Men's Basketball Welcomes No. 3 Villanova on Saturday

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Game #29: #3 Villanova Wildcats at Creighton Bluejays
Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 • 1:30 p.m.
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN (1620 AM); KOOO (101.9 FM); www.1620thezone.com
Television: FOX
Series History: Villanova leads, 11-2
Last Meeting: Villanova 98, Creighton 78 on Feb. 1, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pa.

Next Game
Creighton (19-9, 8-7 BIG EAST) welcomes four-time defending BIG EAST champion and third-ranked Villanova (25-3, 12-3 BIG EAST) on Saturday, Feb. 24.
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 1:30 p.m.
   The game is SOLD OUT, but a limited number of standing room only tickets will be available for purchase ($12 each) starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday by stopping by the CenturyLink Center Omaha box office.
   The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a complimentary pair of Creighton Bluejay socks courtesy of FIrst National Bank.

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 Nick Bahe will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game will be televised on FOX, with Tim Brando and Jim Jackson on the call. Lisa Byington will serve as sideline reporter.

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

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

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 19-9 this year (8-7 BIG EAST) against a rugged scheduled that contains 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 28 teams nationally with three (or more) wins over top-25 teams.
   Senior guard Marcus Foster (19.8 ppg.) was a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST pick last season, when he scored 18.2 points per game. Foster led the BIG EAST in field goals made last winter and has earned Preseason All-BIG EAST acclaim this winter. He is the nation's active leader in career field goals made and eighth with 2,066 career points. Foster owns 20+ points in seven of his last nine BIG EAST games.
   Lockdown defender Khyri Thomas (14.9 ppg., 3.9 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 26 points vs. Marquette in his last home game.
   Creighton is averaging 84.9 points per game this season (10th nationally), shooting 50.1 percent from the floor (ninth nationally), and 37.7 percent from three-point range. CU also owns a 1.59 assist/turnover ratio (ninth nationally) to date, and a +1.7 rebound margin.

Scouting #3 Villanova
Third-ranked Villanova is 25-3 on the season and 12-3 in BIG EAST play as it vies for a fifth straight regular-season league title. The Wildcats only losses have come to Butler, St. John's and Providence.
   Six Wildcats average in double-figures, a group led by National Player of the Year candidate Jalen Brunson (19.2 ppg., 4.9 apg.).
   Mikal Bridges averages 17.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He shared BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honors last season with Creighton's Khyri Thomas (and VU's now-graduated Josh Hart).
   Other scoring threats include Donte DiVincenzo (14.0 ppg.), Omari Spellman (10.9 ppg., 7.6 rpg.) and Eric Paschall (10.3 ppg.).
   Phil Booth missed seven games recently with a broken hand but returned on Wednesday. He averages 11.7 points per game.
   The Wildcats average 87.7 points per game and allow just 70.6 per contest. VU outrebounds foes by 2.3 caroms per contest and shoots 51.3 percent from the field, 40.5 percent from three-point range and 76.0 percent at the line.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his eighth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 185-91 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 465-286 in his 24th season and is 334-222 in his 17th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Preston Murphy and Alan Huss.
   Jay Wright (Bucknell, 1983) owns a 533-249 record in his 24th season as a head coach, which includes a 411-164 mark in 17 years at Villanova. He was previously head coach at Hofstra for seven seasons. Wright is assisted by Kyle Neptune, Ashley Howard and George Halcovage.

The Series With Villanova
Villanova leads the all-time series with Creighton, 11-2, including a 3-1 record in games played in Omaha.
   Creighton swept the regular-season series in 2013-14 with a pair of victories by 20+ points, but the Wildcats have won the last eight meetings.
   Greg McDermott is 2-8 against Villanova and Jay Wright. Wright is 8-2 versus Creighton.

With A Win...
- Creighton would earn its third straight 20-win season.
- Creighton would earn 20+ wins for the 29th time in program history, and 18th time 20 years.
- Creighton would improve to 8-1 this season in games after a loss.
- Creighton would clinch a .500 record or better in league play for the 22nd time in the last 23 seasons.
- Creighton would earn a fourth win this season over a ranked team, tying a single-season program record.
- The win over the No. 3 Wildcats would be the highest-ranked team the Bluejays have ever beaten.

