Creighton University Athletics
Tuesday, November 5
Omaha, Neb.
8:00 PM
Creighton University
vs
Kennesaw State
Creighton tips off the 2019-20 season on Tuesday vs. Kennesaw State.
Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann
Men's Basketball Tips Off Regular-Season Tuesday vs. Kennesaw State
11/2/2019 5:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bluejays have won 24 straight home openers
Download Notes as a PDF
2019-20 Creighton Men's Basketball
Game #1: Kennesaw State Owls at Creighton Bluejays
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019 • 8:00 p.m.CST
CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, KOOO 101.9 FM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FSN - Complete listings (Steve Physioc, Nick Bahe)
Series History: Creighton leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Creighton 75, Kennesaw State 57 on Nov. 26, 2010 in Omaha
TICKETS | VIDEO | AUDIO | STATS
Next Game
Creighton (0-0) opens the 2019-20 regular-season on Tuesday, Nov. 5, with a game against Kennesaw State (0-0).
Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 8:00 p.m. Central.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2019-20 season.
KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games.
John Bishop and former Bluejay Brody Deren will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Tuesday's game against Kennesaw State will be televised by FSN, with Steve Physioc and Nick Bahe on the call.
The game will air live in a variety of markets, most notably Fox Sports Midwest in Nebraska, Kansas and parts of Iowa.
Complete listings of when it'll air live, on delay and be repeated are below:
Live
AT&T SportsNet (Pittsburgh Region) 11/5 9 pm EST
Fox Sports Arizona 11/5 7 pm MST
Fox Sports Detroit 11/5 9 pm EST
Fox Sports Florida (non-Magic) 11/5 9 pm EST
Fox Sports Midwest (IA Plus, KS, NE) 11/5 8 pm CST
Fox Sports North (Plus) 11/5 8 pm CST
Fox Sports South (AL, GA, MS, TN) 11/5 9 pm EST
Fox Sports Sun (non-Heat) 11/5 9 pm EST
Fox Sports Wisconsin (Plus) 11/5 8 pm CST
MASN 2 11/5 9 pm EST
Sportstime Ohio 11/5 9 pm EST
YES 11/5 9 pm EST
Repeat
AT&T SportsNet (Rocky Mtn. Region) 11/8 2 am MST
Fox College Sports Atlantic 11/6 10 am EST
Fox College Sports Atlantic 11/8 4 pm EST
Fox College Sports Central 11/7 4 am EST
Fox College Sports Pacific 11/6 6 pm EST
Fox Sports North 11/6 3 am CST
Fox Sports South 11/6 5 pm EST
Fox Sports South 11/7 9 am EST
FOX Sports Wisconsin 11/6 4 am CST
Delay
AT&T SportsNet (Rocky Mtn. Region) 11/6 4 am MST
Fox College Sports Central 11/6 4 am EST
Fox Sports San Diego (Ducks) 11/5 10:30 pm PST
Prime Ticket (Ducks) 11/5 10:30 pm PST
Root Sports (Northwest Region) 11/5 11 pm PST
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Tuesday's game will be available via FOXSportsGO.com for desktop users, and via the FOX Sports GO app for mobile devices (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Window devices). A cable authorization may be required.
The FOX Sports GO mobile app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store or the Windows Store, and the games are now available internationally.
Prospective video streamers may need to live in an area that is broadcasting the game, and subscribe to that cable package, (see note above) in order to view.
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 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 Kennesaw State
Kennesaw State went 6-26 last season and was winless in 18 games away from home. The Owls were 3-13 in Atlantic Sun Conference action a year ago, and picked eighth of nine teams in this year's preseason poll of league coaches.
Preseason All-ASUN guard Tyler Hooker leads the Owls after topping the club in points (19.0 ppg.) and assists (3.0 apg.) a year ago.
Also back is sophomore guard Danny Lewis (11.0 ppg.) and rebound leader Bryson Lockley (7.1 ppg., 7.0 rpg.).
Last year's KSU team allowed 76.7 points per game and scored 63.4 points per contest.
The Series With Kennesaw State
Creighton defeated Kennesaw State 75-57 in the only previous meeting between the schools on Nov. 26, 2010. That game was Greg McDermott's fifth as Creighton head coach.
Doug McDermott had a game-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting to lead all players, and Darryl Ashford and Jahenns Manigat each scored 13 points for CU. Spencer Dixon scored 16 points for the Owls.
