Jacob Epperson
Photo by: Joe Willman
Men's Basketball Starts Homestretch By Hosting Georgetown on Saturday
2/21/2019 1:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Top two offenses in the BIG EAST will meet up in Omaha
Download Notes as a PDF
Game #28 • Georgetown Hoyas at Creighton Bluejays
Saturday, Feb. 23, 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: FOX (Justin Kutcher, Steve Lavin)
Series History: Creighton leads, 7-6
Last Meeting: Creighton 91, Georgetown 87 on Jan. 21, 2019 in Washington, D.C.
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO
Next Game
Creighton (14-13, 5-9 BIG EAST) will play three of its final four games of the regular-season at home, starting with Saturday afternoon's game vs. Georgetown (16-10, 6-7 BIG EAST).
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 1:30 p.m.
Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's tilt will be nationally televised on FOX, with Justin Kutcher and Steve Lavin on the call.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2018-19 season, while KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
   John Bishop and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action. Â
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 14-13 overall and 5-9 in BIG EAST play vs. the nation's 14th-toughest schedule, having already played 18 games against teams that won 21 games or more a year ago.
   Creighton ranks fifth nationally in three-point percentage (.401), sixth in three-pointers made per game (10.9), sixth in total three-pointers made (295) and 16th in field goal percentage (.486).
   Creighton owns five men averaging 10.1 points per game or more, including sophomores Ty-Shon Alexander (16.5 ppg.) and Mitch Ballock (10.1 ppg.). The duo have combined for 152 three-pointers this winter.
   Coming on strong of late is junior big man Martin Krampelj (12.7 ppg., 6.6 rpg.). He's averaged 15.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in CU's last 17 games with 44 dunks in that time.
Scouting Georgetown
Georgetown is 16-10 on the season, including a 4-4 road mark. The Hoyas are 6-7 in BIG EAST play, but coming off an 85-73 victory over No. 17 Villanova on Wednesday.
   Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Jessie Govan (18.2 ppg., 7.9 rpg.) leads the Hoyas. One of the best big men in the league for the last several years, he's added the three-point shot to his arsenal and has drained 37 three-pointers while hitting at a 42.0 percent clip from deep.
   Guards Mac McClung (13.5 ppg.) and James Akinjo (13.0 ppg.) are the top two scoring freshmen in the BIG EAST, while classmate Josh LeBlanc tops all conference freshmen with 7.3 rebounds per game.
   The Hoyas average 81.4 points per game and allow 77.7 points per contest. GU shoots 45.1 percent from the floor, 36.8 percent from three-point range and 73.9 percent at the line. The Hoyas outrebound foes by 4.5 caroms per contest.
The Series With Georgetown
Creighton is 7-6 all-time against Georgetown, and 4-1 in Omaha against the Hoyas. The home team has won five of the last seven meetings.
   The series began in 1970 in West Palm Beach, Fla., before resuming in 2014 in BIG EAST play.
   Last season saw Creighton sweep the Hoyas for the first time, as the Jays won 90-66 at Capital One Arena and 85-77 in Omaha. Creighton defeated Georgetown 91-87 on January 21st in Washington, D.C., earlier this season.
   Greg McDermott is 6-7 all-time (6-6 as Creighton coach) against Georgetown and 3-0 against Patrick Ewing.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his ninth season as head coach at Creighton, where he is 201-107 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 481-302 in his 25th season and is 350-238 in his 18th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Preston Murphy, Alan Huss and Paul Lusk.
With A Win, Creighton Can...
- Improve to 202-107 under Greg McDermott at Creighton.
- Improve to 8-6 all-time against the Hoyas with a fourth straight victory in the series.
- Improve to 5-1 all-time in Omaha against Georgetown.
- Have Greg McDermott improve to 4-0 all-time against Patrick Ewing.
The Rare Three-Time All-Americans
Doug McDermott, the son of Creighton head coach Greg McDermott, wrapped up a memorable career in 2014 with his third straight First Team All-America honor and a sweep of all 14 National Player of the Year awards.
   On Saturday, Creighton will face Georgetown and coach Patrick Ewing. Ewing starred from 1981-85 with the Hoyas and in 1985 was named National Player of the Year by the Associated Press, NABC, Sporting News and won the Naismith Award.
   Prior to McDermott (in 2012, 2013 and 2014), the last player to be a three-time First Team All-American by the Associated Press had been Ewing and Oklahoma standout Wayman Tisdale, who both did so in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Other three-time First Team All-Americans by the AP are Oscar Robertson, Lew Alcindor, Pete Maravich, Ralph Sampson, David Thompson, Jerry Lucas, Tom Gola and Bill Walton.
   McDermott currently plays for the Indiana Pacers.
BIG EAST Fireworks
Saturday's game in Omaha, could light up the scoreboards in a major way.
   Georgetown leads the league with 81.4 points per game, while Creighton is second with 79.4 per contest. The teams also hold the bottom two places in scoring defense, as Georgetown is last with 77.7 points per game and Creighton ninth with 74.9 per game allowed.
   Georgetown leads the league with 17.50 assists per game with Creighton second at 15.93 per game.
   Creighton has averaged 84.67 points in six BIG EAST wins over Georgetown, but 57.2 points in six losses against the Hoyas.
   Creighton is 7-0 all-time when scoring 75 or more against Georgetown, and 0-6 when it doesn't.
   Creighton, which scored 91 in the first meeting this season with Georgetown, has not scored 90 points twice in the same season against the same opponent since doing it twice in 2013-14 during a pair of lopsided wins against Villanova.
BIG EAST's Elite Big Men
Martin Krampelj's BIG EAST numbers have been outstanding, as he averages 15.9 points per game, 8.0 rebounds per game and 1.0 blocks per game.
   He's one of three men in the top-10 of both points and rebounds per game in conference action, joining Eric Paschall and Jessie Govan.