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. CU can make it 18-of-20 seasons of 20+ wins with a victory on Saturday.
   Just three schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the previous 19 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.    Kentucky and Florida have each done it in 18 of the previous 19 seasons.
   Along with Arizona, Syracuse and Xavier, Creighton is one of four schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 17 of the previous 19 years.
Most 20-Win Seasons Entering 2017-18 (Since 1998-99)
School   20+ Wins (entering 2017-18)   2017-18 W-L
Gonzaga   19   25-4
Duke   19   23-5
Kansas   19   22-6
Kentucky   18   19-9
Florida   18   17-11
Creighton   17   19-9
Xavier   17   25-4
Arizona   17   21-6
Syracuse   17   18-10

Always Impressing
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.
   Through games of Friday, February 23, all three teams are once again matching or exceeding their preseason prognostication.

McDermott On The Wright Path
Villanova's Jay Wright owns more wins at his current school than any other current BIG EAST coach, having led the Wildcats to 411 victories in 17 seasons. That's an average of 24.18 wins per season (counting this season and this year's wins) for Wright, and a .715 winning percentage in that time.
   His counterpart on Saturday, Creighton's Greg McDermott, owns a record of 185-91 in his eighth season with the Bluejays, an average of 23.13 wins per season. McDermott owns a .670 winning percentage at CU.
   Wright, McDermott and Xavier's Chris Mack are the only current BIG EAST coaches who have averaged 23 or more wins per season in their current position.
   After 28 games of his eighth season at Villanova, Wright owned a record of 171-88 (.660) and had been to four NCAA Tournaments at VU, while McDermott has also coached CU to four NCAA bids to this point.
   Wright had a 185-91 record (.670) after exactly 276 games with the Wildcats, while McDermott is an identical 185-91 (.670) at Creighton thus far.

Fordham Transfers Meet Again
Creighton's Manny Suarez and Villanova's Eric Paschall are former teammates at Forham University in 2014-15.
   That team finished 10-21 overall, and also included current standouts Christian Sengfelder (now at Boise State), Antwoine Anderson (Connecticut)
   Suarez (982), Paschall (957) and Anderson (900) are all closing in on 1,000 career points at the collegiate level, while Sengfelder owns 1,382 career points.

Clement Repeats Academic Honor
Creighton men's basketball guard Tyler Clement has been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 7 First Team. A senior from Shawnee, Kan., Clement owns a perfect 4.00 GPA in Creighton's Heider College of Business as a Financial Analysis and Marketing major.
   This is the second straight year that Clement has been honored. Last season he became Creighton's first men's basketball student-athlete to receive Academic All-District acclaim since Anthony Tolliver in 2006-07. Tolliver would go on to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team honors.
   Clement averages 3.1 points, 1.0 assists and 1.0 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per game while playing in 18 contests this winter.
   Clement is a four-time selection to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team and has also been named to the Creighton Dean's List after all nine semesters that he's been enrolled. Clement was also named to the NABC Honors Court each of the past two seasons.
   Clement was joined on the District 7 team by TCU's Vladimir Brodziansky, Baylor's Jake Lindsey, Idaho State's Erik Nakken and Boise State's Christian Sengfelder.
   District 7 covers the states of Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.

Thomas Steps Up
Khyri Thomas has turned his offense up a notch or two since Martin Krampelj's season-ending injury on January 17.
   In the nine full games without CU's third-leading scorer, Thomas has averaged 16.7 points per game and shot 63.2 percent from the field (55-87), 50 percent from three-point range (21-42) and 82.6 percent at the line (19-23). Impressively for the guard, Thomas has shot 50 percent or better from the field in each of his last 10 contests.
   In the 18 full games with a healthy Krampelj, Thomas was averaging 14.2 points per game and shot 48.2 percent from the field, 35.6 percent from three-point range and 81.8 percent at the line.

