#19 Men's Basketball Hosts #5 Villanova in Saturday Showdown

Game #21: #5 Villanova Wildcats at #19 Creighton Bluejays
Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021 • 4:00 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; www.1620thezone.com; Westwood One
SiriusXM: Sirius 84; XM 84 App 84
Television: FOX (Tim Brando, Nick Bahe)
Series History: Villanova leads, 14-4
Last Meeting: Creighton 76, #8 Villanova 61 on 2/1/20 in Philadelphia, Pa.
CREIGHTON NOTES (PDF) | VILLANOVA NOTES (PDF) | BIG EAST NOTES (PDF) | FLIPCARD (PDF)
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS

Next Game
It'll be a top-20 match-up on Saturday, Feb. 13th, when No. 19 Creighton (15-5, 11-4 BIG EAST) welcomes No. 5 Villanova (13-2, 8-1 BIG EAST) to town in a battle of teams atop the BIG EAST standings.
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha, Neb., is set for 4 p.m.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2020-21 season. KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games that start after 5 p.m. The game can also be heard on Sirius channel 84 or XM 84 or channel 84 on the SiriusXM app.
   John Bishop will call the action with Brody Deren. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
   The game will also be broadcast nationally on Westwood One radio, with Kevin Kugler and PJ Carlesimo on the call.

Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game will be televised nationally by FOX, with Tim Brando and Nick Bahe on the call.
   Of Creighton's last 151 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised. CU is 102-49 in those contests.

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

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

Scouting No. 19 Creighton
Creighton is ranked 19th nationally in the AP poll after a 15-5 start that includes an 11-4 BIG EAST mark and a 7-2 overall road record. CU's five losses have come by a combined 21 points, with each coming by seven points or less.
   The Bluejays return four starters and five of its top six scorers from last season's team that finished 24-7 and won a share of its first BIG EAST regular-season title. CU's 2019-20 team was ranked No. 7 in the year-end Associated Press poll, while this year's club was 11th in the preseason AP poll. Both were program bests for a preseason or postseason poll.
   Senior wing Denzel Mahoney (14.5 ppg.) won the BIG EAST's Sixth Man Award last season, while junior forward Christian Bishop (11.6 ppg., 5.6 rpg.) has shot 69.7 percent from the field to lead the league.
   Point guard Marcus Zegarowski (14.4 ppg., 4.3 apg.) was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and is a Preseason All-American by nearly every outlet after averaging 16.1 points and 5.1 assists per game last season.
   CU's most consistent player in recent weeks has been Damien Jefferson (12.2 ppg., 5.2 rpg.), who forced overtime with a jumper in the final second of regulation at UConn. He has scored in double-figures in 16 of the last 19 games.
   Creighton leads the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.482) while averaging 78.8 points per game and yielding just 69.1 points per contest.

Scouting #5 Villanova
Ranked fifth nationally, Villanova is 13-2 overall and 8-1 in the BIG EAST Conference. The Wildcats are 4-1 on the road, including victories at Texas, Georgetown, Marquette and Seton Hall.
   Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (16.1 ppg., 7.3 rpg.) and Collin Gillespie (14.5 ppg., 5.2 apg.) are both playing like the Preseason All-BIG EAST selections they were recognized as November.
   Also scoring at a double-figure clip are Justin Moore (12.9 ppg.), Caleb Daniels (11.2 ppg., .443 3fg%) and Jermaine Samuels (11.1 ppg., 6.5 rpg.).
   Villanova averages 79.1 points per game while allowing just 67.6 per contest. The Wildcats shoot 46.7 percent from the floor, 38.7 percent from downtown and 78.8 percent at the line.

The Series With Villanova
Villanova leads the all-time series with Creighton, 14-4, including a 5-2 record in Omaha.
   Creighton swept the regular-season series in 2013-14 with a pair of victories by 20+ points, but the Wildcats won the next eight meetings before CU topped 'Nova in February of 2018.
   The teams last met on Feb. 1, 2020 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, a 76-61 Bluejay victory.
   Greg McDermott is 4-11 against Villanova and Jay Wright. Wright is 11-4 versus Creighton.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 246-121 record in his 11th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 526-316 in 27 seasons, and is 395-252 in his 20th Division I campaign.
   McDermott led Creighton to its first BIG EAST regular-season title last season, taking a Bluejay team that was picked seventh in the league's preseason poll and ending the year ranked seventh nationally. For those efforts, he was recognized as the BIG EAST Coach of the Year as well as the USBWA District VI Coach of the Year, NABC District 5 Coach of the Year and Basketball Times Midlands District Coach of the Year.
   McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000).
   He is assisted by Alan Huss, Paul Lusk and Terrence Rencher.

With A Win...
- Creighton would improve to 16-5 on the season with its sixth victory in its last seven games.
- Creighton would defeat Villanova in back-to-back meetings for the first time since 2013-14.
- Creighton would earn its fifth win vs. Villanova since 2013-14, tied with Seton Hall for the most of any Wildcat opponent in that time.
- Creighton would improve to 136-51 all-time (102-39 under Greg McDermott) as a nationally-ranked team.
- Creighton would improve to 11-3 all-time when ranked exactly 19th.
- Creighton would improve to 3-1 this season against top-25 teams, and 3-0 at home.
- Creighton would improve to 42-148 all-time against top-25 teams (24-33 under Greg McDermott), 24-42 at home (13-12 under McDermott) and 15-13 at CHI Health Center Omaha.
- Creighton would avoid suffering consecutive home losses for the first time since January of 2019.
- Creighton would win a seventh straight game televised on FOX.
- Creighton would improve to 5-1 in its last six games against top-10 opponents
-Criehgton will earn its first top-5 win since a Feb. 24, 2018 overtime win vs. No. 3 Villanova.

The Cats Meow
Villanova has the second-best win percentage in the country since the start of the 2013-14 season, which coincides with the realignment of the BIG EAST. Villanova is 228-40 (.851), just behind a Gonzaga program that is 244-31 (.887).
   Of the 80 different schools to play Villanova in that time, only 22 have actually beaten the Wildcats.
   Creighton is one of eight schools to post multiple victories over the Wildcats in that time. Creighton and Butler each have four victories over Villanova, one fewer than Seton Hall's four.

McDermott On The Wright Path
Villanova's Jay Wright owns more wins at his current school than any other current BIG EAST coach, having led the Wildcats to 485 victories in 20 seasons. That's an average of 24.25 wins per season (counting this season and this year's wins) for Wright, and a .725 winning percentage in that time.
   His counterpart on Saturday, Creighton's Greg McDermott, owns a record of 246-121 in his 11 seasons with the Bluejays, an average of 22.36 wins per season. McDermott owns a .670 winning percentage at CU.
   Wright and McDermott are the only current BIG EAST coaches who have averaged 20 or more wins per season in their current position.
   After 20 games of his 11th season at Villanova, Wright owned 234 wins and had been to seven NCAA Tournaments at VU, while McDermott owns 246 wins and has coached CU to five NCAA bids to this point.
   Wright had a 237-130 record after exactly 367 games with the Wildcats, while McDermott is 246-121 at Creighton thus far.

