Men's Basketball Opens Defense of BIG EAST Crown on Monday vs. Marquette

Game #6: Marquette Golden Eagles at #8 Creighton Bluejays
Monday, Dec. 14, 2020 • 8:00 p.m.
Omaha, Neb. (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, KOOO (101.9 FM), www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1 (Brandon Gaudin, Steve Lavin)
Series History: Marquette leads, 55-35
Last Meeting: #15 Creighton 73, #19 Marquette 65 on Feb. 18, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wis.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS
CU NOTES | MU NOTES | FLIPCARD

NOTE: Unless otherwise specified, the rankings listed are based on the Associated Press poll from Dec. 7th.

Next Game
Creighton (4-1) opens its eighth season as a member of the BIG EAST on Monday, Dec. 14 when league play begins against Marquette (4-2).
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb,. is set for 8 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 will call the action with Nick Bahe. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Monday's game will be televised nationally by FS1, with Brandon Gaudin and Steve Lavin on the call.
   Of Creighton's last 136 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised. CU is 91-45 in those contests.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Monday's game will be available via FOXSportsGO.com for desktop users, and via the FOX Sports GO app for mobile devices (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Window devices). A cable authorization may be required.
   The FOX Sports GO mobile app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store or the Windows Store, and the games are now available internationally.

Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.
   Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.

Scouting No. 8 Creighton
Creighton is ranked eighth nationally in the AP poll after a 4-1 start that includes convincing wins vs. North Dakota State (69-58), Omaha (94-67), Kennesaw State (93-58) and Nebraska (98-74) as well as a narrow one-point loss at No. 5 Kansas last Tuesday (73-72).
   The Bluejays return 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 was 11th in the preseason AP poll. Both are program bests for a preseason or postseason poll.
   Point guard Marcus Zegarowski (15.0 ppg., 6.0 apg.) 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. He had a double-double vs. Omaha on Dec. 1 in which he had 11 points and a career-high 11 assists.
   Senior wing Denzel Mahoney (15.0 ppg.) won the BIG EAST's Sixth Man Award last season and is off to a terrific start. Junior forward Christian Bishop (13.6 ppg., 5.6 rpg.) led Creighton in scoring during each of the first two games, and he's shot 84.4 percent from the field to rank third nationally.
   Creighton is shooting 51.3 percent from the field, scoring 85.2 points per game and holding foes to 66.0 points per contest.

Scouting Marquette
Marquette is 4-2 this season, including a win vs. No. 4 Wisconsin and losses to Oklahoma State and at UCLA.
   After losing 2019-20 NCAA scoring leader Markus Howard (27.8 ppg.) to graduation, Marquette has seen Koby McKewen (15.3 ppg.) step into a leading role.
   Preseason BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Dawson Garcia (12.7 ppg., 5.5 rpg.) has made an immediate impact, as has Ohio State transfer D.J. Carton (10.3 ppg., 3.5 apg.).
   Theo John tops the Golden Eagles with 8.2 rebounds per game and remains among the BIG EAST's top shot blockers with 13 swats to date.
   Marquette averages 74.2 points per game, shooting 43.8 percent from the floor, 35.1 percent from downtown and 72.5 percent at the line. MU wins the rebound battle by 8.2 caroms per contest and holds foes to 63.2 points per outing.

The Series With Marquette
Marquette leads the series with Creighton by a 55-35 margin, and has a 23-21 lead in Omaha.
   The series is tied 7-7 since the teams became BIG EAST rivals, and Creighton has won the past three meetings to snap MU's six-game win streak in the series.
   Eleven of the last 12 meetings have been decided by eight points or less.
   Greg McDermott is 5-7 against Steve Wojciechowski as a head coach, and is 7-7 in his career against Marquette.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 235-117 record in his 11th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 515-312 in 27 seasons, and is 384-248 in 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 5-1 on the season with its 12th straight home win.
- Creighton would beat Marquette for the fourth straight time, narrowing the Golden Eagles lead in the series to 55-36.
- Creighton would improve to 125-47 all-time (91-35 under Greg McDermott) as a nationally-ranked team.
- Creighton would improve to 6-2 in BIG EAST openers, and 8-3 in all league openers under McDermott.

League Play, Already?
Creighton opens up BIG EAST play on Dec. 14th, a full 18 days earlier than last year's league lid-lifter that was also vs. Marquette.
   The last time Creighton played a conference game before Christmas was Dec. 22, 2004 against an Evansville team coached by Steve Merfeld.
   The last time Creighton played a conference game on Dec. 14 or earlier was Dec. 4, 2002 vs. a Northern Iowa team coached by Greg McDermott.
   The last time Creighton hosted a conference game on Dec. 14 or earlier was Dec. 12, 1999, when it throttled Illinois State 82-43.