   Add in those ranking in the top-10 in blocked shots per game, and that list is trimmed to just Krampelj and Govan.
   Creighton has not had a player at least 16 points, 8 rebounds and 1 blocked shot per league game for an entire conference season in 30 years, as Chad Gallagher (18.6 ppg., 8.7 rpg., 2.8 bpg.) was the last to do it in 1989-90 when the Jays competed in the Missouri Valley Conference.
More Points = Better Results
Creighton is 6-6 against Georgetown since joining the BIG EAST, and its 70.92 points per game against the Hoyas is its second fewest against any club.
   However, Creighton has scored 85+ points in each of the last four meetings against Georgetown.
PPG   Opponent   CU W-L
80.62   DePaul   12-1
77.73   Marquette   4-7
76.43   Xavier   7-7
74.75   St. John's   8-4
74.69   Seton Hall   5-8
72.69   Villanova   3-10
72.50   Butler   7-5
70.92   Georgetown   6-6
68.64   Providence   5-9
Sweet Home (Away From Home) Chicago
Creighton has won at DePaul each of the last six seasons (including 2018-19), just the second different opponent in program history that the Jays have beaten on the road in six or more consecutive campaigns.
   Creighton previously beat Grinnell in seven straight seasons from 1929-30 to 1935-36.
Prolific Freshmen Meet
Saturday features three of the best freshmen scorers in the BIG EAST Conference, all on the same floor.
   Georgetown's Mac McClung leads all BIG EAST freshmen with 13.5 points per game, just ahead of teammate James Akinjo's 13.0 ppg. Third on that list is Creighton's Marcus Zegarowski at 10.8 points per game.
   In league only action, McClung (14.8) and Akinjo (11.8 ppg.) hold the top two spots, just ahead of Zegarowski (11.3) and Marquette's Joey Hauser (10.0).
Highest Scoring Freshmen, BIG EAST
(Minimum appearing in 75% of team's games)
Rk.   Name, School   PPG
1.   Mac McClung, GU   13.5
2.   James Akinjo, GU   13.0
3.   Marcus Zegarowski, CU   10.8
4.   Joey Hauser, MU   9.8
Just Call Him Trey-Shon
Ty-Shon Alexander has made a three-point basket in all 26 games he's played this season, stretching his streak dating to last year to a BIG EAST-leading 30 games in a row.
   Alexander's streak is the second-longest in Creighton history, and just one behind tying the school record set by Booker Woodfox in 2008-09.
   It's worth noting that Kyle Korver's third-place streak of 28 games with a trey was snapped when he did not attempt a field goal in 24 minutes of play during an 83-56 win over UNI (and head coach Greg McDermott) on Feb. 9, 2002. Korver then drained a triple in 27 more games in a row, a stretch from Feb. 13, 2002 to Jan. 20, 2003 before it was snapped against Evansville (and head coach Steve Merfeld).
Consecutive Games With a 3FG, Creighton History
   Streak   Name   Dates
   31   Booker Woodfox   11/25/08 to 3/23/09
   30   Ty-Shon Alexander   2/27/18 to Present
   28   Kyle Korver   2/4/01 to 2/6/02
   27   Kyle Korver   2/13/02 to 1/20/03
   25   Rodney Buford   1/25/97 to 1/10/98
   23   Ethan Wragge   11/8/13 to 2/9/14
   22   Khyri Thomas   1/28/17 to 12/5/17
   21   Ethan Wragge   1/3/10 to 3/24/10
   20   Johnny Mathies   12/22/04 to 2/28/05
   20   Marcus Foster   12/31/17 to 3/16/18
3-Point Streaks, Nationally
Ty-Shon Alexander's 30 straight games with a three-pointer is the nation's eighth-longest active streak through Feb. 20th. Here's that list:
Consecutive Games With a 3FG, Active (Nationally)
   Streak   Name, School   Next Game
   44   Mack Smith, Eastern Illinois   2/21
   44   Justin Jaworski, Lafayette   2/24
   38   Chris Clemons, Campbell   2/21
   38   Garrison Mathews, Lipscomb   2/26
   37   Shizz Alston Jr., Temple   2/23
   36   Keaton Wallace, UTSA   2/28
   31   Tyler Hall, Montana State   2/23
   30   Ty-Shon Alexander, Creighton   2/23
   30   Stuckey Mosley, James Madison   2/21
   30   Jaylen Minnett, IUPUI   2/22
   29   Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra   2/21
   29   Trevor John, Drexel   2/23
   28   J.C. Show, Binghamton   2/21
   28   Matt Morgan, Cornell   2/22
   28   Adam Flagler, Presbyterian   2/23
   28   Jaevin Cumberland   2/23
   28   JT Gibson, Nebraska-Omaha   2/23
   27   Jarron Cumberland, Cincinnati   2/21
Sophomore Slingers
Ty-Shon Alexander and Mitch Ballock continue to shoot the ball at a rate rarely seen by sophomores.
   Alexander has made 83 three-pointers this season, while Ballock has drained 69 treys. Both men rank among the top-three in program history for three-pointers by a sophomore:
Most 3-Pointers Made by a Creighton Sophomore
   3FG-FGA   3FG%   Name   Year
   100-221   .452   Kyle Korver   2000-01
   83-210   .395   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   69-168   .411   Mitch Ballock   2018-19
   66-161   .410   Ethan Wragge   2011-12
Most 3-Pointers Made In A Season, Creighton History
   3FG-FGA   3FG%   Name   Year
   129-269   .480   Kyle Korver*   2002-03
   110-234   .471   Ethan Wragge   2013-14
   100-221   .452   Kyle Korver   2000-01
   96-214   .449   Doug McDermott*   2013-14
   95-230   .413   Marcus Foster   2017-18
   91-191   .476   Booker Woodfox*   2008-09
   83-210   .395   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   82-210   .390   Tad Ackerman   1994-95
   79-184   .429   Kyle Korver*   2001-02
   78-175   .446   Ethan Wragge   2012-13
   77-157   .490   Doug McDermott*   2012-13
   76-175   .434   Rod Mason   1987-88
*Conference Player of the Year
Sophomores From Downtown
Ty-Shon Alexander was the first player in Creighton history to make multiple three-pointers in each of the first eight games of a season before he went 1-for-4 beyond the arc at Nebraska.
