Wednesday, March 6
Omaha, Neb.
7:00 PM
Creighton University
vs
Providence
Kaleb Joseph
Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann
Men's Basketball Opens Final Week of Regular Season at Home vs. Providence
3/4/2019 3:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bluejays seek first regular-season sweep of the Friars
Download Notes as a PDF
Game #30 • Providence Friars at Creighton Bluejays
Wednesday, March 6, 2019 • 7:00 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com, 101.9 FM
Television: CBS Sports Network (Carter Blackburn, Pete Gillen)
Series History: Providence leads, 15-9
Last Meeting: Creighton 79, Providence 68 on Dec. 31, 2018 in Providence, R.I.
LIVE STATS | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE VIDEO
Next Game
Creighton (16-13, 7-9 BIG EAST) opens the final week of the regular-season when it hosts Providence (16-13, 6-10 BIG EAST) on Wednesday, March 6.
Tip-off at CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7:00 p.m.
Television Broadcast Information
Wednesday's tilt will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network, with Carter Blackburn and Pete Gillen 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 Brody Deren 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 16-13 overall and 7-9 in BIG EAST play against the nation's 12th-toughest schedule, having already played 19 games versus teams that won 21 games or more a year ago.
Creighton ranks fifth nationally in three-point percentage (.399), seventh in three-pointers made per game (10.86), 10th in total three-pointers made (315) 18andth 18th in field goal percentage (.484).
Creighton owns five men averaging 10.0 points per game or more, including sophomores Ty-Shon Alexander (16.3 ppg.) and Mitch Ballock (10.1 ppg.). The duo have combined for 159 three-pointers this winter.
Coming on strong of late is junior big man Martin Krampelj (13.3 ppg., 6.7 rpg.). He's averaged 16.4 points and 7.9 rebounds in CU's last 19 games with 52 dunks in that time.
Scouting Providence
Providence is 16-13 on the season and 6-10 in the BIG EAST, but have been idle since an overtime win last Tuesday at Butler. The Friars are 5-5 in true road games, including victories at Boston College, Texas, Xavier, St. John's and Butler.
Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Alpha Diallo leads the Friars in points (16.4), rebounds (8.0), assists (3.1), steals (1.6) and minutes (35.4) per game.
Big man Nate Watson (12.0 ppg., 5.3 rpg.) and senior Isaiah Jackson (8.9 ppg.) give the Friars multiple ways to win.
PC averages 71.1 points per game and shoots 41.7 percent from the field, 32.6 percent from three-point range and 69.1 percent from the line. The Friars outrebound foes by 0.9 caroms per contest and allow 69.4 points per game.
The Series With Providence
Providence owns a 15-9 lead in a series that dates back to 1961. Overall, Providence has won nine of the 14 meetings since the two became BIG EAST foes, including 7-of-11 regular-season contests.
Creighton is 2-3 against PC in Omaha in BIG EAST play, including Friar victories in the final five seconds in 2016 and 2017. Last year Crieghton won an 83-64 decision in Omaha.
Greg McDermott is 5-9 against Providence and Ed Cooley. Cooley is 9-6 against the Bluejays, as his Fairfield team fell on March 22, 2010 in a CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament game that was the last Bluejay game ever played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
With a win on Wednesday, Creighotn can earn its first regular-season sweep over the Friars.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his ninth season as head coach at Creighton, where he is 203-107 with the Bluejays. McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000). He owns a career mark of 483-302 in his 25th season and is 352-238 in his 18th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Preston Murphy, Alan Huss and Paul Lusk.
With A Win, Creighton Can...
- Improve to 204-107 under Greg McDermott at Creighton.
- Tie a season-long with a fourth straight win.
- Complete a regular-season sweep over Providence for the first time since joining the BIG EAST.
- Improve to 5-5 all-time against Providence in Omaha.
- Win multiple regular-season games in the month of March for the first time since 1953-54.
- Win consecutive regular-season games in the month of March for the first time since 1951-52.
- Win consecutive regular-season conference games in the month of March for the first time since 1947-48, when it was a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
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
No Place Like Home
Creighton and Seton Hall are the only two BIG EAST teams with a pair of home games on the docket this week.
Creighton hosts two of the teams that are tied for eighth place (Providence and DePaul), while the Pirates host the top two teams (Villanova and Marquette) in the league standings.
Creighton has not finished the regular-season with consecutive home games since 2014-15.
