Friday, November 19
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
2:15 PM
Creighton University
vs
Brown
Photo by: Chelsea Nicholson
Men's Basketball Opens Paradise Jam vs. Brown on Friday
11/17/2021 8:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bluejays looking to become event's first two-time champion
Game #4: Creighton Bluejays vs. Brown Bears
Friday, Nov. 19, 2021 • 2:15 p.m. CST
Sports and Fitness Center (3,000) • St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Broadcast: ESPN3.com (Brad Wells, Kevin Lehman)
Series History: Brown leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Brown 80, Creighton 79 on Dec. 28, 1991 in Tempe, Ariz.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE RADIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF)
Next Game
Creighton (3-0) opens play in the Paradise Jam on Friday at 2:15 p.m. Central when it takes on Brown (3-1).
   The contest will take place at Sports and Fitness Center at the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas, USVI.
   The loser plays on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. Central and has Sunday off vs. the Bradley/Colorado State loser.
   The winner takes Saturday off and plays on Sunday at 4:45 p.m. Central vs. the Bradley/Colorado State winner.
Paradise Jam Schedule
Play will begin with Game 1 on Nov. 19 with Bradley and Colorado State at 12 p.m. Central. Then in Game 2, Creighton will take on Brown at 2:15 p.m. Finishing the first day is the Game 3 matchup of Duquesne and Northeastern at 4:45 p.m., followed by Game 4 with Colorado facing Southern Illinois at 7 p.m.
   Losing teams on day one will play the 20th at 2:15 p.m. and 4:45 p.m., with the winners getting a day off and playing each other on the 21st at 4:45 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the semifinals.
   The tournament's final day on Nov. 22 will feature four more games, with the seventh-place game at 12 p.m., the fourth-place game at 2:15 p.m., the third-place game at 4:45 p.m., and a 7 p.m. tip-off for the championship tilt.
   A complete bracket can be found on page 7 of these game notes, keeping in mind that Atlantic Standard time (seen on the bracket) is two hours ahead of Central Standard Time.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2021-22 season, with John Bishop on the call. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Broadcast Information
Friday's game will be called by Brad Wells and Kevin Lehman and be broadcast on ESPN3 by going to http://ESPN3.com.
   Of Creighton's last 165 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised. CU is 112-53 in those contests.
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 Creighton
Creighton is 3-0 this season, with victories over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kennesaw State and Nebraska. The Bluejays return seven lettermen but no starters from last year's team that finished 22-9 overall, runner-up in the BIG EAST, and reached the program's first Sweet 16 since 1974.
   Of CU's scholarship returners, only Ryan Kalkbrenner (9.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg.), Alex O'Connell (15.3 ppg.) and Shereef Mitchell (4.0 ppg.) are back after playing last season.
   The Bluejays brought in grad transfers KeyShawn Feazell (5.0 ppg., 4.0 rpg.) and Ryan Hawkins (12.3 ppg., 10.3 rpg.) to bolster the front line.
   Creighton also features the nation's No. 7 recruiting class, with Ryan Nembhard (16.0 ppg., 5.7 apg.) and Arthur Kaluma (7.3 ppg,. 4.3 rpg.) starting every game to date.
   Creighton averages 72.7 points per game on 48.6 percent shooting from the field and has outrebounded foes by 11.0 caroms per contest. The Bluejays have held foes to 33.8 percent shooting and 63.3 points per contest.
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Scouting Brown
Brown is 3-1 on the season, with wins over Salve Regina (89-59), Central Connecticut State (75-57) and Johnson & Wales (98-47) as well as a 94-87 loss at No. 19 North Carolina.
   BU has had a different leading scorer in each game, and two-time All-Ivy League choice Tamenang Choh has scored three points in his only appearance to date due to injury.
   Freshman sharpshooter Kino Lilly Jr. (13.3 ppg., 3.8 apg., 57.1 3FG%) comes off the bench to lead BU in scoring and owns a 15/2 assist/turnover ratio. Also scoring in double-figures are Nana Owusu-Anane (11.8 ppg., 5.8 rpg.), Paxson Wojcik (11.8 ppg., 5.0 rpg.) and Dan Friday (10.8 ppg., 4.0 apg.).
   The Bears are scoring 87.3 points per game while allowing just 64.3 per contest. The Bears outrebound teams by 7.5 caroms per contest, own a 69/43 assist/turnover ratio and have made 81.7 percent of its 60 free throw attempts.
The Series vs. Brown
Creighton is 0-1 all-time against Brown, losing 80-79 to the Bears on Dec. 28, 1991 in the Tribune Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
   The Bears won the game when Rick Lloyd threw in an off-balance 13-foot shot with 0.1 seconds left, which came just nine seconds after Matt Petty had drained a three-pointer to give Creighton a 79-78 lead.
   Duan Cole led Creighton with 22 points while Latrell Wrightsell contributed 16 points, eight assists and four steals. Chuck Savage led Brown with 23 points.
   Greg McDermott has never coached against Brown nor coach Mike Martin. McDermott is 1-0 all-time against Ivy League schools, having defeated Yale 92-76 in Creighton's 2017-18 season-opener.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 256-125 record in his 12th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 536-320 in his 28th season, and is 405-256 in his 21st Division I campaign.
   McDermott led Creighton to its first BIG EAST regular-season title in 2019-20, taking a Bluejay team that was picked seventh in the league's preseason poll and ending the year ranked seventh nationally. The Cascade, Iowa native then coached Creighton to its first Sweet 16 since 1974 in 2020-21 and to a share of its first regular-season BIG EAST title in 2019-20.
   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, Ryan Miller and Jalen Courtney-Williams.
With A Win...
- Creighton would start 4-0 for the sixth time in 12 seasons under Greg McDermott.
- Teams with Ryan Hawkins would improve to 163-8 at the college level, including a 38-0 record on neutral floors.
- Creighton would advance to play the winner of the Bradley/Colorado State game and return to the court on Sunday at 4:45 p.m. Central.
- Creighton would even the series with Brown, 1-1, while getting payback for a last-second loss at the Tribune Classic in 1991 in Tempe, Ariz.
- Greg McDermott would improve to 2-0 in his career against Ivy League schools.
- Creighton would play the winner of the Colorado State vs. Bradley game on Sunday at 4:45 p.m. Central.
Tournament History
Creighton is seeking its fifth preseason tournament title under Greg McDermott this weekend at the Paradise Jam.
   Creighton won the 2011 Dale Howard Classic (including a win over Iowa), the 2012 Las Vegas Invitational (Wisconsin & Arizona State) and the 2015 Men Who Speak Up Main Event (UMass and Rutgers) and the 2016 Paradise Jam (Washington State, NC State, Ole Miss).
   The Bluejays also won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in both 2012 (Illinois State) and 2013 (Wichita State) under McDermott.
Creighton in MTE's Under Greg McDermott
Year   W-L   Event Name
2010Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â Global Sports Hy-Vee Challenge
2011Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â Dale Howard Classic
2012Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â Las Vegas Invitational
2013Â Â Â 1-2Â Â Â Wooden Legacy
2014Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â Emerald Coast Classic
2015Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â Men Who Speak Up Main Event
2016Â Â Â 3-0Â Â Â Paradise Jam
2017Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â Hall of Fame Classic
2018Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â Cayman Islands Classic
2019Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â Las Vegas Invite
Total   32-6   Five titles
Tournament Success
Creighton has had some great success in tournament play in recent seasons, especially under Greg McDermott. In McDermott's tenure, CU is 32-6 in regular-season tournament action with five titles in 10 completed events.
   Since 2002-03, Creighton is 45-10 (23-0 at home) with eight titles in 15 preseason tournaments, as seen below. Creighton last lost at home in a regular-season tournament in 1975.
   In the first game after winning a tournament, Creighton is 7-1 in that same time, with only a 2012 loss to Boise State.
Preseason Tournament Performances, Last 19 Seasons
Year   Tourney (Site)   W-L (Home W-L)
2002-03Â Â Â Guardians Classic (Omaha/KC)Â Â Â 4-0 (2-0)
2004-05Â Â Â Guardians Classic (Omaha/KC)Â Â Â 4-0 (2-0)
2006-07Â Â Â Rainbow Classic (Honolulu)Â Â Â 2-1
2008-09Â Â Â Las Vegas Classic (Omaha/Las Vegas)Â Â Â 4-0 (2-0)
2009-10Â Â Â Old Spice Classic (Orlando)Â Â Â 0-3
2010-11Â Â Â Hy-Vee Challenge (Omaha/Des Moines)Â Â Â 3-1 (3-0)
2011-12Â Â Â Dale Howard Classic (Omaha/Des Moines)Â Â Â 4-0 (3-0)
2012-13Â Â Â Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas)Â Â Â 4-0 (2-0)
2013-14Â Â Â Wooden Legacy (Fullerton/Anaheim)Â Â Â 1-2
2014-15Â Â Â Emerald Coast Classic (Omaha/Niceville)Â Â Â 3-1 (2-0)
2015-16Â Â Â MGM Grand Main Event (Omaha/Las Vegas)Â Â Â 4-0 (2-0)
2016-17Â Â Â Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)Â Â Â 3-0
2017-18Â Â Â Hall of Fame Classic (Omaha/Kansas City)Â Â Â 3-1 (2-0)
2018-19Â Â Â Cayman Islands Classic (Omaha/Cayman Islands)Â Â Â 4-0 (1-0)
2019-20Â Â Â Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas)Â Â Â 3-1 (2-0)
Tournament Trifectas
One reason for Creighton's success in multi-team events over the years has been its proficiency with the three-ball.
   In 38 MTE games under Greg McDermott, the Bluejays have made 390-of-940 three-point attempts, connecting at a 41.5 percent clip while making 10.26 treys per contest.
3FG Made In Preseason Tournaments Under Greg McDermott
Year   Tourney (Site)   3FG-3FGA (Games)
2010-11Â Â Â Hy-Vee Challenge (Omaha/Des Moines)Â Â Â 45-95 (4)
2011-12Â Â Â Dale Howard Classic (Omaha/Des Moines)Â Â Â 40-117 (4)
2012-13Â Â Â Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas)Â Â Â 44-81 (4)
2013-14Â Â Â Wooden Legacy (Fullerton/Anaheim)Â Â Â 45-112 (3)
2014-15Â Â Â Emerald Coast Classic (Omaha/Niceville)Â Â Â 31-86 (4)
2015-16Â Â Â MGM Grand Main Event (Omaha/Las Vegas)Â Â Â 32-77 (4)
2016-17Â Â Â Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)Â Â Â 35-82 (3)
2017-18Â Â Â Hall of Fame Classic (Omaha/Kansas City)Â Â Â 50-105 (4)
2018-19Â Â Â Cayman Islands Classic (Omaha/Cayman Islands)Â Â Â 35-89 (4)
2019-20Â Â Â Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas)Â Â Â 33-96 (4)
Paradise Jam History
Creighton is 3-0 all-time in one previous appearance in the Paradise Jam. The Bluejays won the title in November of 2016 when it beat Washington State (103-77), North Carolina State (112-94) and Ole Miss (86-77).
   Marcus Foster was named Tournament MVP for the Bluejays.