Greg McDermott is 1-0 all-time against Kennesaw State and 3-0 all-time against current Atlantic Sun Conference members. He has never faced Amir Abdur-Rahim.
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.
Exhibition Summary
Christian Bishop scored 21 points to lead four Bluejays in double-figures as Creighton never trailed in a 95-63 win over Division II foe McKendree on Friday.
In addition to 21 points from Bishop, CU got 17 points by Ty-Shon Alexander, 14 from Mitch Ballock and 12 points and 12 rebounds by graduate transfer Kelvin Jones.
Going Up On A Tuesday
This year marks the second season in a row that Creighton will open regular-season play on a Tuesday.
Before last season's lid-lifter vs. Western Illinois, Creighton had not opened the regular-season on a Tuesday since the 1991-92 season when the team opened at Iowa State.
Additionally, before last year vs. Western Illinois, Creighton has not opened its season on a Tuesday at home since the 1986-87 campaign, when it beat Iowa State.
It Gets Earlier Every Year
Tuesday's game will take place on November 5, the earliest start date for a season-opener in Creighton basketball history.
The previous earliest date ever came during the 2018-19 campaign, when the Bluejays defeated Western Illinois 78-67 on November 6, 2018.
By comparison, Creighton's season-opener as recently as 1992-93 didn't take place until December 3.
Season Opener History
Including last year's 78-67 win vs. Western Illinois, Creighton now owns a sparkling 86-15 record (.850) on opening day, including wins in 21 of its last 22 lid-lifters.
Creighton has won 12 of its last 19 season-openers by 20 or more points.
The Bluejays have outscored foes by an average of 85.84 to 61.37 in the last 19 openers.
Opening Statements
Greg McDermott has won each of the last 17 season openers he's coached in, as he is 17-1 at the Division I level in season-openers. That includes double-digit victories in eight of nine games on the Creighton sideline. Overall as a head coach, McDermott is 22-3 in season-opening games.
That includes an impressive 99-point win (137-38) in his first game on the sidelines when he was at Wayne State. Kennesaw State's Amir Abdur-Rahim will be making his collegiate head coaching debut on Tuesday.
Date School Opponent Result
1994-95 Wayne St. York W 137-38
1995-96 Wayne St. Nebraska-Omaha L 63-72
1996-97 Wayne St. St. Francis W 72-66
1997-98 Wayne St. Nebraska-Omaha W 78-76
1998-99 Wayne St. Mount Marty W 76-70
1999-00 Wayne St. South Dakota L 64-66
11/17/00 NDSU Macalester W 81-69
11/16/01 UNI vs. San Diego State L 57-71
11/22/02 UNI at Montana W 77-71
11/21/03 UNI Chicago State W 83-59
11/21/04 UNI Wayne State W 84-66
11/20/05 UNI Western Carolina W 68-46
11/10/06 Iowa State UC Riverside W 69-61
11/09/07 Iowa State Winston-Salem St. W 58-44
11/14/08 Iowa State UC Davis W 61-58
11/13/09 Iowa State Idaho State W 88-68
11/12/10 Creighton Alabama State W 71-57
11/11/11 Creighton N. Carolina A&T W 97-65
11/09/12 Creighton North Texas W 71-51
11/08/13 Creighton Alcorn State W 107-61
11/14/14 Creighton Central Arkansas W 104-77
11/14/15 Creighton Texas Southern W 93-70
11/11/16 Creighton UMKC W 89-82
11/10/17 Creighton Yale W 92-76
11/06/18 Creighton Western Illinois W 78-67
Home Opener History
Including last year's win over Western Illinois, Creighton is 90-11 (.891) in home openers all-time. Creighton has won 24 straight home openers since a Dec. 3, 1994 setback against SMU.
That 24-game home opener win streak is a school record, three more than the 21 straight from 1946-66 that was part of a stretch between 1936-80 where the Bluejays went 41-2 in home openers.
November Reign
Creighton is a 60-1 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th. The lone loss came last season when it lost to Ohio State.
Creighton has won 64 of its 66 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012 and Ohio State in 2018.
Overall, Creighton is 90-17 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
Kennesaw State Close Calls
Though Kennesaw State didn't win many games last year, that doesn't mean it didn't have a few close calls against some traditional basketball powers.
The Owls suffered narrow losses to Missouri (55-52) and eventual Big 12 co-champ Kansas State (56-41) last season in the opening 10 days of the season, trailing each team by four points at halftime. The Missouri game was tied with two minutes remaining.