On the contrary, Georgetown (2 road games), Villanova (1 road game) and St. John's (1 road game) are finished with their home slate.
Let's March
Already a winner on March 3rd (at Marquette), with another win this week Creighton can achieve something it hasn't achieved in several generations.
Creighton hasn't won multiple regular-season games in the month of March since 1953-54.
Additionaly, the Bluejays haven't won consecutive regular-season games in the month of March since 1951-52 and last won consecutive regular-season conference games in the month of March in 1947-48 as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
Almost Five Years Ago...
Creighton's game against Providence on March 6th is two days shy of the five-year anniversary of one of the most memorable games in Bluejay history.
On March 8, 2014, Creighton capped off its first season in the BIG EAST with an 88-73 win over Providence (Wednesday's opponent).
In that game, eventual National Player of the Year Doug McDermott played in his final home game and delivered a career-high and then-arena record 45 points, while also becoming the eighth player in NCAA history to surpass 3,000 career points.
Like that game in 2014, Wednesday's game is also being televised by CBS Sports Network.
Following Up A Top 25 Win
Sunday's win at No. 10 Marquette was Creighton's 15th top-25 win in nine seasons under Greg McDermott. The Bluejays are 9-5 in the game following a top-25 victory under McDermott, including six wins by 20 or more points.
Date Top 25 Win Next Game
01/20/14 at #4 Villanova W vs. Georgetown,96-68
02/16/14 #6 Villanova W at Marquette, 85-70
11/19/14 #18 Oklahoma W vs. NC Central, 65-45
01/23/16 #18 Butler L at Georgetown, 74-73
02/09/16 #5 Xavier W at Marquette, 65-62
11/15/16 #9 Wisconsin W vs Washington St., 103-77
01/11/17 #12 Butler W vs. Truman St., 101-69
01/16/17 at #22 Xavier L vs. Marquette, 102-94
01/31/17 at #16 Butler L vs. Xavier, 82-80
11/15/17 at #20 Northwestern W vs. #23 UCLA, 100-89
11/20/17 vs. #23 UCLA L vs. #22 Baylor, 65-59
01/17/18 #19 Seton Hall L at Providence, 85-71
02/24/18 #3 Villanova W vs. DePaul, 82-57
11/21/18 vs. #16 Clemson W vs. Montana, 98-72
03/03/19 at #10 Marquette Wed. vs. Providence
Give Me 10
Creighton enters Wednesday's game with nine home wins this season, and with a victory can reach double-figures in that category for the 22nd time in the last 23 seasons.
The only exception in that time came in 2014-15, when the Jays won nine times at home.
News, Notes, Nuggets
Recapping some notes of interest from Sunday's 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.
Men Of Steal
Creighton forced Marquette into 22 turnovers on Sunday while picking up 15 steals.
The 15 steals were the most by a Bluejay team since it compiled 17 vs. Tulsa on Dec. 19, 2012.
Davion Mintz had a career-best six steals in the win over the Golden Eagles, the most by a Creighton player in a single game since P'Allen Stinnett had seven thefts on Dec. 15, 2008 vs. Southern.
The 22 turnovers by Marquette were the most by a Creighton opponent since Providence had 22 miscues against the Bluejays in a BIG EAST Tournament game on March 9, 2017, and the most by a Creighton foe in a conference game since Southern Illinois had 23 on Feb. 10, 2008.
The Case For Creighton
Should Creighton not earn the BIG EAST Tournament title, and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament that comes with it, the Bluejays sitll have several things in their favor.
- Three Quadrant 1 wins (at #26 NET Marquette, vs. #40 NET Clemson, at #72 NET Georgetown)
- Six Quadrant 2 wins (vs. #59 NET Butler, vs. #66 East Tennessee State, vs. #70 NET Xavier, vs. #72 NET Georgetown, at #78 NET Providence, at #104 NET DePaul).
- A 7-7 record in road/neutral games.
- Creighton has played the nation's No. 12 schedule (best in the BIG EAST), and challenged itself with the No. 32 non-conference schedule.
- Computer rankings of 42 (KPI), 42 (BPI), 49 (Sagarin), 50 (KenPom) and 50 (NET).
- Almost back to full strength after missing frequent starters Damien Jefferson, Ty-Shon Alexander and Marcus Zegarowski for a combined 10 conference games at some point in January/February, with CU going 3-6 (including two overtime setbacks without at least one of them) in their absence.