Live By The 3, Thrive By The 3
Few teams in the country have made as many three-pointers in the last eight seasons as the team's featured in Saturday's match-up. Villanova leads the nation in that category with 2,592 trifectas, while Creighton is fifth with 2,413.
   Creighton is 0-11 all-time when making eight three-pointers or less against Villanova, but 4-3 when making nine or more trifectas. CU has hit 53-of-101 treys (52.5%) in the four wins, but 78-of-250 triples (31.2%) in the 11 losses.
   Villanova has made nine or more three-pointers against Creighton in 10-of-15 meetings as BIG EAST rivals.
   Creighton is 21-2 in its last 23 games when attempting 15 or fewer three-pointers, with one of those losses coming last January when the Jays were 3-of-14 from deep vs. Villanova the last time the teams faced off at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Since Greg McDermott was hired, Creighton has made 3,287 three-pointers in 367 games.
Most 3FG Made Since 2013-14 (thru 2/10/2021)
Rk.   Team   3FG   Games
1.   Villanova   2,592   268
2.   Belmont   2,532   251
3.   North Florida   2,488   252
4.   Citadel   2,420   238
5.   Creighton   2,413   257
6.   Akron   2,379   251
7.   Fort Wayne   2,333   250
8.   Central Michigan   2,316   249
9.   Davidson   2,299   242
10.   VMI   2,293   240

Top 10 At CHI Health Center Omaha
Creighton is 5-4 all-time against top-10 teams inside CHI Health Center Omaha. That includes a 3-2 mark when Creighton is also ranked in the top-25, and a 2-2 mark vs. Villanova.
Result   Date
#18 Creighton 101, #6 Villanova 80   2/16/14
#4 Villanova 76, Creighton 72   3/3/15
Creighton 70, #5 Xavier   2/9/16
#22 Creighton 79, #9 Wisconsin 67   11/15/16
#1 Villanova 80, #10 Creighton 70   12/31/16
#5 Xavier 72, Creighton 71   2/10/18
Creighton 89, #3 Villanova 83 (OT)   2/24/18
#1 Gonzaga 103, Creighton 92   12/1/18
#11 Creighton 77, #8 Seton Hall 60   3/7/20

FOX Rocks
Saturday will mark the fourth time in six weeks that Creighton will play in the Saturday afternoon window on FOX.
   After a rough start on FOX, the network has been a good luck charm for the Bluejays in recent seasons.
   Creighton lost its first seven appearances and was 2-10 on FOX in its first six seasons as a BIG EAST member.
   But over the past two seasons, Creighton is a perfect 5-0 on the network, going 2-0 in 2019-20 and 3-0 so far in 2020-21.
   CU currently owns a six-game winning streak on the channel, having also won its final appearance in 2018-19.
Creighton's Record on FOX Since 2013-14
Year   W-L
2013-14   0-0
2014-15   0-0
2015-16   0-1
2016-17   0-4
2017-18   1-3 (lost first 2)
2018-19   1-2 (won last 1)
2019-20   2-0
2020-21   3-0

Ranked vs. Ranked
Creighton is 12-13 all-time as a ranked team when facing a ranked team, including an 11-9 overall mark under Greg McDermott.
   Last year's team was 4-0 in such contests, while this year's club is 2-1 in such battles.
Creighton's Top-25 vs. Top-25 Games
Date   CU Rank   Opponent Rank   Result
03/04/1974   #16   #14 South Carolina   L 69-78
03/14/1974   #19   vs. #14 Kansas   L 54-55
03/16/1974   #19   vs. #16 Louisville   W 80-71
03/08/1975   #13   #5 Marquette   L 60-64
12/31/2002   #15   at #19 Xavier   L 73-75
03/18/2012   #19   vs. #4 North Carolina   L 73-87
03/24/2013   #22   vs. #6 Duke   L 50-66
02/16/2014   #18   #6 Villanova   W 101-80
03/23/2014   #16   vs. #23 Baylor   L 55-85
11/15/2016   #22   #9 Wisconsin   W 77-69
12/31/2016   #10   #1 Villanova   L 70-80
01/11/2017   #8   #12 Butler   W 75-64
01/16/2017   #7   at #22 Xavier   W 72-67
01/31/2017   #22   at #16 Butler   W 76-67
02/25/2017   #23   at #2 Villanova   L 63-79
12/01/2017   #25   at #15 Gonzaga   L 74-91
12/28/2017   #25   at #23 Seton Hall   L 84-90
01/13/2018   #25   at #10 Xavier   L 70-92
02/12/2020   #23   at #10 Seton Hall   W 87-82
02/18/2020   #15   at #19 Marquette   W 73-65
02/23/2020   #15   #21 Butler   W 81-59
03/07/2020   #11   #8 Seton Hall   W 77-60
12/08/2020   #8   at #5 Kansas   L 72-73
12/21/2020   #13   #22 Xavier   W 66-61
01/23/2021   #11   #23 Connecticut   W 74-66
02/13/2021   #19   #5 Villanova   4 p.m.

Ranking News & Notes
- Creighton is 23-33 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams, 16 more top-25 wins than any other coach in Creighton history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 18-115 all-time against top-25 foes.
- Creighton has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the last eight seasons (including 2020-21), and multiple ranked foes in each of the last seven years.
   On a national basis, the only 18 teams with a top-25 win each of the last eight seasons (including 2020-21) are Baylor, Clemson, Creighton, Florida State, Indiana, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Syracuse, Texas Tech, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
   Nine schools have done it each of the previous seven seasons but have yet to do it this winter; Cincinnati, Duke, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kentucky, Oregon, Seton Hall, Temple and Xavier.
- Creighton is 18-16 since the start of the 2016-17 season against ranked teams. The 18 wins over ranked teams in that time are 15th-most nationally, and trails only Villanova (23) among BIG EAST clubs. - Creighton is 14-13 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha against top-25 teams.

