Men's Basketball Visits Butler For Saturday Matinee

Game #13: #8 Creighton Bluejays at Butler Bulldogs
Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021 • 1:00 p.m. Central
Hinkle Fieldhouse • Indianapolis, Ind.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
SiriusXM: Sirius 136; XM 201; App 964
Television: FS1 (Matt Schumacker, Nick Bahe)
Series History: Creighton leads, 12-9
Last Meeting: #15 Creighton 81, #21 Butler 59 on Feb. 23, 2020 in Omaha, Neb.
CREIGHTON NOTES PDF | BUTLER NOTES PDF | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE RADIO | LIVE STATS

Next Game
No. 8 Creighton (10-2, 6-1 BIG EAST) seeks a seventh consecutive win on Saturday afternoon when it visits Butler (3-7, 2-5 BIG EAST).
   The Bluejays and Bulldogs will tip at 1:00 p.m. Central at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2020-21 season. KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games that start after 5 p.m. The game can also be heard on Sirius channel 136 or XM 201 or channel 964 on the SiriusXM app.
   John Bishop will call the action with Taylor Stormberg. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game will be televised nationally by FS1, with Matt Schumacker and Nick Bahe on the call.
   Of Creighton's last 143 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised. CU is 97-46 in those contests.

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

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

Scouting No. 8 Creighton
Creighton is ranked eighth nationally in the AP poll after a 10-2 start that includes wins vs. Nebraska (98-74), St. John's (94-76), UConn (76-74, OT), No. 22 Xavier (66-61), Providence (67-65), Seton Hall (89-53) and St. John's (97-79). CU's only losses have come to then-No. 5 Kansas (73-72) and Marquette (89-84).
   The Bluejays return four starters and five of its top six scorers from last season's team that finished 24-7 and won a share of its first BIG EAST regular-season title. CU's 2019-20 team was ranked No. 7 in the year-end Associated Press poll, while this year's club was 11th in the preseason AP poll. Both were program bests for a preseason or postseason poll.
   Senior wing Denzel Mahoney (14.7 ppg.) won the BIG EAST's Sixth Man Award last season, while junior forward Christian Bishop (11.7 ppg., 5.5 rpg.) has shot 66.3 percent from the field to lead the league. Bishop had the game-winning dunk with 0.8 seconds left to help Creighton win at Providence on Jan. 2nd.
   Point guard Marcus Zegarowski (14.1 ppg., 4.8 apg.) was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and is a Preseason All-American by nearly every outlet after averaging 16.1 points and 5.1 assists per game last season. He had a double-double vs. Omaha on Dec. 1 in which he had 11 points and a career-high 11 assists.
   Perhaps CU's best player in recent weeks has been Damien Jefferson (12.0 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 3.1 apg.), who forced overtime with a jumper in the final second of regulation at UConn. He leads the BIG EAST with 2.29 steals in conference play.
   Creighton is shooting 49.6 percent from the field, scoring 83.2 points per game and holding foes to 68.9 points per contest.

Scouting Butler
Butler is off to a 3-7 start, which includes a 2-4 BIG EAST mark. The Bulldogs have been bitten by the injury bug this season, and all three victories have come inside historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.
   Jair Bolden (13.4 ppg.) and Aaron Thompson (13.4 ppg.) share the team lead in points per game, with Chuck Harris (11.1 ppg.) and Bryce Golden (10.1 ppg.) also averaging in double-figures. A South Carolina transfer, Bolden has made 31 three-pointers and connects at a 43.1 percent clip from downtown.
   The Bulldogs average 63.0 points per game and shoot 42.4 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from deep and 61.1 percent at the line.

The Series With Butler
Creighton is 12-9 all-time vs. Butler in a series that dates to a 27-22 Bluejay win in 1933. The home team has won the last six meetings.
   Creighton is 3-7 all-time in Indianapolis against the Bulldogs, including a 2-5 mark since the schools became BIG EAST rivals.
   Greg McDermott is 8-8 in his career vs. Butler, including a 8-6 mark on the Creighton sideline. He is 3-3 against LaVall Jordan, with the home team winning each time.
   Since joining the BIG EAST, Creighton is 7-1 when scoring 72 or more points against the Bulldogs and 1-5 when scoring 71 points or less.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 241-118 record in his 11th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 521-313 in 27 seasons, and is 390-249 in his 20th Division I campaign.
   McDermott led Creighton to its first BIG EAST regular-season title last season, taking a Bluejay team that was picked seventh in the league's preseason poll and ending the year ranked seventh nationally. For those efforts, he was recognized as the BIG EAST Coach of the Year as well as the USBWA District VI Coach of the Year, NABC District 5 Coach of the Year and Basketball Times Midlands District Coach of the Year.
   McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000).
   He is assisted by Alan Huss, Paul Lusk and Terrence Rencher.

With A Win...
- Creighton would improve to 11-2 on the season.
- Creighton would improve to 7-1 in the BIG EAST for the first time since starting 9-1 in 2013-14.
- Creighton would win seven straight BIG EAST games for the first time, the first time winning seven straight league games in the same season since a streak of 11 in a row in 2011-12 when the Jays were in the Missouri Valley Conference.
- Creighton would improve to 131-48 all-time (97-36 under Greg McDermott) as a nationally-ranked team.
- Creighton would improve to 3-0 all-time when ranked exactly eighth, with two of those wins vs. Butler.
- Creighton would snap a three-game losing streak at Hinkle Fieldhouse, its longest active road skid against any active BIG EAST member.
- Creighton would start 11-2 (or better) for the sixth time in the past 10 seasons.
- Creighton would start 4-0 in conference road games for just the second time since 1943-44.

