Men's Basketball Opens 2019-20 Season With Friday Exhibition vs. McKendree

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Exhibition Game #1
McKendree Bearcats at Creighton Bluejays
Friday, Nov. 1, 2019 • 7:30 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, KOOO 101.9 FM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: None
Series History: Teams have never met in regular-season
Last Meeting: None
TICKETS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS

Next Game
Creighton (0-0 exhibition) takes on McKendree (0-0 exhibition) in an exhibition game on Friday, November 1 to open the 2019-20 season.
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7:30 p.m.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2019-20 season, including Friday's exhibition.
   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.

Broadcast Information
Friday's exhibition against McKendree will not be televised, but it will be video webcast for free at http://www.gocreighton.com/watch.

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.
    Friday's game can be found at http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=280060.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton returns nine lettermen and four starters from last year's team that finished 20-15 and tied for third in the BIG EAST Conference with a 9-9 league record.
   The Bluejays advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT with victories over Loyola (Chicago) and Memphis before falling at TCU.
   CU returns five of its top six scorers from a year ago, a group led by Preseason All-BIG EAST guard Ty-Shon Alexander (15.7 ppg.). Fellow guards Mitch Ballock (11.1 ppg.), Marcus Zegarowski (10.4 ppg.) and Davion Mintz (9.7 ppg.) give the Bluejays tremendous depth in the backcourt.
   Creighton's freshman class consists of forward Nic Zeil and guards Jalen Windham and Shereef Mitchell.

Scouting McKendree
McKendree returns three starters and seven lettermen from last year's squad that finished 9-18 overall.
   Senior guard Logan Kohrmann (12.6 ppg.) and Alijah Thomas (9.8 ppg.) are the team's top returning scorers.
   McKendree averaged 72.4 points per game a year ago, but surrendered 79.6 points per contest. The Bearcats shot 44.1 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from three-point range and 78.6 percent at the line.
   The Bearcats, who compete in Division II, were picked to finish ninth (of 16) in the preseason Great Lakes Valley Conference poll.

The Series With McKendree
Creighton and McKendree have never met in the regular-season.
   Greg McDermott has never faced McKendree, though he is 1-0 all-time against Chris Foster. McDermott's Creighton club beat Foster's Truman State squad, 101-69, on Jan. 14, 2017.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is entering his 10th season as head coach at Creighton. He is 207-109 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 487-304 entering his 26th season and is 356-240 entering his 19th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Alan Huss, Paul Lusk and Preston Murphy.

Australia Recap
Creighton got a head start on the 2019-20 season with a trip to Australia from August 1-13. The Bluejays spent the majority of their time in Sydney, Cairns and the Gold Coast, and went 2-1 in three games while Down Under.
   Five men averaged in double-figures in CU's three games, led by Mitch Ballock (18.3 ppg.), Christian Bishop (15.7 ppg.) and Davion Mintz (13.3 ppg.).
   For photos, videos and diaries from the trip, visit https://gocreighton.com/JaysDownUnder.

Creighton vs. Missouri
Creighton faced Missouri last Saturday in Columbia, Mo., in a "secret" scrimmage. Details and the score of the scrimmage were not released.

McDermott & Foster Go Way Back
Greg McDermott and Chris Foster will be on opposite benches on Friday evening for the second time as head coaches, but they've known each other for nearly 20 years.
   McDermott coached Foster at Northern Iowa from 2001-05, where Foster enjoyed a fine career that saw him amass 1,027 career points, 370 assists and 144 three-pointers.
   Foster then served as a graduate manager for McDermott during the 2005-06 campaign at UNI.
   McDermott's five teams at Northern Iowa with Foster as a player and manager went a combined 90-63, making the 2004, 2005 and 2006 NCAA Tournaments.
   McDermott's Creighton club beat Foster's Truman State squad, 101-69, on Jan. 14, 2017, at CHI Health Center Omaha.

