Saturday, February 9
Newark, N.J.
7:00 PM
Creighton University
at
Seton Hall
Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann
Men's Basketball Continues Road Trip With Visit To Seton Hall
2/7/2019 4:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Both teams are 4-6 in BIG EAST play but will meet twice in eight days
Download Notes as a PDF
Game #24 • Creighton Bluejays at Seton Hall Pirates
Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019 • 7:05 p.m. CST
Prudential Center (10,481) • Newark, N.J.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: CBS Sports Network (Chris Hassel, Alaa Abdelnaby)
Series History: Seton Hall leads, 12-6
Last Meeting: Creighton 80, Seton Hall 63 on Jan. 17, 2018 in Omaha, Neb.
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO
Next Game
Creighton (13-10, 4-6 BIG EAST) continues a challenging three-game road trip when it visits Seton Hall (13-9, 4-6 BIG EAST) on Saturday.
Tip-off at Prudential Center (10,481) in Newark, N.J., is set for 7:05 p.m. CST.
Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's tilt will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network, with Chris Hassel and Alaa Abdelnaby 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 Taylor Stormberg will call the action.
Video Webcast Information
Go to https://www.cbssports.com/cbs-sports-network and enter your provider for cable authorization to stream the game on CBS Sports Network.
It is available on mobile devices using the CBS Sports App with the same info.
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 13-10 overall and 4-6 in BIG EAST play while navigating the nation's eighth-toughest schedule, having already played 15 games against teams that won 21 games or more a year ago.
Creighton ranks fourth in three-pointers made per game (11.3), fourth in total three-pointers (259), fourth in field goal percentage (.502) and fifth nationally in three-point percentage (.414),
Creighton owns six men averaging 8.8 points per game or more, including sophomores Ty-Shon Alexander (17.0 ppg.) and Mitch Ballock (10.7 ppg.). The duo have combined for 134 three-pointers this winter.
Coming on strong of late is junior forward Martin Krampelj (12.0 ppg., 6.4 rpg.). He's averaged 15.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in CU's last 13 games with 36 dunks in that time and tied his career-high with 23 points on Sunday vs. Xavier.
Scouting Seton Hall
Seton Hall is 13-9 this season, including wins over Kentucky and Maryland, and 4-6 in BIG EAST action. The Pirates are 7-3 at home, including a win over Providence in their last contest at Prudential Center.
Junior guard Myles Powell leads the Pirates with 21.6 points per game and 1.9 steals per contest. He also tops the club with 63 three-point baskets made.
Quincy McKnight (10.1 ppg., 3.9 apg.) also scores in double-figures, while Myles Cale (9.4 ppg.), Michael Nzei (9.3 ppg.) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (8.5 ppg., 7.0 rpg.) round out the Pirates top scorers.
SHU averages 73.5 points per game while allowing 71.7 per contest. The Pirates shoot 45.5 percent from the field, 32.9 percent from downtown and 70.7 percent at the line.
The Series With Seton Hall
Seton Hall leads the all-time series with Creighton 12-6, but the Pirates are 8-3 in New Jersey meetings.
Creighton has lost each of its last two trips to Newark by exactly six points (87-81 in 2016-17; 90-84 in 2017-18), but did win in 2014 and 2016 at Prudential Center.
Three of the last 10 meetings at all sites have been one-point contests.
Greg McDermott is 5-6 against Seton Hall and coach Kevin Willard. Willard is 7-5 all-time against Creighton, leading his 2009-10 Iona team to a 63-55 win over the Bluejays at the Old Spice Classic near Orlando, Fla.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his ninth season as head coach at Creighton, where he is 200-104 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 480-299 in his 25th season and is 349-235 in his 18th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Preston Murphy, Alan Huss and Paul Lusk.
With A Win, Creighton Can...
- Improve 201-104 under Greg McDermott at Creighton.
- Make Creighton 7-12 all-time against Seton Hall, and 4-8 in New Jersey.
- Give Creighton a win over Seton Hall for the fourth straight season.
- Give Creighton a win in Newark for the first time since Jan. 9, 2016.
Won By One
Creighton and Seton Hall have met 10 times in the regular-season since becoming BIG EAST rivals. Three of those games have been decided by a single point.
Creighton won a Feb. 3, 2014 meeting in Omaha by a 72-71 margin, then lost heartbreakers to the Pirates on Jan. 10, 2015 in Omaha (68-67) and on Feb. 28, 2015 in Newark (67-66).