Big Mac On The Attack
Greg McDermott's teams have consistently battled some of the best teams in the country.
   The chart below shows how his teams have consistently outpaced those of his predecessors against top-25 foes.
Category   Pre-McDermott   Under McDermott
vs. Top 25 Teams   18-115   23-33
vs. Top 10 Teams   5-31   9-15
vs. Top 10 on Road   1-28   4-8
vs. Top 25 on Road   2-63   8-15

Top 25 Success
Creighton had six wins over top-25 teams last season, breaking the school-record of four set in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
   This year's team owns top-25 wins vs. No. 22 Xavier and No. 23 UConn. It marks the 10th Bluejay team in history with multiple top-25 victories, and sixth straight year that's happened.
   On a national basis, the only 10 teams that have posted multiple top-25 wins in each of the last six seasons (including 2020-21) are Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue, Texas Tech, Villanova and West Virginia.
   The following schools have had multiple top-25 wins each year from 2015-16 to 2019-20, but aren't yet there in 2020-21: Duke, Florida State, Kentucky, Oregon, Seton Hall and Virginia.
Creighton's Most Top-25 Wins, Season
   Wins   Season   Top-25 Victims
   6   2019-20   #8 Villanova, #10 Seton Hall,
           #12 Texas Tech, #19 Marquette,
           #21 Butler, #8 Seton Hall
   4   2016-17   #9 Wisconsin, #12 Butler,
           #16 Butler, #22 Xavier
   4   2017-18   #3 Villanova, #19 Seton Hall,
           #20 Northwestern, #23 UCLA
   2   1973-74   #6 Marquette, #16 Louisville
   2   2001-02   #15 Florida, #17 Western Kentucky
   2   2006-07   #11 Southern Illinois, #24 Xavier
   2   2013-14   #4 Villanova, #6 Villanova
   2   2015-16   #5 Xavier, #18 Butler
   2   2018-19   #10 Marquette, #16 Clemson
   2   2020-21   #22 Xavier, #23 UConn

Quest For 24,000
Creighton has scored 23,928 points all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha and can pass 24,000 on Saturday vs. Villanova if it scores 72 points.
   Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 23,928 to 20,048 at the 18-year old facility in 305 all-time games in the building that count.
   Creighton is 22-1 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone at CHI Health Center Omaha, as seen below:
Date   Pts-Opp (CLCO Game #)   Who/How vs. Opp.
02/18/04   1,000-787 (14)   Lindeman FG vs. Indiana State
02/05/05   2,000-1,696 (28)   Funk FG vs. Missouri St.
01/18/06   3,000-2,504 (41)   Watts FT vs. Bradley
01/09/07   4,000-3,359 (56)   Tolliver FG vs. Drake
12/17/07   5,000-4,174 (69)   Ka. Korver 3FG vs. Hou. Baptist
11/16/08   6,000-5,048 (82)   Dotzler FG vs. New Mexico
02/11/09   7,000-5,870 (95)   Witter 3FG vs. Bradley
01/16/10   8,000-6,750 (109)   Young FG vs. Wichita State
12/20/10   9,000-7,645 (123)   Wragge FG vs. W. Illinois
03/23/11   10,000-8,500 (136)   Lawson FG vs. UCF
01/21/12   11,000-9,310 (148)   McDermott FG vs. Ind. St.
12/19/12   12,000-10,136 (161)   Echenique FG vs. Tulsa
11/23/13   13,000-10,922 (173)   Artino FG vs. Tulsa
02/23/14   14,000-11,711 (185)   Gibbs FG vs. Seton Hall
01/28/15   15,000-12,612 (198)   Hanson FT vs. St. John's
12/28/15   16,000-13,498 (211)   Huff FG vs. Coppin State
11/15/16   17,000-14,349 (224)   Patton FG vs. #9 Wisconsin
01/28/17   18,000-15,166 (235)   Hanson FG vs. DePaul
12/18/17   19,000-15,927 (246)   Foster 3FG vs. UT Arlington
11/06/18   20,000-16,741 (258)   Ballock 3FG vs. W. Illinois
02/03/19   21,000-17,619 (270)   Zegarowski FG vs. Xavier
12/07/19   22,000-18,463 (282)   Ballock 3FG vs. Nebraska
03/07/20   23,000-19,280 (294)   Mahoney 3FG vs. #8 Seton Hall

Quad Squad
Creighton owns a 10-2 record against teams that are either Quad 1 (3-1) or Quad 2 (7-1) this season according to Thursday's edition of the NET.
   Creighton is one of four clubs nationwide with 10 or more victories against teams in the top two quadrants, joining Gonzaga (10-0), Alabama (10-4), and Illinois (10-5).
   Three of Creighton's remaining five regular-season games are currently slated to be Quad 1 games, as the Jays still meet Villanova twice and also visit Xavier.
   Creighton was 29th in the Feb. 11th edition of the NET, while Villanova was ninth.

Up Is Down; Down Is Up
Creighton stands in second place in the BIG EAST standings with an 11-4 league record, trailing only Villanova's 8-1 mark.
   What's unusual is how Creighton got to this point. The Bluejays are a perfect 7-0 against the four teams it has met who are .500 or better in league play (2-0 vs. Seton Hall, UConn and St. John's; 1-0 vs. Xavier).
   Just as unlikely is that Creighton is 4-4 against the schools who are under .500 in BIG EAST action, having gone 1-1 vs. Providence, Marquette and Georgetown, 1-0 vs. DePaul and 0-1 vs. Butler.
   Villanova is the only BIG EAST team that Creighton has not played this winter.

Points Taken (Away)
Creighton allowed just 48 points in Tuesday's 15-point victory at Georgetown in its best defensive effort of the season.
   It's the fewest points the Jays have allowed in a league game since joining the BIG EAST in 2013, and least against a Power 5 or BIG EAST team since holding Nebraska to 42 in 2012.
   Georgetown's 48 points were its fewest in a game since scoring 48 points in back-to-back games in January of 2013 vs. Marquette and Pitt.
   Below is a list of the top five defensive efforts by Creighton against a BIG EAST team since joining the league:
Fewest Points Allowed vs. BIG EAST since 2013-14
   Pts. Allowed   School, Date   Result
   48   at Georgetown, 2/9/21   CU 63-48
   49   Marquette, 12/31/13   CU 67-49
   50   Providence, 1/12/16   PC 50-48
   53   at Marquette, 1/14/15   MU 53-52
   53   Seton Hall, 1/6/21   CU 89-53
   54   Xavier, 2/3/19   CU 76-54

Defensive Dandy
Creighton limited Georgetown to 27.6 percent shooting on Tuesday night. That's CU's best performance in terms of field goal percentage defense against a BIG EAST foe since joining the league in 2013.
   It was also the poorest field goal percentage by a Georgetown team since shooting 25 percent (12-48) vs. Cincinnati on Feb. 23, 2011.
Best FG% Defense vs. BIG EAST since 2013-14
   FG% Defense   School, Date   FG-FGA
   .276   at Georgetown, 2/9/21   16-58
   .296   Providence, 1/12/16   16-54
   .300   Xavier, 2/9/16   21-70
   .309   at DePaul, 2/11/17   17-55
   .328   Butler, 1/23/16   21-64
   .333   at Seton Hall, 2/9/19   20-60
   .333   Seton Hall, 1/6/21   17-51

Men of Steal
Creighton picked up 19 steals on Tuesday at Georgetown to break a school-record of 18 set five times previously.
   The Bluejays had previously pilfered 18 swipes five times previously, doing so at Cleveland State (12/18/91), vs. Illinois State (12/12/99), vs. Savannah State (11/29/07), vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11/20/08) and vs. DePaul (2/15/20).
   Creighton's 11 steals in the first half were its most in any half since also having 11 in the first half vs. Southern on Dec. 15, 2008.
   Among the Bluejays who established or tied career-highs in steals were Denzel Mahoney (4), Mitch Ballock (4) and Shereef Mitchell (3). Ballock had all four of his steals in a span of 98 seconds that saw the Hoyas turn it over on five straight trips.