It's A WWWWWWinning Streak
Creighton has won six games in a row, and can grow that total with a seventh straight win on Saturday. This is the first time that the Bluejays have won six straight BIG EAST games in the same season.
   Creighton last won seven conference games in a row during the same season in 2011-12, when it won 11 games in a row. That team, like this year's club, blew a halftime lead at home in its first league contest of the year before embarking on its long winning streak.
    Creighton has now had at least one streak of five or more wins (including non-conference games) in 22 of the last 24 seasons.
   Here's a list of Creighton's longest win streaks in BIG EAST play since joining the league in 2013.
CU's Longest Same Season BIG EAST Win Streaks
   Wins   Dates   Snapped by
   6   Dec. 17, 2020 - Present   ? ? ?
   5   Dec. 31, 2013 - Jan. 14, 2014   at Providence
   5   Feb. 20-March 9, 2019   End of League Play
   5   Feb. 8-23, 2020   at St. John's

Up, Up, And Away
Since Feb. 19, 2019, Creighton owns a 24-6 mark in regular-season BIG EAST games. That figure is the best mark in the league by more than three games.
   Not only that, but Creighton owned the most wins to close the 2018-19 season after Feb. 19th, tied for the most wins in 2019-20, and is tied for the most wins in 2020-21 as well.
Conference Records Since Feb. 19, 2019
Team   After 2/19/19   '19-20   '20-21   Total
Creighton   5-0   13-5   6-1   24-6
Seton Hall   2-3   13-5   6-2   21-10
Villanova   2-3   13-5   3-0   18-8
Providence   3-2   12-6   3-4   18-12
UConn   2-4#   10-8#   4-1   16-13
Xavier   4-1   8-10   3-2   15-13
Butler   1-4   10-8   2-5   13-17
Marquette   2-4   8-10   3-4   13-18
Georgetown   4-2   5-13   1-5   10-20
St. John's   1-4   5-13   2-5   8-22
DePaul   2-3   3-15   0-4   5-22
#includes 2018-19 and 2019-20 in the AAC

McDermott A Familiar Name in Indy
Creighton head coach Greg McDermott is the father of Doug McDermott, who is early in his third season in Indianapolis as a member of the Pacers.
   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 two games as a collegian vs. Butler, McDermott went 2-0 and averaged 27.0 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 57.9 percent from the floor, 60 percent from downtown and 80 percent at the line.
   Alas, the Pacers will be in Phoenix on Saturday for a road game against the Suns. Ty-Shon Alexander, a star on last year's Bluejay squad, currently plays for Phoenix.

Major Success
Among teams in the leagues considered the "Power Five", plus the BIG EAST, Creighton has enjoyed almost more success than anyone else.
   Creighton's 34 victories trail only Kansas and Baylor.
Best Records Since 2019-20
(Power 5 Conferences + BIG EAST)
Team   2019-20   2020-21   Total
Kansas   28-3   10-3   38-6
Baylor   26-4   11-0   37-4
Creighton   24-7   10-2   34-9
Oregon   24-7   9-2   33-9
Louisville   24-7   8-1   32-8
Villanova   24-7   8-1   32-8
Florida State   26-5   5-2   31-7
Auburn   25-6   6-6   31-12
Wisconsin   21-10   10-3   31-13
Iowa   20-11   11-2   31-13
Maryland   24-7   7-6   31-13

Road Warriors
With a win on Saturday, Creighton will start 4-0 in conference road games for just the second time since 1943-44, as the 2011-12 team won its first five league games on the road.
   In its last 14 BIG EAST road games, Creighton is 10-4, posting at least one road win at each BIG EAST other than Butler and Georgetown.
   Home teams are 19-14 in BIG EAST play to date this season through Tuesday night's games.
   Mitch Ballock, Creighton's lone four-year senior, has won a road game against every BIG EAST team with the exception of Butler.

On This Day (Jan. 16)
Saturday is the anniversary of the following moments...
-In 2005, Creighton's Nate Funk grabbed a loose ball and hit an 18-footer as time expired in a 67-66 win at Northern Iowa.
-In 2010, Creighton beat Wichita State 57-56 after playing keep away for the final 13.1 seconds as WSU was unable to foul. It was CU's 17th straight home win over the Shockers.
- In 2013 Doug McDermott scored 31 points and moved past passed Kyle Korver for fifth on CU's all-time scoring list, in a 79-68 win vs. UNI as Creighton improved to 17-1 for the first time.
-In 2017 Creighton won at No. 22 Xavier to improve to 18-1 for the first time. CU ended the game on a 6-0 run in the final 49 seconds to win 72-67.

