Tuesday, February 13
Omaha, Neb.
7:00 PM
Creighton University
vs
Bemidji State
Ty-Shon Alexander
Photo by: Corey Solotorovsky
Men's Basketball Hosts Final Non-Conference Game on Tuesday
2/12/2018 2:48:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bluejays are 6-0 in games after a loss this season
Download Notes as a PDF
Game #26: Bemidji State Beavers at Creighton Bluejays
Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018 • 7:01 p.m.
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN (1620 AM); KOOO (101.9 FM); www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS2
Series History: First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting
Next Game
Creighton (18-7, 8-5 BIG EAST) steps out of BIG EAST play for a non-conference home game on Tuesday, Feb. 13, against Bemidji State (11-14, 8-12 NSIC). Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb. is set for 7:01 p.m.
The game counts as a regular-season contest for Creighton, but is an exhibition game for the Divison II Beavers.
It's A "Blue Out"
As part of this year's Pass The Bucket event, Creighton men's basketball fans are encouraged to wear Abide's "Better Together" blue t-shirts to participate in the "Better Together Blue Out" game on Tuesday.
The first 8,000 fans entering the venue will receive a complimentary 'Better Together Blue Out' t-shirt (gates will open at 5:30 p.m., and t-shirt-distribution locations will be at the venue's main entrance on 10th Street at the top of the escalators, the Plaza entrance on the south end as well as the upper level bridge entrance).
Bluejay players will wear Blue and White warm-up shirts for the game and over $40,000 has been raised in the six-year total of Pass the Bucket events for Abide.
For just a $1 per-person donation, Creighton fans can further Abide's mission to transform the inner city one neighborhood at a time.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2017-18 season, while KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games.
John Bishop and former Bluejay Brody Deren will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Tuesday's game will be televised nationally on FS2, with Steve Physioc and Nick Bahe on the call.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Tuesday's game will be available via FOXSportsGo.com for desktop users, and via the FOX Sports Go app for mobile devices (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Window devices). A cable authorization may be required.
The FOX Sports GO mobile app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store or the Windows Store, and the games are now available internationally.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 18-7 this year (8-5 BIG EAST) against a rugged scheduled that contains a nation-leading nine games against ranked opponents. Six of the losses came to teams that were ranked at the time (No. 22 Baylor, No. 15 Gonzaga, No. 23 Seton Hall, No. 10 Xavier, No. 1 Villanova, No. 5 Xavier), but the Bluejays are also one of 21 teams nationally with three wins over top-25 teams.
Creighton is 13-1 at home with nine double-digit victories, and had a 14-game home win streak snapped last Saturday when Xavier made two free throws with 0.3 seconds left.
Senior guard Marcus Foster (20.6 ppg.) was a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST pick last season, when he scored 18.2 points per game. Foster led the BIG EAST in field goals made last winter and has earned Preseason All-BIG EAST acclaim this winter. He is the nation's active leader in career field goals made and eighth with 2,029 career points. He scored 29 points in both games last week, including Wednesday's win at DePaul, where he made game-winning three-pointer with 14.4 seconds left to lift CU to a 76-75 victory.
Lockdown defender Khyri Thomas (14.6 ppg., 4.1 rpg.) was named an Honorable Mention Preseason All-BIG EAST choice in October. Thomas was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year last season and scored a career-high 24 points in the win at Northwestern.
Creighton's front line took a major hit on January 17th when sophomore forward Martin Krampelj (11.9 ppg., 8.1 rpg.) was lost for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee.
Creighton is averaging 85.1 points per game this season (11th nationally), shooting 49.9 percent from the floor (14th nationally), and 37.8 percent from three-point range. CU also owns a 1.55 assist/turnover ratio (10th nationally) to date, and a +2.0 rebound margin.
Scouting Bemidji State
Division II Bemidji State is 11-14 this season, including an 8-12 mark in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
Four Beavers average in double-figures, a quartet led by Sharif Black (15.8 ppg., 5.0 rpg.).
Logan Bader tops BSU with 6.0 rebounds per game and averages 11.7 points per contest.
Christian Pekarek leads Bemidji State with 110 assists and 31 steals and owns just 44 turnovers.
Bemidji State averages 73.2 points per game while shooting 45.7 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from three-point range and 71.4 percent at the line. The Beavers are outrebounded by 1.8 caroms per contest.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his eighth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 184-89 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 464-284 in his 24th season and is 333-220 in his 17th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Preston Murphy and Alan Huss.
Mike Boschee (North Dakota, 1991) is in his sixth season at Bemidji State, where he owns a 75-89 record. He was previously a head coach at Central College and owns a career mark of 190-204. Boschee is assisted by Matt Majkrzek and Dustin Boll.
The Series With Bemidji State
Creighton has never faced Bemidji State in a game that counts.
Greg McDermott is 12-1 in his career against Bemidji State, including a 7-0 home record. Twelve of those meetings came when McDermott coached at Wayne State from 1994-2000, while the final meeting took place at North Dakota State during the 2000-01 campaign. He has never faced Mike Boschee.
With A Win...
- Creighton would improve to 7-0 in the game after a loss this season.
- Greg McDermott would improve to 13-1 in his career against Bemidji State.
- Creighton would improve to 14-1 at home this season.
- Creighton would improve to 16-1 this year against unranked teams at all sites.
- Creighton would win its 14th straight home game over an unranked foe.
- Creighton would extend its non-conference home win streak to 23.
- Creighton would extend its home win streak to 105 against teams that are .500 or worse entering the game.
- Creighton would avoid suffering consecutive home losses for the first time since March of 2015.
Does This Count?
Tuesday's game will count towards Creighton's win/loss record, and all statistics will count just like any other regular-season game for the Bluejays. The only place the game will not count is in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), which does not include results against non-Division I opponents.
Tuesday's game will count as an exhibition game for Bemidji State and the stats will not count for the Beavers, nor towards BSU's win/loss record.
Coach vs. Pupil
Greg McDermott will be facing a team led by Mike Boschee for the first time, but that doesn't mean the two aren't familiar with each other.
McDermott's first college coaching gig came from 1989-94 as an assistant at North Dakota under Rich Glas. During those first two seasons, UND's roster featured Boschee, who went on to score 1,103 career points and still holds school records for free throw percentage (.880) and consecutive free throws made (45).
That 1989-90 team that was inducted into the UND Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.
Against Non-Division I Foes
Creighton doesn't play many teams that are not Division I, but did defeat Truman State 101-69 last season.
The Bluejays have not lost to a non-Division I team in the regular-season since falling at Hawaii-Hilo on December 29, 1993 in the Big Island Invitational.
The Bluejays have not lost at home to a non-Division I team in the regular-season since losing to Nebraska-Omaha on December 11, 1982.
TCB
Creighton has won 104 straight home games against teams that enter the night with a record of .500 or worse, a streak that dates to Feb. 25, 2002.
Bemidji State, owns an 11-14 record entering Tuesday night's tilt.
Responding To A Loss
Creighton will look to return to the win column on Tuesday after a last-second defeat on Saturday to No. 5 Xavier.
Creighton is 6-0 this season in the game immediately after a loss, outscoring foes 86.8 - 66.5.
Marcus Foster has averaged 22.3 points per game in those contests while shooting 54.8 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from three-point land.
The Foster Files...
A few nuggets on Marcus Foster.
- Marcus Foster is the first Bluejay with consecutive games of 29 (or more) points since Doug McDermott did it in three straight contests from March 8-15, 2014.
- Marcus Foster is the first Bluejay with consecutive games of five (or more) three-pointers since Doug McDermott did it in two straight games on March 8 & 13, 2014. No Bluejay has done it in three straight games since Kyle Korver's streak of four straight from Nov. 17-26, 2002.
- Last Saturday's game vs. Xavier was the seventh time this season that Marcus Foster has made exactly five three-pointers.
- Marcus Foster has made a three-pointer in each of Creighton's last 12 games. That's the longest streak by any Bluejay since Foster himself had a stretch of 17 straight games with a trey snapped earlier this season at Seton Hall.
- Marcus Foster owns at least one three-pointer in 29 of the last 30 games, and has scored in double-figures in 42 of his last 43 games.
- Marcus Foster has made 50 three-pointers at home this year. That's two shy of CenturyLink Center Omaha's single-season record of 52 set by Booker Woodfox (in 19 games) in 2008-09.
Marcus' Theater
Marcus Foster has scored 25, 22, 24, 28, 20, 29 and 29 points in his last seven games, making him the first Creighton player with three (or more) straight games of 20 or more points since Doug McDermott's streak of 14 straight games from Jan. 25 - March 21, 2014 when he was named National Player of the Year.
Foster owns at least one 20 point game in his career against all nine BIG EAST foes.
In the last seven games, Foster has averaged 25.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He's shooting 52.4 percent from the field (65-124), 49.1 percent from three-point range (26-53) and 91.3 percent from the foul line (21-23).
Foster is tied for third among major conference players with 15 games of 20+ points this season, trailing only Trae Young (21) and Kelan Martin (16) and tied with Allonzo Trier.
Since Foster enrolled in college in 2013-14, he trails only Buddy Hield (47) and Trevon Bluiett (41) with 39 games of 20+ points as a member of a major conference team.
Foster Passes 500 Points Again
Marcus Foster has scored a team-high 516 points this season, which puts him in some select company. He joins Doug McDermott and Paul Silas as the only Creighton players to score 500 points or more in each of their first two seasons on the court for Creighton.
Foster is the ninth different Bluejay with multiple 500-point seasons in a career, joining McDermott (4x), Silas (3x), Rodney Buford (3x), Bob Harstad (3x), Bob Portman (2x), Chad Gallagher (2x), Nate Funk (2x) and Rick Apke (2x).
Foster's 516 points include 49 free throws and are 93 more points than any other player in the country this season who has made 55 or fewer foul shots.
20 Point Streaks
Marcus Foster has scored 20 points or more in each of Creighton's last seven games. He's just the second different Bluejay to have such a streak under Greg McDermott, who started in 2010-11.
Other than National Player of the Year Doug McDermott (who did it four times), the last Bluejay before Foster with seven (or more) straight games of 20+ points was Rodney Buford back in 1998.
