Men's Basketball Closes Non-Conference Play Tuesday vs. Arizona State

Game #11: Arizona State Sun Devils at Creighton Bluejays
Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021 • 7 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, 1620thezone.com; KOOO 101.9 FM; XM 384; SiriusXM app 974
Television: FS1 (Kevin Kugler, Bill Raftery)
Series History: Creighton leads, 6-5
Last Meeting: Creighton 67, Arizona State 60 on Dec. 21, 2019 in Tempe, Ariz.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF) | ASU NOTES (PDF) | TICKETS

Next Game
Creighton (8-2) plays its final non-conference game of the year on Tuesday, Dec. 14, when it hosts Arizona State (4-6).
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7 p.m..

COVID-19 Precautions at CU Athletic Events
Creighton University strongly encourages all fans to wear a face mask while attending indoor Creighton athletic events to protect against the spread of COVID-19.
   The University particularly encourages fans who are unvaccinated to wear a mask at all times during indoor Creighton athletic events for their own protection.
   Fans who have recently tested positive for COVID-19, or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, should not attend any Creighton athletic events, indoors or outdoors, for the health and safety of other guests for at least 10 days following a positive test or the onset of symptoms. They should also be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications, and symptoms should be improving.
   In addition, fans who have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19 should follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines regarding being around others.
   Creighton will continue to closely monitor global, national and local COVID-19 data and trends, as well as public health guidelines, and adjust its response accordingly.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2021-22 season. KOOO (101.9 FM) also broadcasts all home games.
   John Bishop and former Bluejay Ross Ferrarini will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com and can be heard on channel 974 of the Sirius/XM app or XM channel 384.

Broadcast Information
Tuesday's game will be called by Kevin Kugler and Bill Raftery and be televised on FS1.
   The game will also be video webcast online at http://foxsports.com/live or the FoxSports app.

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 8-2 this season, including wins over No. 24 BYU and rivals Southern Illinois and Nebraska. CU's only losses came to Colorado State on a night in which the Rams drained a school-record 20 three-pointers and to No. 19 Iowa State when the Jays committed 21 turnovers.
   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 (12.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg., 2.7 bpg.), Alex O'Connell (11.3 ppg., 5.3 rpg.) and Shereef Mitchell (3.5 ppg.) are back after playing last season.
   The Bluejays brought in grad transfers KeyShawn Feazell (4.4 ppg., 3.8 rpg.) and Ryan Hawkins (14.5 ppg., 6.5 rpg.) to bolster the front line. Hawkins is coming off back-to-back 25-point scoring efforts against top-25 teams and leads the squad with 23 three-pointers made.
   Creighton also features the nation's No. 7 recruiting class, with Arthur Kaluma (8.9 ppg,. 4.5 rpg.) and three-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week Ryan Nembhard (13.1 ppg., 4.6 apg.) starting every game to date.
   Creighton averages 73.4 points per game on 49.1 percent shooting from the field and has outrebounded foes by 4.4 caroms per contest. The Bluejays have held foes to 39.5 percent shooting and 66.1 points per contest.

Scouting Arizona State
Arizona State is 4-6 on the season but on a two-game winning streak that includes a road triumph at Oregon last week.
   The Sun Devils are paced by DJ Horne (13.2 ppg.) and Kimani Lawrence (11.4 ppg., 8.5 rpg.). Marcus Bagley, the brother of former Duke All-American and NBA Lottery pick Marvin Bagley III, averages 10.0 points per game but has only played in three games while dealing with the injury bug thus far.
   ASU averages 64.7 points per contest and yields 67.8 points per game. The Sun Devils shoot 39.3 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from deep, with Horne accounting for 27 of the team's 69 treys.

