Thursday, March 12
Queens, NY
11:00 AM
Creighton University
at
St. John's
Photo by: Corey Solotorovsky
Men's Basketball Heads to BIG EAST Tournament As Top Seed
3/9/2020 5:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bluejays will open with Georgetown or St. John's on Thursday morning
Download Notes as a PDF
Georgetown Hoyas or St. John's Red Storm vs. #7 Creighton Bluejays
Madison Square Garden (19,812) • New York, N.Y.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1 (Tim Brando, Jim Jackson)
Series History: CU leads GU 9-7; CU leads SJU, 11-10
In 2019-20: Creighton split 2 meetings with both Georgetown and St. John's
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
Game #32: St. John's or Georgetown vs. #7 Creighton • Thursday, March 12, 2020 • 11 a.m. CST
Next Game
No. 7 Creighton (24-7, 13-5 BIG EAST) looks to ride the momentum of last week's BIG EAST regular-season title when it heads to New York City for the 2020 BIG EAST Tournament Presented by Jeep.
   The top-seeded Bluejays will play the first quarterfinal on Thursday, March 12, at 11 a.m. CST when they play the winner of Wednesday night's First Round match-up between eighth-seeded Georgetown (15-16, 5-13 BIG EAST) and ninth-seeded St. John's (16-15, 5-13 BIG EAST).
   The game will be held at Madison Square Garden (19,812) in New York, N.Y.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2019-20 season. Â Â Â Â John Bishop and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Thursday's tilt will be televised on FS1. Tim Brando and Jim Jackson will be on the call.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Thursday'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.
Scouting #7 Creighton
Creighton is 24-7 overall and finished league play 13-5 to earn a share of its first BIG EAST title. The Bluejays are 11-2 in the past 13 games, including wins at No. 8 Villanova (76-61 on Feb. 1), at No. 10 Seton Hall (87-82 on Feb. 12) and at No. 19 Marquette (73-65 on Feb. 18) in February and last Saturday's 77-60 win vs. No. 8 Seton Hall to clinch the top seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. Not too shabby for a team picked to finish seventh in the league's preseason poll that would go on to lose potential starters Davion Mintz and Jacob Epperson due to injury.
   Creighton ranks tied for sixth nationally with nine Quadrant 1 wins this season thanks to victories over No. 12 Texas Tech (83-76 in OT on Nov. 29), at Arizona State (67-60 on Dec. 21), Marquette (92-75 on Jan. 1), at Xavier (77-65 on Jan. 11), at No. 8 Villanova (76-61 on Feb. 1), at No. 10 Seton Hall (87-82 on Feb. 12), at No. 19 Marquette (73-65 on Feb. 18) and No. 21 Butler (81-59 on Feb. 23) and No. 8 Seton Hall (77-60 on March 7). In addition, CU's five Quad 1 road wins are tied for fifth-most in the country.
   CU returned five of its top six scorers from a year ago, a group led by guards Marcus Zegarowski (16.1 ppg., 5.0 apg.), Ty-Shon Alexander (16.9 ppg., 5.0 rpg.) and Mitch Ballock (11.9 ppg., 5.3 rpg.). The trio have accounted for 249 three-pointers and 57.3 percent of CU's overall points thus far.
   Three other forwards to keep an eye on are Christian Bishop (8.6 ppg., 5.3 rpg.), Damien Jefferson (9.4 ppg., 5.5 rpg.) and Denzel Mahoney (12.0 ppg.).
   Creighton leads the BIG EAST with 78.3 points per game, 38.6 percent shooting from three-point range, 47.1 percent shooting from the field, 15.77 assists per game and a 1.47 assist/turnover ratio.
Scouting Georgetown
Georgetown is 15-16 this season and has dropped six straight games since a 73-66 win at Butler on Feb. 15th.
   Georgetown features two of the best players in the BIG EAST in Omer Yurtseven (15.8 ppg,. 10.0 rpg., 1.4 bpg.) and Mac McClung (15.7 ppg.), but both men have battled injury and missed recent games.
   With those two men in and out of the line-up, head coach Patrick Ewing has turned to Jahvon Blair (10.9 ppg.), Jamorko Pickett (10.1 ppg., 6.2 rpg.), Terrell Allen (9.1 ppg.) and Jagan Mosely (8.4 ppg.) to log heavy minutes, but it's also given the Hoyas six players who can score in double-figures on any given night.
   The Hoyas average 75.1 points per game and allow 73.8 points per contest. GU owns a +3.2 rebound per game advantage and shoots 43.7 percent from the floor, 35.2 percent from three-point range and a league-best 77.3 percent at the line.
The Series With Georgetown
Creighton is 9-7 all-time against Georgetown and has won six of the last seven meetings in the series. Creighton is 1-1 all-time against the Hoyas on neutral floors, and 0-1 in the BIG EAST Tournament after a 2014 loss in the quarterfinals.
   The series began in 1970 in West Palm Beach, Fla., before resuming in 2014 in BIG EAST play.
   Greg McDermott is 8-8 all-time (8-7 as Creighton coach) against Georgetown and 5-1 against Patrick Ewing.
Previously This Year vs. Georgetown
Creighton and Georgetown split a pair of meetings this season, with the home team winning each time. The Hoyas won 83-80 on January 15 in Washington, D.C., before Creighton dispatched the Hoyas 91-76 in Omaha on March 4.
   Omer Yurtseven (20 points and 13 rebounds) and Mac McClung (19 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) paced the Hoyas in the meeting in January, but missed the rematch.
   Marcus Zegarowski averaged a team-high 20.0 points and 7.5 assists in the games versus the Hoyas, shooting 58.8 percent from three-point land.
   Creighton made 30 three-pointers on 44.1 percent marksmanship in two games vs. GU this winter, helping to offset an 82-64 rebound deficit inside.
Scouting St. John's
St. John's is 16-15 on the season, including a 5-13 BIG EAST mark and non-conference top-25 wins vs. Arizona and West Virginia. The Red Storm are 13-6 at home this winter.
   LJ Figueroa tops the Red Storm with 14.3 points per game, as well as 61 steals in 31 games played.
   Also scoring in double-figures is Rasheem Dunn (12.0 ppg.), Julian Champagnie (10.0 ppg., 6.5 rpg.) and injured wing Mustapha Heron (13.8 ppg.).
   Josh Roberts tops SJU with 44 blocked shots and Nick Rutherford adds 98 assists and 54 steals.
   The Red Storm average 74.6 points per game and yield 71.9 points per contest. SJU shoots 41.0 percent from the floor, 32.1 percent from three-point range and 70.0 percent at the line.
The Series With St. John's
Creighton is 11-10 all-time against St. John's, and 9-5 in the rivalry since joining the BIG EAST.
   The Bluejays are 3-8 all-time in road games against St. John's.
   Greg McDermott is 9-5 against St. John's. He is 3-7 against Mike Anderson, with eight of those meetings coming when McDermott coached Iowa State and Anderson led Missouri. Four of those eight meetings were decided by six points or less, and two went to overtime.