Most Consec. Games of 20+ Points, Since 1992-93
Streak Player Dates
14 Doug McDermott Jan. 28-March 21, 2014
10 Doug McDermott Nov. 13-Dec. 22, 2011
8 Rodney Buford Jan. 27-Feb. 17, 1997
8 Doug McDermott March 22-Nov. 29, 2013
7 Doug McDermott Nov. 23-Dec. 15, 2012
7 Marcus Foster Jan. 17, 2018-Pres.
5 Rodney Buford Feb. 28-Nov. 25, 1998
5 Doug McDermott Feb. 23-March 9, 2013
5 Doug McDermott Dec. 3-29, 2013
4 Kyle Korver Dec. 21, 2002-Jan. 5, 2003
4 Doug McDermott Feb. 18-March 2, 2012
4 Doug McDermott Jan. 12-20, 2014
4 Rodney Buford Jan. 29-Feb. 8, 1996
CenturyLink Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 7-8 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CenturyLink Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at CLCO, Last 10 Seconds
Date Opponent Score Player/Score Time
11/26/05 Dayton W 91-90* Funk FG :5.7
01/28/06 Wichita St. W 57-55 Tolliver FG :0.0
11/25/06 George Mason W 58-56 Watts FT :7.5
03/18/08 Rhode Island W 74-73 Witter 3FG :3.2
01/13/10 Southern Illinois W 71-69 Young FG :1.3
02/18/12 Long Beach St. W 81-79 Young FG :0.3
01/28/14 St. John's W 63-60 McDermott 3FG :2.8
*double-overtime
Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses at CLCO, Last 10 Seconds
Date Opponent Score Player/Score Time
03/20/06 Miami (Fla.) L 53-52 G. Diaz FT :2.6
01/20/07 Southern Illinois L 58-57 B. Mullins FG :4.1
01/10/15 #19 Seton Hall L 68-67 S. Gibbs 3FG :2.2
02/16/15 #19 Butler L 58-56 R. Jones FG :1.9
03/07/15 Xavier L 74-73 D. Davis FT's :6.3
01/12/16 #12 Providence L 50-48 K. Dunn FG :0.0
02/22/17 Providence L 68-66 K. Cartwright 3FG :2.4
02/10/18 #5 Xavier L 71-72 Q. Goodin FT's :0.3
Tough At Home
Creighton has won 22 straight non-conference home games dating to a Dec. 2, 2015 loss to Arizona State.
On a national basis, that ranks as the 12th-longest streak, per recent research from the NCAA
Non-Conference Home Win Streaks (Through 2/12)
Rank Streak School Next Home N-C Game
1. 139 Duke TBD
2. 47 Arizona TBD
3. 43 Butler TBD
4. 38 Texas Tech TBD
5. 35 Villanova TBD
6. 32 SMU TBD
7. 29 Evansville TBD
8. 28 Seton Hall TBD
9. 26 South Dakota State TBD
26 Florida State TBD
11. 23 William & Mary TBD
12. 22 Creighton 2/13
22 IPFW TBD
14. 18 Marshall TBD
Masterful Marcus
Marcus Foster's game-winning basket with 14.4 seconds left to beat DePaul last on Wednesday was the fourth game-winning three-point shot of his brilliant collegiate career.
Foster's last previous game-winner came in the 2017 BIG EAST Tournament semifinals against Xavier with 6.6 seconds left in a 75-72 victory at Madison Square Garden.
As a freshman at Kansas State in 2013-14, Foster twice made late trifectas to topple nationally-ranked Oklahoma teams. He hit a shot on Jan. 10 in Norman with 4.1 seconds left in overtime for a 66-63 win, then buried a game-winner on Feb. 14 in Manhattan for a 59-56 victory in the rematch.
Against The BIG EAST
Since joining the BIG EAST in 2014, DePaul is the only school where Creighton has not lost a road game. Creighton is unbeaten at home against St. John's, the only league team it can say that for.
Team CU Home Games CU Road Games
Butler 4-1 2-2
DePaul 3-1 5-0
Georgetown 4-1 1-4
Marquette 2-2 2-2
Providence 2-3 1-4
Seton Hall 3-2 2-3
St. John's 5-0 3-2
Villanova 1-3 1-4
Xavier 2-3 2-3
Total 26-16 19-24
Climbing The Charts
Marcus Foster has already made 77 three-pointers, four more than his season total from all of last year. That ranks tied for ninth in single-season history at Creighton, and in position to leap some of the top marksmen in Bluejay history in the near future.
Most 3 FG Made, Season, Creighton History
3FG Name (Class) Year
129 Kyle Korver (Sr.) 2002-03
110 Ethan Wragge (Sr.) 2013-14
100 Kyle Korver (So.) 2000-01
96 Doug McDermott (Sr.) 2013-14
91 Booker Woodfox (Sr.) 2008-09
82 Tad Ackerman (Jr.) 1994-95
79 Kyle Korver (Jr.) 2001-02
78 Ethan Wragge (Jr.) 2012-13
77 Doug McDermott (Jr.) 2012-13
77 Marcus Foster (Sr.) 2017-18
76 Rod Mason (Sr.) 1987-88
Balanced Effort
Creighton enters Saturday's game with three players averaging in double-figures: Marcus Foster (20.6), Khyri Thomas (14.6) and Martin Krampelj (11.9), with Toby Hegner (9.5) not far behind.
Just as impressive, all four men are shooting 50 percent or better from the field (Foster .509; Thomas .516; Krampelj .671; Hegner .525).
Per STATS Inc., the only two major conference teams since 1996-97 that finished a season with four players averaging in double-figures with those same four men also shooting 50 percent from the field have been Purdue (1997-98) and Kansas (2000-01).
Jays Return To Top 25 of Coaches Poll
The Creighton men's basketball team has returned to the national rankings in this week's USA Today Coaches poll, coming in at No. 25. It's the first time that CU has been ranked by the coaches since January 8th (22nd), and seventh time this season.
This is the 71st different week that CU has been ranked by the coaches under Greg McDermott.
Creighton is also 22nd in the official NCAA RPI, up one spot from a week ago. The Bluejays are listed third among those "also receiving votes" in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Foster Reaches 2,000 Career Points
Marcus Foster owns 2,029 career points (875 at Kansas State, 1,154 at Creighton) entering Tuesday's game vs. Bemidji State. Foster reached the 2,000 point milestone in his 121st career college game with a game-winning three-pointer with 14.4 seconds left.
He is the fourth Creighton player to surpass 2,000 career points at the Division I level, joining Doug McDermott (3,150), Rodney Buford (2,116) and Bob Harstad (2,110).
McDermott reached 2,000 points in 101 games, Buford needed 111 games and Foster and Harstad both required 121 contests to reach 2,000 points.
Foster & Thomas Reach 1,000 At Creighton
Marcus Foster reached 1,000 career points at Creighton in the 54th game of his Creighton career, reaching 1,000 points in fewer games than any Bluejay since Bob Portman did it in a school-record 43 games on Feb. 8, 1968.
The only players in Creighton history to score 1,000 points or more in their first two seasons are now Doug McDermott (1,382), Portman (1,195), Foster (1,154), Paul Silas (1,124), Rod Mason (1,023) and Rodney Buford (1,010).
Foster is the second Bluejay transfer from a four-year school to reach 1,000 career points at CU, joining Gregory Echenique (Rutgers). Two other junior college transfers (Mason and Johnny Mathies) have also scored 1,000 points after joining the Bluejays.
Khyri Thomas reached 1,000 points in the 94th game of his career on Feb. 10 vs. No. 5 Xavier, finishing the game with 1,009 career points.
Games To 1,000 Points, Last 16 Bluejays
Name CU Games to 1,000 pts. Date
Khyri Thomas 94 02/10/18
Marcus Foster 54 01/17/18
Austin Chatman 138 03/11/15
Ethan Wragge 132 01/18/14
Gregory Echenique 101 03/24/13
Doug McDermott 57 01/15/12
Antoine Young 115 12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr. 108 11/21/10
P'Allen Stinnett 86 01/16/10
Dane Watts 115 01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver 124 03/16/07
Johnny Mathies 91 03/03/06
Nate Funk 92 02/28/05
Kyle Korver 81 01/30/02
Ben Walker 105 01/06/01
Ryan Sears 97 12/01/00
Rodney Buford 59 03/01/97
Foster Reaches 1,000 Points at Creighton
Marcus Foster owns 1,154 points at Creighton through 60 career games, surpassing the 1,000 mark on Jan. 17 vs. No. 19 Seton Hall with a three-pointer in the final minutes. That doesn't include the 875 points that Foster scored at Kansas State his first two years of college.
Foster is the 40th player overall to score 1,000 career points as a Bluejay, and currently ranks 28th in program history.
Here's the top 42 career scorers in Creighton history. In addition to Foster, it's worth noting that Khyri Thomas is currently 39th.
Most Career Points, Creighton History
Rank Pts. Name Years
1. 3,150 Doug McDermott 2010-14
2. 2,116 Rodney Buford 1995-99
3. 2,110 Bob Harstad 1987-91
4. 1,983 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
5. 1,876 Bob Portman 1966-69
6. 1,801 Kyle Korver 1999-03
7. 1,754 Nate Funk 2002-07
8. 1,682 Rick Apke 1974-78
9. 1,661 Paul Silas 1961-64
10. 1,654 Vernon Moore 1981-85
11. 1,575 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
12. 1,526 John C. Johnson 1975-79
13. 1,500 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
14. 1,437 Eddie Cole 1951-55
15. 1,369 Gene Harmon 1971-74
16. 1,361 Duan Cole 1987-92
17. 1,342 Antoine Young 2008-12
18. 1,313 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-11
19. 1,309 Ryan Sears 1997-01
20. 1,303 Elton Tuttle 1951-54
21. 1,272 Bob Gibson 1954-57
22. 1,267 Wally Anderzunas 1965-67, 1968-69
23. 1,254 Gary Swain 1983-87
24. 1,238 Ben Walker 1997-01
25. 1,196 Ray Yost 1951-54
26. 1,172 Dick Harvey 1956-59
27. 1,155 Ethan Wragge 2009-14
28. 1,154 Marcus Foster 2016-Pres.
