Men's Basketball Visits Michigan Tuesday for Gavitt Tipoff Games

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Game #2: Creighton Bluejays at Michigan Wolverines
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019 • 5:30 p.m. CST
Crisler Center (12,707) • Ann Arbor, Mich.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1 (Tim Brando, Bill Raftery)
Series History: Michigan leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: Michigan 83, Creighton 76 (OT) on 11/26/09 in Orlando, Fla.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | TICKETS |

Next Game
Creighton (1-0) hits the road on Tuesday, Nov. 12, for a Gavitt TIpoff Games contest at Michigan (1-0).
   Tip-off at Crisler Center (12,707) in Ann Arbor, Mich., is set for 5:30 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 Josh Dotzler will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Tuesday's game at Michigan will be televised nationally by FS1, with Tim Brando and Bill Raftery on the call.

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

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

Scouting Creighton
Creighton 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. last year). 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.
   Creighton never trailed in an 81-55 win over Kennesaw State last Tuesday in its lone game to date.

Scouting Michigan
Michigan is 1-0 under new head coach Juwan Howard following Tuesday's 79-71 victory over Appalachian State. The Wolverines were picked to finish fifth in a preseason poll of Big Ten media conducted by The Athletic.
   Eli Brooks averaged just 2.5 points per game last year, but led the Wolverines with 24 points in the win on Tuesday.
   Big man Jon Teske (9.5 ppg., 7.0 rpg. last year) contributed 17 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. Teske is one of 20 players on the preseason watch list for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award given to the nation's top center.
   Zavier Simpson (8.8 ppg., 6.6 apg. last year) stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of six points, eight rebounds and six assists against ASU. Simpson is one of 20 candidates on the preseason watch list for the Bob Cousy Award given to the nation's top point guard.
   Last year's Michigan team went 30-7, including a 17-1 mark at home. The Wolverines advanced to the Sweet 16 before being eliminated by eventual runner-up Texas Tech.

The Series With Michigan
Michigan has won both previous meetings against Creighton, an 81-62 decision in Ann Arbor in 1962 and an 83-76 overtime contest in 2009 at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla.
   Greg McDermott has never coached against Michigan or Juwan Howard.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his 10th season as head coach at Creighton. He is 208-109 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 488-304 in his 26th season and is 357-240 in his 19th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Alan Huss, Paul Lusk and Preston Murphy.

Big (Ten) Mac Attack
Creighton is 13-3 in its last 16 games against teams from the Big Ten. Creighton has outscored foes by an average of 7.25 points in those 16 games, which include 11 double-figure victories.
   Greg McDermott is 26-15 in his career against teams that are currently in the Big Ten, including a 13-5 mark on the Creighton sideline.
Creighton's Last 16 Games vs. the Big Ten
Date   Opponent   Score
11/20/11   vs. Iowa (in Des Moines)   W 82-59
12/04/11   Nebraska   W 76-66
12/22/11   Northwestern   W 87-79
11/23/12   vs. Wisconsin (in Las Vegas)   W 84-74
12/06/12   at Nebraska   W 64-42
12/08/13   Nebraska   W 82-67
12/07/14   at Nebraska   W 65-55
11/19/15   at #14 Indiana   L 65-86
11/23/15   vs. Rutgers (in Las Vegas)   W 85-75
12/09/15   Nebraska   W 83-67
11/15/16   #9 Wisconsin   W 79-67
12/07/16   at Nebraska   W 77-62
11/15/17   at #20 Northwestern   W 92-88
12/09/17   Nebraska   W 75-65
11/15/18   Ohio State   L 60-69
12/08/18   at Nebraska   L 75-94

Season Opener History
Including last Tuesday's 81-55 win vs. Kennesaw State, Creighton now owns a sparkling 87-15 record (.853) on opening day, including wins in 22 of its last 23 lid-lifters.
   Creighton has won 13 of its last 20 season-openers by 20 or more points.
   The Bluejays have outscored foes by an average of 85.60 to 61.05 in the last 20 openers.

