Men's Basketball Visits #24 Nebraska on Saturday

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Game #9: Creighton Bluejays at #24 Nebraska Cornhuskers
Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018 • 5:00 p.m.
Pinnacle Bank Arena (15,000) • Lincoln, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: BTN
Series History: Creighton leads, 26-25
Last Meeting: Creighton 75, Nebraska 65 on Dec. 9, 2017 in Omaha, Neb.
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO

Next Game
Creighton (6-2) looks to extend a seven-game win streak over No. 24 Nebraska (7-1 before Wednesday's game at Minnesota) when it heads to Lincoln to take on the Cornhuskers on Saturday, Dec. 8.
   Tip-off at Pinnacle Bank Arena (15,000) is set for 5:00 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 Josh Dotzler will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game against Nebraska will be televised by BTN, with Kevin Kugler and Robbie Hummel on the call.

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 6-2 overall, including wins over No. 16 Clemson and defending conference champions Montana and Georgia State, while playing a challenging schedule that has already featured seven teams that won 23 or more games a year ago. One of those teams was No. 1 Gonzaga, whom Creighton led for more than 26 minutes last Saturday before ultimately falling 103-92.
   On a national basis, Bluejays rank second in three-point percentage (.458), fourth in field goal percentage (.525) and ninth in three-pointers made per game (11.5).
   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 (19.4 ppg.). 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 last Saturday.
   Damien Jefferson sat out last year as a transfer from New Mexico and is averaging 12.3 points and a team-best 5.6 rebounds per contest. He leads the BIG EAST with 66.7 percent shooting from three-point range.
   In addition, Mitch Ballock pours in 10.8 points per game and has dished a team-high 28 assists.
   Creighton is leading the BIG EAST with 84.6 points per game and is second with 15.8 assists per game.

Scouting No. 24 Nebraska
Ranked 24th nationally, Nebraska entered Wednesday's game at Minnesota with a 7-1 record, including wins over Seton Hall, Clemson and Illinois. NU's lone loss has been a 70-52 setback in Kansas City against Texas Tech.
   The Cornhuskers return three starters from a team that finished 22-11 last year, tied for fourth in the Big Ten, and lost in the first round of the NIT.
   All-Big Ten guard James Palmer Jr. leads the Cornhuskers with 18.3 points per game and has made a league-high 48 free throws.
   Former Georgetown transfer Isaac Copeland Jr. averages 15.1 points per game and a club-best 5.9 rebounds per contest.
   Also scoring in double-figures is guard Glynn Watson Jr., who averages 14.6 points and a team-leading 3.6 assists per game with just nine turnovers all season.
   As a team, Nebraska averages 78.2 points per game and shoots 47.8 percent from the floor, 33.5 percent from downtown and 70.6 percent at the line while outrebounding the opposition by 4.5 caroms per contest.

The Series vs. Nebraska
Creighton has won 16 of the past 19 regular-season match-ups to take a 26-25 lead in the all-time series. Seven straight Bluejay wins -- all by double-figures -- have given Creighton its first lead in the series since a 6-5 lead after the 1980 contest.
   Creighton's seven straight wins in the series is its longest run ever over NU.
   Creighton won four of the first seven meetings in the history of the series before a 45-year break where the in-state rivals did not play each other. The series has been played at least once each season since 1977 and is CU's longest running non-conference series by a landslide.
   Creighton is 8-16 all-time in Lincoln against the Huskers, but has won both previous trips to Pinnacle Bank Arena.
   Greg McDermott is 13-3 all-time vs. Nebraska (7-1 as Creighton head coach) and 14-0 against Tim Miles all-time. Miles is 0-6 against Creighton.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his ninth season as head coach at Creighton, where he is 193-96 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 473-291 in his 25th season and is 342-227 in his 18th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Preston Murphy, Alan Huss and Paul Lusk.