The Series vs. Arizona State
Creighton leads the all-time series with Arizona State, 6-5, though the road team has won the past three meetings.
   The teams last met on Dec. 21, 2019, a 67-60 Bluejay win in Tempe. On that night, Denzel Mahoney and Mitch Ballock each had 14 points to lead CU to victory.
   Greg McDermott is 4-1 in his career against ASU and 2-1 against Bobby Hurley.
   For good measure, McDermott was also 3-0 vs. Bobby's brother Dan Hurley (who is head coach at Connecticut) last year.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 261-127 record in his 12th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 541-322 in his 28th season, and is 410-258 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 win its 24th straight non-conference home game against an unranked team.
- Teams with Ryan Hawkins would improve to 168-10 at the college level.
- Creighton would start 9-2 (or better) after 11 games for the eighth time in the last 11 seasons.
- Creighton would improve to 23-1 in its last 24 non-conference home games.
- Creighton would avoid losing consecutive non-conference home games for the first time since December of 2004.

Block Party
After owning seven or more blocked shots in a game just nine times in Greg McDermott's first 11 seasons on the Bluejay sideline, Creighton has five contests this winter with at least seven swats.
   Creighton is 10-4 all-time under McDermott when blocking seven or more shots, and the four losses have come by a combined 10 points.
   Creighton's 5.40 blocked shots per game as a team is its best figure since averaging 6.03 blocks per game in 1984-85.

All Ball
Ryan Kalkbrenner ranks second in the BIG EAST with 2.7 blocked shots per game, a figure that ranks as the best by a Bluejay since Benoit Benjamin averaged 5.06 blocks per game in 1984-85.
   Though he's got an uphill climb to catch Big Ben, Kalkbrenner is still on track to become the first Bluejay to average more than 2.00 blocks per game since Chad Gallagher (2.19) in 1990-91.
   Making the 7-foot-1 sophomore's accomplishments all the more impressive is that the big man owns 27 blocks but has been called for just 11 fouls. That makes him the nation's only player with at least 19 blocks and fewer than 12 fouls.

You've Been Blocked!
Ryan Kalkbrenner had five blocked shots on both Nov. 22 vs. Southern Illinois and Nov. 27 vs. SIUE. Just how rare is that? In Greg McDermott's 12 years on the Creighton sideline, the only Bluejay with multiple games of 5+ blocks in the same season had been Gregory Echenique, who did it in 2010-11 (2x) as well as 2012-13 (4x).
   He's the first Bluejay with five swats in consecutive games since Benoit Benjamin did it in six straight games from Jan. 27-Feb. 14, 1985. Benjamin had a streak of 7, 12, 6, 5, 5 and 6 rejections during that stretch.
   Benjamin set MVC records that still stand with 411 career blocks and 162 rejections in 1984-85.
   Kalkbrenner had his third game this season with five swats on Dec. 11 vs. No. 24 BYU.

Wins On Wins on Wins
Creighton's Nov. 21 loss vs. Colorado State was the first time in the six-year college career of Ryan Hawkins that one of his teams lost on a neutral floor. The Northwest Missouri State transfer is now 40-1 on neutral sites when you include his 3-1 mark this year.
   He enters Tuesday's game vs. Arizona State with a team record of 167-10 (.944) at all sites, and has never lost consecutive games at the college level.

Hawkins Scores 25
Ryan Hawkins scored 25 points vs. No. 19 Iowa State. It was the 96th time in his career that the Atlantic, Iowa native scored in double-figures, and 46th time he's scored 20 points or more in a game.
   Hawkins' 25 points were the most by a Bluejay in any game this season, and most by any CU player against a top-25 team since Marcus Zegarowski scored 25 points in an 86-70 win vs. No. 5 Villanova on Feb. 13, 2021.
   Hawkins then scored 25 points against No. 24 BYU in his next outing, making him the first Bluejay with back-to-back games of 25 or more points since Marcus Foster had consecutive 29 point efforts on Feb. 7 & 10, 2018.
   Since December 1, 1990, the only Bluejay with three straight games of 25 points or more is Doug McDermott. McDermott had seven different streaks during his career, including one of eight straight, one of five straight, two of four straight and three streaks of three games with 25+ points.