Making An Entrance
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Antwann Jones, Devin Davis, Sami Osmani and Andrew Merfeld could each play in their first career BIG EAST game on Monday.
   Below is a listing of the only 16 men in league history to debut in the BIG EAST with a game of 25 or more points.
   The most points by a Bluejay in their BIG EAST debut is 19 by Doug McDermott vs. Marquette on Dec. 31, 2013.
MOST POINTS - FIRST BIG EAST GAME
41   Steve Novak, Marquette vs. UConn, 1-3-06
32   Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. PC, 12-27-11
30   Troy Murphy, Notre Dame vs. PC, 12-8-98
   Allen Iverson, Georgetown vs. PC, 12-7-94
29   Caron Butler, Connecticut vs. BC, 1-3-01
   Khalid El-Amin, Connecticut vs. WVU, 12-3-97
   Tim Thomas, Villanova vs. PC, 12-4-96
28   Troy Bell, Boston College vs. PC, 1-8-00
   Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall vs. UConn, 1-3-08
26   Seldon Jefferson, WVU vs. Georgetown, 12-2-95
   Lawrence Moten, Syracuse vs. BC, 1-2-92
   Shamorie Ponds, St. John's vs. Butler, 12-29-16
25   Rodney Bullock, Providence at Butler, 12-31-15
   Craig Smith, Boston College vs. PC, 1-2-03
   Jerome Coleman, Rutgers vs. Syracuse, 1-2-02
   Steve Rich, Miami vs. Syracuse, 12-22-93

Conference Openers Have Gone Well
Creighton owns a 16-6 record in its last 22 conference openers, including victories in Omaha over Marquette on Dec. 31, 2013 and Jan. 1, 2020.
   Greg McDermott is 11-8 all-time in conference openers as a Division I head coach, including a 7-3 mark at Creighton (5-2 in the BIG EAST). He is 6-4 in CU's first conference home game of the season.
   The last team to win a share of any BIG EAST title after losing the league opener was the 2012-13 Georgetown club. No squad has won an outright title after losing the league opener since Notre Dame won the West Division in 2000-01. And no team has won a league outright title in a one-division BIG EAST after losing the league lid-lifter since Georgetown in 1988-89.

Strong League Start Projects To Postseason
Creighton has started 5-2 or better in league play in six of Greg McDermott's first 10 seasons at the helm.
   Five of those teams to start like that reached the NCAA Tournament, while a sixth reached the quarterfinals of the NIT.
   Each of Creighton's 14 teams since 1988-89 to start 5-2, 6-1 or 7-0 after seven games in league play have reached the postseason, a stretch that includes nine NCAA Tournaments and five NIT's.
   Last year CU started 4-3 in league play, before finishing 13-5, but the postseason was cancelled.

Just Do It, Again
Creighton is opening BIG EAST play with a home game against Marquette for the third time in eight seasons since joining the league.
   On Dec. 31, 2013, Creighton never trailed in a 67-49 win that tipped at 9:07 p.m.
   On Jan. 1, 2020, Creighton never trailed in a 92-75 win that tipped at 8:05 p.m.
   Monday will mark Creighton's conference opener, be against Marquette,and feature another late start. It'll start at 8:01 p.m.

First To 100, Wins?
Each of Marquette's last five wins over Creighton have been high-scoring affairs, with MU winning by scores of 102-94, 91-83, 90-86, 85-81 and 106-104.
   In those five MU victories, Marquette and Creighton combined to make 125 three-point attempts and shot a combined 52.2 percent of all shots (328-628) from the floor.
   Creighton has lost 15 straight games when allowing 90+ points, with four of those setbacks coming at the hands of the Golden Eagles.
   Greg McDermott is 69-4 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 63-4 mark on the Creighton sideline. Two of those losses have come against Marquette.
   McDermott is also 131-14 as Creighton coach when his teams score 80 or more points, but just 2-5 against Marquette when scoring 80 or more.

No Husker Hangover Here
Creighton has dominated the recent series over Nebraska, winning nine of the past 10 meetings by double-digits.
    The Bluejays have been even more dominant in the game following the Nebraska game in recent seasons, winning the last eight games following a contest vs. the Huskers by an average of 31.13 points.
   Creighton has won the first home game after meeting Nebraska in each of the previous 15 seasons, and by an average of 23.33 points.

