#13 Men's Basketball Hosts #22 Xavier In Top-25 Showdown

Game #9: #22 Xavier Musketeers at #13 Creighton Bluejays
Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020 • 2:00 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1 (Adam Alexander, Bill Raftery)
Series History: Xavier leads, 17-15
Last Meeting: Creighton 77, Xavier 66 on Jan. 26, 2020 in Omaha, Neb.
CU NOTES PDF | FLIPCARD | XU NOTES PDF
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS

Next Game
No. 13 Creighton (6-2, 2-1 BIG EAST) looks to build upon the momentum of a pair of road wins when it returns to host No. 22 Xavier (8-0, 1-0 BIG EAST) on Wednesday afternoon.
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 2 p.m.
   Senior Mitch Ballock will be honored prior to contest with a ceremonial ball in recognition of him passing the 1,000 point milestone earlier this season.

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 Taylor Stormberg. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Wednesday's game will be televised nationally by FS1, with Adam Alexander and Bill Raftery on the call.
   Of Creighton's last 139 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised. CU is 93-46 in those contests.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video 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. 13 Creighton
Creighton is ranked 13th nationally in both polls after a 6-2 start that includes convincing wins vs. North Dakota State (69-58), Omaha (94-67), Kennesaw State (93-58), Nebraska (98-74) and St. John's (94-76) as well as an overtime victory at UConn (76-74). CU's only losses have come to No. 5 Kansas (73-72) and Marquette (89-84).
   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.
   Senior wing Denzel Mahoney (15.3 ppg.) won the BIG EAST's Sixth Man Award last season, while junior forward Christian Bishop (13.1 ppg., 5.9 rpg.) has shot 72.4 percent from the field to lead the league.
   Point guard Marcus Zegarowski (14.3 ppg., 5.4 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.
   Perhaps CU's best player in recent weeks has been Damien Jefferson (11.4 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 3.4 apg., who has scored in double-figures in seven straight games and forced overtime with a jumper in the final second of regulation at UConn.
   Creighton is shooting 50.4 percent from the field, scoring 85.0 points per game and holding foes to 71.1 points per contest.

Scouting No. 22 Xavier
Xavier is 8-0 on the season and 1-0 in BIG EAST play after Adam Kunkel's stepback 25 foot jumper at the buzzer beat Marquette, 91-88, on Sunday. That helped move the Muskies into the top-25 for the first time this season, coming in at No. 22 in this week's AP poll.
   The Musketeers own non-conference wins over Bradley, Oklahoma and Cincinnati, among others, and have made huge strides despite the loss of Tyrique Jones, Quentin Goodin and Naji Marshall from last year's team and a recent COVID-19 pause.
   Playing a starring role this winter have been Paul Scruggs (16.4 ppg., 7.0 apg., 4.1 rpg., 2.2 spg.) and Zach Freemantle (17.5 ppg., 7.9 rpg.). Also in double-figures are sharpshooter Nate Johnson (13.5 ppg., 3.3 3fg/game) and super sub KyKy Tandy (10.5 ppg.).
   Xavier features a high-octane offense that averages 84.1 points per game on 51.2 percent shooting from the floor and 41.5 percent marksmanship from three-point range.