   Creighton has never faced St. John's at the BIG EAST Tournament.
Previously This Year vs. St. John's
Creighton and St. John's split a pair of meetings this season, with the home team winning each time. Creighton won 94-82 in Omaha on Feb. 8 before the Red Storm took the rematch in Carnesecca Arena on March 1st, 91-71.
   Damien Jefferson (18.0 ppg., 5.0 rpg. vs. SJU) and Ty-Shon Alexander (17.5 ppg.) lead five Bluejays scoring in double-figures in those contests.
   Six St. John's players averaged double-figures in scoring against CU, a group led by Marcellus Earlington (14.5 ppg. vs. CU) and LJ Figueroa (14.0 ppg., 6.0 rpg. vs. CU).
   St. John's pressure defense has forced a combined 15 turnovers and picked up just six steals this year against the Bluejays.
   Creighton has shot 17-for-55 (.309) from three-point territory vs. SJU, while the Johnnies are 25-for-53 (.472) from beyond the arc against the Jays.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his 10th year as head coach at Creighton. He is 231-116 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 511-311 in his 26th season and is 380-247 in his 19th Division I campaign. Alan Huss, Paul Lusk and Terrence Rencher assist McDermott.
With A Win...
With a win on Thursday, Creighton can ...
- Improve to 25-7 on the season.
- Improve Greg McDermott to 232-116 as Creighton's head coach.
- Win 25 games or more for the seventh time in program history, and fifth time under Greg McDermott.
- Improve Creighton to 6-6 all-time at the BIG EAST Tournament, including a 3-4 record in the quarterfinal round.
- Improve to 12-1 all-time in conference tournament play as a No. 1 seed.
- Advance to Friday's 5:30 p.m. CST semifinal against either Butler or Providence.
Conference Tournament History
Creighton is 5-6 all-time entering its seventh appearance at the BIG EAST Tournament, which includes trips to the finals in 2014 and 2017.
   Since joining the BIG EAST, Creighton is 1-0 in the opening round, 2-4 in the quarterfinals, 2-0 in the semifinals and 0-2 in championship games.
   Creighton is 0-1 all-time against Georgetown at the BIG EAST Tournament, falling 60-55 in the 2015 quarterfinals.
   Creighton has never faced St. John's at the BIG EAST Tournament.
   Creighton has won at least one conference tournament game in six of the previous nine seasons (which includes three trips to the MVC Tournament). Only Xavier and Villanova (7 each) have more.
   Creighton has never faced the No. 8 or No. 9 seed in BIG EAST Tournament action.
   Creighton also enjoyed a highly-successful run at the MVC Tournament in the previous three decades. The Bluejays owned a 43-20 all-time record in MVC Tournament play. Creighton's 12 MVC Tournament titles were seven more than any other school, while its 43 wins and .683 winning percentage in league tourney action also remain tops in event history.
   Creighton was 19-12 in the quarterfinals, 12-7 in the semifinals and 12-1 in the championship games as a Valley member. Creighton won the MVC Tournament nine of the last 13 times it won its first game in the event.
   As a member of The Valley, Creighton went 2-0 against No. 8 seeds (beating Indiana State 85-70 in 1989 and Missouri State 63-41 in 2001) and also was 1-0 against No. 9 seeds (beating Drake 77-58 in 1991).
History As A Top Seed
Creighton has never been a No. 1 seed at the BIG EAST Tournament, but is 11-1 in program history as the top seed in a conference tournament. All of those appearances came as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
   Creighton made five appearances as the top seed in the MVC Tournament and wound up with four titles. The Jays went 1-0 for the 1978 title, 3-0 in 1989, 1991 and 2013 to win the crown, and were 1-1 in 2001 (losing to No. 5 Indiana State).
   Since the BIG EAST went to a single division prior to the 2003-04 season, the No. 1 seed is 24-11 with five titles. That includes an 11-5 record in the quarterfinal round.
Ring Bearers
Creighton's current full-time coaching staff and players have combined for eight postseason Division I conference tournament titles.
   Assistant coach Alan Huss was on Creighton's 1999 and 2000 MVC Tourney champs, while Greg McDermott owns three MVC Tourney titles under his belt (one as Northern Iowa coach, two as Creighton coach). Terrence Rencher also won the 1994 and 1995 Southwest Conference Tournament while a student-athlete at Texas, earning Most Outstanding Player accolades in 1995. Assistant coach Paul Lusk has been a part of a Big Ten title as an assistant coach at Purdue in 2009.
   Here's a breakdown of how many conference tournament titles each person has been a part of:
Name    Titles Won Years With A Title
Greg McDermott   3   2004@, 2012*, 2013*
Alan Huss   2   1999^, 2000^
Terrence Rencher   2   1994!, 1995!
Paul Lusk   1   2009#
@ won a MVC title as a head coach at Northern Iowa
* won two MVC titles as a head coach at Creighton
^ won two MVC titles as a player at Creighton
! won two Southwest Conference titles as a player at Texas
# won a Big Ten title as an assistant at Purdue
Eight Out Of 21 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 21 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (16), Duke (12), Winthrop (10), Kentucky (10), New Mexico State (10), Kansas (9), Creighton (8), Iona (8), Montana (8) and Murray State (8).
   Since March of 2002 Creighton owns six tournament titles (all in the MVC), while the other nine schools in the current BIG EAST have won a combined 12 league tournament titles. Georgetown (2007 BIG EAST), Providence (2014 BIG EAST), Seton Hall (2016 BIG EAST), Butler (2008, 2010, 2011 Horizon), Villanova (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 BIG EAST) and Xavier (2002, 2004, 2006 Atlantic-10).
   Creighton has appeared in two title games since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013. That trails only Villanova (5), and is tied with Providence (2) and Seton Hall (2). Xavier has advanced to one final.
Random League Tournament Facts
-Creighton has won 12 of its last 14 conference tournament games decided by four points or less.
-Creighton is 10-6 in its last 16 conference tournament games when playing an opponent with a better seed than the Bluejays.
-Creighton is 4-0 all-time in conference tournament play against teams defending a conference tournament title. Villanova won last year's tournament title.
-The top two seeds haven't met in a BIG EAST final since 2004.
Famous Moment, Famous Coach, Famous Arena
Madison Square Garden is often referred to as the "World's Most Famous Arena", and a former Creighton coach is involved in what a 2013 Bleacher Report poll named the greatest moment in Madison Square Garden history.
   After missing Game 6 with a severe thigh injury, NBA MVP Willis Reed limped out of the tunnel prior to Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to raucous applause. He would start and make the New York Knicks' first two baskets. Though he wouldn't score again, the tone was set and he was named Finals MVP.
   Reed would later serve as head coach at Creighton from 1981-85, winning 52 games.
Previous All-Tourney Picks
This week marks Creighton's seventh trip to the BIG EAST Tournament.
   In the previous six trips, the only men to earn All-Tournament Team honors has been Doug McDermott and Austin Chatman, who helped take CU to the finals in 2014, and Marcus Foster, who led the Jays to the 2017 title tilt.