   Here's a look at Creighton's most three-pointers per game for a season (minimum 10 games).
Creighton's Most 3-Pointers Per Game, Season
   3FG/G   3FG   GP   Name   Year
   3.79   129   34   Kyle Korver   2002-03
   3.19   83   26   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   3.15   82   26   Tad Ackerman   1994-95
   3.14   110   35   Ethan Wragge   2013-14
   3.13   100   32   Kyle Korver   2001-02
   2.88   95   33   Marcus Foster   2017-18
Most Improved?
Ty-Shon Alexander showed a glimpse of just how electric he can be when he scored 20 points in a span of 5:55 on Feb. 17 vs. Seton Hall.
   In the process, Alexander became the first Bluejay to score 20 points in one half since Marcus Foster had 20 in the second half at Marquette on March 3, 2018.
   It was also the second time this season Alexander has made five three-pointers in the same half.
   The Charlotte native has upped his scoring average to 16.5 points per game, an improvement of 11.0 points over his 5.5 points per game from a year ago. That's easily the largest improvement of any of the BIG EAST's top 30 scorers this season, as seen below:
Rk.   Name, School   18-19PPG   17-18PPG   +/-
1.   Ty-Shon Alexander, CU   16.5   5.5   +11.0
2.   Phil Booth, VU   18.6   10.0   +8.6
3.   Paul Reed, DPU   11.2   3.6   +7.6
4.   Paul Scruggs, XU   12.0   4.9   +7.1
   Collin Gillespie, VU   11.4   4.3   +7.1
Sophomore Scorer
Sophomore guard Ty-Shon Alexander averages a team-leading 16.5 points per game, quite an accomplishment for a guy who never scored more than 14 points in any game a season ago.
   The only Creighton sophomores in the last 40 seasons to score more points per game than Alexander are Doug McDermott (22.9 ppg. in 2011-12), Rodney Buford (19.6 ppg. in 1996-97) and Bob Harstad (16.7 in 1988-89). McDermott, Buford and Harstad are the top three career scorers in Creighton history.
   Here's a list of Creighton's top sophomore scorers in the past 50 seasons:
Most Points/Game, CU Sophomores Since 1968-69
   PPG   Name   Year
   22.9   Doug McDermott   2011-12
   19.6   Rodney Buford   1996-97
   18.9   Cyril Baptiste   1968-69
   16.8   Rick Apke   1975-76
   16.7   Bob Harstad   1988-89
   16.5   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   16.2   Benoit Benjamin   1983-84
   15.8   Gene Harmon   1971-72
   15.3   Chad Gallagher   1988-89
   14.6   Kyle Korver   2000-01
What's Your Favorite Dish?
Creighton owns 5,009 assists since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010, a figure that ranks fourth nationally in that span.
   The only schools above the Bluejays are North Carolina (5,647), Michigan State (5,340) and Kansas (5,029).
   Creighton ranks 32nd nationally this season with 15.9 assists per contest, the sixth time in the last eight seasons that the Bluejays have been in the top-32. Each of the previous five times Creighton's finished in the top-25 in assists per game nationally have resulted in an NCAA Tournament bid.
The Race To 75
Creighton has scored 75 or more points in each of its 14 victories this season, and in 19 straight wins. CU's last win when scoring 74 points or less was a 68-63 win over St. John's on Jan. 23, 2018.
   Creighton has averaged 84.67 points in six BIG EAST wins over Georgetown, but 57.2 points in six losses against the Hoyas.
   Creighton is 6-0 all-time when scoring 75 or more against Georgetown, and 0-6 when it doesn't.
Freshmen Flashes
Samson Froling and Christian Bishop have each made an impact in their rookie season at Creighton, giving fans a glimpse of their bright future.
   The duo's numbers to date compare favorably to full-season figures compiled by some of CU's other recent men to man the center position as a true freshman, as seen below:
Name   PPG   RPG   BPG   MPG   FG%   FT%
Samson Froling, 18-19Â Â Â 4.0Â Â Â 2.1Â Â Â 0.4Â Â Â 9.4Â Â Â .585Â Â Â .385
Christian Bishop, 18-19Â Â Â 4.0Â Â Â 1.6Â Â Â 0.6Â Â Â 8.0Â Â Â .667Â Â Â .458
Jacob Epperson, 17-18Â Â Â 6.3Â Â Â 2.9Â Â Â 0.9Â Â Â 14.0Â Â Â .694Â Â Â .333
Zach Hanson, 13-14Â Â Â 2.8Â Â Â 1.1Â Â Â 0.3Â Â Â 5.1Â Â Â .684Â Â Â .560
Martin Krampelj, 15-16Â Â Â 2.9Â Â Â 3.6Â Â Â 0.4Â Â Â 6.6Â Â Â .474Â Â Â .167
Anthony Tolliver, 03-04Â Â Â 0.8Â Â Â 1.3Â Â Â 0.3Â Â Â 6.5Â Â Â .400Â Â Â .222
Jays2K
Creighton has 2,144 points this season, surpassing 2,000 points for the 13th straight season after having done it just 8-of-12 seasons from 1994-95 to 2005-06.
   Creighton scored 2,756 points and ranked 12th nationally with 83.5 points per contest last season.
   The 2,756 points rank tied for fourth-most in program history for one season, and were 128 behind the 2,864 points that the 2016-17 team scored to establish the record.