The Series With Xavier
Xavier owns a 17-15 lead in the series with Creighton, but Creighton owns a 6-5 edge in Omaha.
   Last season Creighton secured its first regular-season sweep of the Musketeers since both teams joined the BIG EAST in 2013, winning 77-65 in Cincinnati for Greg McDermott's 500th career win and then triumphing in FS1's All-Access game, 77-66 in Omaha.
   Twenty-one of the 32 all-time meetings have been within five points in the final minute, including seven of the last 11 games.
    McDermott is 9-8 against Xavier, and 3-2 versus Travis Steele.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 237-118 record in his 11th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 517-313 in 27 seasons, and is 386-249 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 7-2 on the season.
- Creighton would improve to 3-1 in the BIG EAST for the first time since 2017-18.
- Creighton would improve to 248-52 (.827) all-time in 300 games at CHI Health Center Omaha.
- Creighton would improve to 115-40 (.742) all-time in conference home games at CHI Health Center Omaha, and 42-23 (.646) in BIG EAST home games.
- Creighton would knock off an unbeaten team for the second straight game. This is the 11th straight season CU has beaten at least one unbeaten foe.
- Creighton would improve to 127-48 all-time (93-36 under Greg McDermott) as a nationally-ranked team.
- Creighton would improve to 9-4 all-time when ranked exactly 13th.
- Creighton would defeat a top-25 team for the eighth straight season.
- Creighton would improve to 40-148 all-time against a top-25 team, including a 22-33 mark under McDermott.
- Creighton would improve to 11-13 in games where both teams are ranked.
- Creighton would defeat Xavier for the third straight meeting, something it has accomplished just once previously (from 2004-06).
- Creighton would improve to 27-2 in its last 29 home games.
- Creighton would avoid back-to-back home losses for the first time since January of 2019, and just the second time in the past six seasons.

Limited Fan Attendance Coming at Home
Creighton University will allow a number of fans to attend men's basketball home games at CHI Health Center Omaha – currently up to 10% of maximum capacity – beginning with the Xavier game on Wednesday, Dec. 23, under a plan approved by the Douglas County Health Department and the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA).
   Limited tickets will be offered to season-ticket holders on a rotating basis utilizing the Creighton Athletics Priority Seating Point System and will be made available (subject to availability) on a game-by-game basis.
   At this time, only select seats and suites (in limited capacity) have been approved for usage. All tickets will be sold digitally on a single-game basis with seat locations that allow for physical distancing.

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 299 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 18-year-old facility, which means that Wednesday will be the 300th game.
   The Bluejays own a 247-52 (.826) 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 23,453-19,629 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.79 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 84 different times.
   Creighton is also 28-31 all-time in the 59 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 150-34 (.815) 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 266-52 (.836) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Creighton & Xavier To The Wire
Since both teams officially joined the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013, 12 of the 17 meetings (including the BIG EAST Tournament) between Creighton and Xavier have been decided by eight points or less, with two games going to overtime.
   Twenty-one of the 32 all-time meetings have been within five points in the final minute, including seven of the last 11 games.
   Creighton is 1-2 this season in games decided by eight points or less after Sunday's 76-74 win at UConn.
   Since the start of the 2014-15 season, all three of Creighton's wins vs. Xavier in Omaha have come by double-figures, while XU's three wins in Omaha have come by a combined four points.

Working Overtime
Sunday's victory at UConn improved Creighton to 59-49 all-time in overtime games, including a 45-43 mark in single-overtime contests.
   Creighton improved to 9-5 under Greg McDermott in overtime contests.
   It was Creighton's first overtime game since an 83-76 win vs. No. 12 Texas Tech in Las Vegas last November.
   It was Creighton's first overtime win in a true road game since a 79-72 victory at Xavier on Feb. 4, 2015.
   It was Creighton's first overtime win by two points or less since Feb. 21, 2012 vs. Evansville (93-92).

   Creighton has played back-to-back overtime games on five occasions, most recently in December of 2014.

Collecting W's
Creighton and Xavier enter Wednesday's game with a ton of similarities since the start of the 2010-11 season. Creighton owns 237 victories, which ranks 29th-most nationally in that time and two more than Xavier's 235 that rank 31st.
   Gonzaga (312), Kansas (306) and Kentucky (296) lead the nation in wins during the past 11 seasons, while Villanova (276) ranks tied for sixth and is best among current BIG EAST schools.
   The 237 wins accumulated by Creighton ranks ahead of other schools with a national following such as Florida State (233), Memphis (231), Purdue (231), Maryland (227), UCLA (225), UConn (217), Marquette (212) and Texas (205) among others.