Denzel A Leading Man
In four career games as a Bluejay against a top-10 opponent, Denzel Mahoney has averaged 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game to help CU to a 3-1 mark. Mahoney has made 53.1 percent (26-49) of his shots from the floor, 45.5 percent (10-22) from three-point range and 100 percent (12-12) at the charity stripe.
   Four of his top 14 single-game scoring efforts at CU have come in those four games against top-10 competition.
Denzel Mahoney's Top Scoring Games at Creighton
   Points   Opponent   Date
   29   at Butler   01/16/21
   24   St. John's   01/09/21
   22   Georgetown   02/03/21
   21   at #8 Villanova   02/01/20
   21   Marquette   12/14/20
   20   Nebraska   12/11/20
   20   #23 Connecticut   01/23/21
   19   at Georgetown   01/15/20
   19   at #5 Kansas   12/08/20
   18   St. John's   02/08/20
   18   at #10 Seton Hall   02/12/20
   17   Nebraska-Omaha   12/01/20
   16   #8 Seton Hall   03/08/20
   16   at St. John's   12/17/20

Winning On the Road
Creighton owns a 35-36 record in BIG EAST road games since the league's 2013-14 realignment. Those 35 victories trail only Villanova's 50.
   Since the start of the 2018-19 campaign, Creighton's 16 BIG EAST road wins lead the league.
BIG EAST Road Wins (through 2/12)
Team   Since 2013-14   Since 2018-19
Butler   28-42   7-18
Creighton   35-36   16-10
DePaul   12-55   4-18
Georgetown   22-46   7-16
Marquette   26-43   11-13
Providence   32-38   10-15
Seton Hall   32-38   14-11
St. John's   19-53   8-19
Villanova   50-17   14-8
Xavier   31-32   9-11
UConn   3-2   3-2

Road Warriors
Creighton is 7-1 in its first eight BIG EAST road games this season. This year's 7-1 start on the road in league play is the program's best mark ever after eight road contests in a conference season.
   Creighton has never won eight conference road games in the same season, and still has road games remaining at Xavier and at Villanova.
   Creighton has won four straight conference road games in the same season for the first time since 2011-12. On Feb. 27th at Xavier, it'll seek a fifth straight conference road win for the first time since 2011-12.
   Creighton is the nation's only other major conference (Power 5 or BIG EAST) team with seven league road wins this season, one more than unbeaten Baylor.
   Creighton's lone road league loss this season came in overtime at Butler, a game that saw the Bluejays squander a 13-point lead in the final 7:30 of regulation.
   League Road   After   After   After
Year   Games 1-6 W-L   7 Road   8 Road   9 Road
2020-21   5-1   6-1   7-1   -
2019-20   3-3   4-3   5-3   5-4
2018-19   2-4   2-5   3-5   3-6
2017-18   2-4   3-4   3-5   3-6
2016-17   5-1   5-2   5-3   5-4
2015-16   4-2   4-3   4-4   4-5
2014-15   1-5   1-6   2-6   2-7
2013-14   4-2   5-2   5-3   5-4
2012-13   3-3   3-4   4-4   5-4
2011-12   5-1   5-2   6-2   7-2
2010-11   3-3   3-4   3-5   3-6
2009-10   2-4   2-5   2-6   3-6
2008-09   4-2   5-2   6-2   7-2
2007-08   3-3   3-4   3-5   3-6
2006-07   4-2   5-2   5-3   5-4
2005-06   3-3   4-3   4-4   4-5
2004-05   3-3   3-4   4-4   5-4
2003-04   4-2   4-3   4-4   4-5
2002-03   5-1   5-2   6-2   7-2
2001-02   5-1   6-1   6-2   7-2
2000-01   2-4   3-4   4-4   5-4
1999-00   2-4   3-4   3-5   4-5
1998-99   4-2   4-3   4-4   4-5
1997-98   4-2   5-2   5-3   5-4
1996-97   2-4   3-4   3-5   3-6

High Wire Act
Creighton is 7-1 in conference road games this season. Since a 94-76 win at St. John's on Dec. 17th, five of Creighton's last seven league road tilts have been tied at some point in the last 3:02 of regulation. In one of the games that wasn't, Creighton won by three after Marquette missed a tying three-pointer in the final seconds.
   Creighton beat UConn 76-74 in overtime on Dec. 20th, as Damien Jefferson tied the game with 0.2 seconds left in regulation.
   Creighton won 67-65 at Providence on Jan. 2nd on Christian Bishop's dunk with 0.8 seconds left.
   Creighton lost 70-66 in overtime at Butler on Jan. 16th.
   On Jan. 27th at Seton Hall, Mitch Ballock's three-pointer with 37.8 seconds left broke an 81-all tie and helped Creighton to an 85-81 victory.
   On Jan. 30th at DePaul, Creighton trailed 60-59 before Denzel Mahoney made two free throws with 3:02 left to start a game-ending 10-2 run.
   In Creighton's eight BIG EAST road games this season, Marcus Zegarowski is averaging 15.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 46.2 percent from three-point range.
   Denzel Mahoney is averaging 12.0 points per game and Damien Jefferson averages 11.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
   Mitch Ballock is averaging 11.8 points per game and shooting 43.1 percent from downtown.
   In 15 league games at all sites, Creighton has outscored the opposition 130-119 in the final three minutes of regulation (plus overtime), limiting foes to 36.0 percent shooting from the field and 31.9 percent marksmanship from beyond the arc. Creighton has also upped its own accuracy at the charity stripe to 68.4 percent in crunch time.

The Big 10
Creighton is 11-4 in league play after Tuesday's victory at Georgetown.
   Creighton has now won 10 or more league games in 22 of the last 25 seasons.

.500 Or Better in League Play, Again
Creighton is 11-4 in league play, clinching a .500 mark or better in league play once again. It is the 26th time in the last 27 seasons that Creighton has gone .500 or better in league play.
   The only BIG EAST teams to finish .500 or better in league play each of the last four seasons are Creighton, Villanova and Seton Hall.

