Men's Basketball Hosts Nebraska on Saturday

Game #9: Nebraska Cornhuskers at Creighton Bluejays
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019 • 1:30 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com, KOOO (101.9 FM)
Television: FS1 (Vince Welch, Nick Bahe)
Series History: Series tied, 26-26
Last Meeting: Nebraska 94, Creighton 75 on Dec. 8, 2018 in Lincoln Neb.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS |

Next Game
Creighton (6-2) continues a season-long four-game homestand this weekend when it hosts Nebraska (4-4) at CHI Health Center Omaha on Saturday.
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court is set for 1:30 p.m.
   The game is sold out; standing room only tickets ($15 each, adult or youth) will be available for purchase by stopping by the CHI Health Center Omaha Box Office starting at 10 a.m., on Saturday.

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
Saturday's game will be televised nationally by FS1, with Vince Welch and Nick Bahe on the call.

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

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

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 6-2 this season, including an 83-76 overtime win vs. No. 12 Texas Tech last Friday in Las Vegas. The Bluejays are also 5-0 at home this year, with all five victories by nine points or more.
   CU returns five of its top six scorers from a year ago, a group led by guards Marcus Zegarowski (17.9 ppg., 4.3 apg.), Ty-Shon Alexander (15.9 ppg., 5.9 rpg.) and Mitch Ballock (12.6 ppg., 5.5 rpg.). The trio have accounted for 68 three-pointers and 61.7 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 Nebraska
Nebraska is 4-4 this season with a virtually new roster under Fred Hoiberg. The Cornhuskers went 2-1 at the Cayman Islands Classic last week, including wins over Washington State and South Florida, before returning to the mainland and falling at Georgia Tech on Wednesday night.
   Dachon Burke, Haanif Cheatham and Cam Mack all average exactly 12.4 points per game. Mack leads the team with 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while Cheatham and Yvan Ouedraogo share the team lead with 5.3 rebounds per contest.
   The Cornhuskers average 73.3 points per game but also yield 75.0 points per contest. NU shoots 43.5 percent from the floor, 32.6 percent from three-point range and 56.3 percent at the line. NU has been outrebounded by 12.4 caroms per contest while yielding 15.7 offensive rebounds per outing.

The Series vs. Nebraska
Creighton has won 16 of the past 20 regular-season match-ups, tying the all-time series at 26. Creighton's streak of seven straight double-digit wins over the Cornhuskers was snapped last season in Lincoln.
   Creighton won four of the first seven meetings in the history of the series before a 45-year break where the in-state rivals did not play each other. The series has been played at least once each season since 1977 and is CU's longest running non-conference series by a landslide.
   Creighton has won 11 straight regular-season home games over Nebraska since a Dec. 6, 1995 loss in Omaha, and is 18-9 all-time at home against the Cornhuskers.
   Greg McDermott is 13-4 all-time vs. Nebraska (7-2 as Creighton head coach) and 0-1 against Fred Hoiberg.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his 10th year as head coach at Creighton. He is 213-111 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 493-306 in his 26th season and is 362-242 in his 19th Division I campaign. Alan Huss, Paul Lusk and Terrence Rencher assist McDermott.

Hoch Family Endows Point Guard Position
Longtime supporters Janie and Harry Hoch, Jr. have established The Janie & Harry Hoch, Jr. Family Point Guard Endowed Scholarship.
   The scholarship is the first position-specific endowment for the men's basketball program and will help support the scholarship for the point guard position on the men's basketball team.
   This year's recipient is Marcus Zegarowski.
   Janie and Harry have followed Creighton Athletics closely for nearly three decades, with three of their four children attending Creighton.
   The Hoch family will be honored during the first media timeout of Saturday's game.

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 68-for-159 (42.8 percent) as a group.
   Alexander, Ballock and Zegarowski are one of two trios in the country with 22 or more three-pointers through games of Dec. 3, joining the North Florida grouping of Carter Hendricksen, J.T. Escobar and Ivan Gandia-Rosa. 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.
   Here's a look at Creighton's most three-pointers by a Bluejay through eight games in a season:
Most 3-Pointers, Creighton's First 8 Games
   3FG   Name   Year
   36   Kyle Korver   2002-03
   30   Ethan Wragge   2013-14
   30   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   25   Gary Swain   1986-87
   24   Kyle Korver   2000-01
   24   Booker Woodfox   2008-09
   23   Terrell Taylor   2001-02
   23   Ethan Wragge   2012-13
   23   Ty-Shon Alexander   2019-20
   23   Mitch Ballock   2019-20
   22   Isaiah Zierden   2014-15
   22   Marcus Foster   2017-18
   22   Mitch Ballock   2018-19
   22   Marcus Zegarowski   2019-20

Good Start vs. Nebraska
As Creighton head coach, Greg McDermott owns a 7-2 record against Nebraska. He is the only Creighton men's basketball coach to win seven straight games over the Cornhuskers (2011-17), and those seven victories trail only Dana Altman (who was 10-7 against NU) among Bluejay head coaches all-time.