Ranking News & Notes
Villanova is ranked No. 3 in this week's AP poll. Some notes of interest as it pertains to Creighton and ranked foes (through 2/21 games)...
- Creighton is 30-141 all-time (3-6 this year) against nationally-ranked teams in the Associated Press poll. A win on Saturday would see the 2017-18 team tie the 2016-17 club for top-25 wins in a season with four.
- A win on Saturday would make Creighton the nation's 12th team with four wins over top-25 competition this season.
- Creighton is 2-8 all-time against ranked Villanova teams. The only ranked schools that Creighton has beaten three times have been Butler (3x) and Xavier (3x).
- Creighton is 12-26 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams. He owns more top-25 wins than any coach in Creighton history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 18-115 all-time against top-25 foes.
- Creighton is 9-64 all-time against top-10 teams, including a 4-13 mark under Greg McDermott.
- A win over No. 3 Villanova would be the highest-ranked team that Creighton has ever beaten. Currently, the highest-ranked teams the Bluejays have ever defeated were No. 4 Arizona State (12/13/1963) and No. 4 Villanova (1/20/214). Creighton is 0-14 all-time against top-three squads.
- Creighton is 18-39 all-time at home against top-25 teams, including a 9-10 mark at CenturyLink Center Omaha and a 7-9 mark under Greg McDermott.

Scoring In Bunches
Creighton has scored 2,377 points through 28 games, to rank 10th nationally with 84.9 points per contest. That puts the program on pace to approach the single-season points record.
   Last year's team, which scored a school-record 2,864 points, owned 2,359 points after 28 games.
Most Points, Season
   Rk.   Points   Season   Final W-L (Postseason)
   1.   2,864   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
   2.   2,787   2015-16   20-15 (NIT)
   3.   2,772   2011-12   29-6 (NCAA)
   4.   2,756   2013-14   27-8 (NCAA)
   5.   2,688   2002-03   29-5 (NCAA)
   6.   2,684   2010-11   23-16 (CBI)
   7.   2,680   2012-13   28-8 (NCAA)
   8.   2,596   1989-90   21-12 (NIT)
   9.   2,565   2008-09   27-8 (NIT)

Most Points Per Game, Season
   Rk.   PPG   Season   Final W-L (Postseason)
   1.   88.23   1965-66   14-12 (None)
   2.   84.89   2017-18   19-9 so far (TBD)
   3.   84.17   1963-64   22-7 (NCAA)
   4.   83.96   1970-71   14-11 (None)
   5.   82.83   1964-65   13-10 (None)
   6.   82.00   1968-69   13-13 (None)
   7.   81.83   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
   8.   80.89   1976-77   21-7 (NIT)

The Cats Meow
Villanova is a nation-best 154-20 since the start of the 2013-14 season, which coincides with the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST.
   Of the 58 different schools to play Villanova in that time, only 14 have actually beaten the Wildcats.
   Creighton is one of four schools to post multiple victories over the Wildcats in that time. The Bluejays have two such wins over VU, while Butler and Seton Hall both own three victories over the Wildcats. Providence also has two wins over Nova in that span.

How They Rank?
Saturday's game against No. 3 Villanova will be Creighton's 10th game of the season against a top-25 team, tying it with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State for second-most in the country (Baylor has 11). 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. Davion Mintz owns an impressive 32 assists against just six turnovers.
   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 21:
   Games   School
   11   Baylor
   10   Oklahoma
   10   Oklahoma State
   9   Creighton
   9   Texas
   8   Iowa State
   8   Kansas State
   8   Rutgers
   8   TCU
   8   Vanderbilt
   8   Wisconsin