A One And A Two...
Not only is Creighton a perfect 10-0 in season-openers under Greg McDermott, but the Bluejays have also won their second game in each campaign under McDermott.
   Tuesday's game at Michigan will be CU's biggest test in the second game of the season since defeating No. 9 Wisconsin 79-67 on Nov. 15, 2016 in Omaha in the Gavitt Tipoff Games.

Road Openers
Creighton is 5-4 under Greg McDermott in its first true road game of the season, and 14-11 in the last 25 years in the initial road game.
   The road opener has been the barometer for Creighton's postseason plans in the previous 11 years. Creighton has made the NCAA Tournament the five times it has won the road opener, and missed the NCAA Tournament the other six seasons.
Creighton in Road Openers, Last 11 Years
Year   Opponent   Score   CU in NCAA's?
2008-09   Ark.-Little Rock   L 69-71   No (NIT)
2009-10   #21 Dayton   L 80-90   No (CIT)
2010-11   Northwestern   L 52-65   No (CBI)
2011-12   UAB   W 70-60   Yes
2012-13   Nebraska   W 64-42   Yes
2013-14   Saint Joseph's   W 83-79   Yes
2014-15   Tulsa   L 64-77   No
2015-16   #14 Indiana   L 65-86   No (NIT)
2016-17   Nebraska   W 77-62   Yes
2017-18   #20 Northwestern   W 92-88   Yes
2018-19   Nebraska   L 75-94   No (NIT)

Gavitt Games History
This year marks the fifth edition of the Gavitt Tipoff Games. Creighton has participated each season, going 2-2 in the event while facing three ranked teams.
   In 2015 the Bluejays lost at No. 14 Indiana, 86-65.
   In 2016, Creighton beat No. 9 Wisconsin, 79-67, in Omaha.
   In 2017 Creighton picked up a 92-88 win at No. 20 Northwestern.
   Last Creighton dropped a 69-60 decision to Ohio State in Omaha.

Reserves Seeking Experience
Creighton's depth for Tuesday's season-opener vs. Kennesaw State took a big hit when injuries and transfer rules prevented Jacob Epperson, Davion Mintz, Damien Jefferson, Antwann Jones and Denzel Mahoney from suiting up. Those five men own 2,326 career Division I points.
   As a result, Creighton's starting line-up featured true freshman Shereef Mitchell as well as four other men who had combined for 1,793 points.
   CU's available reserves featured senior walk-on Jordan Scurry (48 career points) and four others who were making their Bluejay debuts, graduate transfer Kelvin Jones and freshmen Jett Canfield, Jalen Windham and Nic Zeil. Jones owned 394 career Division I points in previous stops at UTEP and Idaho State.

Opening Statements
Including last Tuesday's victory, Greg McDermott has won each of the last 18 season openers he's coached in, and he is 18-1 at the Division I level in season-openers. That includes double-digit victories in nine of 10 openers on the Creighton sideline. Overall as a head coach, McDermott is 23-3 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. Juwan Howard won his collegiate debut, 79-71, over Appalachian State last 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
11/05/19   Creighton   Kennesaw State   W 81-55

Home Opener History
Including Tuesday's win over Kennesaw State, Creighton is 91-11 (.892) in home openers all-time.        Creighton has won 25 straight home openers since a Dec. 3, 1994 setback against SMU.
   That 25-game home opener win streak is a school record, four 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.

Freshman Starts Almost Unheard Of
Since 1992-93, only four 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 and is the only three-time First Team All-American since 1986. He now plays for the Indiana Pacers.
   Khyri Thomas got a start in 2015-16 and remained in CU's starting five each of his first 24 games, and 96-of-102 career contests with the Jays. He now plays for the Detroit Pistons.
   Shereef Mitchell joined this elite group on Tuesday when he got the starting nod against Kennesaw State. Mitchell finished with eight points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals in 28 minutes of work.