   McDermott scored 94 points in his three games, making 34-of-63 shots from the field, 14-of-28 three-point shots and 12-of-14 attempts from the line. He set a BIG EAST Tournament record for points in a half when he scored 27 in the first half vs. DePaul.
   Chatman averaged 8.7 points, 6.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game while directing the Bluejay offense. He made 9-of-16 shots from the floor.
   In 2017 Foster averaged 16.3 points, 3.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game at The Garden. His three-pointer in the closing seconds of the semifinal lifted Creighton to a 75-72 win and advanced the Bluejays to their second title game in four seasons.
Recent BIG EAST Tourney Records
Below is a list of how each team in the BIG EAST has performed in the league tournament since the league was reconfigured in 2013-14, sorted by win percentage.
BIG EAST Tournament Records Since 2013-14
Rank   Team   W-L   Pct.    Titles
1.   Villanova   14-2   .875   4
2.   Providence   8-5   .615   1
   Seton Hall   8-5   .615   1
4.   Xavier   8-6   .571   0
5.   Creighton   5-6   .455   0
6.   Marquette   4-6   .400   0
7.   St. John's   3-6   .333   0
8.   Georgetown   2-6   .250   0
9.   DePaul   1-6   .143   0
   Butler   1-6   .143   0
Picked 7th in BIG EAST; Now 7th Nationally
The Creighton men's basketball team is ranked seventh in this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll, earning a spot in the poll for the seventh time this season (also 25th on Jan. 13th, 21st on Feb. 3rd, 23rd on Feb. 10, 15th on Feb. 17 and 10th on Feb. 24, 11th on March 2).
   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 95 weeks in program history, with 67 of those under the direction of McDermott. Creighton is 120-46 all-time as a ranked team.
   Creighton is 86-34 all-time under McDermott when ranked in the top-25.
   Creighton is also the 11th-ranked team in this week's USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll.
Bluejay Guards Named All-BIG EAST
Ty-Shon Alexander and Marcus Zegarowski have been honored by the BIG EAST in a vote of league basketball coaches.
   Alexander was a First Team All-BIG EAST selection, and Zegarowski brought home Second Team All-BIG EAST accolades.
   Alexander leads Creighton with 16.9 points per game and 41 steals while also ranking among the best on the Bluejay team in rebounds per game (5.0), minutes per game (34.7), assists (72) and three-pointers (81). The Charlotte, N.C., native ranks in the top-10 in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage (2nd), points per game (3rd), minutes per game (4th), three-pointers made per game (4th), three-point percentage (6th), and in steals per game (8th). Last year Alexander was an Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST choice.
   Zegarowski leads Creighton with 5.0 assists per game and is second on the team in scoring (16.1 ppg.) and steals (34). The sophomore from Hamilton, Mass., ranks third in the BIG EAST in assists per game, third in three-point percentage, fifth in assist/turnover ratio, sixth in three-pointers per game, sixth in points per game, sixth in minutes per game and 11th in field goal percentage. He is the sixth sophomore in Creighton history to score 500 or more points.
Mahoney Is BIG EAST's Top Sixth Man
Creighton junior Denzel Mahoney has earned the BIG EAST Sixth Man Award, a recognition voted on by league coaches.
   A native of Oviedo, Fla., Mahoney has averaged 12.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game for Creighton since gaining eligibility on December 17th. Mahoney has scored in double-figures in 14 of 21 appearances, helping CU win 16 of those games. In BIG EAST play, Mahoney shot a league-leading 89.8 percent (53-59) at the charity stripe.
   In three games against top-10 competition, Mahoney has excelled, averaging 18.3 points per game while helping CU win all three contests. He scored a season-high 21 points in Creighton's victory at Villanova, and scored 16 and 18 points in triumphs over Seton Hall.
   Mahoney is the 12th different recipient of the award, which was first handed out in 2007-08. Past winners include Dion Waiters, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.
Point Taken
Creighton has scored 2,428 points as it heads to the BIG EAST Tournament. That puts the Jays in decent shape to crack the top-11 on its single-season list by the time the campaign concludes.
   Creighton's top six scoring seasons, and eight of its top nine campaigns, have come since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010.
Most Points, Season
   Rk.   Points   Season   Final W-L (Postseason)
   1.   2,864   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
   2.   2,787   2015-16   20-15 (NIT)
   3.   2,772   2011-12   29-6 (NCAA)
   4.   2,756   2013-14   27-8 (NCAA)
      2,756   2017-18   21-12 (NCAA)
   6.   2,727   2018-19   20-15 (NIT)
   7.   2,688   2002-03   29-5 (NCAA)
   8.   2,684   2010-11   23-16 (CBI)
   9.   2,680   2012-13   28-8 (NCAA)
   10.   2,596   1989-90   21-12 (NIT)
   11.   2,565   2008-09   27-8 (NIT)
Moving On Up
Creighton was 56 in the initial NET rankings released on Dec. 16, but that figure has surged to a league-best 11th since then.
   Creighton's five Quad 1 road wins are tied for fifth-most in the country, its nine Quad 1 overall wins are tied for the sixth-most and the 16 Quad 1 games played are tied for fourth-most as well.
   Creighton owns a 9-7 mark in Quadrant 1 games and is unbeaten in contests in Quadrant 2 (6-0), Quadrant 3 (3-0) and Quadrant 4 (5-0) games. The Bluejays are one of five teams nationally that has not suffered a Quad 2, Quad 3 or Quad 4 loss this year.
Most Quad 1 Road Wins (thru 3/8)
Rk.   Quad 1 Road Record   Team
1.   7-1   Kansas
   7-3   Seton Hall
3.   6-1   Baylor
   6-3   Villanova
5.   5-5   Creighton
   5-2   Kentucky
   5-4   Michigan State
   5-6   Wisconsin
Most Quad 1 Wins (thru 3/8)
Rk.   Quad 1 Record   Team
1.   12-3   Kansas
2.   11-2   Baylor
3.   10-7   Seton Hall
   10-6   Villanova
   10-6   Butler
6.   9-7   Creighton
   9-3   Kentucky
   9-8   Wisconsin
No Losses Against Quad 2/3/4 (thru 3/8)
   Q1 W-L Record   Q2/3/4 W-L Record   Team
   12-3   15-0   Kansas
   9-7   14-0   Creighton
   7-7   17-0   Maryland
   5-2   24-0   Gonzaga
   5-2   24-0   Dayton
Most Quad 1 Games Played (thru 3/8)
Rk.   Q1 Games (Record)   Team
1.   17   10-7   Seton Hall
   17   9-8   Wisconsin
   17   5-12   DePaul
4.   16   9-7   Creighton
   16   10-6   Villanova
   16   10-6   Butler
   16   6-10   Michigan
   16   4-12   Minnesota
   16   1-15   Iowa State
Rare Meeting At The Garden Possible vs. SJU
By the time that Creighton potentially would play St. John's at Madison Square Garden on Thursday (if SJU beats Georgetown on Wednesday), the Red Storm will have played 41 games against 14 different foes in The Garden since the last time Creighton faced the Johnnies at MSG in 2014. The only league school with a longer drought than Creighton is Butler.