   This year's team has averaged 79.4 points per game to date.
   Greg McDermott is 59-4 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 53-4 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   Creighton is 63-3 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, and had a streak of 36 straight wins when scoring triple-digits since a 1977 loss to North Texas State snapped in the Jan. 9 loss to Marquette (106-104).
Krampelj Replaces Patton
Two years ago eventual NBA First Round Draft pick Justin Patton manned the middle for Creighton before turning pro after his redshirt freshman season.
   His replacement, Martin Krampelj, has exceeded Patton's production in numerous categories.
   Here's a look at the stats for the two men:
Stat   Patton   Krampelj   Krampelj
Year   2016-17   2017-18   2018-19
PPGÂ Â Â 12.9Â Â Â 11.9Â Â Â 12.7
RPGÂ Â Â 6.2Â Â Â 8.1Â Â Â 6.6
BPGÂ Â Â 1.4Â Â Â 0.7Â Â Â 0.8
APGÂ Â Â 1.2Â Â Â 1.2Â Â Â 0.6
FG%Â Â Â .676Â Â Â .671Â Â Â .579
FT%Â Â Â .517Â Â Â .623Â Â Â .661
Double-Doubles   3   6   4
Dunks/Game   2.06   1.74   2.04
My Favorite Martin
Martin Krampelj has scored in double-figures in 16 of the last 17 games, with nine points in the one contest he was limited to single digits.
   In the past 17 games, Krampelj has averaged 15.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He's shot 61.6 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from three-point territory, and 70.1 percent from the line.
   His recent stat line represents a vast improvement from the first 10 contests when he was still regaining his form.
When   FG%   3FG%   FT%   RPG   PPG   DUNKS
2017-18 Season   .671   .261   .623   8.1   11.9   33
First 10 Games   .474   .182   .563   4.4   7.4   11
Last 17 Games   .616   .400   .701   7.9   16.9   44
25 & 10 Men
Martin Krampelj finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds at Seton Hall on Feb. 9th. The 25 points were a career-best effort, while the 11 boards were a season-best.
   Krampelj is the first Bluejay with 25 points and 10 rebounds in a game since Doug McDermott had 30 points and 12 rebounds on March 21, 2014 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette.
   Krampelj is the first Creighton player with 25+ points and 11+ rebounds in a BIG EAST game, as McDermott never had such a game in his senior year when he was named National Player of the Year.
   Since Greg McDermott's arrival in 2010, Krampelj is just the third Creighton player with a 25/10 game. Doug McDermott had 17 such games, while Kenny Lawson Jr. had one. It's also worth noting that current Bluejay Connor Cashaw had a game with 27 points and 12 rebounds during his junior season in 2017-18 while playing for Rice.
New Style vs. Old Style
Creighton has gone just 2-4 in its last six games, but has made vast improvements on the defensive end of the court in that time.
   In the last six games, a stretch that started with CU's Feb. 3 victory over Xavier, Creighton has allowed 65.8 points per game while holding foes to 41.1 percent shooting from the field and 34.6 percent marksmanship from downtown. Despite outscoring teams 408-395 in those games, the Jays are just 2-4 in this time.
   In CU's first eight league contests, Creighton had allowed 82.5 points per game while the opposition shot 49.4 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from deep.
The Full Arsenal
Wednesday's win at DePaul was the fifth game this season that Creighton has placed five men in double-figures, and first time since the initial victory over Georgetown this season. Creighton is 4-1 this year when five men have 10 or more points.
   For the season Creighton has five men averaging double-figures in scoring, something it hasn't done for an entire season in 55 years.
   Entering Wednesday, Ty-Shon Alexander (16.5), Martin Krampelj (12.7), Mitch Ballock (10.1), Marcus Zegarowski (10.8) and Davion Mintz (10.1) all average 10 or more points per game.
   In league play, Alexander (15.8), Krampelj (15.9), Mintz (11.4) and Zegarowski (11.3) are all well into double-figures, with Ballock at 10.0 points per game.
   Creighton has not had five or more men finish a season averaging 10 or more points per game since the 1964-65 club had SIX men average in double-figures (Neil Johnson, 17.3; Elton McGriff, 15.0; Fritz Pointer, 14.3; Tim Powers, 12.6; Bob Miles, 11.9; Charlie Brown (11.6), though Johnson only played in 8-of-23 games.
3-Pointers, By Average
Creighton has made 10.93 three-pointers per game so far this season, easily its most ever. The Jays had never averaged more than 8.76 triples in any season before Greg McDermott's arrival.
   Here's a look at the most three-pointers per game in Creighton history. Of note is that each of the six completed seasons on this list ended with 21 or more wins and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Creighton's Most 3-Pointers Per Game in a Season
   3FG/G   Season   3FG   GP   W-L (Postseason)
   10.93   2018-19    293   27   14-13 so far
   10.39   2017-18   343   33   21-12 (NCAA)
   10.17   2013-14   356   35   27-8 (NCAA)
   8.76   1999-00   289   33   23-10 (NCAA)
   8.69   2016-17   304   35   25-10 (NCAA)
   8.62   2004-05   293   34   23-11 (NCAA)
   8.53   2012-13   307   36   28-8 (NCAA)
Triple Trivia
During Creighton's current streak of 843 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 6,558 trifectas, an average of 7.78 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 132 times, more than any figure.
   Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 225 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
   Creighton has made five or more three-pointers in 63 straight games (since shooting 4-20 from deep vs. Providence on 3/9/17), and has made at least one three-pointer before halftime in 214 consecutive contests (since 0-7 at Drake on 1/23/13).