- Lost a Quadrant 1 home game vs. then-No. 21 Marquette despite photographic and video evidence suggesting that a game-tying shot was still on the hand of a shooter as time expired and the backboard light was illuminated. The shot was counted, forcing overtime, a game that Creighton eventually lost.
- Winners of three straight games, with two of those coming on the road.
- No bad losses. Creighton is 3-0 against Quadrant 3 and 3-0 versus Quadrant 4 opponents.
Zegarowski A Shooting Star
Marcus Zegarowski has taken over the top spot in Creighton history for three-point percentage in a career (minimum 100 attempts).
The three men he's immediately above combined for six Conference Player of the Year awards in their nine seasons at Creighton.
In the NBA, Kyle Korver and Doug McDermott have combined to make more than 2,675 career three-pointers, and both men also rank in the top-31 in NBA history in three-point percentage.
Creighton's Career 3FG% Leaders
(Minimum 100 Attempts)
Pct. Name, Years 3FGM-FGA
.467 Marcus Zegarowski, 2018-Present 49-105
.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
.407 Cole Huff, 2015-17 124-305
His Finger Might Be Broke, But Not His Jumper
Marcus Zegarowski fractured the fifth metacarpal in his right hand in the opening minutes of Creighton's win over Xavier on February 3rd, but you'd never know it by looking at his stats.
Since missing three games, Zegarowski has suited up four times. Despite a large wrap to protect the damaged limb, Zegarowski's shooting stats are better across the board.
In the chart below, his stats from the game vs. Xavier where he was injured are not listed, since he ended up playing 29 minutes that day despite the injury.
Games W-L FG% 3FG% FT%
First 21 Games 12-9 .481 .462 .769
Last 4 Games 3-1 .520 .500 .833
High Five
Creighton has made five or more three-pointers in 65 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
161 North Florida 3/4
126 The Citadel 3/8
94 Wofford 3/9
71 Savannah State 3/7
68 Belmont 3/8
65 Creighton 3/6
Prolific Freshmen Meet
Wednesday features two of the best freshmen scorers in the BIG EAST Conference on the same floor.
Third on that list is Creighton's Marcus Zegarowski at 10.6 points per game. Providence freshman A.J. Reeves averages 10.3 points per game, but due to injury has not played in the 75 percent of games needed to qualify among the league leaders.
In league only action, Georgetown's Mac McClung (13.6 ppg.) and James Akinjo (11.9 ppg.) hold the top two spots, just ahead of Zegarowski (10.9).
Highest Scoring Freshmen, BIG EAST
(Minimum appearing in 75% of team's games)
Rk. Name, School PPG
1. Mac McClung, GU 13.0
2. James Akinjo, GU 12.9
3. Marcus Zegarowski, CU 10.6
Just Call Him Trey-Shon
Ty-Shon Alexander has made a three-point basket in all 28 games he's played this season, stretching his streak dating to last year to a BIG EAST-leading 32 games in a row.
Alexander's streak is the longest in Creighton history, surpassing 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
32 Ty-Shon Alexander 2/27/18 to Present
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
3-Point Streaks, Nationally
Ty-Shon Alexander's 32 straight games with a three-pointer is the nation's 10th-longest active streak through March 3rd. Here's that list:
Consecutive Games With a 3FG, Active (Nationally)
Streak Name, School Next Game
48 Mack Smith, Eastern Illinois 3/6
47 Justin Jaworski, Lafayette 3/5
42 Chris Clemons, Campbell 3/7
40 Garrison Mathews, Lipscomb 3/4
40 Shizz Alston Jr., Temple 3/7
38 Keaton Wallace, UTSA 3/6
34 Jaylen Minnett, IUPUI 3/5
33 Tyler Hall, Montana State 3/4
33 Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra 3/10
32 Ty-Shon Alexander, Creighton 3/6
32 J.C. Show, Binghamton 3/5
32 Trevor John, Drexel 3/10
31 Adam Flagler, Presbyterian 3/5
31 Jaevin Cumberland, Oakland 3/6
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