Creighton is 81-75 all-time in games decided by a single point, including an 8-8 mark under Greg McDermott.
Since the reconfiguration of BIG EAST to 10 teams, there are 45 possible match-up combinations. Only six of them have had multiple one-point games.
Also worth noting...there have been just four league games decided by one point this season (Butler/Seton Hall, Butler/Xavier, DePaul/Seton Hall), Marquette/St. John's.
Most 1-Point Games, BIG EAST Rivals, Since 2013-14
Qty. Match-up
3 Creighton - Seton Hall
3 Seton Hall - St. John's
3 Marquette - Providence
2 Creighton - Xavier
2 Seton Hall - Villanova
2 Marquette - St. John's
1 (15 combinations)
Overtime Odds & Ends
Creighton lost 66-59 in overtime at Villanova on Wednesday, dropping to 0-2 this season in OT. Both losses are to ranked teams, as the Wildcats were ranked 14th and CU's Jan. 9 loss to Marquette came when the Golden Eagles were ranked 21st.
Creighton has won just one of its last six overtime games against top-25 competition (89-83 over No. 3 Villanova last season), and is 3-11 all-time in overtime games against top-25 foes.
Creighton's last win in overtime came against Villanova (2018).
Creighton's last loss in overtime also was against Villanova (Wednesday).
The team to score first in overtime has won 16 of Creighton's last 17 overtime games.
Creighton is now 56-48 all-time games to go to overtime, including a 42-42 mark in single-overtime games. CU is 20-26 in true road games that last just one overtime.
Creighton's 59 points on Wednesday were its fewest in an overtime game since scoring 57 on Feb. 17, 1996 against Northern Iowa.
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).
As close as their series has been, Creighton has never played Seton Hall in an overtime game.
Creighton has played two games on CBS Sports Network this season. Both games went to overtime.
More information on Creighton's overtime history can be found on page 160 of the program's 2018-19 media guide.
Iron Man Mintz
Davion Mintz never left the floor vs. Villanova, playing all 45 minutes without taking a break.
He's 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.
After 100 Games in BIG EAST Play
Since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013, all 10 league schools have played exactly 100 regular-season BIG EAST games.
Creighton's 51-49 record is tied for the fourth-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 87-13 .870
2. Xavier 60-40 .600
3. Providence 54-46 .540
4. Creighton 51-49 .510
Butler 51-49 .510
6. Seton Hall 48-52 .480
Marquette 48-52 .480
8. Georgetown 42-58 .420
9. St. John's 37-63 .370
10. DePaul 22-78 .220
Scheduling Tough
Per Thursday's NET rankings provided by the NCAA, no team in the BIG EAST has played a more difficult schedule than Creighton.
CU's schedule is ranked eighth-toughest nationally. The Bluejays have played 10 Quadrant 1 and five Quadrant 2 games. Those 15 combined Q1 and Q2 games are one behind Butler and Villanova for the lead among BIG EAST teams.
Each of Creighton's next five games are currently classified to be Q1 or Q2 games.
Krampelj On The Double
With 13 points and 10 rebounds at Villanova, Martin Krampelj had his third double-double of the season on Wednesday night. Each of his last two double-dips have come against the defending national champs, while his first one came at Oklahoma.
Krampelj owns each of Creighton's three double-doubles this year, and since December 10, 2018 has all seven of CU's double-double games.
Just Call Him Trey-Shon
Ty-Shon Alexander has made a three-point basket in all 22 games he's played this season, stretching his streak dating to last year to 26 games in a row.
Alexander's owns the longest active streak in the BIG EAST, three longer than Villanova's Phil Booth.
Alexander's streak is the fourth-longest in Creighton history, and just five behind the school record set by Booker Woodfox in 2008-09.
Each of the three streaks longer than his came in a season that the player was named Conference Player of the Year (Korver in 2002 and 2003, Woodfox in 2009).
It's worth noting that Kyle Korver's second-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, CU History
Streak Name Dates
31 Booker Woodfox 11/25/08 to 3/23/09
28 Kyle Korver 2/4/01 to 2/6/02
27 Kyle Korver 2/13/02 to 1/20/03
26 Ty-Shon Alexander 2/27/18 to Present
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
Depth Being Tested
A slew of injuries has taken a toll on the Creighton bench in recent times. All told, Creighton has had five players miss a combined 22 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 6-7 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 0-1 without him this year, as he missed the Villanova game on Feb. 6.
