Memphis Up Next For Men's Basketball in Second Round NIT Action

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Game #34 • Memphis Tigers at Creighton Bluejays
Friday, March 22, 2019 • 7:30 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; KOOO 101.9 FM
Television: ESPNU (Jordan Bernfield, Kevin Lehman)
Series History: Series tied, 3-3
Last Meeting: Memphis 74, Creighton 66 on Feb. 18, 1967 in Memphis, Tenn.
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | TICKETS

Next Game
No. 2 seed Creighton (19-14, 9-9 BIG EAST) hosts No. 3 seed Memphis (22-13, 11-7 AAC) in Second Round action of the 2019 National Invitation Tournament. Tip-off on Friday, March 22, is set for 7:30 p.m. Central on First National Bank Court at CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb.
   Friday's winner advances to meet either TCU or Nebraska (who play Sunday), at a time/date/location to be determined. The Horned Frogs and Cornhuskers play on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. Central in Fort Worth on ESPNU.

Lending a Helping Hand
Creighton University and your local Chevrolet dealers have teamed up to help with the flood relief.
   At Friday's game vs. Memphis, fans are encouraged to bring relief supplies - including cleaning supplies, blankets, water and canned food.
   Starting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, donations will be accepted by your local Chevrolet dealers and loaded into Chevrolet Silverados staged along the Convention Center entrance.
   Chevrolet dealers will also be accepting donations at their dealerships through the weekend for those not attending the game.

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. Unlike the regular-season, the audio will NOT be webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
   John Bishop and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action.

Television Broadcast Information
Friday's game will air nationally on ESPNU. Jordan Bernfield and Kevin Lehman will announce.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Friday's game can be found on ESPN3.com.

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 19-14 overall and 9-9 in BIG EAST play against the nation's 20th-toughest schedule, having already played 22 games versus teams that won 21 games or more a year ago.
   Creighton ranks 10th nationally in three-point percentage (.393), ninth in three-pointers made per game (10.82), eighth in total three-pointers made (357) and 23rd in field goal percentage (.482).
   Creighton owns five men averaging 9.7 points per game or more, including sophomores Ty-Shon Alexander (16.0 ppg.) and Mitch Ballock (10.9 ppg.). The duo have combined for 184 three-pointers this winter, including Ballock's BIG EAST record 11 on March 9 vs. DePaul.
   Coming on strong of late is junior big man Martin Krampelj (13.8 ppg., 7.0 rpg.). He's averaged 16.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in CU's last 23 games with 59 dunks in that time.
   Alexander and Krampelj were both named Honorable-Mention All-BIG EAST, while Marcus Zegarowski (10.5 ppg.) landed a spot on the conference's All-Freshman Team.

Scouting Memphis
First year coach Anfernee Hardaway has led Memphis to a 22-13 record, including Tuesday's 74-60 victory over San Diego.
   Jeremiah Martin leads the Tigers with 19.7 points and 4.4 assists per game. He tops the team in field goals (212) and ranks among the national leaders with 199 free throws made.
   Also scoring in double-figures are Kyvon Davenport (13.3 ppg.) and Tyler Harris (10.8 ppg.).
   Memphis owns five men with 20 or more blocked shots and swats 4.0 shots per contest. Memphis averages 80.4 points per game, allows 74.3 per outing, and outrebounds foes by 2.2 caroms per contest.

The Series With Memphis
Creighton and Memphis have split six all-time meetings, including two games in Omaha.
   The teams first met in the 1962 NCAA Tournament in Dallas (an 87-83 Creighton win), then met the following five seasons. The teams have not met since 1967.
   The last time Memphis came to Omaha saw the Bluejays pick up a 115-82 win on Feb. 2, 1966.
   Greg McDermott has never faced Memphis nor Anfernee Hardaway.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his ninth season as head coach at Creighton, where he is 206-108 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 486-303 in his 25th season and is 355-239 in his 18th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Preston Murphy, Alan Huss and Paul Lusk.

With A Win, Creighton Can...
- Secure Creighton's 20th win of the season, and the 19th time in the last 21 seasons the team has had a 20-win campaign.
- Win for the seventh time in the last eight games.
- Win an eighth straight postseason home game.
- Give Creighton consecutive postseason NIT wins for just the second time, joining the 2016 squad.
- Improve Creighton to 9-11 all-time in the NIT, including a 7-5 record at home.
- Improve Greg McDermott to 11-8 in the postseason at Creighton, and 207-108 overall at CU.
- Improve Greg McDermott to 4-1 in the NIT, surpassing Dana Altman (3-5) for the most NIT wins by any coach in program history.
- Improve to 226-50 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha.
- Advance to the quarterfinals of the NIT against either TCU or Nebraska at a time/date/site to be determined.

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.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 20 Years (entering '18-19)
Team   20-Win Seasons#   W-L (after 3/20)   Next
Gonzaga   20   30-3   3/21
Duke   20   29-5   3/22
Kansas   20   25-9   3/21
Kentucky   19   27-6   3/21
Florida   19   19-15   3/21
Syracuse   18   20-13   3/21
Creighton   18   19-14   3/22
Xavier   18   19-15   3/24
Arizona   18   17-15   Season Over
       #entering 2018-19

Friday Night Lights
Creighton doesn't play many Friday home games, but judging by its success, it might not be a bad idea for the future, as CU has won 27 straight Friday home games.
   Creighton has won every Friday home game it's played since Dec. 12, 1975, back when Greg McDermott was 11 years old, and more than 24 years before current Bluejay freshmen Christian Bishop, Jett Canfield, Samson Froling and Marcus Zegarowski were born.
   The Memphis contest is Creighton's third Friday home game this season, joining games vs. Green Bay and Butler.

Looking To Make It A Double
Creighton has 12 all-time wins in 21 NCAA Tournament appearances and eight wins in 12 NIT appearances (including this year), but the Bluejays have won consecutive postseason games in the same year in either of those tournaments just once.
   That came during CU's last NIT appearance in 2016, when the Bluejays beat Alabama and Wagner before falling at BYU in the quarterfinals.
   The only other times Creighton's ever won consecutive postseason games came in 2011, when Creighton won its first four games of the College Basketball Invitational, and in 2010 when CU won its first two games in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

All-Time In The NIT
Creighton owns an 8-11 all-time record while making its 12th appearances in the NIT.
   This year marks Creighton's first trip to the NIT since 2016, when it topped Alabama (72-54) and Wagner (87-54) in Omaha before falling at BYU (88-82) in the quarterfinals.
   Including Tuesday's victory, Creighton has now won at least one NIT game in each of its last five trips (2006, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2019), but hasn't won an NIT game away from home since a March 25, 1942 victory vs. Toledo at Madison Square Garden (the one that was open from 1925-68).

NBA Vets Grace The Visiting Bench
Memphis head coach Anfernee Hardaway and assistant coach Mike Miller aren't the only opposing coaches with an NBA background to patrol the sideline of the visiting bench at CHI Health Center Omaha this season.
   Earlier this year Patrick Ewing made a visit as the Georgetown head coach, while the St. John's staff featured head coach Chris Mullin and assistant coach Mitch Richmond.