   Since CU's last game vs. St. John's in the World's Most Famous Arena, St. John's will have played Georgetown there nine times and Villanova on six occasions at MSG.
   Among the non-conference schools that St. John's has played at Madison Square Garden since last playing Creighton there include West Virginia, Princeton, Iona, Duke, Penn State, St. Francis (Brooklyn) and Syracuse.
Quest For 23,000, Completed
Creighton has scored 23,015 points all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha and passed the 23,000 mark on March 7 vs. No. 8 Seton Hall.
   Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 23,015 to 19,283 at the 17-year old facility in 294 all-time games in the building that count.
   Creighton is 22-1 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone at CHI Health Center Omaha, as seen below:
Date   Pts-Opp (CLCO Game #)   Who/How vs. Opp.
02/18/04Â Â Â 1,000-787 (14)Â Â Â Lindeman FG vs. Indiana State
02/05/05Â Â Â 2,000-1,696 (28)Â Â Â Funk FG vs. Missouri St.
01/18/06Â Â Â 3,000-2,504 (41)Â Â Â Watts FT vs. Bradley
01/09/07Â Â Â 4,000-3,359 (56)Â Â Â Tolliver FG vs. Drake
12/17/07Â Â Â 5,000-4,174 (69)Â Â Â Ka. Korver 3FG vs. Hou. Baptist
11/16/08Â Â Â 6,000-5,048 (82)Â Â Â Dotzler FG vs. New Mexico
02/11/09Â Â Â 7,000-5,870 (95)Â Â Â Witter 3FG vs. Bradley
01/16/10Â Â Â 8,000-6,750 (109)Â Â Â Young FG vs. Wichita State
12/20/10Â Â Â 9,000-7,645 (123)Â Â Â Wragge FG vs. W. Illinois
03/23/11Â Â Â 10,000-8,500 (136)Â Â Â Lawson FG vs. UCF
01/21/12Â Â Â 11,000-9,310 (148)Â Â Â McDermott FG vs. Ind. St.
12/19/12Â Â Â 12,000-10,136 (161)Â Â Â Echenique FG vs. Tulsa
11/23/13Â Â Â 13,000-10,922 (173)Â Â Â Artino FG vs. Tulsa
02/23/14Â Â Â 14,000-11,711 (185)Â Â Â Gibbs FG vs. Seton Hall
01/28/15Â Â Â 15,000-12,612 (198)Â Â Â Hanson FT vs. St. John's
12/28/15Â Â Â 16,000-13,498 (211)Â Â Â Huff FG vs. Coppin State
11/15/16Â Â Â 17,000-14,349 (224)Â Â Â Patton FG vs. #9 Wisconsin
01/28/17Â Â Â 18,000-15,166 (235)Â Â Â Hanson FG vs. DePaul
12/18/17Â Â Â 19,000-15,927 (246)Â Â Â Foster 3FG vs. UT Arlington
11/06/18Â Â Â 20,000-16,741 (258)Â Â Â Ballock 3FG vs. W. Illinois
02/03/19Â Â Â 21,000-17,619 (270)Â Â Â Zegarowski FG vs. Xavier
12/07/19Â Â Â 22,000-18,463 (282)Â Â Â Ballock 3FG vs. Nebraska
03/07/20Â Â Â 23,000-19,280 (294)Â Â Â Mahoney 3FG vs. #8 Seton Hall
All The Three's
Creighton drilled a season-high 17 three-pointers on March 4 vs. Georgetown, tied for the fifth-most in program history for a single game.
   Here's a list of Creighton's all-time games with 16 or more treys.
Most 3FG in a Game, Creighton History
   Rank   3FG   Opponent   Date   Score
   1.   22   Coe   12/20/2018   W 110-60
   2.   21   at #4 Villanova   01/20/2014   W 96-68
   3.   20   Chattanooga   02/19/2005   W 100-69
   4.   19   USC Upstate   12/20/2017   W 116-62
   5.   17   #21 Marquette   01/09/2019   L 104-106 (ot)
      17   Georgetown   03/04/2020   W 91-76
   7.   16   Evansville   01/04/1999   L 79-84
      16   Drake   01/08/2013   W 91-61
      16   Chicago State   12/29/2013   W 90-58
      16   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/2016   W 86-77
      16   Alcorn State   11/12/2017   W 109-72
      16   at Georgetown   01/06/2018   W 90-66
No Place Like Home
Creighton played 18 home games this season, and didn't trail at any point in eight of those.
   In nine league games at home, Creighton has led wire-to-wire in four of them (GU, BU, XU, MU), trailed for minimal amounts vs. DePaul (14 seconds) and St. John's (20 seconds), trailed for 3:26 vs. Villanova, 9:00 vs. Seton Hall and for 18:28 vs. Providence. That amounts to a total of 31:28 (in 360 minutes), and only 12:43 of that (in 180 minutes) has come after halftime.
Past Titles
Creighton has now won 22 regular-season conference titles in program history, including this year's BIG EAST crown.
   Creighton's title history dates back to 1916-17 when the Jays were champs of both the Nebraska Colleigate Conference and the Western Athletic Conference (no, we're not sure how).
   CU won four North Central Conference titles in a span of five seasons in the 1920s.
   CU won 15 regular-season titles as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, including eight outright crowns. Only Oklahoma State (11) and Kansas (10) own more outright MVC titles than Creighton.
   Before this season, Creighton's most recent regular-season title had come in 2012-13 in the MVC. A complete list can be found on page 108 of the 2019-20 media guide.
Alexander Wasting No Time
Junior Ty-Shon Alexander owns 1,241 career points as he approaches the final games of his junior season.
   In Creighton history, that point total ranks 13th in program history among players in their first three years as a Bluejay, as seen below.
   Classmate Mitch Ballock enters the BIG EAST Tournament with 996 career points and is on the verge of becoming CU's 27th player to reach 1,000 career points before the end of his third season as a Bluejay.
Most Points, First 3 Seasons, Creighton History
   Rank   Pts.   Name  Â
   1.   2,216   Doug McDermott
   2.   1,876   Bob Portman
   3.   1,661   Paul Silas
   4.   1,575   Benoit Benjamin
   5.   1,540   Bob Harstad
         Rodney Buford
   7.   1,369   Gene Harmon
   8.   1,363   Chad Gallagher
   9.   1,303   Elton Tuttle
   10.   1,292   Marcus Foster
   11.   1,272   Bob Gibson
   12.   1,267   Wally Anderzunas
   13.   1,241   Ty-Shon Alexander
   14.   1,197   Kyle Korver
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 and 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting in the Feb. 18 rematch, 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, Butler's Kamar Baldwin to seven points in 15 injury-limited minutes on Feb. 23 and Jahvon Blair to 8-for-23 shooting on March 4.