Ty-Shon Alexander was injured in practice on Feb. 5 and missed CU's game at Villanova on Wednesday. Creighton is 0-1 without him this winter.
My Favorite Martin
Martin Krampelj has scored in double-figures in 12 of the last 13 games, with nine points in the one contest he was limited to single digits.
In the past 13 games, Krampelj has averaged 15.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He's shot 67.2 percent from the field, 38.1 percent from three-point territory, and 66.7 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 13 Games .672 .381 .667 7.9 15.5 36
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 (223 at Oregon), McDermott (200 at Creighton) and Tim Cluess (189 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
25 41 11/13/11 Chicago State
50 71 03/03/12 vs. Evansville
75 104 02/27/13 at Bradley
100 134 02/13/14 at Butler
125 183 11/25/15 vs. Massachusetts
150 222 12/07/17 at Nebraska
175 259 12/18/17 UT-Arlington
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 201, Ed Cooley has 67 and Kevin Willard has 66).
Of the 24 men with 50 or more regular-season BIG EAST wins, McDermott's .510 win percentage in league play ranks 16th-best, trailing only Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun, John Thompson Sr., Jay Wright, Mike Brey, John Thompson Jr., Lou Carnesecca, Jamie Dixon, Rick Pitino, Rollie Massimino, Steve Lappas, Paul Evans, Buzz Williams, Chris Mack and Mike Jarvis.
Now armed with 51 BIG EAST victories, McDermott on Sunday moved into 23rd place on the wins list by jumping ahead of former St. John's coach Mike Jarvis (50-32). Wednesday's game at Villanova was McDermott's 100th regular-season BIG EAST tilt.
Quest For 21,000, Completed
Creighton has scored 21,045 points all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha, passing the 20,000 mark on earlier this season on Nov. 6th vs. Western Illinois and the 21,000 plateau on Feb. 3 vs. Xavier.
Creighton is 20-1 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone at CHI Health Center Omaha, as seen below:
Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 21,045 to 17,652 at the 16-year old facility in 270 all-time games in the building that count.
Date Pts-Opp (CLCO Game #) Who/How vs. Opp.
02/18/04 1,000-787 (14) Lindeman FG vs. Indiana State
02/05/05 2,000-1,696 (28) Funk FG vs. Missouri St.
01/18/06 3,000-2,504 (41) Watts FT vs. Bradley
01/09/07 4,000-3,359 (56) Tolliver FG vs. Drake
12/17/07 5,000-4,174 (69) Ka. Korver 3FG vs. Hou. Baptist
11/16/08 6,000-5,048 (82) Dotzler FG vs. New Mexico
02/11/09 7,000-5,870 (95) Witter 3FG vs. Bradley
01/16/10 8,000-6,750 (109) Young FG vs. Wichita State
12/20/10 9,000-7,645 (123) Wragge FG vs. W. Illinois
03/23/11 10,000-8,500 (136) Lawson FG vs. UCF
01/21/12 11,000-9,310 (148) McDermott FG vs. Ind. St.
12/19/12 12,000-10,136 (161) Echenique FG vs. Tulsa
11/23/13 13,000-10,922 (173) Artino FG vs. Tulsa
02/23/14 14,000-11,711 (185) Gibbs FG vs. Seton Hall
01/28/15 15,000-12,612 (198) Hanson FT vs. St. John's
12/28/15 16,000-13,498 (211) Huff FG vs. Coppin State
11/15/16 17,000-14,349 (224) Patton FG vs. #9 Wisconsin
01/28/17 18,000-15,166 (235) Hanson FG vs. DePaul
12/18/17 19,000-15,927 (246) Foster 3FG vs. UT Arlington
11/06/18 20,000-16,741 (258) Ballock 3FG vs. W. Illinois
02/03/19 21,000-17,619 (270) Zegarowski FG vs. Xavier
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 at Villanova on Wednesday, the first time in his career he's appeared in the first half of any game.
200,00 Fans, Again
With 222,463 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 Full Arsenal
Creighton has five men averaging double-figures in scoring, with two others a fraction of a point away from joining them.
Entering Wednesday, Ty-Shon Alexander (17.0), Martin Krampelj (12.0), Mitch Ballock (10.7), Marcus Zegarowski (10.9) and Davion Mintz (10.3) are contributing at a double-digit clip, with Damien Jefferson (8.8) not far behind.