Lucky Number Nine
Saturday's game against Nebraska will be Creighton's ninth game of the season.
   This will be the 10th time that Creighton has met the Cornhuskers in the ninth game of the season, and eighth straight campaign.
   Creighton is 8-1 in those previous meetings against NU in the ninth game, including wins in 2002-03 (81-73), 2004-05 (50-48), 2012-13 (64-42), 2013-14 (82-67), 2014-15 (65-55), 2015-16 (83-67), 2016-17 (77-62) and 2017-18 (75-65). The lone loss came last season.
   Creighton has won its ninth game of the season in 16 of the last 17 years.

Big (Ten) Mac Attack
Creighton is 13-4 in its last 17 games against teams from the Big Ten. Creighton has outscored foes by an average of 6.24 points in those 17 games, which include 11 double-figure victories.
   Greg McDermott is 26-16 in his career against teams that are currently in the Big Ten, including a 13-6 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   Creighton is 6-1 under McDermott in home games against Big Ten programs.
Creighton's Last 17 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
11/12/19   at Michigan   L 69-79

I'll "Half" More Of That Please
Need one big reason why Creighton has won 16 of the past 20 regular-season meetings with Nebraska? Check out the quick starts the Bluejays have gotten off to on a consistent basis.
   Creighton has led at halftime in 16 of the past 20 regular-season meetings (including 11 of the last 14 meetings), with seven double-digit leads at intermission in that span. Four of the five times that Creighton trailed it half, it came back to win the game anyway. Nebraska has led at halftime and beaten Creighton in the regular-season just once since Jan. 8, 1997, with that coming last December.
   Also of note, Creighton has held Nebraska to 30 first half points or less in 14 of the last 16 regular-season meetings at all sites.
   Creighton is 177-33 all-time under Greg McDermott when leading at halftime, and is 5-1 when up at halftime this winter.
Creighton vs Nebraska, Last 20 Reg.-Season Meetings
Date   City   Half Score   Final Score
12/09/99   Omaha   CU 40-38   CU 89-72
01/02/01   Lincoln   NU 24-22   CU 62-61
12/12/01   Omaha   CU 30-23   CU 76-70
12/21/02   Lincoln   CU 46-35   CU 81-73
12/10/03   Omaha   CU 33-23   CU 61-54
12/11/04   Lincoln   NU 22-18   CU 50-48
12/11/05   Omaha   CU 31-11   CU 70-44
11/18/06   Lincoln   CU 31-28   NU 73-61
11/24/07   Omaha   CU 47-20   CU 74-62
11/29/08   Lincoln   CU 31-18   NU 54-52
12/06/09   Omaha   CU 32-27   CU 67-61
12/05/10   Lincoln   CU 29-21   NU 59-54
12/04/11   Omaha   CU 32-29   CU 76-66
12/06/12   Lincoln   CU 28-17   CU 64-42
12/08/13   Omaha   CU 51-25   CU 82-67
12/07/14   Lincoln   NU 28-27   CU 65-55
12/09/15   Omaha   CU 36-30   CU 83-67
12/07/16   Lincoln   CU 31-30   CU 77-62
12/09/17   Omaha   NU 33-28   CU 75-65
12/08/18   Lincoln   NU 47-34   NU 94-75

One For The Record Books
Nebraska enters Saturday with a 4-4 record, while Creighton will bring a 6-2 mark into Saturday.
   Creighton has finished with more wins than Nebraska in 20 of the last 21 seasons since the 1998-99 campaign.
   Since the start of the 1998-99 season (including this winter), Creighton is 486-227, while Nebraska is 341-329 on the hardwood.
Year   Nebraska   Creighton
1998-99   20-13   22-9
1999-00   11-19   23-10
2000-01   14-16   24-8
2001-02   13-15   23-9
2002-03   11-19   29-5
2003-04   18-13   20-9
2004-05   14-14   23-1
2005-06   19-14   20-10
2006-07   17-14   22-11
2007-08   20-13   22-11
2008-09   18-13   27-8
2009-10   15-18   18-16
2010-11   19-13   23-16
2011-12   12-18   29-6
2012-13   15-18   28-8
2013-14   19-13   27-8
2014-15   13-18   14-18
2015-16   16-18   20-15
2016-17   12-19   25-10
2017-18   22-11   21-12
2018-19   19-17   20-15
2019-20   4-4 so far   6-2 so far

Defense Steps Up
Creighton held Oral Roberts to just 60 points on Tuesday, and that's with the Golden Eagles scoring the final eight points long after the game had been decided. Creighton has now allowed 70.2 points per game this season, on pace for its best showing since surrendering only 66.9 points per game in 2014-15.
   Nebraska has scored more than 75 points against the Bluejays just once (in 2018) since 1998, averaging 62.38 points in that span while winning just five of those 21 games.
   Creighton has held Nebraska to 67 points or less in each of its last eight home games against the Cornhuskers, allowing an average of 60.75 points.
   In the last 21 meetings with Creighton, Nebraska has shot a collective 41.0 percent (480-1171) from the field (surpassing 50 percent just once since 2007) and 31.3 percent (125-399) from three-point range.

