Tuesday, February 18
Milwaukee, Wis.
7:30 PM
Creighton University
at
Marquette
Damien Jefferson
Photo by: Corey Solotorovsky
#15 Men's Basketball Visits #19 Marquette For Top-20 Battle
2/17/2020 1:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Creighton will try to slow down nation's leading scorer
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Game #27: #15 Creighton at #19 Marquette • Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020 • 7:30 p.m.
 #15 Creighton Bluejays at #19 Marquette Golden Eagles
Fiserv Forum (17,500) • Milwaukee, Wis.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1 (Brandon Gaudin, Stephen Bardo)
Series History: Marquette leads, 55-34
Last Meeting: Creighton 92, Marquette 75 on Jan. 1, 2020 in Omaha, Neb.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
Next Game
The two hottest teams in the BIG EAST meet up when No. 15 Creighton (20-6, 9-4 BIG EAST) visits No. 19 Marquette (17-7, 7-5 BIG EAST) on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
   Tip-off at Fiserv Forum (17,600) in Milwaukee, Wis., is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2019-20 season. KOOO (101.9 FM) also broadcasts all home games.
   John Bishop and former Bluejay Ross Ferrarini will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Tuesday's tilt will be televised nationally on FS1. Brandon Gaudin and Stephen Bardo will be on the call.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Tuesday'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 #15 Creighton
Creighton is 20-6 overall and 9-4 in the BIG EAST. The Bluejays are 7-1 in the past eight games, including road wins at No. 8 Villanova (76-61 on Feb. 1) and at No. 10 Seton Hall (87-82 on Feb. 12) in recent weeks. Picked to finish seventh in the league's preseason poll, CU is alone in second place after 13 games in BIG EAST play.
   Creighton ranks tied for fifth nationally with seven Quadrant 1 wins this season thanks to victories over No. 12 Texas Tech (83-76 in OT on Nov. 29), Arizona State (67-60 on Dec. 21), Marquette (92-75 on Jan. 1), at Xavier (77-65 on Jan. 11) at DePaul (83-68 on Jan. 22), at No. 8 Villanova (76-61 on Feb. 1) and at No. 10 Seton Hall (87-82 on Feb. 12). In addition, CU's five Quad 1 road wins are tied for second-most in the country.
   CU returns five of its top six scorers from a year ago, a group led by guards Marcus Zegarowski (15.8 ppg., 5.2 apg.), Ty-Shon Alexander (16.7 ppg., 5.3 rpg.) and Mitch Ballock (12.3 ppg., 5.5 rpg.). The trio have accounted for 202 three-pointers and 57.2 percent of CU's overall points thus far.
   Three other forwards to keep an eye on are Christian Bishop (8.5 ppg., 5.4 rpg.), Damien Jefferson (9.5 ppg., 5.4 rpg.) and Denzel Mahoney (12.6 ppg.).
   Creighton averages 78.3 points per game and holds foes to 69.7 points per contest. CU shoots 37.8 percent from three-point range while draining 9.4 treys per outing and also shooting 47.0 percent from the field and 73.7 percent at the line.
Scouting #19 Marquette
Marquette is 17-7 this season and 7-5 in BIG EAST play. The Golden Eagles are 12-1 at home and have won six of their last eight contests at all sites.
   Preseason All-American Markus Howard leads the nation in scoring with 27.3 points per game. He also leads the BIG EAST and is tied for fourth nationally with 94 three-pointers made, all while connecting at a 39.7 percent clip from downtown.
   Also scoring in double-figures is Sacar Anim (13.1 ppg.) and Koby McEwen (10.7 ppg.). Inside, Theo John is third in the BIG EAST with 48 blocked shots after rejecting a league-high 70 last season.
   The Golden Eagles average 77.9 points per game and yield 69.8 per contest. MU makes 10.2 three-pointers a game while connecting at a 38.8 percent clip (ninth nationally), and is also +4.1 on the glass per game.
The Series With Marquette
Marquette leads the series with Creighton by a 55-34 margin, and are 32-13 at home against the Jays.
   Marquette leads the series 7-6 since the teams became BIG EAST rivals, but the Bluejays have won each of the past two encounters. A win on Tuesday would give Creighton three straight wins over Marquette for the first time since 1934-36.
   Ten of the last 11 meetings have been decided by eight points or less.
   Greg McDermott is 4-7 against Steve Wojciechowski as a head coach, and is 6-7 in his career against Marquette.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his 10th year as head coach at Creighton. He is 227-115 with the Bluejays. McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000). He owns a career mark of 507-310 in his 26th season and is 376-246 in his 19th Division I campaign. Alan Huss, Paul Lusk and Terrence Rencher assist McDermott.
With A Win...
With a win on Tuesday at Marquette, Creighton can ...
- Improve to 21-6 on the season with its fourth straight win.
- Improve to 10-4 in BIG EAST play, which is one-half game behind league-leading Seton Hall. The Pirates play Wednesday.
- Tie school records for top-25 wins in a season (4) and month (3).
- Set a school-record with its third top-25 road win in the same month and season.
- Beat Marquette in three straight meetings for the first time since 1934-36.
- Sweep the regular-season series vs. Marquette for the first time since 2013-14.
- Improve to 2-0 all-time at Fiserv Forum, becoming the first Marquette opponent to win there twice.
- Earn its sixth Quad 1 road win of the season, which trails only Seton Hall (7) nationally.
- Earn its eighth Quad 1 win of the season, which trails only Kansas (10), Baylor (9) and Seton Hall (9) nationally.
- Improve Greg McDermott to 228-115 as Creighton's head coach.
- Improve Greg McDermott to 19-32 against top-25 teams as Creighton coach, compared to a 18-115 mark by all other Creighton coaches.
- Improve Greg McDermott to 8-14 in road games against top-25 teams, compared to a 2-63 mark by all other Creighton coaches.
In The Hunt
A 7-1 stretch over the past eight games has put Creighton in the hunt for the BIG EAST regular-season title. The Bluejays are currently 9-4 in league play, just one game behind league-leading Seton Hall.
   Creighton's last regular-season league title came in 2012-13, which was also its final season in the Missouri Valley Conference.
   Creighton's best finish since joining the BIG EAST came in its first year (2013-14), when it placed second. It's also worth noting that Creighton has finished tied for third in the BIG EAST each of the previous three seasons.
20 Wins, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 20 of the last 22 seasons (including 2019-20), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
   Just three schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 22 years: Duke (22), Gonzaga (22) and Kansas (22).
   Kentucky has done it 21 times.
   Creighton and Florida have done it 20 times, though Florida is still trying to reach it for a 21st time in this stretch, and Syracuse is trying to join Creighton by doing it for a 20th time in those 22 campaigns.  Â
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 22 Years
(Records through 2/16)
Team   20-Win Seasons   2019-20 W-L   Next Game
Gonzaga   22*   26-1   2/20
Duke   22*   22-3   2/19
Kansas   22*   22-3   2/17
Kentucky   21*   20-5   2/18
Creighton   20*   20-6   2/18
Florida   20   16-9   2/18
Syracuse   19   14-11   2/19
*20-win season total includes 2019-20
Ranked vs. Ranked
Creighton is 7-12 all-time as a ranked team when facing a ranked team, including a 5-8 overall mark under Greg McDermott. Here's those 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
Big Mac 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 some of his predecessors against top-25 foes.
Category   Pre-McDermott   Under McDermott
vs. Top 25 Teams   18-115   18-32
vs. Top 10 Teams   5-31   8-14
vs. Top 10 on Road   1-28   4-7
vs. Top 25 on Road   2-63   7-14
Ranking News & Notes
- Creighton is 18-32 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams, 11 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 top-12 team each of the last five seasons (including three in 2019-20). On a national basis, the only 12 teams with a top-12 win each of the last five seasons (including 2019-20) are Creighton, Duke, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Texas Tech, Villanova, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
- Creighton has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the last seven seasons (including 2019-20), and multiple ranked foes in each of the last five years.
- Creighton has beaten at least one top-25 team each of the last seven years (including 2019-20). On a national basis, the only 27 teams with a top-25 win each of the last seven seasons (including 2019-20) are Baylor, Cincinnati, Clemson, Creighton, Duke, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Seton Hall, South Carolina, Syracuse, Temple, Texas Tech, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin and Xavier.
   One other team had top-25 wins each of the previous six years and is still seeking a top-25 victory this winter: North Carolina State.
- Creighton is 13-15 since the start of the 2016-17 season against ranked teams. The 13 wins over ranked teams in that time is tied for 18th nationally, and trails only Villanova (20) among BIG EAST clubs. Â
- Creighton has won three games against the top-25 in the same month just once previously in school history, with that coming in January of 2017. CU is currently 2-0 vs. top-25 teams in February of 2020.
- Creighton has already won two road games against top-25 teams in the same month for just the second time, joining the same historic month from January of 2017. A win on Tuesday would be the first time with three such wins in the same month.
- Creighton's six top-25 road wins since the start of 2016-17 are tied for third-most nationally. Only Duke (8) and Virginia (8) have more.
Most Top-25 Road Wins Since 2016-17
Rk.   Wins   Team
1.   8   Duke
   8   Virginia
3.   6   Creighton
   6   Kansas
   6   Michigan State
Top 25 Success
Creighton has three wins over top-25 teams this season, one shy of the school-record set in 2016-17. This is Creighton's ninth team with multiple top-25 wins in a season, and fifth consecutive.
