Saturday, January 23
Omaha, Neb.
11:00 AM
Creighton University
vs
Connecticut
Christian Bishop
Photo by: Chelsea Nicholson
#11 Men's Basketball Hosts #23 UConn Saturday in Top 25 Battle
1/21/2021 9:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Huskies will make first trip to Omaha
Game #15:Â #23 Connecticut Huskies at #11 Creighton Bluejays
Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 • 11:00 a.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; www.1620thezone.com
SiriusXM: Sirius 121; XM 201; App 964
Television: FOX (Kevin Kugler, Donny Marshall)
Series History: Creighton leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: #9 Creighton 76, Connecticut 74 (OT) on Dec. 20, 2020 in Storrs, Conn.
CREIGHTON NOTES PDF | UCONN NOTES PDF | FLIPCARD PDF
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS
Next Game
No. 11 Creighton (10-4, 6-3 BIG EAST) looks to snap a rare two-game losing streak on Saturday morning when it hosts No. 23 Connecticut (7-2, 4-2 BIG EAST) in a nationally-televised top-25 showdown.
   The Bluejays and Huskies will tip at 11:00 a.m. on First National Bank Court inside CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha, Neb.
   Marcus Zegarowski will be honored pre-game in recognition of him passing 1,000 career points.
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 121 or XM 201 or channel 964 on the SiriusXM app.
   John Bishop will call the action with Brody Deren. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game will be televised nationally by FOX, with Kevin Kugler and Donny Marshall on the call. Of Creighton's last 145 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised. CU is 97-48 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. 11 Creighton
Creighton is ranked 11th nationally in the AP poll after a 10-4 start that includes victories 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 four losses have come by a combined 14 points, with each coming by five points or less.
   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 (15.1 ppg.) won the BIG EAST's Sixth Man Award last season, while junior forward Christian Bishop (11.5 ppg., 5.4 rpg.) has shot 70.2 percent from the field to lead the league. Bishop has made his last 13 shots from the field over the last two-plus games.
   Point guard Marcus Zegarowski (14.3 ppg., 4.7 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 surpassed 1,000 career points on Wednesday vs. Providence, as he scored 17 points in his return after missing two games.
   Perhaps CU's best player in recent weeks has been Damien Jefferson (13.0 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 2.7 apg.), who forced overtime with a jumper in the final second of regulation at UConn. He is third in the BIG EAST with 2.11 steals in conference play and coming off a career-high 26 points on Wednesday vs. Providence.
   Creighton leads the BIG EAST with 81.1 points per game and is also tops in field goal percentage (.490) and field goal percentage defense (.399).
Scouting No. 23 Connecticut
Connecticut is 7-2 this season and 4-2 in league play during its return to the BIG EAST. UConn's two losses have been by a combined six points, with the Huskies missing clutch free throws in the final 20 seconds of each setback.
   Sophomore guard James Bouknight leads UConn with 20.3 points per game, including a career-high 40 vs. Creighton last month, but has missed the last three games with an elbow injury that required surgery.
   In Bouknight's absence, the Huskies have relied on Tyrese Martin (11.0 ppg., 7.6 rpg.), RJ Cole (10.6 ppg.) and Tyler Polley (10.0 ppg.).
   UConn averages 72.8 points per game while allowing a league-best 63.1 points per game. The Huskies shoot 43.0 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from deep and 69.1 percent at the line while averaging a league-high 4.89 blocked shots per contest.
The Series With Connecticut
Creighton won only previous meeting with UConn in overtime, 76-74, on Dec. 20, 2020 in Storrs.
   Greg McDermott is 1-0 against Connecticut.
   McDermott is 1-1 all-time in head-to-head meetings vs. Dan Hurley, as Hurley's Rhode Island team defeated Creighton 84-72 in the First Round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament in a game contested in Sacramento, Calif.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 241-120 record in his 11th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 521-315 in 27 seasons, and is 390-251 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 11-4 on the season.
- Creighton would snap a two-game losing streak, and avoid its first three-game skid since February of 2019.
- Creighton would improve to 131-50 all-time (97-38 under Greg McDermott) as a nationally-ranked team.
- Creighton would improve to 30-3 in its last 33 home games, and avoid suffering consecutive home losses for the first time since January of 2019.
- Creighton would improve to 8-2 all-time when ranked exactly 11th.
- Creighton would become the first BIG EAST team to beat UConn multiple times in the same season since Syracuse went 3-0 against the Huskies in 2011-12.
- Creighton would start 7-3 or better in league play for the first time since 2017-18, which is also the last time it reached the NCAA Tournament.
Can't Miss Kids
In Wednesday's game vs. Providence, Christian Bishop (6-6) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (3-3) combined to shoot 9-for-9 from the field.
   Believe it or not, it was the second straight game CU's two primary big men were perfect from the field, as it also happened last Saturday at Butler when Bishop went 5-for-5 and Kalkbrenner was 1-for-1.
   Going back to Creighton's Jan. 9 game vs. St. John's, Bishop has made his last 13 field goal attempts and Kalkbrenner his past seven field goal tries.
   In the same span that Bishop and Kalkbrenner have combined to make their last 20 shots, the duo has also combined to block 13 shots by the opposition.
   In case you're curious, the NCAA record for consecutive field goals made is 30 by Yale's Brandon Sherrod in 2016.
Bouknight Had A Day
UConn guard James Bouknight erupted for a career-high 40 points vs. Creighton on December 20th in Storrs, while the rest of his team combined for 34 points. The star sophomore, however, was injured on January 5th and has not played since.
   Since Bradley's Hersey Hawkins did it in 1987-88, only one player has scored 30 or more against Creighton twice in the same season, and that man was Marquette's Markus Howard in 2018-19 when Howard had 53 and then 33 points.
   In the 33 seasons that have followed Hawkins, there have now been 24 occasions where a player had scored 30 or more points against Creighton and faced the Bluejays later in their career. Those players, who averaged 34.04 points in the game with 30+ points, have averaged just 15.50 points in the next meeting.
   Only five of those men even scored 19 points or more in their next appearance against the Bluejays.
Name, School   1st Game   Next Game
David Duke, Providence   36   12
Markus Howard, Marquette   53   33
Khadeen Carrington, Seton Hall   41   18
LaDontae Henton, Providence   35   18
Jahii Carson, Arizona State   30   15
Colt Ryan, Evansville   43   13
Kyle Weems, Missouri State   31   13
Colt Ryan, Evansville   31   16
Daniel Ruffin, Bradley   30   6
Brian Roberts, Dayton   34   11
Trey Guidry, Illinois State   30   3
Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa   31   8
Tarise Bryson, Illinois State   31   12
Marcus Wilson, Evansville   31   28
William Fontleroy, Missouri State   30   8
Tevis Stukes, Baylor   30   18
Danny Moore, Missouri State   36   12
Troy Hudson, Southern Illinois   30   15
Troy Hudson, Southern Illinois   30   22
Loren Meyer, Iowa State   30   14
Victor Alexander, Iowa State   37   21
Curtis Stuckey, Bradley   39   22
John Cooper, Wichita State   36   17
Rickey Jackson, Illinois State   32   17
Hersey Hawkins, Bradley   35   38
Ranked vs. Ranked
Creighton is 11-13 all-time as a ranked team when facing a ranked team, including a 10-9 overall mark under Greg McDermott.