That's My Jam
The last time Creighton was at the Paradise Jam in 2016, the Bluejays set 11 tournament records that still stand. Records set include:
13 Assists in a Game - Maurice Watson Jr.
40 Field Goals Made in a Game vs. Washington State
40 Field Goals Made in a Game vs. North Carolina State
25 Assists in a Game vs. Washington State
301 Points in a Tournament
100.3 Points Per Game in a Tournament
64 Assists in a Tournament
111 Field Goals Made in a Tournament
55.1 3FG% in a Tournament
56.5 FG% in a Tournament
44 3FG Made in a Tournament
Jays Seek History In Paradise
No school has ever won the Paradise Jam more than once.
   Of this year's field, 2016 champion Creighton as well as 2017 champ Colorado are both in the field.
Nembhard's Big Day
Playing his first collegiate road game, freshman point guard Ryan Nembhard thrived in a hostile environment in Lincoln. The Canadian native had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists.
   Since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010, the only other Bluejays with a 20/5/5 game were Mitch Ballock (1), Marcus Foster (3), Grant Gibbs (1), Doug McDermott (2), Khyri Thomas (2), Maurice Watson Jr. (2) and Marcus Zegarowski (3).
   Nembhard is CU's first freshman with a 20/5/5 line since at least 1981-82.
   Nembhard's 22 points were the most by a Bluejay of any year in their first game vs. Nebraska since at least 1980.
Hawk Talk
Ryan Hawkins finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on Tuesday at Nebraska. It was just the fourth 15/10/5 game in Greg McDermott's 12 seasons at Creighton, and first since Khyri Thomas had 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a Nov. 15, 2017 Gavitt Tipoff Games win at Northwestern.
   The only others with a 15/10/5 game under McDermott were Austin Chatman (17 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists vs. Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014) and Doug McDermott (30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists at Seton Hall on Jan. 4, 2014).
   Hawkins's performance was CU's first 15/10/5 line without a turnover since at least 1980-81.
Like A Hawk
Ryan Hawkins has had 10 or more rebounds in each of CU's first three games. He's the first Bluejay to do that to start a season since Benoit Benjamin's streak of 27 consecutive double-figure rebounding games to open his junior campaign in 1984-85.
   With 10 rebounds on Friday vs. Brown, Hawkins can become CU's first player with a streak of four straight 10+ rebound games at any point of the season since Gregory Echenique from January 7-15, 2002.
   Hawkins owns 38 games with 10 or more rebounds and 979 rebounds in his college career.
Winning With Defense
Creighton's made its reputation on the offensive side with its "Let It Fly" philsophy, but the Bluejays have won thanks in large part to their defense so far this season.
   Creighton has held each of its first three opponents under 40 percent from the field for the first time since 2000-01. That team, which included current assistant coach Alan Huss as a player, went on to win the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title.
   Against Brown, Creighton will try to hold its first four opponents under 40 percent shooting for the first time since at least 1980-81.
Defense Never Rests
Creighton had allowed 47 points in the first half of the season opener as Arkansas-Pine Bluff shot 18-of-35 from the field (51.4 percent) and 6-of-18 from downtown (33.3 percent).
   Since then, the Jays have turned it up a notch.
   In the five halves (100 minutes) that have followed, CU has surrendered a total of 143 points while opponents have shot just 52-for-172 (30.2 percent) overall and 20-for-70 from deep (28.6 percent).
No Husker Hangover Here
Creighton has dominated the recent series over Nebraska, winning 10 of the past 11 meetings.
   The Bluejays have been just as dominant in the game following the Nebraska game in recent seasons, going 8-1 in the last nine games following a contest vs. the Huskers by an average of 27.22 points.
   Creighton has won the first home game after meeting Nebraska in 15 of the past 16 seasons, and by an average of 21.56 points.
Nembhard A Consistent Threat
Ryan Nembhard has scored in double-figures each of Creighton's first three games.
   In the last 27 years, the only other newcomers to score in double-figures during CU's first three games have been Doug McDermott (8 straight in 2010-11), Maurice Watson Jr. (5 in 2015-16), Marcus Foster (8 in 2016-17) and Justin Patton (8 in 2016-17),
   Nembhard's 48 points through three games are the most by any Bluejay freshman since Benoit Benjamin had 49 points through three games in 1982-83 The two other freshmen to score 35 or more points through three games (P'Allen Stinnett and McDermott) both went on to be named Conference Freshman of the Year.
Most Points, Newcomers First 3 Games Since 1994-95
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year
   50   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17
   48   Ryan Nembhard, Fr.   2021-22
   41   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02
   41   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08
   41   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16
   39   Edward St. Fleur, Jr.   1995-96
   38   Darryl Ashford, Jr.   2009-10
   38   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11
   38   Denzel Mahoney, Jr.   2019-20
   37   Ryan Hawkins, Sr.   2020-21
   35   Devin Brooks, Jr.   2013-14
Higher And Higher
Ryan Kalkbrenner established new career-highs on Tuesday with 27 minutes played and nine rebounds grabbed. His nine rebounds were one more than his previous best of eight done in last year's match-up vs. Nebraska.
   In addition, Alex O'Connell also established career-highs in both rebounds (9) and minutes (36).
The Ryan Express
Creighton has started three players with the first name of Ryan in each game this winter, as Ryan Nembhard, Ryan Hawkins and Ryan Kalkbrenner are all entrenched as starters.
   In the Nov. 16 win at Nebraska, Nembhard, Hawkins and Kalkbrenner combined for 49 points, 24 rebounds, 11 assists and five blocked shots.
   Creighton had not started multiple players with the same first name in the same regular-season game since Nov. 18, 2006, when both Nick Porter and Nick Bahe started against Nebraska.
   Creighton has not had a season in which three players with the same first name all started at least once in the regular-season since at least 1980.
   With so many men named Ryan (not to mention assistant coach Ryan Miller), the Bluejay staff has gone to referring to Hawkins as "Hawk", the 7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner as "Big Ryan" and Nembhard as "R2", in honor of his uniform number, as well as "Coach Miller".
Road Openers
Creighton is 6-6 under Greg McDermott in its first true road game of the season, and 13-13 in the last 26 years in the initial road game.
   The road opener has been the barometer for Creighton's postseason plans in the previous 13 years. Creighton has made the NCAA Tournament the five times it has won the road opener, and missed the NCAA Tournament six of the other seven years where a postseason was contested.
 Creighton in Road Openers, Last 14 Years
Year   Opponent   Score   CU in NCAA's?
2008-09   Ark.-Little Rock   L 69-71   No (NIT)
2009-10   #21 Dayton   L 80-90   No (CIT)
2010-11   Northwestern   L 52-65   No (CBI)
2011-12Â Â Â UABÂ Â Â W 70-60Â Â Â Yes
2012-13   Nebraska   W 64-42   Yes
2013-14   Saint Joseph's   W 83-79   Yes
2014-15   Tulsa   L 64-77   No
2015-16   #14 Indiana   L 65-86   No (NIT)
2016-17   Nebraska   W 77-62   Yes
2017-18   #20 Northwestern   W 92-88   Yes
2018-19   Nebraska   L 75-94   No (NIT)
2019-20   Michigan   L 69-79   No (Postseason CCD)
2020-21   #5 Kansas   L 72-73   Yes
2021-22   Nebraska   W 77-69   TBD
Good Start vs. Nebraska
As Creighton head coach, Greg McDermott now owns a 10-2 record against Nebraska. He is the only Creighton men's basketball coach to win seven straight games over the Cornhuskers (2011-17), and his 10 overall victories tie Dana Altman (who was 10-7 against NU) for most among Bluejay head coaches all-time.
   McDermott owns a 16-4 record in his career against the Cornhuskers. The only other team he has beaten more as a head coach is DePaul (17-1).
   Already the only visiting non-conference team with multiple victories at Pinnacle Bank Arena, Creighton has now beaten the Cornhuskers three times at "The Vault."
Big (Ten) Mac Attack
Creighton is 16-4 in its last 20 games against teams from the Big Ten. Creighton has outscored foes by an average of 7.85 points in those 20 games, which include 13 double-figure victories.
   Greg McDermott is 29-16 in his career against teams that are currently in the Big Ten, including a 16-6 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   Creighton is 7-1 under McDermott in home games against Big Ten programs.
Creighton's Last 20 Games vs. the Big Ten
Date   Opponent   Score
11/20/11Â Â Â vs. Iowa (in Des Moines)Â Â Â W 82-59
12/04/11   Nebraska   W 76-66
12/22/11   Northwestern   W 87-79
11/23/12Â Â Â vs. Wisconsin (in Las Vegas)Â Â Â W 84-74
12/06/12   at Nebraska   W 64-42
12/08/13   Nebraska   W 82-67
12/07/14   at Nebraska   W 65-55
11/19/15   at #14 Indiana   L 65-86
11/23/15Â Â Â vs. Rutgers (in Las Vegas)Â Â Â W 85-75
12/09/15   Nebraska   W 83-67
11/15/16   #9 Wisconsin   W 79-67
12/07/16   at Nebraska   W 77-62
11/15/17   at #20 Northwestern   W 92-88
12/09/17   Nebraska   W 75-65
11/15/18   Ohio State   L 60-69
12/08/18   at #24 Nebraska   L 75-94
11/12/19   at Michigan   L 69-79
12/07/19   Nebraska   W 95-76
12/11/20   Nebraska   W 98-74
11/16/21   at Nebraska   W 77-69
I'll "Half" More Of That Please
Need one big reason why Creighton has won 19 of the past 23 regular-season meetings with Nebraska? Check out the quick starts the Bluejays have gotten off to on a consistent basis.
   Creighton has led at halftime in 18 of the past 23 regular-season meetings, with eight double-digit leads at intermission in that span. Four of the five times that Creighton trailed it half, it came back to win the game anyway. Nebraska has led at halftime and beaten Creighton in the regular-season just once since Jan. 8, 1997, with that coming in December of 2018.
   Also of note, Nebraska has scored more than 30 first half points in just four of the last 19 regular-season meetings vs. Creighton at all sites.
   Creighton is 214-37 all-time under Greg McDermott when leading at halftime.
 Creighton vs Nebraska, Last 23 Reg.-Season Meetings
Date   City   Half Score   Final Score
12/09/99   Omaha   CU 40-38   CU 89-72
01/02/01   Lincoln   NU 24-22   CU 62-61
12/12/01   Omaha   CU 30-23   CU 76-70
12/21/02   Lincoln   CU 46-35   CU 81-73
12/10/03   Omaha   CU 33-23   CU 61-54
12/11/04   Lincoln   NU 22-18   CU 50-48
12/11/05   Omaha   CU 31-11   CU 70-44
11/18/06   Lincoln   CU 31-28   NU 73-61
11/24/07   Omaha   CU 47-20   CU 74-62
11/29/08   Lincoln   CU 31-18   NU 54-52
12/06/09   Omaha   CU 32-27   CU 67-61
12/05/10   Lincoln   CU 29-21   NU 59-54
12/04/11   Omaha   CU 32-29   CU 76-66
12/06/12   Lincoln   CU 28-17   CU 64-42
12/08/13   Omaha   CU 51-25   CU 82-67
12/07/14   Lincoln   NU 28-27   CU 65-55
12/09/15   Omaha   CU 36-30   CU 83-67
12/07/16   Lincoln   CU 31-30   CU 77-62
12/09/17   Omaha   NU 33-28   CU 75-65
12/08/18   Lincoln   NU 47-34   NU 94-75
12/07/19   Omaha   CU 48-22   CU 95-76
12/11/20   Omaha   CU 44-40   CU 98-74
11/16/21   Lincoln   CU 40-36   CU 77-69
Easy as 1, 2, 3...