3.07 86 28 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 86 three-pointers this season, while Ballock has drained 73 treys. Both men rank among the top-three in program history for three-pointers by a sophomore:
Most 3-Pointers Made by a Creighton Sophomore
3FG-FGA 3FG% Name Year
100-221 .452 Kyle Korver 2000-01
86-222 .387 Ty-Shon Alexander 2018-19
73-178 .410 Mitch Ballock 2018-19
66-161 .410 Ethan Wragge 2011-12
Most 3-Pointers Made In A Season, Creighton History
3FG-FGA 3FG% Name Year
129-269 .480 Kyle Korver* 2002-03
110-234 .471 Ethan Wragge 2013-14
100-221 .452 Kyle Korver 2000-01
96-214 .449 Doug McDermott* 2013-14
95-230 .413 Marcus Foster 2017-18
91-191 .476 Booker Woodfox* 2008-09
86-222 .387 Ty-Shon Alexander 2018-19
82-210 .390 Tad Ackerman 1994-95
79-184 .429 Kyle Korver* 2001-02
78-175 .446 Ethan Wragge 2012-13
77-157 .490 Doug McDermott* 2012-13
76-175 .434 Rod Mason 1987-88
*Conference Player of the Year
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 16.3 points per game, an improvement of 10.8 points over his 5.5 points per game from a year ago. That's easily the largest improvement of any of the BIG EAST's top 30 scorers this season, as seen below:
Rk. Name, School 18-19PPG 17-18PPG +/-
1. Ty-Shon Alexander, CU 16.3 5.5 +10.8
2. Phil Booth, VU 18.7 10.0 +8.7
3. Paul Reed, DPU 11.2 3.6 +7.6
4. Paul Scruggs, XU 11.8 4.9 +6.9
5. Collin Gillespie, VU 10.9 4.3 +6.6
Sophomore Scorer
Sophomore guard Ty-Shon Alexander averages a team-leading 16.3 points per game, quite an accomplishment for a guy who never scored more than 14 points in any game a season ago.
The only Creighton sophomores in the last 40 seasons to score more points per game than Alexander are Doug McDermott (22.9 ppg. in 2011-12), Rodney Buford (19.6 ppg. in 1996-97) and Bob Harstad (16.7 in 1988-89). McDermott, Buford and Harstad are the top three career scorers in Creighton history.
Here's a list of Creighton's top sophomore scorers in the past 50 seasons:
Most Points/Game, CU Sophomores Since 1968-69
PPG Name Year
22.9 Doug McDermott 2011-12
19.6 Rodney Buford 1996-97
18.9 Cyril Baptiste 1968-69
16.8 Rick Apke 1975-76
16.7 Bob Harstad 1988-89
16.3 Ty-Shon Alexander 2018-19
16.2 Benoit Benjamin 1983-84
15.8 Gene Harmon 1971-72
15.3 Chad Gallagher 1988-89
14.6 Kyle Korver 2000-01
BIG EAST's Elite Big Men
Martin Krampelj's BIG EAST numbers have been outstanding, as he averages 16.4 points per game, 8.0 rebounds per game and 1.0 blocks per game.
He's 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.
Creighton has not had a player at least 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shot per league game for an entire conference season in 30 years, as Chad Gallagher (18.6 ppg., 8.7 rpg., 2.8 bpg.) was the last to do it in 1989-90 when the Jays competed in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Krampelj is 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 13.3
RPG 6.2 8.1 6.7
BPG 1.4 0.7 0.8
APG 1.2 1.2 0.6
FG% .676 .671 .585
FT% .517 .623 .645
Double-Doubles 3 6 5
Dunks/Game 2.06 1.74 2.17
My Favorite Martin
Martin Krampelj has scored in double-figures in 18 of the last 19 games, with nine points in the one contest he was limited to single digits.
In the past 19 games, Krampelj has averaged 16.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He's shot 61.9 percent from the field, 38.6 percent from three-point territory, and 67.4 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 19 Games .619 .386 .674 7.9 16.4 52
More Points = Better Results
Creighton is 5-9 against Providence since joining the BIG EAST.
It's no coincidence that Creighton's 68.64 points per game against the Friars is its fewest against any league foe in that time.
PPG Opponent CU W-L
80.62 DePaul 12-1
76.75 Marquette 5-7
76.43 Xavier 7-7
74.75 St. John's 8-4
74.69 Seton Hall 5-8
72.69 Villanova 3-10
72.50 Butler 7-5
71.77 Georgetown 7-6
68.64 Providence 5-9
What's Your Favorite Dish?
Creighton owns 5,042 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 (5,696), Michigan State (5,371) and Kansas (5,065).