Balance Is Big
All five Creighton starters are averaging in double-figures this season, and the Bluejays have had at least five men score in double-digits in 5-of-8 contests overall.
   Creighton has won 18 games in a row when five or more players score 10 or more points.
   Eight different players have scored 10 or more points in a game this season, a list that doesn't include Alex O'Connell or Jacob Epperson. O'Connell owned 13 career games of 10+ points at Duke, while Epperson's done it four times as a Bluejay in 2017-18 or 2018-19.
   Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Marcus Zegarowski and Denzel Mahoney have each scored in double-figures in all but one game they've played in this winter.
   In the last 5:01 of play at UConn, Creighton had 12 points, with each starter scoring either two or three points.
   In league play, all five Bluejay starters are averaging 12.3 points per game or more.

6-2, Again
Creighton has started exactly 6-2 after eight games for the fourth season in a row. It's the ninth time in the past 10 seasons that CU has won at least six of its first eight games.
   This year's team is scoring more, shooting better and has more assists through eight games than last year's eventual BIG EAST championship club.
Creighton After 8 Games -Last 10 Seasons
Year   W-L   PPG   FG%   3FG's   FT%   AST   STL
2010-11   4-4   67.8   .412   57   .790   109   40
2011-12*   7-1   85.0   .516   80   .671   164   51
2012-13*   7-1   82.6   .531   72   .787   143   47
2013-14*   6-2   83.4   .491   92   .702   147   45
2014-15   6-2   72.8   .434   64   .767   110   43
2015-16   5-3   85.2   .495   75   .661   138   49
2016-17*   8-0   90.8   .542   82   .680   149   53
2017-18*   6-2   92.5   .517   85   .739   152   45
2018-19   6-2   84.6   .525   92   .669   126   43
2019-20   6-2   79.1   .473   85   .656   121   59
2020-21   6-2   85.0   .504   83   .664   150   58
* made NCAA Tournament

High-Powered Offense
Creighton leads the BIG EAST and ranks 23rd nationally with 85.0 points per game.
   The Bluejays have pumped in 93 or more points in four games this season, one of five teams in the country (with Iowa, Coastal Carolina, McNeese State and UMKC) who can say that. Last year's BIG EAST champion squad only cracked the 93-point barrier three times all season.
   Creighton is 46-3 in 11 seasons under Greg McDermott when scoring 93 points or more. By comparison, McDermott's teams scored 93+ points just once in his four seasons at Iowa State (96 on 11/22/09 vs. Mississippi Valley State), and also just once in five years at Northern Iowa (99 on 12/1/04 vs. Iowa State).

Shot Clock Optional
Creighton and Xavier feature two of the BIG EAST's best offenses. The teams headline many of the statistical categories, and will face each other on Wednesday.
Stat   CU (B.E. Rank)   XU (B.E. Rank)
Scoring Offense   85.0 (1)   84.1 (2)
Scoring Margin   +13.9 (2)   +15.4 (1)
FG%   .504 (2)   .512 (1)
3FG%   .381 (4)   .415 (1)
3FG/Game   10.38 (1)   9.50 (3)
Assists/Game   18.75 (2)   20.75 (1)
Assist/Turnover Ratio   1.72 (3)   1.73 (2)

Ranked vs. Ranked
Creighton is 10-13 all-time as a ranked team when facing a ranked team, including a 9-9 overall mark under Greg McDermott.
   Last year's team was 4-0 in such contests, while this year's club lost its only previous opportunity with a 73-72 loss at No. 5 Kansas on Dec. 8th.
Creighton's Top-25 vs. Top-25 Games
Date   CU Rank   Opponent Rank   Result
03/04/1974   #16   #14 South Carolina   L 69-78
03/14/1974   #19   vs. #14 Kansas   L 54-55
03/16/1974   #19   vs. #16 Louisville   W 80-71
03/08/1975   #13   #5 Marquette   L 60-64
12/31/2002   #15   at #19 Xavier   L 73-75
03/18/2012   #19   vs. #4 North Carolina   L 73-87
03/24/2013   #22   vs. #6 Duke   L 50-66
02/16/2014   #18   #6 Villanova   W 101-80
03/23/2014   #16   vs. #23 Baylor   L 55-85
11/15/2016   #22   #9 Wisconsin   W 77-69
12/31/2016   #10   #1 Villanova   L 70-80
01/11/2017   #8   #12 Butler   W 75-64
01/16/2017   #7   at #22 Xavier   W 72-67
01/31/2017   #22   at #16 Butler   W 76-67
02/25/2017   #23   at #2 Villanova   L 63-79
12/01/2017   #25   at #15 Gonzaga   L 74-91
12/28/2017   #25   at #23 Seton Hall   L 84-90
01/13/2018   #25   at #10 Xavier   L 70-92
02/12/2020   #23   at #10 Seton Hall   W 87-82
02/18/2020   #15   at #19 Marquette   W 73-65
02/23/2020   #15   #21 Butler   W 81-59
03/07/2020   #11   #8 Seton Hall   W 77-60
12/08/2020   #8   at #5 Kansas   L 72-73
12/21/2020   #13   #22 Xavier   2:00 p.m.