   Alexander had five steals in the Feb. 15 win over DePaul, which was one shy of his career-high six that he had in the win earlier this year vs. Marquette.
   In four head-to-head games this season against Marquette and Seton Hall, Alexander has averaged 19.0 points while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and owning just two turnovers. Meanwhile, Howard and Powell have combined to average 14.5 points per game on 32.2 percent shooting and committed 16 turnovers. Creighton went 4-0 in those contests.
Full House
Creighton averaged 17,314 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 (3/8)
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Syracuse   21,704   TBD
   2.   Kentucky   20,160   Next Season
   3.   North Carolina   20,103   Next Season
   4.   Tennessee   18,990   TBD
   5.   Creighton   17,314   Next Season
   6.   Wisconsin   16,912   Next Season
   7.   Louisville   16,658   Next Season
   8.   Kansas   16,388   Next Season
   9.   Memphis   16,312   TBD
   10.   Indiana   16,300   TBD
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Some Loyal Fans
Creighton played in front of more than 300,000 home fans for the third straight season in 2019-20, hosting a program-record 311,651 fans this winter.
   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 each of the last 17 seasons.
   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
   17,314   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.   2019-20   18   311,651   17,314
2.   2017-18   18   306,000   17,000
3.   2018-19   19   303,629   15,980
4.   2015-16   19   302,887   15,941
5.   2008-09   19   302,676   15,930
5.   2010-11   22   297,161   13,507
Ranked vs. Ranked
Creighton is 10-12 all-time as a ranked team when facing a ranked team, including a 8-8 overall mark under Greg McDermott. Creighton is also 4-0 this season in such contests.
   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
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
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 nine of those same teams at the same site, and won six of them (five by double-figures).
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   Lost 91-71
Seton Hall   Lost 81-75   Won 77-60
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.
   Mitch Ballock has played in 99 games and owns 996 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
A Grand For Alexander; Ballock Next?
Ty-Shon Alexander ranks 25th in Creighton history on the all-time scoring list with 1,241 points.
   Mitch Ballock owns 996 career points and is up to 43rd 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.   1,241   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-Pres.
   25.   1,238   Ben Walker   1997-01
   27.   1,196   Ray Yost   1951-54
   28.   1,172   Dick Harvey   1956-59
   29.   1,155   Ethan Wragge   2009-14
   30.   1,152   Dane Watts   2004-08
   31.   1,140   Khyri Thomas   2015-18
   32.   1,116   Kenny Evans   1982-87
   33.   1,115   Doug Brookins   1972-75
      1,115   Daryl Stovall   1978-82
   35.   1,093   Tim Powers   1964-67
   36.   1,050   Reggie Morris   1982-86
   37.   1,031   Johnny Mathies   2003-06
   38.   1,024   P'Allen Stinnett   2007-10
   39.   1,023   Rod Mason   1986-88
   40.   1,013   Austin Chatman   2011-15
   41.   1,006   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
   42.   1,004   Anthony Tolliver   2003-07
   43.   996   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   44.   994   Chuck Officer   1960-62, 1963-64
Ball Control Offense
Creighton leads the BIG EAST with a 1.45 assist/turnover ratio in all games, and its 10.9 turnovers per game are tied for the fewest in the league.
   Mitch Ballock leads the league with a 3.39 assist/turnover ratio (95/28) in all games and also finished first with a 3.53 assist/turnover ratio (60/17) in league play. For his career, Ballock owns an impressive 269/111 (2.42) assist/turnover ratio.
   Sophomore teammate Christian Bishop has turned his season around in that category as well. After 11 assists and 21 turnovers in non-conference play, Bishop owned 30 assists and 26 turnovers in league action.
   One final Bluejay with eye-popping numbers in the assist/turnover chart is junior Ty-Shon Alexander. Alexander has 47 assists and just 16 turnovers in league play this year. Alexander did not have a turnover in eight of Creighton's 18 league games, and multiple turnovers just three times.
  Â
Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton leads 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 15.77Â assists per game.
   In KenPom.com ratings through Sunday night, Creighton had the nation's third-best offense.
   If Creighton can finish 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.
What's My Line?
Creighton is holding foes to 31.4 percent shooting from three-point range, a key reason why the Bluejays have out-scored foes by 210 points behind the arc.
   In two games last week, Creighton shot 31-for-62 (.500) from three-point range.
   Bluejay opponents are shooting 28.7 percent from downtown when CU wins, but 42.0 percent from deep in CU losses.
   The 31.4 percent shooting from three-point range by CU opponents is on pace to be the third-best mark in program history. In fact, the only time CU held foes under 31 percent from deep was in 1995-96 (29.2%).
   Here's how the three-point shooting has broken down in CU's games this season, including the seven losses:
Category   CU 3FG (%)   Opp 3FG (%)
In CU's 24 wins   261-618 (.422)   169-588 (.287)
In CU's 7 losses   41-165 (.248)   63-150 (.420)
vs. Top 25 Teams   73-178 (.410)   56-214 (.262)
at Michigan   7-20 (.350)   9-23 (.391)
vs. San Diego State   4-23 (.174)   11-18 (.611)
at #11 Butler   4-22 (.182)   6-19 (.316)
#16 Villanova   3-14 (.214)   6-33 (.182)
at Georgetown   13-32 (.406)   5-15 (.333)
at Providence   6-27 (.222)   12-20 (.600)
at St. John's   4-27 (.148)   14-22 (.636)
McDermott Coaches Them Up
Creighton University's Greg McDermott is one of 10 semifinalists for the Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
   McDermott has guided a Creighton team that was picked to finish seventh in the BIG EAST to a No. 7 spot in this week's Associated Press poll, a No. 11 slotting in the most recent NET, and a share of the BIG EAST title.
   The Bluejays are tied for third nationally with six top-25 wins this season, and on Jan. 11 McDermott became the 27th active Division I coach to reach 500 career wins. Creighton's success has come despite the loss of key returnees Davion Mintz and Jacob Epperson for the season due to injury.
   The finalists will be revealed on March 18. The winner of the 2020 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's Coach of the Year will be announced on April 5, at the Naismith Awards Brunch in Atlanta.
   Should he win, McDermott would join his son Doug McDermott as the only father/son tandem in history to have won both a Naismith Coach of the Year and Player of the Year award.
   The McDermott's also have a chance to become the BIG EAST's first men's basketball father/son tandem in history to have won both a Coach of the Year and Player of the Year award.
Mr. Perfect
Marcus Zegarowski became the 71st player in NCAA history to be perfect on seven or more three-point attempts during Creighton's win vs. No. 21 Butler on Feb. 23rd.
   Zegarowski was 5-for-5 from deep in the first half and made his only two attempts from distance after the break before checking out after CU took a 61-32 lead with 12 minutes left.
   Zegarowski is the third player in the country with a 7-for-7 (or better) performance form three-point land this season, joining South Dakota's Tyler Hagedom (8-8) vs. Texas Southern on Nov. 15 and Florida State's Devin Vassell vs. Virginia Tech on Feb. 1.