29. 1,152 Dane Watts 2004-08
30. 1,116 Kenny Evans 1982-87
31. 1,115 Doug Brookins 1972-75
32. 1,115 Daryl Stovall 1978-82
33. 1,093 Tim Powers 1964-67
34. 1,050 Reggie Morris 1982-86
35. 1,031 Johnny Mathies 2003-06
36. 1,024 P'Allen Stinnett 2007-10
37. 1,023 Rod Mason 1986-88
38. 1,013 Austin Chatman 2011-15
39. 1,009 Khyri Thomas 2015-Pres.
40. 1,006 Gregory Echenique 2010-13
41. 1,004 Anthony Tolliver 2003-07
42. 994 Chuck Officer 1960-62, 1963-64
Marcus Foster, Bucket Getter
Marcus Foster ranks among the nation's best when it comes to putting the ball in the hole and scoring.
Foster ranks first among the nation's active Division I players in field goals made, third in double-figure scoring games, and eighth in points. Former Bluejay Doug McDermott owns the NCAA record with 135 career double-figure scoring games.
Here's that list, through games of February 11:
Most Career Field Goals, Nation's Active Leaders
Rank FG Name, School Next Game
1. 733 Marcus Foster, Creighton 2/13
2. 718 Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas 2/14
4. 700 Jonathan Stark, Murray State 2/15
3. 692 Peyton Aldridge, Davidson 2/14
5. 682 Bogdan Bliznyuk, E. Washington 2/15
Most Career Points, Nation's Active Leaders
Rank Points Name, School Next Game
1. 2,290 Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas 2/14
2. 2,091 James Daniel III, Tennessee 2/13
3. 2,077 Trevon Bluiett, Xavier 2/14
4. 2,101 Andrew Rowsey, Marquette 2/17
5. 2,068 Jonathan Stark, Murray State 2/15
6. 2,047 Mike Daum, South Dakota St. 2/17
7. 2,031 Chris Clemons, Campbell 2/15
8. 2,029 Marcus Foster, Creighton 2/13
Most Career Games, 10+ Points, Active Players
Rank 10+ Games Name, School Next Game
1. 110 Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas 2/14
2. 109 Trevon Bluiett, Xavier 2/14
3. 104 Marcus Foster, Creighton 2/13
104 Wesley Person, Troy 2/15
Follow The Leader
Marcus Foster has led or tied for Creighton's scoring lead in each of the last nine games, averaging 24,.0 points per game in that time.
Foster's nine straight games as the team's leading scorer is the program's longest streak since Doug McDermott had four streaks of nine or more games as CU's top scorer between 2011-14.
Consecutive Games as CU's Leading Scorer
Since 1988 (includes ties)
Games Name Dates
16 Doug McDermott Jan. 25 - March 23, 2014
12 Bob Harstad Dec. 10, 1988 - Jan. 28, 1989
11 Doug McDermott Nov. 13 - Dec. 28, 2011
11 Doug McDermott Dec. 3, 2013-Jan. 18, 2014
10 Nate Funk Jan. 12 - Feb. 10, 2007
9 Doug McDermott Nov. 18 - Dec. 15, 2012
9 Marcus Foster Jan. 9, 2018 - Present
8 Rodney Buford Jan. 27 - Feb. 17, 1997
8 Rodney Buford Feb. 23 - Dec. 2, 1998
Foster On Late Season List For Wooden Award
Senior guard Marcus Foster landed a spot on the Late Season Top 20 for the John R. Wooden® Award presented by Wendy's®. Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 20 student-athletes who are the front-runners for college basketball's most prestigious individual honor.
Foster is the fourth Bluejay in the last seven seasons to represent the Bluejays on the Wooden Award Late Season 20 list. Creighton's Doug McDermott won the Wooden Award following the 2013-14 season, and was also a finalist in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
Foster Up For Jerry West Award
Creighton men's basketball guard Marcus Foster is one of 10 finalists for the 2018 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, which is bestowed by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He is the only BIG EAST performer on the list.
Last year Foster was one of five finalists for the award.
Named after Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor in its fourth year recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men's college basketball.
Previous winners of the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award include Malik Monk, Kentucky (2017) Buddy Hield, Oklahoma (2016) and D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State (2015).
Pure Charity
Creighton is shooting 77.1 percent at the free throw line this season, which puts the Bluejays on pace to shatter the previous school-record of 75.9 percent by the 2012-13 club.
Creighton has made 80 percent or better of its foul shots in nine of the last 10 games. Creighton has made 114-of-136 (83.8 percent) attempts in the last 10 games.
Creighton has missed three or less free throws in each of its last six road games, and is 19-of-22 at the line (86.4 percent) in the final five minutes of those same contests.
Creighton's 14 games this season making 80 percent or better at the line ranks tied for fourth nationally, and is tops among all major conference teams.
Creighton shot 100 percent at the line (6-for-6) on Saturday vs. Xavier, the first time it has not missed at the stripe since March 2, 2016 vs. Providence (12-for-12).
Despite Creighton's proficiency at the foul stripe, it hasn't had much of a chance to show of their marksmanship. Creighton is just 2-for-3 on free throws before halftime in its last three games, and Marcus Foster has 93 more points than any other player in the country to make fewer than 55 free throws this season.
One other incredible note about the Bluejay marksmanship at the line. CU hasn't missed multiple free throws on the same trip to the line since there was 3:47 left in its win over UT Arlington way back on Dec. 18, 2017. CU has since made 115 different trips to the line since then, including 15 trips where it missed the first of multiple shots.
One By One
Creighton got a defensive stand in the final 14 seconds to preserve Wednesday's 76-75 win at DePaul, but weren't as fortunate last Saturday vs. Xavier in a 72-71 setback.
Creighton is 7-7 in one-point games under Greg McDermott and 80-74 in program history in one-point games.
Creighton had not played consecutive one-point games since January of 2015, and hasn't played three consecutive one-point games since 1974-75 campaign.
How They Rank?
Last Saturday's game vs. No. 5 Xavier was Creighton's ninth game of the season against a top-25 team, tying it with Baylor and Oklahoma State for the most in the country. Creighton is currently 3-6 in those contests, including a 1-1 home mark and a 2-5 mark away from home.
In the nine games against ranked foes, Creighton averaged 78.7 points per contest and had 135 assists against just 108 turnovers.
Marcus Foster (19.1), Khyri Thomas (13.9), and Martin Krampelj (11.7) have each averaged in double-figures.
CU has led for 200:28, trailed for 142:20 and were tied for 17:10 in those 360 minutes against top-25 foes.
Below is a list of schools with the most games this season played against AP Top 25 teams (at time of game), through February 11:
Games School
9 Creighton
9 Baylor
9 Oklahoma State
8 Kansas State
8 Oklahoma
8 Texas
8 Vanderbilt
Loaded Schedule Under McDermott
Saturday's contest against No. 5 Xavier was Creighton's ninth different game this season against a team ranked in the top-25. This is the fourth straight season that the Bluejays have faced at least seven ranked teams in one season, after never having done it prior to Greg McDermott's arrival in 2010-11.
The nine games this season against ranked foes break the record of eight previously done in 2014-15 and in 2015-16.
Most Games vs. Top 25 Teams, Season, Entering 2/10
Games Season Coach
9 2017-18 Greg McDermott
8 2014-15 Greg McDermott
8 2015-16 Greg McDermott
7 2016-17 Greg McDermott
6 1971-72 Eddie Sutton
5 1968-69 Eddie Sutton
5 1969-70 Eddie Sutton
5 1981-82 Willis Reed
Top 25 Success
Creighton had four wins over top-25 teams last season, twice as many as any previous campaign in program history. This year's team owns three wins over the top-25, second-most in program history.
This year's team is 3-6 against ranked teams, beating No. 20 Northwestern on Nov. 15th, No. 23 UCLA on Nov. 20th and No. 19 Seton Hall on Jan. 17th. The victories over the Wildcats and Bruins marked the first time in program history that CU has ever beaten top-25 foes in consecutive games.
Most Top-25 Wins, Season
Wins Season Top-25 Victims
4 2016-17 #9 Wisconsin, #12 Butler,
#16 Butler, #22 Xavier
3 2017-18 #20 Northwestern, #23 UCLA,
#19 Seton Hall
2 1973-74 #6 Marquette, #16 Louisville
2 2001-02 #15 Florida, #17 Western Kentucky
2 2006-07 #11 Southern Illinois, #24 Xavier
2 2013-14 #4 Villanova, #6 Villanova
2 2015-16 #5 Xavier, #18 Butler
Rank And File
Creighton made some school history when it defeated top-25 teams in consecutive games for the first time in November with victories over No. 20 Northwestern and No. 23 UCLA.
Through games of February 10, Creighton is one of 21 teams nationally with three or more top-25 wins this season.