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:   4 times   2: 15 times   3: 30 times
4:   67 times   5:  95 times   6: 87 times
7:  132 times   8:  110 times   9: 78 times
10: 66 times   11: 48 times   12: 45 times
13: 36 times   14: 13 times   15:  6 times
16: 6 times   17: 1 time   19:  1 time
20: 1 time   21: 1 time   22: 1 time
Scheduling Tough
Through games of Wednesday in the NET rankings provided by the NCAA, no team in the BIG EAST had played a more difficult schedule than Creighton.
   CU's schedule is ranked 14th-toughest nationally, best in the league. The Bluejays have played 12 Quadrant 1 and seven Quadrant 2 games. Those 12 Q1 games are the most in the BIG EAST.
Iron Man Mintz
Davion Mintz never left the floor vs. Villanova on Feb. 6, playing all 45 minutes without taking a break.
   He was the first Bluejay to play a complete game since James Milliken played all 40 minutes at No. 5 Xavier on March 5, 2016.
   Despite his heavy minutes, Mintz scored CU's first eight points of overtime and finished with 19 points and a season-high eight rebounds.
   Mintz is the first Bluejay to play 45 minutes or more since Austin Chatman logged 47 minutes in a double-overtime win over South Dakota on Dec. 9, 2014.
   Mintz is also the lone Bluejay in the last 25 seasons to never leave the floor in an overtime game.
New BIG EAST Records
Since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013, all 10 league schools have played either 103 or 104 regular-season BIG EAST games.
   Creighton's 52-52 record is the fifth-best mark across the league, as seen below in research by WhiteAndBlueReview.com's Matt DeMarinis.
BIG EAST Regular-Season Records Since 2013-14
Rank   Team   W-L   Pct.
1.   Villanova   88-16   .846
2.   Xavier   63-41   .606
3.   Providence   56-48   .538
4.   Butler   53-51   .510
5.   Creighton   52-52   .500
6.   Marquette   51-52   .495
7.   Seton Hall   51-53   .490
8.   Georgetown   43-60   .407
9.   St. John's   39-65   .375
10.   DePaul   23-81   .221
Depth Being Tested
A slew of injuries has taken a toll on the Creighton bench in recent times. All told, Creighton has had six players miss a combined 28 games so far this season.
   Jacob Epperson underwent season-ending knee surgery on January 11th, but was also struggling with back injuries at the time. CU is 7-10 without him this year.
   Damien Jefferson injured his ankle on January 9 vs. Marquette, undergoing surgery on January 17th. He missed six games, with CU going 3-3 without him, before returning on Feb. 6 at Villanova.
   Mitch Ballock broke his nose on Jan. 16 at St. John's, but has not missed any games as a result.
   Connor Cashaw injured a shoulder while running into a screen against St. John's and missed CU's Feb. 3 game vs. Xavier. He returned to the line-up at Villanova on Feb. 6.
   Marcus Zegarowski broke the fifth metacarpal in his hand during the opening minutes of CU's Feb. 3 game vs. Xavier, but played 29 minutes in the game. Creighton is 0-3 without him this year, as he missed road games on Feb. 6, 9 and 13th. He returned on Feb. 17 vs. Seton Hall.
   Ty-Shon Alexander was injured in practice on Feb. 5 and missed CU's game at Villanova last Wednesday before returning on Saturday at Seton Hall. Creighton is 0-1 without him this winter.
McDermott's 50th BIG EAST Win
CU's Jan. 25th victory over Butler was Greg McDermott's 50th regular-season BIG EAST win.
   He's the 24th coach in league history to reach that mark, and fourth active league coach (Jay Wright has 202, Ed Cooley has 69 and Kevin Willard has 69.
   Of the 24 men with 50 or more regular-season BIG EAST wins, McDermott's .500 win percentage in league play ranks 17th-best, trailing only Jamie Dixon, Jay Wright, Jim Boeheim, Rick Pitino, Lou Carnesecca, John Thompson Sr., Buzz Williams, Chris Mack, Jim Calhoun, Mike Brey, Mike Jarvis, Rollie Massimino, John Thompson Jr., Steve Lappas, Paul Evans and Al Skinner.
   Now armed with 52 BIG EAST victories, McDermott moved into 23rd place on the wins list by jumping ahead of former St. John's coach Mike Jarvis (50-32). He is six wins shy of tying Chris Mack and Mick Cronin (both 57) for 21st place.
McDermott Earns 200th Creighton Win
Creighton's win over Xavier on Feb. 3 marked the 200th victory on the Bluejay sideline for ninth-year coach Greg McDermott. That trails only his predecessor, Dana Altman (327) in program history.
   Of the 54 coaches hired in the offseason prior to the 2010-11 season, only Altman (224 at Oregon), McDermott (201 at Creighton) and Tim Cluess (193 at Iona) have more than 180 victories at that school.
   Here's a look at McDermott's record at the time of various milestones.
Win #   Games at CU   Date   Opponent
25Â Â Â 41Â Â Â 11/13/11Â Â Â Chicago State
50Â Â Â 71Â Â Â 03/03/12Â Â Â vs. Evansville
75Â Â Â 104Â Â Â 02/27/13Â Â Â at Bradley
100Â Â Â 134Â Â Â 02/13/14Â Â Â at Butler
125Â Â Â 183Â Â Â 11/25/15Â Â Â vs. Massachusetts
150Â Â Â 222Â Â Â 12/07/17Â Â Â at Nebraska
175Â Â Â 259Â Â Â 12/18/17Â Â Â UT-Arlington
A Scurry Scholly, Again
For the second straight year, Creighton surprised walk-on Jordan Scurry with a scholarship in late January.
   Last year, the Jays did it in a team meeting on the same day the die-hard New England Patriots fans saw his beloved team qualify for the Super Bowl.
   This season, Scurry was surprised on January 21 on the bus ride following Creighton's 91-87 win at Georgetown, one day after the Patriots qualified once again for the Super Bowl.