McDermott In The Postseason
At the Division I level Greg McDermott has taken eight teams to the NCAA Tournament, two clubs to the NIT (including this year) and one to the CBI.
   McDermott is 10-11 in his Division I career in the postseason, including a 3-1 NIT mark. He was 0-3 at Northern Iowa in the postseason and is 10-8 at Creighton.

Seeds Matter
Creighton owns a 5-1 mark all-time when owning a better seed than its opponent in the NIT, compared to an 0-2 mark when it has a worse seed.
   Creighton was a No. 3 seed in 2008, a No. 1 seed in 2009 and a No. 4 seed in 2016. This year is CU's first trip as a No. 2 seed.
   Creighton is 0-2 against No. 2 seeds. 0-1 against No. 4 seeds, 1-0 against No. 5 seeds, 1-0 against No. 6 seeds, 1-0 vs. No. 7 seeds and 2-0 vs. No. 8 seeds.
   In the previous three NIT's, 11 of the 12 teams to advance to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden have been even-numbered seeds, including three No. 2 seeds. The last No. 2 seed to win the NIT was Stanford in 2015, but oddly, each of the last three champs have been No. 4 seeds.

Common Opponents?
Creighton and Memphis have not played any common opponents this season.

Against Postseason Qualifiers
Creighton is 15-14 against teams that qualified for the postseason, including a 3-10 mark against NCAA qualifiers (wins over Marquette, Georgia State and Montana), an 8-4 mark against NIT qualifiers (2-0 vs. Georgetown and Providence, 1-0 vs. Clemson and Loyola Chicago, 1-1 vs. Butler, 1-2 vs. Xavier and 0-1 vs. Nebraska), a 2-0 record (both vs. DePaul) against CBI clubs, and a 2-0 record (Green Bay, East Tennessee State) against CIT qualifiers.

BIG EAST History In The NIT
Creighton was not the only BIG EAST team selected to the 2019 NIT, as Butler, Georgetown, Providence and Xavier are also in the event.
   The last BIG EAST team to make the trek to Madison Square Garden to play in the NIT semifinals was Notre Dame in 2008-09.
   The last BIG EAST team to win a postseason tournament in men's basketball was Villanova, which won the NCAA Tournament in 2017-18. No BIG EAST team has won the NIT since West Virginia in 2006-07.
   The BIG EAST has picked up multiple postseason victories every season since the formation of the league in 1979-80.

Back In The Postseason
Creighton is returning to the postseason for the 21st time in 22 years this spring.
   That span includes 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven NIT trips (including 2019), one CBI and one CIT appearance.
   The only teams to make the postseason in 21 of the last 22 years are Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State , North Carolina and Syracuse.

Most Postseason Bids By CU Coaches
This year's bid to the NIT is the eighth postseason bid for Greg McDermott at Creighton. Only Dana Altman (13) has taken the Bluejays to more postseason men's basketball appearances.
   McDermott's 10 postseason wins at Creighton are the most in school history, three more than Altman's seven.
   McDermott (10-8) is one of two coaches in program history with a winning record in postseason play, joining Eddie Sutton (2-1).
Coach (Bids)   NCAA   NIT   CBI   CIT   NCIT   Total
Hickey (3)   1-1   2-2   0-0   0-0   0-0   3-3
Belford (1)   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-1   0-1
McManus (3)   3-3   0-0   0-0   0-0   1-1   4-4
Sutton (1)   2-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-0   2-1
Apke (4)   0-3   0-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-4
Barone (3)   1-2   0-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   1-3
Altman (13)   2-7   3-5   0-0   2-1   0-0   7-13
McDermott (8)   3-5   3-1   4-2   0-0   0-0   10-8

McDermott In The Postseason
Creighton coach Greg McDermott is making his eighth postseason appearance at Creighton, and 11th overall as a Division I head coach when you include his time at Northern Iowa.
   McDermott's Division I teams own a 10-11 record in his 11 postseason appearances, including a 10-8 mark in eight appearances at Creighton.
McDermott's Div. I Postseason Appearances
Year   Tourney   Postseason W-L
2003-04 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2004-05 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2005-06 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2010-11 (CU)   CBI   4-2
2011-12 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2012-13 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2013-14 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2015-16 (CU)   NIT   2-1
2016-17 (CU)   NCAA   0-1
2017-18 (CU)   NCAA   0-1
2018-19 (CU)   NIT   1-0

CHI Health Center Home To Some Close Games
Creighton has played in 13 postseason games at the 16-year-old CHI Health Center Omaha. Three of those games were decided by a single point, and two others were decided by just two points.
   Creighton has won seven straight and nine of its last 10 postseason home games at CHI Health Center Omaha. That expands to 11 of the last 12 postseason games at home if you factor in two 2010 CIT games that were played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Creighton's Postseason Games,
CHI Health Center Omaha History
Date   Att.   Score
3/16/04   13,483   Nebraska 71, Creighton 70
3/16/06   10,197   Creighton 71, Akron 60
3/20/06   10,018   Miami 53, Creighton 52
3/18/08   7,948   Creighton 74, Rhode Island 73
3/18/09   9,577   Creighton 73, Bowling Green 71
3/23/09   16,984   Kentucky 65, Creighton 63
3/15/11   3,086   Creighton 85, San Jose State 74
3/21/11   4,832   Creighton 102, Davidson 92
3/23/11   6,392   Creighton 82, UCF 64
3/28/11   12,381   Creighton 84, Oregon 76
3/15/16   6,305   Creighton 72, Alabama 54
3/19/16   6,471   Creighton 87, Wagner 54
3/19/19   5,755   Creighton 70, Loyola Chicago 61

Home Sweet NIT Home
If past years are any indication, having the home-court advantage during the NIT is a tremendous factor. Since the NIT was trimmed to 32 teams and taken over by the NCAA in 2007, home-court teams are a combined 256-96 in the event, through games of Wednesday.
   In the last 13 years (including games through Wednesday this spring), home teams are 158-50 in the first round, 69-27 in the second round and 29-19 in the quarterfinals.
Home Court Records, NIT, By Round
Year   Rd. 1   Rd. 2   Rd. 3   Total
2007   13-3   7-1   4-0   24-4
2008   13-3   7-1   1-3   21-7
2009   13-3   6-2   3-1   22-6
2010   11-5   6-2   1-3   18-10
2011   13-3   4-4   4-0   21-7
2012   10-6   5-3   2-2   17-11
2013   12-4   8-0   1-3   21-7
2014   12-4   6-2   4-0   22-6
2015   12-4   6-2   3-1   21-7
2016   14-2   5-3   4-0   23-5
2017   8-8   4-4   2-2   14-14
2018   16-0   5-3   0-4   21-7
2019   11-5   0-0   0-0   0-0
Totals   158-50   69-27   29-19   245-91