   Zegarowski broke Kyle Korver's Creighton record for most three-point attempts without a miss, as Korver opened his senior year with a 6-for-6 showing from distance vs. Texas-Arlington on Nov. 17, 2002.
Single-Game 3-Point Percentage Leaders, CU History
   Pct.   Name, Opponent (min. 5 3 FGA)   Date
   1.000   Marcus Zegarowski (7-7) vs. Butler   02/23/20
      Kyle Korver (6-6) vs. Texas-Arlington   11/17/02
      Porter Moser (5-5) vs. Bradley   01/21/89
      Ben Walker (5-5) vs. Evansville   02/28/00
      Michael Lindeman (5-5) vs. Bradley   02/08/03
      Marcus Zegarowski (5-5) vs. Seton Hall   03/07/20
   .917   Mitch Ballock (11-12) vs. DePaul   03/09/19
   .857   Kyle Korver (6-7) vs. Missouri State   01/19/00
      Ryan Sears (6-7) at Indiana State   02/04/01
      Booker Woodfox (6-7) vs. Indiana St.   01/19/08
      Doug McDermott (6-7) vs. Indiana St.   03/09/13
      Rick Kreklow (6-7) vs. Marquette   02/14/15
   Zegarowski is also the fourth player in BIG EAST history to be 7-for-7 or better from three-point range in a league game:
Single-Game 3-Point Percentage Leaders
BIG EAST History (League Games Only)
   Pct.   Name, Opponent   Date
   1.000   CU's Marcus Zegarowski vs. Butler   02/23/20
      BU's Kellen Dunham vs. Seton Hall   03/08/14
      MU's Jerel McNeal vs. Cincinnati   01/04/09
      WVU's Da'Sean Butler at St. John's   02/06/10
Zegarowski Named Player of the Week
Marcus Zegarowski was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Feb. 24 after helping Creighton to a pair of top-25 wins. The Massachusetts native averaged 21.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in wins over No. 19 Marquette and No. 21 Butler.
   He is Creighton Basketball's first Player of the Week since Ty-Shon Alexander on Jan. 28, 2019.
   Zegarowski made 69.6 percent of his shots from the field (16-23), shooting 87.5 percent from three-point range (7-8) and 75 percent at the line (3-4). The Bluejays never trailed against Butler, and never trailed in the final 29 minutes vs. the Golden Eagles.
   The sophomore started his week with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists in Tuesday's 73-65 win at Marquette. Zegarowski made 7-of-11 shots from the field, including 4-of-4 marksmanship in the second half, in Creighton's third top-25 road win of the month.
   On Sunday vs. Butler, Zegarowski tied a BIG EAST single-game record by making 7-of-7 three point shots en route to 25 points in only 25 minutes. He was 5-for-5 from downtown in the first half as Creighton raced to its largest halftime lead (40-21) in league play since 2017. He would make 9-of-12 shots overall, also adding three rebounds, an assist and a steal.
   Zegarowski was also named the National Player of the Week by the USBWA for his efforts, the first Bluejay with such an honor since Doug McDermott earned the accolade twice in 2013-14.
Winning Away From Home
Creighton went 6-5 in true road games this season.
   Since 1999-00, Creighton has posted six road wins or more on 12 occasions (including 2019-20), making the NCAA Tournament nine of those times (with a bid likely coming in 2019-20). Creighton has won either a regular-season title or reached the conference tournament final in 11 of those 12 campaigns (including 2019-20).
Year   Road W-L   League Road W-L   Postseason
2019-20Â Â Â 6-5Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â TBD
2016-17Â Â Â 7-4Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â NCAA (0-1)
2013-14Â Â Â 7-4Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â NCAA (1-1)
2012-13Â Â Â 7-5Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â NCAA (1-1)
2011-12Â Â Â 10-3Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â NCAA (1-1)
2008-09Â Â Â 8-4Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â NIT (1-1)
2004-05Â Â Â 7-5Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â NCAA (0-1)
2003-04Â Â Â 6-6Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â NIT (0-1)
2002-03Â Â Â 7-4Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â NCAA (0-1)
2001-02Â Â Â 7-5Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â NCAA (1-1)
2000-01Â Â Â 7-5Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â NCAA (0-1)
1999-00Â Â Â 8-6Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â NCAA (0-1)
Big Night For Bishop
Christian Bishop had the best night of his career on Feb. 23 vs. No. 21 Butler.
   Bishop had career-highs in points (19), blocks (4) and steals (3) while tying his previous best in assists (5).
   The sophomore forward had five dunks while shooting 7-of-10 from the field and making 5-of-6 free throws.
   Bishop followed that game up with five more assists at St. John's on March 1st.
   After 11 assists and 21 turnovers in non-conference play, Bishop owned 30 assists and 26 turnovers in league action.
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 231 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .666 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more 80 years ago.
   Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk.   W-L   Name   Years
1.   327-176   Dana Altman   1994-2010
2.   231-116   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
3.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger    1922-1935
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-1969
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-1981
24 Wins And Counting
Creighton enters the BIG EAST Tournament with a 24-7 record. In 102 seasons of Bluejay Basketball, this is just the 10th team to have won 24 times or more. Only six previous teams have won 25 games, and none since 2016-17.
   This year's club is just the sixth squad to reach 24+ wins before the league tourney.
   Prior to Greg McDermott's arrival, Creighton MBB won 23+ games nine times in 93 seasons. This season marks McDermott's sixth time in 10 years with 23+ victories on the Bluejay sideline. Creighton has averaged 23.1 wins per season under McDermott.
Most Creighton MBB Wins, Season
      Pre   Pre-Post   Postseason
Year   Final W-L   Tourney   Season   Tournament
2002-03Â Â Â 29-5Â Â Â 26-4Â Â Â 29-4Â Â Â NCAA
2011-12Â Â Â 29-6Â Â Â 25-5Â Â Â 28-5Â Â Â NCAA
2012-13Â Â Â 28-8Â Â Â 24-7Â Â Â 27-7Â Â Â NCAA
2008-09Â Â Â 27-8Â Â Â 25-6Â Â Â 26-7Â Â Â NIT
2013-14Â Â Â 27-8Â Â Â 24-6Â Â Â 26-7Â Â Â NCAA
2016-17Â Â Â 25-10Â Â Â 23-8Â Â Â 25-9Â Â Â NCAA
1990-91Â Â Â 24-8Â Â Â 20-7Â Â Â 23-7Â Â Â NCAA
2000-01Â Â Â 24-8Â Â Â 23-6Â Â Â 24-7Â Â Â NCAA
2019-20   24-7 so far   24-7   TBD   TBD
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.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 22 Years
(Records through 3/8)
Team   20-Win Seasons   2019-20 W-L   Next Game
Gonzaga   22*   29-2   3/9
Kansas   22*   28-3   3/12
Duke   22*   25-6   3/12
Kentucky   21*   25-6   3/13
Creighton   20*   24-7   3/12
Florida   20   19-12   3/12
Syracuse   19   17-14   3/11
*20-win season total includes 2019-20
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   21-32
vs. Top 10 Teams   5-31   9-14
vs. Top 10 on Road   1-28   4-7
vs. Top 25 on Road   2-63   8-14
Ranking News & Notes
- Creighton is 21-32 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 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, NC State, Seton Hall, South Carolina, Syracuse, Temple, Texas Tech, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin and Xavier.