In league play, Alexander (16.6), Krampelj (15.4), Ballock (11.4), Mintz (12.2) and Zegarowski (11.7) are all well into double-figures.
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.
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 (.414), and having taken 40 percent or more of its field goal attempts (.465) 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 13-10 .414 .465
Virginia Tech 18-4 .420 .448
Wofford 19-4 .410 .427
South Dakota State 19-6 .420 .402
Most Improved?
Ty-Shon Alexander had 23 points vs. Marquette on Jan. 9, then added 22 more vs. Villanova four days later.
It's the fourth and fifth times this season that the sophomore guard has scored 20 or more points in a game, and first time in his career he's done so in consecutive contests.
The Charlotte native has upped his scoring average to 17.0 points per game, an improvement of 11.5 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 17.0 5.5 +11.5
2. Phil Booth, VU 18.3 10.0 +8.3
3. Paul Scruggs, XU 13.0 4.9 +8.1
Paul Reed, DPU 11.7 3.6 +8.1
5. Collin Gillespie, VU 12.1 4.3 +7.8
The Race To 75
Creighton has scored 75 or more points in each of its 13 victories this season, and in 18 straight wins dating to last winter.
Creighton has scored 80 or more points in each of its last four meetings with Seton Hall, and in each of its last three victories over the Pirates.
Zegarowski Does It All
Marcus Zegarowski's first career start came on Jan. 13 against Villanova, and the true freshman produced 10 points to go with career-highs of seven rebounds and seven assists.
He's just the fifth player in the last five seasons with a game of 10-7-7 against Villanova, joining Khadeen Carrington, Justin Simon, Kamar Baldwin and Kris Dunn.
Zegarowski is the fifth Bluejay to have a game with at least 10-7-7 under Greg McDermott, and first freshman.
Name Date Opp. PTS REB AST
Grant Gibbs 1/13/12 at Illinois St. 12 10 7
Austin Chatman 11/11/13 UMKC 12 7 9
Maurice Watson Jr. 1/26/16 at Georgetown 16 7 8
Khyri Thomas 2/28/17 St. John's 14 12 7
Khyri Thomas 2/27/18 DePaul 16 8 8
Marcus Zegarowski 1/13/19 Villanova 10 7 7
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 66-for-148 (44.6 percent) from three-point range this season, as Connor Cashaw, Marcus Zegarowski and Damien Jefferson are all making 44.8 percent or better from long-range, and Samson Froling is 4-for-13 and Christian Bishop 0-for-1 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
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
3.18 70 22 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
2.78 64 23 Mitch Ballock 2018-19
3-Pointers, By Average
Creighton has made 11.55 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)
11.26 2018-19 259 23 13-10 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 839 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 6,522 trifectas, an average of 7.77 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 224 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 59 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 210 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: 109 times 9: 76 times
10: 65 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
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 259 three-pointers this season, compared to 262 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 41.4 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 .414 13-10 so far
We're Jamming!
Creighton already has 67 dunks this season, with 47 of those coming by Martin Krampelj. Just how impressive is Krampelj's dunk total this year? It's just the same number as 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
47 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
94 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
144 2016-17 25-10 (NCAA)
107 2017-18 21-12 (NCAA)
67 2018-19 13-10 so far
58 2015-16 20-15 (NIT)
56 2010-11 23-16 (CBI)
54 2012-13 28-8 (NCAA)
42 2011-12 29-6 (NCAA)
35 2013-14 27-8 (NCAA)
29 2014-15 14-19
Not Your Ordinary Freshman
Marcus Zegarowski had a season-high 20 points on Dec. 20 vs. Coe. His season average of 10.9 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
10.9 Marcus Zegarowski 2018-19
10.5 Ryan Sears 1997-98
Scoring In Bunches
Creighton has scored 1,871 points through 23 games to rank 32nd nationally with 81.35 points per contest. That puts this year's team on pace to be the eighth-highest scoring team ever, and third-best in nearly 50 years.