What's Your 20?
Tuesday's game at Georgetown was Creighton's 20th contest of the season. With 15 wins so far, Creighton has now been .500 or better after 20 games in 25 of the last 26 seasons (including 2020-21).
   Even more impressive, Creighton has won at least 13 of its first 20 games in 21 of the last 24 seasons, including 2020-21), and 15 of its first 20 games in 11 of the last 24 seasons (including 2020-21).
Creighton -- First 20 Games, Last 24 Years
Year   First 20 W-L   Final W-L   Postseason
2019-20   15-5   ? ? ?   ? ? ?
2019-20   15-5   24-7   Canceled
2018-19   12-8   20-15   NIT
2017-18   15-5   21-12   NCAA
2016-17   18-2   25-10   NCAA
2015-16   14-6   20-15   NIT
2014-15   9-11   14-19   --
2013-14   17-3   27-8   NCAA
2012-13   17-3   28-8   NCAA
2011-12   18-2   29-6   NCAA
2010-11   13-7   23-16   CBI
2009-10   10-10   18-16   CIT
2008-09   15-5   27-8   NIT
2007-08   14-6   22-11   NIT
2006-07   13-7   22-11   NCAA
2005-06   15-5    20-10   NIT
2004-05   13-7   23-11   NCAA
2003-04   17-3   20-9   NIT
2002-03   18-2   29-5   NCAA
2001-02   14-6   23-9   NCAA
2000-01   14-6   24-8   NCAA
1999-00   14-6   23-10   NCAA
1998-99   14-6   22-9   NCAA
1997-98   14-6   18-10   NIT

Been There, Done That
Last Wednesday, Creighton fell to 13-5 after losing its 18th game of the season to Georgetown, 86-79.
   Last year Creighton fell to 13-5 after losing its 18th game of the season to Georgetown, 83-80.
   Last season's Bluejay team would overcome the setback to the Hoyas by winning 11 of its final 13 league games en route to winning a share of its first BIG EAST title.
   Last year's team started 9-4 in league play, though it was "only" 2-3 following the Georgetown setback. This year's team also started 9-4 in league play.
   Creighton improved to 10-4 last year in league play with a win at Marquette. CU also improved to 10-4 in league play this season with a win at Marquette.
   This year's team is 15-5 after 20 games. So was last year's team.

Zegarowski Makes Naismith Midseason List
Creighton's Marcus Zegarowski is one of 30 players named by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on its Midseason Team for Naismith Men's Player of the Year.
   This year's list features representation from 25 different schools across 10 conferences. Baylor, Gonzaga, Iowa and Villanova are the four programs with multiple midseason candidates, with Gonzaga owning a nation-best three players. The list will be cut to 10 semifinalists on March 4 and again to four finalists on March 16.
   A point guard from Hamilton, Mass., Zegarowski averages 14.4 points, 4.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game this season and has helped Creighton to a 15-5 overall record and No. 19 national ranking. He ranks among the top-12 in the BIG EAST in three-pointers per game (4th), assists per game (5th), assist/turnover ratio (7th), free-throw percentage (11th), minutes per game (11th), three-point percentage (11th), steals per game (12th) and points per game (12th).
   The winner of the 2021 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy will be announced on April 4, one day before the NCAA national championship game. Dayton's Obi Toppin won the award in 2020. Creighton's lone recipient of the award was Doug McDermott following the 2013-14 season.

Zegarowski On The Marc
Since missing a pair of games in mid-January, junior point guard Marcus Zegarowski has returned to play at an elite level.
   In his last seven contests, Zegarowski has averaged 15.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game while owning an assist/turnover ratio of 2.27.
   Zegarowski has shot 76.7 percent at the charity stripe in those contests, and connected on 38.1 percent of his three-point tries in that span.

A Nice Problem To Have
Creighton leads the league in scoring offense during conference action, but continues to find ways to win when scoring 69 points or less.
   Creighton owns five wins this winter when scoring 69 point or less, a figure that exceeds its total number of wins (4) in that situation during the previous four years combined.
   This year is the first season since 2012-13 that Creighton has won five games in the same season when scoring 69 points or less.

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 902 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 (2/10)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,119   UNLV   2/11
   2.   1,104   Duke   2/13
   3.   1,064   Arkansas   2/13
   4.   1,050   Western Kentucky   2/12
   5.   1,045   East Tennessee State   2/13
   6.   1,024   Oakland   2/12
   7.   1,023   Pacific   2/13
   8.   1,013   Texas   2/13
   9.   962   Marshall   2/12
   10.   958   Princeton   Season Canceled
   11.   949   Baylor   2/13
   12.   937   Gonzaga   2/11
   13.   920   Long Island   2/11
   14.   902   Creighton   2/13
   15.   901   Mount St. Mary's   2/11
   16.   893   Tennessee State   2/11
   17.   886   East Carolina   2/11
   18.   885   Cornell   Season Canceled

Let It Fly
Creighton made 17-of-35 three-pointers on Jan. 27th at Seton Hall. The 17 three-pointers were tied for fifth-most in program history for a single game, and second-most ever in a road contest.
   Creighton started the night by making 8-of-9 three-point shots and would also hit 6-of-8 trifectas in the final 5:22.
Creighton's Most 3-Pointers, Game
   Rk.   3FG-3FGA   Opponent   Date
   1.   22-37   Coe   12-20-18
   2.   21-35   at #4 Villanova   01-20-14
   3.   20-30   Chattanooga   02-19-05
   4.   19-34   USC Upstate   12-20-17
   5.   17-33   #21 Marquette   01-09-19
       17-36   Georgetown   03-04-20
       17-35   at Seton Hall   01-27-21
   8.   16-30   Evansville   01-04-99
       16-27   Drake   01-08-13
       16-25   Chicago State   12-29-13
       16-26   vs. Ole Miss   11-21-16
       16-33   Alcorn State   11-12-17
       16-36   at Georgetown   01-06-18
       16-36   St. John's   01-09-21

Ballock Surpasses 275 Treys
Mitch Ballock owns 284 three-pointers in his Bluejay career, including a season-high eight on Dec. 14 vs. Marquette. That puts him in third place in program history in that category, just ahead of Doug McDermott (274).
   His 232 career treys entering the year were third-most in school history after a junior season, trailing only Kyle Korver (242) and Ethan Wragge (234).
   Ballock ranked 19th nationally with 93 three-pointers made and 11th in three-point percentage (.435) last season.
Most Career 3FG, Creighton History
Rank       3FG   Name   Years
   1.   371   Kyle Korver   1999-03
   2.   334   Ethan Wragge   2009-14
   3.   284   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   4.   274   Doug McDermott   2010-14
   5.   245   Ryan Sears   1997-01
   6.   212   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   7.   210   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-20
   8.   206   Jahenns Manigat   2010-14
   9.   200   Nate Funk   2002-07
   10.   185   Matt Roggenburk   1986-90
   11.   183   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-Pres.
   12.   177   Duan Cole   1987-92