   Scurry played three minutes before half at Villanova on Feb. 6, the first time in his career he's appeared in the first half of any game.
200,00 Fans, Again
With 239,499 fans to date, Creighton has eclipsed 200,000 or more home fans for the 14th straight season.
   Creighton has led its conference in home attendance each of the last 15 completed seasons, and is once again leading the way in the BIG EAST in 2018-19.
   Creighton played in front of 306,000 home fans last season, a program record.
The 40/40 Club
Creighton is a member of a relatively exclusive 40/40 club this season, having made at made at least 40 percent of its three-point attempts (.401), and having taken 40 percent or more of its field goal attempts (.464) from beyond the arc.
   Here's a list of the nation's three other teams that join Creighton in that category.
Team   W-L   3FG%   %FGA's are 3's
Creighton   14-13   .401   .464
Wofford   23-4   .420   .431
Virginia Tech   20-6   .404   .452
South Dakota State   21-7   .414   .409
The "Three"-Placements
Coming into the season, many were left wondering how Creighton was going to replace three of its top four three-point shooters from a season ago (Marcus Foster, Khyri Thomas, Toby Hegner), among others, as the Bluejays were left trying to replace 229 of its 343 three-pointers from last year.
   The answer has been quite well, thank you.
   Creighton's newcomers this season have combined to shoot 69-for-161 (42.9 percent) from three-point range this season, as Connor Cashaw, Marcus Zegarowski and Damien Jefferson are all making 45.0 percent or better from long-range, and Samson Froling is 4-for-16 and Christian Bishop 0-for-3 in limited attempts.
Always Impressing
Since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in 2013, Creighton and Providence are the only teams to meet or exceed their poll prediction each season.
   Providence was picked to finish third this season, with Creighton slotted ninth.
   Under eight previous seasons under Greg McDermott, Creighton has exceeded its preseason poll placement on three occasions, matched its expectation four times, and in 2011-12 were picked first in the MVC but finished second.
Preseason Polls Under Greg McDermott
Year   League   Preseason Poll   Finish
2010-11   MVC   4th   T-4th
2011-12   MVC   1st   2nd
2012-13   MVC   1st   1st
2013-14   BIG EAST   3rd   2nd
2014-15   BIG EAST   9th   T-9th
2015-16   BIG EAST   9th   6th
2016-17   BIG EAST   3rd   T-3rd
2017-18   BIG EAST   5th   T-3rd
2018-19   BIG EAST   9th   TBD
All The Three's
Creighton drilled a program-record 22 three-point shots in its Dec. 20 home game vs. Coe, one year to the day after it made 19 treys vs. USC Upstate which now ranks as the fourth-most in a game in program history.
   CU's record-breaking three-pointer came with 31.4 seconds left by Marcus Zegarowski. One night earlier, Zegarowski's brother Michael Carter-Williams hit a trey with 30.3 seconds left as the Houston Rockets set the NBA single-game record with 26 three-pointers made.
   Here's a list of Creighton's all-time games with 16 or more treys.
Most 3FG in a Game, Creighton History
   Rank   3FG   Opponent   Date   Score
   1.   22   Coe   12/20/2018   W 110-60
   2.   21   at #4 Villanova   01/20/2014   W 96-68
   3.   20   Chattanooga   02/19/2005   W 100-69
   4.   19   USC Upstate   12/20/2017   W 116-62
   5.   17   #21 Marquette   01/09/2019   L 104-106 (ot)
   6.   16   Evansville   01/04/1999   L 79-84
      16   Drake   01/08/2013   W 91-61
      16   Chicago State   12/29/2013   W 90-58
      16   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/2016   W 86-77
      16   Alcorn State   11/12/2017   W 109-72
      16   at Georgetown   01/06/2018   W 90-66
3 > 1
Creighton ranks as one of the highest scoring teams in the nation this year despite not making many trips to the foul line thus far.
   The Bluejays have made 295 three-pointers this season, compared to 307 free throws.
   Creighton has never finished a season with more three-pointers made than free throws made.
When Three-Pointers Fall, Creighton Excels
Creighton is shooting 40.1 percent from three-point range this season, good for fifth-best nationally.
   In Greg McDermott's first eight seasons at Creighton, all five of his teams to shoot 37 percent or better from deep would go on to make the NCAA Tournament, and his lone team to shoot below 35 percent from downtown missed the postseason.
Creighton's National 3FG% Rank Under McDermott
Year   3FG% Rank   3FG%   W-L (Postseason)
2010-11   59th   .369   23-16 (CBI)
2011-12   3rd   .424   29-6 (NCAA)
2012-13   2nd   .414   28-8 (NCAA)
2013-14   1st   .414   27-8 (NCAA)
2014-15   165th   .345   14-19
2015-16   146th   .352   20-15 (NIT)
2016-17   17th   .396   25-10 (NCAA)
2017-18   75th   .372   21-12 (NCAA)
2018-19   5th   .401   14-13 so far
National Dunk Leaders
Per a list being compiled by Arkansas-Little Rock SID Rand Champion, below are the national dunk leaders in 2018-19, through Feb. 20th:
   Dunks   Name, School
   73   Daniel Gafford, Arkansas
   66   Jaxson Hayes, Texas
   65   Obi Toppin, Dayton
   64   Kris Bankston, Arkansas-Little Rock
   58   Tacko Fall, UCF
   55   Martin Krampelj, Creighton
   52   Zion Williamson, Duke
   48   Anthony Green, Northeastern
We're Jamming!
Creighton already has 78 dunks this season, with 55 of those coming by Martin Krampelj. Just how impressive is Krampelj's dunk total this year? It's three more than Duke sensation Zion Williamson.