Youth Is Served
Creighton has just seven non-freshmen on this year's roster, and is playing 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 had a late stretch of 1:28 vs. Colorado State when all five of its players on the floor were freshmen.
   Creighton has outscored teams by 90 when it two freshmen or less on the court, but have been outscored by 17 when it has three or more freshmen on the floor.
   All told, 905:31 of Creighton's 2,000 total minutes (45.28 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:   33:45   54-49   +5
2 freshmen:   238:14   484-399   +85
3 freshmen:   97:31   165-182   (-17)
4 freshmen:   19:02   26-29   (-3)
5 freshmen:   1:28   5-2   +3

Elite Freshmen
Ryan Nembhard is averaging 13.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 46.1 percent from the field this season.
   Since 2010-11, Nembhard is one of just 16 freshmen in the nation to average at least 13.0 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game, a list that includes Trae Young, R.J. Cole, Markelle Fultz, Sharife Cooper, Dennis Smith, De'Aaron Fox, Lonzo Ball, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Suggs, McKinley Wright IV and Nembhard.
   Of the 16 freshmen to average 13.0 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game since 2010-11, Nembhard, Ball, Fultz, Fox, Suggs and Gilgeous-Alexander are the only men to do so while shooting better than 46 percent from the field. The other five men were eventually top-11 picks in the NBA Draft.

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. Those three men are also CU's top three scorers.
   In the Dec. 11 win vs. No. 24 BYU, Nembhard, Hawkins and Kalkbrenner combined for 56 points, 21 rebounds and seven blocked shots.
    For the season, the "Ryan Express" has contributed 64.8 percent of Creighton's blocked shots, 54.5 percent of its points, 46.1 percent of its assists, 46.3 percent of its rebounds grabbed and 40.6 percent of its steals.
   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".

Elite Company For Hawkins
In 1991 when Creighton was in the Missouri Valley Conference, former Bluejay Bob Harstad (along with Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird and Xavier McDaniel) was one the answers to the trivia question of "Who are the only four players in MVC history with 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds"?
   Years later, Doug McDermott finished his career with 3,150 points and 1,088 rebounds, though not all those rebounds came while playing within The Valley.
   So what's the point, you're asking? Creighton senior Ryan Hawkins owns 2,243 career points and 1,013 career rebounds, though the majority of his totals were accumulated at the Division II level at Northwest Missouri State.
   Entering this season, only 117 players in NCAA history have achieved 2,000 points and 1,000 points at the Division I level.

A Good Start
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 10 games in recent seasons, which CU reached after Saturday's win vs. BYU.
    Of note, Creighton has started 5-5 or better after 10 games in 27 of the past 28 seasons (including 2021-22). This is the program's 11th straight season of a 7-3 start or better.
Creighton Stats Through 10 Games, Since 1994-95
Year   W-L   PPG   FG%   3FG   10+ PPG guys
'21-22   8-2   73.4   .491   62   4
2020-21   8-2   81.3   .482   101   5
2019-20   8-2   78.5   .478   98   3
2018-19   7-3   83.8   .510   117   3
2017-18   8-2   90.2   .516   102   3
2016-17   10-0   91.6   .544   99   4
2015-16   7-3   85.5   .506   93   5
2014-15   8-2   73.8   .438   85   2
2013-14   8-2   83.7   .491   113   2
2012-13   9-1   80.2   .519   90   2
2011-12   9-1   86.0   .516   90   2
2010-11   6-4   69.0   .426   74   3
2009-10   4-6   71.3   .450   78   2
2008-09   8-2   75.6   .439   89   3
2007-08   9-1   80.8   .478   84   2
2006-07   6-4   66.0   .408   59   3
2005-06   7-3   69.3   .405   70   3
2004-05   8-2   69.2   .434   80   2
2003-04   10-0   72.1   .463   61   2
2002-03   10-0   84.9   .526   97   1
2001-02   6-4   75.9   .439   63   3
2000-01   8-2   76.0   .445   83   3
1999-00   9-1   74.7   .458   84   2
1998-99   8-2   78.4   .454   79   2
1997-98   7-3   77.3   .467   73   1
1996-97   5-5   65.7   .409   57   2
1995-96   5-5   66.7   .390   56   3
1994-95   4-6   65.1   .404   66   3

