#11 Men's Basketball Tips Season Sunday vs. North Dakota State

Game #1: North Dakota State at #11 Creighton
Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020 • 3:30 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1 (Lane Grindle, Jess Settles)
Series History: Creighton leads, 9-0
Last Meeting: Creighton 65, North Dakota State 63 on Dec. 20, 1975 in Omaha, Neb.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CREIGHTON NOTES PDF | FLIPCARD

Next Game
No. 11 Creighton (0-0) opens the 2020-21 season on Sunday, Nov. 29 with a home game against North Dakota State (0-1 through Nov. 27).
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha, Neb., is set for 3:30 p.m.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2020-21 season. KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games that start after 5 p.m.
   John Bishop and former Bluejay Taylor Stormberg will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Sunday's game against North Dakota State will be televised by FS1, with Lane Grindle and Jess Settles on the call.
   Of Creighton's last 131 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised.

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 No. 11 Creighton
Creighton returns four starters and five of its top six scorers from last season's team that finished 24-7 and won a share of its first BIG EAST regular-season title. CU's 2019-20 team was ranked No. 7 in the year-end Associated Press poll, while this year's club is 11th in the preseason AP poll. Both are program bests for a preseason or postseason poll.
   Junior point guard Marcus Zegarowski has been named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and is a Preseason All-American by nearly every outlet after averaging 16.1 points and 5.1 assists per game last season.
   Other high-powered weapons that return include BIG EAST Sixth Man Award winner Denzel Mahoney (12.0 ppg.), elite shooter Mitch Ballock (11.9 ppg., 5.3 rpg.), last year's rebound leader Damien Jefferson (9.4 ppg., 5.5 rpg.) and last year's blocked shot leader Christian Bishop (8.6 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 1.1 bpg.).
   Memphis transfer Antwann Jones and true freshman Ryan Kalkbrenner figure to join returning reserves Shereef Mitchell (2.7 ppg.) and Jacob Epperson (4.8 ppg. in 2018-19) as key contributors in the Bluejay line-up.

Scouting North Dakota State
North Dakota State lost in its first game of the season vs. Nevada (62-48) on Wednesday afternoon in Lincoln, Neb., at the Golden Window Classic. The Bison are also scheduled to play at Nebraska on Saturday morning at 11 a.m.
   Last year's NDSU team went 25-8 overall and won the regular-season and tournament titles in the Summit League. This year's team is picked to place third in the Summit League preseason poll.
   NDSU's top two scorers from a year ago (Vinnie Shahid 18.4 ppg., and Tyson Ward 16.9 ppg.) are both gone, but the next three-highest scorers do return. That trio includes Rocky Kreuser (10.0 ppg., 6.0 rpg.), Tyree Eady (6.7 ppg., 3.9 rpg.) and Lincoln natve Sam Griesel (6.6 ppg., 5.5 rpg.).
   The Bison led the nation in free throw percentage last season at 79.8 percent and were sixth in the nation with just 10.0 turnovers per contest.

The Series With North Dakota State
Creighton is 9-0 all-time against North Dakota State, including a 6-0 advantage in Omaha. The Bluejays and Bison have not met since a pair of meetings in 1975 that were decided by a total of seven points.
   Greg McDermott is 2-0 in his career against North Dakota State, with both wins coming when he was coaching at Iowa State. McDermott is also 10-0 as Creighton head coach against teams from the Summit League.
   McDermott has never coached against David Richman.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) enters his 11th year as head coach at Creighton in 2020-21 with a 231-116 record with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 511-311 entering his 27th season, and is 380-247 entering his 20th Division I campaign.
   McDermott led Creighton to its first BIG EAST regular-season title last season, taking a Bluejay team that was picked seventh in the league's preseason poll and ending the year ranked seventh nationally. For those efforts, he was recognized as the BIG EAST Coach of the Year as well as the USBWA District VI Coach of the Year, NABC District 5 Coach of the Year and Basketball Times Midlands District Coach of the Year.
   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 is assisted by Alan Huss, Paul Lusk and Terrence Rencher.

With A Win...
- Creighton would improve to 1-0 on the season with its third straight win dating to last year.
- Creighton would improve to 121-46 all-time (87-34 under Greg McDermott) as nationally-ranked team, and 71-9 when ranked at home (51-8 under McDermott).
- Greg McDermott would improve to 19-1 as a Division I head coach in season-openers, including 19 straight wins.
- Creighton would improve to 88-15 all-time in season-opening games, including a 23-1 mark in the past 24 lid-lifters.
- Creighton would improve to 10-0 all-time against North Dakota State, including a 7-0 mark at home.
- Greg McDermott would improve to 11-0 against Summit League teams since becoming the coach at Creighton.

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!
The game vs. North Dakota State will mark Creighton's first time it has opened the season on a Sunday since Nov. 16, 2008.
   Creighton won that game vs. New Mexico 82-75, but trailed by nine with 3:39 left before embarking on a 17-0 run. Creighton scored on each of its final 10 possessions, producing 23 points, in the scintillating comeback.