Win The Turnover Battle
Creighton forced Nebraska into 25 turnovers on Friday, picking up 16 steals in the process.
   The 25 turnovers tied the most in any of Greg McDermott's 351 games on the Creighton sideline along with a 2012 game vs. Tulsa.
   Creighton's 38 points off Nebraska's 25 turnovers included 11 points in transition.
   The team's 38 points off turnovers were the most since Creighton began tracking points off turnovers for every game starting in 2004-05.

Don't Blink
Creighton pulled away from Nebraska with a 23-2 run in just under a five minute span as its lead went from 55-51 to 78-53.
   During that stretch, Creighton scored on 10 consecutive possessions.
   Each of Creighton's first seven baskets in the flurry were scored by a different player, and the run also featured assists by six different men.

Seeking A Dozen
Creighton has won each of its last 11 home games. It's the program's ninth double-digit home win streak in CHI Health Center Omaha history, which opened in 2003.
   The 11-game home win streak was tied for the nation's 17th-longest active streak entering Saturday.
Most Consecutive Home Wins
CHI Health Center Omaha History
Wins                Dates   Snapped By
24 - Feb. 19, 2013 - Dec. 12, 2014   St. Mary's, 71-67 (OT)
16 - Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 31, 2006   Southern Illinois, 74-67
16 - Jan. 19. 2011 - Dec. 22, 2011   Missouri State, 77-65
15 - Feb. 23, 2019 - Jan. 1, 2020   #16 Villanova, 64-59
14 - Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008   Northern Iowa, 69-66
14 - Feb. 28, 2017 - Jan. 27, 2018   #5 Xavier, 72-71
11 - Feb 28, 2016 - Dec. 28, 2016   #1 Villanova, 80-70
11 - Sept. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004   Southern Illinois, 61-60
11 - Jan. 18, 2020 - Present

Double Jeopardy
Creighton has won each of its last 10 home games by double-figures, a streak that started on January 26, 2020.
   A win by 10+ points on Monday vs. Marquette would make it the second-longest such streak in program history, trailing only a streak that wrapped up 100 years ago.
Longest Streak of Consecutive 10+ Point Home Wins
Streak   First Game of Streak   Last Game of Streak
15   01/19/1918   01/27/1920
10   02/19/2013   12/31/2013
10   01/26/2020   Active Streak
9   12/01/2012   02/02/2013
9   01/21/1998   12/05/1998
8   11/17/2002   01/15/2003
8   02/17/1923   01/29/1924

Top 10 Bluejays (doesn't include Dec. 14 poll)
After starting the year ranked 11th in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls, Creighton has ascended into the top 10.
   Creighton's No. 8 ranking in the AP poll this week marks the 15th time the writers have voted the Bluejays into the top-10. All but one of those times have occurred under Greg McDermott. Creighton's highest AP ranking ever has been No. 7 (Jan. 16, 2017; March 9, 2020; March 16, 2020).
   Creighton is one of 10 teams that have been ranked in all nine AP polls since Feb. 3, 2020, joining Baylor, Duke, Florida State, Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa, Kansas, Tennessee and Villanova.
   Creighton has been ranked in the top-10 of the USA Today Coaches poll in 13 different weeks in program history, and is seventh this week. All but one of those weeks have occurred under Greg McDermott. Creighton's best coaches poll ranking ever has been No. 7 (Jan. 16, 2017 and this week).

Target Practice
Christian Bishop has made 27-of-32 shots from the floor this season, good for a BIG EAST-best 84.4 percent.
   Bishop made 6-of-7 shots vs. NDSU, 7-of-10 attempts vs. Omaha, was 4-for-4 vs. Kennesaw State, 5-for-6 at No. 5 Kansas and 5-for-5 vs. Nebraska.
   In Greg McDermott's first 11 years at Creighton, 95 players have attempted 15 or more shots over the course of the first five games of any season. Bishop's 84.4 percent marksmanship far exceeds the next-best mark, Gregory Echenique's 19-for-24 accuracy (79.2 percent) to open the 2012-13 campaign.
   Bishop's 28.4 points per 40 minutes leads the Creighton team this year. That's far above his 18.2 average as a freshman and 16.0 average per 40 minutes last season.
   Per Basketball-Reference.com, Bishop is one of three players since 2011-12 to shoot 84.4 percent or better in his team's first five games, with a minimum of 25 field goals made. That list is headed by former Marquette big man Luke Fischer.
Best FG% After 5 Games
(Min. 25 FG made, per Basketball-Reference.com)
   FG%   Name, School   Year   FG-FGA
   .853   Luke Fischer, Marquette   2014-15   29-34
   .844   Christian Bishop, Creighton   2020-21   27-32
   .844   Cameron Krutwig, Louola (Ill.)   2018-19   27-32
   .841   Zeke Nnaji, Arizona   2019-20   37-44