Postseason Usually Features Last-Second Drama
Entering 2019, 11 of Creighton's last 16 postseason runs (all but 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018) have included a game that was decided in the final seconds.
   In fact, Creighton's past 16 postseason openers have had four games decided by one point (including a double-OT finish), two by two points, one game by four points, two by six points (including an OT finish), one by nine points, two games by 10 points, three games by 11 points, one game by 12 points, and two decided by 18 points.
   In 2013 Cincinnati missed a game-tying three-pointer in the final 20 seconds and Creighton guard Austin Chatman made 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to hold on to a 67-63 win.
   In 2012 Creighton edged Alabama in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 58-57, as Trevor Releford's game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer came up short.
   Creighton's 2010-11 campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion in the CBI title game at Oregon. Creighton had the ball in a tie game with the shot clock off, but committed a backcourt violation on Oregon's "unique" floor. The Ducks' E.J. Singler then banked in a game-winning shot with 2.0 seconds left. A desperation three-pointer by Creighton was off the mark.
   In 2009, Creighton rallied from a 14-point deficit and would hang on to beat Bowling Green, 73-71 in the first round of the NIT. The Jays needed a last-second defensive stand, as BGSU's Darryl Clements' game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.
   The following game, Creighton led Kentucky by one with 36 seconds left, only to miss two free throws and see UK All-American Jodie Meeks convert a three-point play. CU's Booker Woodfox, the nation's No. 2 three-point shooter, missed an open trey as time expired, and Creighton lost 65-63.
   In 2008, Creighton rallied from a 12-point deficit in the final 3:07 to top Rhode Island, 73-72, in the first round of the NIT. Cavel Witter hit the game-winner with 3.2 seconds left to give CU its first lead of the game since 3-0.
   In 2007, Creighton had the ball for a final shot in a tie game against Nevada in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Nate Funk's shot attempt missed, and a tip-in try was also not converted. The Jays would eventually lose 77-71 in overtime.
   In second round of the 2006 NIT, Miami (Fla.) guard Guilermo Diaz drained a free throw with 2.6 seconds left to beat Creighton 53-52. A last-second shot attempt by Bluejay senior Johnny Mathies was knocked out of his hands.
   In the 2005 NCAA Tourney, Nate Funk had his three-point try with seven seconds left blocked by Tyrone Sally, and Sally raced downcourt for a breakaway dunk with 2.4 seconds left to give West Virginia a 63-61 win. Funk's three-point try from the corner missed at the buzzer.
   In 2004, Creighton fell 71-70 to Nebraska in the NIT. The Jays led nearly the entire second half before NU's go-ahead basket with 12 seconds left. Nate Funk's game-winning jumper from 18-feet away was blocked by Husker guard Jake Muhleisen.
   In 2003 Creighton lost 79-73 to Central Michigan in the NCAA's. The Jays trailed 50-24 with 16:24 left but a furious rally got them within two points (72-70) with 1:20 left, only to turn it over the next three possessions.
   In the 2002 NCAA's, Creighton beat #15 Florida, 83-82, in Chicago. Terrell Taylor hit a game-winning trey with 0.2 seconds left in double-overtime, his final three of 28 points after a scoreless first half.

Playing Rules/Experimental Rules
The official NCAA basketball rules shall govern all Tournament games. The NIT will utilize the following experimental rules during all tournament games:

Three-point line:
   - Extend the current three-point line (20'6") by approximately 1'8" making the line the same distance as the FIBA three-point line (22' 1 and 3/4") used in international basketball.

Width of the lane:
   - Widen the lane from 12' to 16' making it consistent with the width of the lane used by the NBA.

Elimination of bonus free throws and resetting of team fouls:
   - For the purpose of determining bonus free throws only, each period ("half") shall be divided into two 10-minute segments (a "segment"). This shall not include overtime periods.
   - At the 10:00 minute mark of the first and second periods, team fouls shall be reset to zero for each team.
   - A team shall be awarded two bonus free throws beginning with:
       - a. The fifth team foul assessed against an opponent during each 10-minute segment, or
       - b. The second team foul committed with under two minutes remaining in each period (half) if that should occur prior to the fifth team foul in the second segment of either period (half).
   - There shall be no one and one bonus free throws.
   - Team fouls shall be reset at the beginning of each overtime period. During each overtime period, a team shall be awarded two bonus free throws beginning with:
       - a. The fourth team foul assessed against an opponent, or
       - b. The second team foul assessed against an opponent with under two minutes remaining in each overtime period if that should occur prior to the team's fourth team foul in the overtime period.

Play – With 1:56 remaining in the first period (half), Team B is assessed a team foul. With 1:30 remaining, Team B is assessed another team foul. This is the fourth team foul committed by Team B since the team fouls were reset to zero at the 10:00 minute mark.
RULING – The offended Team A player is awarded two bonus free throws because this was the second team foul assessed against Team B with less than two minutes remaining in the first period (half).

Play – In any overtime period:
   - 1. Team B is assessed with its fourth team foul with 3:00 minutes remaining, or;
   - 2. Team B is assessed with three team fouls in the first three minutes of the overtime period and a fourth team foul with less than two minutes remaining, or;
   - 3. Team B is assessed with one team foul in the first three minutes of the overtime period and two additional team fouls with less than in the last two minutes remaining in of the overtime period.
RULING – 1.) Team A is awarded two bonus free throws since Team B has been assessed its fourth team foul in the overtime period. 2.) Team A is awarded two bonus free throws since Team B has been assessed its fourth team foul of the overtime period. 3.) Team A is awarded two free throws since it is the second team foul assessed to Team B with under two minutes remaining in the overtime period.

Shot-clock reset after offensive rebounds
   - Reset the shot clock to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound instead of 30 seconds.

Krampelj From Deep
Martin Krampelj entered Tuesday's NIT opener ranked sixth on the team with 20 three-pointers made. So naturally, it was the 6-foot-9 post player who tied Creighton's single-game NIT record with four three-pointers vs. Loyola Chicago.
   Krampelj's four treys were a career-high.
Most 3FG, Game, Creighton's NIT History
   4   Pierce Hibma vs. Akron    3/16/06
   4   Johnny Mathies vs. Miami    3/20/06
   4   Jimmy Motz vs. Miami    3/20/06
   4   P'Allen Stinnett vs. Rhode Island    3/18/08
   4   Booker Woodfox vs. Rhode Island    3/18/08
   4   James Milliken vs. Wagner   3/19/16
   4   Martin Krampelj vs. Loyola Chicago   3/19/19

NIT Experience, Or Lack Of
Seven members of the program have appeared in the NCAA Tournament (Mitch Ballock, Davion Mintz, Ty-Shon Alexander, Jacob Epperson, Martin Krampelj, Jordan Scurry and Kaleb Joseph), while Connor Cashaw played in the CBI while enrolled at Rice, but none of the players on this year's Creighton team had ever participated in an NIT game prior to Tuesday's win over Loyola Chicago.
   Martin Krampelj was on CU's 2015-16 club that played three NIT games, but he was out of the line-up with a knee injury and did not suit up.