McDermott vs. Miles
Greg McDermott and Tim Miles are long-time friends who have had teams playing each other for much of the past 20+ years.
   In fact, it was Miles who replaced McDermott as head coach at North Dakota State in 2001.
   Saturday's meeting will be the third different school for both in a head-to-head match-up, as they squared off in match-ups between Wayne State and SW Minnesota State (seven times), Iowa State and North Dakota State (once) and Creighton and Nebraska (six times).
   McDermott's teams are a perfect 14-0 in the head-to-head series, including eight straight double-digit victories, and 11 double-digit wins overall.
Greg McDermott vs. Tim Miles, Head-to-Head
Year   McDermott's Team   Miles' Team
1997-98   Wayne State 79   SW Minnesota St. 65
1997-98   Wayne State 72   SW Minnesota St. 69
1998-99   Wayne State 84   SW Minnesota St. 67
1998-99   Wayne State 65   SW Minnesota St. 62
1999-00   Wayne State 77   SW Minnesota St. 53
1999-00   Wayne State 67   SW Minnesota St. 65
1999-00   Wayne State 84   SW Minnesota St. 72
2006-07   Iowa State 67   North Dakota St. 54
2012-13   Creighton 64   Nebraska 42
2013-14   Creighton 82   Nebraska 67
2014-15   Creighton 65   Nebraska 55
2015-16   Creighton 83   Nebraska 67
2016-17   Creighton 77   Nebraska 62
2017-18   Creighton 75   Nebraska 65

Good Start vs. Nebraska
As Creighton head coach, Greg McDermott owns a 7-1 record against Nebraska. He is the only Creighton men's basketball coach to win seven straight games over the Cornhuskers, and those seven victories trail only Dana Altman (who was 10-7 against NU) among Bluejay head coaches all-time.
   McDermott's seven-game win streak over Nebraska (all by double-digits) are one shy of his longest win streak against any other team since moving to the Creighton sideline, as he's won eight straight games over DePaul (seven by double-figures).

Local Products
Creighton, which has thrived with local products such as Khyri Thomas, Justin Patton, Josh Jones and Antoine Young in recent years, does not have a Nebraskan on the roster for the first time since 1994-95.
   The Bluejays signed Omaha Burke product Shereef Mitchell to a letter-of-intent last month.

Lucky Number Nine
Saturday's game against Nebraska will be Creighton's ninth game of the season.
   This will be the ninth time that Creighton has met the Cornhuskers in the ninth game of the season, and seventh straight campaign.
   Creighton is 8-0 in those previous meetings against NU in the ninth game, including wins in 2002-03 (81-73), 2004-05 (50-48), 2012-13 (64-42), 2013-14 (82-67), 2014-15 (65-55), 2015-16 (83-67), 2016-17 (77-62) and 2017-18 (75-65).
   Creighton has won its ninth game of the season in each of the last 16 years, dating to a loss to Xavier during the 2001-02 campaign.

I'll "Half" More Of That Please
Need one big reason why Creighton has won 16 of the past 19 regular-season meetings with Nebraska? Check out the quick starts the Bluejays have gotten off to on a consistent basis.
   In Creighton's last trip to Lincoln, Nebraska took a 2-0 lead on its first possession, but Creighton answered with a 14-0 run and didn't trail after that in a 77-62 Bluejay triumph.
   Creighton has led at halftime in 15 of the past 19 regular-season meetings (including 11 of the last 13 meetings), with seven double-digit leads at intermission in that span. The four times that Creighton trailed it half, it came back to win the game anyway. Nebraska has not led at halftime and beaten Creighton in the regular-season since Jan. 8, 1997.
   Also of note, Creighton has held Nebraska to 30 first half points or less in 14 of the last 15 regular-season meetings at all sites.
   Creighton is 160-28 all-time under Greg McDermott when leading at halftime, and is 5-1 when up at halftime this winter.
Creighton vs Nebraska, Last 19 Reg.-Season Meetings
Date   City   Half Score   Final Score
12/09/99   Omaha   CU 40-38   CU 89-72
01/02/01   Lincoln   NU 24-22   CU 62-61
12/12/01   Omaha   CU 30-23   CU 76-70
12/21/02   Lincoln   CU 46-35   CU 81-73
12/10/03   Omaha   CU 33-23   CU 61-54
12/11/04   Lincoln   NU 22-18   CU 50-48
12/11/05   Omaha   CU 31-11   CU 70-44
11/18/06   Lincoln   CU 31-28   NU 73-61
11/24/07   Omaha   CU 47-20   CU 74-62
11/29/08   Lincoln   CU 31-18   NU 54-52
12/06/09   Omaha   CU 32-27   CU 67-61
12/05/10   Lincoln   CU 29-21   NU 59-54
12/04/11   Omaha   CU 32-29   CU 76-66
12/06/12   Lincoln   CU 28-17   CU 64-42
12/08/13   Omaha   CU 51-25   CU 82-67
12/07/14   Lincoln   NU 28-27   CU 65-55
12/09/15   Omaha   CU 36-30   CU 83-67
12/07/16   Lincoln   CU 31-30   CU 77-62
12/09/17   Omaha   NU 33-28   CU 75-65