Sooner Or Later
The last time Creighton started its season on November 29th or later was 1993-94. That's when Rick Johnson's third and final CU team opened on Nov. 29 with an 82-57 loss at UMKC.
   Last year Creighton's season-opener vs. Kennesaw State took place on November 5th, the earliest start date for a season-opener in Creighton basketball history.
   Last season Creighton played its seventh game of the year on November 29th.

Bison Binds
Two members of the Creighton staff have a close connection to North Dakota State.
   Current Bluejay head coach Greg McDermott was the head coach at NDSU in 2000-01, where he went 15-11 in his lone season on the bench before returning to his alma mater, Northern Iowa.
   Current Bluejay video coordinator Casey Matthews was North Dakota State's director of basketball operations for three seasons from 2015-18.

Season Opener History
Including last year's 81-55 win vs. Kennesaw State, Creighton now owns a sparkling 87-15 record (.853) on opening day, including wins in 22 of its last 23 lid-lifters.
   Creighton has won 13 of its last 20 season-openers by 20 or more points.
   The Bluejays have outscored foes by an average of 85.60 to 61.05 in the last 20 openers.

A One And A Two...
Not only is Creighton a perfect 10-0 in season-openers under Greg McDermott, but the Bluejays have started 2-0 in all but one campaign (2019-20) under McDermott.

Opening Statements
Including last year's 81-55 victory vs. Kennesaw State, Greg McDermott has won each of the last 18 season openers he's coached in, and he is 18-1 at the Division I level in season-openers. That includes double-digit victories in nine of 10 openers on the Creighton sideline.
   Overall as a head coach, McDermott is 23-3 in season-opening games. That includes an impressive 99-point win (137-38) in his first game on the sidelines when he was at Wayne State.
Date   School   Opponent   Result
1994-95   Wayne St.   York   W 137-38
1995-96   Wayne St.   Nebraska-Omaha   L 63-72
1996-97   Wayne St.   St. Francis   W 72-66
1997-98   Wayne St.   Nebraska-Omaha   W 78-76
1998-99   Wayne St.   Mount Marty   W 76-70
1999-00   Wayne St.   South Dakota   L 64-66
11/17/00   NDSU   Macalester   W 81-69
11/16/01   UNI   vs. San Diego State   L 57-71
11/22/02   UNI   at Montana   W 77-71
11/21/03   UNI   Chicago State   W 83-59
11/21/04   UNI   Wayne State   W 84-66
11/20/05   UNI   Western Carolina   W 68-46
11/10/06   Iowa State   UC Riverside   W 69-61
11/09/07   Iowa State   Winston-Salem St.   W 58-44
11/14/08   Iowa State   UC Davis   W 61-58
11/13/09   Iowa State   Idaho State   W 88-68
11/12/10   Creighton   Alabama State   W 71-57
11/11/11   Creighton   N. Carolina A&T   W 97-65
11/09/12   Creighton   North Texas   W 71-51
11/08/13   Creighton   Alcorn State   W 107-61
11/14/14   Creighton   Central Arkansas   W 104-77
11/14/15   Creighton   Texas Southern   W 93-70
11/11/16   Creighton   UMKC   W 89-82
11/10/17   Creighton   Yale   W 92-76
11/06/18   Creighton   Western Illinois   W 78-67
11/05/19   Creighton   Kennesaw State   W 81-55

Freshman Starts Almost Unheard Of
Since 1992-93, only four true freshmen have started Creighton's regular-season opener.
   Ryan Sears did so in 1997-98. The point guard would go on to start all 124 games of his CU career and remains the program's all-time career assist (570) and steals (283) leader.
   Doug McDermott did so in 2010-11, and he went on to start all 145 games of his career. He would graduate as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 career points and is the only three-time First Team All-American since 1986. He now plays for the Indiana Pacers.
   Khyri Thomas got a start in 2015-16 and remained in CU's starting five each of his first 24 games, and 96-of-102 career contests with the Jays. He has spent the past two seasons with the Detroit Pistons.
   Shereef Mitchell joined this elite group on last year when he got the starting nod against Kennesaw State. Mitchell finished with eight points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals in 28 minutes of work.

Hello, World
Creighton has five players who could make their Bluejay debut on Sunday: Antwann Jones, Devin Davis, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Andrew Merfeld and Sami Osmani. Jones is the only man in that mix with Division I experience, having played in 2018-19 at Memphis.
   Below is a look at how Creighton's current players have done in their regular-season and Creighton debuts in a Division I uniform.
Name   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Stl.   Min.
Mahoney (@CU)   14   1   1   1   29
Jefferson (@CU)   8   12   0   1   23
Zegarowski   8   4   2   0   18
Mitchell•   8   6   3   3   28
O'Connell (@Duke)   8   3   1   0   13
Ballock   5   4   0   1   20
Bishop   4   3   1   0   5
Mahoney (@SEMO)•   4   1   0   0   20
A. Jones (@MEM)   3   3   2   2   13
Epperson   2   2   1   0   9
Jefferson (@UNM)   2   0   1   0   8
Canfield   0   1   2   1   17
Zeil       0   0   0   0   6
•indicates game started