League Honors Three Bluejays
Three Creighton players were recognized on March 10th when the league handed out honors.
   Ty-Shon Alexander and Martin Krampelj were named Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST, and Marcus Zegarowski was a unanimous selection to the league's All-Freshman Team. It's the first postseason league honor for all three men.
   Alexander leads Creighton with 16.0 points per game, well above the 5.5 points per contest he scored a year ago. The sophomore from Charlotte, N.C., set a school-record by making a three-pointer in 33 straight games, and ranks fourth in the BIG EAST by making 2.97 three-pointers per contest. Alexander also ranks among the top-13 in the conference in points per game (16.0), steals per game (1.19) and free throw percentage (.800), and he topped the club with 27 steals in league action.
   Krampelj is one of the league's premier big men, averaging 13.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest. He shoots 59.1 percent from the floor, and also tops CU with 26 blocked shots. The Grosuplje, Slovenia, product was at his best in league action, ranking among the top-10 in points (16.7), rebounds (8.2), blocks (0.94) and steals (1.44) per game. Krampelj owns seven double-doubles this winter, and ranks among the national leaders with 70 dunks.
   Zegarowski earned All-Freshman Team acclaim and averages 10.5 points, 3.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. Among all players, he currently ranks third in the BIG EAST in three-point percentage (.423) and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.74 and third among all league freshmen in scoring (10.5 ppg.). The Hamilton, Mass., native has started 14 games, and Creighton is 19-11 in his 29 appearances compared to an 0-3 mark in the three games he missed due to injury. Zegarowski's recognition marks the third straight season the Bluejays have had a player named to the All-Freshman Team, as Mitch Ballock earned similar plaudits a year ago and Justin Patton was named Freshman of the Year in 2017.

NIT Helped Khyri Thomas
In the midst of Creighton's last NIT appearance in 2016, head coach Greg McDermott was quick to point out the importance the NIT had on Khyri Thomas' confidence moving forward.
   Thomas had played just two minutes in a BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinal loss less than a week earlier, but produced 15 points and eight rebounds vs. Alabama, 13 points vs. Wagner and nine points against BYU to regain confidence heading into his summer. Thomas would develop into a two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, turned professional after his junior season, and now plays for the Detroit Pistons.
   Below is what McDermott said in 2016:
   "Outside the experience for the seniors of getting to play extra games, his play in these two games is the most valuable thing that's happened. Because of where he was mentally and from a confidence standpoint, and how he's been able to flip it against teams that have had really good seasons. We're not playing slouches...Khyri's put two together back-to-back, which probably hasn't happened since December. Moving forward for him into the offseason, it's incredible the impact it will have on him."

Jays & Tigers Kept Fans Busy
Creighton's home attendance average of 16,478 fans per game this season is sixth nationally and more than any other NIT participant this spring.
   Here's a look at the first round attendances from the NIT in 2019, which sees Memphis and Creighton both in the top-three.
Largest 2019 First Round NIT Crowds
10,103   Nebraska
8,138   Memphis
5,755   Creighton
5,769   Xavier
5,500   North Carolina State
5,431   Indiana
4,459   UNC Greensboro
3,095   TCU
3,091   Colorado
3,057   Providence
2,253   Georgetown
2,102   Furman
2,086   Alabama
1,718   Clemson
1,739   Texas
1,647   Davidson

It Was A WWWWWinning Streak
Before the March 14 loss to Xavier, Creighton had won a season-high five games in a row. The program now owns at least one streak of five or more wins in 20 of the last 22 seasons.

Freshmen Floor Generals
Freshman Marcus Zegarowski was named to the BIG EAST's All-Freshman Team, and has put up numbers similar to other standout freshmen point guards for the Bluejays of years past who also helped CU to the NIT as a rookie.
Stat   Sears   Dotzler   Zegarowski
Year   1997-98   2005-06   2018-19
PPG   10.5   6.4   10.5
RPG   3.0   2.0   3.2
APG   4.8   4.2   3.2
A/TO Ratio   2.27   2.57   1.74
SPG   2.2   2.3   1.0
FG%   .409   .415   .461
3FG%   .391   .395   .423
FT%   .805   .651   .770
Team W-L   18-10   20-10   19-14 so far
Team Postseason   NIT   NIT   NIT

Twenty For Ty-Shon
Ty-Shon Alexander had his eighth game this season with 20 or more points in the BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinal, while the rest of his teammates have combined for 10 such games this season (4 by Martin Krampelj, 3 by Mitch Ballock, 1 by Davion Mintz, 1 by Damien Jefferson and 1 by Marcus Zegarowski).
   Alexander's eight games with 20 or more points are the most by a Bluejay sophomore since Doug McDermott had 24 such games in 2011-12.

Mitch-A-Palooza
Sophomore Mitch Ballock had one of the greatest shooting nights in Creighton, BIG EAST and NCAA history on March 9 in a 91-78 victory over DePaul.
   Ballock had a career-high 39 points on just 14 shots, and went 11-for-12 from three-point range.
   Ballock's 11 three-pointers were two more than the previous Creighton single-game record held by Kyle Korver and Ethan Wragge.
   Ballock's 11 three-pointers were four more than the previous CHI Health Center Omaha record for a Bluejay, and one more than the mark for a player on any team set earlier this season by Marquette's Markus Howard.
   Ballock's 11 three-pointers tied the single-game record for any BIG EAST game, matching Markus Howard's effort last season at Providence.
   Ballock's 11-for-12 marksmanship (91.7%) set a NCAA single-game record for three-point percentage among players with 12 or more attempts.
Most 3FG, Game, Creighton History
   3FG   Name, Opponent   Date
   11   Mitch Ballock vs. DePaul   03/09/19
   9   Kyle Korver vs. Evansville   01/15/03
       Ethan Wragge at Villanova   01/20/14
   8   Tad Ackerman at Drake   01/23/95
       Kyle Korver at Xavier   12/31/02
       Terrell Taylor vs. Florida   03/15/02
       Isaiah Zierden at DePaul   01/17/16
   7   Gary Swain vs. Nebraska-Omaha   12/11/86
       Ryan Sears vs. Wyoming   12/06/97
       Kyle Korver vs. Notre Dame   11/26/02
       Kyle Korver vs. Fresno State   02/22/03
       Nate Funk at Nebraska   11/18/06
       Booker Woodfox at Saint Joseph's   12/06/08
       Ethan Wragge at Saint Joseph's   11/16/13
       Doug McDermott vs. DePaul   03/13/14
       Cole Huff vs. Seton Hall   03/10/16
       Ty-Shon Alexander vs. Clemson   11/21/18
       Mitch Ballock at Nebraska   12/08/18

Ballock Goes For 39
Mitch Ballock had a career-high 39 points on March 9 vs. DePaul. He had 17 points in the first half, his highest-scoring half as a Bluejay, before erupting for 22 more after the intermission to break his own personal best for one half.
   Heading into the night, Ballock had never scored more than 23 points for an entire game in the first 63 games of his career.
   Ballock's 39 points are tied for 15th-most in program history and were 12 shy of Bob Portman's 52-year-old school-record.
   Ballock is the nation's first player since Syracuse's John Gillon (vs. NC State on Feb. 1, 2017) to score 39 points or more on 14 field goal attempts or less, and the only man in the last nine seasons to do it without making more than 10 free throws (Ballock was 4-for-5 at the line).
Most Points, Game, Creighton History
   Pts.   Name, Opponent   Date
   51   Bob Portman vs. UW-Milwaukee   12/16/67
   47   Eddie Cole at Morningside   11/29/54
   46   Bob Portman vs. Weber State   12/23/68
   45   Tim Powers at Idaho State   01/29/66
       Benoit Benjamin vs. Indiana State   01/19/85
       Doug McDermott vs. Providence   03/08/14
   44   Doug McDermott at Bradley   01/07/12
   43   Bob Portman at Kansas State   02/12/68
       Benoit Benjamin vs. Southern Illinois   01/17/85
   42   Bob Portman vs. LaSalle   01/30/68
       Cavel Witter vs. Bradley   03/01/08
   41   Doug McDermott vs. Wichita State   03/02/13
   40   Chad Gallagher vs. Wichita State   02/17/90
       Rodney Buford vs. Bradley   12/30/98
   39   Bob Portman at Oklahoma City   02/08/68
       Doug McDermott at Missouri State   01/11/13
       Doug McDermott vs. St. John's   01/28/14
       Doug McDermott vs. Villanova   02/16/14
       Mitch Ballock vs. DePaul   03/09/19