Loaded Schedule Under McDermott
Saturday's contest against No. 3 Villanova will be Creighton's 10th 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 10 games this season (including Saturday) against ranked foes break the record of eight previously done in 2014-15 and in 2015-16.
Most Games vs. Top 25 Teams, Season
   Games   Season   Coach
   9 (thru 2/23)   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 22, Creighton is one of 28 teams nationally with three or more top-25 wins this season.
   Ranked Wins   School   Home   Road   Neutral
   6   Oklahoma   3   2   1
   6   Texas Tech   4   1   1
   5   Alabama   4   1   0
   5   Duke   1   2   2
   5   Oklahoma State   2   2   1
   4   Florida   0   2   2
   4   Kansas   2   1   1
   4   NC State   2   1   1
   4   Texas A&M   1   2   1
   4   Texas   3   1   0
   4   Xavier   3   1   0
   3   Arizona   1   1   1
   3   Arkansas   3   0   0
   3   Creighton   1   1   1
   3   Clemson   2   0   1
   3   Florida State   2   1   0
   3   Georgia   2   0   1
   3   Iowa State   3   0   0
   3   Michigan State   2   0   1
   3   North Carolina   2   1   0
   3   Purdue   2   0   1
   3   South Carolina   2   1   0
   3   Tennessee   1   1   1
   3   Villanova   1   1   1
   3   Virginia   2   1   0
   3   Virginia Tech   2   1   0
   3   Washington   2   0   1
   3   West Virginia   2   1   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 14th-most nationally through games of February 21st.
   Ranked Wins   School
   14   Duke
   13   North Carolina
   10   Kansas
   10   Villanova
   9   Florida State
   9   South Carolina
   9   Texas Tech
   8   Arizona
   8   Baylor
   8   Gonzaga
   8   Purdue
   8   West Virginia
   8   Xavier
   7   Butler
   7   Creighton
   7   Florida
   7   Kentucky
   7   Michigan
   7   Oklahoma
   7   Virginia

Philly's Finest
Creighton has several alums who have made a dent in professional sports in the Philadelphia area.
   Darin Ruf starred at Creighton from 2006-09 and played for the Philadelphia Phillies from 2012-16. He spent last summer playing for the Samsung Lions in South Korea.
   Kyle Korver starred at Creighton from 1999-2003 and played his first four NBA seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he quickly became a fan favorite. Korver was an All-Star three winters ago with the Atlanta Hawks and now plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
   Fabian Herbers was drafted sixth overall by the Philadelphia Union in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. Herbers was a two-time BIG EAST Player of the Year, a runner-up for the MAC Hermann Trophy, and led the nation in assists and points for Creighton in 2015. He owns four goals and nine assists for the Union after two seasons.
   Other Creighton alums who have spent time in the last decade on the roster of a Philadelphia team include Greg Jordan (Philadelphia Union soccer) and Tim Gradoville (Philadelphia Phillies).

Khyrifense Leads The Defense
Khyri Thomas shared BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honors a year ago, and he and his Bluejay teammates continues to shut down the top scorers around the league.
   Below is a list of the top 10 scorers in league play (besides Marcus Foster), and how they've also done against Creighton this season.
   League Play       vs. Creighton
Name   PPG   FG%       PPG   FG%
Martin, BU   23.3   .472       18.0   .556
Ponds, SJU   21.6   .425       9.5   .320
Howard, MU   20.9   .441       6.0   1.000
Brunson, VU   19.9   .493       19.0   .636
Bluiett, XU   18.8   .427       15.0   .480
Rowsey, MU   18.5   .377       21.0   .400
Rodriguez, SHU   18.3   .495       13.5   .524
Derrickson, GU   17.8   .497       10.5   .467
Bridges, VU   17.5   .508       17.1   .508

Foster Develops
Marcus Foster has played in 125 career games at the college level, including 62 at Kansas State and 63 at Creighton.
   As you can see from the numbers below, the fifth-year senior has made huge strides in all facets of his game since arriving in Omaha.
Statistic   at Kansas State   at Creighton
Games Played   62   63
Starts   57   63
Minutes   1776   1937
FG-FGA   293-717   453-952
FG%   .409   .476
3FG-3FGA   138-370   155-400
3FG%   .373   .388
FT-FTA   151-210   130-178
FT%   .719   .730
Rebounds   172   202
Rebounds/Game   2.8   3.2
Assists   139   160
Turnovers   135   138
Steals   36   47
Points   875   1,191
Points/Game   14.1   18.9

Joseph's Faced Them
Junior guard Kaleb Joseph is in his first season playing for Creighton, but this year isn't the only season he has faced off against Villanova.
   Joseph had maybe the best game of his college career against the Wildcats on December 20, 2014. In that contest, an 82-77 overtime loss to Villanova, Joseph finished with 10 points and career-highs of 10 assists and 45 minutes played.

Rare Home Skid To Wildcats
Creighton has lost at home to Villanova in each of the last three seasons. Since moving into CenturyLink Center Omaha, the only team to defeat the Bluejays in four straight seasons in Omaha was Southern Illinois (2003-04 to 2006-07).
   No visiting team has won in Omaha five straight seasons since Illinois State at the Omaha Civic Auditorium from 1993-94 to 1997-98.

