Friday Home Game vs. UTRGV Up Next For Men's Basketball

Download Notes as a PDF

Game #10: UTRGV Vaqueros at Creighton Bluejays
Friday, Dec. 13, 2019 • 7:00 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com, KOOO (101.9 FM)
Television: FS1 (Mike Monaco, Nick Bahe)
Series History: Creighton leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Creighton 75, UTRGV 60 on Dec. 19, 2014 in Omaha, Neb.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | TICKETS

Next Game
Creighton (7-2) continues a season-long four-game homestand when it hosts UTRGV (4-5) at CHI Health Center Omaha on Friday, Dec. 13.
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court is set for 7:00 p.m.

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
Friday's game will be televised nationally by FS1, with Mike Monaco and Nick Bahe on the call.

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

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

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 7-2 this season, including an 83-76 overtime win vs. No. 12 Texas Tech in Las Vegas on Nov. 29 and a 95-76 romp over Nebraska last Saturday. The Bluejays are also 6-0 at home this year, with each victory by nine points or more.
   CU returns five of its top six scorers from a year ago, a group led by guards Marcus Zegarowski (19.2 ppg., 4.4 apg.), Ty-Shon Alexander (16.6 ppg., 5.9 rpg.) and Mitch Ballock (12.7 ppg., 5.2 rpg.). The trio have accounted for 79 three-pointers and 62.6 percent of CU's overall points thus far.
   The Bluejays have played this year without the services of senior guard Davion Mintz (9.7 ppg., in 28.8 mpg. last season) and sophomore center Jacob Epperson (4.8 ppg last season) due to injury.
   Overall, 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.

Scouting UTRGV
UTRGV is 4-5 this season, though three of the wins are over non-Division I programs. The Vaqueros have scored 79 points or more in all four victories, but averaged just 58.4 points in its five losses.
   Jordan Jackson leads UTRGV with 16.2 points per game and ranks third on the club in both steals (13) and assists (21).
   Also in double-figures are Lesley Varner II (12.3 ppg.) and Javon Levi (10.6 ppg., 8.4 apg.). Levi has 42 assists in his last four games played.
   The Vaqueros average 71.8 points per game, allow just 62.6 per contest, and shoot 43.4 percent from the floor, 35.7 percent from downtown and 67.7 percent at the line while being outrebounded by 2.1 caroms per contest.

The Series vs. UTRGV
Creighton defeated UTRGV 75-60 on Dec. 19, 2014, in the only previous meeting between the schools, which occurred when UTRGV was known as Texas-Pan American.
   In that last meeting, Creighton never trailed, rolling to leads of 7-0 and 21-7 en route to a 41-27 halftime edge. The Bluejays were led by 20 points from Texas native Austin Chatman, while Avery Dingman supplied 11 points, six rebounds and six assists in 21 minutes. Shaquille Hines led UTRGV with 16 points.
   Greg McDermott is 2-0 against UTRGV (1-0 as Creighton coach). He has never faced Lew Hill.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his 10th year as head coach at Creighton. He is 214-111 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 494-306 in his 26th season and is 363-242 in his 19th Division I campaign. Alan Huss, Paul Lusk and Terrence Rencher assist McDermott.

Friday Night Lights
Creighton doesn't play many Friday home games, but judging by its success, it might not be a bad idea for the future, as CU has won 29 straight Friday home games.
   Creighton has won every Friday home game it's played since Dec. 12, 1975, back when Greg McDermott was 11 years old, and more than 24 years before current Bluejay freshmen Jalen Windham, Shereef Mitchell and Nic Zeil were born.
   The UTRGV contest is Creighton's second of two regular-season Friday home game this season. Creighton beat Cal Poly, 86-70, on Nov. 22nd.

What A Line -- 30-6-9
Marcus Zegarowski had 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists in Creighton's 95-76 win over Nebraska on Dec. 7th.
   The 30 points were the second-highest figure of his career, the six assists tied a season-high, and his nine rebounds were a career-best.
   He's the first Bluejay with at least 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the same game since at least 1979-80.
   Zegarowski is just the fourth Creighton player with a game of at least 30 points and nine rebounds in the same game under Greg McDermott, joining Cole Huff, Kenny Lawson Jr. and Doug McDermott (11x).
   Zegarowski is also just the second Creighton player under Greg McDermott with a game of at least 30 points and six assists, joining Marcus Foster vs. Georgetown (35 points, 6 assists) on Feb. 19, 2017.
   Zegarowski is the nation's only player with a 30/9/6 game this season, and the only man in the last 10 years to do it without attempting a free throw.