Creighton has started 3-0 for the eighth time in 12 seasons under Greg McDermott.
   Creighton has started 4-0 in six of McDermott's first 11 seasons, most recently in 2017-18.  Â
Playing With The Lead
In 310 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 85 of those contests, a staggering 27.4 percent of the time.
    Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is Â
159-36 and hasn't trailed in 60 of those games. He owns an 89-6 record vs. non-conference teams at CHI Health Center Omaha, including 20 straight wins.
Assists 'R' Us
Ryan Nembhard's 10 assists in CU's season-opener were the most by a Bluejay freshman in any game since Marcus Zegarowski had 10 on March 9, 2018 vs. DePaul. He was the nation's ONLY freshman with 10+ assists on the opening night of the college basketball season.
   Prior to Nembhard, no Bluejay (of any year) had dished 10 or more assists in a season-opener since Edward St. Fleur on Nov. 22, 1996 at Wyoming.
Youth Is Served
Creighton has just seven non-freshmen on this year's roster, and is likely to play multiple freshmen on a consistent basis this season.
   Creighton has had at least one freshman on the floor for every second of every game this season, and actually have had moments each contest when four of its players on the floor were freshmen.
   Creighton has outscored teams by 53 when it two freshmen or less on the court, but have been outscored by 25 when it has three or more freshmen on the floor.
   All told, 262:03 of Creighton's 600 total minutes (43.7 percent) have been played by freshmen this season.
   By comparison, last season Creighton had a freshman on the floor just 32.4 percent of the time and had multiple freshmen on the floor just 17 minutes (of 1,250) all season (1.4 percent).
Freshmen   Time   Score   Margin
0 freshmen:   Never   --   --
1 freshmen:Â Â Â 11:28Â Â Â 19-15Â Â Â +4
2 freshmen:Â Â Â 76:56Â Â Â 158-109Â Â Â +49
3 freshmen:Â Â Â 29:41Â Â Â 36-61Â Â Â (-25)
4 freshmen:Â Â Â 1:55Â Â Â 5-5Â Â Â 0
5 freshmen:Â Â Â Never
Making An Entrance
Arthur Kaluma (15) and Ryan Nembhard (15) became CU's first true freshmen to debut with 10 points or more since Khyri Thomas had 18 points vs. Texas Southern in 2015.
   Nembhard (15 pts., 10 ast) and Ryan Hawkins (16 pts., 11 reb.) were the first Bluejays since at least 1980 with double-doubles in the season-opener of their debut campaign. No CU player (of any year) had started the season with a double-double since Will Artino (14 pts., 10 reb.) in 2014-15 vs. Central Arkansas.
   Kaluma's eight rebounds were the most by a true freshman in the regular-season opener since Martin Krampelj in 2015 and the most by any Bluejay freshman since redshirt freshman Justin Patton snared eight rebounds in his 2016 debut.
   Kaluma had four blocked shots on Nov. 9 vs. UAPB. The last previous Bluejay newcomer with multiple blocked shots in a season-opener? That'd be Artino on Nov. 11, 2011 vs. North Carolina A&T. Kaluma's four swats were the most by any Bluejay (of any year) on Opening Day since Jeffrey Day had five swats vs. Alcorn State to open the 2004-05 campaign..
   Kaluma (15 & 8) became Creighton's second freshman since at least 1973 to debut with 15+ points and 5+ rebounds, joining Doug McDermott (16 & 7) in 2010.
   Ryan Hawkins grabbed 11 rebounds vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the most by a Bluejay since Damien Jefferson had 12 in 2018. Other than Jefferson, no one's had more than 11 rebounds in their CU debut since Cyril Baptiste snared 17 caroms in 1969. When Hawkins followed with 10 rebounds vs. Kennesaw State, he became CU's first player (of any year) with 10+ rebounds in CU's first two games since Doug Swenson in 1998-99.
   Below is a list of some of Creighton's most famous players and how they performed in their regular-season debuts in a Bluejay uniform.
Name, Yr.   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Stl.   Min.   Result
Zegarowski, 2018Â Â Â 8Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 18Â Â Â W 78-67
Foster, 2016Â Â Â 19Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 28Â Â Â W 89-82
Patton, 2016Â Â Â 12Â Â Â 8Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 22Â Â Â W 89-82
Thomas, 2015Â Â Â 18Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 26Â Â Â W 93-70
McDermott, 2010Â Â Â 16Â Â Â 7Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 32Â Â Â W 71-57
Stinnett, 2007Â Â Â 23Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 26Â Â Â W 74-62
Tolliver, 2003Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 7Â Â Â W 79-44
Funk, 2002Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 21Â Â Â W 106-50
Kyle Korver, 1999Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 10Â Â Â W 70-62
Buford, 1995Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 19Â Â Â W 63-59
Harstad, 1987Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 21Â Â Â L 49-70
Gallagher, 1987Â Â Â 10Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 37Â Â Â L 49-70
Benjamin, 1982Â Â Â 14Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 22Â Â Â W 98-54
McKenna, 1977   14   3   7   ?   ?   W 95-66
Harmon, 1971   21   7   ?   ?   ?   W 74-62
C. Baptiste, 1969   24   17   ?   ?   ?   W 84-62
Portman, 1966   9   ?   ?   ?   ?   W 78-76
Silas, 1961   22   29   ?   ?   ?   W 85-51
Gibson, 1954   19   ?   ?   ?   ?   W 66-51
Freshman Starts Almost Unheard Of
Between 1992-93 and 2020-21, only four true freshmen started Creighton's regular-season opener. Then on Nov. 9 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, both Ryan Nembhard and Arthur Kaluma got the nod on opening night. Nembhard had 15 points and 10 assists while Kaluma owned 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
   This season marked the first time Creighton started two true freshmen in a regular-season opener since 1991-92 (Eric Dantzler and Mike Amos).
   About the other true freshmen to start...
   Ryan Sears did so in 1997-98. The point guard would go on to start all 124 games of his CU career and remains the program's all-time career assist (570) and steals (283) leader.
   Doug McDermott did so in 2010-11, and he went on to start all 145 games of his career. He would graduate as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 career points and is the only three-time First Team All-American since 1986. He now plays for the San Antonio Spurs.
   Khyri Thomas got a start in 2015-16 and remained in CU's starting five each of his first 24 games, and 96-of-102 career contests with the Jays. He has spent parts of the past three seasons in the NBA.
   Shereef Mitchell joined this elite group in 2019-20 when he got the starting nod against Kennesaw State. Mitchell finished with eight points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals in 28 minutes of work.
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 24 victories since the start of the 2010-11 season after trailing by double-figures at some point, including one this season. Twelve of those 24 comebacks have come away from home.
   Creighton's comeback from 15 points down in the season-opener vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff was its biggest since rallying from 16 points down at Seton Hall on Jan. 27th.
   In that Seton Hall game Creighton trailed 68-52 with 10:40 to play before rallying to win thanks to a 33-13 run. It was the first time that Creighton overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to win since trailing 35-24 vs. No. 18 Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014, and the first road win after trailing by 10 or more points at halftime since overcoming a 32-21 margin at half in a 65-59 win at Missouri State on Feb. 24, 2009.
   The comeback win vs. UAPB marked Creighton's biggest rally in a season-opener since overcoming a 16 point hole in 2008 vs. New Mexico and 17 point deficit vs. DePaul in its 2007 opener. Tuesday's FS1 analyst, Nick Bahe, was on that 2007 Bluejay team and on staff for the 2008 club.
   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 on a buzzer-beater by Anthony Tolliver.
CU's Double-Digit Comebacks Since 2010-11
Deficit   Opponent   Date
18   #18 Oklahoma   11/19/14
17   at San Diego State   11/30/11
16   at Evansville   02/16/13
16   at Seton Hall   01/27/21
15   Arkansas-Pine Bluff   11/09/21
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
11   vs. Connecticut   03/12/21
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
Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 916 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,239 trifectas, an average of 7.90 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 138 times, more than any figure.
   Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 261 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
   Creighton has also made a trifecta in the first half of 287 straight games (since going 0-7 vs. Drake on Jan. 23, 2013). That streak was in serious jeopardy on Opening Day this season as CU missed its first 14 three-point tries before a man named Trey (Alexander) extended the streak.
   Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 37-6 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 10-9 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:   5 times   2: 15 times   3: 31 times
4:   71 times   5:  97 times   6: 95 times
7:  138 times   8:  115 times   9: 88 times
10: 77 times   11: 52 times   12: 49 times
13: 44 times   14: 18 times   15: 7 times
16: 7 times   17: 3 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 916 straight games. The streak is the nation's 14th-longest active streak.
   Creighton's last game without a three-pointer came at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993, when the Jays were 0-for-5. 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 (11/16)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,132   UNLV   11/19
   2.   1,117   Duke   11/19
   3.   1,078   Arkansas   11/17
   4.   1,065   Western Kentucky   11/17
   5.   1,053   East Tennessee State   11/18
   6.   1,033   Oakland   11/17
   7.   1,034   Pacific   11/19
   8.   1,025   Texas   11/17
   9.   971   Marshall   11/18
   10.   964   Baylor   11/17
   11.   961   Princeton   11/17
   12.   953   Gonzaga   11/19
   13.   928   Long Island   11/17
   14.   916   Creighton   11/19
   15.   915   Mount St. Mary's   11/19
   16.   902   Tennessee State   11/21
Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Not counting 2019-20, when there was no postseason, Creighton has made the postseason each of the last nine times in which it has made at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts to open the year. Seven of those postseason trips were NCAA Tournament berths. The last time that didn't hold true was 1991-92, when CU shot 51.0 percent in the opener but finished just 9-19.
   Creighton has shot 50 percent or better in seven of its last 10 season-openers, including 58.5 percent marksmanship vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff in this year's lid-lifter. That ranked as CU's best mark in an opener since shooting 59.4 percent in 2002-03. That 2002-03 squad featured All-American Kyle Korver and finished 29-5.
   Creighton shot 75.9 percent in the second half, making its first 10 shots. That's the best field goal percentage by any Bluejay team in a half since doing it in BOTH halves of a Feb. 14, 2012 game at Southern Illinois. On that night, CU made 15-of-20 shots in the first half (75%), then drained 16-of-20 buckets (80%) after intermission, en route to setting an MVC record with its 77.5% shooting for the game.
CU Season-Opener Field Goal Percentage 50+%
Since 1993-94
FG%   Year   Opponent   Postseason
.541Â Â Â 1997-98Â Â Â UMKCÂ Â Â NIT
.524   1998-99   Towson State   NCAA
.569   2000-01   Western Illinois   NCAA
.594   2002-03   UT Arlington   NCAA
.500   2012-13   North Texas   NCAA
.556   2013-14   Alcorn State   NCAA
.528   2015-16   Texas Southern   NIT
.508Â Â Â 2016-17Â Â Â UMKCÂ Â Â NCAA
.558   2017-18   Yale   NCAA
.524   2019-20   Kennesaw St.   Postseason CCD
.585   2021-22   Ark.-Pine Bluff   TBD
The Push For 90
Of Creighton's 22 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, 10 have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
   Put another way...of CU's first 17 teams (before 2021-22) to score 90 points in an opener, 10 would reach the NCAA Tournament.