The Great Eight
Mitch Ballock made nine three-pointers in Creighton's first five games of the season before erupting on Dec. 14 vs. Marquette. The senior guard from Eudora, Kan., made 8-of-14 three-pointers en route to 26 points.
   His eight trifectas were tied for fourth-most in a game in Bluejay history, but three behind his record 11 vs. DePaul on March 9, 2019.
   Ballock joined Kyle Korver as the only players in school history with multiple games of eight or more triples.
   In addition, Ballock's 14 three-point attempts were also tied for fourth-most in program history and one behind the program record.
   Ballock owns 166 career three-pointers in BIG EAST play, which ranks tied for 10th all-time.
   Ballock's 26 points were the most by a Bluejay in any conference opener since 2012, when Doug McDermott scored 29 points vs. Evansville. That came when CU belonged to the Missouri Valley Conference.
3-Pointers Made, Game, Creighton History
   3FG   Name, Opponent   Date
   11   Mitch Ballock vs. DePaul   03/09/19
   9   Kyle Korver vs. Evansville   01/15/03
       Ethan Wragge at Villanova   01/20/14
   8   Tad Ackerman at Drake   01/23/95
       Kyle Korver at Xavier   12/31/02
       Terrell Taylor vs. Florida   03/15/02
       Isaiah Zierden at DePaul   01/17/16
       Mitch Ballock vs. Marquette   12/14/20

Most Career 3FG Made, BIG EAST Games Only
   Rank   3FG   Name, School
   1.   245   Markus Howard, Marquette
   2.   201   Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
   3.   189   Colin Falls, Notre Dame
   4.   183   Gerry McNamara, Syracuse
   5.   180   Myles Powell, Seton Hall
   6.   178   Steve Edwards, Miami (Fla.)
   7.   172   Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati
   8.   168   Allan Ray, Villanova
   9.   167   Gary Buchanan, Villanova
   10.   166   Kerry Kittles, Villanova
       166   Terry Dehere, Seton Hall
       166   Mitch Ballock, Creighton
   13.   165   Troy Bell, Boston College

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

No. 19 Bluejays
After starting the year ranked 11th in both the AP and Coaches polls, Creighton ascended into the top 10 for three weeks in the AP edition. CU is currently 19th in the AP poll and tied for 17th in the Coaches poll.
   The No. 19 AP ranking is 12 spots behind the best mark in program history, which was done on Jan. 16, 2017, March 9, 2020, March 16, 2020 and Jan. 4, 2021.
   Creighton is one of six teams that have been ranked in all 19 AP polls since Feb. 3, 2020, joining Gonzaga (90), Villanova (35), Baylor (32), Houston (21) and Iowa (21). The 19 straight weeks in the rankings is the longest stretch in program history, two more than the 17-week streak done from Feb. 27, 2012 - Feb. 4, 2013.
   After being ranked 30th in the inaugural NET rankings that were released on Jan. 4th, Creighton was 29th in Thursday's (Feb. 11) latest update.

Up, Up, And Away
Since Feb. 19, 2019, Creighton owns a 29-9 mark in regular-season BIG EAST games. That's six more wins than anyone else in the league in that time.
   Not only that, but Creighton owned the most wins to close the 2018-19 season after Feb. 19th, tied for the most wins in 2019-20, and has the most wins in 2020-21 as well.
Conference Records Since Feb. 19, 2019
Team   After 2/19/19   '19-20   '20-21   Total
Creighton   5-0   13-5   11-4   29-9
Villanova   2-3   13-5   8-1   23-9
Seton Hall   2-3   13-5   8-5   23-13
Providence   3-2   12-6   6-8   21-16
UConn   2-4#   10-8#   5-5   17-17
Butler   1-4   10-8   6-8   17-20
Xavier   4-1   8-10   4-2   16-13
Marquette   2-4   8-10   5-9   15-23
St. John's   1-4   5-13   7-7   13-24
Georgetown   4-2   5-13   3-7   12-22
DePaul   2-3   3-15   1-8   6-26
#includes 2018-19 and 2019-20 in the AAC

Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton continues to be highly regarded by KenPom.com, and is currently 20th. That includes the nation's No. 17 offense, and No. 39 defense.
   Creighton has not finished with a top-35 defense since 2006-07, and has not finished better than 30th since 2001-02.
   Last season was the fourth different time in Greg McDermott's first 10 seasons that Creighton has had a top-10 offense per KenPom.
Year   Off. Rating   Def. Rating   Team W-L
2010-11   66   174   23-16
2011-12   5   166   29-6
2012-13   5   66   28-8
2013-14   2   124   27-8
2014-15   59   138   14-19
2015-16   43   76   20-15
2016-17   32   46   25-10
2017-18   25   58   21-12
2018-19   47   83   20-15
2019-20   3   78   24-7
2020-21   17   39   15-5 so far

Major Success
Among teams in the leagues considered the "Power Five", plus the BIG EAST, Creighton has enjoyed almost more success than anyone else recently.
   Creighton's 39 victories since the start of the 2019-20 season trail only Kansas and Baylor, while Villanova is fourth on that same list.
Best Records Since 2019-20 (through 2/10)
(Power 5 Conferences + BIG EAST)
Team   2019-20   2020-21   Total
Baylor   26-4   17-0   43-4
Kansas   28-3   13-7   41-10
Creighton   24-7   15-5   39-12
Villanova   24-7   13-2   37-9
Virginia   23-7   14-3   37-10
USC   22-9   15-3   37-12
Ohio State   21-10   16-4   37-14
Florida State   26-5   10-3   36-8
Wisconsin   21-10   15-6   36-16
Colorado   21-11   15-5   36-16
Auburn   25-6   11-10   36-16

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 22 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, none larger than the 18-point deficit the Bluejays overcame against then-No.18 Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014. Eleven of those 22 comebacks have come away from home.
   Creighton's comeback from 16 points down at Seton Hall on Jan. 27th was its largest since trailing by 18 vs. No. 18 Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014.
   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.
   If you're curious, CU's largest comeback win since 2000 came on Jan. 28, 2006, when the Jays trailed 25-6 early before rallying to beat Wichita State.
CU's Double-Digit Comebacks Under McDermott
Deficit   Opponent   Date
18   #18 Oklahoma   11/19/14
17   at San Diego State   11/30/11
16   at Evansville   02/16/13
16   at Seton Hall   01/27/21
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
10   UAB   11/14/12
10   vs. Drake   03/02/12
10   at Nebraska   12/07/14
10   South Dakota   12/09/14
10   St. John's   01/03/18
10   at DePaul   02/07/18
10   Bemidji State   02/13/18