The Big Epper
Jacob Epperson scored 29 points in 26 minutes last week while making 13-of-15 shots from the floor.
   The true freshman had season-highs with 15 points and six rebounds last Tuesday against Bemidji State, making 6-of-8 shots.
   He then had 14 points in just eight minutes vs. Marquette, going 7-for-7 from the field.
   Most recently, Epperson made both attempts at Butler to finish with four points.
   Epperson is the fourth Bluejay player to be perfect in seven or more attempts from the field since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, joining Geoffrey Groselle (twice), Justin Patton and Doug McDermott. Epperson is the first Bluejay to do it in a BIG EAST game.
   Epperson has made each of his last 11 field goal attempts, and shooting 70.4 percent from the floor in his young career.

Repeat After 3
Jacob Epperson did not attempt a three-point shot in his first four appearances, but did shoot 3-of-3 from three-point range on Feb. 13 vs. Bemidji State.
   Epperson is the first Creighton player to make each of his first three career attempts from downtown since Ethan Wragge on November 14, 2009. On that day Wragged made the first three attempts from beyond the arc before missing his final trey try at No. 21 Dayton.
   Wragge finished his career as one of the great shooters in Creighton history, going 334-for-761 to rank second in both categories in Bluejay history. Wragge finished his career sixth in program annals with 43.9 percent marksmanship from downtown.

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

Foster Up For Naismith Trophy
Creighton men's basketball senior Marcus Foster has been named one of 30 late season candidates for the Citizen Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced. The award will be presented 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 following the 2013-14 campaign.

The Foster Files...
A few nuggets on Marcus Foster.
- Marcus Foster has made a three-pointer in each of Creighton's last 15 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 32 of the last 33 games, and has scored in double-figures in 45 of his last 46 games.
- Marcus Foster has made 54 three-pointers at home this year, breaking the CenturyLink Center Omaha's single-season record originally set by Booker Woodfox (in 19 games) in 2008-09.

Marcus' Theater
Marcus Foster has scored 25, 22, 24, 28, 20, 29 and 29, 12 and 13 points in his last nine BIG EAST games, which made 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.
   In his last nine BIG EAST games, Foster has averaged 22.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He's shooting 49.3 percent from the field (74-150), 46.0 percent from three-point range (29-63) and 83.3 percent from the foul line (25-30).
   Foster is tied for third among major conference players with 15 games of 20+ points this season, trailing only Trae Young (22), Kelan Martin (18) and Trevon Bluiett (16) and tied with Allonzo Trier.
   Since Foster enrolled in college in 2013-14, he trails only Buddy Hield (47) and Trevon Bluiett (43) 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 553 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 553 points include 55 free throws and are 95 more points than any other player in the country this season who has made 55 or fewer foul shots.

Masterful Marcus
Marcus Foster's game-winning basket with 14.4 seconds left to beat DePaul on Feb. 7 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.

Climbing The Charts
Marcus Foster has already made 82 three-pointers, nine more than his season total from all of last year.
   That ranks tied for sixth in single-season history at Creighton, and in position to leap some of the top marksmen in Bluejay history in the near future.
   Of the first nine Bluejays to drain 77 or more trifectas in a season, five would be named Conference Player of the Year that season.
Most 3 FG Made, Season, Creighton History
   3FG   Name (Class)   Year   League POY
   129   Kyle Korver (Sr.)   2002-03   Yes
   110   Ethan Wragge (Sr.)   2013-14   -
   100   Kyle Korver (So.)   2000-01   -
   96   Doug McDermott (Sr.)   2013-14   Yes
   91   Booker Woodfox (Sr.)   2008-09   Yes
   82   Tad Ackerman (Jr.)   1994-95   -
   82   Marcus Foster (Sr.)   2017-18   TBD
   79   Kyle Korver (Jr.)   2001-02   Yes
   78   Ethan Wragge (Jr.)   2012-13   -
   77   Doug McDermott (Jr.)   2012-13   Yes
   76   Rod Mason (Sr.)   1987-88   -

Balanced Effort
Creighton enters Saturday's game with three players averaging in double-figures: Marcus Foster (19.8), Khyri Thomas (14.9) and Martin Krampelj (11.9), with Toby Hegner (9.1) not far behind.
   Just as impressive, all four men are almost shooting 50 percent or better from the field (Foster .495; Thomas .531; Krampelj .671; Hegner .519).
   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).