In 2010, Kennesaw State dominated in-state rival Georgia State, thumping the Yellow Jackets 80-63.
Freshman Starts Almost Unheard Of
Since 1992-93, only three true freshmen have started Creighton's regular-season opener.
Ryan Sears did so in 1997-98. The point guard would go on to start all 124 games of his CU career and remains the program's all-time career assist (570) and steals (283) leader.
Doug McDermott did so in 2010-11, and he went on to start all 145 games of his career. He would graduate as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 career points as is the only three-time First Team All-American since 1986.
The only other true freshman to earn an Opening Night start was Khyri Thomas in 2015-16. Thomas remained in CU's starting five each of his first 24 games, and 96-of-102 career contests with the Jays.
Among recent redshirt freshmen to start Creighton's first exhibition game have been Toby Hegner (2014-15) and Justin Patton (2016-17).
Both McDermott and Thomas are still playing in the NBA, as is Patton.
Hello, World
Creighton has five players who could make their Bluejay debut on Tuesday night: Jett Canfield, Shereef Mitchell, Nic Zeil, Jalen Windham and Kelvin Jones.
Below is a look at how Creighton's current players have done in their regular-season and Creighton debuts in a Division I uniform.
Name Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Min.
Zegarowski 8 4 2 0 18
Jefferson (@CU) 8 12 0 1 23
Ballock 5 4 0 1 20
Bishop 4 3 1 0 5
Mahoney (@SEMO)• 4 1 0 0 20
Scurry 3 1 0 0 5
Epperson 2 2 1 0 9
Jefferson (@UNM) 2 0 1 0 8
Mintz 0 0 0 0 8
Alexander 0 0 5 1 12
•indicates game started
Playing With The Lead
Incredibly, Creighton hasn't trailed in its home opener in nine of the past 19 seasons (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2014-15 and 2016-17).
In 276 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 76 of those contests, a staggering 27.5 percent of the time.
Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is
129-32 and hasn't trailed in 51 of those games
Making An Entrance
Creighton's last freshman to debut with 10 or more points came in 2016, when redshirt freshman Justin Patton scored 12 points in 22 minutes. Patton also had eight rebounds in his debut. Patton and Martin Krampelj (8 in 2015) own the most boards in their freshman debut for CU since Joe Dabbert (9) in 2000.
Last year Damien Jefferson made his Creighton debut (as a sophomore after transferring in from New Mexico) with eight points and 12 rebounds. His 12 rebounds were the most by a Bluejay in their debut since Cyril Baptiste snared 17 caroms in 1969.
The last Bluejay with 20 points or more in his freshman debut was P'Allen Stinnett, who started his MVC Freshman of the Year campaign in 2007-08 with 23 points vs. DePaul.
Creighton's best opening-day effort in history would have to be the way Hall of Famer Bob Harstad began his senior season. Harstad went 13-for-13 from the floor and 12-for-13 at the line to score 38 points against Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 30, 1990.
In 2010 Doug McDermott burst onto the scene with 16 points and seven rebounds in his debut, becoming the first Bluejay freshman since at least 1973 to have 15 or more points and five or more rebounds in a season-opener.
Below is a list of some of Creighton's most famous players and how they performed in their regular-season debuts in a Bluejay uniform.
Name, Yr. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Min. Result
Foster, 2016 19 1 2 0 28 W 89-82
Patton, 2016 12 8 2 0 22 W 89-82
Thomas, 2015 18 3 0 2 26 W 93-70
McDermott, 2010 16 7 0 1 32 W 71-57
Stinnett, 2007 23 4 3 3 26 W 74-62
Tolliver, 2003 0 1 2 0 7 W 79-44
Funk, 2002 3 5 4 1 21 W 106-50
Kyle Korver, 1999 2 2 0 1 10 W 70-62
Buford, 1995 3 4 0 0 19 W 63-59
Harstad, 1987 4 5 1 1 21 L 49-70
Gallagher, 1987 10 3 0 0 37 L 49-70
Benjamin, 1982 14 4 1 0 22 W 98-54
McKenna, 1977 14 3 7 ? ? W 95-66
Harmon, 1971 21 7 ? ? ? W 74-62
C. Baptiste, 1969 24 17 ? ? ? W 84-62
Portman, 1966 9 ? ? ? ? W 78-76
Silas, 1961 22 29 ? ? ? W 85-51
Gibson, 1954 19 ? ? ? ? W 66-51
Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Creighton shot 58.8 percent from the floor in its 2017-18 lid-lifter against Yale, 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 each of the last nine times 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.