More Z's Please
Marcus Zegarowski is currently leading Creighton with 19.2 points per game and 4.4 assists per game.
   Creighton hasn't had a player average more than 15 points and 3.5 assists per game for a full season since Vernon Moore (21.0 ppg., 5.0 apg.) in 1984-85.
   A 6-2 guard, Moore shot an incredible 67.4 percent in 1984-85 back in the days before the three-point shot. Zegarowski is shooting 64.1 percent from two-point range this year, and last season led the BIG EAST in three-point percentage.

3 x 3
Creighton's backcourt features three of the nation's best shooters, as Ty-Shon Alexander, Mitch Ballock and Marcus Zegarowski have combined to shoot 79-for-182 (43.4 percent) as a group from deep.
   Alexander, Ballock and Zegarowski are one of three trios in the country with 26 or more three-pointers through games of Dec. 8, joining the North Florida grouping of Carter Hendricksen, J.T. Escobar and Ivan Gandia-Rosa and the Richmond grouping of Nick Sherod, Blake Francis and Jacob Gilyard. When CU defeated North Florida on Nov. 22nd, Creighton's trio shot 10-for-20 from deep, while the UNF trio shot 4-for-21 from downtown.
   Alexander and Kyle Korver are the only Bluejays in history with multiple seasons of 27 or more three-pointers in the first nine games of the season.
   Here's a look at Creighton's most three-pointers through nine games in a season:
Most 3-Pointers, Creighton's First 9 Games
   3FG   Name   Year
   42   Kyle Korver   2002-03
   34   Ethan Wragge   2013-14
   31   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   29   Kyle Korver   2000-01
   29   Mitch Ballock   2018-19
   28   Gary Swain   1986-87
   27   Ty-Shon Alexander   2019-20
   26   Booker Woodfox   2008-09
   26   Ethan Wragge   2012-13
   26   Mitch Ballock   2019-20
   26   Marcus Zegarowski   2019-20

Alexander The Great
Ty-Shon Alexander is tied for the Creighton team lead in rebounds per game (5.9) and second on the team in points per game (16.6).
   Since 1992-93, only three Bluejays (Doug McDermott, Rodney Buford and Kyle Korver) have finished a season averaging at least 16.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. All three men went on to enjoy lengthy NBA careers.
16.0 PPG & 5.5 RPG - Creighton Players Since 1991-92
Name       Year   PPG   RPG
Doug McDermott   2013-14   26.7   7.0
Doug McDermott   2012-13   23.2   7.7
Doug McDermott   2011-12   22.9   8.2
Rodney Buford   1996-97   19.6   5.6
Rodney Buford   1997-98   18.9   7.3
Rodney Buford   1998-99   18.6   7.2
Kyle Korver       2002-03   17.8   6.4
Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19   16.6   5.9

I'll "Half" More Of That Please
Creighton's 48-22 halftime lead vs. Nebraska marked the fourth time in NU's last eight meetings in Omaha that the Bluejays had led by 20 or more points at halftime.
   Creighton is 178-33 all-time under Greg McDermott when leading at halftime, and is 6-1 when up at halftime this winter.
CU's Largest Halftime Leads Since 2000 vs. Nebraska
Date   City   Half Score   Final Score
11/24/07   Omaha   CU 47-20 (+27)   CU 74-62
12/08/13   Omaha   CU 51-25 (+26)   CU 82-67
12/07/19   Omaha   CU 48-22 (+26)   CU 95-76
12/11/05   Omaha   CU 31-11 (+20)   CU 70-44
11/29/08   Lincoln   CU 31-18 (+13)   NU 54-52
12/21/02   Lincoln   CU 46-35 (+11)   CU 81-73
12/06/12   Lincoln   CU 28-17 (+11)   CU 64-42
12/10/03   Omaha   CU 33-23 (+10)   CU 61-54