   Here's a look at Creighton's last nine teams to score 90 or more points in a season-opener, which includes this year's team that scored 90 points in the season-opener vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
            Final   Post-
   Score   Opponent   Date   W-L   Season
   93-47   UT-San Antonio   11/30/90   24-8   NCAA
   93-48   Towson State   11/14/98   22-9   NCAA
   96-50   Western Illinois   11/20/00   24-8   NCAA
   106-50   Texas-Arlington   11/17/02   29-5   NCAA
   97-65   N. Carolina A&T   11/11/11   29-6   NCAA
   107-61   Alcorn State   11/08/13   27-8   NCAA
   104-77   Central Arkansas   11/14/14   14-19   --
   93-70   Texas Southern   11/14/15   20-15   NIT
   92-76   Yale   11/10/17   21-12   NCAA
   90-77   Ark.-Pine Bluff   11/09/21   TBD   TBD
Paint By Numbers
Creighton scored 58 points in the paint during its season-opener vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 9. It was CU's most paint points since also scoring in the 2017-18 season-opener vs. Yale.
Top-10 Class
Creighton signed four top-100 players en route to inking the No. 7 recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports. That also ranks as the best class in the BIG EAST Conference.
   Here's how the nation's top-10 classes shake out:
1.   Memphis
2.   Michigan
3.   Gonzaga
4.   Tennessee
5.   Duke
6.   LSU
7.   Creighton
8.   Florida State
9.   Connecticut
10.   Kentucky
My Name Is...
Only five men who played for Creighton last season are back this winter, and none of them averaged more than 15 minutes per game.
   Per research by TCU, Creighton's 18.0 percent of minutes returning ranks third-lowest among all teams nationally, and is the least among all teams from the BIG EAST or a Power 5 Conference.
Lowest Percentage of Minutes Returning
School   Pct. of Minutes Returning
Tennessee-Martin    0.0
Portland    8.5
Creighton   18.0
Missouri   19.7
Duquesne   23.2
Iowa State   25.1
Robert Morris   26.3
Boston College   27.6
South Alabama   28.6
TCUÂ Â Â 29.2
Who's Back?
With Creighton returning only five of the 15 men who appeared in a game last season, it's no surprise that much of the production from 2020-21 is also gone. Below is a breakdown of what is back:
Stat   Returners   Departures
Starts   2 (1.3%)   153 (98.7%)
3FG Made   25 (8.5%)   268 (91.5%)
Assists   68 (14.0%)   417 (86.0%)
Points   371 (15.8%)   1,984 (84.2%)
Minutes   1,124 (18.0%)   5,126 (82.0%)
Steals   39 (18.1%)   177 (81.9%)
Rebounds   207 (20.7%)   794 (79.3%)
Charges Taken   5 (29.4%)   12 (70.6%)
Blocks   39 (37.9%)   64 (62.1%)
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked eighth in the preseason BIG EAST Conference poll that was selected via a vote of league coaches.
   Villanova was a unanimous selection to win the league, with Connecticut and Xavier finishing second and third, respectively. St. John's is fourth, followed by Seton Hall, Butler, Providence and Creighton. Rounding out the poll are Marquette, Georgetown and DePaul.
   Villanova standout Collin Gillespie was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, and was joined on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team by Nate Watson (Providence), Julian Champagnie (St. John's), Jared Rhoden (Seton Hall), Paul Scruggs (Xavier) and Zach Freemantle (Xavier).
   Creighton is the only school in the league that 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    2nd   Marcus Zegarowski (1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd)
#ProJays
Former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott is a starter for the San Antonio Spurs, giving Creighton at least one NBA player in 38 of the last 39 seasons.
   Last year five Bluejays appeared in an NBA game, as McDermott was joined by Ty-Shon Alexander, Justin Patton, Khyri Thomas and Anthony Tolliver.
   McDermott is in his eighth season in the NBA. Last year he with Indiana he averaged a career-high 13.6 points per game.
   Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver, Benoit Benjamin and Anthony Tolliver.
Who Are These Guys?
For the first time since at least 1980-81, Creighton will not return any of its five starters as Mitch Ballock, Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Denzel Mahoney and Marcus Zegarowski are all gone after combining to make 152-of-155 possible starts last season.
   In fact, there's only been four previous times in the last 40 years that just one starter has returned. Those four occurrences came in 1985-86 (went 12-16), 2007-08 (22-11), 2014-15 (14-19) and
2015-16 (20-15).
   Shereef Mitchell started two games last season when Zegarowski was injured, and no other active Bluejay had ever started a game for CU prior to CU's Nov. 9 season-opener. In the previous 40 seasons, Creighton's always returned players who combined for at least 40 starts in the previous season.
   Returning   Returning Starts    Final
Year   Starters   From Previous Year   W-L
2021-22Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 2Â Â Â ? ? ?
2020-21Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 22-9
2019-20Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 136Â Â Â 24-7
2018-19Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 57Â Â Â 20-15
2017-18Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 21-12
2016-17Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 130Â Â Â 25-10
2015-16Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 64Â Â Â 20-15
2014-15Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 49Â Â Â 14-19
2013-14Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 144Â Â Â 27-8
2012-13Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 140Â Â Â 28-8
2011-12Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 101Â Â Â 29-6
2010-11Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 123Â Â Â 23-16
2009-10Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 106Â Â Â 18-16
2008-09Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 27-8
2007-08Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 44Â Â Â 22-11
2006-07Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 120Â Â Â 22-11
2005-06Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 134Â Â Â 20-10
2004-05Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 58Â Â Â 23-11
2003-04Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 101Â Â Â 20-9
2002-03Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 159Â Â Â 29-5
2001-02Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 65Â Â Â 23-9
2000-01Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 90Â Â Â 24-8
1999-00Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 23-10
1998-99Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 22-9
1997-98Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 18-10
1996-97Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 126Â Â Â 15-15
1995-96Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 100Â Â Â 14-15
1994-95Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 52Â Â Â 7-19
1993-94Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 73Â Â Â 7-22
1992-93Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 64Â Â Â 8-18
1991-92Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 51Â Â Â 9-19
1990-91Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 132Â Â Â 24-8
1989-90Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 127Â Â Â 21-12
1988-89Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 123Â Â Â 20-11
1987-88Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 16-16
1986-87Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 65Â Â Â 9-19
1985-86Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 48Â Â Â 12-16
1984-85Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 20-12
1983-84Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 17-14
1982-83Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 77Â Â Â 8-19
1981-82Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 78Â Â Â 7-20
1980-81Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 112Â Â Â 21-9
21 of 23 Seasons With 20 Wins
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 21 of the last 23 seasons (entering 2021-22), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
   Just two schools have had 20 or more wins each of the last 23 years: Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 22 times, Creighton and Kentucky 21 times.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Previous 23 Seasons
Team   20-Win Seasons   2020-21 W-L  Â
Gonzaga   23   31-1  Â
Kansas   23   21-9  Â
Duke   22   13-11  Â
Creighton   21   22-9  Â
Kentucky   21   9-16  Â
Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since the start of the 2010-11 season, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 through Nov. 16, 2021
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank  Â
3FG Percentage   .382   2nd  Â
3FG Made   3,407   2nd  Â
FG Percentage   .480   3rd  Â
Assists   6,160   5th
FG Made   10,430   8th
Points   29,248   8th
Wins   256   27th
Winning Percentage   .672   32nd
Twenty Wins, Again
Creighton had 22 wins last season, its sixth consecutive campaign with 20 or more victories.
   Only six teams have won 20 games or more in each of the previous six seasons: Belmont, Creighton, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Oregon.
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 256 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .672 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.   256-125   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
CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 8-8 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
11/26/05   Dayton   W 91-90*   Funk FG   :5.7
01/28/06   Wichita St.   W 57-55   Tolliver FG   :0.0
11/25/06   George Mason   W 58-56   Watts FT   :7.5
03/18/08   Rhode Island   W 74-73   Witter 3FG   :3.2
01/13/10   Southern Illinois   W 71-69   Young FG   :1.3
02/18/12   Long Beach St.   W 81-79   Young FG   :0.3
01/28/14   St. John's   W 63-60   McDermott 3FG   :2.8
01/18/20   Providence   W 78-74   Zegarowski 3FG   :3.2
*double-overtime
Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
03/20/06Â Â Â Miami (Fla.)Â Â Â L 53-52Â Â Â G. Diaz FTÂ Â Â :2.6
01/20/07   Southern Illinois   L 58-57   B. Mullins FG   :4.1
01/10/15   #19 Seton Hall   L 68-67   S. Gibbs 3FG   :2.2
02/16/15   #19 Butler   L 58-56   R. Jones FG   :1.9
03/07/15   Xavier   L 74-73   D. Davis FT's   :6.3
01/12/16   #12 Providence   L 50-48   K. Dunn FG   :0.0
02/22/17   Providence   L 68-66   K. Cartwright 3FG   :2.4
02/10/18   #5 Xavier   L 71-72   Q. Goodin FT's   :0.3
Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time.
    Rank   Att.   Opponent   Date
   1.   18,868   Providence   03/08/14
   2.   18,859   Georgetown   01/25/14
   3.   18,831   #1 Villanova   12/31/16
   4.   18,797   #6 Villanova   02/16/14
   5.   18,759   #1 Gonzaga   12/01/18
   6.   18,742   Seton Hall   02/23/14
   7.   18,735   Wichita State   02/11/12
   8.   18,613   Wichita State   03/02/13
   9.   18,525   Marquette   12/31/13
   10.   18,519   Seton Hall   03/07/20
   11.   18,518   Georgetown   01/27/18
   12.   18,495   Marquette   02/17/18
   13.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   14.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   15.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   16.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   17.   18,321   #3 Villanova   02/24/18
   18.   18,257   #5 Xavier   02/10/18
   19.   18,191   DePaul   02/27/18
   20.   18,160   Central Arkansas   11/14/14
Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton continued to be highly regarded by KenPom.com, and finished last season 22nd. That includes the nation's No. 25 offense, and No. 32 defense.
   Creighton had not finished with a top-35 defense since 2006-07, and has not finished better than 30th since 2001-02.
   Last season was the sixth different time in the last 10 seasons that Creighton has had a top-25 offense per KenPom.
Year   Off. Rating   Def. Rating   Team W-L
2010-11Â Â Â 66Â Â Â 174Â Â Â 23-16
2011-12Â 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 25Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 22-9
2021-22Â Â Â 87Â Â Â 56Â Â Â 2-0 so far
CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 310 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 19-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 256-54 (.826) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (21-0).
   Creighton's Nov. 25, 2017 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 24,325-20,365 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.77 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 85 different times.
   Creighton is also 30-33 all-time in the 63 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 37-27 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 159-36 (.815) at CHI Health Center Omaha since 2010-11 and hasn't trailed in 60 of those games. In that same span, CU owns an 89-6 home record vs. non-conference teams, with 20 straight wins.
   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 275-54 (.836) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
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Home Run
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, Creighton is averaging 81.18 points per home game (15,831 points in 195 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.83 points in non-conference home games (8,059 points in 95 home games).
   Creighton is 123-6 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2021-22 season went on sale on October 18th.
   Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CHI Health Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com, and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000.