They Scored How Many?
Creighton put up 56 points in the first half last Saturday vs. St. John's, its highest output before intermission in a league game since joining the BIG EAST.
   After a total of eight halves of 52 points or more in its first seven years in the league, Creighton has already scored 52 points or more in three different halves this BIG EAST season.
   Creighton's Highest Scoring BIG EAST Halves
   Points   Opponent (Half)   Date
   56   Xavier (2nd)   01/12/14
   56   St. John's (1st)   01/09/21
   54   at #4 Villanova (1st)   01/20/14
   54   Marquette (2nd)   01/21/17
   54   at DePaul (2nd)   02/11/17
   53   Butler (1st)   01/14/14
   53   St. John's (1st)   02/28/16
   53   #23 Seton Hall (1st)   12/28/17
   53   Marquette (1st)   02/17/18
   53   at St. John's (2nd)   12/17/20
   52   Seton Hall (2nd)   01/09/21
   51   #6 Villanova (1st)   02/16/14
   51   DePaul (2nd)   02/15/20
   50   #6 Villanova (1st)   02/16/14
   50   Seton Hall (1st)   12/28/16
   50   at Georgetown (2nd)   01/21/19
   50   DePaul (2nd)   03/09/19

Ballock Over 1,100; Zegarowski Close To 1,000
Mitch Ballock owns 1,120 career points after surpassing the 1,000 point mark on Nov. 29 vs. North Dakota State in CU's season-opener, which was also his 100th career game.
   Ballock entered last season's BIG EAST Tournament with 996 points and scored nine points in the first half vs. St. John's on March 12th, but those points were erased when the game was abandoned at halftime.
   Marcus Zegarowski is also closing in on 1,000 career points. He enters the Butler game with 989 career points (45th in CU history) in 74 games as a Bluejay.
Games To 1,000 Points, Last 18 Bluejays
Name   CU Games to 1,000 pts.    Date
Mitch Ballock   100   11/29/20
Ty-Shon Alexander   85   01/15/20
Khyri Thomas   94   02/10/18
Marcus Foster   54   01/17/18
Austin Chatman   138   03/11/15
Ethan Wragge   132   01/18/14
Gregory Echenique   101   03/24/13
Doug McDermott   57   01/15/12
Antoine Young   115   12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr.   108   11/21/10
P'Allen Stinnett   86   01/16/10
Dane Watts   115   01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver   124   03/16/07
Johnny Mathies   91   03/03/06
Nate Funk   92   02/28/05
Kyle Korver   81   01/30/02
Ben Walker   105   01/06/01
Ryan Sears   97   12/01/00
Rodney Buford   59   03/01/97

Most Career Points, Creighton History
   Rank   Pts.   Name   Years
   1.   3,150   Doug McDermott   2010-14
   2.   2,116   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   3.   2,110   Bob Harstad    1987-91
   4.   1,983   Chad Gallagher    1987-91
   5.   1,876   Bob Portman    1966-69
   6.   1,801   Kyle Korver   1999-03
   7.   1,754   Nate Funk   2002-07
   8.   1,682   Rick Apke    1974-78
   9.   1,661   Paul Silas   1961-64
   10.   1,654   Vernon Moore    1981-85
   11.   1,575   Benoit Benjamin    1982-85
   12.   1,526   John C. Johnson   1975-79
   13.   1,500   Kevin McKenna   1977-81
   14.   1,437   Eddie Cole   1951-55
   15.   1,369   Gene Harmon   1971-74
   16.   1,361   Duan Cole   1987-92
   17.   1,342   Antoine Young   2008-12
   18.   1,313   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2006-11
   19.   1,309   Ryan Sears   1997-01
   20.   1,303   Elton Tuttle   1951-54
   21.   1,292   Marcus Foster   2016-18
   22.   1,272   Bob Gibson   1954-57
   23.   1,267   Wally Anderzunas   1965-67, 1968-69
   24.   1,254   Gary Swain   1983-87
   25.   1,241   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-20
   25.   1,238   Ben Walker   1997-01
   27.   1,196   Ray Yost   1951-54
   28.   1,172   Dick Harvey   1956-59
   29.   1,155   Ethan Wragge   2009-14
   30.   1,152   Dane Watts   2004-08
   31.   1,140   Khyri Thomas   2015-18
   32.   1,120   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   33.   1,116   Kenny Evans   1982-87
   34.   1,115   Doug Brookins   1972-75
       1,115   Daryl Stovall   1978-82
   36.   1,093   Tim Powers   1964-67
   37.   1,050   Reggie Morris   1982-86
   38.   1,031   Johnny Mathies   2003-06
   39.   1,024   P'Allen Stinnett   2007-10
   40.   1,023   Rod Mason   1986-88
   41.   1,013   Austin Chatman   2011-15
   42.   1,006   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
   43.   1,004   Anthony Tolliver   2003-07
   44.   994   Chuck Officer   1960-62, 1963-64
   45.   989   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-Pres.
   46.   979   Terrell Taylor   1999-02
   47.   967   David Wesely   1975-79
   48.   965   Fritz Pointer   1963-66
   49.   939   Cyril Baptiste   1969-71
   50.   931   Cornell Smith   1973-77