Most Top-25 Wins, Season
   Wins   Season   Top-25 Victims
   4   2016-17   #9 Wisconsin, #12 Butler,
         #16 Butler, #22 Xavier
   4   2017-18   #3 Villanova, #19 Seton Hall,
         #20 Northwestern, #23 UCLA
   3   2019-20   #8 Villanova, #10 Seton Hall,
         #12 Texas Tech
   2   1973-74   #6 Marquette, #16 Louisville
   2   2001-02   #15 Florida, #17 Western Kentucky
   2   2006-07   #11 Southern Illinois, #24 Xavier
   2   2013-14   #4 Villanova, #6 Villanova
   2   2015-16   #5 Xavier, #18 Butler
   2   2018-19   #10 Marquette, #16 Clemson
Top 25 Jays
The Creighton men's basketball team is ranked a season-best 15th in this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll, earning a spot in the poll for the fourth time this season (also 25th on Jan. 13th, 21st on Feb. 3rd and 23rd on Feb. 10). Creighton rose eight spots this week, a bigger climb than anyone in the nation.
   This week's ranking is the program's best mark since earning Creighton's highest all-time ranking at No. 7 during the week of Jan. 16, 2017.
   This year marks the seventh time in Greg McDermott's 10 seasons on The Hilltop that Creighton has cracked the top-25 at least once, after doing it just five different seasons in program history before his 2010 arrival.
   Creighton has now been ranked in the AP poll in 92 weeks in program history, with 64 of those under the direction of McDermott. Creighton is 116-45 all-time as a ranked team.
   Creighton is 82-33 all-time under McDermott when ranked in the top-25, including a 20-18 mark on the road under McDermott.
   The Bluejays are one of five BIG EAST teams that are nationally ranked by the AP this week, joining No. 12 Villanova, No. 19 Marquette and No. 21 Butler.
   Creighton is also the 15th-ranked team in this week's USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll.
Moving On Up
Creighton was 56 in the initial NET rankings released on Dec. 16, but that figure has surged to a BIG EAST-best 13 since then.
   Each of Creighton's final five regular-season games are against teams that currently own a top-67 NET rating, including No. 18 Marquette.
   Creighton's five Quad 1 road wins are tied for the second-most in the country, its seven Quad 1 overall wins are tied for fifth-most and the 13 Quad 1 games played are tied for fifth-most as well.
   Creighton owns a 7-6 mark in Quadrant 1 games and is unbeaten in contests in Quadrant 2 (5-0), Quadrant 3 (2-0) and Quadrant 4 (5-0) games. The Bluejays are one of six teams nationally that has not suffered a Quad 2, Quad 3 or Quad 4 loss this year.
Most Quad 1 Road Wins (thru 2/16)
Rk.   Quad 1 Road Record   Team
1.   7-3   Seton Hall
2.   5-4   Creighton
   5-0   Baylor
   5-1   Kansas
Most Quad 1 Wins (thru 2/16)
Rk.   Quad 1 Record   Team
1.   10-3   Kansas
2.   9-0   Baylor
   9-6   Seton Hall
4.   8-5   Butler
5.   7-6   Creighton
   7-3   Penn State
   7-4   Maryland
   7-6   Iowa
   7-8   Wisconsin
Most Quad 1 Games Played (thru 2/16)
Rk.   Q1 Games (Record)   Team
1.   15   9-6   Seton Hall
   15   7-8   Wisconsin
3.   14   5-9   Georgetown
   14   4-10   Minnesota
5.   13   7-6   Creighton
   13   10-3   Kansas
   13   8-5   Butler
   13   7-6   Iowa
   13   5-8   Michigan
   13   5-8   Michigan State
   13   5-8   Providence
   13   2-11   Iowa State
   13   0-13   Northwestern
No Losses Against Quad 2/3/4 (thru 2/16)
   Q1 W-L Record   Q2/3/4 W-L Record   Team
   10-3   11-0   Kansas
   7-6   12-0   Creighton
   7-4   14-0   Maryland
   6-6   13-0   Villanova
   5-1   21-1   Gonzaga
   4-0   21-0   San Diego State
High Octane Offense
Creighton has cranked up the offense in the last 10 days, scoring 94 points vs. St. John's, 87 points at Seton Hall and 93 vs. DePaul. In each case, it was at least seven more points than the previous high allowed by that opponent.
   Creighton scored 92 points in the first meeting vs. Marquette, the most points allowed all season by the Golden Eagles.
   Creighton has scored 90+ points three times in BIG EAST play this season. No other team has reached 90 points even once.
Offense vs. Offense
Creighton and Marquette played a 106-104 game last season in Omaha, and both teams once again boast a potent offense.
   In BIG EAST play this season, Creighton leads the league in points (1,009), points per game (77.62), three-point percentage (.383), scoring margin (+6.23), field goals made (352), field goal percentage (.469), assists (206) and assists per game (15.85).
   Marquette tops the league with 122 three-pointers and 10.17 three-pointers per game and also boasts the nation's leading scorer in all games, Markus Howard (27.3 ppg.).
   In KenPom.com ratings through Sunday night, Creighton had the nation's fourth-best offense while Marquette was 16th. If Creighton can remain in the top-10, it would be the fourth time in the last nine seasons that Creighton has had a top-10 offense per KenPom.
Men of Steal
Creighton tied a school-record with 18 steals in Saturday's win vs. DePaul. Eight different men had at least one pilfer, and five players had multiple picks.
   Creighton's 18 steals led directly to 27 points, with 16 of those points coming in transition. Five of Creighton's seven dunks on Saturday came in the possession after a steal.
   Creighton also owned 18 steals vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11/20/08), Savannah State (11/29/07), Illinois State 912/12/99) and Cleveland State (12/18/91).
Alexander Slows Down Top Threats
Former St. Louis Cardinals catcher Tim McCarver once said of former Creighton baseball and basketball standout Bob Gibson "Bob Gibson is the luckiest pitcher in baseball. He is always pitching when the other team doesn't score any runs."
   Soon, it might be Ty-Shon Alexander who is being spoken of in such endearing terms in relation to the player he guards.
   Alexander has emerged as Creighton's top defensive stopper this season. He helped limit Marquette's Markus Howard to 18 points on 6-for-16 shooting on January 1st, Seton Hall's Myles Powell to 12 points on 3-of-16 shooting on February 12th and more recently, DePaul's Jalen Coleman-Lands to six points on 2-of-7 marksmanship on Saturday.
   Alexander had five steals in Saturday's win over DePaul, which was one shy of his career-high six that he had in the win earlier this year vs. Marquette.
Alexander the Great
Ty-Shon Alexander is in the midst of the best stretch of his career on both ends of the floor.
   The junior guard has scored in double-figures in each of the past 10 games, and made multiple three-pointers in nine of those 10 contests.
   Since CU's Jan. 11 win at Xavier, Alexander has averaged 18.1 points per game while shooting 28-of-69 from three-point range (40.6 percent). He also owns a 28/8 assist/turnover ratio and owns 15 steals in that time while playing an average of 36.0 minutes per game.
   Creighton is 8-2 in this stretch.
Jays2K
Creighton has 2,035 points this season, surpassing 2,000 points for the 14th straight season. Making that even more impressive is that CU did it just 8-of-12 seasons from 1994-95 to 2005-06. This year's team is averaging 78.3 points per game.
   Greg McDermott is 65-4 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 59-4 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   Creighton is 63-3 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, and had a streak of 36 straight wins
when scoring triple-digits since a 1977 loss to North
Texas State snapped in the Jan. 9, 2019 loss to Marquette (106-104).
Road Warriors
Creighton is 4-3 on the road in BIG EAST play, with three of those victories coming by 10 or more points (by 12 at Xavier, by 15 at DePaul, by 15 at Villanova).
   There have been only five other occasions this season in which a road team has won a BIG EAST game by 10 points or more...once each by Butler (at Providence), Seton Hall (at Xavier), St. John's (at DePaul), Villanova (at St. John's) and Xavier (at Seton Hall).
   This season marks the first time Creighton owns three conference road wins of 10 or more points since 2016-17 (at St. John's, at Providence, at DePaul). CU hasn't had four such wins in the same campaign since 2013-14 (at Seton Hall, at DePaul, at Villanova, at Marquette).
   Creighton still has road games remaining at St. John's and at No. 19 Marquette.
   After Tuesday, Creighton will play three of its final four league games at home. The only other BIG EAST team that can say that is Providence.
   Creighton leads the BIG EAST with 14 home wins this season, and are 19-1 in its last 20 home games against all teams. The Bluejays are 38-24 all-time in BIG EAST home games, including an 13-5 mark against the three teams that still will visit Omaha.
   Home teams are 36-26 in BIG EAST play to date.
.500 Or Better in League Play, Again
Creighton is 9-4 in league play and has clinched a .500 mark or better once again. It's the 24th time in the last 25 seasons that Creighton has gone .500 or better in league play.
   Xavier entered Monday's game at St. John's looking to extend its streak of 37 straight seasons in which it has finished .500 or better in league play. That's the nation's longest active streak, five seasons more than Murray State's 32. The rest of the top-five consists of Kansas (30), Kentucky (30) and Gonzaga (30).
   The only BIG EAST teams to finish .500 or better in league play each of the last four seasons are Creighton, Xavier, Villanova and Seton Hall.
18 And Up
Creighton had four men score exactly 18 points last Wednesday at Seton Hall, as Damien Jefferson, Marcus Zegarowski, Ty-Shon Alexander and Denzel Mahoney all reached that mark.
   It's the first time that Creighton has had four men score 18 or more points in the same game since at least 1981.
How Many Days???
After just two top-25 road wins from 1949-2013, Creighton has picked up seven such victories in the past seven seasons.
   On two occasions (from 1949-74 and from 1978-2014) there was a gap of more than 9,000 days. Most recently, the Bluejays have won top-25 road games in a 15-day span twice since 2017.