Making An Entrance
Creighton's last freshman to debut with 10 or more points came in 2016, when redshirt freshman Justin Patton scored 12 points in 22 minutes. Patton also had eight rebounds in his debut. Patton and Martin Krampelj (8 in 2015) own the most boards in their freshman debut for CU since Joe Dabbert (9) in 2000.
   The last newcomer to score in double-figures in their Bluejay debut was Denzel Mahoney last season, who scored 14 points vs. Oklahoma after becoming eligible after the end of the first semester.
   Two years ago, Damien Jefferson made his Creighton debut (as a sophomore after transferring in from New Mexico) with eight points and 12 rebounds. His 12 rebounds were the most by a Bluejay in their debut since Cyril Baptiste snared 17 caroms in 1969.
   The last Bluejay with 20 points or more in his freshman debut was P'Allen Stinnett, who started his MVC Freshman of the Year campaign in 2007-08 with 23 points vs. DePaul.
   The last Bluejay with multiple blocked shots in a season-opener? That'd be Will Artino on Nov. 11, 2011 vs. North Carolina A&T.
   Creighton's best opening-day effort in history would have to be the way Hall of Famer Bob Harstad began his senior season. Harstad went 13-for-13 from the floor and 12-for-13 at the line to score 38 points against Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 30, 1990.
   In 2010 Doug McDermott burst onto the scene with 16 points and seven rebounds in his debut, becoming the first Bluejay freshman since at least 1973 to have 15 or more points and five or more rebounds in a season-opener.
   Below is a list of some of Creighton's most famous players and how they performed in their regular-season debuts in a Bluejay uniform.
Name, Yr.   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Stl.   Min.   Result
Foster, 2016   19   1   2   0   28   W 89-82
Patton, 2016   12   8   2   0   22   W 89-82
Thomas, 2015   18   3   0   2   26   W 93-70
McDermott, 2010   16   7   0   1   32   W 71-57
Stinnett, 2007   23   4   3   3   26   W 74-62
Tolliver, 2003   0   1   2   0   7   W 79-44
Funk, 2002   3   5   4   1   21   W 106-50
Kyle Korver, 1999   2   2   0   1   10   W 70-62
Buford, 1995   3   4   0   0   19   W 63-59
Harstad, 1987   4   5   1   1   21   L 49-70
Gallagher, 1987   10   3   0   0   37   L 49-70
Benjamin, 1982   14   4   1   0   22   W 98-54
McKenna, 1977   14   3   7   ?   ?   W 95-66
Harmon, 1971   21   7   ?   ?   ?   W 74-62
C. Baptiste, 1969   24   17   ?   ?   ?   W 84-62
Portman, 1966   9   ?   ?   ?   ?   W 78-76
Silas, 1961   22   29   ?   ?   ?   W 85-51
Gibson, 1954   19   ?   ?   ?   ?   W 66-51

Home Court Edge
Marcus Zegarowski ranked third in the BIG EAST last season in three-point percentage, making 42.4 percent from downtown.
   Those numbers received a healthy boost down the stretch when Zegarowski played at home. In his final three home games last season, the point guard made 16-of-18 three-point shots, with two of those contests coming against top-25 foes.
   Zegarowski was 7-for-7 from deep vs. No. 21 Butler, went 4-for-6 vs. Georgetown and closed the year by going 5-for-5 from downtown vs. No. 8 Seton Hall.
   For the season, Zegarowski shot 55-for-103 from three-point range at home last season, good for 53.4 percent. That's the second-best single-season mark by a player in CHI Health Center Omaha history, trailing only Austin Chatman's 55.9 percent (19-34) in 2012-13.
   Zegarowski's career 47.6 percent three-point shooting at home (90-189) trails only Booker Woodfox (83-172; 48.3 percent) in facility history by a player with 25 or more makes.

Preseason Acclaim
Junior guard Marcus Zegarowski was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year on Oct. 28th. In addition, senior guard Mitch Ballock was also voted as a Preseason Second Team All-BIG EAST performer in the annual survey of league coaches.
   Zegarowski is Creighton's second player ever named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, joining Doug McDermott (2013-14). McDermott would go on to win BIG EAST Player of the Year honors, as well as 14 National Player of the Year accolades, at season's end.
   In addition, both men have been recognized among the best in the nation at their position. Zegarowski is one of 20 players on the Preseason Watch List for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, and Ballock one of 20 players on the Preseason Watch List for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.
   The Bluejays are one of six schools with a Watch List candidate for both the Bob Cousy and Jerry West Awards, joining Baylor (MaCio Teague & Jared Butler), Florida State (MJ Walker & Scottie Barnes), Gonzaga (Joel Ayayi & Jalen Suggs), Kansas (Ochai Agbaji & Marcus Garrett) and Villanova (Justin Moore & Collin Gillespie).

Torn ACL's End Two Seasons Early
Creighton will be without Rati Andronikashvili and Modestas Kancleris during the 2020-21 season after both men tore the anterior cruciate ligaments in their left knee three days apart during practices in early November.
   Andronikashvili was injured on Nov. 1, with Kancleris three days last on Nov. 4. The two men, who are roommates, hail from the countries of Georgia and Lithuania, respectively.