Ranked Wins School Home Road Neutral
6 Oklahoma 3 2 1
5 Alabama 4 1 0
5 Texas Tech 3 1 1
4 Duke 1 1 2
4 Florida 0 2 2
4 NC State 2 1 1
4 Oklahoma State 1 2 1
4 Texas A&M 1 2 1
4 Xavier 3 1 0
3 Creighton 1 1 1
3 Clemson 2 0 1
3 Iowa State 3 0 0
3 Kansas 1 1 1
3 Michigan State 2 0 1
3 North Carolina 2 1 0
3 Purdue 2 0 1
3 Tennessee 1 1 1
3 Texas 3 0 0
3 Virginia 2 1 0
3 Washington 2 0 1
3 West Virginia 2 1 0
2 Arizona 1 0 1
2 Arizona State 0 1 1
2 Arkansas 2 0 0
2 Auburn 1 1 0
2 Boston College 2 0 0
2 Colorado 2 0 0
2 Florida State 1 1 0
2 Georgia 1 0 1
2 Gonzaga 1 1 0
2 Kansas State 2 0 0
2 Miami (Fla.) 1 1 0
2 Nebraska 2 0 0
2 Ohio State 1 1 0
2 Seton Hall 0 1 1
2 SMU 0 1 1
2 South Carolina 1 1 0
2 St. John's 1 1 0
2 TCU 1 0 1
2 Villanova 1 0 1
2 Virginia Tech 1 1 0
1 Ball State 0 1 0
1 Baylor 1 0 0
1 Butler 1 0 0
1 Georgia Tech 1 0 0
1 Houston 1 0 0
1 Indiana 0 0 1
1 Louisville 0 1 0
1 Loyola (Chicago) 0 1 0
1 LSU 0 1 0
1 Marquette 1 0 0
1 Michigan 0 1 0
1 Minnesota 0 0 1
1 Mississippi State 1 0 0
1 New Mexico State 0 0 1
1 Northwestern 1 0 0
1 Notre Dame 0 0 1
1 Oregon 0 1 0
1 Penn State 0 1 1
1 Providence 1 0 0
1 Rhode Island 0 0 1
1 Rutgers 1 0 0
1 Saint Mary's 0 1 0
1 San Diego State 1 0 0
1 Seton Hall 1 0 0
1 Temple 1 0 0
1 UCF 0 1 0
1 UCLA 0 1 0
1 UNLV 0 1 0
1 Utah 0 1 0
1 Washington State 0 0 1
1 Western Kentucky 0 0 1
1 Wichita State 0 1 0
1 Wofford 0 1 0
1 Wyoming 1 0 0
More Top 25 News
Creighton owns seven wins against the Top 25 since the start of last season, a figure that ranks tied for 12th-most nationally through games of February 11th.
Ranked Wins School
13 Duke
13 North Carolina
9 Kansas
9 Villanova
8 Florida State
8 Gonzaga
8 Purdue
8 South Carolina
8 Texas Tech
8 West Virginia
8 Xavier
7 Creighton
7 Arizona
7 Baylor
7 Butler
7 Florida
7 Kentucky
7 Oklahoma
7 Virginia
Foster Does His Hart Impression
Last year Josh Hart was named BIG EAST Player of the Year after a tremendous senior season. Creighton's Marcus Foster is doing all he can as he fights for a similar honor.
Here's a look at the league-only stats for player to win BIG EAST Player of the Year each of the previous four seasons, as well as some of the top candidates for this year's top individual accolade.
League-Only Stats, Last 4 BIG EAST Players of the Year
Name PPG RPG APG FG% 3FG% FT%
McDermott, '14 27.7 7.1 1.8 .541 .463 .838
Dunn, '15 17.0 5.9 7.8 .476 .360 .679
Dunn, '16 16.2 5.4 5.9 .425 .377 .694
Hart, '17 18.2 6.5 2.9 .486 .381 .703
2017-18 League-Only Stats, Player of the Year Candidates
Name PPG RPG APG FG% 3FG% FT%
Bluiett, XU 18.1 5.8 2.8 .420 .402 .769
Bridges, VU 16.0 4.9 2.7 .466 .362 .861
Brunson, VU 21.8 2.8 4.5 .497 .392 .841
Delgado, SHU 13.1 12.3 3.3 .468 --- .595
Foster, CU 21.7 3.5 3.1 .502 .462 .885
Howard, MU 22.0 3.5 3.2 .436 .368 .895
Martin, BU 23.5 5.4 2.5 .481 .446 .870
Ponds, SJU 21.5 3.8 4.5 .427 .268 .810
Rodriguez, SHU 17.8 4.7 2.6 .488 .393 .730
Rowsey, MU 18.3 2.9 4.0 .370 .379 .940
Foreign Invasion
Creighton has a pair of foreigners on its roster this season with Martin Krampelj (Slovenia) and Jacob Epperson (Australia).
They are just the fifth duo of simultaneous international teammates at Creighton, joining Livan Pyrfrom (Bahamas) and Nerijus Karlikanovas (Lithuania) from 1999-2000, Brice Nengsu (Cameroon) and Manny Gakou (France) from 2005-07, Jahenns Manigat (Canada) and Gregory Echenique (2010-13) and Martin Krampelj (Slovenia) and Kobe Paras (Philippines).
Creighton's only other international player on record is Colin Lubsey (1992-93, Australia).
Epperson Burns Redshirt
Jacob Epperson was headed towards a redshirt season, but that is no longer an option after he made his collegiate debut on January 27 against Georgetown. The decision to play the Aussie was made after much discussion among Epperson and his family after Martin Krampelj's season-ending knee injury on January 17th.
Epperson made an immediate impact, slamming home a dunk on his first offensive possession, and he would finish the night with two points, two rebounds an assist in nine minutes of work.
Epperson's second game was even better, as he finished with seven points, two rebounds and an assist in 17 minutes of work.
More recently, Epperson added six rebounds, one steal and a blocked shot in nine minutes at DePaul.
In the last 25 seasons, Epperson is just the ninth Bluejay to make his season debut after Creighton's fifth game of the season.
Season Debut After CU's 5th Game, Last 25 Seasons
Debut Game Player Year
22 $ Jacob Epperson 2017-18
17 Jason Ourada 1996-97
12 $ Matt West 1996-97
10 % Gregory Echenique 2010-11
8 % Manny Gakou 2005-06
6 Dan Kolder 1996-97
6 $ Jimmy Motz 2001-02
6 # Avery Dingman 2014-15
6 # Ronnie Harrell Jr. 2015-16
# injured % ineligible $ redshirt candidate
Some Loyal Fans
Creighton has played in front of 233,012 home fans this 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 CenturyLink Center Omaha, and now has done it in the past 15 seasons.
Creighton has led its conference in home attendance every year since moving into CenturyLink Center Omaha, which is in its 15th season.
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
Avg. Att. School Year
17,896 Creighton 2013-14
17,413 Creighton 2016-17
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
17,048 Creighton 2014-15
16,665 Creighton 2011-12
16,644 Creighton 2017-18
Creighton's Most Home Fans, Season
Rk. Year G Attendance Average
1. 2015-16 19 302,887 15,941
2. 2008-09 19 302,676 15,930
3. 2010-11 22 297,161 13,507
4. 2016-17 17 296,013 17413
5. 2012-13 17 291,643 17,155
6. 2014-15 17 289,808 17,048
7. 2013-14 16 286,329 17,896
8. 2007-08 18 276,000 15,333
9. 2011-12 16 266,632 16,665
10. 2009-10 17 246,419 14,495
11. 2005-06 17 236,313 13,901
12. 2017-18 14 233,012 16,644
13. 2006-07 14 222,728 15,909
14. 2003-04 16 192,258 12,016
15. 2004-05 16 179,335 11,208
16. 2002-03 17 140,174 8,246
Technically Speaking
Greg McDermott was issued a rare technical foul when the officials booked the Creighton head coach on Jan. 27 vs. Georgetown. It was just the third technical foul that McDermott had been whistled for in eight years on the Bluejay sideline, and his first overall since March 3, 2015 vs. Villanova. McDermott also was called for a technical foul on Jan. 17, 2015 against Providence.
Some other facts about McDermott's technical foul...
- Greg McDermott had two technical fouls in his four seasons as Iowa State head coach and five technical fouls in five years as head coach at Northern Iowa.
- It remains just the fourth technical foul issued to a Creighton coach in 253 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Besides three to McDermott, Dana Altman was also given one on Feb. 17, 2007.
- It was the first technical foul issued to the Creighton bench in a home win since Nov. 25, 1996 in a 70-68 victory over UMKC.
- It was just the 21st technical foul Creighton has been called for in eight seasons under Greg McDermott. Others with technical fouls include Gregory Echenique (3), Maurice Watson Jr. (3), Marcus Foster (3), Grant Gibbs (2), Justin Patton (2), Will Artino (1), Steve Lutz (1), Avery Dingman (1), Isaiah Zierden (1) and Khyri Thomas (1).
Pink Out Auction Raises $28,796 This Year
Creighton raised $28,796 for its January 27th "Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out" Pink Out game on vs. Georgetown. Below is the final numbers for each jersey/item in the auction this year:
#0 $3450 #1 $1135 #2 $4250
#4 $2650 #5 $1625 #11 $1425
#12 $950 #14 $944 #15 $1050
#23 $830 #24 $3500 #32 $1350
#41 $1025 #44 $1300
Basketballs: $380, 405, 400, 510, 335, 400
McDermott's Shoes: $510 McDermott's Tie: $372
Yearly Pink Out Totals
Creighton has raised $186,360.68 since the start of the 2011-12 season during its annual men's basketball Pink Out.
2011-12: $20,600
2012-13: $24,444
2013-14: $48,247.11
2014-15: $16,384.03
2015-16: $16,527.90 (plus another $5,000 in donations)
2016-17: $26,361.64
2017-18: $28,796
Seven-Year Totals: $186,360.68
Creighton's Pink Out History
This year marked Creighton's eighth Pink Out, which coincides with the arrival of head coach Greg McDermott. The Bluejays are 6-2 in the event, while playing in front of an average of 17,893 fans per game, as seen below:
Date Result Attendance
01/29/11 Creighton 83, Indiana State 69 16,044
01/28/12 Creighton 73, Bradley 59 18,436
02/02/13 Creighton 75, Bradley 58 18,111
01/25/14 Creighton 76, Georgetown 63 18,859
01/17/15 Providence 74, Creighton 65 17,640
01/30/16 Seton Hall 75, Creighton 65 17,924
01/28/17 Creighton 83, DePaul 66 17,611
Scurry Earns A Schollie
Sophomore guard Jordan Scurry was awarded a scholarship for the 2017-18 season on January 21st during a team meeting.
The surprise came on the same day the Dedham, Mass., native saw his beloved Boston Celtics play in person at TD Garden, while later watching the telecast as the New England native saw his Patriots rally to qualify for Super Bowl LII.
Scurry is in his second season with the Bluejays. He's played in 24 games for CU in his two years in the program, contributing 36 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.
Over .500, Again
Creighton has been better than .500 at the midway point in league play in 21 of the last 22 seasons, including this year's 6-3 mark.
Creighton has also gone 5-4 or better in the second half of league action in 18 of the last 21 seasons.