Date   Top 25 Road Win   Days Until Next Top 25 Road Win
01/20/49   First AP Poll introduced   9,151
02/09/74Â Â Â CU 75, #6 Marquette 69Â Â Â 1,449
01/28/78Â Â Â CU 72, #13 Indiana St. 64Â Â Â 13,141
01/20/14Â Â Â CU 96, #6 Villanova 68Â Â Â 1,092
01/16/17Â Â Â CU 72, #22 Xavier 67Â Â Â 15
01/31/17Â Â Â CU 76, #16 Butler 67Â Â Â 288
11/15/17Â Â Â CU 92, #20 Northwestern 88Â Â Â 473
03/03/19Â Â Â CU 66, #10 Marquette 60Â Â Â 335
02/01/20Â Â Â CU 76, #8 Villanova 61Â Â Â 11
02/12/20Â Â Â #23 CU 87, #10 Seton Hall 82Â Â Â TBD
Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
Just how close was last Wednesday's game at No. 10 Seton Hall? The contest featured 20 lead changes and 15 ties in Creighton's eventual 87-82 road victory, as neither team led by more than eight the entire game.
   By comparison, Creighton's other 12 league games this season have boasted a total of 47 lead changes.
   The score was within five points for all but 2:52 of the game, and within three points for a nearly 15-minute stretch spanning both halves.
   The 20 lead changes were seven more than CU's previous high for any game this season (13 vs. Providence on Jan. 18), and the most in any CU contest since a December 12, 2009 game at George Mason also had 20 lead changes.
That's Why They're Called Free Throws
Denzel Mahoney went 7-for-8 at the charity stripe vs. Providence on Jan. 18, missing his seventh attempt of the game. He's missed just once since.
   Mahoney's streak of 21 straight made free throws was snapped on Saturday vs. DePaul when he missed his first try. It was Creighton's longest streak since Isaiah Zierden made 26 in a row in the spring of 2017, but not even halfway to Doug McDermott's record of 45 in a row from 2013-14.
   For the season, Mahoney is 57-of-69 (82.6 percent) from the charity stripe overall on the year, and a career 82.6 (372-450) percent shooter at the line when you add in his attempts at Southeast Missouri State.
   Below is a list of Creighton's longest streaks on record for consecutive free throws made:
Creighton's Longest Free Throw Streaks Since 1980
   FT   Name   Dates of Streak
   45   Doug McDermott   Dec. 1, 2013-Jan. 4, 2014
   36   Booker Woodfox   Dec. 6, 2008-Jan. 6, 2009
   35   Bob Portman   1967-68
   32   Michael Lindeman   Jan. 23-Nov. 29, 2003
   28   Kyle Korver   Jan. 27-March 15, 2001
   28   Doug McDermott   March 10-Nov. 8, 2013
   27   Matt West   Nov. 27, 1999-Jan. 15, 2000
   27   Kyle Korver   Jan. 29-Nov. 20, 2000
   27   Nate Funk   Dec. 30, 2006-Jan. 12, 2007
   26   Isaiah Zierden   Jan. 4-March 9, 2017
   24   Rick Apke   Jan. 22-Feb. 5, 1977
   24   Rod Mason   Jan. 28-Feb. 4, 1988
   24   Kyle Korver   March 15-Dec. 4, 2001
   24   Ethan Wragge   Feb. 3, 2010 - Feb. 1, 2012
   23   Jahenns Manigat   Feb. 9, 2013 - Jan. 7, 2014
   22   Matt Petty   Jan. 4-Feb. 4, 1993
   22   Ryan Sears   Feb. 22-Nov. 22, 1999
   22   Nate Funk   Feb. 26-March 17, 2005
   22   Cavel Witter   Nov. 9-Dec. 5, 2007
   21   Kevin McKenna   Dec. 22, 1980-Jan. 22, 1981
   21   James Farr   Jan. 2-28, 1989
   21   Andre Tucker   Feb. 20-Nov. 29, 1993
   21   Kyle Korver   March 3-Nov. 25, 2002
   21   Denzel Mahoney   Jan. 18-Feb. 12, 2020
   20   Jason Singleton   Jan. 18-23, 1993
   20   Kyle Korver   Jan. 11-Jan. 23, 2003
   20   Kyle Korver   Jan. 23-Feb. 4, 2003
Jays Earn Another Top 10 Road Win
Since the start of the 2013-14 season when Creighton joined the BIG EAST, the Bluejays own four top-10 road wins. Creighton beat No. 4 Villanova in 2014, No. 10 Marquette in 2019, No. 8 Villanova in 2020 and No. 10 Seton Hall in 2020.
   The four top-10 road wins in those seven seasons rank tied for the fifth-most nationally, trailing only Kansas (6), Duke (5) and Oklahoma (5) and tied with Michigan (4).
   Since 2013-14, only 13 teams in the country have posted multiple top-10 road wins in the same season, a group that includes just Creighton, Seton Hall and Florida State this winter.
   This year marks Creighton's first season with multiple top-10 road wins in program history.
You Can Only Hope To Contain Him
Mitch Ballock was 0-for-3 from deep at No. 10 Seton Hall on Feb. 12, snapping his 23-game streak of games with a made a three-pointer that had ranked tied for the sixth-longest streak in program history.
   Creighton is 11-0 this season when Ballock makes four or more three-pointers, but also 2-0 when he's held without a trey.
   Ballock (23) is one of four current Bluejays to have compiled a streak of 19 or longer straight games at some point in their college career, joining Ty-Shon Alexander (33), Marcus Zegarowski (20) and Denzel Mahoney (19 at Southeast Missouri State).
   It's worth noting that Kyle Korver's third-place streak of 28 games with a trey was snapped when he did not attempt a field goal in 24 minutes of play during an 83-56 win over UNI (and head coach Greg McDermott) on Feb. 9, 2002. Korver then drained a triple in 27 more games in a row, a stretch from Feb. 13, 2002 to Jan. 20, 2003 before it was snapped against Evansville (and then-head coach Steve Merfeld).
   Consecutive Games With a 3FG, Creighton History
   Streak   Name   Dates
   33   Ty-Shon Alexander   2/27/18 to 3/6/19
   31   Booker Woodfox   11/25/08 to 3/23/09
   28   Kyle Korver   2/4/01 to 2/6/02
   27   Kyle Korver   2/13/02 to 1/20/03
   25   Rodney Buford   1/25/97 to 1/10/98
   23   Ethan Wragge   11/8/13 to 2/9/14
   23   Mitch Ballock   11/12/19 to 2/8/20
   22   Khyri Thomas   1/28/17 to 12/5/17
   21   Ethan Wragge   1/3/10 to 3/24/10
   20   Johnny Mathies   12/22/04 to 2/28/05
   20   Marcus Foster   12/31/17 to 3/16/18
   20   Marcus Zegarowski   2/20/19 to 12/17/19
Junior Jumpers
Mitch Ballock and Ty-Shon Alexander continue to shoot the ball at a rate rarely seen by juniors at Creighton.
   Ballock has made 79 three-pointers this season, while Alexander has drained 65 treys. Both men could break the existing program record for three-pointers made by a junior of 82 by Tad Ackerman in 1994-95.
Most 3-Pointers Made by a Creighton Junior
   3FG-FGA   3FG%   Name   Year
   82-210   .390   Tad Ackerman   1994-95
   79-184   .429   Kyle Korver   2001-02
   79-177   .446   Mitch Ballock   2019-20
   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
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
   91-191   .476   Boooker Woodfox*   2008-09
   82-210   .390   Tad Ackerman   1994-95
   79-184   .429   Kyle Korver*   2001-02
   79-177   .446   Mitch Ballock   2019-20
   78-175   .446   Ethan Wragge   2012-13
   77-157   .490   Doug McDermott*   2012-13
   76-175   .434   Rod Mason   1987-88
*Conference Player of the Year
Creighton's Most 3-Pointers Per Game, Season
   3FG/G   3FG   GP   Name   Year
   3.79   129   34   Kyle Korver   2002-03
   3.15   82   26   Tad Ackerman   1994-95
   3.14   110   35   Ethan Wragge   2013-14
   3.13   100   32   Kyle Korver   2001-02
   3.04   79   26   Mitch Ballock   2019-20
   2.88   95   33   Marcus Foster   2017-18
Ballock Reaches 200 Treys
Mitch Ballock leads Creighton with 79 three-point baskets this season, which gives him 218 in his Bluejay career. That puts him in fifth place in program history in that category.
   Ballock has joined Kyle Korver and Ethan Wragge as the only Bluejays to reach that milestone as juniors. Korver ended his junior year with 242 treys, while Wragge had 234 trifectas after his junior campaign.
   Ballock ranks 17th nationally with 79 three-pointers made and eighth in three-point percentage (.446), one of three players nationally in the top-17 of both categories.
   Also moving into the top-10 in program history recently was junior guard Ty-Shon Alexander. He's in ninth place with 194 trifectas.
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.   214   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   6.   212   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   7.   206   Jahenns Manigat   2010-14
   8.   200   Nate Funk   2002-07
   9.   194   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-Pres.
   10.   185   Matt Roggenburk   1986-90
Iron Man Mitch
Junior Mitch Ballock leads the BIG EAST with 36.19 minutes per game, a number that soars to 37.62 minutes per contest in league play, as he's played all but 31 minutes in CU's first 13 league games. CU is the nation's only team with three men averaging 35.0 minutes per game or more, but no Bluejay has led a conference in minutes per game (all games) since at least 1996-97.
   Here's the league's top five players in minutes per game.