   Last year's team was 4-0 in such contests, while this year's club is 1-1 in such battles.
Creighton's Top-25 vs. Top-25 Games
Date   CU Rank   Opponent Rank   Result
03/04/1974   #16   #14 South Carolina   L 69-78
03/14/1974   #19   vs. #14 Kansas   L 54-55
03/16/1974   #19   vs. #16 Louisville   W 80-71
03/08/1975   #13   #5 Marquette   L 60-64
12/31/2002   #15   at #19 Xavier   L 73-75
03/18/2012   #19   vs. #4 North Carolina   L 73-87
03/24/2013   #22   vs. #6 Duke   L 50-66
02/16/2014   #18   #6 Villanova   W 101-80
03/23/2014   #16   vs. #23 Baylor   L 55-85
11/15/2016   #22   #9 Wisconsin   W 77-69
12/31/2016   #10   #1 Villanova   L 70-80
01/11/2017   #8   #12 Butler   W 75-64
01/16/2017   #7   at #22 Xavier   W 72-67
01/31/2017   #22   at #16 Butler   W 76-67
02/25/2017   #23   at #2 Villanova   L 63-79
12/01/2017   #25   at #15 Gonzaga   L 74-91
12/28/2017   #25   at #23 Seton Hall   L 84-90
01/13/2018   #25   at #10 Xavier   L 70-92
02/12/2020   #23   at #10 Seton Hall   W 87-82
02/18/2020   #15   at #19 Marquette   W 73-65
02/23/2020   #15   #21 Butler   W 81-59
03/07/2020   #11   #8 Seton Hall   W 77-60
12/08/2020   #8   at #5 Kansas   L 72-73
12/21/2020   #13   #22 Xavier   W 66-61
01/23/2021   #11   #23 Connecticut   11:00 a.m.
Ranking News & Notes
- Creighton is 22-33 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams, 15 more top-25 wins than any other coach in Creighton history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 18-115 all-time against top-25 foes.
- Creighton has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the last eight seasons (including 2020-21), and multiple ranked foes in each of the previous six years. A victory on Saturday vs. UConn would be CU's second top-25 win of the year, joining its Dec. 23 win vs. No. 22 Xavier.
   On a national basis, the only 14 teams with a top-25 win each of the last eight seasons (including 2020-21) are Baylor, Clemson, Creighton, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
   Thirteen schools have done it each of the previous seven seasons but have yet to do it this winter; Cincinnati, Duke, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kentucky, Oregon, Seton Hall, South Carolina, Syracuse, Temple and Xavier.
- Creighton is 17-16 since the start of the 2016-17 season against ranked teams. The 17 wins over ranked teams in that time are 15th-most nationally, and trails only Villanova (23) among BIG EAST clubs. Xavier is 3-21 vs. top-25 foes in the same span.
- UConn has lost 11 straight true road games against top-25 teams, with the last such victory coming Jan. 16, 2014 at No. 17 Memphis. That UConn team went on to win the national title. The Huskies are 2-14 in the last 10 seasons in road games against top-25 competition.
- Creighton is 13-13 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha against top-25 teams.
Big Mac On The Attack
Greg McDermott's teams have consistently battled some of the best teams in the country.
   The chart below shows how his teams have consistently outpaced those of his predecessors against top-25 foes.
Category   Pre-McDermott   Under McDermott
vs. Top 25 Teams   18-115   22-33
vs. Top 10 Teams   5-31   9-15
vs. Top 10 on Road   1-28   4-8
vs. Top 25 on Road   2-63   8-15
Top 25 Success
Creighton had six wins over top-25 teams last season, breaking the school-record of four set in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
   With a win vs. No. 23 UConn on Saturday, it'll mark Creighton's 10th team with multiple top-25 wins in a season, and sixth consecutive season.
   On a national basis, the only 17 teams with multiple top-25 wins each of the previous five seasons (from 2015-16 to 2019-20) are Baylor, Creighton, Duke, Florida State, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Seton Hall, Texas Tech, Villanova, Virginia and West Virginia.
   Of those 17 teams, only Baylor, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue and Villanova have done it already in 2020-21. Creighton can join their company with a victory on Saturday.
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
Moving On Up
Last year Damien Jefferson scored in double-figures in just 13-of-30 contests, and he finished the season averaging 9.4 points per game.
   This year, the senior forward has scored in double-figures in 12-of-14 games and he's upped his average to 13.0 points per contest. He's been even better in the past five games, averaging 17.2 points per game on 62.1 percent shooting from the field, which includes 31-for-43 marksmanship (72.1 percent) from two-point range.
   Jefferson pumped in a career-high 26 points on Wednesday vs. PC, six more than his previous best.
   The last time Jefferson faced UConn he hit a pull-up jumper with 0.2 seconds left to force overtime. He would finish the victory with 10 points and five rebounds.
Close Calls
The last time Creighton met Connecticut, 40 minutes wasn't enough to decide a victor. That's not too surprising, neither team has been blown out for a full game yet this season.
   Creighton's four losses have come by a combined 14 points (1, 5, 4, 4), and UConn's two setbacks have been by a combined six points (2, 4).
   Both teams have lost one overtime game this season.
   The similarities don't end there...both teams are coming off 74-70 losses earlier this week.
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OT Is AOK
Creighton won the first meeting at Connecticut this season in overtime by a 76-74 margin, and is 1-1 now on the year in overtime contests.
   Creighton has not played an overtime game multiple times against the same team in the same season since Tulsa in 1983-84.
2021 Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out Information
When Creighton hosts Georgetown on Feb. 3rd in its 10th Annual Pink Out game, Bluejay players will wear pink shooting shirts and pink jerseys for the game. Fans have the opportunity to honor a friend or family member who has battled cancer or is currently battling cancer by purchasing the apparel via auction (the shooting shirt can be personalized – last name, nickname, etc.) as well as bid on once in a lifetime rounds of golf.
   All funds raised go to benefit Hope Lodge Omaha. The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Nebraska provides a free home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers who must travel to Omaha to receive their lifesaving treatment. More than just a roof over their heads, it's a nurturing community that helps patients access the care they need. The annual Creighton University Men's Basketball Pink Out game has raised over $262,000 benefiting the Hope Lodge facility here in Omaha and the guests it serves.
   This year pink out t-shirts will be available for purchase at metro area Hy-Vee's for $10 in the week leading up to the game. Complimentary "Pink Out" posters will be available to fans at area Hy-Vee stores. All funds raised from shirts sold will continue to benefit the Hope Lodge Nebraska.
   To participate in the 2021 Pink Out auction, visit http://www.gocreighton.com/pinkoutauction.
Law Of Averages?
Over the years Creighton has been known as one of the nation's best teams from three-point range, but that marksmanship has been off the mark in the last two games, both losses.
   After making 10 or more three-pointers in 7-of-12 games to start the season, the Bluejays are a combined 10-for-46 from downtown in the past two games and lost both contests by four points.