Ballock Nears 1,000 Points (Again)
Mitch Ballock has played in 99 career games and owns 996 career points. He's four points shy of becoming the 43rd Bluejay to reach 1,000 in his career, though one could make the argument that he's already done so.
   Ballock scored nine points in the first half vs. St. John's on March 12th, but those points were erased when the game was abandoned at halftime.
Games To 1,000 Points, Last 18 Bluejays
Name   CU Games to 1,000 pts.    Date
Ty-Shon Alexander   85   01/15/20
Khyri Thomas   94   02/10/18
Marcus Foster   54   01/17/18
Austin Chatman   138   03/11/15
Ethan Wragge   132   01/18/14
Gregory Echenique   101   03/24/13
Doug McDermott   57   01/15/12
Antoine Young   115   12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr.   108   11/21/10
P'Allen Stinnett   86   01/16/10
Dane Watts   115   01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver   124   03/16/07
Johnny Mathies   91   03/03/06
Nate Funk   92   02/28/05
Kyle Korver   81   01/30/02
Ben Walker   105   01/06/01
Ryan Sears   97   12/01/00
Rodney Buford   59   03/01/97

Most Career Points, Creighton History
   Rank   Pts.   Name   Years
   1.   3,150   Doug McDermott   2010-14
   2.   2,116   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   3.   2,110   Bob Harstad    1987-91
   4.   1,983   Chad Gallagher    1987-91
   5.   1,876   Bob Portman    1966-69
   6.   1,801   Kyle Korver   1999-03
   7.   1,754   Nate Funk   2002-07
   8.   1,682   Rick Apke    1974-78
   9.   1,661   Paul Silas   1961-64
   10.   1,654   Vernon Moore    1981-85
   11.   1,575   Benoit Benjamin    1982-85
   12.   1,526   John C. Johnson   1975-79
   13.   1,500   Kevin McKenna   1977-81
   14.   1,437   Eddie Cole   1951-55
   15.   1,369   Gene Harmon   1971-74
   16.   1,361   Duan Cole   1987-92
   17.   1,342   Antoine Young   2008-12
   18.   1,313   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2006-11
   19.   1,309   Ryan Sears   1997-01
   20.   1,303   Elton Tuttle   1951-54
   21.   1,292   Marcus Foster   2016-18
   22.   1,272   Bob Gibson   1954-57
   23.   1,267   Wally Anderzunas   1965-67, 1968-69
   24.   1,254   Gary Swain   1983-87
   25.   1,241   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-20
   25.   1,238   Ben Walker   1997-01
   27.   1,196   Ray Yost   1951-54
   28.   1,172   Dick Harvey   1956-59
   29.   1,155   Ethan Wragge   2009-14
   30.   1,152   Dane Watts   2004-08
   31.   1,140   Khyri Thomas   2015-18
   32.   1,116   Kenny Evans   1982-87
   33.   1,115   Doug Brookins   1972-75
       1,115   Daryl Stovall   1978-82
   35.   1,093   Tim Powers   1964-67
   36.   1,050   Reggie Morris   1982-86
   37.   1,031   Johnny Mathies   2003-06
   38.   1,024   P'Allen Stinnett   2007-10
   39.   1,023   Rod Mason   1986-88
   40.   1,013   Austin Chatman   2011-15
   41.   1,006   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
   42.   1,004   Anthony Tolliver   2003-07
   43.   996   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   44.   994   Chuck Officer   1960-62, 1963-64

Firing On All Cylinders
Last season Creighton led the BIG EAST with 78.3 points per game, 47.1 percent shooting from the field, 38.6 percent shooting from three-point territory, +8.6 scoring margin, 1.45 assist/turnover ratio and 15.77 assists per game.
   In the final KenPom.com ratings, Creighton had the nation's third-best offense.
   It was the fourth different time in the last nine seasons that Creighton has had a top-10 offense per KenPom.
Year   Off. Rating   Def. Rating   Team W-L
2010-11   66   174   23-16
2011-12   5   166   29-6
2012-13   5   66   28-8
2013-14   2   124   27-8
2014-15   59   138   14-19
2015-16   43   76   20-15
2016-17   32   46   25-10
2017-18   25   58   21-12
2018-19   47   83   20-15
2019-20   3   78   24-7

On The Mend
When Creighton's 2020-21 season begins on November 29th, it will have been 716 days since Jacob Epperson's last appearance in a Division I game.
   Epperson's last appearance came on Dec. 14, 2018 vs. Green Bay. He would earn a medical hardship for the rest of the 2018-19 season after undergoing knee surgery, then missed all of last year with a broken leg suffered in the preseason.
   Per research from Middle Tennessee SID Eric Beovich, Epperson's return would end the nation's third-longest stretch between games (based on MTSU and Purdue's regular-season openers) among active players if he plays on Nov. 29.
   Streak   Name, School
   1,003   DeAndre Dishman, Middle Tennessee
   983*   Mason Gillis, Purdue
   716   Jacob Epperson, Creighton
   694   Joshua Langford, Michigan State
*last game played was as a junior in high school