Bishop Goes Big
Christian Bishop led Creighton in scoring during each of the first two games, and past history suggest he's in for a big season.
   Bishop is the fifth Bluejay this century to lead CU in scoring each of the first two games. Each of the other four men would go on to earn First Team All-Conference accolades that season.
   Those men include Ty-Shon Alexander (2019-20), Marcus Foster (2017-18), Doug McDermott (2013-14) and Kyle Korver (2002-03). Those four men combined to earn nine First Team All-Conference honors, and three of the four have signed NBA contracts.
   Bishop has already made quite a statement in the race for the BIG EAST's Most Improved Player award. Here's his year-by-year numbers.
Year   PPG   RPG   BPG   FG%   FT%
2018-19   4.1   2.1   0.5   .671   .432
2019-20   8.6   5.3   1.1   .592   .579
2020-21   13.6   5.6   0.8   .844   .722

Denzel A Leading Man
Creighton trailed 70-65 with 84 seconds left at Kansas before Denzel Mahoney embarked on a personal 5-0 run to tie the game just 21 seconds later.
   Mahoney led Creighton with 19 points on Tuesday. He then scored a season-high 20 points on Friday vs. Nebraska.
   In four career games as a Bluejay against a top-10 opponent, Mahoney has averaged 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game to help CU to a 3-1 mark. Mahoney has made 53.1 percent (26-49) of his shots from the floor, 45.5 percent (10-22) from three-point range and 100 percent (12-12) at the charity stripe.
   Four of his top eight single-game scoring efforts at CU have come in those four games against top-10 competition.
Denzel Mahoney's Top Scoring Games at Creighton
   Points   Opponent   Date
   21   at #8 Villanova   02/01/20
   20   Nebraska   12/11/20
   19   at Georgetown   01/15/20
   19   at #5 Kansas   12/08/20
   18   St. John's   02/08/20
   18   at #10 Seton Hall   02/12/20
   17   Nebraska-Omaha   12/01/20
   16   #8 Seton Hall   03/08/20

Number Eleven Goes Up To Eleven
Marcus Zegarowski had his first career double-double on Dec. 1 vs. Omaha when the junior guard who wears No. 11 finished with 11 points and 11 assists.
   Zegarowski's 11 assists were a career-high and the most by a Bluejay since Maurice Watson Jr. had 14 assists at Providence on Jan. 7, 2017.
   Zegarowski owns 30 assists through five games this season. Since 2005-06, the only Bluejay with more assists through five games was Watson with 46 in 2016-17.

Putting In Work
Ryan Kalkbrenner has been ultra-productive in the first five games of his young career. In 68:04 of playing time, Kalkbrenner has 46 points, 21 rebounds and seven blocked shots.
   Nationally through games of Friday, Kalkbrenner was one of 43 players who had at least 40 points, 20 rebounds and seven blocked shots in the first five games of the season. Kalkbrenner's 68 minutes played were 12 fewer than any other player on that list.
   On a pro-rated per 40 minutes basis, Kalkbrenner is averaging 27.0 points, 12.3 rebounds and 4.1 blocked shots.
   Kalkbrenner had blocked at least one shot in each of Creighton's first three games this season, making him the first Bluejay to do that as a true freshman since Benoit Benjamin in 1982-83. Benjamin had a swat in all 27 games of his freshman campaign and each of his first 61 college contests. He would finish his three-year career with an MVC-record 411 blocked shots.
   Below is a list of Creighton's longest streaks with a blocked shot to start a season by all players since 1989-90:

Games With A Block To Start Season Since 1982-83
   Streak   Name   Year
   27   Benoit Benjamin   1982-83
   23*   Benoit Benjamin   1983-84
   8   Doug Swenson   1998-99
   6   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2008-09
   6   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2009-10
   5   Mike Amos   1992-93
   5   Gregory Echenique   2011-12
   4   Benoit Benjamin   1984-85
   4   Brody Deren   2003-04
   4   Anthony Tolliver   2006-07
   4   Martin Krampelj   2017-18
   3   Gregory Brandon   1982-83
   3   Randall Crutcher   1995-96
   3   Adam Reid   1996-97
   3   Jeffrey Day   2004-05
   3   Anthony Tolliver   2005-06
   3   Toby Hegner   2014-15
   3   Ty-Shon Alexander   2019-20
   3   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-21
*Benjamin had a block in all 30 games played, but missed CU's 24th game in 1983-84

On The Double
Creighton has led by four or more points the entire second half in each of its first four home games, and actually led by double-figures for 73:48-of-80:00 minutes (92.3%) after halftime in home games.
   For the season (all games), Creighton has trailed for just 40:15 of 200 minutes of play (20.1%). At home, CU has trailed for just 14:10 of 160 minutes (8.9%).