   Mitch Ballock, who had drained a triple in 41-of-42 games, has missed all eight of his long-range tries in the past two games.
   In the first meeting with UConn, Creighton shot 25.9 percent (7-27) from deep.
   The Huskies allow a league-low 5.33 three-pointers per game and limit foes to 30.4 accuracy from behind the arc. CU hasn't gone three straight games with six or fewer three-pointers made since the first three league games of the 2016-17 season.
Up, Up, And Away
Since Feb. 19, 2019, Creighton owns a 24-8 mark in regular-season BIG EAST games. That figure is the best mark in the league by two 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   6-3   24-8
Seton Hall   2-3   13-5   6-3   21-11
Villanova   2-3   13-5   4-0   19-8
Providence   3-2   12-6   4-4   19-12
UConn   2-4#   10-8#   4-2   16-14
Xavier   4-1   8-10   3-2   15-13
Butler   1-4   10-8   4-5   15-17
Marquette   2-4   8-10   4-4   14-18
Georgetown   4-2   5-13   1-5   10-20
St. John's   1-4   5-13   3-6   9-23
DePaul   2-3   3-15   0-5   5-23
#includes 2018-19 and 2019-20 in the AAC
Major Success
Among teams in the leagues considered the "Power Five", plus the BIG EAST, Creighton has enjoyed almost more success than anyone else recently.
   Creighton's 34 victories since the start of the 2019-20 season trail only Kansas and Baylor.
Best Records Since 2019-20 (through 1/20)
(Power 5 Conferences + BIG EAST)
Team   2019-20   2020-21   Total
Baylor   26-4   13-0   39-4
Kansas   28-3   10-4   38-7
Creighton   24-7   10-4   34-11
Florida State   26-5   8-2   34-7
Villanova   24-7   9-1   33-8
Oregon   24-7   9-2   33-9
Louisville   24-7   9-3   33-10
USCÂ Â Â 22-9Â Â Â 11-3Â Â Â 33-12
Auburn   25-6   8-7   33-13
Wisconsin   21-10   12-3   33-13
Mahoney Had It Going
Denzel Mahoney scored 29 points last Saturday at Butler after scoring 24 the previous Saturday vs. St. John's. Those rank as his two highest-scoring games as a Bluejay.
   At Butler, Mahoney had six points at halftime before an electric second half that saw him produce 23 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Mahoney spearheaded a 26-3 Bluejay run with 18 points, in a span of 7:13, making seven straight shots at one point.
   Mahoney became the first Creighton player with 23 points or more in a half since Doug McDermott set a (since broken) BIG EAST Tournament record with 27 points in the first half vs. DePaul on March 13, 2014.
   That stretch made Mahoney the first Bluejay with 53 points or more over a two-game span since Marcus Foster had consecutive 29-point efforts on Feb. 7 and Feb. 10 in 2018.
Ballock Over 1,100; Zegarowski Over 1,000
Mitch Ballock owns 1,124 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 became the 44th Bluejay in school history to surpass 1,000 career points on Jan. 20 vs. Providence when he scored 17 points. Zegarowski needed 75 games to reach the milestone.
Games To 1,000 Points, Last 19 Bluejays
Name   CU Games to 1,000 pts.    Date
Marcus Zegarowski   75   01/20/21
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.   1,124   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
      1,006   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-Pres.
   44.   1,004   Anthony Tolliver   2003-07
   45.   994   Chuck Officer   1960-62, 1963-64
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
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. They've combined for 3,747 career points at Creighton, and 4,991 career points if you add in Mahoney and Jefferson's points at their previous stops.
   On January 23rd, Creighton's potential starting five (Mitch Ballock, Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Denzel Mahoney and Marcus Zegarowski) will be a collective 40,856 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 40,807 days old on January 23rd.
   Creighton has gotten 47.8 percent of its scoring from its four seniors (Mahoney, Jefferson, Ballock and Alex O'Connell).
Category   Points   Pct. of Team's Pts.
Freshmen   99   8.7%
Sophomores   147    13.0%
Juniors   347    30.6%
Seniors   542    47.8%
No. 11 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 11th in the AP poll and 11th in the Coaches poll.
   The No. 11 AP ranking is four spots behind the best mark in program history, which was done on Jan. 16, 2017, March 9, 2020, March 16, 2020 and Jan. 4, 2021.
   Creighton is one of eight teams that have been ranked in all 16 AP polls since Feb. 3, 2020, joining Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa, Kansas, Tennessee and Villanova. The 16 straight weeks in the rankings is tied for the second-longest stretch in program history and one shy of the record of 17 straight weeks, done from Feb. 27, 2012 - Feb. 4, 2013. Â
   After being ranked 30th in the inaugural NET rankings that were released on Jan. 4th, Creighton was 29th in Thursday morning's (Jan. 21st) latest update.
A Good Start
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 14 games under Greg McDermott. Notably, Creighton has started 9-5 or better after 14 games in all 11 seasons.
Creighton Stats Through 14 Games, Since 2010-11
Year   W-L   FG%   3FG%   FT%   PPG   Opp PPG
2020-21Â Â Â 10-4Â Â Â .490Â Â Â .367Â Â Â .662Â Â Â 81.1Â Â Â 69.4
2019-20Â Â Â 12-2Â Â Â .474Â Â Â .375Â Â Â .709Â Â Â 79.9Â Â Â 68.4
2018-19Â Â Â 10-4Â Â Â .520Â Â Â .448Â Â Â .638Â Â Â 84.7Â Â Â 73.9
2017-18Â Â Â 11-3Â Â Â .514Â Â Â .379Â Â Â .742Â Â Â 91.1Â Â Â 72.4
2016-17Â Â Â 13-1Â Â Â .536Â Â Â .431Â Â Â .674Â Â Â 88.4Â Â Â 72.6
2015-16Â Â Â 10-4Â Â Â .503Â Â Â .396Â Â Â .675Â Â Â 86.9Â Â Â 74.8
2014-15Â Â Â Â 9-5Â Â Â .427Â Â Â .342Â Â Â .746Â Â Â 70.8Â Â Â 64.6
2013-14Â Â Â 12-2Â Â Â .483Â Â Â .426Â Â Â .766Â Â Â 81.5Â Â Â 63.9
2012-13Â Â Â 13-1Â Â Â .509Â Â Â .433Â Â Â .759Â Â Â 79.5Â Â Â 62.1
2011-12Â Â Â 12-2Â Â Â .506Â Â Â .451Â Â Â .698Â Â Â 82.6Â Â Â 68.4
2010-11Â Â Â 10-4Â Â Â .433Â Â Â .319Â Â Â .771Â Â Â 67.5Â Â Â 61.9
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
They Scored How Many?
Creighton put up 56 points in the first half on Jan. 9 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
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 22 steals so far this winter. His 2.11 steals per league games is third in the BIG EAST, and his 19 steals are one outside of the lead.
   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 23-5 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 14-3 all-time when Christian Bishop has seven or more rebounds.
   Finally, Creighton is also 17-2 when Shereef Mitchell grabs two or more rebounds, and also 17-2 when he dishes multiple assists.