One For The Record Books
Nebraska enters its Minnesota game on Wednesday with a 7-1 record, while Creighton will bring a 6-2 mark into Saturday.
   Creighton has finished with more wins than Nebraska in 19 of the last 20 seasons since the 1998-99 campaign.
   Since the start of the 1998-99 season (including this winter), Creighton is 466-212, while Nebraska is 325-310 (entering Minnesota) on the hardwood.
Year   Nebraska   Creighton
1998-99   20-13   22-9
1999-00   11-19   23-10
2000-01   14-16   24-8
2001-02   13-15   23-9
2002-03   11-19   29-5
2003-04   18-13   20-9
2004-05   14-14   23-1
2005-06   19-14   20-10
2006-07   17-14   22-11
2007-08   20-13   22-11
2008-09   18-13   27-8
2009-10   15-18   18-16
2010-11   19-13   23-16
2011-12   12-18   29-6
2012-13   15-18   28-8
2013-14   19-13   27-8
2014-15   13-18   14-18
2015-16   16-18   20-15
2016-17   12-19   25-10
2017-18   22-11   21-12
2018-19   7-1 before Wed.   6-2 so far

Winning Trends
Creighton has enjoyed some unprecedented success against Nebraska in a variety of sports in recent times.
   Creighton Men's Basketball has won seven in a row over the Huskers, its longest win streak ever over NU.
   Creighton Baseball has won three in a row over the Huskers for the first time since a five-game streak from 1991-93.
   Last Sunday, Creighton Women's Basketball won its third straight game over Nebraska, also a program best.

Mac Against The Big Ten Recently
Creighton is 13-2 in its last 15 games against teams from the Big Ten. Creighton has outscored foes by an average of 9.00 points in those 15 games, which include 11 double-figure victories.
   Greg McDermott is 26-14 in his career against teams that are currently in the Big Ten, including a 13-4 mark on the Creighton sideline.
Creighton's Last 15 Games vs. the Big Ten
Date   Opponent   Score
11/20/11   vs. Iowa (in Des Moines)   W 82-59
12/04/11   Nebraska   W 76-66
12/22/11   Northwestern   W 87-79
11/23/12   vs. Wisconsin (in Las Vegas)   W 84-74
12/06/12   at Nebraska   W 64-42
12/08/13   Nebraska   W 82-67
12/07/14   at Nebraska   W 65-55
11/19/15   at #14 Indiana   L 65-86
11/23/15   vs. Rutgers (in Las Vegas)   W 85-75
12/09/15   Nebraska   W 83-67
11/15/16   #9 Wisconsin   W 79-67
12/07/16   at Nebraska   W 77-62
11/15/17   at #20 Northwestern   W 92-88
12/09/17   Nebraska   W 75-65
11/15/18   Ohio State   L 60-69

Double-Digits x 8
Ty-Shon Alexander has scored in double-figures in each of Creighton's first eight games of the season. It's the fourth time in the last three seasons that a Bluejay has done that, as Marcus Foster did it in both 2016-17 and 2017-18 and Justin Patton did in 2016-17.
   Since 1979-80, the only sophomores to compile streaks of eight 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
   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
   8   Ty-Shon Alexander, So.   2018-19

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 last Wednesday vs. Montana when Creighton made its first five tries from long-range and shot 13-of-24 overall from deep. CU then drained 14-of-34 treys vs. Gonzaga last Saturday.
   That means Creighton now owns 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.
   The last time Creighton made 10 or more three-pointers in six straight contests was Nov. 8-29, 2013.
   Creighton has made 10 or more three-pointers 115 times (third nationally since 2010-11) in 289 games under Greg McDermott, winning 90 of those (78.3 percent).
   Creighton ranks second nationally in three-point percentage (.458), ninth in three-pointers made per game (11.5) and 17th in three-pointers made (92) this season.
   Entering Wednesday's game at Minnesota, Nebraska has allowed the opposition to shoot just 25.4 percent (8th-best nationally) from three-point range this year, making 34-of-134 treys. The Cornhuskers have not allowed an opponent to make more than seven three-pointers in any game this season, and the 4.25 trifectas allowed per game rank third-fewest nationally behind only Murray State (3.6) and Stanford (4.0) after games of Dec. 4.