Big Wins In The BIG EAST
Creighton never trailed in its 89-53 win over Seton Hall on Jan. 6th. The 36-point win was Creighton's second-largest ever in BIG EAST action.
   The 36-point loss tied for Seton Hall's third-largest ever in league play for the charter member of the BIG EAST, and was its largest league setback since falling 99-57 vs. UConn on Feb. 11, 2006.
Creighton's Largest BIG EAST Winning Margins
Margin   Score   Date
41   at Creighton 100, St. John's 59   02/28/16
36   at Creighton 89, Seton Hall 53   01/06/21
35   Creighton 93, at DePaul 58   02/11/17
29   at Creighton 93, DePaul 64   02/15/20
28   at Creighton 88, Butler 60   01/14/14
28   Creighton 68, at #4 Villanova 68   01/20/14
25   at Creighton 82, DePaul 57   02/27/18

Old News
Both Creighton and Butler rely on a solid core group of seniors to lead the way, as the Bluejays have gotten 46.4 percent of its scoring from seniors (Mahoney, Jefferson, Ballock, O'Connell) and the Bulldogs 47.1 percent (Thompson, Nze, Bolden).
   But what really separates the teams is the next two classes. Creighton's juniors have scored 30.8 percent compared to Butler's 14.4 percent. There's a similar disparity among sophomores, where Creighton gets 13.8 percent compared to BU's 0.6 percent.
   Butler has gotten a ton of production from its freshmen with 37.8 percent compared to Creighton's 8.9 percent.
Category   Butler   Creighton
Freshmen   238 (37.8%)   89 (8.9%)
Sophomores   4 (0.6%)   138 (13.8%)
Juniors   91 (14.4%)   308 (30.8%)
Seniors   297 (47.1%)   464 (46.4%)

Are You Experienced?
Year after year, one common theme to success in college basketball is to have veteran players. This year's Creighton team is full of experienced players.
   CU's starting five features two juniors and three seniors who have combined for 20 years of college experience.
   Off the bench, Alex O'Connell and Jacob Epperson are in their fourth college campaign, Antwann Jones in his third year and Shereef Mitchell in his second season. Of the regular Bluejay rotation, only Ryan Kalkbrenner is a freshman.
   On January 16th, Creighton's potential starting five (Mitch Ballock, Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Denzel Mahoney and Marcus Zegarowski) will be a collective 40,821 days old. By comparison, the starting line-up used by the Chicago Bulls in its first four games this season (Wendell Carter Jr., Zach Lavine, Lauri Markkanen, Coby White and Patrick Williams) will be a combined 40,772 days old on January 16th.

Top 10 Bluejays
After starting the year ranked 11th in both the AP and Coaches polls, Creighton ascended into the top 10 for three weeks in the AP edition. CU is currently eighth in the AP poll and sixth in the Coaches poll.
   The No. 8 AP ranking is one shot behind the best mark in program history, which was done on Jan. 16, 2017, March 9, 2020, March 16, 2020 and Jan. 4, 2021.
   The No. 6 ranking in the Coaches poll is one spot shy of the best mark in program history, done on Jan. 4, 2021.
   Creighton is one of nine teams that have been ranked in all 15 AP polls since Feb. 3, 2020, joining Baylor, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa, Kansas, Tennessee and Villanova.
   This week marks the 18th time in program history that the Bluejays have spent in the top-10, with all but one of those coming under Greg McDermott.
   After being ranked 30th in the inaugural NET rankings that were released on Jan. 4th, but has climbed to 12th in Wednesday morning's (Jan. 13th) latest update.

New Kid On The Block
Freshman Ryan Kalkbrenner has had four blocked shots in Creighton's games each of the last two Saturday's. He's just the second Bluejay in Greg McDermott's 11 years to have multiple games with four or more blocks in the same season, as Olympian Gregory Echenique did it three different seasons.
   Those were the most rejections by a Bluejay in one game since Christian Bishop had four on Feb. 23, 2020 vs. Butler.
   No Bluejay has had five blocked shots in a game since Jacob Epperson had five swats on March 8, 2018 in the BIG EAST Tournament vs. Providence.
   Kalkbrenner's four blocked shots are the most by a CU freshman since Epperson's five blocks in the game mentioned in the above paragraph.

A Good Start
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 12 games in recent seasons.
   Notably, this is the first time that CU has five had double-figure scorers after exactly 12 games since at least 1994-95.
   Creighton has started 8-4 or better after 12 games in 22 of the past 24 seasons, and 10-2 or better after 12 games for the seventh time in the past 10 seasons.
Creighton Stats Through 12 Games, Since 1994-95
Year   W-L   PPG   FG%   3FG   10+ PPG guys
2020-21   10-2   83.2   .496   130   5
2019-20   10-2   77.9   .467   117   4
2018-19   8-4   84.8   .518   146   4
2017-18   10-2   92.3   .521   134   3
2016-17   12-0   89.8   .538   120   4
2015-16   8-4   86.2   .497   109   4
2014-15   9-3   73.3   .441   106   2
2013-14   10-2   82.9   .492   136   2
2012-13   11-1   78.9   .509   107   2
2011-12   10-2   84.3   .506   111   2
2010-11   8-4   67.3   .426   85   3
2009-10   5-7   70.8   .447   98   1
2008-09   10-2   76.9   .445   106   3
2007-08   9-3   77.4   .468   100   2
2006-07   8-4   68.0   .433   69   2
2005-06   8-4   69.4   .414   86   3
2004-05   9-3   68.7   .434   93   2
2003-04   12-0   71.2   .467   75   1
2002-03   11-1   83.8   .520   116   1
2001-02   7-5   76.2   .451   71   3
2000-01   10-2   75.8   .446   95   4
1999-00   9-3   73.3   .459   96   2
1998-99   10-2   76.2   .466   90   2
1997-98   8-4   77.4   .473   88   2
1996-97   5-7   65.4   .407   66   2
1995-96   6-6   65.8   .389   69   2
1994-95   5-7   65.0   .396   81   4