- Creighton is 16-15 since the start of the 2016-17 season against ranked teams. The 16 wins over ranked teams in that time is tied for 13th nationally, and trails only Villanova (21) among BIG EAST clubs. Â
- Creighton beat four ranked teams in the same month for the first time in program history in February when it defeated No. 8 Villanova, No. 10 Seton Hall, No. 19 Marquette and No. 21 Butler.
- Creighton, Michigan State and Wisconsin are the only teams with three or more top-25 road wins this season.
- Since the start of the 2010-11 season, the nation's only teams with four top-25 wins in the same month of February have been Creighton (4 in 2019-20), Providence (5 in 2019-20) and Kansas (4 in 2015-16).
- Creighton's six top-25 wins this season trails only Iowa (7) and Michigan State (7) nationally. Other teams with six top-25 wins are Ohio State, Oregon and Baylor.
Top 25 Success
Creighton has six wins over top-25 teams this season, breaking a 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
   6   2019-20   #8 Villanova, #10 Seton Hall,
         #12 Texas Tech, #19 Marquette,
         #21 Butler, #8 Seton Hall
   4   2016-17   #9 Wisconsin, #12 Butler,
         #16 Butler, #22 Xavier
   4   2017-18   #3 Villanova, #19 Seton Hall,
         #20 Northwestern, #23 UCLA
   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
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 93 three-pointers this season, while Alexander has drained 81 treys. Ballock has already broken the previous program record for three-pointers made by a junior of 82 by Tad Ackerman in 1994-95.
   Ballock and Alexander have become the second and third players in Creighton history with 80 or more three-pointers in multiple seasons, joining legendary marksman Kyle Korver. Ballock, and Alexander, however, are the only players to do it in consecutive campaigns.
   Only four sophomores in Creighton history have ever made 70 or more three-pointers in a season. Korver (100) in 2000-01, Alexander (97) and Ballock (95) last year, and Zegarowski (75) this winter.
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   Boooker Woodfox*   2008-09
   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
   76-175   .434   Rod Mason   1987-88
*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
Most 3-Pointers Made by a Creighton Sophomore
   3FG-FGA   3FG%   Name   Year
   100-221   .452   Kyle Korver   2000-01
   97-266   .365   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   95-227   .419   Mitch Ballock   2018-19
   75-177   .424   Marcus Zegarowski   2019-20
   66-161   .410   Ethan Wragge   2011-12
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
   3.00   93   31   Mitch Ballock   2019-20
   2.88   95   33   Marcus Foster   2017-18
Ballock & Alexander Reach 200 Treys
Mitch Ballock leads Creighton with 93 three-point baskets this season, which gives him 232 in his Bluejay career. That puts him in fifth place in program history in that category. Classmate Ty-Shon Alexander is up to seventh place with 210 career treys.
   Ballock and teammate Ty-Shon Alexander have 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 16th nationally with 93 three-pointers made and 11th in three-point percentage (.435).
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.   233   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   6.   212   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   7.   210   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-Pres.
   8.   206   Jahenns Manigat   2010-14
   9.   200   Nate Funk   2002-07
   10.   185   Matt Roggenburk   1986-90
Iron Man Mitch
Junior Mitch Ballock leads the BIG EAST with 35.97 minutes per game, a number that climbs to 36.83 minutes per contest in league play, as he played all but 57 minutes in CU's 18 league games. CU is the nation's only team with three men averaging 34.6 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 six players in minutes per game.
BIG EAST Minutes Per Game Leaders
   Rank   Name, Team   G   MIN   MPG
   1.   Mitch Ballock, CU   31   1115   35.97
   2.   Charlie Moore, DPU   31   1102   35.55
   3.   Naji Marshall, XU   30   1065   35.50
   4.   Ty-Shon Alexander, CU   31   1076   34.71
      Jagan Mosely, GU   31   1076   34.71
   6.   Marcus Zegarowski, CU   31   1073   34.61
Creighton Minutes Per Game Leaders Since 1994-95
   Rank   MPG   Name   Year
   1.   36.0   Mitch Ballock   2019-20
   2.   35.7   Antoine Young   2010-11
   3.   35.033   Edward St. Fleur   1996-97
   4.   35.030   Ryan Sears   1999-00
   5.   34.7   Ty-Shon Alexander   2019-20
   6.   34.6   Marcus Zegarowski   2019-20
   7.   34.48   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
The Race To 70
Creighton has scored 70 or more points in 23 of its 24 victories this season, and is 23-2 when reaching that plateau this winter.
   Creighton is also 14-1 this season when allowing fewer than 70 points.
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 15 games, and made multiple three-pointers in 14 of those 15 contests.
   Following several talks about body language and leadership with head coach Greg McDermott after a Jan. 15 loss to Georgetown Alexander has averaged 18.3 points per game while shooting 40-of-94 from three-point range (42.6 percent). He also owns a 36/9 assist/turnover ratio and owns 20 steals in that time while playing an average of 34.9 minutes per game.
   Creighton is 11-2 in this stretch.
   Alexander owns 524 points this year, reaching 500 points for a second consecutive year
   . Only nine Bluejays have done this previously (Doug McDermott 4x; Bob Harstad 3x; Rodney Buford 3x; Paul Silas 3x; Bob Portman 2x; Marcus Foster 2x; Chad Gallagher 2x; Nate Funk 2x; Rick Apke 2x).
Jays2K
Creighton has 2,428 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 78.4 points per game.
   Greg McDermott is 66-4 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 60-4 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 went 5-4 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 were only seven other occasions this season in which a road team won a BIG EAST game by 10 points or more...Butler (at Providence), Providence (at Georgetown), Seton Hall (at Xavier), St. John's (at DePaul), Villanova (at St. John's and at DePaul) and Xavier (at Seton Hall).
   This season marks the first time Creighton owned three conference road wins of 10 or more points since 2016-17 (at St. John's, at Providence, at DePaul).
   Creighton also leads the BIG EAST with 16 home wins this season, and is 21-1 in its last 22 home games against all teams. The Bluejays are 40-24 all-time in BIG EAST home games.
   Home teams went 53-37 in BIG EAST play this year.
.500 Or Better in League Play, Again
Creighton went 13-5 in league play finishing with 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 went 8-10 in the league, snapping its streak of 37 straight seasons in which it has finished .500 or better in league play. That had been 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, Villanova and Seton Hall. Those are the same three teams that tied for the 2019-20 league title.
How Many Days???
After just two top-25 road wins from 1949-2013, Creighton has picked up eight 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 three times 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 6
02/18/20Â Â Â #15 CU 73, #21 Marquette 65Â Â Â TBD
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 fourth-most nationally, trailing only Kansas (7), Duke (5) and Oklahoma (5) and equal 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 12-0 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).