Ballock Over 1,200; Zegarowski Over 1,000
Mitch Ballock owns 1,204 career points after surpassing the 1,000 point mark on Nov. 29 vs. North Dakota State in CU's season-opener, which was also his 100th career game.
   Ballock entered last season's BIG EAST Tournament with 996 points and scored nine points in the first half vs. St. John's on March 12th, but those points were erased when the game was abandoned at halftime.
   Marcus Zegarowski became the 44th Bluejay in school history to surpass 1,000 career points on Jan. 20 vs. Providence when he scored 17 points. Zegarowski needed 75 games to reach the milestone.
Games To 1,000 Points, Last 19 Bluejays
Name   CU Games to 1,000 pts.    Date
Marcus Zegarowski   75   01/20/21
Mitch Ballock   100   11/29/20
Ty-Shon Alexander   85   01/15/20
Khyri Thomas   94   02/10/18
Marcus Foster   54   01/17/18
Austin Chatman   138   03/11/15
Ethan Wragge   132   01/18/14
Gregory Echenique   101   03/24/13
Doug McDermott   57   01/15/12
Antoine Young   115   12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr.   108   11/21/10
P'Allen Stinnett   86   01/16/10
Dane Watts   115   01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver   124   03/16/07
Johnny Mathies   91   03/03/06
Nate Funk   92   02/28/05
Kyle Korver   81   01/30/02
Ben Walker   105   01/06/01
Ryan Sears   97   12/01/00
Rodney Buford   59   03/01/97

Most Career Points, Creighton History
   Rank   Pts.   Name   Years
   1.   3,150   Doug McDermott   2010-14
   2.   2,116   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   3.   2,110   Bob Harstad    1987-91
   4.   1,983   Chad Gallagher    1987-91
   5.   1,876   Bob Portman    1966-69
   6.   1,801   Kyle Korver   1999-03
   7.   1,754   Nate Funk   2002-07
   8.   1,682   Rick Apke    1974-78
   9.   1,661   Paul Silas   1961-64
   10.   1,654   Vernon Moore    1981-85
   11.   1,575   Benoit Benjamin    1982-85
   12.   1,526   John C. Johnson   1975-79
   13.   1,500   Kevin McKenna   1977-81
   14.   1,437   Eddie Cole   1951-55
   15.   1,369   Gene Harmon   1971-74
   16.   1,361   Duan Cole   1987-92
   17.   1,342   Antoine Young   2008-12
   18.   1,313   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2006-11
   19.   1,309   Ryan Sears   1997-01
   20.   1,303   Elton Tuttle   1951-54
   21.   1,292   Marcus Foster   2016-18
   22.   1,272   Bob Gibson   1954-57
   23.   1,267   Wally Anderzunas   1965-67, 1968-69
   24.   1,254   Gary Swain   1983-87
   25.   1,241   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-20
   26.   1,238   Ben Walker   1997-01
   27.   1,204   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   28.   1,196   Ray Yost   1951-54
   29.   1,172   Dick Harvey   1956-59
   30.   1,155   Ethan Wragge   2009-14
   31.   1,152   Dane Watts   2004-08
   32.   1,140   Khyri Thomas   2015-18
   33.   1,116   Kenny Evans   1982-87
   34.   1,115   Doug Brookins   1972-75
       1,115   Daryl Stovall   1978-82
   36.   1,094   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-Pres.
   37.   1,093   Tim Powers   1964-67

Are You Experienced?
Year after year, one common theme to success in college basketball is to have veteran players. This year's Creighton team is full of experienced players.
   CU's starting five features two juniors and three seniors who have combined for 20 years of college experience. They've combined for 4,127 career points at Creighton, and 5,371 career points if you add in Mahoney and Jefferson's points at their previous stops.
   Off the bench, Alex O'Connell and Jacob Epperson are in their fourth college campaign, Antwann Jones in his third year and Shereef Mitchell in his second season. Of the regular Bluejay rotation, only Ryan Kalkbrenner is a freshman.
   On February 13th, Creighton's potential starting five (Mitch Ballock, Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Denzel Mahoney and Marcus Zegarowski) will be a collective 40,961 days old. By comparison, the starting line-up used by the Chicago Bulls in its first four games this season (Wendell Carter Jr., Zach Lavine, Lauri Markkanen, Coby White and Patrick Williams) will be a combined 40,912 days old on Feb. 13th.
   Creighton has gotten 49.2 percent of its scoring from its four seniors (Mahoney, Jefferson, Ballock and Alex O'Connell). In BIG EAST road games, the seniors have scored 51.6 percent of CU's 591 points, with the junior class contributing an additional 34.7 percent of the points.
Category   Points   Pct. of Team's Pts.
Freshmen   136   8.6%
Sophomores   158    10.0%
Juniors   506    32.1%
Seniors   776    49.2%

Zegarowski On Bob Cousy Watch List
Creighton's Marcus Zegarowski was one of 10 candidates announced on Jan. 25th by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for the 2021 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. Named after Class of 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor now in its 18th year recognizes the top point guards in Division I men's college basketball.
   A national committee of college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in November, which has now been narrowed to 10.

Moving On Up
Last year Damien Jefferson scored in double-figures in just 13-of-30 contests, and he finished the season averaging 9.4 points per game.
   This year, the senior forward has scored in double-figures in 16-of-20 games and he's upped his average to 12.2 points per contest.
   Jefferson pumped in a career-high 26 points on Jan. 20th vs. Providence, six more than his previous best.

They Scored How Many?
Creighton put up 56 points in the first half on Jan. 9 vs. St. John's, its highest output before intermission in a league game since joining the BIG EAST.
   After a total of eight halves of 52 points or more in its first seven years in the league, Creighton has already scored 52 points or more in three different halves this BIG EAST season.
   Creighton's Highest Scoring BIG EAST Halves
   Points   Opponent (Half)   Date
   56   Xavier (2nd)   01/12/14
   56   St. John's (1st)   01/09/21
   54   at #4 Villanova (1st)   01/20/14
   54   Marquette (2nd)   01/21/17
   54   at DePaul (2nd)   02/11/17
   53   Butler (1st)   01/14/14
   53   St. John's (1st)   02/28/16
   53   #23 Seton Hall (1st)   12/28/17
   53   Marquette (1st)   02/17/18
   53   at St. John's (2nd)   12/17/20
   52   Seton Hall (2nd)   01/09/21
   51   #6 Villanova (1st)   02/16/14
   51   DePaul (2nd)   02/15/20
   50   #6 Villanova (1st)   02/16/14
   50   Seton Hall (1st)   12/28/16
   50   at Georgetown (2nd)   01/21/19
   50   DePaul (2nd)   03/09/19

Numbers Never Lie (Unless they Do)
Need some other random figures to watch?
Creighton is 15-1 all-time when Marcus Zegarowski has 19 or more points, 7-0 when he has eight or more assists and 25-5 when he makes three or more three-pointers.
   Creighton is 14-2 all-time when Mitch Ballock scores 17 or more points, 10-0 when he has six or more assists and 12-0 when he makes three or more free throws.
   Creighton is 16-4 all-time when Christian Bishop has seven or more rebounds.
   Finally, Creighton is also 20-2 when Shereef Mitchell grabs two or more rebounds, and also 17-2 when he dishes multiple assists.