Creighton ranks 23rd 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 Creighton's finished in the top-25 in assists per game nationally have resulted in an NCAA Tournament bid.
The Race To 75
Creighton had scored 75 or more points in each of its last 20 wins before posting a 66-60 win at Marquette last Sunday.
Creighton's 66 points against the Golden Eagles were its fewest in a win since a 66-65 victory over Oral Roberts on Dec. 17, 2016.
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 4.0 2.1 0.4 9.4 .590 .385
Christian Bishop, 18-19 3.7 1.5 0.5 7.9 .667 .500
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 2,292 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 79.0 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).
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 4-4 in its last eight games, but has made vast improvements on the defensive end of the court in that time.
In the last eight games, a stretch that started with CU's Feb. 3 victory over Xavier, Creighton has allowed 65.5 points per game while holding foes to 41.9 percent shooting from the field and 34.3 percent marksmanship from downtown. Despite outscoring teams 556-524 in those games, the Jays are just 4-4 in this time.
In CU's first eight league contests, Creighton had allowed 82.5 points per game while the opposition shot 49.4 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from deep.
The Full Arsenal
CU's Feb. 20 win at DePaul was the fifth game this season that Creighton has placed five men in double-figures, and first time since the initial victory over Georgetown this season. Creighton is 4-1 this year when five men have 10 or more points.
For the season Creighton has five men averaging double-figures in scoring, something it hasn't done for an entire season in 55 years.
Entering Wednesday, Ty-Shon Alexander (16.3), Martin Krampelj (13.3), Mitch Ballock (10.1), Marcus Zegarowski (10.6) and Davion Mintz (10.0) all average 10 or more points per game.
In league play, Alexander (15.5), Krampelj (16.4), Mintz (11.0) and Zegarowski (10.9) are all well into double-figures, with Ballock at 10.0 points per game.
Creighton has not had five or more men finish a season averaging 10 or more points per game since the 1964-65 club had SIX men average in double-figures (Neil Johnson, 17.3; Elton McGriff, 15.0; Fritz Pointer, 14.3; Tim Powers, 12.6; Bob Miles, 11.9; Charlie Brown (11.6), though Johnson only played in 8-of-23 games.
3-Pointers, By Average
Creighton has made 10.86 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)
10.86 2018-19 315 29 16-13 so far
10.39 2017-18 343 33 21-12 (NCAA)
10.17 2013-14 356 35 27-8 (NCAA)
8.76 1999-00 289 33 23-10 (NCAA)
8.69 2016-17 304 35 25-10 (NCAA)
8.62 2004-05 293 34 23-11 (NCAA)
8.53 2012-13 307 36 28-8 (NCAA)
Triple Trivia
During Creighton's current streak of 845 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 6,578 trifectas, an average of 7.78 treys per game.
That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 132 times, more than any figure.
Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 226 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 65 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 216 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: 78 times
10: 66 times 11: 48 times 12: 45 times
13: 36 times 14: 14 times 15: 6 times
16: 6 times 17: 1 time 19: 1 time
20: 1 time 21: 1 time 22: 1 time
Scheduling Tough
Through games of Sunday in the 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 12th-toughest nationally. The Bluejays have played 13 Quadrant 1 and nine Quadrant 2 games. Those 13 Q1 games are tied with Marquette for the most in the BIG EAST.
Iron Man Mintz
Davion Mintz never left the floor vs. Villanova on Feb. 6, playing all 45 minutes without taking a break.
He was the first Bluejay to play a complete game since James Milliken played all 40 minutes at No. 5 Xavier on March 5, 2016.
Despite his heavy minutes, Mintz scored CU's first eight points of overtime and finished with 19 points and a season-high eight rebounds.
Mintz is the first Bluejay to play 45 minutes or more since Austin Chatman logged 47 minutes in a double-overtime win over South Dakota on Dec. 9, 2014.
Mintz is also the lone Bluejay in the last 25 seasons to never leave the floor in an overtime game.
New BIG EAST Records
Since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013, all 10 league schools have played either 106 or 107 regular-season BIG EAST games.
Creighton's 54-52 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 90-17 .841 5
2. Xavier 65-41 .613 5
3. Providence 57-49 .538 5
4. Creighton 54-52 .509 3
5. Butler 53-53 .500 4
6. Marquette 52-54 .491 1
7. Seton Hall 51-55 .481 3
8. Georgetown 45-61 .425 1
9. St. John's 40-67 .374 1
10. DePaul 24-82 .226 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 31 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 10-10 without him this year.