Most Points Per Game, Season
Rk. PPG Season Final W-L (Postseason)
1. 88.23 1965-66 14-12 (None)
2. 84.17 1963-64 22-7 (NCAA)
3. 83.96 1970-71 14-11 (None)
4. 83.52 2017-18 21-12 (NCAA)
5. 82.83 1964-65 13-10 (None)
6. 82.00 1968-69 13-13 (None)
7. 81.83 2016-17 25-10 (NCAA)
8. 81.35 2018-19 13-10 so far (TBD)
9. 80.89 1976-77 21-7 (NIT)
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, 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
Free Falling
Despite a team of star marksmen from behind the arc, Creighton ranks just 253rd nationally this year at the free throw line with its 68.1 percent accuracy.
That may not seem like much, but consider that the Bluejays are shooting 76.4 percent in league play after struggling to 62.1 marksmanship from the line in non-conference action.
With one exception, the free throw woes have yet to cost the Bluejays too much, as CU has shot 76.7 percent (46-60) in the last five minutes of the second half (or overtime) from the stripe during its 11 games decided by 12 points or less.
This year's struggles would definitely seem like and aberration, as the Bluejays rank 43rd nationally in free throw percentage at 72.3 percent since Greg McDermott took over in 2010.
Creighton shot 13-for-13 at the line against Xavier on Feb. 3rd, just the fourth time in the last 25 seasons that the Jays were perfect in a game with 10 or more attempts.
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 270 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 75 of those contests, a staggering 27.8 percent of the time.
Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 124-31 and hasn't trailed in 50 of those games.
CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 270 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 16-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 221-49 (.819) 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 21,045-17,652 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.57 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 75 different times.
Creighton is also 28-29 all-time in the 57 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 124-31 (.800) 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 238-49 (.829) 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 6, 2019
Category Stat NCAA Rank
FG Percentage .483 2nd
3FG Percentage .388 3rd
3FG Made 2,681 3rd
Assists 4,956 4th
FG Made 8,295 10th
Wins 200 32nd
Winning Percentage .658 40th
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 2,308 three-pointers. He's also second among active players (Stephen Curry, again) and eighth all-time in league history with 43.09 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 42.0 percent from downtown and averaging 8.9 points per game this season.
Tolliver is averaging 4.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game on 38.3 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 38.8 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 2.8 points and 0.8 rebounds per game.
Full House
This year Creighton is averaging 17,113 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 2/6)
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 20,975 2/12
2. North Carolina 20,877 2/9
3. Syracuse 20,277 2/9
4. Tennessee 18,318 2/9
5. Wisconsin 17,127 2/12
6. Creighton 17,113 2/17
7. Kansas 16,216 2/9
8. Indiana 15,816 2/7
9. Nebraska 15,615 2/13
10. Marquette 15,275 2/9
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
17,113 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 80.97 points per home game (12,551 points in 155 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 839 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 2/6)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 1,061 UNLV 2/9
2. 1,053 Vanderbilt 2/9
3. 1,043 Duke 2/9
4. 999 Arkansas 2/9
5. 998 Western Kentucky 2/7
6. 983 East Tennessee State 2/7
7. 973 Pacific 2/7
8. 961 Oakland 2/7
9. 951 Texas 2/9
10. 921 Princeton 2/8
11. 902 Marshall 2/7
12. 890 Baylor 2/9
13. 872 Gonzaga 2/7
14. 866 LIU-Brooklyn 2/7
15. 849 Cornell 2/8
16. 848 Mount St. Mary's 2/7
17. 839 Creighton 2/9
18. 837 Tennessee State 2/7
19. 833 East Carolina 2/10
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 200 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
McDermott's .658 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more 80 years ago.
Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk. W-L Name Years
1. 327-176 Dana Altman 1994-2010
2. 200-104 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
Scoring In Bunches
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 81.26 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).
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. 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
2018-19 5th
2017-18: 2nd
2016-17: 3rd
2015-16: 4th
2014-15: 3rd
2013-14: 4th
2012-13: 2nd
2011-12: 2nd
2010-11: 1st
2009-10: 3rd
2008-19: 4th
2007-08: 5th
2006-07: 5th
2005-06: 3rd
2004-05: 2nd
2003-04: 4th
2002-03: 5th
2001-02: 3rd
2000-01: 3rd
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
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballCreighton & Gonzaga Men's Basketball Press Conferences - 11/11/25
Wednesday, November 12
Creighton Men's Basketball Media Availability - 11/10/25
Monday, November 10
Creighton Men's Basketball vs. South Dakota Press Conference - 11/5/25
Tuesday, November 04
Creighton Men's Basketball Availability - 11/3/25
Monday, November 03