Have A Half
Creighton led 48-22 at halftime on Saturday vs. Nebraska, which ranks as one of its largest halftime leads in the last 30 years.
   Creighton's three largest halftime leads of the season have come in the past three games, as that figure has grown from 14 (Texas Tech) to 15 (Oral Roberts to 26 (Nebraska). On Friday, Creighton will seek a fourth straight game with a halftime lead of 14+ points for the first time since Nov. 22-Dec. 6, 2003, which also happened to be the first four CU games in CHI Health Center Omaha history.
   Below is a list of Creighton's largest halftime margins since 1990-91. Games with an * indicate those contests that were held at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   The only schools that Creighton has led by 25+ points on multiple occasions since 1990 are Nebraska (3x), Longwood (2x) and Grambling State (2x).
Creighton's Largest Halftime Leads, Since 1990-91
   Margin   Score   Opponent   Date
   38   54-16   Grambling State   12/06/99
   37   56-19   vs. IUPUI   11/25/02
   37   62-25   Longwood*   12/09/16
   34   58-24   USC Upstate*   12/20/17
   29   48-19   Towson   11/14/98
   29   53-24   Longwood*   11/20/12
   29   53-24   Butler*   01/14/14
   29   53-24   St. John's*   02/28/16
   29   60-31   Coe*   12/20/18
   28   54-26   Western Illinois   11/20/00
   28   39-11   Alcorn State*   11/15/04
   28   45-17   Maryland Eastern Shore*   12/15/17
   28   52-24   vs. Georgia State   11/20/18
   27   49-22   vs. Texas-San Antonio   11/30/90
   27   47-20   Nebraska*   11/24/07
   27   47-20   Saint Joseph's*   12/01/12
   26   52-26   Southern   12/20/97
   26   42-16   vs. Southern Illinois   03/10/03
   26   43-17   Presbyterian*   11/18/12
   26   51-25   Nebraska*   12/08/13
   26   48-22   Nebraska*   12/07/19
   25   57-32   Grambling State   11/29/01
   25   49-24   Bradley*   01/19/11

Ballock For 3, Blocks That Is
After a career-high three blocked shots on Saturday vs. Nebraska, Mitch Ballock ranks second on the Creighton team with seven swats this season.
   Ballock is the first Bluejay with both three blocked shots and three made three-pointers in the same game since Kenny Lawson Jr. had three blocks and three treys vs. Missouri State on March 24, 2010. That game was also the final one of the Creighton sideline for Dana Altman.

Perfect 10
Creighton has won each of its last 11 home games. It's the program's eighth double-figure streak in CHI Health Center Omaha history, which opened in 2003.
Most Consecutive Home Wins
CHI Health Center Omaha History
Wins                Dates   Snapped By
24 - Feb. 19, 2013 - Dec. 12, 2014   St. Mary's, 71-67 (OT)
16 - Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 31, 2006   Southern Illinois, 74-67
16 - Jan. 19. 2011 - Dec. 22, 2011   Missouri State, 77-65
14 - Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008   Northern Iowa, 69-66
14 - Feb. 28, 2017 - Jan. 27, 2018   #5 Xavier, 72-71
11 - Feb 28, 2016 - Dec. 28, 2016   #1 Villanova, 80-70
11 - Sept. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004   Southern Illinois, 61-60
11 - Feb. 23, 2019 - Present