Damien Jefferson injured his ankle on January 9 vs. Marquette, undergoing surgery on January 17th. He missed six games, with CU going 3-3 without him, before returning on Feb. 6 at Villanova.
Mitch Ballock broke his nose on Jan. 16 at St. John's, but has not missed any games as a result.
Connor Cashaw injured a shoulder while running into a screen against St. John's and missed CU's Feb. 3 game vs. Xavier. He returned to the line-up at Villanova on Feb. 6.
Marcus Zegarowski broke the fifth metacarpal in his hand during the opening minutes of CU's Feb. 3 game vs. Xavier, but played 29 minutes in the game. Creighton is 0-3 without him this year, as he missed road games on Feb. 6, 9 and 13th. He returned on Feb. 17 vs. Seton Hall.
Ty-Shon Alexander was injured in practice on Feb. 5 and missed CU's game at Villanova 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 70 and Kevin Willard has 69.
Of the 24 men with 50 or more regular-season BIG EAST wins, McDermott's .509 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 54 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 three wins shy of tying Chris Mack and Mick Cronin (both 57) for 21st place.
McDermott Earns 200th Creighton Win
Creighton's win over Xavier on Feb. 3 marked the 200th victory on the Bluejay sideline for ninth-year coach Greg McDermott, and he now owns 203. 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 (227 at Oregon), McDermott (203 at Creighton) and Tim Cluess (196 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.
200,00 Fans, Again
With 256,857 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 73-for-169 (43.2 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 39.9 percent from three-point range this year, 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 .399 16-13 so far
National Dunk Leaders
Per a list being compiled by Arkansas-Little Rock SID Rand Champion, below are the national dunk leaders in 2018-19, through March 3:
Dunks Name, School
78 Daniel Gafford, Arkansas
73 Obi Toppin, Dayton
70 Tacko Fall, UCF
69 Jaxson Hayes, Texas
65 Kris Bankston, Arkansas-Little Rock
63 Martin Krampelj, Creighton
58 Anthony Green, Northeastern
52 Zion Williamson, Duke
We're Jamming!
Creighton already has 87 dunks this season, with 63 of those coming by Martin Krampelj. Just how impressive is Krampelj's dunk total this year? It's 11 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
63 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
110 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)
87 2018-19 16-13 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 10.6 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
10.6 Marcus Zegarowski 2018-19
10.5 Ryan Sears 1997-98
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 20 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, none larger than the 18-point deficit the Bluejays overcame against then-No.18 Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014. Ten of those 20 comebacks have come away from home.
Creighton owns 11 victories since 2000 in which it has won after overcoming a deficit of 15 points or more, as seen below:
Overcoming Double-Digit Deficits, CU Since 2000
Deficit Opponent Date
19 Wichita State 01/28/06
18 #17 Western Kentucky 11/27/01
18 #18 Oklahoma 11/19/14
17 Missouri State 02/12/03
17 DePaul 11/09/07
17 Rhode Island 03/18/08
17 at San Diego State 11/30/11
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
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.
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 315 three-pointers this season, compared to 335 free throws.
Creighton has never finished a season with more three-pointers made than free throws made.
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 272 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 75 of those contests, a staggering 27.6 percent of the time.
Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 125-32 and hasn't trailed in 50 of those games.
CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 272 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 16-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 222-50 (.815) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (16-0).
Creighton's Nov. 25, 2017 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 21,202-17,802 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.50 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 75 different times.
Creighton is also 28-30 all-time in the 58 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-11 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 34-25 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
Creighton is 125-32 (.796) 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 239-50 (.827) 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 3, 2019
Category Stat NCAA Rank
3FG Percentage .387 3rd
3FG Made 2,737 3rd
FG Percentage .482 4th
Assists 5,042 4th
FG Made 8,441 10th
Wins 203 34th
Winning Percentage .655 41st
Preseason BIG EAST Poll Picks CU Ninth
Creighton has been picked to finish ninth in a preseason poll of BIG EAST coaches.
Villanova earned 8-of-9 possible first place votes and finished ahead of Marquette and Providence. St. John's and Butler rank fourth and fifth, while the bottom half consists of Xavier, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Creighton and DePaul.
Creighton is one of two schools (Providence) to match or exceed its preseason prognostication every year since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST.