Ranking News & Notes
- Creighton is 21-33 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams, 14 more top-25 wins than any other coach in Creighton history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 18-115 all-time against top-25 foes.
- Creighton has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the last seven seasons (entering 2020-21), and multiple ranked foes in each of the previous six years. On a national basis, the only 27 teams with a top-25 win each of the last seven seasons (entering 2020-21) are Baylor, Cincinnati, Clemson, Creighton, Duke, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Seton Hall, South Carolina, Syracuse, Temple, Texas Tech, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin and Xavier.
- Creighton is 16-16 since the start of the 2016-17 season against ranked teams. The 16 wins over ranked teams in that time is tied for 15th nationally, and trails only Villanova (23) among BIG EAST clubs. Xavier is 10-18 vs. top-25 foes in the same span.

Big Mac On The Attack
Greg McDermott's teams have consistently battled some of the best teams in the country.
   The chart below shows how his teams have consistently outpaced those of his predecessors against top-25 foes.
Category   Pre-McDermott   Under McDermott
vs. Top 25 Teams   18-115   21-33
vs. Top 10 Teams   5-31   9-15
vs. Top 10 on Road   1-28   4-8
vs. Top 25 on Road   2-63   8-15

Double-Double Duo
Creighton had a pair of players record a double-double in Thursday's victory at St. John's as Christian Bishop (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Damien Jefferson (10 points, 10 rebounds) each had their first double-doubles of the season. It was also Bishop's first career double-double.
   Bishop and Jefferson were the first Bluejay duo to record double-doubles in the same contest since Dec. 9, 2017, when both Martin Krampelj and Ronnie Harrell Jr. did it.
   On Sunday at Connecticut, Denzel Mahoney had his first double-double as a Bluejay when he had 10 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Mahoney's 13 rebounds were the most by a Bluejay since Martin Krampelj had 14 vs. Butler on Jan. 9, 2018.

Mitch Surpasses 1,000 Points; Marcus Close
Mitch Ballock owns 1,082 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.
   Marcus Zegarowski is also closing in on 1,000 career points. He enters the Xavier game with 948 career points in 71 games.
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.   1,082   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   37.   1,050   Reggie Morris   1982-86
   38.   1,031   Johnny Mathies   2003-06
   39.   1,024   P'Allen Stinnett   2007-10
   40.   1,023   Rod Mason   1986-88
   41.   1,013   Austin Chatman   2011-15
   42.   1,006   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
   43.   1,004   Anthony Tolliver   2003-07
   44.   994   Chuck Officer   1960-62, 1963-64

Big Ryan's Big Night
Freshman center Ryan Kalkbrenner had a season-high 15 points in just 16 minutes of work on Thursday at St. John's, including four baskets in a three-minute span during the decisive 22-4 second half run.
   For the season, Kalkbrenner has averaged 8.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots while playing just 12.6 minutes per game.
   He ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.588), yet third on the Bluejay squad behind Christian Bishop (.724) and Damien Jefferson (.610).
   Kalkbrenner became CU's first true freshman since Benoit Benjamin (1982-83) to have a blocked shot in each of CU's first three games of the season.
   Creighton is 6-0 this year when he makes a field goal, and 0-2 when he does not. The Bluejays are also 5-0 when he blocks a shot, and 1-2 when he does not.