Foster Reaches 2,000 Career Points
Marcus Foster owns 2,066 career points (875 at Kansas State, 1,191 at Creighton) entering Saturday's game vs. Villanova. Foster reached the 2,000 point milestone in his 121st career college game with a game-winning three-pointer with 14.4 seconds left at DePaul.
   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 (1,191), 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.
   It's worth noting that Manny Suarez owns 982 career points (including Fordham and Adelphi) through 99 career college games played.
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 1,191 points at Creighton through 63 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 26th in program history.
   Here's the top 35 career scorers in Creighton history. In addition to Foster, it's worth noting that Khyri Thomas is currently 34th.
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.   1,191   Marcus Foster   2016-Pres.
   27.   1,172   Dick Harvey   1956-59
   28.   1,155   Ethan Wragge   2009-14
   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.   1,058   Khyri Thomas   2015-Pres.
   35.   1,050   Reggie Morris   1982-86

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 21:
Most Career Field Goals, Nation's Active Leaders
   Rank   FG   Name, School   Next Game
   1.   746   Marcus Foster, Creighton   2/24
   2.   738   Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas   2/24
   3.   716   Jonathan Stark, Murray State   2/22
   4.   709   Peyton Aldridge, Davidson   2/24
   5.   698   Bogdan Bliznyuk, E. Washington   2/22

Most Career Points, Nation's Active Leaders
   Rank   Points   Name, School   Next Game
   1.   2,360   Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas   2/24
   2.   2,130   Jonathan Stark, Murray State   2/22
   3.   2,127   Trevon Bluiett, Xavier   2/28
   4.   2,122   Andrew Rowsey, Marquette   2/24
   5.   2,102   James Daniel III, Tennessee   2/24
   6.   2,077   Mike Daum, South Dakota St.   2/22
       2,077   Chris Clemons, Campbell   2/22
   8.   2,066   Marcus Foster, Creighton   2/24

Most Career Games, 10+ Points, Active Players
   Rank   10+ Games   Name, School   Next Game
   1.   113   Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas   2/24
   2.   111   Trevon Bluiett, Xavier   2/28
   3.   107   Marcus Foster, Creighton   2/24
   4.   104   Wesley Person, Troy   2/22

Follow The Leader
Marcus Foster led or tied for Creighton's scoring lead in nine straight games from Jan. 9-Feb. 10, averaging 24,.0 points per game in that time. However, he has not led CU in any of the last three contests.
    Foster's nine straight games as the team's leading scorer was 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 - Feb. 10, 2018
   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 75.76 percent at the free throw line this season, which puts the Bluejays within reach of breaking the school-record of 75.93 percent by the 2012-13 club.
   Creighton has missed three or less free throws in six of its last seven road games.
   Creighton's 14 games this season making 80 percent or better at the line ranks tied for sixth nationally, and tied with Butler and Marquette for first among all major conference teams.
   Creighton shot 100 percent at the line (6-for-6) on Feb. 10 vs. Xavier, the first time it has not missed at the stripe since March 2, 2016 vs. Providence (12-for-12).

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   2-3
DePaul   3-1   5-0
Georgetown   4-1   1-4
Marquette   2-3   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   26-17   19-25

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).

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   18.8   5.7   2.6   .427   .421   .818
Bridges, VU   17.5   4.7   2.2   .508   .393   .857
Brunson, VU   19.9   2.7   4.9   .493   .353   .841
Delgado, SHU   13.1   12.2   3.1   .482   ---   .589
Foster, CU   20.5   3.4   3.0   .485   .447   .818
Howard, MU   20.9   3.3   3.0   .441   .380   .895
Martin, BU   23.3   5.8   2.3   .472   .435   .875
Ponds, SJU   21.6   4.1   5.0   .425   .314   .831
Rodriguez, SHU   18.3   4.8   2.3   .495   .390   .787
Rowsey, MU   18.5   2.9   4.5   .377   .362   .917
Thomas, CU   14.9   3.7   2.9   .523   .392   .821