   For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
Friday, Nov. 19, 2021 • 2:15 p.m. CST
Sports and Fitness Center (3,000) • St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Broadcast: ESPN3.com (Brad Wells, Kevin Lehman)
Series History: Brown leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Brown 80, Creighton 79 on Dec. 28, 1991 in Tempe, Ariz.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE RADIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF)
Next Game
Creighton (3-0) opens play in the Paradise Jam on Friday at 2:15 p.m. Central when it takes on Brown (3-1).
   The contest will take place at Sports and Fitness Center at the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas, USVI.
   The loser plays on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. Central and has Sunday off vs. the Bradley/Colorado State loser.
   The winner takes Saturday off and plays on Sunday at 4:45 p.m. Central vs. the Bradley/Colorado State winner.
Paradise Jam Schedule
Play will begin with Game 1 on Nov. 19 with Bradley and Colorado State at 12 p.m. Central. Then in Game 2, Creighton will take on Brown at 2:15 p.m. Finishing the first day is the Game 3 matchup of Duquesne and Northeastern at 4:45 p.m., followed by Game 4 with Colorado facing Southern Illinois at 7 p.m.
   Losing teams on day one will play the 20th at 2:15 p.m. and 4:45 p.m., with the winners getting a day off and playing each other on the 21st at 4:45 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the semifinals.
   The tournament's final day on Nov. 22 will feature four more games, with the seventh-place game at 12 p.m., the fourth-place game at 2:15 p.m., the third-place game at 4:45 p.m., and a 7 p.m. tip-off for the championship tilt.
   A complete bracket can be found on page 7 of these game notes, keeping in mind that Atlantic Standard time (seen on the bracket) is two hours ahead of Central Standard Time.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2021-22 season, with John Bishop on the call. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Broadcast Information
Friday's game will be called by Brad Wells and Kevin Lehman and be broadcast on ESPN3 by going to http://ESPN3.com.
   Of Creighton's last 165 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised. CU is 112-53 in those contests.
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 Creighton
Creighton is 3-0 this season, with victories over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kennesaw State and Nebraska. The Bluejays return seven lettermen but no starters from last year's team that finished 22-9 overall, runner-up in the BIG EAST, and reached the program's first Sweet 16 since 1974.
   Of CU's scholarship returners, only Ryan Kalkbrenner (9.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg.), Alex O'Connell (15.3 ppg.) and Shereef Mitchell (4.0 ppg.) are back after playing last season.
   The Bluejays brought in grad transfers KeyShawn Feazell (5.0 ppg., 4.0 rpg.) and Ryan Hawkins (12.3 ppg., 10.3 rpg.) to bolster the front line.
   Creighton also features the nation's No. 7 recruiting class, with Ryan Nembhard (16.0 ppg., 5.7 apg.) and Arthur Kaluma (7.3 ppg,. 4.3 rpg.) starting every game to date.
   Creighton averages 72.7 points per game on 48.6 percent shooting from the field and has outrebounded foes by 11.0 caroms per contest. The Bluejays have held foes to 33.8 percent shooting and 63.3 points per contest.
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Scouting Brown
Brown is 3-1 on the season, with wins over Salve Regina (89-59), Central Connecticut State (75-57) and Johnson & Wales (98-47) as well as a 94-87 loss at No. 19 North Carolina.
   BU has had a different leading scorer in each game, and two-time All-Ivy League choice Tamenang Choh has scored three points in his only appearance to date due to injury.
   Freshman sharpshooter Kino Lilly Jr. (13.3 ppg., 3.8 apg., 57.1 3FG%) comes off the bench to lead BU in scoring and owns a 15/2 assist/turnover ratio. Also scoring in double-figures are Nana Owusu-Anane (11.8 ppg., 5.8 rpg.), Paxson Wojcik (11.8 ppg., 5.0 rpg.) and Dan Friday (10.8 ppg., 4.0 apg.).
   The Bears are scoring 87.3 points per game while allowing just 64.3 per contest. The Bears outrebound teams by 7.5 caroms per contest, own a 69/43 assist/turnover ratio and have made 81.7 percent of its 60 free throw attempts.
The Series vs. Brown
Creighton is 0-1 all-time against Brown, losing 80-79 to the Bears on Dec. 28, 1991 in the Tribune Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
   The Bears won the game when Rick Lloyd threw in an off-balance 13-foot shot with 0.1 seconds left, which came just nine seconds after Matt Petty had drained a three-pointer to give Creighton a 79-78 lead.
   Duan Cole led Creighton with 22 points while Latrell Wrightsell contributed 16 points, eight assists and four steals. Chuck Savage led Brown with 23 points.
   Greg McDermott has never coached against Brown nor coach Mike Martin. McDermott is 1-0 all-time against Ivy League schools, having defeated Yale 92-76 in Creighton's 2017-18 season-opener.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 256-125 record in his 12th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 536-320 in his 28th season, and is 405-256 in his 21st Division I campaign.
   McDermott led Creighton to its first BIG EAST regular-season title in 2019-20, taking a Bluejay team that was picked seventh in the league's preseason poll and ending the year ranked seventh nationally. The Cascade, Iowa native then coached Creighton to its first Sweet 16 since 1974 in 2020-21 and to a share of its first regular-season BIG EAST title in 2019-20.
   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, Ryan Miller and Jalen Courtney-Williams.
With A Win...
- Creighton would start 4-0 for the sixth time in 12 seasons under Greg McDermott.
- Teams with Ryan Hawkins would improve to 163-8 at the college level, including a 38-0 record on neutral floors.
- Creighton would advance to play the winner of the Bradley/Colorado State game and return to the court on Sunday at 4:45 p.m. Central.
- Creighton would even the series with Brown, 1-1, while getting payback for a last-second loss at the Tribune Classic in 1991 in Tempe, Ariz.
- Greg McDermott would improve to 2-0 in his career against Ivy League schools.
- Creighton would play the winner of the Colorado State vs. Bradley game on Sunday at 4:45 p.m. Central.
Tournament History
Creighton is seeking its fifth preseason tournament title under Greg McDermott this weekend at the Paradise Jam.
   Creighton won the 2011 Dale Howard Classic (including a win over Iowa), the 2012 Las Vegas Invitational (Wisconsin & Arizona State) and the 2015 Men Who Speak Up Main Event (UMass and Rutgers) and the 2016 Paradise Jam (Washington State, NC State, Ole Miss).
   The Bluejays also won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in both 2012 (Illinois State) and 2013 (Wichita State) under McDermott.
Creighton in MTE's Under Greg McDermott
Year   W-L   Event Name
2010Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â Global Sports Hy-Vee Challenge
2011Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â Dale Howard Classic
2012Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â Las Vegas Invitational
2013Â Â Â 1-2Â Â Â Wooden Legacy
2014Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â Emerald Coast Classic
2015Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â Men Who Speak Up Main Event
2016Â Â Â 3-0Â Â Â Paradise Jam
2017Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â Hall of Fame Classic
2018Â Â Â 4-0Â Â Â Cayman Islands Classic
2019Â Â Â 3-1Â Â Â Las Vegas Invite
Total   32-6   Five titles
Tournament Success
Creighton has had some great success in tournament play in recent seasons, especially under Greg McDermott. In McDermott's tenure, CU is 32-6 in regular-season tournament action with five titles in 10 completed events.
   Since 2002-03, Creighton is 45-10 (23-0 at home) with eight titles in 15 preseason tournaments, as seen below. Creighton last lost at home in a regular-season tournament in 1975.
   In the first game after winning a tournament, Creighton is 7-1 in that same time, with only a 2012 loss to Boise State.
Preseason Tournament Performances, Last 19 Seasons
Year   Tourney (Site)   W-L (Home W-L)
2002-03Â Â Â Guardians Classic (Omaha/KC)Â Â Â 4-0 (2-0)
2004-05Â Â Â Guardians Classic (Omaha/KC)Â Â Â 4-0 (2-0)
2006-07Â Â Â Rainbow Classic (Honolulu)Â Â Â 2-1
2008-09Â Â Â Las Vegas Classic (Omaha/Las Vegas)Â Â Â 4-0 (2-0)
2009-10Â Â Â Old Spice Classic (Orlando)Â Â Â 0-3
2010-11Â Â Â Hy-Vee Challenge (Omaha/Des Moines)Â Â Â 3-1 (3-0)
2011-12Â Â Â Dale Howard Classic (Omaha/Des Moines)Â Â Â 4-0 (3-0)
2012-13Â Â Â Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas)Â Â Â 4-0 (2-0)
2013-14Â Â Â Wooden Legacy (Fullerton/Anaheim)Â Â Â 1-2
2014-15Â Â Â Emerald Coast Classic (Omaha/Niceville)Â Â Â 3-1 (2-0)
2015-16Â Â Â MGM Grand Main Event (Omaha/Las Vegas)Â Â Â 4-0 (2-0)
2016-17Â Â Â Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)Â Â Â 3-0
2017-18Â Â Â Hall of Fame Classic (Omaha/Kansas City)Â Â Â 3-1 (2-0)
2018-19Â Â Â Cayman Islands Classic (Omaha/Cayman Islands)Â Â Â 4-0 (1-0)
2019-20Â Â Â Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas)Â Â Â 3-1 (2-0)
Tournament Trifectas
One reason for Creighton's success in multi-team events over the years has been its proficiency with the three-ball.
   In 38 MTE games under Greg McDermott, the Bluejays have made 390-of-940 three-point attempts, connecting at a 41.5 percent clip while making 10.26 treys per contest.
3FG Made In Preseason Tournaments Under Greg McDermott
Year   Tourney (Site)   3FG-3FGA (Games)
2010-11Â Â Â Hy-Vee Challenge (Omaha/Des Moines)Â Â Â 45-95 (4)
2011-12Â Â Â Dale Howard Classic (Omaha/Des Moines)Â Â Â 40-117 (4)
2012-13Â Â Â Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas)Â Â Â 44-81 (4)
2013-14Â Â Â Wooden Legacy (Fullerton/Anaheim)Â Â Â 45-112 (3)
2014-15Â Â Â Emerald Coast Classic (Omaha/Niceville)Â Â Â 31-86 (4)
2015-16Â Â Â MGM Grand Main Event (Omaha/Las Vegas)Â Â Â 32-77 (4)
2016-17Â Â Â Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)Â Â Â 35-82 (3)
2017-18Â Â Â Hall of Fame Classic (Omaha/Kansas City)Â Â Â 50-105 (4)
2018-19Â Â Â Cayman Islands Classic (Omaha/Cayman Islands)Â Â Â 35-89 (4)
2019-20Â Â Â Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas)Â Â Â 33-96 (4)
Paradise Jam History
Creighton is 3-0 all-time in one previous appearance in the Paradise Jam. The Bluejays won the title in November of 2016 when it beat Washington State (103-77), North Carolina State (112-94) and Ole Miss (86-77).
   Marcus Foster was named Tournament MVP for the Bluejays.
That's My Jam
The last time Creighton was at the Paradise Jam in 2016, the Bluejays set 11 tournament records that still stand. Records set include:
13 Assists in a Game - Maurice Watson Jr.
40 Field Goals Made in a Game vs. Washington State
40 Field Goals Made in a Game vs. North Carolina State
25 Assists in a Game vs. Washington State
301 Points in a Tournament
100.3 Points Per Game in a Tournament
64 Assists in a Tournament
111 Field Goals Made in a Tournament
55.1 3FG% in a Tournament
56.5 FG% in a Tournament
44 3FG Made in a Tournament
Jays Seek History In Paradise
No school has ever won the Paradise Jam more than once.