Z For 3
Marcus Zegarowski has made a three-pointer in each of Creighton's first eight games this season.
   He's the first Bluejay freshman to open his career like that since Ryan Sears, in 1997-98. Sears wrapped up his career with a school-record 245 three-pointers, which currently ranks fourth in program history.
   No Creighton freshman has ever started his career with a three-pointer in CU's first nine games.

Ty-Shon Throws Them Through
Ty-Shon Alexander has become the first player in Creighton history to make multiple three-pointers in each of the first eight games of a season.
   His 30 three-pointers through eight games rank tied for second-most ever, trailing only the 36 by Kyle Korver in 2002-03. Korver's ninth game was also against Nebraska, and he sank 6-of-14 trifectas in an 81-73 win in Lincoln. Ethan Wragge, who he's tied with, drained four three-pointers in his ninth game of the 2013-14 campaign, which was also a win over Nebraska.
   Here's a look at Creighton's most three-pointers through eight games in a season:
Most 3-Pointers, Creighton's First 8 Games
   3FG   Name   Year
   36   Kyle Korver   2002-03
   30   Ethan Wragge   2013-14
   30   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   25   Gary Swain   1986-87
   24   Kyle Korver   2000-01
   24   Booker Woodfox   2008-09
   23   Terrell Taylor   2001-02
   23   Ethan Wragge   2012-13
   22   Isaiah Zierden   2014-15
   22   Marcus Foster   2017-18
   22   Mitch Ballock   2018-19

Breaking Into The Vault
Nebraska has won 16 straight home games, its longest home win streak in 35 years.
   Creighton, however, is 2-0 all-time at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the lone team to play multiple games at the facility and own a perfect record and the only non-conference team with multiple victories there.
   With a win on Saturday, Creighton can become the second visiting team to post three wins at Pinnacle Bank Arena, joining Michigan (3-1).
   The Huskers are 35-7 all-time in non-conference games at the facility.

Road Openers
Creighton is 5-3 under Greg McDermott in its first true road game of the season, and 14-10 in the last 24 years in the initial road game.
   Saturday will mark the fourth time in the last nine years that Creighton's first road game has come against a top-25 foe.
   Since World War II ended in 1945, Creighton has won its first four games away from home (road or neutral) just five times, as it happened in 1999-00, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2012-13 and 2016-17. All five of those Bluejay teams also beat Nebraska.
   The road opener has been the barometer for Creighton's postseason plans in the previous 10 years. Creighton has made the NCAA Tournament the five times it has won the road opener, and missed the tournament the other five seasons.
Creighton in Road Openers, Last 10 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   Yes

Husker Hex?
Nebraska entered Wednesday's game at Minnesota with a 7-1 record, its best start since the 2003-04 club opened 10-1.
   That 2003-04 Nebraska team's lone loss in the first 11 games was a 61-54 loss to Creighton in Omaha.

Bucket Getter
Jacob Epperson has made his last nine field goal attempts and is shooting 94.7 percent (16-17) in the last five games.
   For the season, the sophomore is shooting 81.8 percent (18-22) from the field, including three dunks.
   Last year Epperson shot 34-for-49 from the field with 14 dunks.
   Epperson is now shooting 73.2 percent for his career from the field (52-for-71), 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.

Offense vs. Defense
Creighton brings a high-powered offense into Lincoln to face a Nebraska defense that ranks as one of the nation's best.
   The Creighton offense ranks 31st nationally with 84.6 points per game and 11th in adjusted offensive efficiency (115.6 points per 100 possessions) per KenPom.com through games of Dec. 4th.
   Nebraska's defense is fourth nationally with just 54.5 points per game allowed and 17th in adjusted defensive efficiency (93.0 points allowed per 100 possessions) per KenPom.com through games of Dec. 4th.
   Through Dec. 4th, Nebraska also ranked fourth in opponent field goal percentage from two-point range (.392), while Creighton shoots 57.6 percent from two-point range to rank 31st nationally.

It Works Both Ways
Before you focus too much on the Husker defense, don't forget to watch the other end of the floor. Though Creighton has allowed 76.5 points per game this season, Nebraska hasn't scored more than 75 points against the Bluejays since 1998, averaging 60.8 points in that span while winning just four of those 20 games.
   In the last 20 meetings with Creighton, Nebraska has shot a collective 40.3 percent (448-1111) from the field (last surpassing 50 percent in 2006) and 29.8 percent (111-372) from three-point range.
   During Creighton's seven-game win streak in the series, the Cornhuskers have shot 37.7 percent (164-435) from the field and 24.5 percent (35-143) from three-point territory while averaging 60.6 points per game.