Creighton has made the postseason each of the previous 19 times it's been 5-4 or better at the midway point, and missed it the only time they weren't in that span.
Here's how Creighton's teams have fared in the various halves of the MVC/BIG EAST season since 1995-96.
Year 1st Half 2nd Half
2017-18 6-3 2-2 so far
2016-17 6-3 4-5
2015-16 5-4 4-5
2014-15 1-8 3-6
2013-14 8-1 6-3
2012-13 7-2 6-3
2011-12 8-1 6-3
2010-11 5-4 5-4
2009-10 5-4 5-4
2008-09 5-4 9-0
2007-08 5-4 5-4
2006-07 6-3 7-2
2005-06 7-2 5-4
2004-05 5-4 6-3
2003-04 7-2 5-4
2002-03 8-1 7-2
2001-02 8-1 6-3
2000-01 5-4 9-0
1999-00 5-4 6-3
1998-99 6-3 5-4
1997-98 5-4 7-2
1996-97 5-4 5-4
1995-96 4-5 5-4
Total 132-75 (.638) 128-74 (.634)
#Timeout2Vote #CoachGregMcDermott
Greg McDermott is 1 of 24 Division I men's basketball coaches still participating in the eighth annual Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge, as announced by Infiniti and partners the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the NCAA and ESPN. The Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge is a four-round online bracket tournament in which coaches represent charities and compete for fan votes.
McDermott will represent and compete on behalf Abide, an amazing charity that is an inner city nonprofit with a mission to transform Omaha one neighborhood at a time.
To vote for McDermott each day, visit GoCreighton.com/VoteCoachMac.
Krampelj Out For Season With Torn ACL
Sophomore forward Martin Krampelj will miss the rest of the 2017-18 season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Creighton's win over No. 19 Seton Hall on January 17th.
Krampelj was widely regarded as one of the BIG EAST's most improved players in 2017-18, as he was averaging 11.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game on 67.1 percent shooting after averaging 2.8 points,.2.2 rebounds and 5.9 minutes last year.
This is the third torn ACL for Krampelj, and second time he's injured his left knee. Surgery for Krampelj took place in Omaha on February 1st.
Krampelj Replaces Patton
One of Creighton's biggest question marks entering the season was how the team would replace NBA First Round Draft pick Justin Patton. Martin Krampelj answered those questions until tearing his ACL on January 17th.
Here's a look at the stats for the two men:
Stat Patton Krampelj
Year 2016-17 2017-18
PPG 12.9 11.9
RPG 6.2 8.1
BPG 1.4 0.7
APG 1.2 1.2
FG% .676 .671
FT% .517 .623
Double-Doubles 3 6
Dunks/Game 2.06 1.74
He Shoots, He Scores!
Marcus Foster is shooting 50.9 percent from the field (on all shots) this year despite shooting 6.8 three-pointers per game.
Per stats from Basketball-Reference.com, Foster is one of four Power Conference players since 1992-93 that has shot 49 percent or better overall despite attempting 6.5 three-pointers per game.
Each of the other three men were named consensus All-Americans.
50% FG & 6.5 3FGA/Game Since 1992-93, Power Leagues
Name, School Year FG% 3FGA/G
Shan Foster, Vanderbilt 2007-08 .523 8.4
Marcus Foster, Creighton 2017-18 .509 6.8
Salim Stoudamire, Arizona 2004-05 .504 6.6
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma 2015-16 .501 8.7
The 1 For Sports
Last Wednesday's game at DePaul aired nationally on FS1, a channel that has been quite kind to Creighton in recent seasons.
Creighton is 11-2 on FS1 this winter, and last year went 12-1 on the network.
Creighton is 56-24 when appearing on FS1 since the network formed in 2013. CU is also 12-1 when appearing on FS2 in program history.
Creighton has also won each of the last 10 games that Nick Bahe has broadcast on the FOX family of networks.
Overtime Optional
Creighton has played 100 games in program history that have gone to overtime, going 55-45 in those contests.
However, the Bluejays have completed 104 straight games since last going to overtime, the longest stretch without an extra session for the program since 136 straight games from 1939-47. During that same span, Creighton's women's team has played 12 overtime periods.
CU's last overtime contest came Feb. 4, 2015 at Xavier, a 79-72 win at Cintas Center. Creighton's longest game in program history was a 85-82 loss in triple-overtime at No. 13 DePaul on Feb. 1, 1978.
Creighton is 5-1 under Greg McDermott in overtime games, including a 4-0 mark in conference play.
Twelve of Creighton's last 13 games have been won by the team to score first in the extra session.
Playing With A Lead
Creighton has done a good job of starting the game strong this season and playing with a lead, with the exception of its last two road losses.
At home this year, the Bluejays have led for 82.2 percent of the time this season while trailing just 14.0 percent of the time.
Creighton has trailed for just 78:10 of 560 possible minutes at home this season, and has not trailed in six of its home wins this season.
Opponent Leading Trailing Tied
Yale 39:29 0:20 0:11
Alcorn State 36:22 2:45 0:53
SIU Edwardsville 39:46 -- 0:14
North Dakota 38:11 -- 1:49
Nebraska 15:53 19:20 4:47
Maryland Eastern Shore 39:43 -- 0:17
UT Arlington 37:18 1:22 1:20
USC Upstate 38:32 0:55 0:33
Providence 39:03 -- 0:57
St. John's 22:01 15:34 2:25
Butler 39:10 -- 0:50
#19 Seton Hall 39:19 -- 0:41
Georgetown 31:21 4:48 3:51
#5 Xavier 4:01 33:06 2:53
Total 460:09 78:10 21:41
More On The Score
As if the above note isn't impressive enough, keep in the mind the following...
Creighton has trailed in the final 9:31 of just one home game this year (Xavier).
Creighton's first BIG EAST team in 2013-14 went a perfect 16-0 and never trailed in the second half of any home game.
In 253 all-time games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, Creighton has not trailed 73 different times, including 21 of its last 50 home games and six of its last 12 home contests.
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 808 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 19th-longest active streak.
Creighton's last win without making a three-point basket came on March 3, 1991 when the Jays went 0-for-2 from three-point range in a 71-66 win over Southern Illinois in the championship game of the MVC Tournament.
Below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks, through February 11th.
Longest Active 3-Point Streak, Through 2/11
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 1,038 Kentucky 2/14
2. 1,031 UNLV 2/14
3. 1,024 Vanderbilt 2/14
4. 1,009 Duke 2/14
5. 967 Arkansas 2/13
6. 961 Western Kentucky 2/15
7. 952 East Tennessee State 2/12
8. 944 Pacific 2/15
9. 929 Oakland 2/14
10. 918 Texas 2/12
11. 898 Princeton 2/16
12. 868 Marshall 2/15
13. 859 Baylor 2/12
14. 839 Gonzaga 2/15
15. 838 LIU-Brooklyn 2/15
16. 822 Cornell 2/16
17. 820 Mount St. Mary's 2/15
18. 811 Tennessee State 2/15
19. 808 Creighton 2/13
20. 805 East Carolina 2/14
Triple Trivia
During Creighton's current streak of 808 straight games with a three-pointer, the Bluejays have drained 6,181 trifectas, an average of 7.65 treys per game.
That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 128 times, more than any figure.
Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 204 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including a BIG EAST record 21 on Jan. 20, 2014 at Villanova.
Team 3FG During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1: 4 times 11: 43 times
2: 15 times 12: 42 times
3: 30 times 13: 32 times
4: 67 times 14: 9 times
5: 94 times 15: 6 times
6: 86 times 16: 6 times
7: 128 times 19: 1 time
8: 108 times 20: 1 time
9: 72 times 21: 1 time
10: 63 times
Scoring In Bunches
Creighton has scored 2,127 points through 25 games, to rank 11th nationally with 85.1 points per contest.
The 2,127 points are the third-most points the team has ever scored in its first 25 games of any season, trailing only the 1965-66 and 1963-64 clubs.
Most Points Through 25 Games, Creighton History
Points Year Final W-L (Postseason)
2,222 1965-66 14-12
2,148 1963-64 22-7 (NCAA)
2,127 2017-18 18-7 so far
2,125 2016-17 25-10 (NCAA)
2,099 1970-71 14-11
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 253 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 15-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 210-43 (.830) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (14-0).
Creighton's Nov. 25 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 19,606-16,424 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.58 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 73 different times, including 21 of its last 50 home games.
Creighton is also 26-25 all-time in the 51 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-9 when down by 10+ points at halftime at The Link, and 33-23 when trailing at halftime at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Creighton is 113-25 (.819) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 65-4 record vs. non-conference teams.
Factor in a 17-0 home mark at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 and two wins at the Civic in the 2010 CIT, and the Bluejays are 230-43 (.842) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
All The Three's
Creighton drilled 19 three-point shots in its Dec. 20 home game vs. USC Upstate, third-most in a game in program history. That's one of three games this season with 16 or more three-pointers.
Here's a list of the games with 16 or more treys.
Most 3FG in a Game, Creighton History
Rank 3FG Opponent Date Score
1. 21 at #4 Villanova 1/20/2014 W 96-68
2. 20 Chattanooga 2/19/2005 W 100-69
3. 19 USC Upstate 12/20/2017 W 116-62
4. 16 Evansville 1/4/1999 L 79-84
16 Drake 1/8/2013 W 91-61
16 Chicago State 12/29/2013 W 90-58
16 vs. Ole Miss 11/21/2016 W 86-77
16 Alcorn State 11/12/2017 W 109-72
16 at Georgetown 01/06/18 W 90-66
Foster Does It All
Marcus Foster is averaging 20.6 points and 2.8 assists per game this year. Only two previous Creighton players have averaged more than 19.0 points and 2.5 assists per game for a full season.
Seasons With 19 PPG, 2.5 APG, Creighton History
Name Year PPG APG
Rick Apke 1976-77 19.8 2.9
Rod Mason 1987-88 20.3 3.4
Marcus Foster 2017-18 20.6 2.8
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 18 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including wins this year over St. John's (1/3) and DePaul (2/7) when down by 10 in each contest. Ten of those comebacks have come away from home.
On the other hand, CU is 160-14 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 148 of the last 158 times.