BIG EAST Minutes Per Game Leaders
   Rank   Name, Team   G   MIN   MPG
   1.   Mitch Ballock, CU   26   941   36.19
   2.   Charlie Moore, DPU   25   892   35.68
   3.   Marcus Zegarowski, CU   26   912   35.08
   4.   Ty-Shon Alexander, CU   26   909   34.96
   5.   Naji Marshall, XU   24   834   34.75
Creighton Minutes Per Game Leaders Since 1994-95
   Rank   MPG   Name   Year
   1.   36.2   Mitch Ballock   2019-20
   2.   35.7   Antoine Young   2010-11
   3.   35.1   Marcus Zegarowski   2019-20
   4.   35.033   Edward St. Fleur   1996-97
   5.   35.030   Ryan Sears   1999-00
   6.   34.962   Ty-Shon Alexander   2019-20
   7.   34.5   Nate Funk   2006-07
   8.   33.84   Ryan Sears   2000-01
   9.   33.79   Austin Chatman   2014-15
   10.   33.7   Doug McDermott   2013-14
3-Pointers, By Average
Creighton has made 9.38 three-pointers per game so far this season, it fourth-most ever. The Jays had never averaged more than 8.76 triples in any season before Greg McDermott's arrival.
   Here's a look at the most three-pointers per game in Creighton history. Of note is that each of the seven completed seasons on this list ended with 20 or more wins, and six of them resulted in a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Creighton's Most 3-Pointers Per Game in a Season
   3FG/G   Season   3FG   GP   W-L (Postseason)
   10.63   2018-19    372   35   20-15 (NIT)
   10.39   2017-18   343   33   21-12 (NCAA)
   10.17   2013-14   356   35   27-8 (NCAA)
   9.38   2019-20   244   26   20-6 so far
   8.76   1999-00   289   33   23-10 (NCAA)
   8.69   2016-17   304   35   25-10 (NCAA)
   8.62   2004-05   293   34   23-11 (NCAA)
   8.53   2012-13   307   36   28-8 (NCAA)
A Grand For Alexander
With 24 points on Saturday at DePaul, Ty-Shon Alexander moved from 31st to a tie for 29th in Creighton history on the all-time scoring list with 1,152 points, passing former teammate Khyri Thomas (2015-18) and tying Dane Watts (2004-08).
   Mitch Ballock owns 948 career points and is up to 47th on Creighton's scoring list.
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.   1,238   Ben Walker   1997-01
   26.   1,196   Ray Yost   1951-54
   27.   1,172   Dick Harvey   1956-59
   28.   1,155   Ethan Wragge   2009-14
   29.   1,152   Dane Watts   2004-08
      1,152   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-Pres.
   31.   1,140   Khyri Thomas   2015-18
   32.   1,116   Kenny Evans   1982-87
   33.   1,115   Doug Brookins   1972-75
      1,115   Daryl Stovall   1978-82
   35.   1,093   Tim Powers   1964-67
   36.   1,050   Reggie Morris   1982-86
   37.   1,031   Johnny Mathies   2003-06
   38.   1,024   P'Allen Stinnett   2007-10
   39.   1,023   Rod Mason   1986-88
   40.   1,013   Austin Chatman   2011-15
   41.   1,006   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
   42.   1,004   Anthony Tolliver   2003-07
   43.   994   Chuck Officer   1960-62, 1963-64
   44.   979   Terrell Taylor   1999-02
   45.   967   David Wesely   1975-79
   46.   965   Fritz Pointer   1963-66
   47.   948   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   48.   939   Cyril Baptiste   1969-71
   49.   931   Cornell Smith   1973-77
   50.   921   Jim Berry   1955-59
Alexander Surpasses 1,000 Points
Ty-Shon Alexander became the 42nd member of Creighton's 1,000 point club on Jan. 15 at Georgetown.
   Alexander, needed 85 career games to reach the milestone as he became the first Bluejay to reach 1,000 points since Khyri Thomas reached 1,000 points in the 94th game of his career on Feb. 10 vs. No. 5 Xavier, finishing the game with 1,009 career points.
Games To 1,000 Points, Last 18 Bluejays
Name   CU Games to 1,000 pts.    Date
Ty-Shon Alexander   85   01/15/20
Khyri Thomas   94   02/10/18
Marcus Foster   54   01/17/18
Austin Chatman   138   03/11/15
Ethan Wragge   132   01/18/14
Gregory Echenique   101   03/24/13
Doug McDermott   57   01/15/12
Antoine Young   115   12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr.   108   11/21/10
P'Allen Stinnett   86   01/16/10
Dane Watts   115   01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver   124   03/16/07
Johnny Mathies   91   03/03/06
Nate Funk   92   02/28/05
Kyle Korver   81   01/30/02
Ben Walker   105   01/06/01
Ryan Sears   97   12/01/00
Rodney Buford   59   03/01/97
Six Shooters
Creighton had six players score in double-figures in Saturday's victory over St. John's.
   It was the first time Creighton had six men with 10 or more points since a win over Midland on Dec. 29, 2019, the first time against a Division I foe since Dec. 20, 2017 (vs. USC Upstate) and the first time it's happened in league play since a win vs. Illinois State on Feb. 1, 2012.
   The game vs. St. John's also saw Creighton finish with four men (Denzel Mahoney, Marcus Zegarowski, Ty-Shon Alexander, Mitch Ballock) make three or more three-pointers since Jan. 9, 2019 vs. No. 21 Marquette (Zegarowski, Alexander, Ballock and Davion Mintz).
Aww, Shoot
Creighton shot 60.3 percent against St. John's on Feb. 8, its best shooting performance of the season.
   Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, it's the 24th time that Creighton has shot 60 percent or better in a game.
   Other than Creighton, only Gonzaga (28) has done it more than 21 times in those 10 years.
Alexander In Final 10 For Jerry West Award
Creighton's Ty-Shon Alexander is one of 10 men on the watch list for the 2020 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Feb. 4th.
   Named after Class of 1980 Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor in its sixth year recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel narrowed down the watch list from 20 to just 10 candidates.
   Alexander is one of three BIG EAST representatives on the candidate list, as he's joined by Kamar Baldwin (Butler) and Myles Powell (Seton Hall).
   Fan voting for the award is underway at
http://www.hoophallawards.com/men/vote.php.
3 Games And Counting
Creighton's bench has scored 396 points this season, an average of 15.2 points per contest.
   However, on Feb. 5 at Providence, the Bluejay reserve corps was held scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting in a combined 32 minutes.
   It marked the first time since a 68-62 win at Drake on February 24, 1986, that Creighton's reserves were held without a point. On that night, Creighton's bench logged just one total minute by Keith Smith, as starters Gary Swain, Ed Johansen, Kenny Evans and Reggie Morris played all 40 minutes and Renard Edwards logged 39 minutes.
   Since that 1986 evening, Creighton had played 1,082 games while making 24 postseason appearances (including 14 NCAA Tournaments) and won six regular-season league titles and 10 league tournaments.
The Avengers
Creighton had nine BIG EAST losses last season en route to tying for a third-place finish in league play. This year's team has played seven of those same teams at the same site, and won five of them.
Category   2018-19   2019-20
Marquette   Lost 106-104 (OT)   Won 92-75
at Butler   Lost 84-69   Lost 71-57
Villanova   Lost 90-78   Lost 64-59
at Xavier   Lost 64-61   Won 77-65
at Villanova   Lost 66-59 (OT)   Won 76-61
St. John's   Lost 83-67   Won 94-82
at Seton Hall   Lost 63-58   Won 87-82
at St. John's   Lost 83-66   March 1
Seton Hall   Lost 81-75   March 7
Bonus From The Bench
Denzel Mahoney scored a season-high 21 points in Creighton's game at Villanova on Feb. 1.
   It was the most points by any Bluejay reserve in any game this winter, and the most by a Bluejay sub since Mitch Ballock scored 22 points in a win over No. 23 UCLA on Nov. 20, 2017.
   Despite being held scoreless at Providence on Feb. 5, Mahoney has still averaged 14.0 points per game over CU's last 10 contests, which includes eight double-figure performances.
   Mahoney's 21 points at No. 8 Villanova were the most ever by a Creighton reserve in a victory over a top-10 opponent under Greg McDermott.
   After being outscored 216-137 off the bench in the first 10 games of the season, the Bluejay reserves have outscored foes 253-214 since Mahoney became eligible on Dec. 17th.
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 Feb. 16, 2020
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
3FG Made   3,038   2nd
Assists   5,544   3rd
3FG Percentage   .385   3rd
FG Percentage   .480   5th
FG Made   9,323   9th
Wins   227   30th
Winning Percentage   .664   37th
The Race To 70
Creighton has scored 70 or more points in 19 of its 20 victories this season, and is 19-1 when reaching that plateau this winter.
   Creighton is also 11-1 this season when allowing fewer than 70 points.
Canfield Earns Scholarship
Jett Canfield was surprised with a scholarship for the 2019-20 season during a team huddle at practice at The Palestra on February 3rd.
   Canfield is Topeka, Kan., native who redshirted with the Bluejays a year ago.
   Upon learning the news, Canfield's teammates mobbed the freshman guard before he embraced head coach Greg McDermott in a warm hug.
Foul Stripe Fun
This season, Creighton has made 187 free throws in BIG EAST play, while its opponents have attempted just 180 (making 135).
   Creighton is 14-0 this season in all games when owning as many or more free throw makes than the opposition has attempted, and won its last 17 games overall when that occurs.
History After 26 Games
Creighton has started 20-6 to date. It's the seventh time in the past 20 seasons that Creighton has won at least 20 of its first 26 games.
   Of the six most recent teams to start 20-6 or better, five made the NCAA Tournament and one other reached the NIT.
   This is the fifth time under Greg McDermott that Creighton has started 20-6 or better after exactly 26 games. All four previous teams would advance to the NCAA Tournament.