   Of this year's field, 2016 champion Creighton as well as 2017 champ Colorado are both in the field.
Nembhard's Big Day
Playing his first collegiate road game, freshman point guard Ryan Nembhard thrived in a hostile environment in Lincoln. The Canadian native had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists.
   Since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010, the only other Bluejays with a 20/5/5 game were Mitch Ballock (1), Marcus Foster (3), Grant Gibbs (1), Doug McDermott (2), Khyri Thomas (2), Maurice Watson Jr. (2) and Marcus Zegarowski (3).
   Nembhard is CU's first freshman with a 20/5/5 line since at least 1981-82.
   Nembhard's 22 points were the most by a Bluejay of any year in their first game vs. Nebraska since at least 1980.
Hawk Talk
Ryan Hawkins finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on Tuesday at Nebraska. It was just the fourth 15/10/5 game in Greg McDermott's 12 seasons at Creighton, and first since Khyri Thomas had 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a Nov. 15, 2017 Gavitt Tipoff Games win at Northwestern.
   The only others with a 15/10/5 game under McDermott were Austin Chatman (17 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists vs. Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014) and Doug McDermott (30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists at Seton Hall on Jan. 4, 2014).
   Hawkins's performance was CU's first 15/10/5 line without a turnover since at least 1980-81.
Like A Hawk
Ryan Hawkins has had 10 or more rebounds in each of CU's first three games. He's the first Bluejay to do that to start a season since Benoit Benjamin's streak of 27 consecutive double-figure rebounding games to open his junior campaign in 1984-85.
   With 10 rebounds on Friday vs. Brown, Hawkins can become CU's first player with a streak of four straight 10+ rebound games at any point of the season since Gregory Echenique from January 7-15, 2002.
   Hawkins owns 38 games with 10 or more rebounds and 979 rebounds in his college career.
Winning With Defense
Creighton's made its reputation on the offensive side with its "Let It Fly" philsophy, but the Bluejays have won thanks in large part to their defense so far this season.
   Creighton has held each of its first three opponents under 40 percent from the field for the first time since 2000-01. That team, which included current assistant coach Alan Huss as a player, went on to win the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title.
   Against Brown, Creighton will try to hold its first four opponents under 40 percent shooting for the first time since at least 1980-81.
Defense Never Rests
Creighton had allowed 47 points in the first half of the season opener as Arkansas-Pine Bluff shot 18-of-35 from the field (51.4 percent) and 6-of-18 from downtown (33.3 percent).
   Since then, the Jays have turned it up a notch.
   In the five halves (100 minutes) that have followed, CU has surrendered a total of 143 points while opponents have shot just 52-for-172 (30.2 percent) overall and 20-for-70 from deep (28.6 percent).
No Husker Hangover Here
Creighton has dominated the recent series over Nebraska, winning 10 of the past 11 meetings.
   The Bluejays have been just as dominant in the game following the Nebraska game in recent seasons, going 8-1 in the last nine games following a contest vs. the Huskers by an average of 27.22 points.
   Creighton has won the first home game after meeting Nebraska in 15 of the past 16 seasons, and by an average of 21.56 points.
Nembhard A Consistent Threat
Ryan Nembhard has scored in double-figures each of Creighton's first three games.
   In the last 27 years, the only other newcomers to score in double-figures during CU's first three games have been Doug McDermott (8 straight in 2010-11), Maurice Watson Jr. (5 in 2015-16), Marcus Foster (8 in 2016-17) and Justin Patton (8 in 2016-17),
   Nembhard's 48 points through three games are the most by any Bluejay freshman since Benoit Benjamin had 49 points through three games in 1982-83 The two other freshmen to score 35 or more points through three games (P'Allen Stinnett and McDermott) both went on to be named Conference Freshman of the Year.
Most Points, Newcomers First 3 Games Since 1994-95
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year
   50   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17
   48   Ryan Nembhard, Fr.   2021-22
   41   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02
   41   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08
   41   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16
   39   Edward St. Fleur, Jr.   1995-96
   38   Darryl Ashford, Jr.   2009-10
   38   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11
   38   Denzel Mahoney, Jr.   2019-20
   37   Ryan Hawkins, Sr.   2020-21
   35   Devin Brooks, Jr.   2013-14
Higher And Higher
Ryan Kalkbrenner established new career-highs on Tuesday with 27 minutes played and nine rebounds grabbed. His nine rebounds were one more than his previous best of eight done in last year's match-up vs. Nebraska.
   In addition, Alex O'Connell also established career-highs in both rebounds (9) and minutes (36).
The Ryan Express
Creighton has started three players with the first name of Ryan in each game this winter, as Ryan Nembhard, Ryan Hawkins and Ryan Kalkbrenner are all entrenched as starters.
   In the Nov. 16 win at Nebraska, Nembhard, Hawkins and Kalkbrenner combined for 49 points, 24 rebounds, 11 assists and five blocked shots.
   Creighton had not started multiple players with the same first name in the same regular-season game since Nov. 18, 2006, when both Nick Porter and Nick Bahe started against Nebraska.
   Creighton has not had a season in which three players with the same first name all started at least once in the regular-season since at least 1980.
   With so many men named Ryan (not to mention assistant coach Ryan Miller), the Bluejay staff has gone to referring to Hawkins as "Hawk", the 7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner as "Big Ryan" and Nembhard as "R2", in honor of his uniform number, as well as "Coach Miller".
Road Openers
Creighton is 6-6 under Greg McDermott in its first true road game of the season, and 13-13 in the last 26 years in the initial road game.
   The road opener has been the barometer for Creighton's postseason plans in the previous 13 years. Creighton has made the NCAA Tournament the five times it has won the road opener, and missed the NCAA Tournament six of the other seven years where a postseason was contested.
 Creighton in Road Openers, Last 14 Years
Year   Opponent   Score   CU in NCAA's?
2008-09   Ark.-Little Rock   L 69-71   No (NIT)
2009-10   #21 Dayton   L 80-90   No (CIT)
2010-11   Northwestern   L 52-65   No (CBI)
2011-12Â Â Â UABÂ Â Â W 70-60Â Â Â Yes
2012-13   Nebraska   W 64-42   Yes
2013-14   Saint Joseph's   W 83-79   Yes
2014-15   Tulsa   L 64-77   No
2015-16   #14 Indiana   L 65-86   No (NIT)
2016-17   Nebraska   W 77-62   Yes
2017-18   #20 Northwestern   W 92-88   Yes
2018-19   Nebraska   L 75-94   No (NIT)
2019-20   Michigan   L 69-79   No (Postseason CCD)
2020-21   #5 Kansas   L 72-73   Yes
2021-22   Nebraska   W 77-69   TBD
Good Start vs. Nebraska
As Creighton head coach, Greg McDermott now owns a 10-2 record against Nebraska. He is the only Creighton men's basketball coach to win seven straight games over the Cornhuskers (2011-17), and his 10 overall victories tie Dana Altman (who was 10-7 against NU) for most among Bluejay head coaches all-time.
   McDermott owns a 16-4 record in his career against the Cornhuskers. The only other team he has beaten more as a head coach is DePaul (17-1).
   Already the only visiting non-conference team with multiple victories at Pinnacle Bank Arena, Creighton has now beaten the Cornhuskers three times at "The Vault."
Big (Ten) Mac Attack
Creighton is 16-4 in its last 20 games against teams from the Big Ten. Creighton has outscored foes by an average of 7.85 points in those 20 games, which include 13 double-figure victories.
   Greg McDermott is 29-16 in his career against teams that are currently in the Big Ten, including a 16-6 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   Creighton is 7-1 under McDermott in home games against Big Ten programs.
Creighton's Last 20 Games vs. the Big Ten
Date   Opponent   Score
11/20/11Â Â Â vs. Iowa (in Des Moines)Â Â Â W 82-59
12/04/11   Nebraska   W 76-66
12/22/11   Northwestern   W 87-79
11/23/12Â Â Â vs. Wisconsin (in Las Vegas)Â Â Â W 84-74
12/06/12   at Nebraska   W 64-42
12/08/13   Nebraska   W 82-67
12/07/14   at Nebraska   W 65-55
11/19/15   at #14 Indiana   L 65-86
11/23/15Â Â Â vs. Rutgers (in Las Vegas)Â Â Â W 85-75
12/09/15   Nebraska   W 83-67
11/15/16   #9 Wisconsin   W 79-67
12/07/16   at Nebraska   W 77-62
11/15/17   at #20 Northwestern   W 92-88
12/09/17   Nebraska   W 75-65
11/15/18   Ohio State   L 60-69
12/08/18   at #24 Nebraska   L 75-94
11/12/19   at Michigan   L 69-79
12/07/19   Nebraska   W 95-76
12/11/20   Nebraska   W 98-74
11/16/21   at Nebraska   W 77-69
I'll "Half" More Of That Please
Need one big reason why Creighton has won 19 of the past 23 regular-season meetings with Nebraska? Check out the quick starts the Bluejays have gotten off to on a consistent basis.
   Creighton has led at halftime in 18 of the past 23 regular-season meetings, with eight double-digit leads at intermission in that span. Four of the five times that Creighton trailed it half, it came back to win the game anyway. Nebraska has led at halftime and beaten Creighton in the regular-season just once since Jan. 8, 1997, with that coming in December of 2018.
   Also of note, Nebraska has scored more than 30 first half points in just four of the last 19 regular-season meetings vs. Creighton at all sites.
   Creighton is 214-37 all-time under Greg McDermott when leading at halftime.
 Creighton vs Nebraska, Last 23 Reg.-Season Meetings
Date   City   Half Score   Final Score
12/09/99   Omaha   CU 40-38   CU 89-72
01/02/01   Lincoln   NU 24-22   CU 62-61
12/12/01   Omaha   CU 30-23   CU 76-70
12/21/02   Lincoln   CU 46-35   CU 81-73
12/10/03   Omaha   CU 33-23   CU 61-54
12/11/04   Lincoln   NU 22-18   CU 50-48
12/11/05   Omaha   CU 31-11   CU 70-44
11/18/06   Lincoln   CU 31-28   NU 73-61
11/24/07   Omaha   CU 47-20   CU 74-62
11/29/08   Lincoln   CU 31-18   NU 54-52
12/06/09   Omaha   CU 32-27   CU 67-61
12/05/10   Lincoln   CU 29-21   NU 59-54
12/04/11   Omaha   CU 32-29   CU 76-66
12/06/12   Lincoln   CU 28-17   CU 64-42
12/08/13   Omaha   CU 51-25   CU 82-67
12/07/14   Lincoln   NU 28-27   CU 65-55
12/09/15   Omaha   CU 36-30   CU 83-67
12/07/16   Lincoln   CU 31-30   CU 77-62
12/09/17   Omaha   NU 33-28   CU 75-65
12/08/18   Lincoln   NU 47-34   NU 94-75
12/07/19   Omaha   CU 48-22   CU 95-76
12/11/20   Omaha   CU 44-40   CU 98-74
11/16/21   Lincoln   CU 40-36   CU 77-69
Easy as 1, 2, 3...