Creighton has shot 50 percent or better in five of its last seven season-openers.
CU Season-Opener Field Goal Percentage 50+%
Since 1993-94
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 NCAA
The Push For 90
Creighton's 92-76 win in 2017 vs. Yale was the fourth time in five seasons the team has scored 90 or more points in a season-opener.
Of Creighton's 21 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, 10 have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
Here's a look at Creighton's last nine teams to score 90 or more points in a season-opener.
Final Post-
Score Opponent Date W-L Season
93-47 UT-San Antonio 11/30/90 24-8 NCAA
93-48 Towson State 11/14/98 22-9 NCAA
96-50 Western Illinois 11/20/00 24-8 NCAA
106-50 Texas-Arlington 11/17/02 29-5 NCAA
97-65 N. Carolina A&T 11/11/11 29-6 NCAA
107-61 Alcorn State 11/08/13 27-8 NCAA
104-77 Central Arkansas 11/14/14 14-19 --
93-70 Texas Southern 11/14/15 20-15 NIT
92-76 Yale 11/10/17 21-12 NCAA
Good Defense, A Good Sign
Each of the last nine times that Creighton has held its season-opening opponent to 50 points or less, the Bluejays have advanced to the postseason. It hasn't happened since 2006, however. That list is seen below:
Date Opponent Score NCAA/NIT
11/30/73 Regis W 93-38 NCAA
11/27/76 St. Thomas (MN) W 79-39 NIT
11/30/90 UT San Antonio W 93-47 NCAA
11/14/98 Towson State W 93-48 NCAA
11/20/00 Western Illinois W 96-50 NCAA
11/17/02 Texas-Arlington W 106-50 NCAA
11/22/03 San Diego W 76-44 NIT
11/15/04 Alcorn State W 74-40 NCAA
11/13/06 Mississippi Valley St. W 78-42 NCAA
Jays At Home Against Winless Teams
Creighton's opponent on Tuesday, Kennesaw State, is 0-0. The Bluejays have won 39 straight home games against teams that are winless entering the night, winning those games by an average of 25.39 points. Fifteen of those wins came by 30 points or more, and only four were decided by single-digits.
The streak dates to a 77-70 loss versus an 0-2 SMU team on Dec. 3, 1994. That game was Dana Altman's home debut at Creighton.
Creighton has also won 110 straight home games against teams that enter the night with a record of .500 or worse, a streak that dates to Feb. 25, 2002.
Creighton at Home vs. Winless Teams, Since 12/3/1994
Opp. W-L Opponent CU Result Date
0-4 UMKC W 75-61 12/17/94
0-1 UMKC W 70-68 11/25/96
0-0 UMKC W 81-59 11/14/97
0-0 Towson W 93-48 11/14/98
0-1 Western Illinois W 96-50 11/20/00
0-1 North Carolina A&T W 72-51 11/18/01
0-0 Texas-Arlington W 106-50 11/17/02
0-3 San Diego W 79-44 11/22/03
0-1 Bethune-Cookman W 69-49 12/03/03
0-0 Alcorn State W 74-40 11/15/04
0-0 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 83-58 11/20/04
0-0 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 87-55 11/19/05
0-1 Miss. Valley State W 78-42 11/13/06
0-4 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 74-39 11/29/06
0-0 DePaul W 74-62 11/09/07
0-2 Miss. Valley State W 76-46 11/17/07
0-2 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W 82-50 11/20/08
0-9 Miss. Valley State W 82-58 12/02/08
0-7 Southern W 71-60 12/15/08
0-1 Florida A&M W 78-53 11/17/09
0-0 Alabama State W 71-57 11/12/10
0-1 Northern Arizona W 74-70 11/14/10
0-0 N. Carolina A&T W 97-65 11/11/11
0-1 Chicago State W 95-61 11/13/11
0-0 North Texas W 71-51 11/09/12
0-2 Presbyterian W 87-58 11/18/12
0-4 Longwood W 105-57 11/20/12
0-0 Alcorn State W 107-61 11/08/13
0-1 UMKC W 96-70 11/11/13
0-3 Tulsa W 82-72 11/23/13
0-0 Central Arkansas W 104-77 11/14/14
0-1 Chicago State W 84-66 11/16/14
0-1 Texas Southern W 93-70 11/14/15
0-2 UTSA W 103-78 11/17/15
0-0 UMKC W 89-82 11/11/16
0-0 Yale W 92-76 11/10/17
0-1 Alcorn State W 109-72 11/12/17
0-0 Western Illinois W 78-67 11/06/18
0-0 East Tennessee State W 75-69 11/11/18
On The Double
Kelvin Jones didn't play in Australia due to injury, so last Friday night's exhibition marked his Bluejay debut.