Records After 26 Games Under Greg McDermott
W-L   Year   Postseason   Final W-L
20-6Â Â Â 2019-20Â Â Â TBDÂ Â Â TBD
13-13Â Â Â 2018-19Â Â Â NITÂ Â Â 20-15
19-7Â Â Â 2017-18Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 21-12
21-5Â Â Â 2016-17Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 25-10
17-9Â Â Â 2015-16Â Â Â NITÂ Â Â 20-15
12-14   2014-15   None   14-19
22-4Â Â Â 2013-14Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 27-8
20-6Â Â Â 2012-13Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 28-8
21-5Â Â Â 2011-12Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 29-6
15-11Â Â Â 2010-11Â Â Â CBIÂ Â Â 23-16
Toe The Line
Ty-Shon Alexander ranks third in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage, draining 104-of-122 attempts (85.2 percent).
   Alexander has attempted 13 free throws in Creighton's six losses (2.2 attempts per loss), and 109 foul shots in CU's 20 victories (5.45 attempts per win).
   Creighton is 9-0 this season when Alexander attempts six or more free throws this season and has won the last 13 games dating to last season when that has happened.
Win Over Xavier Completes BIG EAST Sweep
A January 26th victory over Xavier means that Creighton has now swept both regular-season meetings against all nine opponents in the BIG EAST at least once since the league's reconfiguration in 2013-14.
   Besides Creighton, the only other school that can claim that is Villanova.
   Since the league's reconfiguration only two teams have won both regular-season meetings in the same year against Villanova even once.
   Creighton did it in 2013-14, while Butler did so in 2016-17.
Midterm Report
Creighton started 6-3 in the BIG EAST, owning a winning percentage over .500 at the midway point in league play for the 22nd time in the past 24 seasons.
   Entering this season Creighton has gone 5-4 or better in the second half of league action in 20 of the last 24 years.
   Entering this season Creighton has made the postseason each of the 20 most recent times it's been 5-4 or better at the midway point, and missed one of the two times it wasn't in that span.
   Here's how Creighton's teams have fared in the various halves of the MVC/BIG EAST season since 1995-96.
Year   1st Half   2nd Half
2019-20Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 3-1 so far
2018-19Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â 5-4
2017-18Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 4-5
2016-17Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 4-5
2015-16Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 4-5
2014-15Â Â Â 1-8Â Â Â 3-6
2013-14Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 6-3
2012-13Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 6-3
2011-12Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 6-3
2010-11Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4
2009-10Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4
2008-09Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 9-0
2007-08Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4
2006-07Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 7-2
2005-06Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 5-4
2004-05Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 6-3
2003-04Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 5-4
2002-03Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 7-2
2001-02Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 6-3
2000-01Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 9-0
1999-00Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 6-3
1998-99Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 5-4
1997-98Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 7-2
1996-97Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4
1995-96Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â 5-4
Total   142-83 (.631)   138-82 (.627)
CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
Marcus Zegarowski's go-ahead three-pointer with 3.2 seconds left on Jan. 18th helped beat Providence, and was the latest game-winner in a Bluejay win at home since some heroics from Doug McDermott against St. John's in 2014.
   It was the third time in the last five Omaha meetings between Creighton and Providence that has seen a game-winner in the final five seconds.
   Before Jan. 18th, Creighton's last win at any site when trailing by five or more points in the final 90 seconds of regulation or an overtime was on March 18, 2008 vs. Rhode Island.
   Creighton is now 8-8 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
11/26/05   Dayton   W 91-90*   Funk FG   :5.7
01/28/06   Wichita St.   W 57-55   Tolliver FG   :0.0
11/25/06   George Mason   W 58-56   Watts FT   :7.5
03/18/08   Rhode Island   W 74-73   Witter 3FG   :3.2
01/13/10   Southern Illinois   W 71-69   Young FG   :1.3
02/18/12   Long Beach St.   W 81-79   Young FG   :0.3
01/28/14   St. John's   W 63-60   McDermott 3FG   :2.8
01/18/20   Providence   W 78-74   Zegarowski 3FG   :3.2
*double-overtime
Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
03/20/06Â Â Â Miami (Fla.)Â Â Â L 53-52Â Â Â G. Diaz FTÂ Â Â :2.6
01/20/07   Southern Illinois   L 58-57   B. Mullins FG   :4.1
01/10/15   #19 Seton Hall   L 68-67   S. Gibbs 3FG   :2.2
02/16/15   #19 Butler   L 58-56   R. Jones FG   :1.9
03/07/15   Xavier   L 74-73   D. Davis FT's   :6.3
01/12/16   #12 Providence   L 50-48   K. Dunn FG   :0.0
02/22/17   Providence   L 68-66   K. Cartwright 3FG   :2.4
02/10/18   #5 Xavier   L 71-72   Q. Goodin FT's   :0.3
Sweet Home (Away From Home) Chicago
Creighton has won at DePaul each of the last seven seasons (including 2019-20), just the second different opponent in program history that the Jays have beaten on the road in seven or more consecutive campaigns.
   Creighton also beat Grinnell in seven straight seasons from 1929-30 to 1935-36.
   Since the BIG EAST reconfigured, the only other road team to be 6-0 or 7-0 against another league foe is Villanova (6-0) at DePaul.
More Points = Better Results
Creighton has averaged 77.92 points against DePaul since the start of the 2013-14 season.
   That ranks CU's second-highest average against any team in the BIG EAST, trailing only DePaul.
PPG   Opponent   CU W-L
82.19   DePaul   15-1
77.92   Marquette   6-7
76.23   St. John's   9-4
75.59   Xavier   9-8
75.57   Seton Hall   6-8
72.36   Georgetown   7-7
72.00   Villanova   4-11
71.31   Butler   7-6
68.88   Providence   7-10
200,00 Fans, Again
With 257,288 fans to date, this season marks the 15th straight season that Creighton has surpassed 200,000 home fans.
   Creighton has led its conference in average home attendance each of the last 16 completed seasons, and is once again leading the way in the BIG EAST in 2019-20.
Pink Out Sets Records
In addition to bringing nationwide attention to the fight against cancer during the January 26th Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out, the Bluejays also raised $60,000 (nearly $32,000 in the jersey auction and more than $28,000 via in-person donations or on-line).
   Nationally, the Suits and Sneakers fundraising campaign has raised nearly $115,000 in the last few weeks. More than half of that has come in support of the Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out.
   Additional donations are still being accepted at GoCreighton.com/HopeLodge.
Multiple Choices
Creighton had five men score in double-figures on in BIG EAST road wins at Xavier (Jan. 11), at DePaul (Jan. 22) and at No. 10 Seton Hall (Feb. 12), as well as six double-figure scorers on Feb. 8 vs. St. John's
   The Bluejays have had five or more men score 10 or more points in the same game eight times this year.
   Creighton has won 13 straight games when five or more players score in double-digits.
McDermott Climbs BIG EAST Charts
Greg McDermott owns 65 career regular-season BIG EAST wins, which ranks tied for 20th in league history, one shy of Al Skinner for 19th place.
    Of the 25 men with 50 or more regular-season BIG EAST wins, McDermott's .537 win percentage in league play ranks 16th-best, trailing only Jamie Dixon, Jay Wright, Jim Boeheim, Rick Pitino, Lou Carnesecca, John Thompson Sr., Buzz Williams, Chris Mack, Jim Calhoun, Mike Brey, Mike Jarvis, Rollie Massimino, John Thompson Jr., Steve Lappas and Paul Evans.
McDermott Earned 500th Career Win
Greg McDermott earned his 500th career victory as a head coach during the Jan. 11 game at Xavier. He's won 50 or more games at four different schools. His 500th win came in his 808th game, and his 26th season as a head coach.
   McDermott then received a standing ovation on Jan. 18 when he was recognized for the achievement prior to CU's next home game.
   Including McDermott, only 27 active Division I men's coaches own 500 or more career victories.
Greg McDermott's Milestone Victories
Date   Career W-L   Opponent & Site   Score
01/14/00Â Â Â 100-50Â Â Â Moorhead State at WSCÂ Â Â 92-59
11/23/05   200-117   UNI at Western Michigan   69-63
03/15/11Â Â Â 300-209Â Â Â San Jose State at CUÂ Â Â 85-74
02/24/15   400-248   CU at DePaul   75-62
01/11/20   500-308   CU at Xavier   77-65
Most Career Wins Among Active Division I Coaches
(Through Feb. 16, 2020)
Rank   W-L   Coach, Current School
   1.   1154-347   Mike Krzyzewski, Duke  Â
   2.   960-396   Jim Boeheim, Syracuse  Â
   3.   881-249   Roy Williams, North Carolina  Â
   4.   878-369   Bob Huggins, West Virginia  Â
   5.   777-515   Cliff Ellis, Coastal Carolina  Â
---
   25.   521-202   Gregg Marshall, Wichita State
   26.   508-370   Jeff Jones, Old Dominion
   27.   507-310   Greg McDermott, Creighton
Second Half Star
In CU's Jan. 11 win at Xavier, Christian Bishop had all 10 of his points in the second half.
   This season, Bishop has averaged 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds on 50.0 percent shooting in the first half, but 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game after halftime on 63.6 percent shooting.
   Bishop has been held scoreless in the first half six times this season (Kennesaw State, North Florida, UTRGV, Arizona State and both games vs. Xavier), and Creighton has won all six games. In those six contests, he's averaged 8.0 points on 74.2 percent shooting from the field after the break, including three games where he's scored in double-digits.
   Creighton is 10-2 this season when Bishop scores in double-figures and 6-0 when he's scoreless at halftime.
Defending The Line
Creighton is holding foes to 30.4 percent shooting from three-point range, a key reason why the Bluejays have out-scored foes by 168 points behind the arc.
   Creighton had held 16 consecutive foes under 40 percent from downtown before Providence shot 12-of-20 (60 percent) on Feb. 5 vs. CU.
   Bluejay opponents are shooting 28.3 percent from downtown when CU wins, but 38.3 percent from deep in CU losses.