Jays Mourn Loss Of Two Greats
Two prominent members of the Creighton Basketball family passed away in the off-season, as Eddie Sutton died on May 23rd and Bob Gibson lost his battle with pancreatic cancer a few months later on October 2nd. Both men were 84.
   Sutton went 82-50 as Creighton's head coach and athletic director between 1969-74. His 806-329 overall mark in 37 years of coaching ranks 11th on the all-time Division I wins list. In April he was announced as part of the Class of 2020 that will be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame -- part of a group that also contains Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant. However, COVID-19 has pushed that induction ceremony back to 2021.
   Gibson starred in both baseball and basketball with the Bluejays from 1954-57, finishing his college career third with 1,272 career points (he's currently 22nd). He remains in the top-five in CU history in free throws made (418), free throw attempts (575) and scoring average (20.19 ppg.), and his No. 45 basketball jersey is retired. He would play a year with the Harlem Globetrotters before joining the St. Louis Cardinals organization full-time. Gibson is a member of the Hall of Fame's for Creighton Athletics (1968 induction), Missouri Valley Conference (2005) and St. Louis Cardinals (2014), and was honored with a spot on Major League Baseball's All-Century Team in 1999. Gibson was named the best athlete in state history by the Omaha World-Herald in both 2005 and 2015, one spot ahead of Gale Sayers. Tragically, Sayers died nine days before Gibson.

Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Creighton shot 52.4 percent from the floor in its lid-lifter against Kennesaw State last year.
   Not counting last year, when there was no postseason, Creighton has made the postseason each of the last nine times in which it has made at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts to open the year. Seven of those postseason trips were NCAA Tournament berths. The last time that didn't hold true was 1991-92, when CU shot 51.0 percent in the opener but finished just 9-19.
   Creighton has shot 50 percent or better in six of its last eight season-openers.
CU Season-Opener Field Goal Percentage 50+%
Since 1993-94
FG%   Year   Opponent   Postseason
.541   1997-98   UMKC   NIT
.524   1998-99   Towson State   NCAA
.569   2000-01   Western Illinois   NCAA
.594   2002-03   UT Arlington   NCAA
.500   2012-13   North Texas   NCAA
.556   2013-14   Alcorn State   NCAA
.528   2015-16   Texas Southern   NIT
.508   2016-17   UMKC   NCAA
.558   2017-18   Yale   NCAA
.524   2019-20   Kennesaw State   No postseason

The Push For 90
Of Creighton's 21 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, 10 have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
   Here's a look at Creighton's last nine teams to score 90 or more points in a season-opener.
               Final   Post-
   Score   Opponent   Date   W-L   Season
   93-47   UT-San Antonio   11/30/90   24-8   NCAA
   93-48   Towson State   11/14/98   22-9   NCAA
   96-50   Western Illinois   11/20/00   24-8   NCAA
   106-50   Texas-Arlington   11/17/02   29-5   NCAA
   97-65   N. Carolina A&T   11/11/11   29-6   NCAA
   107-61   Alcorn State   11/08/13   27-8   NCAA
   104-77   Central Arkansas   11/14/14   14-19   --
   93-70   Texas Southern   11/14/15   20-15   NIT
   92-76   Yale   11/10/17   21-12   NCAA

Good Defense, A Good Sign
Each of the last nine times that Creighton has held its season-opening opponent to 50 points or less, the Bluejays have advanced to the postseason. It hasn't happened since 2006, however.
   That list is seen below:
Date   Opponent   Score   NCAA/NIT
11/30/73   Regis   W 93-38   NCAA
11/27/76   St. Thomas (MN)   W 79-39   NIT
11/30/90   UT San Antonio   W 93-47   NCAA
11/14/98   Towson State   W 93-48   NCAA
11/20/00   Western Illinois   W 96-50   NCAA
11/17/02   Texas-Arlington   W 106-50   NCAA
11/22/03   San Diego   W 76-44   NIT
11/15/04   Alcorn State   W 74-40   NCAA
11/13/06   Mississippi Valley St.   W 78-42   NCAA

Getting Votes A Good Sign
Creighton is ranked 11th in the Associated Press preseason poll.
   It's the sixth time that Creighton has picked up votes in the preseason poll under Greg McDermott. Each of the first four times that happened, the Bluejays would finish top three in the league, reach the finals of the conference tournament, and play in the NCAA Tournament. Last year's team shared the BIG EAST title before the Conference and NCAA Tournaments were canceled.
Preseason Poll Votes Under Greg McDermott
Year   Preseason Rank   League Finish   NCAA's?
2011-12   34th   2nd, MVC   Yes
2012-13   16th   1st, MVC   Yes
2013-14   27th   2nd, BIG EAST   Yes
2016-17   22nd   T-3rd, BIG EAST   Yes
2019-20   40th   T-1st; BIG EAST    No Tourney
2020-21   11th   TBD   TBD