Creighton has started 3-0 for the eighth time in 12 seasons under Greg McDermott.
   Creighton has started 4-0 in six of McDermott's first 11 seasons, most recently in 2017-18.  Â
Playing With The Lead
In 310 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 85 of those contests, a staggering 27.4 percent of the time.
    Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is Â
159-36 and hasn't trailed in 60 of those games. He owns an 89-6 record vs. non-conference teams at CHI Health Center Omaha, including 20 straight wins.
Assists 'R' Us
Ryan Nembhard's 10 assists in CU's season-opener were the most by a Bluejay freshman in any game since Marcus Zegarowski had 10 on March 9, 2018 vs. DePaul. He was the nation's ONLY freshman with 10+ assists on the opening night of the college basketball season.
   Prior to Nembhard, no Bluejay (of any year) had dished 10 or more assists in a season-opener since Edward St. Fleur on Nov. 22, 1996 at Wyoming.
Youth Is Served
Creighton has just seven non-freshmen on this year's roster, and is likely to play multiple freshmen on a consistent basis this season.
   Creighton has had at least one freshman on the floor for every second of every game this season, and actually have had moments each contest when four of its players on the floor were freshmen.
   Creighton has outscored teams by 53 when it two freshmen or less on the court, but have been outscored by 25 when it has three or more freshmen on the floor.
   All told, 262:03 of Creighton's 600 total minutes (43.7 percent) have been played by freshmen this season.
   By comparison, last season Creighton had a freshman on the floor just 32.4 percent of the time and had multiple freshmen on the floor just 17 minutes (of 1,250) all season (1.4 percent).
Freshmen   Time   Score   Margin
0 freshmen:   Never   --   --
1 freshmen:Â Â Â 11:28Â Â Â 19-15Â Â Â +4
2 freshmen:Â Â Â 76:56Â Â Â 158-109Â Â Â +49
3 freshmen:Â Â Â 29:41Â Â Â 36-61Â Â Â (-25)
4 freshmen:Â Â Â 1:55Â Â Â 5-5Â Â Â 0
5 freshmen:Â Â Â Never
Making An Entrance
Arthur Kaluma (15) and Ryan Nembhard (15) became CU's first true freshmen to debut with 10 points or more since Khyri Thomas had 18 points vs. Texas Southern in 2015.
   Nembhard (15 pts., 10 ast) and Ryan Hawkins (16 pts., 11 reb.) were the first Bluejays since at least 1980 with double-doubles in the season-opener of their debut campaign. No CU player (of any year) had started the season with a double-double since Will Artino (14 pts., 10 reb.) in 2014-15 vs. Central Arkansas.
   Kaluma's eight rebounds were the most by a true freshman in the regular-season opener since Martin Krampelj in 2015 and the most by any Bluejay freshman since redshirt freshman Justin Patton snared eight rebounds in his 2016 debut.
   Kaluma had four blocked shots on Nov. 9 vs. UAPB. The last previous Bluejay newcomer with multiple blocked shots in a season-opener? That'd be Artino on Nov. 11, 2011 vs. North Carolina A&T. Kaluma's four swats were the most by any Bluejay (of any year) on Opening Day since Jeffrey Day had five swats vs. Alcorn State to open the 2004-05 campaign..
   Kaluma (15 & 8) became Creighton's second freshman since at least 1973 to debut with 15+ points and 5+ rebounds, joining Doug McDermott (16 & 7) in 2010.
   Ryan Hawkins grabbed 11 rebounds vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the most by a Bluejay since Damien Jefferson had 12 in 2018. Other than Jefferson, no one's had more than 11 rebounds in their CU debut since Cyril Baptiste snared 17 caroms in 1969. When Hawkins followed with 10 rebounds vs. Kennesaw State, he became CU's first player (of any year) with 10+ rebounds in CU's first two games since Doug Swenson in 1998-99.
   Below is a list of some of Creighton's most famous players and how they performed in their regular-season debuts in a Bluejay uniform.
Name, Yr.   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Stl.   Min.   Result
Zegarowski, 2018Â Â Â 8Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 18Â Â Â W 78-67
Foster, 2016Â Â Â 19Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 28Â Â Â W 89-82
Patton, 2016Â Â Â 12Â Â Â 8Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 22Â Â Â W 89-82
Thomas, 2015Â Â Â 18Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 26Â Â Â W 93-70
McDermott, 2010Â Â Â 16Â Â Â 7Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 32Â Â Â W 71-57
Stinnett, 2007Â Â Â 23Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 26Â Â Â W 74-62
Tolliver, 2003Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 7Â Â Â W 79-44
Funk, 2002Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 21Â Â Â W 106-50
Kyle Korver, 1999Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 10Â Â Â W 70-62
Buford, 1995Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 19Â Â Â W 63-59
Harstad, 1987Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 21Â Â Â L 49-70
Gallagher, 1987Â Â Â 10Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 37Â Â Â L 49-70
Benjamin, 1982Â Â Â 14Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 22Â Â Â W 98-54
McKenna, 1977   14   3   7   ?   ?   W 95-66
Harmon, 1971   21   7   ?   ?   ?   W 74-62
C. Baptiste, 1969   24   17   ?   ?   ?   W 84-62
Portman, 1966   9   ?   ?   ?   ?   W 78-76
Silas, 1961   22   29   ?   ?   ?   W 85-51
Gibson, 1954   19   ?   ?   ?   ?   W 66-51
Freshman Starts Almost Unheard Of
Between 1992-93 and 2020-21, only four true freshmen started Creighton's regular-season opener. Then on Nov. 9 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, both Ryan Nembhard and Arthur Kaluma got the nod on opening night. Nembhard had 15 points and 10 assists while Kaluma owned 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
   This season marked the first time Creighton started two true freshmen in a regular-season opener since 1991-92 (Eric Dantzler and Mike Amos).
   About the other true freshmen to start...
   Ryan Sears did so in 1997-98. The point guard would go on to start all 124 games of his CU career and remains the program's all-time career assist (570) and steals (283) leader.
   Doug McDermott did so in 2010-11, and he went on to start all 145 games of his career. He would graduate as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 career points and is the only three-time First Team All-American since 1986. He now plays for the San Antonio Spurs.
   Khyri Thomas got a start in 2015-16 and remained in CU's starting five each of his first 24 games, and 96-of-102 career contests with the Jays. He has spent parts of the past three seasons in the NBA.
   Shereef Mitchell joined this elite group in 2019-20 when he got the starting nod against Kennesaw State. Mitchell finished with eight points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals in 28 minutes of work.
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 24 victories since the start of the 2010-11 season after trailing by double-figures at some point, including one this season. Twelve of those 24 comebacks have come away from home.
   Creighton's comeback from 15 points down in the season-opener vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff was its biggest since rallying from 16 points down at Seton Hall on Jan. 27th.
   In that Seton Hall game Creighton trailed 68-52 with 10:40 to play before rallying to win thanks to a 33-13 run. It was the first time that Creighton overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to win since trailing 35-24 vs. No. 18 Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014, and the first road win after trailing by 10 or more points at halftime since overcoming a 32-21 margin at half in a 65-59 win at Missouri State on Feb. 24, 2009.
   The comeback win vs. UAPB marked Creighton's biggest rally in a season-opener since overcoming a 16 point hole in 2008 vs. New Mexico and 17 point deficit vs. DePaul in its 2007 opener. Tuesday's FS1 analyst, Nick Bahe, was on that 2007 Bluejay team and on staff for the 2008 club.
   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 on a buzzer-beater by Anthony Tolliver.
CU's Double-Digit Comebacks Since 2010-11
Deficit   Opponent   Date
18   #18 Oklahoma   11/19/14
17   at San Diego State   11/30/11
16   at Evansville   02/16/13
16   at Seton Hall   01/27/21
15   Arkansas-Pine Bluff   11/09/21
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
11   vs. Connecticut   03/12/21
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
Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 916 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,239 trifectas, an average of 7.90 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 138 times, more than any figure.
   Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 261 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
   Creighton has also made a trifecta in the first half of 287 straight games (since going 0-7 vs. Drake on Jan. 23, 2013). That streak was in serious jeopardy on Opening Day this season as CU missed its first 14 three-point tries before a man named Trey (Alexander) extended the streak.
   Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 37-6 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 10-9 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:   5 times   2: 15 times   3: 31 times
4:   71 times   5:  97 times   6: 95 times
7:  138 times   8:  115 times   9: 88 times
10: 77 times   11: 52 times   12: 49 times
13: 44 times   14: 18 times   15: 7 times
16: 7 times   17: 3 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 916 straight games. The streak is the nation's 14th-longest active streak.
   Creighton's last game without a three-pointer came at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993, when the Jays were 0-for-5. 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 (11/16)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,132   UNLV   11/19
   2.   1,117   Duke   11/19
   3.   1,078   Arkansas   11/17
   4.   1,065   Western Kentucky   11/17
   5.   1,053   East Tennessee State   11/18
   6.   1,033   Oakland   11/17
   7.   1,034   Pacific   11/19
   8.   1,025   Texas   11/17
   9.   971   Marshall   11/18
   10.   964   Baylor   11/17
   11.   961   Princeton   11/17
   12.   953   Gonzaga   11/19
   13.   928   Long Island   11/17
   14.   916   Creighton   11/19
   15.   915   Mount St. Mary's   11/19
   16.   902   Tennessee State   11/21
Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Not counting 2019-20, when there was no postseason, Creighton has made the postseason each of the last nine times in which it has made at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts to open the year. Seven of those postseason trips were NCAA Tournament berths. The last time that didn't hold true was 1991-92, when CU shot 51.0 percent in the opener but finished just 9-19.
   Creighton has shot 50 percent or better in seven of its last 10 season-openers, including 58.5 percent marksmanship vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff in this year's lid-lifter. That ranked as CU's best mark in an opener since shooting 59.4 percent in 2002-03. That 2002-03 squad featured All-American Kyle Korver and finished 29-5.
   Creighton shot 75.9 percent in the second half, making its first 10 shots. That's the best field goal percentage by any Bluejay team in a half since doing it in BOTH halves of a Feb. 14, 2012 game at Southern Illinois. On that night, CU made 15-of-20 shots in the first half (75%), then drained 16-of-20 buckets (80%) after intermission, en route to setting an MVC record with its 77.5% shooting for the game.
CU Season-Opener Field Goal Percentage 50+%
Since 1993-94
FG%   Year   Opponent   Postseason
.541Â Â Â 1997-98Â Â Â UMKCÂ Â Â NIT
.524   1998-99   Towson State   NCAA
.569   2000-01   Western Illinois   NCAA
.594   2002-03   UT Arlington   NCAA
.500   2012-13   North Texas   NCAA
.556   2013-14   Alcorn State   NCAA
.528   2015-16   Texas Southern   NIT
.508Â Â Â 2016-17Â Â Â UMKCÂ Â Â NCAA
.558   2017-18   Yale   NCAA
.524   2019-20   Kennesaw St.   Postseason CCD
.585   2021-22   Ark.-Pine Bluff   TBD
The Push For 90
Of Creighton's 22 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, 10 have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
   Put another way...of CU's first 17 teams (before 2021-22) to score 90 points in an opener, 10 would reach the NCAA Tournament.