   The 30.4 percent shooting from three-point range by CU opponents is on pace to be the second-best mark in program history. In fact, the only time CU held foes under 31 percent from deep was in 1995-96 (29.2%).
Dynamic Duo of Denzel and Damien
Since Denzel Mahoney became eligible prior to the Dec. 17 game vs. Oklahoma, both Mahoney and Damien Jefferson have played a key part of CU's success.
   In those 16 contests, Jefferson has averaged 10.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while Mahoney checks in at 12.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest.
   Jefferson has scored nine or more points in 12 of the last 15 games, while Mahoney has reached double-figures in 12 of his 16 contests.
   Jefferson was 6-for-6 from the field on Jan. 22 at DePaul. It was the most attempts by a Creighton player without a miss since Jacob Epperson was 7-for-7 on Feb. 17, 2018 vs. Marquette.
Eight Was Enough
Creighton had an eight-game winning streak snapped at Butler on January 4th, the program's longest since starting the 2016-17 campaign with a 13-0 record. It was CU's sixth different win streak of eight or longer under Greg McDermott.
   During the win streak, Marcus Zegarowski averaged 19.9 points and 5.6 assists per game, making him one of five Bluejays averaging in double-figures. Ty-Shon Alexander topped CU with 7.3 rebounds per game in that time.
    Each of Creighton's last six times that Creighton has had a win streak of seven or longer, that Bluejays team has reached the NCAA Tournament at year's end.
Longest Creighton Win Streaks Under McDermott
Wins               Dates   Snapped By
13 - Nov. 11 - Dec. 28, 2016Â Â Â #1 Villanova, 80-70
11 - Dec. 31, 2011 - Feb. 1, 2012Â Â Â at Northern Iowa, 65-62
11 - Dec. 1, 2012 - Jan. 15, 2013Â Â Â at Wichita State, 67-64
10 - Dec. 3, 2013 - Jan. 14, 2014Â Â Â at Providence, 81-68
8 - Feb. 14 - March 16, 2012Â Â Â vs. #4 North Carolina, 87-73
8 - Nov. 29, 2019 - Jan. 1, 2020Â Â Â at #11 Butler, 71-57
7 - Nov. 11 - Dec. 4, 2011Â Â Â at Saint Joseph's, 80-71
McDermott Still Getting Buckets
Creighton great Doug McDermott is midway through his second season in Indianapolis as a member of the Pacers, and sixth campaign in the NBA.
   McDermott ranks sixth in NCAA history with 3,150 career points following a Creighton career (from 2010-14) that saw him become the first three-time First Team All-American since Patrick Ewing and Wayman Tisdale in the early 1980s.
   In the Pacers' Jan. 4 game at Atlanta, McDermott joined Pete Maravich, Hersey Hawkins, Freeman Williams and Lionel Simmons as the only players to ever score 3,000 career points at both the NBA and at the Division I level.
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked seventh in the preseason BIG EAST Conference poll that was selected via a vote of league coaches.
   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.
   Seton Hall standout Myles Powell was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, and was joined on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team by Ty-Shon Alexander (Creighton), Kamar Baldwin (Butler), Alpha Diallo (Providence), Markus Howard (Marquette) and Naji Marshall (Xavier).
   In nine previous seasons under Greg McDermott, Creighton has exceeded its preseason poll placement on four occasions, matched its expectation four times, and in 2011-12 were picked first in the MVC but finished second. 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    TBD   Ty-Shon Alexander (1st)
Mintz To Redshirt
Senior guard Davion Mintz will redshirt during the 2019-20 season, head coach Greg McDermott announced following the team's Dec. 28 victory over Midland.
   Mintz suffered a high-ankle sprain in late October and only recently returned to live drills in practice.
   Mintz entered the 2019-20 season having made 59 straight starts and with team-highs among active players in career starts (79), games played (97), assists (259) and steals (69).
Ball Control Offense
Creighton's two turnovers on Dec. 28 vs. Midland were its fewest in any game since at least 1981-82.
   The Jays have had two previous games with three turnovers since then (at SMU on 11/25/1995 and vs. Wichita State on 2/1/2005).
   The previous fewest miscues under Greg McDermott had been four on six different occasions, most recently March 3, 2018 at Marquette.
   Since the Christmas break, Creighton's starting line-up has combined for 201 assists and just 93 turnovers.
   Creighton's 11.2 turnovers per game is the third-best mark in the BIG EAST.
   Creighton is 8-0 this year when Ty-Shon Alexander does not have a turnover, and 6-1 when Christian Bishop plays turnover-free ball.
Turn This Over
The Midland game saw three different Bluejays finish with at least five assists and no turnovers, as Shereef Mitchell (6/0), Marcus Zegarowski (6/0) and Mitch Ballock (5/0) all did it.
   It's the first time in Greg McDermott's 10-year tenure that three different Bluejays had five or more assists without a turnover in the same game, and also the first time under McDermott that multiple Bluejays had six assists and no turnovers in the same game.
   In fact, Creighton's starting line-up combined for 20 assists without a turnover in the victory.
   The performance made Creighton the nation's first team this season to score 90+ points in a game with two turnovers or less. It was just the 10th time in the past 10 seasons it's happened.
Jett Fuels Offense
Redshirt freshman guard Jett Canfield had a pair of assists in the victory over Midland, and he now owns 12 assists against just one turnover.
   Through games of February 16th, Canfield is the only player in the nation with 12 or more assists and one turnover or less.
   Canfield is also one of two players in the nation to have played 117 minutes or more with one turnover or less.
Go Big Or Go Home
Creighton owned four regular-season non-conference wins this winter from teams that are in the Big Ten, BIG EAST, Atlantic Coast, Southeastern, Big 12 or Pac-12 Conferences.
   It's just the third time since CU dropped its independent status in 1977 that the Bluejays have picked up four such wins in the same winter. The 2016-17 club had six such wins, while the 2012-13 squad also had four.
   After going 22-12 in such games under Dana Altman from 1994-2010, Creighton is 28-12 under Greg McDermott.
   Here's a list of Creighton's yearly regular-season non-conference records in the past 25 seasons against teams from those top leagues:
Year   W-L   "Major" Conference Victories
1994-95Â Â Â 0-2Â Â Â -
1995-96Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â -
1996-97Â Â Â 1-3Â Â Â Florida
1997-98Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â Nebraska
1998-99Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â Iowa, Baylor, Oklahoma State
1999-00Â Â Â 3-0Â Â Â Iowa, Baylor, Nebraska
2000-01Â Â Â 2-0Â Â Â Providence, Nebraska
2001-02Â Â Â 1-0Â Â Â Nebraska
2002-03Â Â Â 2-0Â Â Â Notre Dame, Nebraska
2003-04Â Â Â 1-0Â Â Â Nebraska
2004-05Â Â Â 3-0Â Â Â Missouri, Ohio State, Nebraska
2005-06Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â Nebraska
2006-07Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â -
2007-08Â Â Â 2-0Â Â Â DePaul, Nebraska
2008-09Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â DePaul
2009-10Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â Nebraska
2010-11Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â -
2011-12Â Â Â 3-0Â Â Â Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern
2012-13Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â Wisconsin, Arizona State, Nebraska, Cal
2013-14Â Â Â 3-0Â Â Â Arizona State, Nebraska, Cal
2014-15Â Â Â 2-1Â Â Â Oklahoma, Nebraska
2015-16Â Â Â 2-3Â Â Â Rutgers, Nebraska
2016-17Â Â Â 6-0Â Â Â Wisconsin, Washington St., NC St., Ole Miss, Nebraska, Arizona St.
2017-18Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â Northwestern, UCLA, Nebraska
2018-19Â Â Â 1-3Â Â Â Clemson
2019-20Â Â Â 4-1Â Â Â Texas Tech, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arizona St.
The 10 Wins of Christmas
Creighton went 10-2 prior to Christmas, the seventh time in program history that CU had picked up 10 or more wins by December 25th.
   Five of those occasions have taken place under Greg McDermott.
   Each of the previous six times it's been done, Creighton won at least 21 games that year. All but one of those teams reached the NCAA Tournament and all but two clubs also won a postseason contest.
Most Wins by December 25th
   W-L   Season   Final W-L   Postseason?
   10-1   1963-64   22-7   NCAA (1-2)
   10-2   2008-09   27-8   NIT (1-1)
   10-1   2011-12   29-6   NCAA (1-1)
   11-1   2012-13   28-8   NCAA (1-1)
   12-0   2016-17   25-10   NCAA (0-1)
   10-2   2017-18   21-12   NCAA (0-1)
   10-2   2019-20   TBD   TBD
December To Remember
Creighton went 6-0 in the month of December, its first unbeaten December since the 2012-13 team.
   Each of CU's last two teams (2008-09 and 2012-13) to go unbeaten in December also won their regular-season league title.
Christian Puts In Work Before Christmas
After a first half that saw him fail to record a point, rebound or blocked shot vs. Arizona State, sophomore Christian Bishop came up big in the second half against the Sun Devils.
   Bishop had 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots after halftime, helping Creighton to overcome a halftime deficit in the 67-60 win.
   Bishop is the first Bluejay with a half of at least 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots since Gregory Echenique had 13 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks before halftime vs. Houston Baptist on Dec. 17, 2011.
   Creighton has not had a player post a double-double in the same half since Doug McDermott had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the first half of a win on March 21, 2014 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette.
Mahoney Makes Debut
The Dec. 17 win vs. Oklahoma marked the first appearance in a Creighton uniform for Denzel Mahoney, who gained his eligibility after CU's first semester concluded.
