015-16   7-3   85.5   .506   93   5
2014-15   8-2   73.8   .438   85   2
2013-14   8-2   83.7   .491   113   2
2012-13   9-1   80.2   .519   90   2
2011-12   9-1   86.0   .516   90   2
2010-11   6-4   69.0   .426   74   3
2009-10   4-6   71.3   .450   78   2
2008-09   8-2   75.6   .439   89   3
2007-08   9-1   80.8   .478   84   2
2006-07   6-4   66.0   .408   59   3
2005-06   7-3   69.3   .405   70   3
2004-05   8-2   69.2   .434   80   2
2003-04   10-0   72.1   .463   61   2
2002-03   10-0   84.9   .526   97   1
2001-02   6-4   75.9   .439   63   3
2000-01   8-2   76.0   .445   83   3
1999-00   9-1   74.7   .458   84   2
1998-99   8-2   78.4   .454   79   2
1997-98   7-3   77.3   .467   73   1
1996-97   5-5   65.7   .409   57   2
1995-96   5-5   66.7   .390   56   3
1994-95   4-6   65.1   .404   66   3

Doing Fine After Nine
Sophomore Damien Jefferson's 109 points so far are among the top efforts by any Bluejay newcomer through nine games since 1995-96.
Most Points, Newcomers First 9 Games Since 1995-96
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year   After 10
   162   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17   169
   116   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11   128
   111   Justin Patton, Fr.   2016-17   120
   109   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16   117
   109   Damien Jefferson, So.   2018-19   ? ? ?
   103   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16   110
   102   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11   111
   97   Edward St. Fleur, Jr.   1995-96   101
   95   Khyri Thomas, Fr.   2015-16   108
   93   Ryan Sears, Fr.   1997-98   99
   93   Terrell Taylor, Fr.   1999-00   98
   92   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08   103
   91   Rodney Buford, Fr.   1995-96   104
   90   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02   101

Birds of Prey
In the last 25 seasons, the only time that Creighton lost consecutive non-conference home games, came in December of 2004, when the Jays fell to Kent State and Wyoming.
   Creighton lost to Gonzaga on Dec. 1 in its last home contest.
   The Bluejays have not lost three non-conference home games in the same regular-season since dropping four such home contests in 1982-83.

Double-Digits x 9
Ty-Shon Alexander has scored in double-figures in each of Creighton's first nine games of the season. It's the second time in as many years that a Bluejay has done that, as Marcus Foster opened his 2017-18 senior season with 15 straight games in double-digits.
   Since 1979-80, the only two other sophomores to compile streaks of nine or more double-figure games to start a season are Creighton's top two all-time leading scorers, Doug McDermott (all 35 games in 2011-12) and Rodney Buford (9 games in 1996-97).
   Below is a list of Creighton's longest double figure scoring streaks to start a season since 1979-80:
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
   9   Ty-Shon Alexander, So.   2018-19
   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

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.
   Creighton then went 13-of-24 overall from deep vs. Montana, 14-for-34 vs. Gonzaga and most recently, 11-for-27 at Nebraska from downtown.
   That means Creighton now owns six straight games with 10+ three-pointers for the first time since Nov. 8-29, 2013.
   Creighton has never made 10+ three-pointers in seven straight contests.
   Creighton has made 10 or more three-pointers 116 times (third nationally since 2010-11) in 290 games under Greg McDermott, winning 90 of those contests (77.6 percent).
   This season, Creighton ranks second nationally in three-point percentage (.452), eighth in three-pointers made per game (11.4) and 21st in three-pointers made (103).

Z For 3
Marcus Zegarowski made a three-pointer in each of Creighton's first eight games before an 0-for-3 display from deep at Nebraska.
   Zegarowski's eight straight games with a three-pointer to open his career tied the Creighton record for a freshman, matching the mark first set by Ryan Sears, in 1997-98.
   Sears wrapped up his career with a school-record 245 three-pointers, which currently ranks fourth in program history.

Ty-Shon Throws Them Through
Ty-Shon Alexander was the first player in Creighton history to make multiple three-pointers in each of the first eight games of a season before he went 1-for-4 beyond the arc at Nebraska.
   His 31 three-pointers through eight games rank third-most ever in Creighton history, trailing only the 42 by Kyle Korver in 2002-03 and the 34 by Ethan Wragge in 2013-14. Those two men are the only players in Bluejay history to make more than 100 treys in a season.
   Here's a look at Creighton's most three-pointers through nine games in a season:
Most 3-Pointers, Creighton's First 9 Games
   3FG   Name   Year
   42   Kyle Korver   2002-03
   34   Ethan Wragge   2013-14
   31   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   29   Kyle Korver   2000-01
   29   Mitch Ballock   2018-19
   28   Gary Swain   1986-87
   26   Booker Woodfox   2008-09
   26   Ethan Wragge   2012-13
   25   Tad Ackerman   1994-95
   25   Terrell Taylor   2001-02
   25   Isaiah Zierden   2014-15

Bucket Getter
Jacob Epperson is shooting 88.9 percent (16-18) from the field in the last six games.
   For the season, the sophomore is shooting 78.3 percent (18-23) from the field, including three dunks.
   Last year Epperson shot 34-for-49 from the field with 14 dunks.
   Epperson is now shooting 72.2 percent for his career from the field (52-for-72), which includes 17 dunks and 5-for-6 marksmanship from three-point range.
   In case you're curious, the NCAA record for field goal percentage in a career (minimum 400 FG and 4 FG/game) is 67.8 percent by Oregon State's Steve Johnson from 1977-81.

Challenging Schedule
Last Saturday's game at Nebraska was the latest test in Creighton's challenging non-conference schedule.
   The Cornhuskers were the eighth straight Creighton opponent who won 22 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), Gonzaga (32-5) and Nebraska (22-11) all won 22 or more times a year ago, and combined for a 202-72 record (.737) in 2017-18.
   Green Bay went 13-20 a year ago.