Double-Digit Comebacks Under Greg McDermott
Deficit Opponent Date
18 #18 Oklahoma 11/19/14
17 at San Diego State 11/30/11
16 at Evansville 02/16/13
14 Evansville 02/21/12
13 at Saint Joseph's 11/16/13
13 Xavier 01/12/14
12 Saint Joseph's 12/11/10
12 at DePaul 01/17/16
11 at Wichita State 12/31/11
11 Northern Iowa 01/10/12
11 vs. Alabama 03/16/12
11 vs. Ole Miss 11/21/16
10 UAB 11/14/12
10 vs. Drake 03/02/12
10 at Nebraska 12/07/14
10 South Dakota 12/09/14
10 St. John's 01/03/18
10 at DePaul 02/07/18
Foster Was A Candidate For Senior CLASS Award
Marcus Foster was one of 30 NCAA men's basketball student-athletes who excel both on and off the court that were selected as candidates for the 2017-18 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate basketball, though he did not advance to the final 10.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Foster is the eighth Creighton Men's Basketball student-athlete to make the Senior CLASS cut in recent seasons, joining Kyle Korver (2002-03), Anthony Tolliver (2006-07), Dane Watts (2007-08), Josh Dotzler (2008-09), Kenny Lawson Jr. (2010-11), Doug McDermott (2013-14) and Maurice Watson Jr. (2016-17). Former Creighton men's soccer goalkeeper Brian Holt won the 2011 Senior CLASS Award, while McDermott won the 2014 Senior CLASS Award on the hardwood.
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four® and NCAA Women's Final Four® this spring. For more information on each of the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
Nationally Elite
Creighton ranks in the top 20 of 12 categories nationally, through games of February 11th.
Category Rank Stat
Defensive Rebounds/Game 6th 29.32
Assists Per Game 7th 17.9
Assist/Turnover Ratio 10th 1.55
Scoring Offense 11th 85.1
Total Assists 11th 448
Personal Fouls/Game 12th 15.2
Fewest Fouls 14th 380
FG Percentage 14th .499
FT Percentage 15th .771
3FG/Game 17th 10.4
3FG Made 19th 261
3FG Attempts 20th 691
We Can Play Defense, Too
Creighton limited Maryland Eastern Shore to just 36 points and 23.6 percent shooting on Dec. 15.
Creighton had not held an opponent under 40 points since Indiana State (38) on March 2, 2008, and the 36 were the fewest by a Bluejay opponent since Illinois State scored 35 on Jan. 13, 1986.
Indiana State (10-43, 23.3%), in that same 2008 game, had also been the last CU foe to shoot 25 percent or less from the field.
Both the points scored and the field goal percentage are the lowest marks in the history of Century Link Center Omaha.
While Creighton's offense gets all the attention, the Bluejay defense has made huge strides in recent seasons, especially when you consider the move to the BIG EAST. Here's where CU has ranked in KenPom.com's adjusted defensive ratings under Greg McDermott.
Year Adj. D Adj. D Rating Team W-L
2010-11 103.5 174th 23-16 (CBI)
2011-12 102.7 166th 29-6 (NCAA)
2012-13 96.5 66th 28-8 (NCAA)
2013-14 102.5 124th 27-8 (NCAA)
2014-15 102.6 138th 14-19
2015-16 97.6 49th 20-15 (NIT)
2016-17 96.5 46th 25-10 (NCAA)
2017-18 98.8 50th 18-7 so far
We're Jamming!
Creighton owns 76 dunks already this season, which its second-most in any season under Greg McDermott, but still well behind the 144 last season that ranked fourth-most nationally.
Here's a look at the Creighton student-athletes with 20 or more dunks in a season, and 19 or more dunks in a career, under McDermott:
Most Creighton Dunks, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks Name Year
72 Justin Patton 2016-17
36 Gregory Echenique 2012-13
33 Martin Krampelj 2017-18
30 Gregory Echenique 2011-12
24 Gregory Echenique 2010-11
23 Marcus Foster 2016-17
23 Marcus Foster 2017-18
22 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2010-11
Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks Name Years
90 Gregory Echenique 2010-13
72 Justin Patton 2016-17
47 Martin Krampelj 2015-Pres.
46 Marcus Foster 2016-Pres.
41 Khyri Thomas 2015-Pres.
38 Will Artino 2011-15
32 Zach Hanson 2013-17
25 Geoffrey Groselle 2012-16
22 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2010-11
19 Doug McDermott 2010-14
Most Creighton Dunks, Team, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks Year Team W-L
144 2016-17 25-10 (NCAA)
76 2017-18 18-7 so far
58 2015-16 20-15 (NIT)
56 2010-11 23-16 (CBI)
54 2012-13 28-8 (NCAA)
42 2011-12 29-6 (NCAA)
35 2013-14 27-8 (NCAA)
29 2014-15 14-19
Chairmen Of The Boards
Martin Krampelj (153 rebounds) and Ronnie Harrell Jr. (161) both have more rebounds this season than they in their careers before 2017-18, by a large margin.
Harrell had 49 rebounds last year (in 26 games) and entered this season with 125 career caroms in 55 games played.
Krampelj owned 69 rebounds in 29 games a year ago and entered this season with 89 rebounds in 36 career contests.
Krampelj, who had 26 points and 19 rebounds in Creighton's 21 games against BIG EAST foes last year (including 5 DNP's), had 86 points and 62 rebounds in CU's first seven league games this season before suffering a season-ending injury.
Ronnie On The Spot
Ronnie Harrell Jr. continues to provide a spark off, with much of his best work coming on the glass.
Harrell owned 10 or more rebounds in consecutive games against Nebraska and Maryland Eastern Shore, both in a reserve role. Harrell is the only Bluejay reserve with consecutive games of 10 or more rebounds in the last 25 years.
Harrell is one of six Creighton players to have 10 or more rebounds off the bench in a game under Greg McDermott, and the only player to do it more than once in a season or three times in a career.
Most Rebounds Off The Bench Under McDermott
Reb. Min. Player Date
14 20 Will Artino 02/14/15
11 25 Ronnie Harrell Jr. 12/21/15
11 30 Ronnie Harrell Jr. 12/09/17
10 25 Wayne Runnels 11/14/10
10 22 Will Artino 02/13/14
10 29 James Milliken 11/25/14
10 23 Devin Brooks 01/21/15
10 17 Toby Hegner 12/07/16
10 22 Ronnie Harrell Jr. 12/15/17
10 28 Ronnie Harrell Jr. 12/28/17
100 And Counting...
Creighton's 116 points against USC Upstate on Dec. 20th were its most since 1964, and the third-highest scoring game in program history.
The 116 points were also a CenturyLink Center Omaha record, and third time this season that the Bluejays have scored 109 or more points.
Creighton's Highest Scoring Games, By Points
Date Opponent W L CU Opp.
02/10/64 at Miami (Fla.) W 124 94
12/21/62 Nevada W 120 76
12/20/17 USC Upstate W 116 62
01/19/85 Indiana State W 115 80
02/02/66 Memphis W 115 82
12/09/16 Longwood W 113 58
11/20/16 vs. North Carolina State W 112 94
03/11/08 Bradley (2OT) W 111 110
12/05/17 North Dakota W 111 68
12/17/07 Houston Baptist W 110 73
12/16/67 Wisconsin-Milwaukee W 109 81
11/12/17 Alcorn State W 109 72
Double-Digits x 15
Marcus Foster scored in double-figures in each of Creighton's first 15 games of the season, the first Bluejay to start his senior season with 15 straight games of 10 or more points since Bob Harstad had 27 straight in 1990-91.
Doug McDermott had been the last player with nine straight double-figure games to start any season, doing so in all 35 games of his 2011-12 sophomore season that ended with First Team All-America accolades.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest double figure scoring streaks to start a season since 1979-80, where you can see that Foster (2016-17 and 2017-18) and McDermott (2010-11 and 2011-12) are the only men to start consecutive seasons with eight or more double-figure contests since 1979-80.
CU's Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games
To Start Year, Since 1979-80
Consec. Name, Class Year
all 35 Doug McDermott, So. 2011-12
all 32 Vernon Moore, Sr. 1984-85
28 Benoit Benjamin, Jr. 1984-85
27 Bob Harstad, Sr. 1990-91
16 Rod Mason, Sr. 1987-88
15 Marcus Foster, Sr. 2017-18
13 Rodney Buford, Sr. 1998-99
12 Gary Swain, Sr. 1986-87
10 Chad Gallagher, Sr. 1990-91
9 Rodney Buford, So. 1996-97
8 Benoit Benjamin, Fr. 1982-83
8 Gregory Brandon, Sr. 1983-84
8 Doug McDermott, Fr. 2010-11
8 Justin Patton, Fr. 2016-17
8 Marcus Foster, Jr. 2016-17
Friendly Confines
Creighton has scored 103 points or more in four home games this season, and 75 points or more in 13 of 14 home contests.
Creighton is averaging 90.4 points per home game this season, outrebounding foes by 5.7 caroms per contest, shooting 53.1 percent from the floor, and holding foes to 40.2 percent shooting.
In the second half of home games this season, Creighton has outscored teams 648-488 (46.3-34.9) and shot 53.5 percent from the field. In the second half, Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas are a combined 33-for-65 from three-point range (50.8 percent), compared to CU's opponents who are 38-for-166 (22.9 percent) from downtown after the break.
Below is a list of seasons with the most 100+ point games in Creighton history
Most 100 Point Games in a Season, Creighton History
Rank Games Year Team W-L
1. 7 1965-66 14-12
2. 5 1971-72 15-11
5 2017-18 18-6 so far
4. 4 2015-16 20-15
4 2016-17 25-10
200 Grand Passed
Creighton has drawn 233,012 home fans this season, an average of 16,644 per contest.
This season marks the 16th straight season of 100,000 or more home fans for the program, a streak that started in the final season (2002-03) of the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Creighton has led its conference in home attendance each of the last 14 completed seasons, and is once again leading the way in the BIG EAST in 2017-18.