Dame Time
Damien Jefferson came two assists shy of producing Creighton's first traditional triple-double when he posted 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists on Thursday at St. John's.
   His performance made him the only Creighton player in the last 34 seasons with at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight or more assists in the same game.
   Creighton has had only three triple-doubles in program history, but all three were of the points/rebounds/blocks variety by Benoit Benjamin.
   Jefferson is just the second Bluejay player with a game of at least eight points, rebounds and assists in 11 seasons under Greg McDermott. Khyri Thomas had 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists vs. DePaul on Feb. 27, 2018.
   Here's a list of Creighton players with at least 7+ points, 7+ rebounds and 7+ assists in the same game since 1987-88.
7+ Point, 7+ Rebound, 7+ Assist Games, Since 1987-88
   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Name   Date
   16   9   7   Mike Amos   1/30/1993
   24   11   7   Rodney Buford   11/18/1998
   25   8   8   Ryan Sears   1/8/2000
   9   7   10   Grant Gibbs   12/19/2011
   12   10   7   Grant Gibbs   1/13/2012
   12   7   9   Austin Chatman   11/11/2013
   9   7   7   Austin Chatman   1/25/2014
   7   9   7   Khyri Thomas   12/9/2015
   16   8   7   Maurice Watson Jr.   1/26/2016
   14   12   7   Khyri Thomas   2/28/2017
   16   8   8   Khyri Thomas   2/27/2018
   10   10   8   Damien Jefferson   12/17/2020

O'Connell Makes Creighton Debut
A vote by the NCAA Division I Council on Dec. 16 made Alex O'Connell immediately eligible. He made his debut one day later at St. John's with six points, two rebounds a steal, and an assist in 12 minutes of action. He contributed two points and two rebounds vs. Connecticut on Sunday in eight minutes.
   A senior guard from Roswell, Ga., O'Connell had not played in Creighton's first six games this season while sitting out after an off-season transfer from Duke University. He had been awaiting a ruling on a waiver that Creighton had filed on his behalf with the NCAA.
   While at Duke, O'Connell appeared in 101 games, including 14 starts. He contributed 431 points and 182 rebounds for the Blue Devils with single-game highs of 20 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
   Though a senior, O'Connell will also be eligible to return to Creighton for the 2021-22 season as a result of a previous NCAA decision that indicated winter sport student-athletes who compete during 2020-21 in Division I will receive both an additional season of competition and an additional year in which to complete it.

Bucket Getters
Despite a seven-minute drought midway through the first half Creighton still made 38 field goals on Thursday night at St. John's.
   The 38 baskets were the most by the Bluejays in a road game since making 39 hoops on Feb. 13, 2002 at Drake.

Are You Experienced?
Year after year, one common theme to success in college basketball is to have veteran players. This year's Creighton team is full of experienced players.
   CU's starting five features two juniors and three seniors who have combined for 20 years of college experience.
   Off the bench, Alex O'Connell and Jacob Epperson are in their fourth college campaign, Antwann Jones in his third year and Shereef Mitchell in his second season. Of the regular Bluejay rotation, only Ryan Kalkbrenner is a freshman.

Mahoney Makes An Impact
Last Thursday's game vs. St. John's was played on Dec. 17 and was the one-year anniversary of Denzel Mahoney's Creighton debut.
   Mahoney first appeared as a Bluejay on Dec. 17, 2019 with 14 points in a win vs. Oklahoma. In 28 games (8 starts) with CU, he has averaged 12.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 82.8 percent from the charity stripe.
   Creighton is 22-7 since Mahoney became eligible to play, and 21-7 when Mahoney plays. He has scored in double-figures in 20-of-28 games at CU.