   Here's a look at Creighton's last nine teams to score 90 or more points in a season-opener, which includes this year's team that scored 90 points in the season-opener vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
            Final   Post-
   Score   Opponent   Date   W-L   Season
   93-47   UT-San Antonio   11/30/90   24-8   NCAA
   93-48   Towson State   11/14/98   22-9   NCAA
   96-50   Western Illinois   11/20/00   24-8   NCAA
   106-50   Texas-Arlington   11/17/02   29-5   NCAA
   97-65   N. Carolina A&T   11/11/11   29-6   NCAA
   107-61   Alcorn State   11/08/13   27-8   NCAA
   104-77   Central Arkansas   11/14/14   14-19   --
   93-70   Texas Southern   11/14/15   20-15   NIT
   92-76   Yale   11/10/17   21-12   NCAA
   90-77   Ark.-Pine Bluff   11/09/21   TBD   TBD
Paint By Numbers
Creighton scored 58 points in the paint during its season-opener vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 9. It was CU's most paint points since also scoring in the 2017-18 season-opener vs. Yale.
Top-10 Class
Creighton signed four top-100 players en route to inking the No. 7 recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports. That also ranks as the best class in the BIG EAST Conference.
   Here's how the nation's top-10 classes shake out:
1.   Memphis
2.   Michigan
3.   Gonzaga
4.   Tennessee
5.   Duke
6.   LSU
7.   Creighton
8.   Florida State
9.   Connecticut
10.   Kentucky
My Name Is...
Only five men who played for Creighton last season are back this winter, and none of them averaged more than 15 minutes per game.
   Per research by TCU, Creighton's 18.0 percent of minutes returning ranks third-lowest among all teams nationally, and is the least among all teams from the BIG EAST or a Power 5 Conference.
Lowest Percentage of Minutes Returning
School   Pct. of Minutes Returning
Tennessee-Martin    0.0
Portland    8.5
Creighton   18.0
Missouri   19.7
Duquesne   23.2
Iowa State   25.1
Robert Morris   26.3
Boston College   27.6
South Alabama   28.6
TCUÂ Â Â 29.2
Who's Back?
With Creighton returning only five of the 15 men who appeared in a game last season, it's no surprise that much of the production from 2020-21 is also gone. Below is a breakdown of what is back:
Stat   Returners   Departures
Starts   2 (1.3%)   153 (98.7%)
3FG Made   25 (8.5%)   268 (91.5%)
Assists   68 (14.0%)   417 (86.0%)
Points   371 (15.8%)   1,984 (84.2%)
Minutes   1,124 (18.0%)   5,126 (82.0%)
Steals   39 (18.1%)   177 (81.9%)
Rebounds   207 (20.7%)   794 (79.3%)
Charges Taken   5 (29.4%)   12 (70.6%)
Blocks   39 (37.9%)   64 (62.1%)
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked eighth in the preseason BIG EAST Conference poll that was selected via a vote of league coaches.
   Villanova was a unanimous selection to win the league, with Connecticut and Xavier finishing second and third, respectively. St. John's is fourth, followed by Seton Hall, Butler, Providence and Creighton. Rounding out the poll are Marquette, Georgetown and DePaul.
   Villanova standout Collin Gillespie was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, and was joined on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team by Nate Watson (Providence), Julian Champagnie (St. John's), Jared Rhoden (Seton Hall), Paul Scruggs (Xavier) and Zach Freemantle (Xavier).
   Creighton is the only school in the league that 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    2nd   Marcus Zegarowski (1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd)
#ProJays
Former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott is a starter for the San Antonio Spurs, giving Creighton at least one NBA player in 38 of the last 39 seasons.
   Last year five Bluejays appeared in an NBA game, as McDermott was joined by Ty-Shon Alexander, Justin Patton, Khyri Thomas and Anthony Tolliver.
   McDermott is in his eighth season in the NBA. Last year he with Indiana he averaged a career-high 13.6 points per game.
   Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver, Benoit Benjamin and Anthony Tolliver.
Who Are These Guys?
For the first time since at least 1980-81, Creighton will not return any of its five starters as Mitch Ballock, Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Denzel Mahoney and Marcus Zegarowski are all gone after combining to make 152-of-155 possible starts last season.
   In fact, there's only been four previous times in the last 40 years that just one starter has returned. Those four occurrences came in 1985-86 (went 12-16), 2007-08 (22-11), 2014-15 (14-19) and
2015-16 (20-15).
   Shereef Mitchell started two games last season when Zegarowski was injured, and no other active Bluejay had ever started a game for CU prior to CU's Nov. 9 season-opener. In the previous 40 seasons, Creighton's always returned players who combined for at least 40 starts in the previous season.
   Returning   Returning Starts    Final
Year   Starters   From Previous Year   W-L
2021-22Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 2Â Â Â ? ? ?
2020-21Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 22-9
2019-20Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 136Â Â Â 24-7
2018-19Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 57Â Â Â 20-15
2017-18Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 21-12
2016-17Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 130Â Â Â 25-10
2015-16Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 64Â Â Â 20-15
2014-15Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 49Â Â Â 14-19
2013-14Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 144Â Â Â 27-8
2012-13Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 140Â Â Â 28-8
2011-12Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 101Â Â Â 29-6
2010-11Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 123Â Â Â 23-16
2009-10Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 106Â Â Â 18-16
2008-09Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 27-8
2007-08Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 44Â Â Â 22-11
2006-07Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 120Â Â Â 22-11
2005-06Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 134Â Â Â 20-10
2004-05Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 58Â Â Â 23-11
2003-04Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 101Â Â Â 20-9
2002-03Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 159Â Â Â 29-5
2001-02Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 65Â Â Â 23-9
2000-01Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 90Â Â Â 24-8
1999-00Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 23-10
1998-99Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 22-9
1997-98Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 18-10
1996-97Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 126Â Â Â 15-15
1995-96Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 100Â Â Â 14-15
1994-95Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 52Â Â Â 7-19
1993-94Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 73Â Â Â 7-22
1992-93Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 64Â Â Â 8-18
1991-92Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 51Â Â Â 9-19
1990-91Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 132Â Â Â 24-8
1989-90Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 127Â Â Â 21-12
1988-89Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 123Â Â Â 20-11
1987-88Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 16-16
1986-87Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 65Â Â Â 9-19
1985-86Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 48Â Â Â 12-16
1984-85Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 20-12
1983-84Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 17-14
1982-83Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 77Â Â Â 8-19
1981-82Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 78Â Â Â 7-20
1980-81Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 112Â Â Â 21-9
21 of 23 Seasons With 20 Wins
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 21 of the last 23 seasons (entering 2021-22), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
   Just two schools have had 20 or more wins each of the last 23 years: Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 22 times, Creighton and Kentucky 21 times.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Previous 23 Seasons
Team   20-Win Seasons   2020-21 W-L  Â
Gonzaga   23   31-1  Â
Kansas   23   21-9  Â
Duke   22   13-11  Â
Creighton   21   22-9  Â
Kentucky   21   9-16  Â
Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since the start of the 2010-11 season, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 through Nov. 16, 2021
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank  Â
3FG Percentage   .382   2nd  Â
3FG Made   3,407   2nd  Â
FG Percentage   .480   3rd  Â
Assists   6,160   5th
FG Made   10,430   8th
Points   29,248   8th
Wins   256   27th
Winning Percentage   .672   32nd
Twenty Wins, Again
Creighton had 22 wins last season, its sixth consecutive campaign with 20 or more victories.
   Only six teams have won 20 games or more in each of the previous six seasons: Belmont, Creighton, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Oregon.
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 256 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .672 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.   256-125   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
CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 8-8 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
11/26/05   Dayton   W 91-90*   Funk FG   :5.7
01/28/06   Wichita St.   W 57-55   Tolliver FG   :0.0
11/25/06   George Mason   W 58-56   Watts FT   :7.5
03/18/08   Rhode Island   W 74-73   Witter 3FG   :3.2
01/13/10   Southern Illinois   W 71-69   Young FG   :1.3
02/18/12   Long Beach St.   W 81-79   Young FG   :0.3
01/28/14   St. John's   W 63-60   McDermott 3FG   :2.8
01/18/20   Providence   W 78-74   Zegarowski 3FG   :3.2
*double-overtime
Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
03/20/06Â Â Â Miami (Fla.)Â Â Â L 53-52Â Â Â G. Diaz FTÂ Â Â :2.6
01/20/07   Southern Illinois   L 58-57   B. Mullins FG   :4.1
01/10/15   #19 Seton Hall   L 68-67   S. Gibbs 3FG   :2.2
02/16/15   #19 Butler   L 58-56   R. Jones FG   :1.9
03/07/15   Xavier   L 74-73   D. Davis FT's   :6.3
01/12/16   #12 Providence   L 50-48   K. Dunn FG   :0.0
02/22/17   Providence   L 68-66   K. Cartwright 3FG   :2.4
02/10/18   #5 Xavier   L 71-72   Q. Goodin FT's   :0.3
Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time.
    Rank   Att.   Opponent   Date
   1.   18,868   Providence   03/08/14
   2.   18,859   Georgetown   01/25/14
   3.   18,831   #1 Villanova   12/31/16
   4.   18,797   #6 Villanova   02/16/14
   5.   18,759   #1 Gonzaga   12/01/18
   6.   18,742   Seton Hall   02/23/14
   7.   18,735   Wichita State   02/11/12
   8.   18,613   Wichita State   03/02/13
   9.   18,525   Marquette   12/31/13
   10.   18,519   Seton Hall   03/07/20
   11.   18,518   Georgetown   01/27/18
   12.   18,495   Marquette   02/17/18
   13.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   14.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   15.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   16.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   17.   18,321   #3 Villanova   02/24/18
   18.   18,257   #5 Xavier   02/10/18
   19.   18,191   DePaul   02/27/18
   20.   18,160   Central Arkansas   11/14/14
Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton continued to be highly regarded by KenPom.com, and finished last season 22nd. That includes the nation's No. 25 offense, and No. 32 defense.
   Creighton had not finished with a top-35 defense since 2006-07, and has not finished better than 30th since 2001-02.
   Last season was the sixth different time in the last 10 seasons that Creighton has had a top-25 offense per KenPom.
Year   Off. Rating   Def. Rating   Team W-L
2010-11Â Â Â 66Â Â Â 174Â Â Â 23-16
2011-12Â 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 25Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 22-9
2021-22Â Â Â 87Â Â Â 56Â Â Â 2-0 so far
CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 310 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 19-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 256-54 (.826) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (21-0).
   Creighton's Nov. 25, 2017 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 24,325-20,365 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.77 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 85 different times.
   Creighton is also 30-33 all-time in the 63 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 37-27 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 159-36 (.815) at CHI Health Center Omaha since 2010-11 and hasn't trailed in 60 of those games. In that same span, CU owns an 89-6 home record vs. non-conference teams, with 20 straight wins.
   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 275-54 (.836) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
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Home Run
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, Creighton is averaging 81.18 points per home game (15,831 points in 195 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.83 points in non-conference home games (8,059 points in 95 home games).
   Creighton is 123-6 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2021-22 season went on sale on October 18th.
   Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CHI Health Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com, and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000.
   For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballMBB: Creighton vs. Iowa State Exhibition
Friday, October 17
Creighton Men's Basketball vs. Iowa State. Press Conference - 10/17/25
Tuesday, October 14
Creighton Men's Basketball Availability - 9/24/25
Wednesday, September 24
Meet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