McDermott Earns 175th Win at Creighton
With a Dec. 18 win over UT Arlington, Greg McDermott became the second coach in program history to record 175 wins on the Bluejay sideline, as only Dana Altman (327) has previously reached that milestone.
McDermott reached the mark in his 259th game on the Bluejay sideline, whereas Altman didn't win his 175th game at CU until his 274th contest.
McDermott needed 71 games at Creighton to win his 50th contest and 134 games to earn his 100th win.
McDermott's Milestone Wins at Creighton
W-L Milestone Opponent Date
25-16 Chicago State 11/13/11
50-21 vs. Evansville 03/03/12
75-29 at Bradley 02/27/13
100-34 at Butler 02/15/14
125-58 vs. Massachusetts 11/25/15
150-72 at Nebraska 12/07/16
175-84 UT Arlington 12/18/17
Give Me Five
Creighton has had three or more players score 10+ points in 24-of-25 games this season (all but Xavier on 2/10).
In Creighton's last non-conference game on Dec. 20 vs. USC Upstate, six men scored in double-figures for the first time since on Dec. 20, 2016 at Arizona State.
In Creighton's Dec. 31 win over Providence, the Bluejays had all five starters finish in double-figures for the first time since last year's BIG EAST home opener on Dec. 28, 2016 vs. Seton Hall.
Creighton has had four men average in double-figures in each of the last two seasons.
Last year, Marcus Foster (18.2), Justin Patton (12.9), Maurice Watson Jr. (12.9) and Khyri Thomas (12.3) all put up double-digits on a nightly basis.
In 2015-16 it was Watson (14.1), Cole Huff (11.3), Geoffrey Groselle (11.2) and Isaiah Zierden (10.2).
Before 2015-16, Creighton had not previously had four men finish the year scoring in double-figures since 1979-80, when Kevin McKenna, Jim Honz, George Morrow and Daryl Stovall did so.
My Favorite Martin
Martin Krampelj did not have a double-double in the first 44 games of his career, but turned in consecutive double-doubles on Dec. 5 (North Dakota) and Dec. 9 (Nebraska).
Krampelj became the first Creighton player with point/rebound double-doubles in consecutive contests since Doug McDermott on March 1 and March 4, 2014. Krampelj leads CU with six double-doubles this season.
McDermott's performance on Feb. 9 and 13 of 2013 was also the last previous time a Bluejay had 11 or more rebounds in consecutive games. Krampelj also had 11 rebounds in three straight games from Jan. 3-9, 2018, the first Bluejay to accomplish that since McDermott from Nov. 30-Dec. 10, 2011.
Full House
Creighton is averaging 16,644 fans per home game this season, good for sixth-best nationally.
Last season Creighton averaged 17,413 fans per home game, fifth-best in the country, and a figure that would have ranked 17th best in the NBA, ahead of 14 franchises.
Last year was the 12th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the sixth straight season in the top-10 nationally in attendance, as well.
2017-18 Attendance Leaders (through 2/11)
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 21,692 2/17
2. Syracuse 20,676 2/14
3. North Carolina 18,161 2/12
4. Louisville 17,474 2/17
5. Wisconsin 17,269 2/15
6. Creighton 16,644 2/13
7. Kansas 16,354 2/17
8. Tennessee 15,981 2/13
9. Arkansas 15,941 2/17
10. Nebraska 15,401 2/13
Shooters Shoot
Since Greg McDermott was hired eight years ago at Creighton, the Bluejays have shot 50 percent or better from the field in 121 games. That ranks fourth nationally, trailing only Gonzaga (139), Kansas (124) and Saint Mary's (123).
In those eight years, Gonzaga has shot 49.5 percent from the field, just ahead of Kansas (48.3%) and Creighton (48.2%). Belmont (48.2%) and Saint Mary's (48.1%) round out the top five.
Putting Up The Points
Creighton scored 116 points on Dec. 20th vs. USC Upstate, third-most in school history, and the-most ever recorded by the Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Creighton has now scored 116 points or more four times in the last two seasons (113 vs. Longwood; 112 vs. North Carolina State, 111 vs. North Dakota and 116 vs. USC Upstate), after not doing it a single time from 2008-09 to 2015-16.
The school record for points in a game by Creighton is 124, done on Feb. 10, 1964 at Miami (Fla.) in a 30-point win.
Per Basketball-Reference.com, Creighton's 20 games of 100+ points since 2010-11 (when Greg McDermott was hired) are third-most in the nation, as seen below.
Most 100+ Point Games Since 2010-11 (thru 2/11)
Rank 100 Pt. Games Team
1. 28 VMI
2. 23 North Carolina
3. 20 Creighton
4. 19 Indiana
19 Charleston Southern
19 Central Arkansas
19 Citadel
Silas Enters College Hoops Hall of Fame
Creighton alum Paul Silas was enshrined into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City on Sunday, November 19th.
In addition to Silas, the elite class included Gonzaga's John Stockton, Wake Forest's Tim Duncan, Winston-Salem State's Cleo Hill, Indiana's Scott May, Purdue's Rick Mount, and Duke's Jay Williams join former Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Wisconsin-Platteville coach Bo Ryan to form the Class of 2017.
Silas remains one of the most dominant rebounders in college basketball history. Following a season with the freshman team, Silas pulled down 1,751 rebounds for Creighton from 1961 to 1964 – a number that currently ranks sixth in Division I history and first among three-year players.
He's also third all-time at Creighton with a career average of 20.5 points per game, and earned various All-America accolades in each of his three varsity seasons, including Academic All-America recognition from CoSIDA. The Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Famer won three NBA titles as a player in the 1970s, and later coached four different NBA franchises.
Silas' No. 35 jersey was retired by Creighton, and he joins Bill Russell, Julius Erving, Kermit Washington and Artis Gilmore as one of five players in NCAA history to average at least 20 points (20.5) and 20 rebounds (21.6) during his college career.
Silas owns the top 22 single-game rebounding totals in Creighton history, with a high of 38 vs. Centenary on Feb. 19, 1962.
Silas owns more rebounds (1,751) than any player in the last 55 years (by comparison, Lehigh's Tim Kempton led all active rebounders at the end of 2016-17 with 1,095 career rebounds).
Last year, across all of Division I, there were only 36 games where an individual grabbed 20+ rebounds. Purdue's Caleb Swanigan led all of college hoops with four games of 20+ boards.
Silas Not The First
Paul Silas is the fifth person with Creighton connections to enter the College Basketball Hall of Fame. He joined the following...
Eddie Hickey, a 2006 inductee into the coaches wing, won 126 games as head coach at Creighton from 1935-43 and 1946-47.
Willis Reed, a 2006 inductee as a player (at Grambling State), won 52 games as head coach at Creighton from 1981-85.
Arthur A. Schabinger, a 2006 inductee as a contributor, won 165 games as head coach at Creighton from 1922-35.
Eddie Sutton, a 2011 inductee into the coaches wing, won 82 games as head coach at Creighton from 1969-74.
Road Openers
Creighton improved to 5-3 under Greg McDermott in its first true road game of the season with this year's win at Northwestern, and 14-10 in the last 24 years in the initial road game.
The road opener has been the barometer for Creighton's postseason plans in the previous nine years. Creighton has made the NCAA Tournament the four times it has won the road opener, and missed the tournament the other five seasons.
Creighton in Road Openers, Last 9 Years
Year Opponent Score CU in NCAA's?
2008-09 Ark.-Little Rock L 69-71 No (NIT)
2009-10 #21 Dayton L 80-90 No (CIT)
2010-11 Northwestern L 52-65 No (CBI)
2011-12 UAB W 70-60 Yes
2012-13 Nebraska W 64-42 Yes
2013-14 Saint Joseph's W 83-79 Yes
2014-15 Tulsa L 64-77 No
2015-16 #14 Indiana L 65-86 No (NIT)
2016-17 Nebraska W 77-62 Yes
2017-18 #20 Northwestern W 92-88 ? ? ?
Happy Birthday, Old Man(ny)
Manny Suarez turned 24 on November 12th. He's nearly 14 months older than his next-closest teammate, Tyler Clement (Dec. 25, 1994).
Per a list compiled by Northwestern State SID Doug Ireland, Suarez is the nation's 14th-oldest active player, with six men above him having served a church mission while in school.
NCAA's Oldest Players (as of 11/12/17)
Age (Yrs-Days) Name, Current School Key
25-309 Josh Boutte, Sam Houston State
25-275 Gibson Johnson, Hawai'i C
25-145 Zach Nelson, Utah Valley C
24-354 Isaac Neilson, Utah Valley C
24-347 Kyle Brown, Cornell C
24-298 Ron Patterson, IUPUI
24-284 Dusty Baker, Weber State C
24-228 Ronald Delph, Florida Atlantic
24-215 Jalan West, Northwestern State
24-175 David Collette, Utah C
24-132 Kevin Mickle, Ohio
24-27 Isaiah Brock, Oakland
24-5 Peter Ryckbosch, DePaul
24-0 Manny Suarez, Creighton
23-346 Quinn Taylor, Utah State C
KEY: C = served church mission
Foster Up For Naismith Award
Creighton men's basketball senior Marcus Foster has been named one of 50 candidates for the Citizen Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced. A list of 30 midseason candidates will be released on Feb. 14, 2018 before the 50th presentation of the award April 1, 2018.
A senior from Wichita Falls, Texas, Foster was a unanimous All-BIG EAST selection last year after leading Creighton with 18.2 points per game a year ago. He ranked among the league leaders in scoring after posting the highest scoring average for a Bluejay newcomer since 1970. Foster's 638 points were the 10th-most in CU history and the most ever by a Bluejay newcomer in their debut season on the court.
Creighton has had one previous winner of the Naismith Trophy, as Doug McDermott collected the hardware for both following the 2013-14 campaign.
Heeeeeeerrrrrreeeeee's Ronnie
Ronnie Harrell Jr.'s 15 rebounds vs. No. 23 UCLA on Nov. 20th were three more than his previous career-high, and the most by a Bluejay in any game since Doug McDermott had 15 boards vs. Tulsa on Nov. 23, 2013.