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 15 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes against Bemidji State, going 3-for-3 from downtown.
   He then went 7-for-7 and scored 14 points in eight minutes vs. Marquette on Feb. 17.
   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 269,488 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
   16,843   Creighton   2017-18
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12

Creighton's Most Home Fans, Season
Rk.   Year   G   Attendance   Average
1.   2015-16   19   302,887   15,941
2.   2008-09   19   302,676   15,930
3.   2010-11   22   297,161   13,507
4.   2016-17   17   296,013   17,413
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.   2017-18   16   269,488   16,843
10.   2011-12   16   266,632   16,665
11.   2009-10   17   246,419   14,495
12.   2005-06   17   236,313   13,901
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

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 26 games for CU in his two years in the program, contributing 36 points, 17 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   2-4 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)   128-76 (.627)

#Timeout2Vote #CoachGregMcDermott
Greg McDermott is 1 of 16 Division I men's basketball coaches remaining 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 49.6 percent from the field (on all shots) this year despite shooting 6.6 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
Salim Stoudamire, Arizona   2004-05   .504   6.6
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma   2015-16   .501   8.7
Marcus Foster, Creighton   2017-18   .496   6.6

The 1 For Sports
Next Tuesday's game vs. DePaul will air nationally on FS1, a channel that has been quite kind to Creighton in recent seasons.
   Creighton is 11-3 on FS1 this winter, and last year went 12-1 on the network.
   Creighton is 56-25 when appearing on FS1 since the network formed in 2013. CU is also 13-1 when appearing on FS2 in program history.

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 107 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 14 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.

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 811 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 21st.
Longest Active 3-Point Streak, Through 2/21
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,041   Kentucky   2/24
   2.   1,034   UNLV   2/25
   3.   1,027   Vanderbilt   2/24
   4.   1,012   Duke   2/24
   5.   970   Arkansas   2/24
   6.   963   Western Kentucky   2/22
   7.   955   East Tennessee State   2/23
   8.   946   Pacific   2/22
   9.   932   Oakland   2/22
   10.   921   Texas   2/24
   11.   900   Princeton   2/23
   12.   870   Marshall   2/22
   13.   862   Baylor   2/24
   14.   841   Gonzaga   2/22
   15.   840   LIU-Brooklyn   2/22
   16.   824   Cornell   2/23
   17.   822   Mount St. Mary's   2/22
   18.   813   Tennessee State   2/22
   19.   811   Creighton   2/24
   20.   808   East Carolina   2/25

Triple Trivia
During Creighton's current streak of 811 straight games with a three-pointer, the Bluejays have drained 6,213 trifectas, an average of 7.66 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 206 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: 44 times
2: 15 times   12: 42 times
3: 30 times   13: 33 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: 109 times   20: 1 time
9: 72 times   21: 1 time
10: 63 times

CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 255 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 15-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 211-44 (.827) 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 19,786-16,560 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.65 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 73 different times, including 21 of its last 52 home games.
   Creighton is also 27-25 all-time in the 52 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 114-26 (.814) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 66-4 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 230-44 (.839) 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 19.8 points and 2.7 assists per game this year. Only two previous Creighton players have averaged more than 19.0 points and 2.5 assists per game for a full season.
Seasons With 19 PPG, 2.5 APG, Creighton History
Name   Year   PPG   APG
Rick Apke   1976-77   19.8   2.9
Rod Mason   1987-88   20.3   3.4
Marcus Foster   2017-18   19.8   2.7

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 255 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).

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 19 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including three such wins this year. Ten of those comebacks have come away from home.
   On the other hand, CU is 161-15 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads.
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
10   Bemidji State   02/13/18

Nationally Elite
Creighton ranks in the top 20 of 12 categories nationally, through games of February 18th.
Category   Rank   Stat
Defensive Rebounds/Game   4th   29.19
Assist/Turnover Ratio   4th   1.63
Assists Per Game   4th   18.4
Personal Fouls/Game   5th   14.8
Total Assists   6th   497
Scoring Offense   6th   85.4
Fewest Fouls   8th   399
FG Percentage   10th   .502
3FG/Game   13th   10.6
3FG Made   17th   285
3FG Attempts   20th   751
Scoring Margin   20th   11.9