All In The Family
Though he'll be participating in it for the first time, freshman guard Shereef Mitchell is no stranger to the Nebraska/Creighton rivalry.
   The Omaha native is the son of Alvin Mitchell, who played at Nebraska in 1996-97. Alvin Mitchell started had seven points, eight rebounds and three steals in NU's win over Creighton in 1996.

McDermott/Hoiberg Connections
Greg McDermott was head coach at Iowa State from 2006-10 before leaving to take the Creighton job. His replacement in Ames was none other than Fred Hoiberg, the current Nebraska coach.
   Hoiberg left Iowa State to take the head coaching job with the NBA's Chicago Bulls in the summer of 2015. With the Bulls, he would coach Greg's son Doug McDermott, who would average 9.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game under Hoiberg.
   Both Hoiberg and Doug McDermott attended Ames High School and led the school to a state title.

Perfect 10
Creighton has won each of its last 10 home games. It's the program's eighth such 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
10 - Feb. 23, 2019 - Present
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 15.9 points per game this season for Creighton, and tops the club with 5.9 rebounds per game. The Charlotte, N.C., native is shooting 46.9 percent from three-point range and 78.3 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 last Friday, 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.

Surely Shereef
Creighton freshman Shereef Mitchell had a season-high 10 points in last Thursday's game vs. San Diego State, making 3-of-4 shots and 4-of-4 free throws.
   Mitchell is the seventh different Creighton player to score in double-figures this season, and 11th man on the roster with a double-figure contest as a collegian.

Another One Bites The Dust
Last Friday's 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 last Thursday 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 last Friday's 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.
   Nebraska is 1-1 this season in overtime contests, losing to Southern Utah but beating Southern.

Sophomore Scorers
Marcus Zegarowski scored a career-high 32 points in last Friday's victory over Texas Tech, becoming the latest Bluejay sophomore to pile up the points.
   Each of the last three Creighton players to score 30 or more points have done it as a sophomore. Besides Zegarowski vs. Texas Tech, 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 6-2 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. 4, 2019
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
3FG Made   2,869   2nd
3FG Percentage   .385   4th
FG Percentage   .481   5th
Assists   5,255   4th
FG Made   8,825   11th
Wins   213   32nd
Winning Percentage   .657   39th

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.

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 859 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 12/4)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,080   UNLV   12/7
   2.   1,071   Vanderbilt   12/14
   3.   1,068   Duke   12/6
   4.   1,019   Arkansas   12/7
   5.   1,017   Western Kentucky   12/7
   6.   1,002   East Tennessee State   12/7
   7.   992   Pacific   12/7
   8.   979   Oakland   12/7
   9.   973   Texas   12/8
   10.   939   Princeton   12/10
   11.   923   Marshall   12/8
   12.   909   Baylor   12/7
   13.   897   Gonzaga   12/8
   14.   884   Long Island   12/7
   15.   866   Cornell   12/7
   16.   865   Mount St. Mary's   12/7
   17.   859   Creighton   12/7
   18.   853   Tennessee State   12/6
   19.   851   East Carolina   12/14

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 281 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 78 of those contests, a staggering 27.8 percent of the time.
     Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is
134-32 and hasn't trailed in 53 of those games.

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 80.85 points per home game (13,421 points in 166 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.78 points in non-conference home games (7,206 points in 85 home games).
   Creighton is 106-5 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

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 2,380 three-pointers and is 10th in league history with 42.85 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 38.2 percent from three-point range this season and averages 5.9 points per game.
   Tolliver is averaging 3.5 points and 3.2 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 8.8 points and 2.7 rebounds per game this year while shooting 43.6 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 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 who has played in two games this winter for Detroit, but underwent foot surgery on Nov. 13th that will sideline him for six weeks.

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 281 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 17-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 231-50 (.822) 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 21,915-18,402 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.50 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 78 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 134-32 (.807) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 79-6 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 250-50 (.833) 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 213 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .657 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.   213-111   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:   5th

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.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

Jacob Epperson

Martin Krampelj

Denzel Mahoney

Davion Mintz

Shereef Mitchell

Marcus Zegarowski