Harrell's 14 defensive rebounds were the most by any Bluejay since Kenny Lawson Jr. had 18 rebounds (14 defensive) vs. Saint Joseph's on Dec. 11, 2010.
Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Creighton shot 58.8 percent from the floor on November 10th, the program's best mark in a season-opener since blistering UT Arlington 106-50 on 59.4 percent shooting to open the 2002-03 season.
Creighton has made the postseason all eight times in the previous 25 seasons in which it has made at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts to open the year. The last time that didn't hold true was 1991-92, when CU shot 51.0 percent in the opener but finished just 9-19.
CU Season-Opener Field Goal Percentage Over 50%
Since 1992-93
FG% Year Opponent Postseason
.541 1997-98 UMKC NIT
.524 1998-99 Towson State NCAA
.569 2000-01 Western Illinois NCAA
.594 2002-03 UT Arlington NCAA
.500 2012-13 North Texas NCAA
.556 2013-14 Alcorn State NCAA
.528 2015-16 Texas Southern NIT
.508 2016-17 UMKC NCAA
.558 2017-18 Yale TBD
Big Margin Can Lead To Big Things
Creighton beat Yale, 92-76, in the season-opener.
Of Creighton's 20 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, nine have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
Here's a look at Creighton's last eight teams to score 90 or more in a season-opener.
Final Post-
Score Opponent Date W-L Season
92-76 Yale 11/10/17 TBD TBD
93-70 Texas Southern 11/14/15 20-15 NIT
104-77 Central Arkansas 11/14/14 14-19 --
107-61 Alcorn State 11/08/13 27-8 NCAA
97-65 N. Carolina A&T 11/11/11 29-6 NCAA
106-50 Texas-Arlington 11/17/02 29-5 NCAA
96-50 Western Illinois 11/20/00 24-8 NCAA
93-48 Towson State 11/14/98 22-9 NCAA
93-47 UT-San Antonio 11/30/90 24-8 NCAA
Two Of The Best
A pair of Creighton players were ranked among the best in college basketball in preseason rankings of top-100 players.
CBSSports.com lists Marcus Foster as the nation's 31st-best player and Khyri Thomas as 70th-best.
NBCSports.com listed Foster as the No. 21 player, and Thomas as 67th-best nationally.
ESPN.com did a list of the nation's top 50 players, and Foster finished 30th in that voting.
#ProJays
For the first time since 1969-70, Creighton has four NBA players at the same time as Kyle Korver (Cleveland Cavaliers), Anthony Tolliver (Detroit Pistons), Doug McDermott (New York Knicks) and Justin Patton (Minnesota Timberwolves) are all in the league.
Including 2017-18, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 34 of the last 35 years.
Korver ranks fourth in NBA history with 2,176 three-pointers and is seventh in league history with 43.11 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through February 11). He set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range in 2009-10, and is the only player in league history to lead the NBA in three-point percentage four times. Korver is averaging 9.4 points per game this year and shooting 43.2 percent from downtown.
Tolliver is averaging 8.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game this season for the Pistons, his 11th NBA organization.
McDermott is in his fourth season in the NBA, and first with the Dallas Mavericks, after being traded there on February 8th at the deadline. McDermott is averaging 7.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game this season.
Creighton's newest NBA product is Justin Patton, who is now with the Minnesota Timberwolves organization. Patton redshirted in 2015-16 before turning pro and being the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. Patton was then part of the Jimmy Butler trade to end up in Minneapolis, and on December 24th was recalled to the Timberwolves from the G-League affiliate in Des Moines, only to be sent down two days later. He was recalled to the Timberwolves on Feb. 12th.
Patton will become the 14th different player in history with Creighton ties to play in the NBA.
The two-day stretch in December marked the first time since 1969-70 that Creighton has had four NBA players at the same time.
Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the since Greg McDermott took over in 2010-11, per Basketball-Reference.com, through games of February 11th.
2010-11 to Present
Category Stat NCAA Rank
FG Percentage .482 3rd
3FG Percentage .386 3rd
3FG Made 2,340 4th
Assists 4,439 5th
FG Made 7,383 13th
Wins 184 29th
Winning Percentage .674 35th
Racking Up The Victories
In 99 previous seasons of Bluejay Basketball, last season was the sixth team to earn 25 or more wins.
Of Creighton's six seasons in history with 25 or more wins, Greg McDermott has coached four of those in the previous six years.
Most Creighton MBB Wins, Season
Pre Pre-Post Postseason
Year Final W-L Tourney Season Tournament
2002-03 29-5 26-4 29-4 NCAA
2011-12 29-6 25-5 28-5 NCAA
2012-13 28-8 24-7 27-7 NCAA
2008-09 27-8 25-6 26-7 NIT
2013-14 27-8 24-6 26-7 NCAA
2016-17 25-10 23-8 25-9 NCAA
1990-91 24-8 20-7 23-7 NCAA
2000-01 24-8 23-6 24-7 NCAA
1921-22 23-5 23-5 23-5 didn't exist
1973-74 23-7 21-7 21-7 NCAA
2001-02 23-9 19-8 22-8 NCAA
1999-00 23-10 20-9 23-9 NCAA
2004-05 23-11 20-10 23-10 NCAA
2010-11 23-16 18-14 19-15 CBI
*Bold italics indicates Greg McDermott teams
All-Tourney Duo
Creighton's Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas were both named to the 2017 Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team in November.
Foster averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals in two games in Kansas City, while Thomas averaged 15.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the championship rounds.
Foster has now played in three tournaments since coming to Creighton, and been named All-Tournament in each one, as he was recognized last season in the Paradise Jam (MVP) as well as the BIG EAST Tournament.
Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 17 of the last 19 seasons (entering 2017-18), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
Just three schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 19 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
Kentucky and Florida have each done it in 18 of the last 19 seasons.
Along with Arizona, Syracuse and Xavier, Creighton is one of four schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 17 of the past 19 years.
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton averaged 81.83 points per game in 2016-17, and its 2,864 points a year ago were a school-record. This year's team is averaging 85.1 points per game.
Greg McDermott is 53-2 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 47-2 mark on the Creighton sideline.
Creighton is 62-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 35 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas State.
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish fifth in the BIG EAST Conference according to a preseason poll of league coaches. Villanova was picked first with 80 points and eight first-place votes, while Seton Hall and Xavier, Providence round out the top four. After Creighton, St. John's, Marquette, Butler, Georgetown and DePaul rounded out the bottom half.
Creighton guard Marcus Foster was named Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team, while Khyri Thomas was picked to be a Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention choice.
Since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in 2013, Creighton, Providence and Villanova are the only teams to meet or exceed their poll prediction each season.
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 184 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
McDermott's .674 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. 184-89 Greg McDermott 2010-Pres.
3. 165-66 Arthur A. Schabinger 1922-35
4. 138-118 John J. "Red" McManus 1959-69
5. 130-64 Tom Apke 1974-81
Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time, which features two games from this 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. 18,494 Illinois State 02/09/13
11. 18,458 Evansville 12/29/12
12. 18,436 Bradley 01/28/12
13. 18,323 DePaul 02/07/14
14. 18,257 #5 Xavier 02/10/18
15. 18,160 Central Arkansas 11/14/14
16. 18,145 Marquette 01/21/17
17. 18,111 Bradley 02/02/13
18. 18,084 Seton Hall 12/28/16
19. 18,078 Tulsa 11/23/13
20. 18,073 Drake 01/08/13
BIG EAST Playing Big
Though the BIG EAST may not be considered of the traditional "Football 5" Conferences due to its lack of big time football, the performance of the league has been big time for a long time.
The league has owned a top-five RPI in the NCAA RPI rankings in every season since 2000-01, as seen below:
BIG EAST in Conference RPI Rankings (after 2/11)
2017-18: 2nd (via WarrenNolan.com)
2016-17: 3rd
2015-16: 4th
2014-15: 3rd
2013-14: 4th
2012-13: 2nd
2011-12: 2nd
2010-11: 1st
2009-10: 3rd
2008-19: 4th
2007-08: 5th
2006-07: 5th
2005-06: 3rd
2004-05: 2nd
2003-04: 4th
2002-03: 5th
2001-02: 3rd
2000-01: 3rd
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 80.30 points per home game (11,001 points in 138 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.19 points in non-conference home games (5,878 points in 69 home games).
Creighton is 94-2 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points and has won 88 straight non-conference home games when scoring 80 or more points, dating to a 90-85 loss to Nebraska on Dec. 7, 1991.
Eight Out Of 19 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 19 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (15), Duke (11), Winthrop (10), Kentucky (9), Creighton (8), Kansas (8) and New Mexico State (8).
Clear Bag Policy Now In Place
CenturyLink Center Omaha has adopted new clear bag regulations for all arena events, including Creighton University men's home basketball games. Bags permitted under the policy include clear plastic, vinyl or PVC totes.
Additionally, small clutch-sized bags will also be allowed inside the arena after a proper security inspection. However, oversized bags or purses will no longer be allowed inside the premises.
After observing the success and ease of transition with arenas and venues across the state, MECA and Creighton University believe the updated policy to be the best safety practice for the thousands of fans who loyally attend each basketball game, and countless concert-goers who walk through the doors at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Here are the main bullet-points of the new bag policy.
• Clear plastic bags, measuring 12 inches tall, 12 inches long, and 6 inches wide.
• Small or clutch-sized purses or wallets, not exceeding 4.5 inches tall by 6.5 inches long.
• One-gallon, clear plastic freezer bags are permitted (Ziploc bag or similar).
• No large purses, bags, backpacks or fanny-packs will be allowed inside.
• MECA staff members are not allowed to hold bags during an event.
• Exceptions will be made for bags with medical necessity after appropriate inspection.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2017-18 season went on sale on October 18th.
Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CenturyLink Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com, and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any regular-season game.
For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballCreighton Men's Basketball Highlights vs. Kansas State - 12/13/25
Saturday, December 13
Creighton Men's Basketball vs. Kansas State Press Conference - 12/13/25
Thursday, December 11
Creighton Men's Basketball Press Conference vs. Nebraska, 12/7/25
Monday, December 08
Creighton Men's Basketball Media Availability, 12/5/25
Friday, December 05