   Mahoney didn't start for the first time in 65 contests as a collegian, but didn't have to wait long. He checked in just 18 seconds into the game after an early foul on Christian Bishop and drained his first three-pointer as a Bluejay just more than two minutes later. Mahoney finished the game with 14 points, one rebound, one assist and a steal in 29 minutes of action.
   Mahoney averaged 19.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game the last time he was on the court during the 2017-18 season at Southeast Missouri State.
   In two seasons with the Redhawks from 2016-18, Mahoney scored 1,091 points and grabbed 298 rebounds. He made 121 three-pointers while connecting at a 39.5 percent clip and also sank 314-of-380 free throw attempts (82.6 percent).
   Mahoney is the sixth player in Greg McDermott's 10 seasons to make his Creighton debut with 14 points or more. Of those men, only Marcus Foster also had 14 points or more in his next game, as well.
   Mahoney who scored in double-figures each of his first four games as a Bluejay, joined Foster (8), Doug McDermott (8) and Justin Patton (8) and Maurice Watson Jr. (5) as the only Bluejays to post 10 or more points in each of their first four games (or longer) under Greg McDermott.
Getting Defensive
Creighton has held 10-of-26 opponents under 40 percent this season after doing it a total of seven times in 35 games a year ago.
   Creighton is 93-17 (.845) under Greg McDermott all-time when holding foes under 40 percent marksmanship.
   Last season Creighton ranked 286th in opponents' field goal percentage (.457). This year's team is holding foes to 41.7 percent shooting (its' best since .407 in 2012-13), a figure that ranks 118th-best nationally.
   The best finish by one of McDermott's Creighton teams in field goal percentage defense is 77th by the 2012-13 club.
Ballock For 3, Blocks That Is
Including a career-high three blocked shots on December 7th vs. Nebraska, Mitch Ballock ranks second on the Creighton team with 10 swats this season.
   Ballock is the first Bluejay with both three blocked shots and three made three-pointers in the same game since Kenny Lawson Jr. had three blocks and three treys vs. Missouri State on March 24, 2010. That game was also the final one of the Creighton sideline for Dana Altman.
   Only two players in program history have ever made 50 three-pointers while blocking more than 10 shots in a season. Kyle Korver did it three times (129/23 in 2002-03; 76/16 in 2001-02; 100/14 in 2000-01) and Rodney Buford (58/18 in 1996-97).
   Ballock currently owns 79 trifectas and 10 blocked shots.
What A Line -- 30-6-9
Marcus Zegarowski had 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists in Creighton's 95-76 win over Nebraska on Dec. 7th.
   The 30 points were the second-highest figure of his career, the six assists tied a season-high, and his nine rebounds were a career-best.
   He's the first Bluejay with at least 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the same game since at least 1979-80.
   Zegarowski is just the fourth Creighton player with a game of at least 30 points and nine rebounds in the same game under Greg McDermott, joining Cole Huff, Kenny Lawson Jr. and Doug McDermott (11x).
   Zegarowski is also just the second Creighton player under Greg McDermott with a game of at least 30 points and six assists, joining Marcus Foster vs. Georgetown (35 points, 6 assists) on Feb. 19, 2017.
   Zegarowski is one of five players in the nation with a 30/9/6 game this season, and the only man in the last 10 years to do it without attempting a free throw.
   Zegarowski had 20 points, eight rebounds and a then-season-high seven assists vs. Oklahoma on Dec. 17, the first Bluejay with those numbers in the same game since Ryan Sears had 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists vs. Southern Illinois on Jan. 8, 2000.
More Z's Please
Marcus Zegarowski is currently leading Creighton with 5.2 assists per game and second with 15.8 points per game.
   Creighton hasn't had a player average more than 15 points and 3.5 assists per game for a full season since Vernon Moore (21.0 ppg., 5.0 apg.) in 1984-85.
   Zegarowski's 10 assists at DePaul on Jan. 22 tied his career-high, first done against DePaul on March 9, 2019.
Alexander The Great
Ty-Shon Alexander is fourth on the Creighton team in rebounds per game (5.3) but leads the way in points per game (16.7).
   Since 1992-93, only three Bluejays (Doug McDermott, Rodney Buford and Kyle Korver) have finished a season averaging at least 16.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
   All three men went on to play at least five seasons in the NBA.
16.0 PPG & 5.5 RPG - Creighton Players Since 1991-92
Name      Year   PPG   RPG
Doug McDermott   2013-14   26.7   7.0
Doug McDermott   2012-13   23.2   7.7
Doug McDermott   2011-12   22.9   8.2
Rodney Buford   1996-97   19.6   5.6
Rodney Buford   1997-98   18.9   7.3
Rodney Buford   1998-99   18.6   7.2
Kyle Korver      2002-03   17.8   6.4
3 x 3
Creighton's backcourt features three of the nation's best shooters, as Ty-Shon Alexander, Mitch Ballock and Marcus Zegarowski have combined to shoot 202-for-491 (41.1 percent) as a group from deep.
   Alexander, Ballock and Zegarowski are one of three trios in the country with 58 or more three-pointers through games of February 16th, joining the North Florida grouping of Carter Hendricksen, Garrett Sams, J.T. Escobar and Ivan Gandia-Rosa and the Akron trio of Channel Banks, Loren Jackson and Xeyrius Williams. When CU defeated North Florida on Nov. 22nd, Creighton's trio shot 10-for-20 from deep, while the UNF trio shot 4-for-21 from downtown.
   In addition, Ballock is one of three players nationally to have made 79 or more three-pointers while shooting 44 percent or better from deep.
   Creighton is 20-3 all-time when Alexander, Ballock and Zegarowski all score in double-figures, including a 13-1 mark this winter with 13 straight victories.
NCAA Hosts
Creighton will host the First and Second Round of the 2020 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at CHI Health Center Omaha on March 20 & 22.
   It's the fifth time since 2008 that Omaha has been selected to host, joining 2008 (1st Weekend); 2012 (1st Weekend); 2015 (1st Weekend); 2018 (Regionals) and 2020 (1st Weekend).
   Taking out Dayton, which annually hosts the First Four, CHI Health Center Omaha will host more NCAA Tournament games from 2008-20 than any other venue. In addition, CHI Health Center Omaha will host five different years in that span, which trails only Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis from 2008-20.
Most NCAA Tournament Games Hosted, 2008-20
Rk.   G   Venue   City
1.   27   CHI Health Center Omaha   Omaha, NE
2.   24   Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena   Spokane, WA
3.   21   Spectrum Center   Charlotte, NC
   21   Vivint Smart Home Arena   Salt Lake City, UT
5.   18   17 venues
*does not include First Four site Dayton, OH
Most Different Years as a Tourney Host, 2008-20
Rk.   Yrs.   Venue   City
1.   6   Lucas Oil Stadium   Indianapolis, IN
2.   5   CHI Health Center Omaha   Omaha, NE
   5   NRG Stadium   Houston, TX
   5   Honda Center   Anaheim, CA
5.   4   7 venues
*does not include First Four site Dayton, OH
Sophomore Scorer
Sophomore guard Marcus Zegarowski is averaging 15.8 points per game, quite an accomplishment for a guy who never scored more than 17 points in any game against a Division I opponent a season ago.
   Here's a list of Creighton's top 10 sophomore scorers in the past 50 seasons:
Most Points/Game, CU Sophomores Since 1969-70
   PPG   Name   Year
   22.9   Doug McDermott   2011-12
   19.6   Rodney Buford   1996-97
   16.8   Rick Apke   1975-76
   16.7   Bob Harstad   1988-89
   16.2   Benoit Benjamin   1983-84
   15.8   Marcus Zegarowski   2019-20
   15.8   Gene Harmon   1971-72
   15.7   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   15.3   Chad Gallagher   1988-89
   14.6   Kyle Korver   2000-01
Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 877 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 6,879 trifectas, an average of 7.84 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 134 times, more than any figure.
   Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 242 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 248 consecutive contests (since 0-7 at Drake on 1/23/13).
   The Bluejays are also 19-1 this year when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 1-5 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:   69 times   5:  95 times   6: 90 times
7:  134 times   8:  112 times   9: 85 times
10: 72 times   11: 50 times   12: 47 times
13: 41 times   14: 15 times   15: 6 times
16: 6 times   17: 1 time   19: 1 time
20: 1 time   21: 1 time   22: 1 time
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 877 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 16th-longest active streak.
   Creighton's last win without making a three-point basket came on March 3, 1991 when the Jays went 0-for-2 from three-point range in a 71-66 win over Southern Illinois in the championship game of the MVC Tournament.
   Below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (through 2/17)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,097   UNLV   2/18
   2.   1,084   Duke   2/19
   3.   1,036   Arkansas   2/18
   4.   1,032   Western Kentucky   2/22
   5.   1,020   East Tennessee State   2/19
   6.   1,009   Pacific   2/22
   7.   995   Oakland   2/21
   8.   990   Texas   2/19
   9.   953   Princeton   2/21
   10.   942   Marshall   2/22
   11.   926   Baylor   2/18
   12.   913   Gonzaga   2/20
   13.   901   Long Island   2/18
   14.   882   Mount St. Mary's   2/18
   15.   880   Cornell   2/21
   16.   877   Creighton   2/18
   17.   870   Tennessee State   2/20
   18.   867   East Carolina   2/19
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 81.09 points per home game (14,272 points in 176 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.99 points in non-conference home games (7,564 points in 89 home games).
   Creighton is 113-5 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.
Sophomore Scorers
Marcus Zegarowski scored a career-high 32 points in the Nov. 29 victory over Texas Tech, becoming the latest Bluejay sophomore to pile up the points. He then added 30 points on Dec. 7 vs. Nebraska.
   Each of the last three Creighton players to score 30 or more points have done it as a sophomore. Besides Zegarowski vs. Texas Tech and Nebraska, Mitch Ballock had 39 points vs. DePaul last season, and Ty-Shon Alexander added 36 vs. No. 16 Clemson on Nov. 21, 2018.