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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
10Â Â Â UABÂ Â Â 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
High-Powered Offense
Creighton leads the BIG EAST and ranks 34th nationally with 81.1 points per game.
   The Bluejays have pumped in 93 or more points in five games this season, one of eight teams in the country (with Iowa, Gonzaga, Baylor, Bryant, The Citadel, Sam Houston State and 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 50 times since 2010-11 are North Carolina (67) and Gonzaga (67).
   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).
The Chase For .500
Currently 6-3 in the BIG EAST, Creighton will own a winning percentage of .500 or better at the midway point in league play for the 23rd time in the past 25 seasons.
   Creighton hasn't started 7-3 or better after 10 league games since 2017-18, which is also the last time it reached the NCAA Tournament.
   Here's how Creighton's teams have fared in the various halves of the MVC/BIG EAST season since 1995-96.
Year   First 9 League Games   League
2020-21Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â BIG EAST
2019-20Â Â Â 6-3 Â Â Â BIG EAST
2018-19Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â BIG EAST
2017-18Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â BIG EAST
2016-17Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â BIG EAST
2015-16Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â BIG EAST
2014-15Â Â Â 1-8Â Â Â BIG EAST
2013-14Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â BIG EAST
2012-13Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2011-12Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2010-11Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2009-10Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2008-09Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2007-08Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2006-07Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2005-06Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2004-05Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2003-04Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2002-03Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2001-02Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2000-01Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
1999-00Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
1998-99Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â Missouri Valley
1997-98Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
1996-97Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
1995-96Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â Missouri Valley
Total   148-86 (.632)
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 303 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 18-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 250-53 (.825) 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 23,775-19,896 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.80 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 85 different times.
   Creighton is also 29-32 all-time in the 61 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 35-26 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 153-35 (.814) 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 269-53 (.835) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
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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 6.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots while playing just 13.6 minutes per game. Kalkbrenner ranks fourth nationally among freshmen with 24 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 10-2 this year when he makes a field goal, and 0-2 when he does not. The Bluejays are also 9-2 when he blocks a shot, and 1-2 when he does not.
Balance Is Big
All five Creighton starters are averaging 9.1 points or more this season, and the Bluejays have had at least five men score in double-digits in 6-of-14 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 10.0 points per game or more.
Dame Time
Damien Jefferson came two assists shy of producing Creighton's first traditional triple-double when he posted 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists on Thursday at St. John's.
   His performance made him the only Creighton player in the last 34 seasons with at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight or more assists in the same game.
   Creighton has had only three triple-doubles in program history, but all three were of the points/rebounds/blocks variety by Benoit Benjamin.
   Jefferson is just the second Bluejay player with a game of at least eight points, rebounds and assists in 11 seasons under Greg McDermott. Khyri Thomas had 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists vs. DePaul on Feb. 27, 2018.
   Here's a list of Creighton players with at least 7+ points, 7+ rebounds and 7+ assists in the same game since 1987-88.
7+ Point, 7+ Rebound, 7+ Assist Games, Since 1987-88
   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Name   Date
   16   9   7   Mike Amos   1/30/1993
   24   11   7   Rodney Buford   11/18/1998
   25   8   8   Ryan Sears   1/8/2000
   9   7   10   Grant Gibbs   12/19/2011
   12   10   7   Grant Gibbs   1/13/2012
   12   7   9   Austin Chatman   11/11/2013
   9   7   7   Austin Chatman   1/25/2014
   7   9   7   Khyri Thomas   12/9/2015
   16   8   7   Maurice Watson Jr.   1/26/2016
   14   12   7   Khyri Thomas   2/28/2017
   16   8   8   Khyri Thomas   2/27/2018
   10   10   8   Damien Jefferson   12/17/2020
O'Connell Makes Creighton Debut
A vote by the NCAA Division I Council on Dec. 16 made Alex O'Connell immediately eligible. He made his debut one day later at St. John's with six points, two rebounds a steal, and an assist in 12 minutes of action.
   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 6-2 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 12 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
   29   at Butler   01/16/21
   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 38 assists compared to 27 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
   11.   177   Duan Cole   1987-92
   12.   171   Isaiah Zierden   2013-17
   13.   170   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-Pres.
   14.   168   Marcus Foster   2016-18
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.)
      147   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 fifth in the country with five different games of 13 three-pointers this year. Among power conference teams, no one has done it as often.
   Creighton has three of the four players in the BIG EAST with 33 or more three-pointers made, with Marcus Zegarowski leading the league with 35, and Denzel Mahoney (33) and Mitch Ballock (33) not far behind.
Playing With The Lead
For the season (all games), Creighton has trailed for just 159:18 of 570 minutes of play (27.9%). At home, CU had trailed for just 44:49 of 320 minutes (14.0%) prior to playing from behind for 39:44 of 40:00 minutes (99.33 percent) on Wednesday vs. Providence.
   In 303 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 85 of those contests, a staggering 28.1 percent of the time.
    Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 153-35 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.
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 81.28 points per home game (15,281 points in 188 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 15th. That includes the nation's No. 11 offense, and No. 36 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
2010-11Â Â Â 66Â Â Â 174Â Â Â 23-16
011-12Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 166Â Â Â 29-6
2012-13Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 66Â Â Â 28-8
2013-14Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 27-8
2014-15Â Â Â 59Â Â Â 138Â Â Â 14-19
2015-16Â Â Â 43Â Â Â 76Â Â Â 20-15
2016-17Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 46Â Â Â 25-10
2017-18Â Â Â 25Â Â Â 58Â Â Â 21-12
2018-19Â Â Â 47Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 20-15
2019-20Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 78Â Â Â 24-7
2020-21Â Â Â 11Â Â Â 36Â Â Â 10-4 so far
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.
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.
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)
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  Â
Gonzaga   22   31-2
Kansas   22   28-3  Â
Duke   22   25-6  Â
Kentucky   21   25-6  Â
Creighton   20   24-7  Â
Florida   20   19-12  Â
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%
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 .668 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more 80 years ago.
   Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk.   W-L   Name   Years
1.   327-176   Dana Altman   1994-2010
2.   241-120   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
#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 12.9 points and 3.7 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.
Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 896 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,068 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 253 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 267 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 3-8 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:   71 times   5:  95 times   6: 91 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 896 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 (1/20)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,112   UNLV   1/21
   2.   1,098   Duke   1/23
   3.   1,058   Arkansas   1/23
   4.   1,048   Western Kentucky   1/23
   5.   1,040   East Tennessee State   1/23
   6.   1,019   Pacific   1/21
   7.   1,018   Oakland   1/22
   8.   1,009   Texas   1/26
   9.   958   Princeton   Season Canceled
      958   Marshall   1/22
   11.   945   Baylor   1/23
   12.   932   Gonzaga   1/23
   13.   914   Long Island   1/21
   14.   897   Mount St. Mary's   1/21
   15.   896   Creighton   1/23
   16.   886   Tennessee State   1/21
   17.   885   Cornell   Season Canceled
   18.   880   East Carolina   1/24
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. 20, 2021
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank  Â
3FG Percentage   .385   2nd  Â
3FG Made   3,236   2nd  Â
Assists   5,863   3rd  Â
FG Percentage   .481   3rd  Â
FG Made   9,888   8th  Â
Wins   241   29th
Winning Percentage   .668   33rd  Â
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
Â
Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 • 11:00 a.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; www.1620thezone.com
SiriusXM: Sirius 121; XM 201; App 964
Television: FOX (Kevin Kugler, Donny Marshall)
Series History: Creighton leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: #9 Creighton 76, Connecticut 74 (OT) on Dec. 20, 2020 in Storrs, Conn.