3-Pointers, By Average
Creighton has made 9.74 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)
   9.74   2019-20   302   31   24-7 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)
Alexander A Finalist For Jerry West Award
Creighton's Ty-Shon Alexander is one of five finalists 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 10 to just five 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.
8 Games And Counting
Creighton's bench has scored 471 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.
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.
   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 328-280 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 March 8, 2020
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
3FG Made   3,096   2nd
Assists   5,629   3rd
3FG Percentage   .385   2nd
FG Percentage   .480   5th
FG Made   9,466   9th
Wins   231   30th
Winning Percentage   .666   33rd
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 made 236 free throws in BIG EAST play, while its opponents attempted just 257 (making 180).
   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.
Toe The Line
Ty-Shon Alexander ranks second in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage, draining 117-of-136 attempts (86.0 percent).
   Alexander has attempted 19 free throws in Creighton's seven losses (2.7 attempts per loss), and 117 foul shots in CU's 24 victories (4.9 attempts per win).
   Creighton is 9-1 this season when Alexander attempts six or more free throws this season.
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 7-2
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)   142-83 (.631)
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.
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.
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
McDermott Climbs BIG EAST Charts
Greg McDermott owns 69 career regular-season BIG EAST wins, which ranks tied for 18th in league history with Buzz Williams.
    Of the 25 men with 50 or more regular-season BIG EAST wins, McDermott's .548 win percentage in league play ranks 15th-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. and Steve Lappas.
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 28 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 March 8, 2020)
Rank   W-L   Coach, Current School
   1.   1157-350   Mike Krzyzewski, Duke  Â
   2.   963-399   Jim Boeheim, Syracuse  Â
   3.   884-252   Roy Williams, North Carolina  Â
   4.   881-372   Bob Huggins, West Virginia  Â
   5.   780-517   Cliff Ellis, Coastal Carolina  Â
---
   25.   525-204   Gregg Marshall, Wichita State
   26.   511-311   Greg McDermott, Creighton
   27.   510-372   Jeff Jones, Old Dominion
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 21 contests, Jefferson has averaged 10.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while Mahoney checks in at 12.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest.
   Jefferson has scored nine or more points in 14 of the last 20 games, while Mahoney has reached double-figures in 14 of his 21 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).
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.
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 three teams (2008-09, 2012-13 and 2019-20) 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 11-of-31 opponents under 40 percent this season after doing it a total of seven times in 35 games a year ago.
   Creighton is 94-17 (.847) 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 42.0 percent shooting (its' best since .407 in 2012-13), a figure that ranks 121st-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 third 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 93 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 5.0 assists per game and second with 16.1 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.
Birds of Trey
Creighton's backcourt features three of the nation's best shooters, as Ty-Shon Alexander, Mitch Ballock and Marcus Zegarowski have combined to shoot 249-for-594 (41.9 percent) as a group from deep.
   Alexander, Ballock and Zegarowski are one of two trios in the country with 75 or more three-pointers through games of March 8th, joining North Florida. 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.
   Creighton is 21-3 all-time when Alexander, Ballock and Zegarowski all score in double-figures, including a 14-1 mark this winter with 14 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 16.1 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
   16.1   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 882 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 6,937 trifectas, an average of 7.87 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 134 times, more than any figure.
   Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 245 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
   Creighton has also made at least one three-pointer before halftime in 253 consecutive contests (since 0-7 at Drake on 1/23/13).
   The Bluejays are also 23-1 this year when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 1-6 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:  134 times   8:  113 times   9: 85 times
10: 72 times   11: 50 times   12: 47 times
13: 41 times   14: 16 times   15: 7 times
16: 6 times   17: 2 times   19: 1 time
20: 1 time   21: 1 time   22: 1 time
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 882 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 16th-longest active streak.
   Creighton's last win without making a three-point basket came on March 3, 1991 when the Jays went 0-for-2 from three-point range in a 71-66 win over Southern Illinois in the championship game of the MVC Tournament.
   Below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (through 3/8)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,102   UNLV   TBD
   2.   1,090   Duke   3/12
   3.   1,042   Arkansas   3/11
   4.   1,036   Western Kentucky   3/12
   5.   1,026   East Tennessee State   3/9
   6.   1,013   Pacific   TBD
   7.   1,001   Oakland   TBD
   8.   996   Texas   3/12
   9.   958   Princeton   3/14
   10.   946   Marshall   3/11
   11.   933   Baylor   3/12
   12.   917   Gonzaga   3/9
   13.   908   Long Island   TBD
   14.   888   Mount St. Mary's   Season Over
   15.   885   Cornell   Season Over
   16.   882   Creighton   3/12
   17.   876   Tennessee State   TBD
   18.   872   East Carolina   3/12
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 81.12 points per home game (14,521 points in 179 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.99 points in non-conference home games (7,564 points in 89 home games).
   Creighton is 115-5 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.
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 success as past trips have done.
   This year's team is off to a 24-7 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 (Memphis Grizzlies), Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers, Justin Patton (Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks) and Khyri Thomas (Detroit Pistons) have all been with NBA organizations.
   Including 2019-20, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 36 of the last 37 years.
   Korver ranks fourth in NBA history with 2,432 three-pointers and is 10th in league history with 42.86 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 41.3 percent from three-point range this season (13th in the NBA) 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 3.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game this season. He was traded from Portland to Sacramento on January 18th. His contract was bought out on Feb. 29 and on March 2 he joined the Memphis Grizzlies.
   McDermott is in his sixth season in the NBA, and second with the Indiana Pacers. He is averaging 10.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game this year while shooting 44.5 percent from three-point range (fifth-best in the NBA this season). He also ranks 18th in NBA history in career three-point percentage (.4134). 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 six 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 was traded on January 24th to the Dallas Mavericks organization, then released, and cleared waivers before signing with the Wisconsin Herd, the G-League affiliate for the Milwaukee Bucks.
   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 seven games this winter for Detroit, but underwent foot surgery on Nov. 13th and has 13 points in limited action.
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 294 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 17-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 243-51 (.827) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (19-0).
   Creighton's Nov. 25, 2017 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 23,015-19,283 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.69 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 84 different times.
   Creighton is also 28-30 all-time in the 58 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-11 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 35-25 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 146-33 (.816) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including an 83-6 record vs. non-conference teams.
   Factor in a 17-0 home mark at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 and two wins at the Civic in the 2010 CIT, and the Bluejays are 262-51 (.837) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time. 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.   18,519   #8 Seton Hall   03/07/20
   11.   18,518   Georgetown   01/27/18
   12.   18,495   Marquette   02/17/18
   13.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   14.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   15.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   16.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   17.   18,321   #3 Villanova   02/24/18
   18.   18,257   #5 Xavier   02/10/18
   19.   18,191   DePaul   02/27/18
   20.   18,160   Central Arkansas   11/14/14
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
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballMeet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
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Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
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Meet the Jays - MBB Ty Davis
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