What Does #11 Mean?
Creighton is ranked 11th in the preseason Associated Press poll. Below is a listing of how teams ranked 11th in the preseason have done since 1999-2000.
Year   School   Year-End Rank*   NCAA's (Wins)
2019-20:   Virginia   16   Tourney Canceled
2018-19:    Kansas State   15   Yes (0)
2017-18:    West Virginia   14   Yes (2)
2016-17:    Indiana   NR   No (0)
2015-16:    Gonzaga   21   Yes (2)
2014-15:    Wichita State   14   Yes (2)
2013-14:    Ohio State   22   Yes (0)
2012-13:    North Carolina   NR   Yes (1)
2011-12:    Memphis   NR   Yes (0)
2010-11:    Kentucky   11   Yes (4)
2009-10:    Butler   11   Yes (5)
2008-09:    Purdue   17   Yes (2)
2007-08:    Marquette   25   Yes (1)
2006-07:    Alabama   NR   No (0)
2005-06:   Boston College   7   Yes (2)
2004-05:   Duke   3   Yes (2)
2003-04:   Kentucky   2   Yes (1)
2002-03:   Oregon   NR   Yes (0)
2001-02:   Virginia   NR   No (0)
2000-01:   Florida   8   Yes (1)
1999-00:   Kansas   NR   Yes (1)
*based on final poll before NCAA Tournament

Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked second in the preseason BIG EAST Conference poll that was selected via a vote of league coaches.
   Villanova earned 9-of-11 first place votes to top the poll with 99 points, just ahead of Creighton's two first place votes and 91 overall points. Third in the poll was Providence (79), who was just ahead of UConn (69), Seton Hall (67) and Marquette (50).
   Rounding out the bottom half of the poll were Xavier (47) in seventh place, Butler (37), St. John's (33), DePaul (20) and Georgetown (13).
   Seton Hall edged Villanova by one point to be named league favorites for the first time since 1992-93, as both the Pirates and Wildcats garnered five first place votes.
   Xavier was third, with Marquette and Providence tying for fourth place. Georgetown was tabbed sixth, just ahead of Creighton, while Butler, St. John's and DePaul round out the poll.
   Creighton's Marcus Zegarowski was tabbed Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, and was joined on the Preseason All-BIG EAST team by Charlie Moore (DePaul), David Duke (Providence), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Seton Hall), Collin Gillespie (Villanova) and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (Villanova).
   Creighton has met or exceeded its preseason BIG EAST prognostication every year since joining the league, as seen below:
Creighton's BIG EAST Preseason Poll History
Year    Preseason    Actual    Preseason All-BIG EAST
2013-14    3rd    2nd    Doug McDermott (1st)
2014-15    9th    T-9th    -
2015-16    9th    6th    -
2016-17    3rd    T-3rd    Maurice Watson Jr. (1st); Marcus Foster (HM)
2017-18    5th    T-3rd    Marcus Foster (1st); Khyri Thomas (HM)
2018-19    9th    T-3rd    Martin Krampelj (HM)
2019-20    7th    T-1st   Ty-Shon Alexander (1st)
2020-21    2nd    TBD   Marcus Zegarowski (1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd)

Long Range Marksman
With 93 three-pointers last season, Mitch Ballock broke the previous program record for three-pointers made by a junior of 82 by Tad Ackerman in 1994-95.
   Ballock (along with Ty-Shon Alexander) is one of two Bluejays in school history to make 80 or more three-pointers in consecutive seasons, and one of three Bluejays (along with Alexander and Kyle Korver) with multiple campaigns of 80 or more three-pointers.
   Ballock and Korver are also the only Bluejays with multiple seasons of 90 or more three-pointers.
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
   97-266   .365   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   95-230   .413   Marcus Foster   2017-18
   95-227   .419   Mitch Ballock   2018-19
   93-214   .435   Mitch Ballock   2019-20
   91-191   .476   Booker Woodfox*   2008-09
*Conference Player of the Year

Most 3-Pointers Made by a Creighton Junior
   3FG-FGA   3FG%   Name   Year
   93-214   .435   Mitch Ballock   2019-20
   82-210   .390   Tad Ackerman   1994-95
   81-203   .399   Ty-Shon Alexander   2019-20
   79-184   .429   Kyle Korver   2001-02
   78-175   .446   Ethan Wragge   2012-13
   77-157   .490   Doug McDermott   2012-13
   73-214   .341   Marcus Foster   2016-17
   67-194   .345   Ryan Sears   1999-00
   67-176   .381   Terrell Taylor   2001-02
   67-143   .469   Nate Funk   2004-05

Ballock Well Over 200 Treys
Mitch Ballock led Creighton with 93 three-point baskets last season, which gives him 232 in his Bluejay career. That puts him in fifth place in program history in that category.
   Ballock's 232 career treys are third-most in school history after a junior season, trailing only Kyle Korver (242) and Ethan Wragge (234).
   Ballock ranked 19th nationally with 93 three-pointers made and 11th in three-point percentage (.435) last season.
Most Career 3FG, Creighton History
Rank       3FG   Name   Years
   1.   371   Kyle Korver   1999-03
   2.   334   Ethan Wragge   2009-14
   3.   274   Doug McDermott   2010-14
   4.   245   Ryan Sears   1997-01
   5.   232   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   6.   212   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   7.   210   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-20
   8.   206   Jahenns Manigat   2010-14
   9.   200   Nate Funk   2002-07
   10.   185   Matt Roggenburk   1986-90

Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 through 2019-20
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
3FG Made   3,096   2nd
3FG Percentage   .385   2nd
Assists   5,629   3rd
FG Percentage   .480   5th
FG Made   9,466   9th
Wins   231   30th
Winning Percentage   .666   33rd