CREIGHTON NOTES PDF | UCONN NOTES PDF | FLIPCARD PDF
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS
Next Game
No. 11 Creighton (10-4, 6-3 BIG EAST) looks to snap a rare two-game losing streak on Saturday morning when it hosts No. 23 Connecticut (7-2, 4-2 BIG EAST) in a nationally-televised top-25 showdown.
   The Bluejays and Huskies will tip at 11:00 a.m. on First National Bank Court inside CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha, Neb.
   Marcus Zegarowski will be honored pre-game in recognition of him passing 1,000 career points.
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 121 or XM 201 or channel 964 on the SiriusXM app.
   John Bishop will call the action with Brody Deren. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game will be televised nationally by FOX, with Kevin Kugler and Donny Marshall on the call. Of Creighton's last 145 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised. CU is 97-48 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. 11 Creighton
Creighton is ranked 11th nationally in the AP poll after a 10-4 start that includes victories 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 four losses have come by a combined 14 points, with each coming by five points or less.
   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 (15.1 ppg.) won the BIG EAST's Sixth Man Award last season, while junior forward Christian Bishop (11.5 ppg., 5.4 rpg.) has shot 70.2 percent from the field to lead the league. Bishop has made his last 13 shots from the field over the last two-plus games.
   Point guard Marcus Zegarowski (14.3 ppg., 4.7 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 surpassed 1,000 career points on Wednesday vs. Providence, as he scored 17 points in his return after missing two games.
   Perhaps CU's best player in recent weeks has been Damien Jefferson (13.0 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 2.7 apg.), who forced overtime with a jumper in the final second of regulation at UConn. He is third in the BIG EAST with 2.11 steals in conference play and coming off a career-high 26 points on Wednesday vs. Providence.
   Creighton leads the BIG EAST with 81.1 points per game and is also tops in field goal percentage (.490) and field goal percentage defense (.399).
Scouting No. 23 Connecticut
Connecticut is 7-2 this season and 4-2 in league play during its return to the BIG EAST. UConn's two losses have been by a combined six points, with the Huskies missing clutch free throws in the final 20 seconds of each setback.
   Sophomore guard James Bouknight leads UConn with 20.3 points per game, including a career-high 40 vs. Creighton last month, but has missed the last three games with an elbow injury that required surgery.
   In Bouknight's absence, the Huskies have relied on Tyrese Martin (11.0 ppg., 7.6 rpg.), RJ Cole (10.6 ppg.) and Tyler Polley (10.0 ppg.).
   UConn averages 72.8 points per game while allowing a league-best 63.1 points per game. The Huskies shoot 43.0 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from deep and 69.1 percent at the line while averaging a league-high 4.89 blocked shots per contest.
The Series With Connecticut
Creighton won only previous meeting with UConn in overtime, 76-74, on Dec. 20, 2020 in Storrs.
   Greg McDermott is 1-0 against Connecticut.
   McDermott is 1-1 all-time in head-to-head meetings vs. Dan Hurley, as Hurley's Rhode Island team defeated Creighton 84-72 in the First Round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament in a game contested in Sacramento, Calif.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 241-120 record in his 11th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 521-315 in 27 seasons, and is 390-251 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 11-4 on the season.
- Creighton would snap a two-game losing streak, and avoid its first three-game skid since February of 2019.
- Creighton would improve to 131-50 all-time (97-38 under Greg McDermott) as a nationally-ranked team.
- Creighton would improve to 30-3 in its last 33 home games, and avoid suffering consecutive home losses for the first time since January of 2019.
- Creighton would improve to 8-2 all-time when ranked exactly 11th.
- Creighton would become the first BIG EAST team to beat UConn multiple times in the same season since Syracuse went 3-0 against the Huskies in 2011-12.
- Creighton would start 7-3 or better in league play for the first time since 2017-18, which is also the last time it reached the NCAA Tournament.
Can't Miss Kids
In Wednesday's game vs. Providence, Christian Bishop (6-6) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (3-3) combined to shoot 9-for-9 from the field.
   Believe it or not, it was the second straight game CU's two primary big men were perfect from the field, as it also happened last Saturday at Butler when Bishop went 5-for-5 and Kalkbrenner was 1-for-1.
   Going back to Creighton's Jan. 9 game vs. St. John's, Bishop has made his last 13 field goal attempts and Kalkbrenner his past seven field goal tries.
   In the same span that Bishop and Kalkbrenner have combined to make their last 20 shots, the duo has also combined to block 13 shots by the opposition.
   In case you're curious, the NCAA record for consecutive field goals made is 30 by Yale's Brandon Sherrod in 2016.
Bouknight Had A Day
UConn guard James Bouknight erupted for a career-high 40 points vs. Creighton on December 20th in Storrs, while the rest of his team combined for 34 points. The star sophomore, however, was injured on January 5th and has not played since.
   Since Bradley's Hersey Hawkins did it in 1987-88, only one player has scored 30 or more against Creighton twice in the same season, and that man was Marquette's Markus Howard in 2018-19 when Howard had 53 and then 33 points.
   In the 33 seasons that have followed Hawkins, there have now been 24 occasions where a player had scored 30 or more points against Creighton and faced the Bluejays later in their career. Those players, who averaged 34.04 points in the game with 30+ points, have averaged just 15.50 points in the next meeting.
   Only five of those men even scored 19 points or more in their next appearance against the Bluejays.
Name, School   1st Game   Next Game
David Duke, Providence   36   12
Markus Howard, Marquette   53   33
Khadeen Carrington, Seton Hall   41   18
LaDontae Henton, Providence   35   18
Jahii Carson, Arizona State   30   15
Colt Ryan, Evansville   43   13
Kyle Weems, Missouri State   31   13
Colt Ryan, Evansville   31   16
Daniel Ruffin, Bradley   30   6
Brian Roberts, Dayton   34   11
Trey Guidry, Illinois State   30   3
Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa   31   8
Tarise Bryson, Illinois State   31   12
Marcus Wilson, Evansville   31   28
William Fontleroy, Missouri State   30   8
Tevis Stukes, Baylor   30   18
Danny Moore, Missouri State   36   12
Troy Hudson, Southern Illinois   30   15
Troy Hudson, Southern Illinois   30   22
Loren Meyer, Iowa State   30   14
Victor Alexander, Iowa State   37   21
Curtis Stuckey, Bradley   39   22
John Cooper, Wichita State   36   17
Rickey Jackson, Illinois State   32   17
Hersey Hawkins, Bradley   35   38
Ranked vs. Ranked
Creighton is 11-13 all-time as a ranked team when facing a ranked team, including a 10-9 overall mark under Greg McDermott.
   Last year's team was 4-0 in such contests, while this year's club is 1-1 in such battles.