Balance Is Big
All five Creighton starters are averaging 10.4 points or more this season, and the Bluejays have had at least five men score in double-digits in six contests overall.
   Creighton has won 19 games in a row when five or more players score 10 or more points.
   Nine different players have scored 10 or more points in a game this season, a list that doesn't include Jacob Epperson. Epperson's done it four times as a Bluejay in 2017-18 or 2018-19.
   In the last 5:01 of play at UConn, Creighton had 12 points, with each starter scoring either two or three points.
   In league play, all five Bluejay starters are averaging 10.9 points per game or more.

High-Powered Offense
Creighton has pumped in 93 or more points in five games this season, one of 10 teams in the country (with Iowa, Gonzaga, Baylor, Bryant, The Citadel, Eastern Kentucky, Sam Houston State, Southern Utah and McNeese State) who can say that. Last year's BIG EAST champion squad only cracked the 93-point barrier three times all season.
   Creighton is 47-3 in 11 seasons under Greg McDermott when scoring 93 points or more. The nation's only teams to score 93+ more than 50 times since 2010-11 are Gonzaga (69), North Carolina (67) and Belmont (51).
   By comparison, McDermott's teams scored 93+ points just once in his four seasons at Iowa State (96 on 11/22/09 vs. Mississippi Valley State), and also just once in five years at Northern Iowa (99 on 12/1/04 vs. Iowa State).

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 305 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 18-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 251-54 (.823) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (21-0).
   Creighton's Nov. 25, 2017 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 23,928-20,048 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.72 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 85 different times.
   Creighton is also 29-33 all-time in the 62 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-11 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 35-27 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 154-36 (.811) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn't trailed in 60 of those games. McDermott owns an 87-6 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 270-54 (.833) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

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

Big Ryan's Big Night
Freshman center Ryan Kalkbrenner had a season-high 15 points in just 16 minutes of work on Dec. 17 at St. John's, including four baskets in a three-minute span during the decisive 22-4 second half run.
   For the season, Kalkbrenner has averaged 6.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots while playing just 14.1 minutes per game. Kalkbrenner ranks fifth nationally among freshmen with 29 blocked shots, and first in the BIG EAST among classmates.
   Kalkbrenner became CU's first true freshman since Benoit Benjamin (1982-83) to have a blocked shot in each of CU's first three games of the season.
   Creighton is 15-2 this year when he makes a field goal, and 0-3 when he does not. The Bluejays are also 12-2 when he blocks a shot, and 3-3 when he does not. Finally, CU is 7-0 when Kalkbrenner scores 10 or more points.

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

3's Are Falling
Creighton is tied for fifth in the country with six different games of 13 three-pointers this year. Among power conference teams, no one has done it more.
   Creighton has three of the five players in the BIG EAST with 45 or more three-pointers made, with Mitch Ballock (52) leading the way, four more than Marcus Zegarowski (48) and seven ahead of Denzel Mahoney (45). Julian Champagnie (St. John's) has made 48 and Jair Bolden (Butler) has made 46.

O'Connell Makes Creighton Debut
A vote by the NCAA Division I Council on Dec. 16 made Alex O'Connell immediately eligible. He made his debut one day later at St. John's with six points, two rebounds a steal, and an assist in 12 minutes of action.
   A senior guard from Roswell, Ga., O'Connell had not played in Creighton's first six games this season while sitting out after an off-season transfer from Duke University. He had been awaiting a ruling on a waiver that Creighton had filed on his behalf with the NCAA.
   While at Duke, O'Connell appeared in 101 games, including 14 starts. He contributed 431 points and 182 rebounds for the Blue Devils with single-game highs of 20 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
   Though a senior, O'Connell will also be eligible to return to Creighton for the 2021-22 season as a result of a previous NCAA decision that indicated winter sport student-athletes who compete during 2020-21 in Division I will receive both an additional season of competition and an additional year in which to complete it.
   Creighton is 11-3 since O'Connell became eligible.

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

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 81.23 points per home game (15,434 points in 190 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.14 points in non-conference home games (7,918 points in 93 home games).
   Creighton is 120-6 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.

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

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

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

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

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 246 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .670 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.   246-121   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
3.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger    1922-1935
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-1969
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-1981

#ProJays
Creighton has two players in the NBA this season,   Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers) and Ty-Shon Alexander (Phoenix Suns).
   Including 2020-21, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 37 of the last 38 years.
   McDermott is in his seventh season in the NBA, and third with the Indiana Pacers. He averaged a career-high 10.3 points per game last season and is the only player in the NBA to rank in the top-20 in three-point percentage each of the previous three seasons. This year he's averaging 12.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
   Alexander bypassed his senior season to turn pro. After going undrafted, he signed a two-way contract with the Phoenix Suns. He made his NBA debut on December 27th.
   In addition, four other Bluejays played in the NBA last season but are currently without teams...Kyle Korver, Anthony Tolliver, Khyri Thomas and Justin Patton.

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 902 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,119 trifectas, an average of 7.89 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 136 times, more than any figure.
   Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 255 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
   Creighton has also made at least one three-pointer before halftime in 273 consecutive contests (since 0-7 at Drake on 1/23/13).
   Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 32-4 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 7-8 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:    4 times   2: 15 times   3: 31 times
4:    71 times   5:   95 times   6: 95 times
7:   136 times   8:   115 times   9: 85 times
10: 74 times   11: 51 times   12: 47 times
13: 43 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

Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 through Feb. 10, 2021
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Percentage   .384   2nd
3FG Made   3,287   2nd
FG Percentage   .480   3rd
Assists   5,949   4th
FG Made   10,046   7th
Wins   246   28th
Winning Percentage   .670   32nd

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

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

Top 21 Duo
Creighton is one of five schools in the country to have a top-21 team in both volleyball and men's basketball this week.
   Creighton is joined in that elite grouping by Wisconsin, Texas, Missouri and Baylor.
    While Creighton's 21st-ranked volleyball team is idle this weekend, the Bluejays' 19th-ranked men's basketball squad has games with Georgetown and No. 5 Villanova this week.

#19 Men's Basketball Hosts #5 Villanova in Saturday Showdown

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Rati Andronikashvili

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

Jacob Epperson

Damien Jefferson

Antwann Jones

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Modestas Kancleris

Denzel Mahoney

Shereef Mitchell

Alex O'Connell

Marcus Zegarowski