   Here's a look at the Creighton student-athletes with 20 or more dunks in a season, or 19 or more dunks in a career, under Greg McDermott (since 2010-11):
Most Creighton Dunks, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Year
72   Justin Patton   2016-17
55   Martin Krampelj   2018-19
36   Gregory Echenique   2012-13
33   Martin Krampelj   2017-18
30   Gregory Echenique   2011-12
29   Marcus Foster   2017-18
24   Gregory Echenique   2010-11
23   Marcus Foster   2016-17
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11
20   Khyri Thomas   2017-18
Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Years
102   Martin Krampelj   2015-Pres.
90   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
72   Justin Patton   2016-17
52   Marcus Foster   2016-18
51   Khyri Thomas   2015-18
38   Will Artino   2011-15
32   Zach Hanson   2013-17
25   Geoffrey Groselle   2012-16
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11
19   Doug McDermott   2010-14
Most Creighton Dunks, Team, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Year   Team W-L
144Â Â Â 2016-17Â Â Â 25-10 (NCAA)
107Â Â Â 2017-18Â Â Â 21-12 (NCAA)
78Â Â Â 2018-19Â Â Â 13-11 so far
58Â Â Â 2015-16Â Â Â 20-15 (NIT)
56Â Â Â 2010-11Â Â Â 23-16 (CBI)
54Â Â Â 2012-13Â Â Â 28-8 (NCAA)
42Â Â Â 2011-12Â Â Â 29-6 (NCAA)
35Â Â Â 2013-14Â Â Â 27-8 (NCAA)
29Â Â Â 2014-15Â Â Â 14-19
Not Your Ordinary Freshman
Marcus Zegarowski had a season-high 20 points on Dec. 20 vs. Coe. His season average of 10.7 points per game ranks third among BIG EAST freshmen.
   Zegarowski is attempting to become one of six Creighton freshmen in the past 25 seasons to average at least 10 points per game.
   This is the fifth straight season that Creighton has had a freshman with a 20-point game.
Freshmen With 20+ Point Games, Last 25 Seasons
   20+ Point Games   Name   Season
   6   Rodney Buford   1995-96
   6   Doug McDermott   2010-11
   5   Justin Patton   2016-17
   4   P'Allen Stinnett   2007-08
   3   Kyle Korver   1999-00
   2   Terrell Taylor   1999-00
   1   Ryan Sears   1999-00
   1   Ben Walker   1999-00
   1   Ethan Wragge   2009-10
   1   Toby Hegner   2014-15
   1   Khyri Thomas   2015-16
   1   Mitch Ballock   2017-18
   1   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-19
Most Points Per Game, CU Freshmen, Since 1994-95
   PPG   Name   Season
   14.9   Doug McDermott   2010-11
   14.5   Rodney Buford   1995-96
   12.9   Justin Patton   2015-16
   12.6   P'Allen Stinnett   2007-08
   10.8   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-19
   10.5   Ryan Sears   1997-98
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 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
16Â Â Â TCUÂ Â Â 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
Challenging Schedule
Eight of Creighton's 13 non-conference opponents this season won 22 or more games last season, while a ninth foe (Oklahoma) reached the NCAA Tournament.
   East Tennessee State (25-9 last year), Ohio State (25-9), Boise State (23-9), Georgia State (24-11), Clemson (25-10), Montana (26-8), Gonzaga (32-5) and Nebraska (22-11) all won 22 or more times a year ago, and combined for a 202-72 record (.737) in 2017-18.
On The Rebound
Damien Jefferson had to sit out last year after transferring in from New Mexico, but he made up for lost time on the glass in the season-opener.
   Jefferson grabbed 12 rebounds in just 23 minutes of work, breaking his previous high by three.
   Jefferson's 12 rebounds were the most by any Creighton player in their debut since Cyril Baptiste snared 17 boards in 1969.
   In his second game at CU, Jefferson had 14 points and two blocked shots vs. East Tennessee State. The two blocks were a career-high, while the 14 points matched his previous best (at the time).
Playing With The Lead
In 271 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 75 of those contests, a staggering 27.7 percent of the time.
   Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 124-32 and hasn't trailed in 50 of those games.
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CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 271 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 16-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 221-50 (.815) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (16-0).
   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 21,120-17,733 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.50 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 75 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 124-32 (.795) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 72-6 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 238-50 (.826) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the nine seasons since Greg McDermott took over in 2010-11, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 to February 20, 2019
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
3FG Percentage   .387   3rd
3FG Made   2,717   3rd
FG Percentage   .482   4th
Assists   5,009   4th
FG Made   8,391   10th
Wins   201   34th
Winning Percentage   .653   41st
Preseason BIG EAST Poll Picks CU Ninth
Creighton has been picked to finish ninth in a preseason poll of BIG EAST coaches.
   Villanova earned 8-of-9 possible first place votes and finished ahead of Marquette and Providence. St. John's and Butler rank fourth and fifth, while the bottom half consists of Xavier, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Creighton and DePaul.
   Creighton is one of two schools (Providence) to match or exceed its preseason prognostication every year since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST.
   St. John's junior guard Shamorie Ponds was tabbed Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, and Providence's David Duke and Villanova's Jahvon Quinerly shared Preseason Freshman of the Year laurels.
   Creighton's Martin Krampelj was a Preseason Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST pick.
#ProJays
For the first time ever, Creighton has five NBA players at the same time as Kyle Korver (Utah Jazz), Anthony Tolliver (Minnesota Timberwolves), Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers, Justin Patton (Philadelphia 76ers) and Khyri Thomas (Detroit Pistons) are all in the league.
   Including 2018-18, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 35 of the last 36 years.
   Korver ranks second among all active players (Stephen Curry) and ranks fourth in NBA history with 2,310 three-pointers. He's also second among active players (Stephen Curry, again) and eighth all-time in league history with 43.06 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. He is shooting 41.3 percent from downtown and averaging 8.6 points per game this season.