Freshman Facilitator
Marcus Zegarowski dished a season-high 10 assists in Creighton's March 9 win over DePaul.
   It was the most assists by any Bluejay since Maurice Watson Jr. had 14 helpers at Providence on Jan. 7, 2017, as well as the most by any Creighton freshman since Josh Dotzler had 10 dimes at Drake on Feb. 4, 2006.
Krampelj On The Double
With 23 points and 10 rebounds vs. DePaul, Martin Krampelj had his seventh double-double of the season on March 9th.
   Krampelj owns each of Creighton's seven double-doubles this year, and since December 10, 2018 has all 11 of CU's double-double performances.
   The chart below shows Creighton's players with consecutive double-doubles since 1994-95. Of the nine men listed, Krampelj (4x) and Doug McDermott (6x) are the only two men to appear on the list three times or more. Krampelj is already the only Bluejay other than McDermott in the last 25 years to have three consecutive double-dips, having done so last season.
CU's Consecutive Double-Doubles Since 1994-95
Streak   Name   Dates
   4   Doug McDermott   Nov. 25-Dec. 10, 2011
   3#   Doug McDermott   Feb. 9-16, 2013
   3   Martin Krampelj   Jan. 3-9, 2018
   2   Chuckie Johnson   Feb. 14-17, 1996
   2*   Rodney Buford   Jan. 24-27, 1998
   2   Doug Swenson   Nov. 14-18, 1998
   2   Ben Walker   Nov. 25-26, 2000
   2*   Anthony Tolliver   Feb. 4-7, 2006
   2   Anthony Tolliver   Nov. 29-Dec. 6, 2006
   2*   Kenny Lawson Jr.   Jan. 1-3, 2010
   2   Kenny Lawson Jr.   Feb. 20-23, 2010
   2   Doug McDermott   Jan. 19-22, 2011
   2   Doug McDermott   Feb. 1-5, 2011
   2   Doug McDermott   Jan. 27-30, 2013
   2*   Doug McDermott   March 1-4, 2014
   2   Maurice Watson Jr.   Dec. 9-17, 2016
   2   Martin Krampelj   Dec. 5-9, 2017
   2*   Martin Krampelj   Feb. 6-9, 2019
   2   Martin Krampelj   March 6-9, 2019
*both games on road
#final 2 games on road

Krampelj On The Double
Martin Krampelj had six double-doubles in BIG EAST play, tying him for the league lead in conference action.
   He's tied with DePaul's Paul Reed as well as Xavier's Tyrique Jones in that category, one more than Providence's Alpha Diallo and Georgetown's Jessie Govan.

Shooting Stars
Creighton has made 357 three-pointers this season, which ranks as the most in program history and is the eighth-most of any team in the country in 2018-19.
   Each of Creighton's first seven teams to make 287 or more three-pointers ended up winning at least 21 games and playing in the NCAA Tournament.
Most 3-Pointers, Season
   Rk.   3FG   Season   Final W-L (Postseason)
   1.   357   2018-19   19-14 so far (NIT)
   2.   356   2013-14   27-8 (NCAA)
   3.   343   2017-18   21-12 (NCAA)
   4.   307   2012-13   28-8 (NCAA)
   5.   304   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
   6.   293   2004-05   23-11 (NCAA)
   7.   289   1999-00   23-10 (NCAA)
   8.   287   2011-12   29-6 (NCAA)

Point Taken
Creighton has scored 2,590 points as it heads into the game against Memphis, among the top figures in program history.
   Creighton's top five scoring seasons, and eight of its top 10 campaigns, have come since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010.
Most Points, Season
   Rk.   Points   Season   Final W-L (Postseason)
   1.   2,864   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
   2.   2,787   2015-16   20-15 (NIT)
   3.   2,772   2011-12   29-6 (NCAA)
   4.   2,756   2013-14   27-8 (NCAA)
       2,756   2017-18   21-12 (NCAA)
   6.   2,688   2002-03   29-5 (NCAA)
   7.   2,684   2010-11   23-16 (CBI)
   8.   2,680   2012-13   28-8 (NCAA)
   9.   2,596   1989-90   21-12 (NIT)
   10.   2,590   2018-19   19-14 so far (NIT)

Honoring The Seniors
Creighton honored two senior players following its March 9 win vs. DePaul, as Connor Cashaw and Kaleb Joseph were recognized along with senior managers Josh Martin, Will Schademann and Stefano Tarantolo.
   Cashaw is in his first season at Creighton after transferring from Rice. He's averaged 2.0 points and 1.9 rebounds per game while appearing in 31 contests, including one start. Cashaw is the team's active leader in Division I rebounds and three-pointers and is second in points.
   Joseph is concluding his third season with the Bluejays after transferring in from Syracuse. After sitting out his transfer season in 2016-17, Joseph has averaged 4.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in 47 career appearances, including three starts.
   Creighton has appeared in the NCAA Tournament twice and the NIT once since Joseph's arrival, with the Jays going a combined 65-36 in that span.

Always Impressing
Since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in 2013, Creighton is the only team to meet or exceed their poll prediction each season.
   Creighton was picked to finish ninth this season and finished in a tie for third place for the third consecutive season. It's the first time Creighton has finished third or better in the same conference in three straight years since seven consecutive campaigns from 2000-01 to 2006-07 as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
   In nine seasons under Greg McDermott, Creighton has exceeded its preseason poll placement on four 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   T-3rd

Overtime Odds & Ends
Creighton improved to 1-3 in overtime games this season with its March 6 win over Providence. The losses have come against No. 21 Marquette, at No. 14 Villanova and at defending BIG EAST champ Xavier.
   Creighton's win over the Friars snapped a four-game skid in overtime games, as its last win in overtime had come against Villanova (2018).
   Creighton has played on CBS Sports Network five times this season. Four of those games went to overtime, while the other game at Seton Hall was a one-point game with 10 seconds to go.
   The team to score first in overtime has won 16 of Creighton's last 19 overtime games, though that didn't hold true in the Providence game.
   Creighton is now 57-49 all-time games to go to overtime, including a 43-43 mark in single-overtime games. CU is 21-12 in home games that last just one overtime, and 30-14 in home games that go one or more overtimes.
   Upon joining the BIG EAST in 2013, just one of Creighton's first 96 games against league opponents (regular season & conference tournament play) went to overtime. Since then, six of CU's last 23 games against league opponents have gone to overtime.
   Creighton has played four overtime games this season, tying the school record of four previously done in 1989-90 and again in 2001-02.
   More information on Creighton's overtime history can be found on page 160 of the program's 2018-19 media guide.