The Bigger, The Better?
Creighton has had 131 different players attempt a three-point field goal since the start of the 1994-95 season.
   Oddly, the three men with the best three-point percentage in that time are/were all centers.
Creighton's Best 3FG% Since 1994-95
   3FG%   Name, Years   3FG-3FGA   Height
   1.000   Kenton Walker, 2007-09   1-1   6-9
   .600   Jacob Epperson, 2017-21   6-10   6-11
   .533   Justin Patton, 2016-17   8-15   7-0

Jefferson Swipes Six
Damien Jefferson had six steals in Creighton's win at Providence on Jan. 2nd, matching the most by any Bluejay under Greg McDermott. He then had four more thefts on Jan. 6 vs. Seton Hall.
   He was the first Bluejay with 10 steals over a two-game stretch since Josh Dotzler also had 10 from Dec. 13-Dec. 15, 2008.
   Jefferson joined Ty-Shon Alexander (Jan. 1, 2020 vs. Marquette) and Davion Mintz (March 3, 2019 at. Marquette) in that elite group. CU hasn't had a player with seven steals in a game since 2008.
   After tying for sixth on the team with 19 steals in 30 games last season, Jefferson paces Creighton with 19 steals so far this winter. His 2.29 steals per league games tops the BIG EAST, and his 16 steals are three more than anybody else.
   Jefferson was the first Bluejay with four or more steals in consecutive games since two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Khyri Thomas had a three game streak from Feb. 27-March 8, 2018.

Numbers Never Lie (Unless they Do)
Need some other random figures to watch?
Creighton is 14-1 all-time when Marcus Zegarowski has 19 or more points, 7-0 when he has eight or more assists and 23-4 when he makes three or more three-pointers.
   Creighton is 13-2 all-time when Mitch Ballock scores 17 or more points, 10-0 when he has six or more assists and 12-0 when he makes three or more free throws.
   Creighton is 14-2 all-time when Christian Bishop has seven or more rebounds.
   Finally, Creighton is also 17-1 when Shereef Mitchell grabs two or more rebounds, and also 17-1 when he dishes multiple assists.

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 21 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 21 comebacks have come away from home.
   Creighton's comeback on Dec. 23rd was its largest since trailing by 18 vs. No. 18 Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014. That same rally vs. the Sooners was also the last time CU had rallied from 13 points or more down against a ranked team.
   If you're curious, CU's largest comeback win since 2000 came on Jan. 28, 2006, when the Jays trailed 25-6 early before rallying to beat Wichita State.
CU's Double-Digit Comebacks Under McDermott
Deficit   Opponent   Date
18   #18 Oklahoma   11/19/14
17   at San Diego State   11/30/11
16   at Evansville   02/16/13
14   Evansville   02/21/12
13   at Saint Joseph's   11/16/13
13   Xavier   01/12/14
13   #22 Xavier   12/23/20
12   Saint Joseph's   12/11/10
12   at DePaul   01/17/16
12   East Tennessee State   11/11/18
11   at Wichita State   12/31/11
11   Northern Iowa   01/10/12
11   vs. Alabama   03/16/12
11   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/16
10   UAB   11/14/12
10   vs. Drake   03/02/12
10   at Nebraska   12/07/14
10   South Dakota   12/09/14
10   St. John's   01/03/18
10   at DePaul   02/07/18
10   Bemidji State   02/13/18

Ballock Bombs Away
Mitch Ballock has made a three-pointer in each of his last 18 games. It's the third different time in his career he's made a three-pointer in 15 games in a row or longer.
   Ballock has made a trey in 41 of the last 42 games, with the lone exception coming on Feb. 12, 2020 at Seton Hall.
   Ballock is the first Bluejay with a trey in 18 games or longer since Ballock himself had a triple in 23 games in a row from Nov. 12, 2019 - Feb. 8, 2020.
   Ballock is one of three current Bluejays to have compiled a streak of 15 or longer straight games at some point in their college career, joining Marcus Zegarowski (20) and Denzel Mahoney (19 at Southeast Missouri State).
   The longest streak of games with a three-pointer in Creighton history is 33 by Alexander from Feb. 27, 2018 - March 6, 2019.
   Ballock is one of five players in the BIG EAST to make a three-pointer in every one of his team's games this season, as seen in the list below. The number in parentheses is a streak that dates back to last season (including previous Division I schools).
BIG EAST Men With a 3FG in Every Team Game This Year
   Streak   Player, School   Previous School
   12 (18)   Mitch Ballock, Creighton   -
   10 (23)   Jahvon Blair, Georgetown   -
   9 (26)   Justin Moore, Villanova   -
   9 (12)   Collin Gillespie, Villanova   -
   9 (9)   Jair Bolden, Butler   South Carolina

Strong League Start Projects To Postseason
Off to a 6-1 league start this season, the 2020-21 campaign marks the seventh time in 11 seasons under Greg McDermott that Creighton has won at least five of its first seven conference games.
   Five of those teams to start like that reached the NCAA Tournament, while a sixth reached the quarterfinals of the NIT.
   Each of Creighton's 14 teams since 1988-89 to start 5-2, 6-1 or 7-0 after seven games in league play have reached the postseason, a stretch that includes nine NCAA Tournaments and five NIT's.
   Last year CU started 4-3 in league play, before finishing 13-5, but the postseason was cancelled.
   This year marks Creighton's first 6-1 league start since 2013-14, when it opened 9-1 during its first year as a member.