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 at Kansas. He upped that to 20 points on Dec. 11 vs. Nebraska before matching his Bluejay best with 21 points vs. Marquette last Monday. He pumped in 16 more at St. John's in a win on Thursday.
   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 10 single-game scoring efforts at CU have come in those four games against top-10 competition.
   Last Thursday (Dec. 17) marked the one-year anniversary of his Bluejay debut.
Denzel Mahoney's Top Scoring Games at Creighton
   Points   Opponent   Date
   21   at #8 Villanova   02/01/20
   21   Marquette   12/14/20
   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
   16   at St. John's   12/17/20

Marcus, Marcus, Marcus
Marcus Zegarowski continues to excel, even with a target on his back as the Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year.
   Comparing this season to his past campaigns through eight games, Zegarowski's he's dishing more and connecting on his free throws far better than any previous season.
Marcus Zegarowski - First 8 Games - By Year
Year   PPG   APG   A/TO   3FG%   FT%
2018-19   9.6   3.0   24/11   .480   .688
2019-20   18.0   4.8   38/14   .375   .684
2020-21   14.3   5.4   43/22   .373   .750

3's Are Falling
Creighton is tied for fifth in the country with three different games of 13 three-pointers this year, and the only major conference team to do so.       Keying the trey parade has been Mitch Ballock, who has made a three-pointer in 14 straight games, with multiple treys in 12 of those contests.
   Denzel Mahoney is third in the BIG EAST in three-pointers made per game (2.86) and has drained at least three triples in every contest but two he's played in this winter.

Don't Forget DJ
Damien Jefferson has scored in double-figures in a career-long seven straight games, averaging 11.1 ppg. in that period.
   His biggest basket as a Bluejay came last Sunday, when he connected on a jumper with 0.2 seconds left in regulation to force overtime at UConn.
   Jefferson owns 27 assists compared to 14 turnovers this year after owning 64 assists and 61 turnovers his first two years as a Bluejay.

Ballock Surpasses 250 Treys
Mitch Ballock owns 254 three-pointers in his Bluejay career, including a season-high eight on Dec. 14 vs. Marquette. That puts him in fourth place in program history in that category, passing Ryan Sears (245) 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.   254   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   5.   245   Ryan Sears   1997-01
   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

The Great Eight
Mitch Ballock made nine three-pointers in Creighton's first five games of the season before erupting on Dec. 14 vs. Marquette. The senior guard from Eudora, Kan., made 8-of-14 three-pointers en route to a season-high 26 points.
   His eight trifectas were tied for fourth-most in a game in Bluejay history, but three behind his record 11 vs. DePaul on March 9, 2019.
   Ballock joined Kyle Korver as the only players in school history with multiple games of eight or more triples.
   In addition, Ballock's 14 three-point attempts were also tied for fourth-most in program history and one behind the program record.
   Ballock owns 136 career three-pointers in BIG EAST play, which ranks tied for 33rd all-time. That's one more than Kevin Pittsnogle but three behind Jason Matthews and Ashton Gibbs for 32nd.
   Ballock's 26 points were the most by a Bluejay in any conference opener since 2012, when Doug McDermott scored 29 points vs. Evansville. That came when CU belonged to the Missouri Valley Conference.
3-Pointers Made, Game, Creighton History
   3FG   Name, Opponent   Date
   11   Mitch Ballock vs. DePaul   03/09/19
   9   Kyle Korver vs. Evansville   01/15/03
       Ethan Wragge at Villanova   01/20/14
   8   Tad Ackerman at Drake   01/23/95
       Kyle Korver at Xavier   12/31/02
       Terrell Taylor vs. Florida   03/15/02
       Isaiah Zierden at DePaul   01/17/16
       Mitch Ballock vs. Marquette   12/14/20

3-Point Attempts, Game, Creighton History
   FGA   Name, Opponent   Date
   15   Terrell Taylor vs. Florida   03/15/02
       Kyle Korver vs. Fresno State   02/22/03
       Ty-Shon Alexander vs. Villanova   01/13/19
   14   Kyle Korver vs. BYU   12/07/02
       Kyle Korver at Nebraska   12/21/02
       Kyle Korver vs. Evansville   01/15/03
       Ethan Wragge at Villanova   01/20/14
       Mitch Ballock vs. Marquette   12/14/20

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.

Win The Turnover Battle
Creighton forced Nebraska into 25 turnovers last 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.
   Last Thursday, Creighton buried St. John's with a 22-4 surge in the second half, turning a 52-50 lead into a 74-54 cushion. Thirteen of those points came from the Bluejay bench.