Guess Who's Back? Back Again
Creighton brings back nearly 70-80 percent of last year's statistical contributions in virtually every category:
Category   Last Year   Returning   Pct. Back
Dunks   60   52   86.7%
Assists   489   400   81.8%
Starts   155   124   80.0%
Points Per Game   78.3   62   79.2%
Minutes   6,225   4,687   75.3%
Field Goals Made   866   646   74.6%
Points   2,428   1,768   72.8%
Rebounds   1,004   729   72.6%
Blocked Shots   79   57   72.2%
Steals   203   143   70.4%
3-Point Field Goals Made   302   212   70.2%
Free Throws Made   394   264   67.0%
Charges Taken   39   19   48.7%

In Search of 20
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 20 of the last 22 seasons (including 2019-20), 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 22 years: Duke (22), Gonzaga (22) and Kansas (22).
   Kentucky has done it 21 times. Creighton and Florida have done it 20 times.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 22 Years
Team   20-Win Seasons   2019-20 W-L
Gonzaga   22   31-2
Kansas   22   28-3
Duke   22   25-6
Kentucky   21   25-6
Creighton   20   24-7
Florida   20   19-12

#ProJays
Creighton had five NBA players in 2019-20, as Kyle Korver (Milwaukee Bucks), Anthony Tolliver (Memphis Grizzlies), Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers, Justin Patton (Detroit Pistons) and Khyri Thomas (Detroit Pistons) were all in the league. A sixth potential player, Ty-Shon Alexander, played for Creighton last season and recently signed a two-way deal with the Phoenix Suns.
   Including 2019-20, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 36 of the last 37 years.
   Korver ranks fourth in NBA history with 2,450 three-pointers and is 10th in league history with 42.87 percent marksmanship from three-point range. He set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range in 2009-10, and is the only player in league history to lead the NBA in three-point percentage four times. Korver averaged 6.7 points per game last season for the Milwaukee Bucks.
   Tolliver played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies last year, averaging 3.6 points in his 12th NBA season. He owns 4,434 career points, including 861 three-pointers, in the NBA.
   McDermott completed his sixth season in the NBA, and second with the Indiana Pacers, in 2019-20. He averaged a career-high 10.3 points per game last season and is the only player in the NBA to rank in the top-20 in three-point percentage each of the past three seasons.
   Patton is on his fifth organization since being the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He appeared in five games last season with Oklahoma City.
   Thomas was the 38th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers before being traded minutes later to the Detroit Pistons. Thomas was a two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and has played in 34 career NBA games, contributing 78 points and 21 rebounds.

Who Are These Guys?
Creighton loses just one starter (Ty-Shon Alexander) from last year's team that finished 24-7. CU's 2020-21 roster contains players who made 124 starts a year ago for CU (31 by Mitch Ballock and Christian Bishop, 30 by Marcus Zegarowski, 29 by Damien Jefferson, two by Shereef Mitchell and one by Denzel Mahoney) and a combined 186 career starts as Bluejays.
   That doesn't factor in the 64 starts at Southeast Missouri State for Denzel Mahoney, six starts at New Mexico for Damien Jefferson, six starts at Memphis for Antwann Jones, or 14 starts at Duke for Alex O'Connell.
   Returning   Returning Starts    Final
Year   Starters   From Previous Year   W-L
2020-21   4   124   ? ? ?
2019-20   4   136   24-7
2018-19   2   57   20-15
2017-18   2   72   21-12
2016-17   4   130   25-10
2015-16   1   64   20-15
2014-15   1   49   14-19
2013-14   4   144   27-8
2012-13   4   140   28-8
2011-12   3   101   29-6
2010-11   4   123   23-16
2009-10   3   106   18-16
2008-09   3   83   27-8
2007-08   1   44   22-11
2006-07   4   120   22-11
2005-06   4   134   20-10
2004-05   2   58   23-11
2003-04   3   101   20-9
2002-03   5   159   29-5
2001-02   2   65   23-9
2000-01   3   90   24-8
1999-00   3   84   23-10
1998-99   3   84   22-9
1997-98   4   72   18-10
1996-97   4   126   15-15
1995-96   4   100   14-15
1994-95   2   52   7-19
1993-94   3   73   7-22
1992-93   2   64   8-18
1991-92   2   51   9-19
1990-91   4   132   24-8
1989-90   4   127   21-12
1988-89   4   123   20-11
1987-88   3   83   16-16
1986-87   2   65   9-19
1985-86   1   48   12-16
1984-85   4   124   20-12
1983-84   3   72   17-14
1982-83   3   77   8-19
1981-82   2   78   7-20
1980-81   4   112   21-9