Offense Is Clicking
Creighton's offense has been even hotter than the weather in the Cayman Islands in the last six games.
   Creighton has averaged 89.8 points per game in that span, shooting 53.0 percent from the field, 44.8 percent from three-point range (making 74 three-pointers) and 66.9 percent at the line.
   Bluejay sophomores Ty-Shon Alexander, Damien Jefferson, Mitch Ballock and Jacob Epperson have combined to average 52.7 points per game in that time while shooting a collective 56.6 percent from the field.

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 (12.1 ppg.).
   Of Creighton's 752 points this season, the sophomore class has scored 423 of them (56.3 percent).
   Creighton's freshmen have scored 16.5 percent, the juniors 20.7 percent and the seniors 6.5 percent.

Jefferson's Career High Keeps 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, then added 20 points a night later against Georgia State.
   Jefferson ranks third on the team with 11.9 points per game and leads the club with 5.6 rebounds per contest. He is shooting 60.9 percent (39-64) from the field this year, including 63.3 percent (31-49) in the last six games.
   For the season, Jefferson has made 11-of-18 shots from downtown to lead the BIG EAST in three-point marksmanship (61.1 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.

Alexander The Great
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.

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.
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

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 the Nov. 19 win over Boise State, Ballock dished seven assists, one shy of his career-best. He leads CU with 30 assists against just 11 turnovers this winter despite seeing much of his playing time as the "3" man in Creighton's offense.

On The Rebound
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 262 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 73 of those contests, a staggering 27.9 percent of the time.
   Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 119-28 and hasn't trailed in 48 of those games.

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 262 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 16-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 216-46 (.824) 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 20,360-17,080 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.52 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 73 different times, including 21 of its last 59 home games.
   Creighton is also 28-27 all-time in the 55 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 119-28 (.810) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 69-6 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 234-46 (.836) 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 2,248 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. He is shooting 43.2 percent from downtown this season.
   Tolliver is averaging 4.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game on 40.7 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 7.3 points per game on 41.0 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 and after five games is averaging 1.8 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.

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 Dec 10, 2018
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
3FG Percentage   .387   3rd
FG Percentage   .483   3rd
3FG Made   2,525   4th
Assists   4,715   4th
FG Made   7,890   13th
Wins   193   32nd
Winning Percentage   .666   38th

Full House
Creighton averaged 17,000 fans per home game last season, good for fifth-best nationally. This year Creighton is averaging an even loftier 17,063 fans per game at home, also good for fifth place.
   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.
2018-19 Attendance Leaders (through 12/12)
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   North Carolina   20,273   12/29
   2.   Kentucky   19,981   12/15
   3.   Syracuse   20,593   12/15
   4.   Wisconsin   17,135   12/13
   5.   Creighton   17,063   12/14
   6.   Kansas   16,082   12/15
   7.   Tennessee   15,801   12/19
   8.   Nebraska   15,626   12/22
   9.   Arkansas   15,042   12/19
   10.   Michigan State   14,797   12/16

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
   17,063 so far   Creighton   2018-19
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   17,000   Creighton   2017-18
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12

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 825 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 Streaks (through 12/11)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,047   UNLV   12/15
   2.   1,039   Vanderbilt   12/17
   3.   1,030   Duke   12/18
   4.   983   Arkansas   12/15
   5.   982   Western Kentucky   12/16
   6.   971   East Tennessee State   12/15
   7.   961   Pacific   12/16
   8.   947   Oakland   12/16
   9.   937   Texas   12/15
   10.   912   Princeton   12/15
   11.   889   Marshall   12/15
   12.   876   Baylor   12/15
   13.   859   Gonzaga   12/15
   14.   854   LIU-Brooklyn   12/12
   15.   837   Cornell   12/16
   16.   834   Mount St. Mary's   12/15
   17.   825   Creighton   12/14
   18.   823   Tennessee State   12/15
   19.   821   East Carolina   12/18

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 .666 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.   193-97   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 83.56 points per game to date.
   Greg McDermott is 57-3 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 51-3 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. This season's Gonzaga game ranks fifth on that list, and was the best-attended non-conference home game in program history.
      Rank   Att.   Opponent   Date
   1.   18,868   Providence   03/08/14
   2.   18,859   Georgetown   01/25/14
   3.   18,831   #1 Villanova   12/31/16
   4.   18,797   #6 Villanova   02/16/14
   5.   18,759   #1 Gonzaga   12/01/18
   6.   18,742   Seton Hall   02/23/14
   7.   18,735   Wichita State   02/11/12
   8.   18,613   Wichita State   03/02/13
   9.   18,525   Marquette   12/31/13
   10.   18,518   Georgetown   01/27/18
   11.   18,495   Marquette   02/17/18
   12.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   13.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   14.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   15.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   16.   18,321   #3 Villanova   02/24/18
   17.   18,257   #5 Xavier   02/10/18
   18.   18,191   DePaul   02/27/18
   19.   18,160   Central Arkansas   11/14/14
   20.   18,145   Marquette   01/21/17

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 80.72 points per home game (11,866 points in 147 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.00 points in non-conference home games (6,375 points in 75 home games).
   Creighton is 98-4 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points and had won 90 straight non-conference home games since Dec. 7, 1991 when scoring 80+ points before falling 103-92 to Gonzaga on Dec. 1.

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).

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   3rd
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.

Men's Basketball Welcomes Green Bay For Friday Night Contest

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Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

Jett Canfield

Jacob Epperson

Marcus Foster

Samson Froling

Damien Jefferson

Martin Krampelj

Khyri Thomas

Marcus Zegarowski