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

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 302 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 18-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 250-52 (.827) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (21-0).
   Creighton's Nov. 25, 2017 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 23,705-19,822 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.86 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 85 different times.
   Creighton is also 29-31 all-time in the 60 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 153-34 (.818) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including an 87-6 record vs. non-conference teams.
   Factor in a 17-0 home mark at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 and two wins at the Civic in the 2010 CIT, and the Bluejays are 269-52 (.838) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

High-Powered Offense
Creighton leads the BIG EAST and ranks 23rd nationally with 83.2 points per game.
   The Bluejays have pumped in 93 or more points in five games this season, one of six teams in the country (with Iowa, Gonzaga, Baylor, Bryant, McNeese State) who can say that. Last year's BIG EAST champion squad only cracked the 93-point barrier three times all season.
   Creighton is 47-3 in 11 seasons under Greg McDermott when scoring 93 points or more. The nation's only teams to score 93+ more than times since 2010-11 are North Carolina (67) and Gonzaga (66).
   By comparison, McDermott's teams scored 93+ points just once in his four seasons at Iowa State (96 on 11/22/09 vs. Mississippi Valley State), and also just once in five years at Northern Iowa (99 on 12/1/04 vs. Iowa State).

Big Ryan's Big Night
Freshman center Ryan Kalkbrenner had a season-high 15 points in just 16 minutes of work on Dec. 17 at St. John's, including four baskets in a three-minute span during the decisive 22-4 second half run.
   For the season, Kalkbrenner has averaged 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots while playing just 13.6 minutes per game. Kalkbrenner ranks tied for third nationally among freshmen with 22 blocked shots, and first in the BIG EAST among classmates.
   Kalkbrenner became CU's first true freshman since Benoit Benjamin (1982-83) to have a blocked shot in each of CU's first three games of the season.
   Creighton is 10-0 this year when he makes a field goal, and 0-2 when he does not. The Bluejays are also 9-0 when he blocks a shot, and 1-2 when he does not.

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

Balance Is Big
All five Creighton starters are averaging in double-figures this season, and the Bluejays have had at least five men score in double-digits in 6-of-12 contests overall.
   Creighton has won 19 games in a row when five or more players score 10 or more points.
   Nine different players have scored 10 or more points in a game this season, a list that doesn't include Jacob Epperson. Epperson's done it four times as a Bluejay in 2017-18 or 2018-19.
   In the last 5:01 of play at UConn, Creighton had 12 points, with each starter scoring either two or three points.
   In league play, all five Bluejay starters are averaging 10.1 points per game or more.

O'Connell Makes Creighton Debut
A vote by the NCAA Division I Council on Dec. 16 made Alex O'Connell immediately eligible. He made his debut one day later at St. John's with six points, two rebounds a steal, and an assist in 12 minutes of action.
   A senior guard from Roswell, Ga., O'Connell had not played in Creighton's first six games this season while sitting out after an off-season transfer from Duke University. He had been awaiting a ruling on a waiver that Creighton had filed on his behalf with the NCAA.
   While at Duke, O'Connell appeared in 101 games, including 14 starts. He contributed 431 points and 182 rebounds for the Blue Devils with single-game highs of 20 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
   Though a senior, O'Connell will also be eligible to return to Creighton for the 2021-22 season as a result of a previous NCAA decision that indicated winter sport student-athletes who compete during 2020-21 in Division I will receive both an additional season of competition and an additional year in which to complete it.
   Creighton is 6-0 since O'Connell became eligible.

Denzel A Leading Man
Creighton trailed 70-65 with 84 seconds left at Kansas before Denzel Mahoney embarked on a personal 5-0 run to tie the game just 21 seconds later.
   Mahoney led Creighton with 19 points at Kansas. He upped that to 20 points on Dec. 11 vs. Nebraska before matching his Bluejay best with 21 points vs. Marquette last Dec. 14. He pumped in 16 more at St. John's in a win on Dec. 17.
   In four career games as a Bluejay against a top-10 opponent, Mahoney has averaged 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game to help CU to a 3-1 mark. Mahoney has made 53.1 percent (26-49) of his shots from the floor, 45.5 percent (10-22) from three-point range and 100 percent (12-12) at the charity stripe.
   Four of his top 11 single-game scoring efforts at CU have come in those four games against top-10 competition.
Denzel Mahoney's Top Scoring Games at Creighton
   Points   Opponent   Date
   24   St. John's   01/09/21
   21   at #8 Villanova   02/01/20
   21   Marquette   12/14/20
   20   Nebraska   12/11/20
   19   at Georgetown   01/15/20
   19   at #5 Kansas   12/08/20
   18   St. John's   02/08/20
   18   at #10 Seton Hall   02/12/20
   17   Nebraska-Omaha   12/01/20
   16   #8 Seton Hall   03/08/20
   16   at St. John's   12/17/20

Don't Forget DJ
Damien Jefferson had scored in double-figures in a career-long seven straight games, averaging 12.1 ppg., in that period, before scoring five in the Dec. 23 win vs. Xavier.
   His biggest basket as a Bluejay came on Dec. 20th, when he connected on a jumper with 0.2 seconds left in regulation to force overtime at UConn.
   Jefferson owns 37 assists compared to 23 turnovers this year after owning 64 assists and 61 turnovers his first two years as a Bluejay.