Go Big Or Go Home
Creighton owned four regular-season non-conference wins last winter from teams that are in the Big Ten, BIG EAST, Atlantic Coast, Southeastern, Big 12 or Pac-12 Conferences.
   It was the third time since CU dropped its independent status in 1977 that the Bluejays have picked up four such wins in the same winter. The 2016-17 club had six such wins, while the 2012-13 squad also had four.
   After going 22-12 in such games under Dana Altman from 1994-2010, Creighton is 28-12 under Greg McDermott.
   Here's a list of Creighton's yearly regular-season non-conference records in the past 25 seasons against teams from those top leagues:
Year   W-L   "Major" Conference Victories
1994-95   0-2   -
1995-96   0-1   -
1996-97   1-3   Florida
1997-98   1-1   Nebraska
1998-99   3-1   Iowa, Baylor, Oklahoma State
1999-00   3-0   Iowa, Baylor, Nebraska
2000-01   2-0   Providence, Nebraska
2001-02   1-0   Nebraska
2002-03   2-0   Notre Dame, Nebraska
2003-04   1-0   Nebraska
2004-05   3-0   Missouri, Ohio State, Nebraska
2005-06   1-1   Nebraska
2006-07   0-1   -
2007-08   2-0   DePaul, Nebraska
2008-09   1-1   DePaul
2009-10   1-1   Nebraska
2010-11   0-3   -
2011-12   3-0   Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern
2012-13   4-0   Wisconsin, Arizona State, Nebraska, Cal
2013-14   3-0   Arizona State, Nebraska, Cal
2014-15   2-1   Oklahoma, Nebraska
2015-16   2-3   Rutgers, Nebraska
2016-17   6-0   Wisconsin, Washington St., NC St., Ole Miss, Nebraska, Arizona St.
2017-18   3-1   Northwestern, UCLA, Nebraska
2018-19   1-3   Clemson
2019-20   4-1   Texas Tech, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arizona St.

Full House
Creighton averaged 17,314 fans per home game last season, good for fifth place nationally.
   It marked the 15th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the ninth straight season in the top-10.
   Creighton has led its conference in average home attendance every year since moving into CHI Health Center Omaha, which enters its 18th season.
2019-20 Average Home Attendance Leaders
   Rk.   School   Average
   1.   Syracuse   21,704
   2.   Kentucky   20,160
   3.   North Carolina   20,103
   4.   Tennessee   18,990
   5.   Creighton   17,314
   6.   Wisconsin   16,912
   7.   Louisville   16,658
   8.   Kansas   16,388
   9.   Memphis   16,312
   10.   Indiana   16,300

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 882 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 6,937 trifectas, an average of 7.87 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 134 times, more than any figure.
   Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 245 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
   Creighton has also made at least one three-pointer before halftime in 253 consecutive contests (since 0-7 at Drake on 1/23/13).
   The Bluejays were 23-1 last year when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 1-6 mark when making seven treys or fewer a year ago.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:    4 times   2: 15 times   3: 31 times
4:    70 times   5:   95 times   6: 90 times
7:   134 times   8:   113 times   9: 85 times
10: 72 times   11: 50 times   12: 47 times
13: 41 times   14: 16 times   15: 7 times
16: 6 times   17: 2 times   19: 1 time
20: 1 time   21: 1 time   22: 1 time

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 882 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 16th-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 (11/25/20)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,103   UNLV   11/30
   2.   1,090   Duke   11/28
   3.   1,044   Arkansas   11/28
   4.   1,037   Western Kentucky   11/26
   5.   1,028   East Tennessee State   11/26
   6.   1,014   Pacific   11/27
   7.   1,002   Oakland   11/26
   8.   997   Texas   11/30
   9.   958   Princeton   Season Canceled
   10.   947   Marshall   11/27
   11.   933   Baylor   12/2
   12.   919   Gonzaga   11/26
   13.   908   Long Island   12/8
   14.   889   Mount St. Mary's   11/28
   15.   885   Cornell   Season Canceled
   16.   882   Creighton   11/29
   17.   876   Tennessee State   11/27
   18.   872   East Carolina   12/5

Playing With The Lead
Incredibly, Creighton hasn't trailed in its home opener in 10 of the past 20 seasons (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2019-20).
    In 294 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 84 of those contests, a staggering 28.6 percent of the time.
     Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 146-33 and hasn't trailed in 59 of those games.

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 231 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .666 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.   231-116   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
3.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger    1922-1935
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-1969
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-1981

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

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 294 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 18-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 243-51 (.827) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (19-0).
   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 23,015-19,283 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.69 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 84 different times.
   Creighton is also 28-30 all-time in the 58 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-11 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 35-25 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 146-33 (.816) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including an 83-6 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 262-51 (.837) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 81.12 points per home game (14,521 points in 179 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.99 points in non-conference home games (7,564 points in 89 home games).
   Creighton is 115-5 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.

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 (per WarrenNolan.com) in every season since 2000-01, as seen below:
BIG EAST in Conference RPI Rankings
2000-01:   3rd
2001-02:   3rd
2002-03:   5th
2003-04:   4th
2004-05:   2nd
2005-06:   3rd
2006-07:   5th
2007-08:   5th
2008-09:   4th
2009-10:   3rd
2010-11:   1st
2011-12:   2nd
2012-13:   2nd
2013-14:   4th
2014-15:   3rd
2015-16:   4th
2016-17:   3rd
2017-18:   2nd
2018-19   5th
2019-20:   1st

#11 Men's Basketball Tips Season Sunday vs. North Dakota State

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Rati Andronikashvili

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

Devin Davis

Jacob Epperson

Damien Jefferson

Antwann Jones

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Modestas Kancleris

Denzel Mahoney

Andrew Merfeld

Shereef Mitchell

Alex O'Connell

Sami Osmani

Marcus Zegarowski