Creighton's Top-25 vs. Top-25 Games
Date   CU Rank   Opponent Rank   Result
03/04/1974   #16   #14 South Carolina   L 69-78
03/14/1974   #19   vs. #14 Kansas   L 54-55
03/16/1974   #19   vs. #16 Louisville   W 80-71
03/08/1975   #13   #5 Marquette   L 60-64
12/31/2002   #15   at #19 Xavier   L 73-75
03/18/2012   #19   vs. #4 North Carolina   L 73-87
03/24/2013   #22   vs. #6 Duke   L 50-66
02/16/2014   #18   #6 Villanova   W 101-80
03/23/2014   #16   vs. #23 Baylor   L 55-85
11/15/2016   #22   #9 Wisconsin   W 77-69
12/31/2016   #10   #1 Villanova   L 70-80
01/11/2017   #8   #12 Butler   W 75-64
01/16/2017   #7   at #22 Xavier   W 72-67
01/31/2017   #22   at #16 Butler   W 76-67
02/25/2017   #23   at #2 Villanova   L 63-79
12/01/2017   #25   at #15 Gonzaga   L 74-91
12/28/2017   #25   at #23 Seton Hall   L 84-90
01/13/2018   #25   at #10 Xavier   L 70-92
02/12/2020   #23   at #10 Seton Hall   W 87-82
02/18/2020   #15   at #19 Marquette   W 73-65
02/23/2020   #15   #21 Butler   W 81-59
03/07/2020   #11   #8 Seton Hall   W 77-60
12/08/2020   #8   at #5 Kansas   L 72-73
12/21/2020   #13   #22 Xavier   W 66-61
01/23/2021   #11   #23 Connecticut   11:00 a.m.
Ranking News & Notes
- Creighton is 22-33 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams, 15 more top-25 wins than any other coach in Creighton history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 18-115 all-time against top-25 foes.
- Creighton has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the last eight seasons (including 2020-21), and multiple ranked foes in each of the previous six years. A victory on Saturday vs. UConn would be CU's second top-25 win of the year, joining its Dec. 23 win vs. No. 22 Xavier.
   On a national basis, the only 14 teams with a top-25 win each of the last eight seasons (including 2020-21) are Baylor, Clemson, Creighton, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
   Thirteen schools have done it each of the previous seven seasons but have yet to do it this winter; Cincinnati, Duke, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kentucky, Oregon, Seton Hall, South Carolina, Syracuse, Temple and Xavier.
- Creighton is 17-16 since the start of the 2016-17 season against ranked teams. The 17 wins over ranked teams in that time are 15th-most nationally, and trails only Villanova (23) among BIG EAST clubs. Xavier is 3-21 vs. top-25 foes in the same span.
- UConn has lost 11 straight true road games against top-25 teams, with the last such victory coming Jan. 16, 2014 at No. 17 Memphis. That UConn team went on to win the national title. The Huskies are 2-14 in the last 10 seasons in road games against top-25 competition.
- Creighton is 13-13 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha against top-25 teams.
Big Mac On The Attack
Greg McDermott's teams have consistently battled some of the best teams in the country.
   The chart below shows how his teams have consistently outpaced those of his predecessors against top-25 foes.
Category   Pre-McDermott   Under McDermott
vs. Top 25 Teams   18-115   22-33
vs. Top 10 Teams   5-31   9-15
vs. Top 10 on Road   1-28   4-8
vs. Top 25 on Road   2-63   8-15
Top 25 Success
Creighton had six wins over top-25 teams last season, breaking the school-record of four set in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
   With a win vs. No. 23 UConn on Saturday, it'll mark Creighton's 10th team with multiple top-25 wins in a season, and sixth consecutive season.
   On a national basis, the only 17 teams with multiple top-25 wins each of the previous five seasons (from 2015-16 to 2019-20) are Baylor, Creighton, Duke, Florida State, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Seton Hall, Texas Tech, Villanova, Virginia and West Virginia.
   Of those 17 teams, only Baylor, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue and Villanova have done it already in 2020-21. Creighton can join their company with a victory on Saturday.
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
Moving On Up
Last year Damien Jefferson scored in double-figures in just 13-of-30 contests, and he finished the season averaging 9.4 points per game.
   This year, the senior forward has scored in double-figures in 12-of-14 games and he's upped his average to 13.0 points per contest. He's been even better in the past five games, averaging 17.2 points per game on 62.1 percent shooting from the field, which includes 31-for-43 marksmanship (72.1 percent) from two-point range.
   Jefferson pumped in a career-high 26 points on Wednesday vs. PC, six more than his previous best.
   The last time Jefferson faced UConn he hit a pull-up jumper with 0.2 seconds left to force overtime. He would finish the victory with 10 points and five rebounds.
Close Calls
The last time Creighton met Connecticut, 40 minutes wasn't enough to decide a victor. That's not too surprising, neither team has been blown out for a full game yet this season.
   Creighton's four losses have come by a combined 14 points (1, 5, 4, 4), and UConn's two setbacks have been by a combined six points (2, 4).
   Both teams have lost one overtime game this season.
   The similarities don't end there...both teams are coming off 74-70 losses earlier this week.
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OT Is AOK
Creighton won the first meeting at Connecticut this season in overtime by a 76-74 margin, and is 1-1 now on the year in overtime contests.
   Creighton has not played an overtime game multiple times against the same team in the same season since Tulsa in 1983-84.
2021 Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out Information
When Creighton hosts Georgetown on Feb. 3rd in its 10th Annual Pink Out game, Bluejay players will wear pink shooting shirts and pink jerseys for the game. Fans have the opportunity to honor a friend or family member who has battled cancer or is currently battling cancer by purchasing the apparel via auction (the shooting shirt can be personalized – last name, nickname, etc.) as well as bid on once in a lifetime rounds of golf.
   All funds raised go to benefit Hope Lodge Omaha. The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Nebraska provides a free home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers who must travel to Omaha to receive their lifesaving treatment. More than just a roof over their heads, it's a nurturing community that helps patients access the care they need. The annual Creighton University Men's Basketball Pink Out game has raised over $262,000 benefiting the Hope Lodge facility here in Omaha and the guests it serves.
   This year pink out t-shirts will be available for purchase at metro area Hy-Vee's for $10 in the week leading up to the game. Complimentary "Pink Out" posters will be available to fans at area Hy-Vee stores. All funds raised from shirts sold will continue to benefit the Hope Lodge Nebraska.
   To participate in the 2021 Pink Out auction, visit http://www.gocreighton.com/pinkoutauction.
Law Of Averages?
Over the years Creighton has been known as one of the nation's best teams from three-point range, but that marksmanship has been off the mark in the last two games, both losses.
   After making 10 or more three-pointers in 7-of-12 games to start the season, the Bluejays are a combined 10-for-46 from downtown in the past two games and lost both contests by four points.
   Mitch Ballock, who had drained a triple in 41-of-42 games, has missed all eight of his long-range tries in the past two games.
   In the first meeting with UConn, Creighton shot 25.9 percent (7-27) from deep.