Ballock Surpasses 250 Treys
Mitch Ballock owns 265 three-pointers in his Bluejay career, including a season-high eight on Dec. 14 vs. Marquette. That puts him in fourth place in program history in that category, nine behind Doug McDermott (274) for third place.
   His 232 career treys entering the year were third-most in school history after a junior season, trailing only Kyle Korver (242) and Ethan Wragge (234).
   Ballock ranked 19th nationally with 93 three-pointers made and 11th in three-point percentage (.435) last season.
Most Career 3FG, Creighton History
Rank       3FG   Name   Years
   1.   371   Kyle Korver   1999-03
   2.   334   Ethan Wragge   2009-14
   3.   274   Doug McDermott   2010-14
   4.   265   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   5.   245   Ryan Sears   1997-01
   6.   212   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   7.   210   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-20
   8.   206   Jahenns Manigat   2010-14
   9.   200   Nate Funk   2002-07
   10.   185   Matt Roggenburk   1986-90

The Great Eight
Mitch Ballock made nine three-pointers in Creighton's first five games of the season before erupting on Dec. 14 vs. Marquette. The senior guard from Eudora, Kan., made 8-of-14 three-pointers en route to a season-high 26 points.
   His eight trifectas were tied for fourth-most in a game in Bluejay history, but three behind his record 11 vs. DePaul on March 9, 2019.
   Ballock joined Kyle Korver as the only players in school history with multiple games of eight or more triples.
   In addition, Ballock's 14 three-point attempts were also tied for fourth-most in program history and one behind the program record.
   Ballock owns 147 career three-pointers in BIG EAST play, which ranks tied for 21st all-time.
   Ballock's 26 points were the most by a Bluejay in any conference opener since 2012, when Doug McDermott scored 29 points vs. Evansville. That came when CU belonged to the Missouri Valley Conference.
3-Pointers Made, Game, Creighton History
   3FG   Name, Opponent   Date
   11   Mitch Ballock vs. DePaul   03/09/19
   9   Kyle Korver vs. Evansville   01/15/03
       Ethan Wragge at Villanova   01/20/14
   8   Tad Ackerman at Drake   01/23/95
       Kyle Korver at Xavier   12/31/02
       Terrell Taylor vs. Florida   03/15/02
       Isaiah Zierden at DePaul   01/17/16
       Mitch Ballock vs. Marquette   12/14/20

Most Career 3FG Made, BIG EAST Games Only
   Rank   3FG   Name, School
   1.   245   Markus Howard, Marquette
   2.   201   Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
   3.   189   Colin Falls, Notre Dame
   4.   183   Gerry McNamara, Syracuse
   5.   180   Myles Powell, Seton Hall
   6.   178   Steve Edwards, Miami (Fla.)
   7.   172   Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati
   8.   168   Allan Ray, Villanova
   9.   167   Gary Buchanan, Villanova
   10.   166   Kerry Kittles, Villanova
       166   Terry Dehere, Seton Hall
   12.   165   Troy Bell, Boston College
   13.   159   Matt Carroll, Notre Dame
       159   Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
   15.   156   Bryce Cotton, Providence
   16.   155   Darius Lane, Seton Hall
   17.   154   Geoff Billett, Rutgers
   18.   153   D'Angelo Harrison, St. John's
   19.   149   Chris Thomas, Notre Dame
       149   Kris Jenkins, Villanova
   21.   147   Trevon Bluiett, Xavier
       147   Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova
       147   D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera
       147   Darius Rice, Miami (Fla.)
       143   Mitch Ballock, Creighton

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

3's Are Falling
Creighton is tied for fourth in the country with fifth different games of 13 three-pointers this year. Among power conference teams, no one has done it as often.
   Keying the trey parade has been Mitch Ballock, who has made a three-pointer in 18 straight games, with multiple treys in 15 of those contests.
   Creighton has three of the seven players in the BIG EAST with 28 or more three-pointers made, with Mitch Ballock leading the league with 33 and Marcus Zegarowski not far behind with 32 treys. Denzel Mahoney owns 28 three-pointers.

Playing With The Lead
For the season (all games), Creighton has trailed for just 95:28 of 485 minutes of play (19.7%). At home, CU has trailed for just 44:49 of 320 minutes (14.0%).
   Since its last trip to Butler on Jan. 4, 2020, Creighton has trailed at halftime just twice in 28 games.
   In 302 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 85 of those contests, a staggering 28.2 percent of the time.
     Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 153-34 and hasn't trailed in 60 of those games.