Ranking News & Notes
Nebraska is ranked 24th in this week's AP poll. Some notes of interest as it pertains to Creighton and ranked foes...
- No. 24 Nebraska is the third opponent in Creighton's last four games that has been ranked. CU beat No. 16 Clemson and lost to No. 1 Gonzaga.
- Creighton is 32-142 all-time (1-1 this year) against nationally-ranked teams in the Associated Press poll.
- The Bluejays are 6-74 all-time in true road games against ranked foes, including a 4-11 mark under Greg McDermott. Creighton owns three top-25 road wins since the start of the 2016-17 campaign.
- 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 14-27 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 9-10 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.
- Creighton is 0-1 all-time against ranked Nebraska teams, falling in Lincoln in 1992.

Challenging Schedule
Saturday's game at Nebraska will be the latest test in Creighton's challenging non-conference schedule.
   The Cornhuskers, will be the eight 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 all won 22 or more times a year ago, and combined for a 202-72 record (.737) in 2017-18.

Offense Is Clicking
Creighton's offense has been even hotter than the weather in the Cayman Islands in the last five games.
   Creighton has averaged 92.8 points per game in that span, shooting 55.0 percent from the field, 45.7 percent from three-point range (making 63 three-pointers) and 69.0 percent at the line.
   Bluejay sophomores Ty-Shon Alexander, Damien Jefferson, Mitch Ballock and Jacob Epperson have combined to average 54.8 points per game in that time while shooting a collective 59.0 percent from the field.

Sophomore Stars
Each of Creighton's top three scorers this season are sophomores, Ty-Shon Alexander (19.4 ppg.), Damien Jefferson (12.3 ppg.) and Mitch Ballock (10.8 ppg.).
   Of Creighton's 677 points this season, the sophomore class has scored 381 of them (56.3 percent).
   Creighton's freshmen have scored 17.0 percent, the juniors 20.0 percent and the seniors 6.8 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 second on the team with 12.3 points per game and leads the club with 5.6 rebounds per contest. He is shooting 63.6 percent (35-55) from the field this year, including 67.5 percent (27-40) in the last five games.
   For the season, Jefferson has made 10-of-15 shots from downtown to lead the BIG EAST in three-point marksmanship (66.7 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.

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 26 assists against just eight turnovers this winter despite seeing much of his playing time as the "3" man in Creighton's offense.

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

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 2,246 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 47.8 percent from downtown this season.
   Tolliver is averaging 5.1 points and 2.5 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 42.5 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 Dec 4, 2018
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
3FG Percentage   .387   3rd
FG Percentage   .483   4th
3FG Made   2,514   4th
Assists   4,705   4th
FG Made   7,864   11th
Wins   193   31st
Winning Percentage   .668   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
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   North Carolina   20,337   12/5
   2.   Kentucky   19,981   12/15
   3.   Syracuse   19,895   12/8
   4.   Wisconsin   17,135   12/13
   5.   Creighton   17,063   12/14
   6.   Kansas   16,300   12/15
   7.   Tennessee   15,801   12/19
   8.   Nebraska   15,572   12/8
   9.   Arkansas   15,153   12/8
   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 824 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.   1,046   UNLV   12/8
   2.   1,038   Vanderbilt   12/5
   3.   1,029   Duke   12/5
   4.   982   Arkansas   12/5
   5.   981   Western Kentucky   12/5
   6.   970   East Tennessee State   12/8
   7.   959   Pacific   12/5
   8.   945   Oakland   12/6
   9.   935   Texas   12/5
   10.   910   Princeton   12/5
   11.   886   Marshall   12/5
   12.   876   Baylor   12/15
   13.   857   Gonzaga   12/5
   14.   853   LIU-Brooklyn   12/8
   15.   837   Cornell   12/16
   16.   832   Mount St. Mary's   12/5
   17.   824   Creighton   12/8
   18.   822   Tennessee State   12/9
   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 .668 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.   193-96   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 84.63 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.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Ty-Shon Alexander

Mitch Ballock

Mitch Ballock

Jacob Epperson

Marcus Foster

Marcus Foster

Damien Jefferson

Damien Jefferson

Martin Krampelj

Khyri Thomas

Khyri Thomas

Marcus Zegarowski

Marcus Zegarowski