   The Huskies allow a league-low 5.33 three-pointers per game and limit foes to 30.4 accuracy from behind the arc. CU hasn't gone three straight games with six or fewer three-pointers made since the first three league games of the 2016-17 season.
Up, Up, And Away
Since Feb. 19, 2019, Creighton owns a 24-8 mark in regular-season BIG EAST games. That figure is the best mark in the league by two 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   6-3   24-8
Seton Hall   2-3   13-5   6-3   21-11
Villanova   2-3   13-5   4-0   19-8
Providence   3-2   12-6   4-4   19-12
UConn   2-4#   10-8#   4-2   16-14
Xavier   4-1   8-10   3-2   15-13
Butler   1-4   10-8   4-5   15-17
Marquette   2-4   8-10   4-4   14-18
Georgetown   4-2   5-13   1-5   10-20
St. John's   1-4   5-13   3-6   9-23
DePaul   2-3   3-15   0-5   5-23
#includes 2018-19 and 2019-20 in the AAC
Major Success
Among teams in the leagues considered the "Power Five", plus the BIG EAST, Creighton has enjoyed almost more success than anyone else recently.
   Creighton's 34 victories since the start of the 2019-20 season trail only Kansas and Baylor.
Best Records Since 2019-20 (through 1/20)
(Power 5 Conferences + BIG EAST)
Team   2019-20   2020-21   Total
Baylor   26-4   13-0   39-4
Kansas   28-3   10-4   38-7
Creighton   24-7   10-4   34-11
Florida State   26-5   8-2   34-7
Villanova   24-7   9-1   33-8
Oregon   24-7   9-2   33-9
Louisville   24-7   9-3   33-10
USCÂ Â Â 22-9Â Â Â 11-3Â Â Â 33-12
Auburn   25-6   8-7   33-13
Wisconsin   21-10   12-3   33-13
Mahoney Had It Going
Denzel Mahoney scored 29 points last Saturday at Butler after scoring 24 the previous Saturday vs. St. John's. Those rank as his two highest-scoring games as a Bluejay.
   At Butler, Mahoney had six points at halftime before an electric second half that saw him produce 23 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Mahoney spearheaded a 26-3 Bluejay run with 18 points, in a span of 7:13, making seven straight shots at one point.
   Mahoney became the first Creighton player with 23 points or more in a half since Doug McDermott set a (since broken) BIG EAST Tournament record with 27 points in the first half vs. DePaul on March 13, 2014.
   That stretch made Mahoney the first Bluejay with 53 points or more over a two-game span since Marcus Foster had consecutive 29-point efforts on Feb. 7 and Feb. 10 in 2018.
Ballock Over 1,100; Zegarowski Over 1,000
Mitch Ballock owns 1,124 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 became the 44th Bluejay in school history to surpass 1,000 career points on Jan. 20 vs. Providence when he scored 17 points. Zegarowski needed 75 games to reach the milestone.
Games To 1,000 Points, Last 19 Bluejays
Name   CU Games to 1,000 pts.    Date
Marcus Zegarowski   75   01/20/21
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.   1,124   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
      1,006   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-Pres.
   44.   1,004   Anthony Tolliver   2003-07
   45.   994   Chuck Officer   1960-62, 1963-64
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
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. They've combined for 3,747 career points at Creighton, and 4,991 career points if you add in Mahoney and Jefferson's points at their previous stops.
   On January 23rd, Creighton's potential starting five (Mitch Ballock, Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Denzel Mahoney and Marcus Zegarowski) will be a collective 40,856 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 40,807 days old on January 23rd.
   Creighton has gotten 47.8 percent of its scoring from its four seniors (Mahoney, Jefferson, Ballock and Alex O'Connell).
Category   Points   Pct. of Team's Pts.
Freshmen   99   8.7%
Sophomores   147    13.0%
Juniors   347    30.6%
Seniors   542    47.8%
No. 11 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 11th in the AP poll and 11th in the Coaches poll.
   The No. 11 AP ranking is four spots behind the best mark in program history, which was done on Jan. 16, 2017, March 9, 2020, March 16, 2020 and Jan. 4, 2021.
   Creighton is one of eight teams that have been ranked in all 16 AP polls since Feb. 3, 2020, joining Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa, Kansas, Tennessee and Villanova. The 16 straight weeks in the rankings is tied for the second-longest stretch in program history and one shy of the record of 17 straight weeks, done from Feb. 27, 2012 - Feb. 4, 2013. Â
   After being ranked 30th in the inaugural NET rankings that were released on Jan. 4th, Creighton was 29th in Thursday morning's (Jan. 21st) latest update.
A Good Start
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 14 games under Greg McDermott. Notably, Creighton has started 9-5 or better after 14 games in all 11 seasons.
Creighton Stats Through 14 Games, Since 2010-11
Year   W-L   FG%   3FG%   FT%   PPG   Opp PPG
2020-21Â Â Â 10-4Â Â Â .490Â Â Â .367Â Â Â .662Â Â Â 81.1Â Â Â 69.4
2019-20Â Â Â 12-2Â Â Â .474Â Â Â .375Â Â Â .709Â Â Â 79.9Â Â Â 68.4
2018-19Â Â Â 10-4Â Â Â .520Â Â Â .448Â Â Â .638Â Â Â 84.7Â Â Â 73.9
2017-18Â Â Â 11-3Â Â Â .514Â Â Â .379Â Â Â .742Â Â Â 91.1Â Â Â 72.4
2016-17Â Â Â 13-1Â Â Â .536Â Â Â .431Â Â Â .674Â Â Â 88.4Â Â Â 72.6
2015-16Â Â Â 10-4Â Â Â .503Â Â Â .396Â Â Â .675Â Â Â 86.9Â Â Â 74.8
2014-15Â Â Â Â 9-5Â Â Â .427Â Â Â .342Â Â Â .746Â Â Â 70.8Â Â Â 64.6
2013-14Â Â Â 12-2Â Â Â .483Â Â Â .426Â Â Â .766Â Â Â 81.5Â Â Â 63.9
2012-13Â Â Â 13-1Â Â Â .509Â Â Â .433Â Â Â .759Â Â Â 79.5Â Â Â 62.1
2011-12Â Â Â 12-2Â Â Â .506Â Â Â .451Â Â Â .698Â Â Â 82.6Â Â Â 68.4
2010-11Â Â Â 10-4Â Â Â .433Â Â Â .319Â Â Â .771Â Â Â 67.5Â Â Â 61.9
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
They Scored How Many?
Creighton put up 56 points in the first half on Jan. 9 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
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 22 steals so far this winter. His 2.11 steals per league games is third in the BIG EAST, and his 19 steals are one outside of the lead.
   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 23-5 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 14-3 all-time when Christian Bishop has seven or more rebounds.
   Finally, Creighton is also 17-2 when Shereef Mitchell grabs two or more rebounds, and also 17-2 when he dishes multiple assists.
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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
10Â Â Â UABÂ Â Â 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
High-Powered Offense
Creighton leads the BIG EAST and ranks 34th nationally with 81.1 points per game.