Nembhard A Consistent Threat
Ryan Nembhard scored in double-figures each of Creighton's first six games and has had nine points or more in all 10 outings this winter.
   In the last 27 years, the only other newcomers to score in double-figures during CU's first six games had been true freshman Doug McDermott (8 straight in 2010-11), redshirt freshman Justin Patton (8 in 2016-17) and Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster (8 in 2016-17), who was a junior.
   Nembhard's 131 points through 10 games are the most by any Bluejay freshman since at least 1981.
Most Points, Newcomers First 10 Games Since 1994-95
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year   After 11
   169   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17   191
   145   Ryan Hawkins, Sr.   2020-21   ? ? ?
   131   Ryan Nembhard, Fr.   2020-21   ? ? ?
   128   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11   137
   121   Denzel Mahoney, Jr.   2019-20   135
   120   Justin Patton, Fr.   2016-17   130
   117   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16   136
   116   Damien Jefferson, So.   2018-19   132
   111   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11   128
   111   Tad Ackerman, Jr.   1994-95   130
   110   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16   122
   108   Khyri Thomas, Fr.   2015-16   114
   104   Rodney Buford, Fr.   1995-96   116
   103   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08   125
   101   Edward St. Fleur, Jr.   1995-96   110
   101   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02   115

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 25 victories since the start of the 2010-11 season after trailing by double-figures at some point, including two this season. Twelve of those 25 comebacks have come away from home.
   Creighton's comeback from 16 points down vs. SIUE on Nov. 27 was its biggest since rallying from 16 points down at Seton Hall on Jan. 27th.
   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
16   SIU Edwardsville   11/27/21
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
10   UAB   11/14/12
10   vs. Drake   03/02/12
10   at Nebraska   12/07/14
10   South Dakota   12/09/14
10   St. John's   01/03/18
10   at DePaul   02/07/18
10   Bemidji State   02/13/18

Defense Cranks Up A Notch at Home
Creighton has led at halftime in just one of its five home games this season, but still recovered to go 4-1 overall at home.
   After being outscored an average of 3.0 points in the first half at home, CU outscores foes by an average of 11.38 points per game in the second half this season at home.
   CU is shooting 54.4 percent (74-136) in the second half at home this season while holding foes to 29.7 percent (46-155) marksmanship after the break.
   The difference is even more significant behind the arc, where CU shoots 32.5 percent (13-40) from downtown after halftime compared to its opponents' 22.2 percent (12-54).

Speaking of Defense
Creighton had nine blocked shots on Nov. 27 vs. SIUE, tying its most in any game in Greg McDermott's 12 seasons. CU also had nine rejections on Feb. 13, 2018 vs. Division II Bemidji State. The nine swats were CU's most against a Division I foe since also posting nine at Evansville on Jan. 3, 2010.
   Of Creighton's nine blocks, eight came in the second half. Seven of those came in the final 15 minutes, when SIUE went just 2-of-16 from the floor.
   Also noteworthy was CU's defense beyond the arc. SIUE made just 1-of-15 three-point tries, tying the fewest trifectas made by a Bluejay opponent under McDermott. It was the fifth time it had happened, and first occasion since No. 5 Xavier shot 1-of-21 on Feb. 9, 2016.

Putting The Jam In Paradise Jam
Creighton had 17 dunks in three games at the Paradise Jam, including eight against Colorado State on Nov. 21. The Bluejays own 43 dunks through 10 games this season.
   CU's 43 dunks are its second-most through 10 games during any of Greg McDermott's 12 seasons as Creighton head coach, trailing only the 46 through 10 games by the 2016-17 team.
   Ryan Kalkbrenner leads CU with 21 of those slams after he threw down 29 dunks all of last season in 31 games played. The sophomore's 21 slams to date trail only Justin Patton's 24 dunks through 10 games in the McDermott era.
   CU's 2016-17 team finished with 144 dunks in 35 games, with Patton owning 72 of those slams.