Just Call Him Trey-Shon
Ty-Shon Alexander had his Creighton-record streak of 33 straight games with a three-pointer snapped on March 9 vs. Providence.
   Alexander's streak surpassed the previous school record of 31 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
   33   Ty-Shon Alexander   2/27/18 to 3/6/19
   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
   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

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
   3.15   82   26   Tad Ackerman   1994-95
   3.14   110   35   Ethan Wragge   2013-14
   3.13   100   32   Kyle Korver   2001-02
   2.97   95   32   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   2.88   95   33   Marcus Foster   2017-18

Sophomore Slingers
Ty-Shon Alexander and Mitch Ballock continue to shoot the ball at a rate rarely seen by sophomores.
   Alexander has made 95 three-pointers this season, while Ballock has drained 89 treys. Both men rank among the top-three in program history for three-pointers by a sophomore.
   Alexander has also joined some elite company by becoming the fifth Creighton sophomore to score 500 or more points.
Most 3-Pointers Made by a Creighton Sophomore
   3FG-FGA   3FG%   Name   Year
   100-221   .452   Kyle Korver   2000-01
   95-252   .377   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   89-212   .420   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
   95-252   .377   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   91-191   .476   Booker Woodfox*   2008-09
   89-212   .420   Mitch Ballock   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
*Conference Player of the Year

Most Points by a Creighton Sophomore
   Points       Name   Year
   801       Doug McDermott   2011-12
   589       Rodney Buford   1996-97
   551       Paul Silas   1961-62
   517       Bob Harstad   1988-89
   513       Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19

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 16.0 points per game, an improvement of 10.5 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   18-19 PPG   17-18 PPG   +/-
1.   Ty-Shon Alexander, CU   16.0   5.5   +10.5
2.   Phil Booth, VU   18.6   10.0   +8.6
3.   Paul Reed, DPU   11.3   3.6   +7.7
4.   Paul Scruggs, XU   12.5   4.9   +7.6
5.   Collin Gillespie, VU   11.5   4.3   +7.2

Sophomore Scorer
Sophomore guard Ty-Shon Alexander averages a team-leading 16.0 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), Bob Harstad (16.7 in 1988-89) and Benoit Benjamin (16.2 ppg. in 1983-84). McDermott, Buford and Harstad are the top three career scorers in Creighton history, while Benjamin was on his way to a top-five spot before declaring early for the NBA Draft.
   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
   16.2   Benoit Benjamin   1983-84
   16.0   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   15.8   Gene Harmon   1971-72
   15.3   Chad Gallagher   1988-89
   14.6   Kyle Korver   2000-01

BIG EAST's Elite Big Men
Martin Krampelj's BIG EAST numbers were outstanding, as he averaged 16.6 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game and 0.9 blocks per game.
   He was one of four men in the top-10 of both points and rebounds per game in conference action, joining Eric Paschall, Naji Marshall 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.
   Krampelj was also the BIG EAST's only player to rank in the top-10 in both steals per game and blocked shots per game in league action.

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
PPG   12.9   11.9   13.8
RPG   6.2   8.1   7.0
BPG   1.4   0.7   0.8
APG   1.2   1.2   0.8
FG%   .676   .671   .591
FT%   .517   .623   .643
Double-Doubles   3   6   7
Dunks/Game   2.06   1.74   2.12

My Favorite Martin
Martin Krampelj has scored in double-figures in 22 of the last 23 games, including 14 straight, with nine points in the one contest he was limited to single digits.
   In the past 23 games, Krampelj has averaged 16.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He's shot 62.0 percent from the field, 40.0 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 23 Games   .620   .400   .667   8.2   16.5   59

Traditional Powers
Relative BIG EAST newcomers Creighton and Xavier both finished .500 in the BIG EAST with a 9-9 league mark.
   Creighton has now gone .500 or better in league play 22 of the past 23 seasons.
   Xavier has been .500 or better in league play each of the last 36 seasons. That's the nation's longest active streak, five seasons longer than Murray State's 31. The rest of the top-five consists of Kansas (29), Kentucky (29) and Gonzaga (27).

Let's March
Thanks to wins on March 3 (at Marquette), March 6 (Providence) and March 9 (DePaul), Creighton has done something special.
   Creighton won three consecutive regular-season games in the same month of March since the 1931-32 campaign.
   Prior to this year, the Jays had not won multiple regular-season games in the same month of March since the 1953-54 season.
   Additionally, the Bluejays hadn't won consecutive regular-season games in the same month of March since 1951-52 and had last won consecutive regular-season conference games in the same month of March in 1947-48 as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.

How They Rank?
Creighton game at No. 10 Marquette on March 3 was Creighton's sixth game of the season against a top-25 team.
   CU has led for 152:19, trailed for 82:20 and were tied for 19:20 in those 250 minutes against top-25 foes.
   This is the fifth straight season that the Bluejays have faced at least six ranked teams in one season, after never having done it prior to Greg McDermott's arrival in 2010-11.
Most Games vs. Top 25 Teams, Season
   Games   Season   Coach
   10   2017-18   Greg McDermott
       8   2014-15   Greg McDermott
       8   2015-16   Greg McDermott
       7   2016-17   Greg McDermott
       6   2018-19   Greg McDermott
       6   1971-72   Eddie Sutton

Top 25 Success
Creighton had two wins over top-25 teams this season, the fifth straight season with multiple top-25 victories.
Most Top-25 Wins, Season
   Wins   Season   Top-25 Victims
   4   2016-17   #9 Wisconsin, #12 Butler,
           #16 Butler, #22 Xavier
   4   2017-18   #20 Northwestern, #23 UCLA,
           #19 Seton Hall, #3 Villanova
   2   1973-74   #6 Marquette, #16 Louisville
   2   2001-02   #15 Florida, #17 Western Kentucky
   2   2006-07   #11 Southern Illinois, #24 Xavier
   2   2013-14   #4 Villanova, #6 Villanova
   2   2015-16   #5 Xavier, #18 Butler
   2   2018-19   #16 Clemson, #10 Marquette

Give Me 10
Creighton's win on March 6 vs. Providence was the program's 10th home win of the season, the 22nd time in the last 23 seasons that's been achieved.
   The only exception in that time came in 2014-15, when the Jays won nine times at home.