Crowd Watch
Creighton's largest exhibition attendance in school history was 16,317 on Nov. 7, 2014 vs. Sioux Falls. Last year's exhibition game vs. Winona State attracted 15,804 fans.
   McKendree played in front of a total of 16,201 fans last season, an average of 600 fans per contest. That included a high of 1,849 at Bellarmine.

McDermott's Exhibition History
Greg McDermott is 27-0 in fall exhibition games as a Division I head coach, including a 10-0 mark at UNI, a 7-0 record at Iowa State, and a 10-0 mark at Creighton. All but one of his triumphs have been by double-digits.
   Below is a list of McDermott's exhibition games at the Division I level.
Greg McDermott's Division I Exhibition Scores
Date   McD School   Opponent   Result
2001-02   UNI   London Leopards   W 89-74
2001-02   UNI   Lake Superior State   W 74-63
2002-03   UNI   Dominican National Team   W 73-56
2002-03   UNI   H.P. Minnesota   W 90-76
2003-04   UNI   H.P. Minnesota   W 89-79
2003-04   UNI   Australian Select Team   W 92-58
2004-05   UNI   Dubuque   W 93-34
2004-05   UNI   SW Minnesota State   W 71-40
2005-06   UNI   Lewis   W 77-50
2005-06   UNI   Wayne State   W 74-57
11/03/06   Iowa State   EA Sports   W 58-57
11/06/06   Iowa State   Wayne State   W 55-41
11/01/07   Iowa State   Dubuque   W 66-38
11/04/07   Iowa State   EA Sports   W 74-63
11/08/08   Iowa State   Nebraska-Omaha   W 74-54
11/02/09   Iowa State   Black Hills State   W 96-47
11/06/09   Iowa State   UNC Pembroke   W 106-54
11/04/10   Creighton   Northern State   W 79-67
11/06/11   Creighton   Rockhurst   W 81-42
11/02/12   Creighton   Mary   W 89-51
11/01/13   Creighton   Northern State   W 89-61
11/07/14   Creighton   Sioux Falls   W 91-72
11/06/15   Creighton   Upper Iowa   W 113-77
11/04/16   Creighton   Wayne State   W 93-46
10/26/17   Creighton   Nebraska-Omaha   W 96-67
11/03/17   Creighton   UNC Pembroke   W 93-70
10/27/18   Creighton    Winona State   W 101-57

Recent Exhibition History
Creighton is 51-6 since 1981 in fall exhibition games thanks to 19 straight victories. The only team since 1994 to beat Creighton in an exhibition setting has been Global Sports, which eventually merged and changed their name to EA Sports and had three victories.
   A complete listing of Creighton's exhibition games since the 1981-82 season can be found on page four of this release.

McKendree's History vs. Division I Teams
McKendree played three games last season against Division I squads, falling to Northwestern (83-44), Indiana State (80-63) and Drake (98-70).
   The Bearcats last beat a Division I team in 2016 when it won 91-84 at SIU Edwardsville. That win over the Cougars was McKendree's first over a Division I club since a 1996 victory vs. Southeast Missouri State.

Downtown Duo
Creighton is one of two schools that return a pair of players who each made 95 or more three-pointers at their current school last season, joining UTSA.
   Creighton's Ty-Shon Alexander drained 97 triples last year, two more than Mitch Ballock's 95.
   UTSA's dynamic duo includes Keaton Wallace (121) and Jhivvan Jackson (104).
   Creighton made a school-record 372 three-pointers a year ago, which ranked tied for fifth nationally.

Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked seventh in the preseason BIG EAST Conference poll that was selected via a vote of league coaches.
   Seton Hall edged Villanova by one point to be named league favorites for the first time since 1992-93, as both the Pirates and Wildcats garnered five first place votes.
   Xavier was third, with Marquette and Providence tying for fourth place. Georgetown was tabbed sixth, just ahead of Creighton, while Butler, St. John's and DePaul round out the poll.
   Seton Hall standout Myles Powell was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, and was joined on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team by Ty-Shon Alexander (Creighton), Kamar Baldwin (Butler), Alpha Diallo (Providence), Markus Howard (Marquette) and Naji Marshall (Xavier).
   Creighton has met or exceeded its preseason BIG EAST prognostication every year since joining the league, as seen below:
Creighton's BIG EAST Preseason Poll History
Year    Preseason    Actual    Preseason All-BIG EAST
2013-14    3rd    2nd    Doug McDermott (1st)
2014-15    9th    T-9th    -
2015-16    9th    6th    -
2016-17    3rd    T-3rd    Maurice Watson Jr. (1st); Marcus Foster (HM)
2017-18    5th    T-3rd    Marcus Foster (1st); Khyri Thomas (HM)
2018-19    9th    T-3rd    Martin Krampelj (HM)
2019-20    7th    TBD   Ty-Shon Alexander (1st)

Newcomer Report
Six players made their exhibition debut in a Creighton uniform last year in the win against Winona State as Christian Bishop, Jett Canfield, Connor Cashaw, Samson Froling, Damien Jefferson and Marcus Zegarowski combined for 40 points, 20 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals in 96 minutes of action in Creighton's 101-57 triumph.
   This year's exhibition vs. McKendree could mark the first action at Creighton for senior transfer Kelvin Jones, as well as freshmen Shereef Mitchell, Jalen Windham and Nic Zeil.
   Below is a look at the last four years and how Creighton's newcomers have produced in their exhibition debuts:
2018
Bishop/Canfield/Cashaw/
Froling/Jefferson/Zegarowski
40 pts., 20 reb., 9 ast., 96 min. (W 101-57)
2017
Alexander/Ballock/Epperson/Joseph/Suarez
27 pts., 16 reb., 9 ast., 67 min. (W 96-67)
2016
Foster/Mintz/Paras/Scurry
23 pts., 8 reb., 5 ast., 57 min. (W 93-46)
2015
Thomas/Huff/Watson Jr./Patton/Albert, Krampelj/O'Neill/Cayce/Stewart
61 pts., 16 reb., 14 ast., 92 min. (W 113-77)

#JaysDownUnder
Creighton got a head start on the 2019-20 with a trip to Australia from August 1-13. CU went to Sydney, Cairns and the Gold Coast and finished 2-1 on its trip.
   Among the activities on the adventurous trip were climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, SCUBA diving and snorkeling along the Great Barrier Reef, a visit to Hartley's Crocodile Farm, zip lining and a high ropes course at the Tree Top Challenge and whitewater rafting.

Getting Votes A Good Sign
Creighton received four votes in the Associated Press preseason poll, good for 40th place.
   It's the fifth time that Creighton has picked up votes in the preseason poll under Greg McDermott. Each of the first four times that's happened, the Bluejays would finish top three in the league, reach the finals of the conference tournament, and play in the NCAA Tournament.
Preseason Poll Votes Under Greg McDermott
Year   Preseason Rank   League Finish   NCAA's?
2011-12   34th   2nd, MVC   Yes
2012-13   16th   1st, MVC   Yes
2013-14   27th   2nd, BIG EAST   Yes
2016-17   22nd   T-3rd, BIG EAST   Yes
2019-20   40th   TBD   TBD

#ProJays
Creighton has five NBA players as Kyle Korver (Milwaukee Bucks), Anthony Tolliver (Portland Trail Blazers), Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers, Justin Patton (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Khyri Thomas (Detroit Pistons) are all in the league.
   Including 2019-20, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 36 of the last 37 years.
   Korver ranks fourth in NBA history with 2,356 three-pointers and is ninth in league history with 42.91 percent marksmanship from three-point range. He set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range in 2009-10, and is the only player in league history to lead the NBA in three-point percentage four times.
   Tolliver averaged 5.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game last season for the Pistons, his 11th NBA organization, before returning to the Trail Blazers this summer via free agency.
   McDermott is in his sixth season in the NBA, and second with the Indiana Pacers. He averaged 7.3 points and 1.4 rebounds per game last year.
   Patton is on his fourth organization since being the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He's played in NBA games with the Timberwolves and 76ers and signed with the Thunder in August.
   Thomas was the 38th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers before being traded minutes later to the Detroit Pistons. Thomas was a two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and last year averaged 2.3 points in 26 contests with the Pistons.

Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the nine seasons since Greg McDermott took over in 2010-11, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 to 2018-19
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
3FG Percentage   .385   3rd
3FG Made   2,794   3rd
FG Percentage   .481   4th
Assists   5,139   4th
FG Made   8,600   11th
Wins   207   32nd
Winning Percentage   .655   40th

Eight Out Of 21 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the previous 21 years.
   On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (16), Duke (12), Winthrop (10), Kentucky (10), New Mexico State (10), Kansas (9), Creighton (8), Iona (8), Montana (8) and Murray State (8).

Freshman Starts Almost Unheard Of
Since Latrell Wrightsell in 1988, only two true freshmen have started Creighton's first exhibition game. The first was Khyri Thomas in 2015-16, while last season Samson Froling got the starting nod.
   Ryan Sears, who started all 124 regular-season games of his illustrious career from 1997-2001, came off the bench for his exhibition debut before replacing Matt West in the second exhibition game of the 1997-98 campaign.
   Sears had remained the last CU true freshman to start a Creighton regular-season opener (1997-98), until Doug McDermott did so in 2010-11. McDermott started all 145 games of his career but also came off the bench in his first exhibition game. Thomas would also go on to start the season-opener as a true freshman in 2015-16, and remained in the starting five each of the first 24 games.

Who Are These Guys?
Creighton loses just one regular starter (Martin Krampelj) from last year's team that finished 20-15. CU's 2019-20 roster contains players who made 136 starts a year ago (35 by Davion Mintz, 35 by Mitch Ballock, 34 by Ty-Shon Alexander, 16 by Damien Jefferson and 16 by Marcus Zegarowski), and a combined 186 career starts as Bluejays.
   That doesn't factor in the 64 starts at Southeast Missouri State for Denzel Mahoney, six starts at New Mexico for Damien Jefferson, six starts at Memphis for Antwann Jones, or two starts at UTEP and 28 other starts at Idaho State for Kelvin Jones.
   Creighton's 136 returning starts from the previous year is its most since 2013-14, and trails only 2002-03 (159), 2013-14 (144) and 2012-13 (140) as the program's highest in the last 40 seasons.
   Returning   Returning Starts    Final
Year   Starters   From Previous Year   W-L
2019-20   4   136   ? ? ?
2018-19   2   57   20-15
2017-18   2   72   21-12
2016-17   4   130   25-10
2015-16   1   64   20-15
2014-15   1   49   14-19
2013-14   4   144   27-8
2012-13   4   140   28-8
2011-12   3   101   29-6
2010-11   4   123   23-16
2009-10   3   106   18-16
2008-09   3   83   27-8
2007-08   1   44   22-11
2006-07   4   120   22-11
2005-06   4   134   20-10
2004-05   2   58   23-11
2003-04   3   101   20-9
2002-03   5   159   29-5
2001-02   2   65   23-9
2000-01   3   90   24-8
1999-00   3   84   23-10
1998-99   3   84   22-9
1997-98   4   72   18-10
1996-97   4   126   15-15
1995-96   4   100   14-15
1994-95   2   52   7-19
1993-94   3   73   7-22
1992-93   2   64   8-18
1991-92   2   51   9-19
1990-91   4   132   24-8
1989-90   4   127   21-12
1988-89   4   123   20-11
1987-88   3   83   16-16
1986-87   2   65   9-19
1985-86   1   48   12-16
1984-85   4   124   20-12
1983-84   3   72   17-14
1982-83   3   77   8-19
1981-82   2   78   7-20
1980-81   4   112   21-9

Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 19 of the previous 21 seasons, 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 21 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.    Kentucky and Florida have done it in 20 of the last 21 seasons.
   Creighton and Syracuse each are in the 19-of-21 seasons club.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 21 Years (through 2018-19)
Team   20-Win Seasons   2018-19 W-L
Gonzaga   21   33-4
Duke   21   32-6
Kansas   21   26-10
Kentucky   20   30-7
Florida   20   20-16
Creighton   19   20-15
Syracuse   19   20-14

Full House
Last year Creighton averaged 15,980 fans per game at home, good for seventh place. The Jays average of 17,108 prior to the NIT would have placed the program sixth.
   It's the 14th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the eighth straight season in the top-10.
2018-19 Attendance Leaders
   Rk.   School   Average
   1.   Syracuse   21,992
   2.   Kentucky   21,695
   3.   North Carolina   19,715
   4.   Tennessee   19,034
   5.   Wisconsin   17,170
   6.   Kansas   16,236
   7.   Creighton   15,980
   8.   Louisville   15,748
   9.   Marquette   15,611
   10.   Nebraska   15,341

Some Loyal Fans
Creighton has played in front of more than 300,000 fans at home in each of the past two seasons.
   Creighton had never attracted more than 141,000 home fans in any season prior to the opening of CHI Health Center Omaha, and now has done it in the previous 16 seasons entering 2019-20.
   Creighton has led its conference in average home attendance every year since moving into CHI Health Center Omaha, which is in its 17th season.
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,413   Creighton   2016-17
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   17,000   Creighton   2017-18
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12

Creighton's Most Home Fans, Season
Rk.   Year   G   Attendance   Average
1.   2017-18   18   306,000   17,000
2.   2018-19   19   303,629   15,980
3.   2015-16   19   302,887   15,941
4.   2008-09   19   302,676   15,930
5.   2010-11   22   297,161   13,507

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 207 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .655 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.   207-109   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

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 851 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 17th-longest active streak.
   Creighton's last win without making a three-point basket came on March 3, 1991 when the Jays went 0-for-2 from three-point range in a 71-66 win over Southern Illinois in the championship game of the MVC Tournament.
   Below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,070   UNLV   11/5
   2.   1,063   Vanderbilt   11/6
   3.   1,059   Duke   11/5
   4.   1,011   Arkansas   11/5
   5.   1,008   Western Kentucky   11/5
   6.   993   East Tennessee State   11/6
   7.   981   Pacific   11/5
   8.   970   Oakland   11/5
   9.   965   Texas   11/5
   10.   932   Princeton   11/5
   11.   916   Marshall   11/7
   12.   902   Baylor   11/5
   13.   887   Gonzaga   11/5
   14.   876   LIU-Brooklyn   11/5
   15.   859   Cornell   11/5
   16.   856   Mount St. Mary's   11/6
   17.   851   Creighton   11/5
   18.   845   Tennessee State   11/5
   19.   842   East Carolina   11/5

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 20 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, none larger than the 18-point deficit the Bluejays overcame against then-No.18 Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014. Ten of those 20 comebacks have come away from home.
   Creighton's largest comeback to win in 2018-19 was a 12-point deficit it rallied from to defeat East Tennessee State on Nov. 11.
   Creighton owns 11 victories since 2000 in which it has won after overcoming a deficit of 15 points or more, as seen below:
Overcoming Double-Digit Deficits, CU Since 2000
Deficit   Opponent   Date
19   Wichita State   01/28/06
18   #17 Western Kentucky   11/27/01
18   #18 Oklahoma   11/19/14
17   Missouri State   02/12/03
17   DePaul   11/09/07
17   Rhode Island   03/18/08
17   at San Diego State   11/30/11
16   TCU   01/26/03
16   at Drake   02/04/06
16   New Mexico   11/16/08
16   at Evansville   02/16/13
15   Wichita State   02/02/08

CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 7-8 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
11/26/05   Dayton   W 91-90*   Funk FG   :5.7
01/28/06   Wichita St.   W 57-55   Tolliver FG   :0.0
11/25/06   George Mason   W 58-56   Watts FT   :7.5
03/18/08   Rhode Island   W 74-73   Witter 3FG   :3.2
01/13/10   Southern Illinois   W 71-69   Young FG   :1.3
02/18/12   Long Beach St.   W 81-79   Young FG   :0.3
01/28/14   St. John's   W 63-60   McDermott 3FG   :2.8
*double-overtime

Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
03/20/06   Miami (Fla.)   L 53-52   G. Diaz FT   :2.6
01/20/07   Southern Illinois   L 58-57   B. Mullins FG   :4.1
01/10/15   #19 Seton Hall   L 68-67   S. Gibbs 3FG   :2.2
02/16/15   #19 Butler   L 58-56   R. Jones FG   :1.9
03/07/15   Xavier   L 74-73   D. Davis FT's   :6.3
01/12/16   #12 Providence   L 50-48   K. Dunn FG   :0.0
02/22/17   Providence   L 68-66   K. Cartwright 3FG   :2.4
02/10/18   #5 Xavier   L 71-72   Q. Goodin FT's   :0.3

Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time, which features five games from last year. Last season's Gonzaga game ranks fifth on that list, and was the best-attended non-conference home game in program history.
      Rank   Att.   Opponent   Date
   1.   18,868   Providence   03/08/14
   2.   18,859   Georgetown   01/25/14
   3.   18,831   #1 Villanova   12/31/16
   4.   18,797   #6 Villanova   02/16/14
   5.   18,759   #1 Gonzaga   12/01/18
   6.   18,742   Seton Hall   02/23/14
   7.   18,735   Wichita State   02/11/12
   8.   18,613   Wichita State   03/02/13
   9.   18,525   Marquette   12/31/13
   10.   18,518   Georgetown   01/27/18
   11.   18,495   Marquette   02/17/18
   12.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   13.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   14.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   15.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   16.   18,321   #3 Villanova   02/24/18
   17.   18,257   #5 Xavier   02/10/18
   18.   18,191   DePaul   02/27/18
   19.   18,160   Central Arkansas   11/14/14
   20.   18,145   Marquette   01/21/17

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 276 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 17-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 226-50 (.819) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (17-0).
   Creighton's Nov. 25, 2017 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 21,518-18,078 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.46 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 76 different times.
   Creighton is also 28-30 all-time in the 58 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-11 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 34-25 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 129-32 (.801) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 74-6 record vs. non-conference teams.
   Factor in a 17-0 home mark at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 and two wins at the Civic in the 2010 CIT, and the Bluejays are 242-50 (.829) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 80.89 points per home game (13,024 points in 161 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.11 points in non-conference home games (6,809 points in 80 home games).
   Creighton is 103-5 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points and had won 90 straight non-conference home games since Dec. 7, 1991 when scoring 80+ points before falling 103-92 to No. 1 Gonzaga on Dec. 1.

BIG EAST Playing Big
Though the BIG EAST may not be considered of the traditional "Football 5" Conferences due to its lack of big time football, the performance of the league has been big time for a long time.
   The league has owned a top-five RPI in the NCAA RPI rankings in every season since 2000-01, as seen below:
BIG EAST in Conference RPI Rankings
2018-19   5th
2017-18:   2nd
2016-17:   3rd
2015-16:   4th
2014-15:   3rd
2013-14:   4th
2012-13:   2nd
2011-12:   2nd
2010-11:   1st
2009-10:   3rd
2008-19:   4th
2007-08:   5th
2006-07:   5th
2005-06:   3rd
2004-05:   2nd
2003-04:   4th
2002-03:   5th
2001-02:   3rd
2000-01:   3rd

Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2019-20 season went on sale on October 14th.
   Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CHI Health Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com, and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any regular-season game.
   For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.

Men's Basketball Opens 2019-20 Season With Friday Exhibition vs. McKendree

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Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

Jett Canfield

Connor Cashaw

Samson Froling

Damien Jefferson

Antwann Jones

Kelvin Jones

Martin Krampelj

Denzel Mahoney

Davion Mintz

Shereef Mitchell

Jalen Windham

Marcus Zegarowski

Nic Zeil