Quest For 22,000, Completed
Creighton has scored 22,010 points all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha, passing the 22,000 mark on Saturday vs. Nebraska.
   Creighton is now 21-1 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone at CHI Health Center Omaha, as seen below:
   Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 22,010 to 18,478 at the 17-year old facility in 282 all-time games in the building that count.
Date   Pts-Opp (CLCO Game #)   Who/How vs. Opp.
02/18/04   1,000-787 (14)   Lindeman FG vs. Indiana State
02/05/05   2,000-1,696 (28)   Funk FG vs. Missouri St.
01/18/06   3,000-2,504 (41)   Watts FT vs. Bradley
01/09/07   4,000-3,359 (56)   Tolliver FG vs. Drake
12/17/07   5,000-4,174 (69)   Ka. Korver 3FG vs. Hou. Baptist
11/16/08   6,000-5,048 (82)   Dotzler FG vs. New Mexico
02/11/09   7,000-5,870 (95)   Witter 3FG vs. Bradley
01/16/10   8,000-6,750 (109)   Young FG vs. Wichita State
12/20/10   9,000-7,645 (123)   Wragge FG vs. W. Illinois
03/23/11   10,000-8,500 (136)   Lawson FG vs. UCF
01/21/12   11,000-9,310 (148)   McDermott FG vs. Ind. St.
12/19/12   12,000-10,136 (161)   Echenique FG vs. Tulsa
11/23/13   13,000-10,922 (173)   Artino FG vs. Tulsa
02/23/14   14,000-11,711 (185)   Gibbs FG vs. Seton Hall
01/28/15   15,000-12,612 (198)   Hanson FT vs. St. John's
12/28/15   16,000-13,498 (211)   Huff FG vs. Coppin State
11/15/16   17,000-14,349 (224)   Patton FG vs. #9 Wisconsin
01/28/17   18,000-15,166 (235)   Hanson FG vs. DePaul
12/18/17   19,000-15,927 (246)   Foster 3FG vs. UT Arlington
11/06/18   20,000-16,741 (258)   Ballock 3FG vs. W. Illinois
02/03/19   21,000-17,619 (270)   Zegarowski FG vs. Xavier
12/07/19   22,000-18,463 (282)   Ballock 3FG vs. Nebraska

Decade of Doug
Creighton will play four more games before wrapping up the decade, and what a decade it's been.
   Doug McDermott, the nation's only three-time First Team All-American this decade, leads a host of statistical categories since January 1, 2010. That includes CU's most points (3,150) and rebounds (1,087).
   A full list of Creighton's statistical leaders can be found on page nine of these notes.

Sophomore Scorer
Sophomore guard Marcus Zegarowski is averaging a team-leading 19.2 points per game, quite an accomplishment for a guy who never scored more than 17 points in any game against a Division I opponent a season ago.
   The only Creighton sophomores in the last 50 seasons to average more points per game than Zegarowski are Doug McDermott (22.9 ppg. in 2011-12) and Rodney Buford (19.6 ppg. in 1996-97). McDermott and Buford are the top two career scorers in Creighton history.
   Here's a list of Creighton's top 10 sophomore scorers in the past 50 seasons:
Most Points/Game, CU Sophomores Since 1969-70
   PPG   Name   Year
   22.9   Doug McDermott   2011-12
   19.6   Rodney Buford   1996-97
   19.2   Marcus Zegarowski   2019-20
   16.8   Rick Apke   1975-76
   16.7   Bob Harstad   1988-89
   16.2   Benoit Benjamin   1983-84
   15.8   Gene Harmon   1971-72
   15.7   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   15.3   Chad Gallagher   1988-89
   14.6   Kyle Korver   2000-01

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 860 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 6,723 trifectas, an average of 7.82 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 133 times, more than any figure.
   Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 234 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
   Creighton has made at least one three-pointer before halftime in 231 consecutive contests (since 0-7 at Drake on 1/23/13).
   The Bluejays are also 7-0 this year when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to an 0-2 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:    4 times   2: 15 times   3: 30 times
4:    68 times   5:   95 times   6: 89 times
7:   133 times   8:   110 times   9: 82 times
10: 70 times   11: 48 times   12: 46 times
13: 38 times   14: 15 times   15: 6 times
16: 6 times   17: 1 time   19: 1 time
20: 1 time   21: 1 time   22: 1 time

Alexander Up For An Oscar
Creighton guard Ty-Shon Alexander is among 46 standout players selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for its initial watch list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, presented to the men's national player of the year.
   Since its founding in 1956, the USBWA has named a national player of the year. In the 1997-98 season, the award was named in honor of the legendary Oscar Robertson, "The Big O." In addition, the USBWA selects an All-America team and All-District teams, players and coaches of the year.
   Alexander is averaging 16.6 points per game this season for Creighton, and tops the club with 5.9 rebounds per game. The Charlotte, N.C., native is shooting 46.6 percent from three-point range and 82.8 percent at the charity stripe. Alexander, who is also on the watch list for the Jerry West Award Shooting Guard of the Year and the John R. Wooden Award, was named a Preseason All-BIG EAST choice.
   Alexander is one of four BIG EAST players on the list, as he's joined by Markus Howard (Marquette), Myles Powell (Seton Hall) and Omer Yurtseven (Georgetown).
   Creighton's Doug McDermott took home the Oscar Robertson Trophy as men's national player of the year following the 2013-14 season.
   The 2019-20 Oscar Robertson Trophy will be presented at the NCAA Final Four in Atlanta in April. The winner will be also be honored at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Mon., April 13, 2020.