Zegarowski A Shooting Star
Marcus Zegarowski has moved into the top-10 in Creighton history for three-point percentage in a career (minimum 100 attempts).
   Creighton's two all-time three-point percentage leaders, Kyle Korver and Doug McDermott, have combined to make more than 2,675 career three-pointers in the NBA, and both men also rank in the top-30 in NBA history in three-point percentage.
Creighton's Career 3FG% Leaders
(Minimum 100 Attempts)
   Pct.   Name, Years   3FGM-FGA
   .458   Doug McDermott, 2010-14   274-598
   .455   Booker Woodfox, 2007-09   147-323
   .453   Kyle Korver, 1999-03   371-819
   .441   Rod Mason, 1986-88   132-299
   .440   Nerijus Karlikanovas, 1998-00   48-109
   .439   Ethan Wragge, 2009-14   334-761
   .431   Michael Lindeman, 2000-04   62-144
   .429   Duan Cole, 1987-92   176-410
   .423   Marcus Zegarowski, 2018-Present   55-130
   .407   Cole Huff, 2015-17   124-305

News, Notes, Nuggets
Recapping some notes of interest from Creighton's March 3rd win at No. 10 Marquette:
- Creighton snapped a six-game losing streak in the series while beating the Golden Eagles for the first time since Feb. 13, 2016.
- This was the 10th straight meeting between Creighton and Marquette decided by eight points or less.
- Creighton is now one of 13 teams nationally with a top-10 win each of the last four seasons.
- Creighton has now beaten multiple ranked teams in each of the last five campaigns.
- Creighton is now 15-30 under Greg McDermott against top-25 teams, compared to an 18-115 mark by all other coaches before his arrival.
- Creighton is now 5-13 under Greg McDermott in top-25 road games, compared to a 2-63 mark before his hiring.
- Creighton's 10 wins over top-25 teams since the start of 2016-17 trail only Villanova (17) among league teams, and are tied for 15th-most nationally.
- Creighton's four top-25 road wins in the last three seasons trail only Duke, Kansas and Virginia nationally.
- Marquette's Markus Howard became the first player to score 30+ points against Creighton in consecutive meetings since Bradley's Hersey Hawkins in 1987.

High Five
Creighton has made five or more three-pointers in 69 consecutive games, a streak that started on March 10, 2017 in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinal vs. Xavier.
   Per Sport Radar, that streak ranks sixth-longest nationally, and is the longest active streak among any major conference team.
Longest Active Team Streaks With 5+ 3-Pointers
   Streak   School   Next Game
   163   North Florida   Season Over
   127   The Citadel   Season Over
   97   Wofford   3/21
   73   Savannah State   Season Over
   72   Belmont   Season Over
   69   Creighton   3/22

Zegarowski Among The Best Freshmen
Creighton's Marcus Zegarowski ranks third among all BIG EAST freshmen at 10.5 points per game, trailing only the prolific Georgetown duo of James Akinjo (13.4 ppg.) and Mac McClung (13.1 ppg.).
Highest Scoring Freshmen, BIG EAST
(Minimum appearing in 75% of team's games)
Rk.   Name, School   PPG
1.   James Akinjo, GU   13.4
2.   Mac McClun, GU   13.1
3.   Marcus Zegarowski, CU   10.5

What's Your Favorite Dish?
Creighton owns 5,105 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 (5,763), Michigan State (5,457) and Kansas (5,124).
   Creighton ranks 22nd nationally this season with 16.0 assists per contest, the sixth time in the last eight seasons that the Bluejays have been in the top-25. Each of the previous five times under McDermott that Creighton's finished a season in the top-25 in assists per game nationally have resulted in an NCAA Tournament bid.

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, 18-19   3.7   2.0   0.4   9.1   .583   .385
Christian Bishop, 18-19   3.7   1.7   0.5   8.0   .661   .483
Jacob Epperson, 17-18   6.3   2.9   0.9   14.0   .694   .333
Zach Hanson, 13-14   2.8   1.1   0.3   5.1   .684   .560
Martin Krampelj, 15-16   2.9   3.6   0.4   6.6   .474   .167
Anthony Tolliver, 03-04   0.8   1.3   0.3   6.5   .400   .222

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.

Jays2K
Creighton has 2,590 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 ranked 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 78.5 points per game to date.
   Greg McDermott is 60-4 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 54-4 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).

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 7-5 in its last 12 games, but has made vast improvements on the defensive end of the court in that time.
   In the last 12 games, a stretch that started with CU's Feb. 3 victory over Xavier, Creighton has allowed 66.3 points per game while holding foes to 43.1 percent shooting from the field and 32.8 percent marksmanship from downtown. The Jays are 7-5 in this time, outscoring teams 854-796.
   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
CU's March 19 win vs. Loyola Chicago was the seventh game this season that Creighton has placed five men in double-figures, and first time since Dec. 31, 2017 (vs. Providence) that all five starters logged 10 or more points. Overall this year, Creighton is 6-1 this year when five men have 10 or more points.
   For the season Creighton is a fraction away from having five men averaging double-figures in scoring, something it hasn't done for an entire season in 55 years.
   Entering the postseason, Ty-Shon Alexander (16.0), Martin Krampelj (13.8), Mitch Ballock (10.9), Marcus Zegarowski (10.5) all average 10 or more points per game, with Davion Mintz (9.7) close behind.
   In league play, Krampelj (16.7), Alexander (15.2), Ballock (11.4), Mintz (10.6) and Zegarowski (10.7) all averaged 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.

3-Pointers, By Average
Creighton has made 10.82 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)
   10.82   2018-19    357   33   19-14 so far (NIT)
   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 849 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 6,620 trifectas, an average of 7.80 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 228 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 69 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 220 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: 88 times
7:   132 times   8:   110 times   9: 80 times
10: 67 times   11: 48 times   12: 45 times
13: 36 times   14: 15 times   15:   6 times
16: 6 times   17: 1 time   19:   1 time
20: 1 time   21: 1 time   22: 1 time

Scheduling Tough
Per the final regular-season NET rankings provided on Selection Sunday by the NCAA, Creighton played the 16th-toughest schedule in the country, and second-best in the BIG EAST. Only Villanova's slate (14th) was harder.
   The Bluejays played 13 Quadrant 1 and 10 Quadrant 2 opponents prior to the NIT.
   Memphis will mark Creighton's 21st straight game against a team that will play in the postseason, and all but four foes (UMKC, Western Illinois, Coe and Boise State) reached the postseason.

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 108 regular-season BIG EAST games.
   Creighton's 56-52 conference record is the fourth-best mark across the league.
BIG EAST Regular-Season Records Since 2013-14
Rank   Team   W-L   Pct.      NCAA's
1.   Villanova   90-18   .833   6
2.   Xavier   66-42   .611   5
3.   Providence   58-50   .537   5
4.   Creighton   56-52   .519   3
5.   Butler   54-54   .500   4
6.   Seton Hall   53-55   .491   4
7.   Marquette   52-56   .481   2
8.   Georgetown   46-62   .426   1
9.   St. John's   40-68   .370   2
10.   DePaul   25-83   .231   0

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 35 games so far this season.
   Jacob Epperson missed CU's season-opener, and later underwent season-ending knee surgery on January 11th, but was also struggling with back injuries at the time. CU is 13-11 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 on Feb. 6. 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 204, Ed Cooley has 71 and Kevin Willard has 71.
   Of the 24 men with 50 or more regular-season BIG EAST wins, McDermott's .519 win percentage in league play ranks 16th-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 and Paul Evans.
   Now armed with 56 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 one win 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, and he now owns 206. 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 (232 at Oregon), McDermott (206 at Creighton) and Tim Cluess (199 at Iona) have more than 190 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

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.

Eight Out Of 21 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 21 years.
   On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (16), Duke (12), Winthrop (10), Kentucky (10), New Mexico State (10), Kansas (9), Creighton (8), Iona (8), Montana (8) and Murray State (8).