Playing With The Lead
In 297 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 84 of those contests, a staggering 28.4 percent of the time.
     Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 149-33 and hasn't trailed in 59 of those games.

A One And A Two And A Three...
Creighton started 3-0 for the eighth time in 11 seasons under Greg McDermott.
   All five of Greg McDermott's Creighton teams to reach the NCAA Tournament did so after winning its first three games of the season.
   Creighton has also started 4-1 or 5-0 in all 11 seasons under McDermott, which includes this year.

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.
   The Bluejays, along with Kansas, 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).
   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.

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.

On The Mend
When Creighton's 2020-21 season began on November 29th, it had 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.
   Epperson played seven minutes vs. North Dakota State, leading all players with two blocked shots.
   He then had six points and tied a career-high with six rebounds vs. Omaha on Dec. 1, including a dunk for his first points since returning.
   Epperson added four points and four rebounds vs. Kennesaw State in 10 minutes on Dec. 4.

In Search of 20
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 20 of the last 22 seasons (entering 2020-21), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
   Just three schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the previous 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

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 81.28 points per home game (14,875 points in 183 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.14 points in non-conference home games (7,918 points in 93 home games).
   Creighton is 118-5 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.

Ballock Surpasses 1,000 Points (Again)
Mitch Ballock owns 1,034 career points after surpassing the 1,000 point mark on Nov. 29 vs. North Dakota State in CU's season-opener, which was also his 100th career game.
   Ballock entered last season's BIG EAST Tournament with 996 points and 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
Mitch Ballock   100   11/29/20
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.   1,034   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   38.   1,031   Johnny Mathies   2003-06

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.

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.
   It's early, but this year's team leads the BIG EAST in scoring offense (85.2), assist/turnover ratio (1.96), field goal percentage (.513) and scoring margin (+19.2).
   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.
   Creighton's current No. 42 defensive rating is the program's best mark in that category since 2006-07 (35th).
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
2020-21   6   42   4-1 so far

What Does #11 Mean?
Creighton was 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

Getting Votes A Good Sign
Creighton was 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

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 owns 241 three-pointers in his Bluejay career. That puts him in fifth place in program history in that category, and four behind Ryan Sears for fourth place.
   His 232 career treys entering the year were 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.   241   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 Dec. 11, 2020
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Percentage   .385   2nd
3FG Made   3,145   2nd
Assists   5,727   3rd
FG Percentage   .481   3rd
FG Made   9,626   9th
Wins   235   30th
Winning Percentage   .668   32nd

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%

#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, and is now with the Los Angeles Clippers organization.
   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.

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 235 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .668 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.   235-117   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

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 887 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 6,977 trifectas, an average of 7.87 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 135 times, more than any figure.
   Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 247 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 258 consecutive contests (since 0-7 at Drake on 1/23/13).
   Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 26-2 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 2-6 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
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:   135 times   8:   114 times   9: 85 times
10: 72 times   11: 51 times   12: 47 times
13: 41 times   14: 17 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 887 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 15th-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 (12/11)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,107   UNLV   12/14
   2.   1,094   Duke   12/29
   3.   1,048   Arkansas   12/12
   4.   1,040   Western Kentucky   12/13
   5.   1,031   East Tennessee State   12/15
   6.   1,016   Pacific   12/19
   7.   1,007   Oakland   12/13
   8.   1,002   Texas   12/13
   9.   958   Princeton   Season Canceled
   10.   950   Marshall   12/13
   11.   936   Baylor   12/13
   12.   921   Gonzaga   12/19
   13.   908   Long Island   12/16
   14.   893   Mount St. Mary's   12/15
   15.   887   Creighton   12/14
   16.   885   Cornell   Season Canceled
   17.   878   Tennessee State   12/18
   18.   875   East Carolina   12/16

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 298 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 18-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 247-51 (.829) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (21-0).
   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 23,369-19,540 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.85 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 150-33 (.820) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including an 87-6 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 266-51 (.839) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Men's Basketball Opens Defense of BIG EAST Crown on Monday vs. Marquette

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Rati Andronikashvili

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

Devin Davis

Jacob Epperson

Antwann Jones

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Modestas Kancleris

Denzel Mahoney

Andrew Merfeld

Sami Osmani

Marcus Zegarowski