Wrecked 'Em
Before Creighton scored 83 points on Nov. 29, Texas Tech had allowed only one team to score more than 80 points since the start of last year -- 85 by Virginia in the 2019 NCAA Tournament title game.
   Creighton's 46 points in the first half tied the most by any TTU foe in a half since the start of last season, something only Kansas did (in Lawrence).
   Creighton's 51.7 percent shooting was the best by a Texas Tech opponent since Oklahoma State shot 52.2 percent on Feb. 21, 2018. The Red Raiders had played 53 games since then before facing CU.

Another One Bites The Dust
The Nov. 29 win vs. No. 12 Texas Tech marked the seventh straight season that Creighton has knocked off a top-25 opponent.
   Creighton is now 34-145 all-time against ranked teams, and 11-13 since the start of the 2016-17 season against ranked teams.
   Greg McDermott is 16-30 as Creighton coach against top-25 foes, more than twice as many top-25 wins as any other coach in program history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 18-115 all-time against top-25 foes.

Bouncing Back
Creighton doesn't lose many games by 20 or more points, as it did on Nov. 28 vs. San Diego State. However, each of the last 12 times it has happened, Creighton has answered with a victory in its next game.
   Three of CU's last four losses by 20+ points were followed with a win over a ranked team.
Creighton's Losses by 20+ Points Since 2000
Date   Loss by 20+ Points   Next Game   Result
03/07/08   Illinois State 73, CU 49   03/18/09   CU 73, Bowling Green 71
02/11/12   Wichita State 89, #17 CU 68   02/14/12   CU 88, Southern Illinois 69
03/23/14   #23 Baylor 85, #16 CU 55   11/14/14   CU 104, Central Arkansas 77
01/25/15   #4 Villanova 71, CU 50   01/28/15   CU 77, St. John's 74
01/31/15   #21 Georgetown 67, CU 40   02/04/15   CU 79, Xavier 72 (OT)
11/19/15   #14 Indiana 86, CU 65   11/23/15   CU 85, Rutgers 75
02/03/16   #3 Villanova 83, CU 58   02/06/16   CU 88, DePaul 66
01/25/17   Georgetown 71, #16 CU 51   01/28/17   #16 CU 83, DePaul 66
01/13/18   #10 Xavier 92, #25 CU 70   01/17/18   CU 80, #19 Seton Hall 63
02/01/18   #1 Villanova 98, CU 78   02/07/18   CU 76, DePaul 75
02/20/18   Butler 93, CU 70   02/24/18   CU 89, #3 Villanova 83 (OT)
11/28/19   San Diego State 83, CU 52   11/29/19   CU 83, #12 Texas Tech 76 (OT)

Overtime Odds & Ends
After going 1-3 last year in overtime, Creighton improved to 1-0 in overtime games this season with its Nov. 29 victory over No. 12 Texas Tech.
   Creighton has now won at least one overtime game in each of the past three seasons.
   The team to score first in overtime has won 17 of Creighton's last 20 overtime games.
   Creighton is now 58-49 all-time games to go to overtime, including a 44-43 mark in single-overtime games.
   Creighton is now 5-5 in games to go to overtime at a neutral site.
   Greg McDermott improved to 8-5 as Creighton's coach in overtime contests and is 19-13 as a Division I head coach in overtime games.
   Creighton has played back-to-back overtime games just five times in school history, and just once in the last 25 years (Dec. 9 & 13, 2014).
   Creighton is now 4-11 all-time in overtime games against top-25 foes.
   Last year's team played four overtime games, tying the school record of four previously done in 1989-90 and again in 2001-02.
   More information on Creighton's overtime history can be found on page 167 of the program's 2019-20 media guide.