Hello, World
Five Creighton players made their Bluejay debut last Tuesday night vs. Kennesaw State: 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.
K. Jones (@ISU) •   11   3   0   0   13
Jefferson (@CU)   8   12   0   1   23
Zegarowski   8   4   2   0   18
Mitchell•   8   6   3   3   28
Windham   8   5   1   0   19
K. Jones (@CU)   7   6   1   0   16
K. Jones (@UTEP)   6   3   0   0   11
Ballock   5   4   0   1   20
Bishop   4   3   1   0   5
Mahoney (@SEMO)•   4   1   0   0   20
A. Jones (@MEM)   3   3   2   2   13
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
Canfield   0   1   2   1   17
Zeil       0   0   0   0   6
•indicates game started

Playing With The Lead
Including Tuesday's win over Kennesaw State, Creighton hasn't trailed in its home opener in 10 of the past 20 seasons (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2019-20).
   In 277 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 77 of those contests, a staggering 27.8 percent of the time.
     Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is
130-32 and hasn't trailed in 52 of those games.
   The last time Creighton did not trail in either of its first two games of a season was 2014-15.

Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Creighton shot 52.4 percent from the floor in its lid-lifter against Kennesaw State last Tuesday.
   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, with seven of those postseason trips being NCAA Tournament berths. 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 six of its last eight 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
.524   2019-20   Kennesaw State   ? ? ?

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 Tuesday's season-opening win.
   Bishop, who was making his first career start, had career-highs with 12 points and three blocked shots against Kennesaw State. Bishop scored 10 points during CU's 20-2 run to open the second half.
   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.

November Reign
Creighton is a 61-1 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 65 of its 67 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012 and Ohio State in 2018.
   Overall, Creighton is 91-17 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.

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 plane 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.
   Alexander was also named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Watch List, the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Watch List and was a Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST choice.

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 on NBA contracts 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 2,368 three-pointers and is 10th in league history with 42.95 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 48.6 percent from three-point range this season and averages 8.6 points per game.
   Tolliver is averaging 3.1 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 7.1 points and 2.5 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. He was recently sent down to the OKC Blue in the G-League, where he plays for former Bluejay Grant Gibbs.
   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 has played in two games this winter for Detroit.

Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the first nine seasons under Greg McDermott, 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

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

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 852 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.   1,071   UNLV   11/9
   2.   1,064   Vanderbilt   11/11
   3.   1,060   Duke   11/8
   4.   1,012   Arkansas   11/12
   5.   1,009   Western Kentucky   11/9
   6.   994   East Tennessee State   11/9
   7.   982   Pacific   11/8
   8.   971   Oakland   11/8
   9.   966   Texas   11/9
   10.   933   Princeton   11/9
   11.   916   Marshall   11/7
   12.   903   Baylor   11/8
   13.   888   Gonzaga   11/9
   14.   877   Long Island   11/8
   15.   860   Cornell   11/10
   16.   857   Mount St. Mary's   11/9
   17.   852   Creighton   11/12
   18.   846   Tennessee State   11/9
   19.   843   East Carolina   11/8

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 208 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .656 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.   208-109   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

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 277 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 17-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 227-50 (.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 21,599-18,133 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.51 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 77 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 130-32 (.802) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 75-6 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 243-50 (.829) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 80.90 points per home game (13,105 points in 162 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.06 points in non-conference home games (6,890 points in 81 home games).
   Creighton is 104-5 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
2000-01:   3rd
2001-02:   3rd
2002-03:   5th
2003-04:   4th
2004-05:   2nd
2005-06:   3rd
2006-07:   5th
2007-08:   5th
2008-09:   4th
2009-10:   3rd
2010-11:   1st
2011-12:   2nd
2012-13:   2nd
2013-14:   4th
2014-15:   3rd
2015-16:   4th
2016-17:   3rd
2017-18:   2nd
2018-19   5th
2019-20:   1st

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 Visits Michigan Tuesday for Gavitt Tipoff Games

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Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

Jett Canfield

Jacob Epperson

Damien Jefferson

Antwann Jones

Kelvin Jones

Martin Krampelj

Denzel Mahoney

Davion Mintz

Shereef Mitchell

Jordan Scurry

Jalen Windham

Marcus Zegarowski

Nic Zeil