200,00 Fans, Again
With 296,598 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 "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 79-for-194 (40.7 percent) from three-point range this season, as Connor Cashaw, Marcus Zegarowski and Damien Jefferson are all making 42 percent or better from long-range, and Samson Froling is 4-for-16 and Christian Bishop 0-for-3 in limited attempts.

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

When Three-Pointers Fall, Creighton Excels
Creighton is shooting 39.3 percent from three-point range this year, good for 10th-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   10th   .393   19-14 (NIT) 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 March 19:
   Dunks   Name, School
   88   Daniel Gafford, Arkansas
   80   Obi Toppin, Dayton
   76   Tacko Fall, UCF
   74   Jaxson Hayes, Texas
   70   Martin Krampelj, Creighton
   69   Kris Bankston, Arkansas-Little Rock
   63   Zion Williamson, Duke
   63   Anthony Green, Northeastern

We're Jamming!
Creighton already has 98 dunks this season, with 70 of those coming by Martin Krampelj. Just how impressive is Krampelj's dunk total this year? It's seven 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
70   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
117   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)
98   2018-19   19-14 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 10.5 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
   10.54   Ryan Sears   1997-98
   10.47   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-19

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
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

Challenging Schedule
Ten of Creighton's 15 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 275 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 76 of those contests, a staggering 27.7 percent of the time.
   Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 128-32 and hasn't trailed in 51 of those games.

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 275 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 16-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 225-50 (.818) 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 21,369-17,950 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.48 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 76 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 182-32 (.799) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 73-6 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 241-50 (.828) 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 March 17, 2019
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
3FG Percentage   .386   3rd
3FG Made   2,770   3rd
FG Percentage   .482   3rd
Assists   5,090   4th
FG Made   8,521   12th
Wins   205   34th
Winning Percentage   .655   40th

Preseason BIG EAST Poll Picks CU Ninth
Creighton was 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 2,344 three-pointers. He's also second among active players (Stephen Curry, again) and ninth all-time in league history with 42.98 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 40.4 percent from downtown and averaging 8.8 points per game this season.
   Tolliver is averaging 4.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game on 37.4 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 7.0 points per game on 41.0 percent three-point shooting this year.
   Patton was traded on Nov. 10 from Minnesota to Philadelphia, and has appeared in three games for the 76ers, averaging 1.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. 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 2.7 points and 0.9 rebounds per game.

Full House
This year Creighton is averaging 16,478 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 3/21)
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Syracuse   21,992   Next Season
   2.   Kentucky   21,695   Next Season
   3.   North Carolina   19,715   Next Season
   4.   Tennessee   19,034   Next Season
   5.   Wisconsin   17,170   Next Season
   6.   Creighton   16,478   3/22
   7.   Kansas   16,236   Next Season
   8.   Louisville   15,748   Next Season
   9.   Indiana   15,621   3/23
   10.   Marquette   15,611   Next Season
   11.   Nebraska   15,341   TBD
   12.   Arkansas   15,278   TBD
   13.   Memphis   15,106   TBD
   14.   Michigan State   14,797   Next Season
   15.   North Carolina State   14,737   3/24
   16.   Purdue   14,467   Next Season
   17.   Iowa State   14,099   Next Season
   18.   Virginia   14,087   Next Season
   19.   Maryland   14,009   Next Season
   20.   Ohio State   13,922   Next Season

Some Loyal Fans
Creighton played in front of 306,000 home fans last season, a school-record. This year's team is at 296,598, which is just 9,402 behind the single-season program mark.
   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
   17,048   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.   2018-19   18   296,598   16,478
6.   2016-17   17   296,013   17,413

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 80.91 points per home game (12,945 points in 160 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.19 points in non-conference home games (6,730 points in 79 home games).
   Creighton is 103-5 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 849 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 3/19)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,070   UNLV   Season Over
   2.   1,063   Vanderbilt   Season Over
   3.   1,055   Duke   3/22
   4.   1,010   Arkansas   3/23
   5.   1,008   Western Kentucky   Season Over
   6.   993   East Tennessee State   Season Over
   7.   981   Pacific   Season Over
   8.   970   Oakland   Season Over
   9.   961   Texas   3/24
   10.   932   Princeton   Season Over
   11.   913   Marshall   3/26
   12.   900   Baylor   3/21
   13.   883   Gonzaga   3/21
   14.   876   LIU-Brooklyn   Season Over
   15.   859   Cornell   Season Over
   16.   856   Mount St. Mary's   Season Over
   17.   849   Creighton   3/22
   18.   845   Tennessee State   Season Over
   19.   842   East Carolina   Season Over

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 205 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .655 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.   205-108   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
3.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger    1922-35
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-69
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-81

CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 7-8 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
11/26/05   Dayton   W 91-90*   Funk FG   :5.7
01/28/06   Wichita St.   W 57-55   Tolliver FG   :0.0
11/25/06   George Mason   W 58-56   Watts FT   :7.5
03/18/08   Rhode Island   W 74-73   Witter 3FG   :3.2
01/13/10   Southern Illinois   W 71-69   Young FG   :1.3
02/18/12   Long Beach St.   W 81-79   Young FG   :0.3
01/28/14   St. John's   W 63-60   McDermott 3FG   :2.8
*double-overtime

Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
03/20/06   Miami (Fla.)   L 53-52   G. Diaz FT   :2.6
01/20/07   Southern Illinois   L 58-57   B. Mullins FG   :4.1
01/10/15   #19 Seton Hall   L 68-67   S. Gibbs 3FG   :2.2
02/16/15   #19 Butler   L 58-56   R. Jones FG   :1.9
03/07/15   Xavier   L 74-73   D. Davis FT's   :6.3
01/12/16   #12 Providence   L 50-48   K. Dunn FG   :0.0
02/22/17   Providence   L 68-66   K. Cartwright 3FG   :2.4
02/10/18   #5 Xavier   L 71-72   Q. Goodin FT's   :0.3

Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time, which features five games from last year. 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.

About Creighton
Creighton is a private, Jesuit institution located in Omaha, Neb., with 8,910 students. The University was founded in 1878 by Mary Lucretia Creighton, who established it in memory of her husband, telegraph pioneer Edward Creighton.
   Prominent alumni include Bob Gibson (Hall of Fame pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals), Paul Silas (former NBA player and head coach), Anthony Tolliver (Minnesota Timberwolves), Kyle Korver (Utah Jazz), Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers), Joe Ricketts (Chicago Cubs owner and founder of TD Ameritrade), Ty Blach (San Francisco Giants) and Pat Venditte (San Francisco Giants).
   Creighton picked up the Bluejays moniker in 1924 after a newspaper coordinated a public contest to select a nickname and mascot.
   Creighton officially joined the BIG EAST on July 1, 2013.

Memphis Up Next For Men's Basketball in Second Round NIT Action

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

Jett Canfield

Connor Cashaw

Jacob Epperson

Marcus Foster

Samson Froling

Toby Hegner

Damien Jefferson

Kaleb Joseph

Martin Krampelj

Davion Mintz

Jordan Scurry

Khyri Thomas

Marcus Zegarowski