   The Bluejays have pumped in 93 or more points in five games this season, one of eight teams in the country (with Iowa, Gonzaga, Baylor, Bryant, The Citadel, Sam Houston State and 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 50 times since 2010-11 are North Carolina (67) and Gonzaga (67).
   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).
The Chase For .500
Currently 6-3 in the BIG EAST, Creighton will own a winning percentage of .500 or better at the midway point in league play for the 23rd time in the past 25 seasons.
   Creighton hasn't started 7-3 or better after 10 league games since 2017-18, which is also the last time it reached the NCAA Tournament.
   Here's how Creighton's teams have fared in the various halves of the MVC/BIG EAST season since 1995-96.
Year   First 9 League Games   League
2020-21Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â BIG EAST
2019-20Â Â Â 6-3 Â Â Â BIG EAST
2018-19Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â BIG EAST
2017-18Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â BIG EAST
2016-17Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â BIG EAST
2015-16Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â BIG EAST
2014-15Â Â Â 1-8Â Â Â BIG EAST
2013-14Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â BIG EAST
2012-13Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2011-12Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2010-11Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2009-10Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2008-09Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2007-08Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2006-07Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2005-06Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2004-05Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2003-04Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2002-03Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2001-02Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â Missouri Valley
2000-01Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
1999-00Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
1998-99Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â Missouri Valley
1997-98Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
1996-97Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â Missouri Valley
1995-96Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â Missouri Valley
Total   148-86 (.632)
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 303 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 18-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 250-53 (.825) 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 23,775-19,896 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.80 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 85 different times.
   Creighton is also 29-32 all-time in the 61 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 35-26 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 153-35 (.814) 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 269-53 (.835) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
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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 6.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots while playing just 13.6 minutes per game. Kalkbrenner ranks fourth nationally among freshmen with 24 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 10-2 this year when he makes a field goal, and 0-2 when he does not. The Bluejays are also 9-2 when he blocks a shot, and 1-2 when he does not.
Balance Is Big
All five Creighton starters are averaging 9.1 points or more this season, and the Bluejays have had at least five men score in double-digits in 6-of-14 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 10.0 points per game or more.
Dame Time
Damien Jefferson came two assists shy of producing Creighton's first traditional triple-double when he posted 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists on Thursday at St. John's.
   His performance made him the only Creighton player in the last 34 seasons with at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight or more assists in the same game.
   Creighton has had only three triple-doubles in program history, but all three were of the points/rebounds/blocks variety by Benoit Benjamin.
   Jefferson is just the second Bluejay player with a game of at least eight points, rebounds and assists in 11 seasons under Greg McDermott. Khyri Thomas had 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists vs. DePaul on Feb. 27, 2018.
   Here's a list of Creighton players with at least 7+ points, 7+ rebounds and 7+ assists in the same game since 1987-88.
7+ Point, 7+ Rebound, 7+ Assist Games, Since 1987-88
   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Name   Date
   16   9   7   Mike Amos   1/30/1993
   24   11   7   Rodney Buford   11/18/1998
   25   8   8   Ryan Sears   1/8/2000
   9   7   10   Grant Gibbs   12/19/2011
   12   10   7   Grant Gibbs   1/13/2012
   12   7   9   Austin Chatman   11/11/2013
   9   7   7   Austin Chatman   1/25/2014
   7   9   7   Khyri Thomas   12/9/2015
   16   8   7   Maurice Watson Jr.   1/26/2016
   14   12   7   Khyri Thomas   2/28/2017
   16   8   8   Khyri Thomas   2/27/2018
   10   10   8   Damien Jefferson   12/17/2020
O'Connell Makes Creighton Debut
A vote by the NCAA Division I Council on Dec. 16 made Alex O'Connell immediately eligible. He made his debut one day later at St. John's with six points, two rebounds a steal, and an assist in 12 minutes of action.
   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 6-2 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 12 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
   29   at Butler   01/16/21
   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 38 assists compared to 27 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
   11.   177   Duan Cole   1987-92
   12.   171   Isaiah Zierden   2013-17
   13.   170   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-Pres.
   14.   168   Marcus Foster   2016-18
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.)
      147   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 fifth in the country with five different games of 13 three-pointers this year. Among power conference teams, no one has done it as often.
   Creighton has three of the four players in the BIG EAST with 33 or more three-pointers made, with Marcus Zegarowski leading the league with 35, and Denzel Mahoney (33) and Mitch Ballock (33) not far behind.
Playing With The Lead
For the season (all games), Creighton has trailed for just 159:18 of 570 minutes of play (27.9%). At home, CU had trailed for just 44:49 of 320 minutes (14.0%) prior to playing from behind for 39:44 of 40:00 minutes (99.33 percent) on Wednesday vs. Providence.
   In 303 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 85 of those contests, a staggering 28.1 percent of the time.
    Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 153-35 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.
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 81.28 points per home game (15,281 points in 188 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 15th. That includes the nation's No. 11 offense, and No. 36 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
2010-11Â Â Â 66Â Â Â 174Â Â Â 23-16
011-12Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 166Â Â Â 29-6
2012-13Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 66Â Â Â 28-8
2013-14Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 27-8
2014-15Â Â Â 59Â Â Â 138Â Â Â 14-19
2015-16Â Â Â 43Â Â Â 76Â Â Â 20-15
2016-17Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 46Â Â Â 25-10
2017-18Â Â Â 25Â Â Â 58Â Â Â 21-12
2018-19Â Â Â 47Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 20-15
2019-20Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 78Â Â Â 24-7
2020-21Â Â Â 11Â Â Â 36Â Â Â 10-4 so far
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.
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.
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)
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  Â
Gonzaga   22   31-2
Kansas   22   28-3  Â
Duke   22   25-6  Â
Kentucky   21   25-6  Â
Creighton   20   24-7  Â
Florida   20   19-12  Â
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%
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 .668 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more 80 years ago.
   Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk.   W-L   Name   Years
1.   327-176   Dana Altman   1994-2010
2.   241-120   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
#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 12.9 points and 3.7 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.
Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 896 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,068 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 253 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 267 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 3-8 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:   71 times   5:  95 times   6: 91 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 896 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 (1/20)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,112   UNLV   1/21
   2.   1,098   Duke   1/23
   3.   1,058   Arkansas   1/23
   4.   1,048   Western Kentucky   1/23
   5.   1,040   East Tennessee State   1/23
   6.   1,019   Pacific   1/21
   7.   1,018   Oakland   1/22
   8.   1,009   Texas   1/26
   9.   958   Princeton   Season Canceled
      958   Marshall   1/22
   11.   945   Baylor   1/23
   12.   932   Gonzaga   1/23
   13.   914   Long Island   1/21
   14.   897   Mount St. Mary's   1/21
   15.   896   Creighton   1/23
   16.   886   Tennessee State   1/21
   17.   885   Cornell   Season Canceled
   18.   880   East Carolina   1/24
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. 20, 2021
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank  Â
3FG Percentage   .385   2nd  Â
3FG Made   3,236   2nd  Â
Assists   5,863   3rd  Â
FG Percentage   .481   3rd  Â
FG Made   9,888   8th  Â
Wins   241   29th
Winning Percentage   .668   33rd  Â
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
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/ Men's BasketballMeet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
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Meet the Jays - MBB Ty Davis
Friday, August 15