At The Buzzer!
Ryan Nembhard drove the length of the court in the final 5.2 seconds to sink a floater as time expired to give Creighton a 66-64 win vs. Southern Illinois on Nov. 22 in the third-place game of the Paradise Jam.
   Ironically enough, the game-ending play was installed several years ago by former Bluejay assistant Paul Lusk, himself a Southern Illinois grad.
   The basket was Creighton's first go-ahead shot as time expired since Booker Woodfox beat Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinals on March 6, 2009.
   Prior to Woodfox, Creighton's last previous buzzer-beater had also come against Wichita State, as Anthony Tolliver's shot from the right baseline beat Wichita State on Jan. 28, 2006.
   Nate Funk also hit a buzzer-beater to beat Greg McDermott's Northern Iowa team on Jan. 15, 2005 in Cedar Falls.
   Shots by those four men remain the only game-winning buzzer-beaters by Creighton since the start of the 1999-2000 season.

Kalkbrenner Playing Big
In his last eight games, sophomore center Ryan Kalkbrenner has set career-highs in rebounds (10 vs. Iowa State), points (19 vs. Brown) and blocked (5 on three occasions).
   Kalkbrenner has had 10 or more points in eight of the past nine contests, compared to seven total double-figure outings in his 2020-21 freshman campaign that spanned 31 contests.

Five Threats To Score
All five Creighton starters are averaging at least 8.9 points per game this season, a fact made all the more impressive when you consider that these men owned a total of ZERO career starts as a Bluejay entering this winter.
   Creighton has won 22 straight games when five or more players have 10 points or more.

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.

Nembhard Earns All-Tourney Honors
Ryan Nembhard earned All-Tournament Team honors at the Paradise Jam after averaging 12.3 points, 4.7 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals in three games.
   Nembhard shot 55.6 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 60 percent from the line and made a shot at the buzzer vs. Southern Illinois in the third-place game.
   He is CU's first true freshman to pick up All-Tournament Team honors at any event since Doug McDermott was named to the Global Sports Hy-Vee Challenge All-Tournament Team in 2010.

Hawk Talk
Ryan Hawkins finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on Nov. 16 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 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.
   Hawkins owns 38 games with 10 or more rebounds in his college career.

Winning With Defense
Creighton's made its reputation on the offensive side with its "Let It Fly" philosophy, but the Bluejays have won thanks in large part to their defense so far this season.
   Creighton held each of its first four opponents under 40 percent from the field for the first time since at least 1980-81.
   Creighton is holding teams to 39.5 percent shooting this season, which would also be the program's best mark in more than 40 years.

Playing With The Lead
In 313 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 85 of those contests, a staggering 27.2 percent of the time.
     Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is
161-37 and hasn't trailed in 60 of those games. He owns an 91-7 record vs. non-conference teams at CHI Health Center Omaha.

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.

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.

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.

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

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 923 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,283 trifectas, an average of 7.89 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 139 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 294 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 38-6 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 14-11 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:   98 times   6: 99 times
7:   139 times   8:   116 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 923 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 (12/12)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,140   UNLV   12/15
   2.   1,121   Duke   12/14
   3.   1,085   Arkansas   12/18
   4.   1,072   Western Kentucky   12/14
   5.   1,061   East Tennessee State   12/14
   6.   1,040   Oakland   12/21
   7.   1,040   Pacific   12/14
   8.   1,031   Texas   12/14
   9.   979   Marshall   12/15
   10.   971   Baylor   12/18
   11.   968   Princeton   12/13
   12.   960   Gonzaga   12/18
   13.   934   Long Island   12/13
   14.   923   Creighton   12/14
   15.   922   Mount St. Mary's   12/18
   16.   907   Tennessee State   12/16

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
TCU   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)

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 Dec. 11, 2021
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Made   3,451   2nd
3FG Percentage   .382   3rd
FG Percentage   .480   3rd
Assists   6,255   5th
FG Made   10,625   8th
Points   29,764   9th
Wins   261   27th
Winning Percentage   .673   31st

#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.