Top 25 Bluejays
After starting the year ranked 11th in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls, Creighton ascended into the top 10 for three weeks in the AP edition. CU is currently 13th.
   Creighton is one of 10 teams that have been ranked in all 12 AP polls since Feb. 3, 2020, joining Baylor, Duke, Florida State, Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa, Kansas, Tennessee and Villanova.

Target Practice
Christian Bishop has made 42-of-58 shots from the floor this season, good for a BIG EAST-best 72.4 percent. Among the 643 players nationally with 55 or made field goal attempts through Sunday, Bishop leads the nation in field goal percentage.
   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. He has made 15-of-26 shots (57.7 percent) in three league games thus far.
   In Greg McDermott's first 11 years at Creighton, 90 players have attempted 24 or more shots (3 shots/game) over the course of the first eight games of any season. Bishop's 72.4 percent marksmanship is the fourth-best of any of those players in that time. Only Justin Patton (78.9% in 2016-17), Gregory Echenique (73.8% in 2012-13) and Jacob Epperson (72.7% in 2018-19) have been better.
   Bishop's 24.3 points per 40 minutes is second on the Creighton team this year, trailing only his backup Ryan Kalkbrenner (26.0 ppg. per 40). That's far above Bishop's 18.2 average as a freshman and 16.0 average per 40 minutes last season.

Bishop Goes Big
Christian Bishop led Creighton in scoring during each of the first two games, and past history suggests 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   13.1   5.9   1.0   .724   .645

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 43 assists through eight games this season. Since 2010-11, the only Bluejays with more assists through eight games was Watson with 72 in 2016-17, Watson with 48 in 2015-16 and Grant Gibbs with 48 in 2012-13.
   Zegarowski is the nation's only player with more than 110 points, 40 assists and 20 three-pointers who is shooting at least 35% from downtown this year.

On The Double
Creighton has led by double-figures for 73:48-of-120:00 minutes (61.5%) after halftime in home games.
   For the season (all games), Creighton has trailed for just 69:08 of 325 minutes of play (21.3%). At home, CU has trailed for just 28:50 of 200 minutes (14.4%).

Playing With The Lead
In 299 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 84 of those contests, a staggering 28.1 percent of the time.
     Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 150-34 and hasn't trailed in 59 of those games.

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.

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, Gonzaga and Kansas.
   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 81.30 points per home game (14,959 points in 184 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.14 points in non-conference home games (7,918 points in 93 home games).
   Creighton is 118-6 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.

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 (85.0), field goal percentage (.504) and three-pointers per game (10.38) while ranking second in assists (18.75) and scoring margin (+13.9).
   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
2020-21   5   59   6-2 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

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.
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

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. 20, 2020
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Percentage   .385   1st
3FG Made   3,179   2nd
Assists   5,779   3rd
FG Percentage   .481   3rd
FG Made   9,719   9th
Wins   237   29th
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.
   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 237 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.   237-118   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 890 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,011 trifectas, an average of 7.88 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 136 times, more than any figure.
   Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 249 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 261 consecutive contests (since 0-7 at Drake on 1/23/13).
   Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 27-3 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 3-6 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:   136 times   8:   114 times   9: 85 times
10: 72 times   11: 51 times   12: 47 times
13: 42 times   14: 18 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 890 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 (12/20)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,107   UNLV   1/2
   2.   1,094   Duke   12/29
   3.   1,050   Arkansas   12/22
   4.   1,041   Western Kentucky   12/22
   5.   1,034   East Tennessee State   12/22
   6.   1,017   Pacific   12/22
   7.   1,010   Oakland   12/26
   8.   1,004   Texas   12/29
   9.   958   Princeton   Season Canceled
   10.   953   Marshall   12/22
   11.   937   Baylor   12/21
   12.   922   Gonzaga   12/21
   13.   910   Long Island   1/7
   14.   893   Mount St. Mary's   12/22
   15.   890   Creighton   12/23
   16.   885   Cornell   Season Canceled
   17.   880   Tennessee State   12/22
   18.   877   East Carolina   12/22

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

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