Sophomore Scorers
Marcus Zegarowski scored a career-high 32 points in the Nov. 29 victory over Texas Tech, becoming the latest Bluejay sophomore to pile up the points. He then added 30 points on Dec. 7 vs. Nebraska.
   Each of the last three Creighton players to score 30 or more points have done it as a sophomore. Besides Zegarowski vs. Texas Tech and Nebraska, Mitch Ballock had 39 points vs. DePaul last season, and Ty-Shon Alexander added 36 vs. No. 16 Clemson on Nov. 21, 2018.
   In addition to Zegarowski, Ballock and Alexander, one other player on the Bluejay roster has scored 30 or more points. That player is Denzel Mahoney, who scored 30+ points twice as a sophomore at Southeast Missouri State in 2017-18, and once as a freshman in 2016-17 with the Redhawks.
   Creighton's last non-sophomore to score 30 points or more was then-senior Marcus Foster's 32 points vs. UT Arlington on Dec. 18, 2017.

Foreign Tours Lead To Early Success
Creighton is coming off a trip to Australia in August, which it hopes will prepare the team for early victories as past trips have done.
   This year's team is off to a 7-2 start after going to Australia in August.
   A 2015 trip to Italy helped the Bluejay start the season 5-1.
   A 2011 trip to the Bahamas helped get the Bluejays ready for a 7-0 start.
   A 2007 trip to Canada paid dividends as Creighton started 5-0.
   In 2003, the Bluejays also went to Canada and started the subsequent season 12-0.

Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 through Dec. 8, 2019
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
3FG Made   2,882   2nd
3FG Percentage   .385   4th
FG Percentage   .481   4th
Assists   5,273   4th
FG Made   8,860   10th
Wins   214   32nd
Winning Percentage   .658   38th

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 860 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 (through 12/9)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,081   UNLV   12/18
   2.   1,071   Vanderbilt   12/14
   3.   1,069   Duke   12/19
   4.   1,020   Arkansas   12/14
   5.   1,018   Western Kentucky   12/17
   6.   1,003   East Tennessee State   12/15
   7.   993   Pacific   12/15
   8.   980   Oakland   12/14
   9.   974   Texas   12/14
   10.   939   Princeton   12/10
   11.   924   Marshall   12/11
   12.   910   Baylor   12/10
   13.   898   Gonzaga   12/14
   14.   885   Long Island   12/14
   15.   867   Cornell   12/11
   16.   866   Mount St. Mary's   12/17
   17.   860   Creighton   12/13
   18.   854   Tennessee State   12/10
   19.   851   East Carolina   12/14

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 has displayed that improvement so far.
   Bishop, who was making his first career start, had 12 points and a career-high three blocked shots against Kennesaw State. Bishop scored 10 points during CU's 20-2 run to open the second half.
   He then had eight points, five rebounds and a career-high three assists at Michigan on Nov. 12.
   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.

Playing With The Lead
Including its Nov. 5 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 282 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 79 of those contests, a staggering 28.0 percent of the time.
     Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is
135-32 and hasn't trailed in 54 of those games.

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 80.93 points per home game (13,516 points in 167 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.90 points in non-conference home games (7,301 points in 86 home games).
   Creighton is 107-5 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.

Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Creighton shot 52.4 percent from the floor in its lid-lifter against Kennesaw State on Nov. 5.
   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   ? ? ?

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

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 2,380 three-pointers and is 10th in league history with 42.84 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 37.7 percent from three-point range this season and averages 5.6 points per game.
   Tolliver is averaging 3.3 points and 3.1 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 9.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game this year while shooting 45.3 percent from three-point range.
   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 has played in two games this season for OKC. He has also spent time with 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 who has played in two games this winter for Detroit, but underwent foot surgery on Nov. 13th that will sideline him for six weeks.

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.

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
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

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 282 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 17-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 232-50 (.823) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (18-0).
   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 22,010-18,478 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.52 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 79 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 35-25 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 135-32 (.808) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 80-6 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 251-50 (.834) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

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

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 214 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .658 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.   214-111   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

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

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

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

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:   3rd

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).

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.

Friday Home Game vs. UTRGV Up Next For Men's Basketball

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

Jacob Epperson

Martin Krampelj

Denzel Mahoney

Davion Mintz

Shereef Mitchell

Jalen Windham

Marcus Zegarowski

Nic Zeil