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   101.0   78th   19-9 so far

We're Jamming!
Creighton owns 89 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
24   Marcus Foster   2017-18
23   Marcus Foster   2016-17
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11

Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Years
90   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
72   Justin Patton   2016-17
47   Martin Krampelj   2015-Pres.
47   Marcus Foster   2016-Pres.
46   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)
89   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. (182) both have more rebounds this season than they had 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

Friendly Confines
Creighton has scored 103 points or more in four home games this season, and 75 points or more in 15 of 16 home contests.
   Creighton is averaging 90.3 points per home game this season, outrebounding foes by 5.1 caroms per contest, shooting 53.2 percent from the floor, and holding foes to 40.4 percent shooting.
   In the second half of home games this season, Creighton has outscored teams 730-549 and shot 53.2 percent from the field. In the second half, Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas are a combined 37-for-76 from three-point range (48.7 percent), compared to CU's opponents who are 44-for-190 (23.2 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   19-9 so far
   4.   4   2015-16   20-15
       4   2016-17   25-10

200 Grand Passed
Creighton has drawn 269,488 home fans this season, an average of 16,843 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 27-of-28 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.

Full House
Creighton is averaging 16,843 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 2/21)
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   21,787   2/24
   2.   Syracuse   21,062   3/3
   3.   North Carolina   18,245   2/27
   4.   Louisville   17,682   3/1
   5.   Wisconsin   17,271   2/25
   6.   Creighton   16,843   2/24
   7.   Kansas   16,347   2/26
   8.   Arkansas   16,209   2/27
   9.   Tennessee   15,779   3/3
   10.   Indiana   15,495   2/23

Shooters Shoot
Since Greg McDermott was hired eight years ago at Creighton, the Bluejays have shot 50 percent or better from the field in 123 games. That ranks tied for third nationally, trailing only Gonzaga (141) and Kansas (125) and tied with Saint Mary's (123).
   In those eight years, Gonzaga has shot 49.5 percent from the field, just ahead of Kansas (48.4%) and Creighton (48.2%). Belmont (48.2%) and Saint Mary's (48.1%) round out the top five.

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 84.9 points per game.
   Greg McDermott is 54-2 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 48-2 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.

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 110 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 2/21)
   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

Tough At Home
Creighton has won 23 straight non-conference home games dating to a Dec. 2, 2015 loss to Arizona State.
   On a national basis, that ranks as the 11th-longest streak, per recent research from the NCAA
Non-Conference Home Win Streaks
(Entering Postseason)
   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   Creighton   TBD
       23   William & Mary   TBD
   13.   22   IPFW   TBD

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 43.10 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through February 14). 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 9.3 points per game this year and shooting 43.1 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 also was recalled to the Timberwolves on Feb. 12th and sent down on Feb. 22nd.
   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 21st.
2010-11 to Present
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
FG Percentage   .482   3rd
3FG Percentage   .386   3rd
3FG Made   2,372   4th
Assists   4,499   5th
FG Made   7,479   13th
Wins   185   29th
Winning Percentage   .670   38th

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.

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 185 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .670 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more 80 years ago.
   Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk.   W-L   Name   Years
1.   327-176   Dana Altman   1994-2010
2.   185-91   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.   18,495   Marquette   02/17/18
   11.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   12.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   13.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   14.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   15.   18,257   #5 Xavier   02/10/18
   16.   18,160   Central Arkansas   11/14/14
   17.   18,145   Marquette   01/21/17
   18.   18,111   Bradley   02/02/13
   19.   18,084   Seton Hall   12/28/16
   20.   18,078   Tulsa   11/23/13

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 2/21)
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 80.66 points per home game (11,292 points in 140 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.31 points in non-conference home games (5,972 points in 70 home games).
   Creighton is 95-3 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points and has won 89 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.

Men's Basketball Welcomes No. 3 Villanova on Saturday

Players Mentioned

Tyler Clement

Jacob Epperson

Marcus Foster

Ronnie Harrell Jr.

Toby Hegner

Kaleb Joseph

Martin Krampelj

Davion Mintz

Jordan Scurry

Manny Suarez

Khyri Thomas

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