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
Gonzaga   23   31-1
Kansas   23   21-9
Duke   22   13-11
Creighton   21   22-9
Kentucky   21   9-16

In Search Of 20 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.

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
2021-22   0   2   ? ? ?
2020-21   5   124   22-9
2019-20   4   136   24-7
2018-19   2   57   20-15
2017-18   2   72   21-12
2016-17   4   130   25-10
2015-16   1   64   20-15
2014-15   1   49   14-19
2013-14   4   144   27-8
2012-13   4   140   28-8
2011-12   3   101   29-6
2010-11   4   123   23-16
2009-10   3   106   18-16
2008-09   3   83   27-8
2007-08   1   44   22-11
2006-07   4   120   22-11
2005-06   4   134   20-10
2004-05   2   58   23-11
2003-04   3   101   20-9
2002-03   5   159   29-5
2001-02   2   65   23-9
2000-01   3   90   24-8
1999-00   3   84   23-10
1998-99   3   84   22-9
1997-98   4   72   18-10
1996-97   4   126   15-15
1995-96   4   100   14-15
1994-95   2   52   7-19
1993-94   3   73   7-22
1992-93   2   64   8-18
1991-92   2   51   9-19
1990-91   4   132   24-8
1989-90   4   127   21-12
1988-89   4   123   20-11
1987-88   3   83   16-16
1986-87   2   65   9-19
1985-86   1   48   12-16
1984-85   4   124   20-12
1983-84   3   72   17-14
1982-83   3   77   8-19
1981-82   2   78   7-20
1980-81   4   112   21-9

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 261 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .673 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.   261-127   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
03/20/06   Miami (Fla.)   L 53-52   G. Diaz FT   :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   #8 Seton Hall   03/07/20
   11.   18,518   Georgetown   01/27/18
   12.   18,495   Marquette   02/17/18
   13.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   14.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   15.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   16.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   17.   18,321   #3 Villanova   02/24/18
   18.   18,294   #19 Iowa State   12/04/21
   19.   18,257   #5 Xavier   02/10/18
   20.   18,191   DePaul   02/27/18

Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton continued to be highly regarded by KenPom.com, and finished last season 22nd. That included 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
2010-11   66   174   23-16
2011-12   5   166   29-6
2012-13   5   66   28-8
2013-14   2   124   27-8
2014-15   59   138   14-19
2015-16   43   76   20-15
2016-17   32   46   25-10
2017-18   25   58   21-12
2018-19   47   83   20-15
2019-20   3   78   24-7
2020-21   25   32   22-9
2021-22   52   76   8-2 so far

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 313 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 19-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 258-55 (.827) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (21-0).
   Creighton's Nov. 25, 2017 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 24,533-20,549 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.73 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 85 different times.
   Creighton is also 31-33 all-time in the 63 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 8-11 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 38-27 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 161-37 (.813) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn't trailed in 60 of those games. In that same span, CU owns an 91-7 home record vs. non-conference teams.
   Factor in a 17-0 home mark at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 and two wins at the Civic in the 2010 CIT, and the Bluejays are 277-55 (.834) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Home Run
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, Creighton is averaging 81.01 points per home game (16,039 points in 198 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.36 points in non-conference home games (8,267 points in 98 home games).
   Creighton is 124-6 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.

Men's Basketball Closes Non-Conference Play Tuesday vs. Arizona State

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

KeyShawn Feazell

Ryan Hawkins

Damien Jefferson

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Arthur Kaluma

Denzel Mahoney

Shereef Mitchell

Ryan Nembhard

Alex O'Connell

Marcus Zegarowski