St. John's junior guard Shamorie Ponds was tabbed Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, and Providence's David Duke and Villanova's Jahvon Quinerly shared Preseason Freshman of the Year laurels.
Creighton's Martin Krampelj was a Preseason Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST pick.
#ProJays
For the first time ever, Creighton has five NBA players at the same time as Kyle Korver (Utah Jazz), Anthony Tolliver (Minnesota Timberwolves), Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers, Justin Patton (Philadelphia 76ers) and Khyri Thomas (Detroit Pistons) are all in the league.
Including 2018-18, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 35 of the last 36 years.
Korver ranks second among all active players (Stephen Curry) and ranks fourth in NBA history with 2,320 three-pointers. He's also second among active players (Stephen Curry, again) and eighth all-time in league history with 43.04 percent marksmanship from three-point range. He set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range in 2009-10, and is the only player in league history to lead the NBA in three-point percentage four times. He is shooting 41.2 percent from downtown and averaging 8.6 points per game this season.
Tolliver is averaging 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game on 40.1 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 6.8 points per game on 40.4 percent three-point shooting this year.
Patton was traded on Nov. 10 from Minnesota to Philadelphia, and on February 27th was called up from the G-League to the 76ers. 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 2.6 points and 0.8 rebounds per game.
Full House
This year Creighton is averaging 17,124 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 3/3)
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 21,533 3/9
2. North Carolina 21,005 3/9
3. Syracuse 21,600 3/4
4. Tennessee 18,945 3/5
5. Wisconsin 17,161 3/7
6. Creighton 17,124 3/6
7. Kansas 16,232 3/9
8. Indiana 16,230 3/10
9. Nebraska 15,639 3/10
10. Marquette 15,505 3/9
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
17,124 so far Creighton 2018-19
17,048 Creighton 2014-15
17,000 Creighton 2017-18
16,665 Creighton 2011-12
Creighton's Most Home Fans, Season
Rk. Year G Attendance Average
1. 2017-18 18 306,000 17,000
2. 2015-16 19 302,887 15,941
3. 2008-09 19 302,676 15,930
4. 2010-11 22 297,161 13,507
5. 2016-17 17 296,013 17,413
Going For 20
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 18 of the last 20 seasons (entering 2018-19), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
Just three schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 20 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas. Kentucky and Florida have done it in 19 of the last 20 seasons.
Creighton, Xavier, Syracuse and Arizona each are in the 18-of-20 seasons club.
Eight Out Of 20 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 20 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (16), Duke (11), Winthrop (10), Kentucky (10), Kansas (9), New Mexico State (9) and Creighton (8).
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 80.94 points per home game (12,708 points in 157 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.38 points in non-conference home games (6,660 points in 78 home games).
Creighton is 102-5 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 845 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 3/3)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 1,068 UNLV 3/9
2. 1,060 Vanderbilt 3/6
3. 1,050 Duke 3/5
4. 1,006 Arkansas 3/6
5. 1,005 Western Kentucky 3/6
6. 990 East Tennessee State 3/9
7. 980 Pacific 3/7
8. 968 Oakland 3/6
9. 957 Texas 3/4
10. 929 Princeton 3/8
11. 908 Marshall 3/6
12. 897 Baylor 3/6
13. 880 Gonzaga 3/11
14. 874 LIU-Brooklyn 3/6
15. 857 Cornell 3/8
16. 856 Mount St. Mary's Season Over
17. 845 Creighton 3/6
845 Tennessee State Season Over
19. 839 East Carolina 3/5
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 203 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. 203-107 Greg McDermott 2010-Pres.
3. 165-66 Arthur A. Schabinger 1922-35
4. 138-118 John J. "Red" McManus 1959-69
5. 130-64 Tom Apke 1974-81
CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 7-8 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date Opponent Score Player/Score Time
11/26/05 Dayton W 91-90* Funk FG :5.7
01/28/06 Wichita St. W 57-55 Tolliver FG :0.0
11/25/06 George Mason W 58-56 Watts FT :7.5
03/18/08 Rhode Island W 74-73 Witter 3FG :3.2
01/13/10 Southern Illinois W 71-69 Young FG :1.3
02/18/12 Long Beach St. W 81-79 Young FG :0.3
01/28/14 St. John's W 63-60 McDermott 3FG :2.8
*double-overtime
Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date Opponent Score Player/Score Time
03/20/06 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.
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