The graduate transfer from Idaho State delivered in a big way, finishing with 12 points and 12 rebounds in 22 minutes. He also contributed two steals and a blocked shot.
It was Creighton's first double-double by any player in a fall exhibition since Manny Suarez had 13 points and 12 rebounds vs. UNC Pembroke in 2017.
The last Bluejay with a double-double in the regular-season opener was Will Artino with 14 points and 10 rebounds vs. Central Arkansas in 2014.
The last Bluejay with a double-double in their regular-season debut for Creighton is believed to be Cyril Baptiste (24 points, 17 rebounds) in 1969.
In 61 regular-season games at the Division I level at either UTEP or Idaho State, Jones' career-high for rebounds in one game is 10, done twice.
Bishop No Longer A Rook
After a strong showing in Australia, sophomore Christian Bishop had been mentioned as a potential breakout candidate this season and he certainly displayed his improvement in Friday's exhibition win.
Bishop, who had a season-high of 10 points last season, scored 21 points in 18 minutes against McKendree.
He shot 7-of-9 from the field and was a perfect 7-for-7 at the charity stripe as well. By comparison, a year ago he shot just 16-for-37 (43.2 percent) at the foul line.
During CU's trip to Australia, Bishop averaged 15.7 points per game, including a 25-point outburst in CU's final contest vs. Bullets Invitational.
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.).
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.
For photos, videos and diaries from the trip, visit https://gocreighton.com/JaysDownUnder.
Where In The World Is Ty-Shon Alexander?
Basketball took Ty-Shon Alexander all over the globe this summer.
The Charlotte, N.C., native stayed in Omaha for much of the summer before heading to the Chris Paul CP3 Elite Guard Camp in mid-July in Winston-Salem, N.C. Alexander then went to Providence, R.I., for USA Basketball training camp from July 21-26.
The team, which consisted solely current and former of BIG EAST players, then departed for Lima, Peru, where it played five games in five days from July 31-Aug. 4 and won the bronze medal.
Alexander then boarded a plan in Lima and flew nine hours to Los Angeles, Calif., where he had about two hours to change terminals and get through customs to board a 15 hour flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia.
Upon arriving in Sydney, the jet-lagged junior once again had to clear customs and met the Creighton team at the gate as it was boarding a three-hour flight to Cairns.
Not surprisingly, minutes for a tired and travel-weary Alexander were closely monitored during the team's final two games in Australia.
Alexander Gets Preseason Hype
League coaches didn't give Ty-Shon Alexander anything more than Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST acclaim following last season, but don't tell that to the publishers of Street & Smith's.
The magazine named Alexander as a Preseason Second Team All-American in its annual basketball issue.
McDermott's Exhibition History
Greg McDermott is 28-0 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 11-0 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
11/01/19 Creighton McKendree W 95-63
Recent Exhibition History
Creighton is 52-6 since 1981 in fall exhibition games thanks to 20 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.
Newcomer Report
Four players made their exhibition debut in a Creighton uniform last Friday in the win against McKendree as senior transfer Kelvin Jones, as well as freshmen Shereef Mitchell, Jalen Windham and Nic Zeil, combined for 25 points, 18 rebounds, and 3 steals in 68 minutes of action in Creighton's 95-63 triumph.
Below is a look at the last five years and how Creighton's newcomers have produced in their exhibition debuts:
2019
K. Jones/Mitchell/Windham/Zeil
25 pts., 18 reb., 3 stl., 68 min. (W 95-63)
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)
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
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)
#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 2,361 three-pointers and is 10th in league history with 42.94 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. Korver is shooting 50 percent from three-point range this season and averages 9.3 points per game.
Tolliver is averaging 2.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game this season for the Trail Blazers.
McDermott is in his sixth season in the NBA, and second with the Indiana Pacers. He is averaging 4.6 points and 1.6 rebounds per game this year.
Patton is on his fourth organization since being the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He signed with the Thunder in August and had a pair of rebounds in his only game this season.
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 but has yet to appear in a game this winter.
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).
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.
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