   Tolliver is averaging 4.1 points and 2.2 rebounds per game on 37.3 percent shooting from deep this season for the Timberwolves.
   McDermott is in his fifth season in the NBA, and first with the Indiana Pacers. He's averaging 6.7 points per game on 38.7 percent three-point shooting this year.
   Patton was traded on Nov. 10 from Minnesota to Philadelphia, and currently in the G-League in Wilmington (Delaware). Patton redshirted in 2015-16 before turning pro and being the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He spent most of last year in the G-League, but did score two points in his lone NBA appearance last April.
   Creighton's newest NBA product is Khyri Thomas, who 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. He made his NBA debut on Nov. 9th and is averaging 2.9 points and 0.8 rebounds per game.
Full House
This year Creighton is averaging 17,107 fans per game at home, good for sixth place.
   Last year was the 13th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the seventh straight season in the top-10 nationally in attendance, as well.
2018-19 Attendance Leaders (through 2/22)
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   21,375   2/23
   2.   North Carolina   20,955   2/23
   3.   Syracuse   20,774   2/23
   4.   Tennessee   18,771   3/2
   5.   Wisconsin   17,152   3/2
   6.   Creighton   17,107   2/23
   7.   Kansas   16,227   2/25
   8.   Indiana   16,097   2/26
   9.   Nebraska   15,638   2/23
   10.   Marquette   15,387   3/3
Some Loyal Fans
Creighton played in front of 306,000 home fans last season, a school-record.
   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 past 16 seasons.
   Creighton has led its conference in home attendance every year since moving into CHI Health Center Omaha, which is in its 16th 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
   17,107 so far   Creighton   2018-19
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   17,000   Creighton   2017-18
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12
Creighton's Most Home Fans, Season
Rk.   Year   G   Attendance   Average
1.   2017-18   18   306,000   17,000
2.   2015-16   19   302,887   15,941
3.   2008-09   19   302,676   15,930
4.   2010-11   22   297,161   13,507
5.   2016-17   17   296,013   17,413
Going For 20
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 18 of the last 20 seasons (entering 2018-19), 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 20 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.    Kentucky and Florida have done it in 19 of the last 20 seasons.
   Creighton, Xavier, Syracuse and Arizona each are in the 18-of-20 seasons club.
Eight Out Of 20 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 20 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (16), Duke (11), Winthrop (10), Kentucky (10), Kansas (9), New Mexico State (9) and Creighton (8).
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 80.94 points per home game (12,626 points in 156 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.38 points in non-conference home games (6,660 points in 78 home games).
   Creighton is 101-5 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.
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 843 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 2/20)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,065   UNLV   2/23
   2.   1,057   Vanderbilt   2/23
   3.   1,047   Duke   2/23
   4.   1,003   Arkansas   2/23
   5.   1,002   Western Kentucky   2/23
   6.   987   East Tennessee State   2/21
   7.   976   Pacific   2/21
   8.   965   Oakland   2/23
   9.   954   Texas   2/23
   10.   925   Princeton   2/22
   11.   906   Marshall   2/28
   12.   894   Baylor   2/23
   13.   876   Gonzaga   2/21
   14.   870   LIU-Brooklyn   2/21
   15.   853   Cornell   2/22
   16.   852   Mount St. Mary's   2/21
   17.   843   Creighton   2/23
   18.   841   Tennessee State   2/21
   19.   836   East Carolina   2/23
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 201 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .653 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.   201-107   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
03/20/06Â Â Â Miami (Fla.)Â Â Â L 53-52Â Â Â G. Diaz FTÂ Â Â :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. This 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
BIG EAST Playing Big
Though the BIG EAST may not be considered of the traditional "Football 5" Conferences due to its lack of big time football, the performance of the league has been big time for a long time.
   The league has owned a top-five RPI in the NCAA RPI rankings in every season since 2000-01, as seen below:
BIG EAST in Conference RPI Rankings
2018-19Â Â Â 5th
2017-18:Â Â Â 2nd
2016-17:Â Â Â 3rd
2015-16:Â Â Â 4th
2014-15:Â Â Â 3rd
2013-14:Â Â Â 4th
2012-13:Â Â Â 2nd
2011-12:Â Â Â 2nd
2010-11:Â Â Â 1st
2009-10:Â Â Â 3rd
2008-19:Â Â Â 4th
2007-08:Â Â Â 5th
2006-07:Â Â Â 5th
2005-06:Â Â Â 3rd
2004-05:Â Â Â 2nd
2003-04:Â Â Â 4th
2002-03:Â Â Â 5th
2001-02:Â Â Â 3rd
2000-01:Â Â Â 3rd
Clear Bag Policy Now In Place
CHI Health Center Omaha has adopted new clear bag regulations for all arena events, including Creighton University men's home basketball games. Bags permitted under the policy include clear plastic, vinyl or PVC totes.
   Additionally, small clutch-sized bags will also be allowed inside the arena after a proper security inspection. However, oversized bags or purses will no longer be allowed inside the premises.
   After observing the success and ease of transition with arenas and venues across the state, MECA and Creighton University believe the updated policy to be the best safety practice for the thousands of fans who loyally attend each basketball game, and countless concert-goers who walk through the doors at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Here are the main bullet-points of the new bag policy.
•   Clear plastic bags, measuring 12 inches tall, 12 inches long, and 6 inches wide.
•   Small or clutch-sized purses or wallets, not exceeding 4.5 inches tall by 6.5 inches long.
•   One-gallon, clear plastic freezer bags are permitted (Ziploc bag or similar).
•   No large purses, bags, backpacks or fanny-packs will be allowed inside.
•   MECA staff members are not allowed to hold bags during an event.
•   Exceptions will be made for bags with medical necessity after appropriate inspection.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2018-19 season went on sale on October 16th.
   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.
Players Mentioned
Meet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Ty Davis
Friday, August 15