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

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

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 81.34 points per home game (15,211 points in 187 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.14 points in non-conference home games (7,918 points in 93 home games).
   Creighton is 120-6 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.

Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton continues to be highly regarded by KenPom.com, and is currently 10th. That includes the nation's No. 7 offense, and No. 32 defense.
   Creighton has not finished with a top-35 defense since 2006-07, and has not finished better than 30th since 2001-02.
   Last season was the fourth different time in Greg McDermott's first 10 seasons that Creighton has had a top-10 offense per KenPom.
Year   Off. Rating   Def. Rating   Team W-L
2010-11   66   174   23-16
2011-12   5   166   29-6
2012-13   5   66   28-8
2013-14   2   124   27-8
2014-15   59   138   14-19
2015-16   43   76   20-15
2016-17   32   46   25-10
2017-18   25   58   21-12
2018-19   47   83   20-15
2019-20   3   78   24-7
2020-21   7   32   10-2 so far

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

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

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

Long Range Marksman
With 93 three-pointers last season, Mitch Ballock broke the previous program record for three-pointers made by a junior of 82 by Tad Ackerman in 1994-95.
   Ballock (along with Ty-Shon Alexander) is one of two Bluejays in school history to make 80 or more three-pointers in consecutive seasons, and one of three Bluejays (along with Alexander and Kyle Korver) with multiple campaigns of 80 or more three-pointers.
   Ballock and Korver are also the only Bluejays with multiple seasons of 90 or more three-pointers.
Most 3-Pointers Made In A Season, Creighton History
   3FG-FGA   3FG%   Name   Year
   129-269   .480   Kyle Korver*   2002-03
   110-234   .471   Ethan Wragge   2013-14
   100-221   .452   Kyle Korver   2000-01
   96-214   .449   Doug McDermott*   2013-14
   97-266   .365   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   95-230   .413   Marcus Foster   2017-18
   95-227   .419   Mitch Ballock   2018-19
   93-214   .435   Mitch Ballock   2019-20
   91-191   .476   Booker Woodfox*   2008-09
*Conference Player of the Year

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

In Search of 20
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 20 of the last 22 seasons (entering 2020-21), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
   Just three schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the previous 22 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
   Kentucky has done it 21 times. Creighton and Florida have done it 20 times.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 22 Years
Team   20-Win Seasons   2019-20 W-L
Gonzaga   22   31-2
Kansas   22   28-3
Duke   22   25-6
Kentucky   21   25-6
Creighton   20   24-7
Florida   20   19-12

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

#ProJays
Creighton has two players in the NBA this season,   Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers) and Ty-Shon Alexander (Phoenix Suns).
   Including 2020-21, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 37 of the last 38 years.
   McDermott is in his seventh season in the NBA, and third with the Indiana Pacers. He averaged a career-high 10.3 points per game last season and is the only player in the NBA to rank in the top-20 in three-point percentage each of the previous three seasons. This year he's averaging 11.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
   Alexander bypassed his senior season to turn pro. After going undrafted, he signed a two-way contract with the Phoenix Suns. He made his NBA debut on December 27th.
   In addition, four other Bluejays played in the NBA last season but are currently without teams...Kyle Korver, Anthony Tolliver, Khyri Thomas and Justin Patton.

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 241 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .671 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.   241-118   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
3.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger    1922-1935
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-1969
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-1981

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 894 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,058 trifectas, an average of 7.89 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 136 times, more than any figure.
   Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 252 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 265 consecutive contests (since 0-7 at Drake on 1/23/13).
   Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 31-3 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 3-6 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:    4 times   2: 15 times   3: 31 times
4:    70 times   5:   95 times   6: 90 times
7:   136 times   8:   115 times   9: 85 times
10: 73 times   11: 51 times   12: 47 times
13: 43 times   14: 18 times   15: 7 times
16: 7 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 894 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 15th-longest active streak.
   Creighton's last win without making a three-point basket came on March 3, 1991 when the Jays went 0-for-2 from three-point range in a 71-66 win over Southern Illinois in the championship game of the MVC Tournament.
   Below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (1/12)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,110   UNLV   1/16
   2.   1,097   Duke   1/19
   3.   1,055   Arkansas   1/13
   4.   1,046   Western Kentucky   1/15
   5.   1,037   East Tennessee State   1/13
   6.   1,017   Pacific   1/14
   7.   1,016   Oakland   1/15
   8.   1,007   Texas   1/13
   9.   958   Princeton   Season Canceled
   10.   956   Marshall   1/15
   11.   943   Baylor   1/16
   12.   930   Gonzaga   1/14
   13.   912   Long Island   1/14
   14.   895   Mount St. Mary's   1/14
   15.   894   Creighton   1/16
   16.   885   Cornell   Season Canceled
   17.   883   Tennessee State   1/14
   18.   880   East Carolina   1/13

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 Jan. 12, 2021
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Percentage   .386   1st
3FG Made   3,226   2nd
Assists   5,844   3rd
FG Percentage   .481   3rd
FG Made   9,838   9th
Wins   241   T-28th
Winning Percentage   .671   32nd

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Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Rati Andronikashvili

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

Jacob Epperson

Damien Jefferson

Antwann Jones

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Modestas Kancleris

Denzel Mahoney

Davion Mintz

Shereef Mitchell

Alex O'Connell

Marcus Zegarowski