   In addition to Zegarowski, Ballock and Alexander, one other player on the Bluejay roster has scored 30 or more points. That player is Denzel Mahoney, who scored 30+ points twice as a sophomore at Southeast Missouri State in 2017-18, and once as a freshman in 2016-17 with the Redhawks.
   Creighton's last non-sophomore to score 30 points or more was then-senior Marcus Foster's 32 points vs. UT Arlington on Dec. 18, 2017.
Australia Recap
Creighton got a head start on the 2019-20 season with a trip to Australia from August 1-13. The Bluejays spent the majority of their time in Sydney, Cairns and the Gold Coast, and went 2-1 in three games while Down Under.
   Five men averaged in double-figures in CU's three games, led by Mitch Ballock (18.3 ppg.), Christian Bishop (15.7 ppg.) and Davion Mintz (13.3 ppg.).
   Among the activities on the adventurous trip were climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, SCUBA diving and snorkeling along the Great Barrier Reef, a visit to Hartley's Crocodile Farm, zip lining and a high ropes course at the Tree Top Challenge and whitewater rafting.
   For photos, videos and diaries from the trip, visit https://gocreighton.com/JaysDownUnder.
Foreign Tours Lead To Early Success
Creighton is coming off a trip to Australia in August, which it hopes will prepare the team for early victories as past trips have done.
   This year's team is off to a 20-6 start after going to Australia in August.
   A 2015 trip to Italy helped the Bluejays start the season 5-1.
   A 2011 trip to the Bahamas helped get the Bluejays ready for a 7-0 start.
   A 2007 trip to Canada paid dividends as Creighton started 5-0.
   In 2003, the Bluejays also went to Canada and started the subsequent season 12-0.
Where In The World Is Ty-Shon Alexander?
Basketball took Ty-Shon Alexander all over the globe this summer.
   The Charlotte, N.C., native stayed in Omaha for much of the summer before heading to the Chris Paul CP3 Elite Guard Camp in mid-July in Winston-Salem, N.C. Alexander then went to Providence, R.I., for USA Basketball training camp from July 21-26.
   The team, which consisted solely current and former of BIG EAST players, then departed for Lima, Peru, where it played five games in five days from July 31-Aug. 4 and won the bronze medal.
   Alexander then boarded a plane in Lima and flew nine hours to Los Angeles, Calif., where he had about two hours to change terminals and get through customs to board a 15 hour flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia.
   Upon arriving in Sydney, the jet-lagged junior once again had to clear customs and met the Creighton team at the gate as it was boarding a three-hour flight to Cairns.
   Not surprisingly, minutes for a tired and travel-weary Alexander were closely monitored during the team's final two games in Australia.
Alexander Gets Preseason Hype
League coaches didn't give Ty-Shon Alexander anything more than Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST acclaim following last season, but don't tell that to the publishers of Street & Smith's.
   The magazine named Alexander as a Preseason Second Team All-American in its annual basketball issue.
   Alexander was also named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Watch List, the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Watch List and was a Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST choice.
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's largest comeback to win this season is nine, as the Jays overcame an early 17-8 hole to defeat North Florida on Nov. 24.
   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
16Â Â Â TCUÂ Â Â 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
Getting Votes A Good Sign
Creighton received four votes in the Associated Press preseason poll, good for 40th place.
   It's the fifth time that Creighton has picked up votes in the preseason poll under Greg McDermott. Each of the first four times that's happened, the Bluejays would finish top three in the league, reach the finals of the conference tournament, and play in the NCAA Tournament.
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   TBD   TBD
#ProJays
Creighton has five NBA players on NBA contracts as Kyle Korver (Milwaukee Bucks), Anthony Tolliver (Sacramento Kings), Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers, Justin Patton (Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks) and Khyri Thomas (Detroit Pistons) have all been in the league.
   Including 2019-20, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 36 of the last 37 years.
   Korver ranks fourth in NBA history with 2,428 three-pointers and is ninth in league history with 42.84 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 is shooting 40.7 percent from three-point range this season and averages 6.4 points per game. Korver became Creighton's all-time leading scorer in NBA play on January 14 vs. New York with a three-pointer to surpass Paul Silas' previous high of 11,782 points.
   Tolliver is averaging 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game this season. He was traded from Portland to Sacramento on January 18th.
   McDermott is in his sixth season in the NBA, and second with the Indiana Pacers. He is averaging 10.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game this year while shooting 44.2 percent from three-point range (fourth-best in the NBA this season). He also ranks 19th in NBA history in career three-point percentage (.4120). On January 4, 2020, McDermott joined Lionel Simmons, Hersey Hawkins, Freeman Williams and Pete Maravich as the only men to score 3,000 or more points in the NBA and at the Division I level.
   Patton has spent time in five organizations since being the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He signed with the Thunder in August and played in five games this season for Oklahoma City, averaging 1.8 points per game in limited minutes. He has also spent time with the OKC Blue in the G-League, where he played for former Bluejay Grant Gibbs. He was traded on January 24th to the Dallas Mavericks organization, then released, and has cleared waivers.
   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 who has played in two games this winter for Detroit, but underwent foot surgery on Nov. 13th and has not seen the NBA floor since.
Downtown Duo
Creighton is one of two schools that return a pair of players who each made 95 or more three-pointers at their current school last season, joining UTSA.
   Creighton's Ty-Shon Alexander drained 97 triples last year, two more than Mitch Ballock's 95.
   UTSA's dynamic duo includes Keaton Wallace (121) and Jhivvan Jackson (104).
   Creighton made a school-record 372 three-pointers a year ago, which ranked tied for fifth nationally.
CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 291 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 17-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 240-51 (.825) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (19-0).
   Creighton's Nov. 25, 2017 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 22,766-19,088 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.64 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 82 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 143-33 (.813) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including an 83-6 record vs. non-conference teams.
   Factor in a 17-0 home mark at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 and two wins at the Civic in the 2010 CIT, and the Bluejays are 259-51 (.835) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Full House
Creighton is averaging 17,153 fans per home game this season, good for fifth place nationally.
   Last year marked the 14th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the eighth straight season in the top-10.
2019-20 Average Home Attendance Leaders (2/16)
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Syracuse   20,918   2/22
   2.   Kentucky   20,089   2/22
   3.   North Carolina   19,917   2/25
   4.   Tennessee   18,812   2/18
   5.   Creighton   17,153   2/23
   6.   Wisconsin   16,840   2/18
   7.   Kansas   16,408   2/17
   8.   Louisville   16,282   2/19
   9.   Memphis   16,189   2/19
   10.   Indiana   16,127   2/23
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McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 227 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .664 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.   227-115   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
Some Loyal Fans
Creighton has played in front of more than 300,000 fans at home in each of the previous two seasons.
   Creighton had never attracted more than 141,000 home fans in any season prior to the opening of CHI Health Center Omaha, and now has done it in the previous 16 seasons entering 2019-20.
   Creighton has led its conference in average home attendance every year since moving into CHI Health Center Omaha, which is in its 17th season.
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,413   Creighton   2016-17
   17,157   Creighton   2019-20
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   17,000   Creighton   2017-18
Creighton's Most Home Fans, Season
Rk.   Year   G   Attendance   Average
1.   2017-18   18   306,000   17,000
2.   2018-19   19   303,629   15,980
3.   2015-16   19   302,887   15,941
4.   2008-09   19   302,676   15,930
5.   2010-11   22   297,161   13,507
Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time, which features five games from last year. Last season's Gonzaga game ranks fifth on that list, and was the best-attended non-conference home game in program history.
    Rank   Att.   Opponent   Date
   1.   18,868   Providence   03/08/14
   2.   18,859   Georgetown   01/25/14
   3.   18,831   #1 Villanova   12/31/16
   4.   18,797   #6 Villanova   02/16/14
   5.   18,759   #1 Gonzaga   12/01/18
   6.   18,742   Seton Hall   02/23/14
   7.   18,735   Wichita State   02/11/12
   8.   18,613   Wichita State   03/02/13
   9.   18,525   Marquette   12/31/13
   10.   18,518   Georgetown   01/27/18
   11.   18,495   Marquette   02/17/18
   12.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   13.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   14.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   15.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   16.   18,321   #3 Villanova   02/24/18
   17.   18,257   #5 Xavier   02/10/18
   18.   18,191   DePaul   02/27/18
   19.   18,160   Central Arkansas   11/14/14
   20.   18,145   Marquette   01/21/17
BIG EAST Playing Big
Though the BIG EAST may not be considered of the traditional "Football 5" Conferences due to its lack of big time football, the performance of the league has been big time for a long time.
   The league has owned a top-five RPI in the NCAA RPI rankings (per WarrenNolan.com) in every season since 2000-01, as seen below:
BIG EAST in Conference RPI Rankings
2000-01:Â Â Â 3rd
2001-02:Â Â Â 3rd
2002-03:Â Â Â 5th
2003-04:Â Â Â 4th
2004-05:Â Â Â 2nd
2005-06:Â Â Â 3rd
2006-07:Â Â Â 5th
2007-08:Â Â Â 5th
2008-09:Â Â Â 4th
2009-10:Â Â Â 3rd
2010-11:Â Â Â 1st
2011-12:Â Â Â 2nd
2012-13:Â Â Â 2nd
2013-14:Â Â Â 4th
2014-15:Â Â Â 3rd
2015-16:Â Â Â 4th
2016-17:Â Â Â 3rd
2017-18:Â Â Â 2nd
2018-19Â Â Â 5th
2019-20:Â Â Â 1st
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/ Men's BasketballMeet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Ty Davis
Friday, August 15
