Tuesday, February 9
Washington, D.C.
8:00 PM
Creighton University
at
Georgetown
Photo by: Steve Woltmann
#19 Men's Basketball Meets Georgetown Again on Tuesday Night
2/8/2021 2:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bluejays & Hoyas tangle for second time in a week
Game #20: #19 Creighton Bluejays at Georgetown Hoyas
Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021 • 8:00 p.m. CST
McDonough Arena • Washington, D.C.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; www.1620thezone.com
SiriusXM: Sirius 134; XM 201; App 964
Television: CBS Sports Network (Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas)
Series History: Creighton leads, 9-8
Last Meeting: Georgetown 86, #15 Creighton 79 on Feb. 3, 2021 in Omaha, Neb.
CREIGHTON NOTES PDF | GEORGETOWN NOTES PDF | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS
Next Game
No. 19 Creighton (14-5, 10-4 BIG EAST) closes a two-game road trip on Tuesday, Feb. 9, when it takes on Georgetown (5-9, 3-6 BIG EAST).
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. CST, at McDonough Arena on the Georgetown campus in Washington, D.C.
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 134 or XM 201 or channel 964 on the SiriusXM app.
John Bishop will call the action with Taylor Stormberg. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Tuesday's game will be televised nationally by CBS Sports Network, with Andrew Catalon and Steve Lappas on the call.
Of Creighton's last 150 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised. CU is 101-49 in those contests.
Video Webcast Information
Go to https://www.cbssports.com/cbs-sports-network/ and enter your provider for cable authorization to stream the game on CBS Sports Network.
It is available on mobile devices using the CBS Sports App with the same info.
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 14-5 start that includes a 10-4 BIG EAST mark and a 6-2 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 (15.0 ppg.) won the BIG EAST's Sixth Man Award last season, while junior forward Christian Bishop (11.3 ppg., 5.4 rpg.) has shot 69.4 percent from the field to lead the league.
Point guard Marcus Zegarowski (14.8 ppg., 4.4 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., 5.1 rpg.), who forced overtime with a jumper in the final second of regulation at UConn. He has scored in double-figures in 15 of the last 18 games.
Creighton leads the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.484) while averaging 79.6 points per game and yielding just 70.2 points per contest.
Scouting Georgetown
Georgetown is 5-9 overall and 3-6 in BIG EAST play, but 2-1 with a close loss at No. 3 Villanova since returning from a COVID-19 pause.
Jahvon Blair (17.6 ppg., 4.3 apg.) leads the Hoyas in both points per game and assists per game. He's joined in double-figures by Qudus Wahab (12.1 ppg., 7.8 rpg., 2.1 bpg.) and Jamorko Pickett (11.9 ppg., 8.4 rpg.).
The Hoyas average 72.8 points per game while shooting 42.9 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from three-point range and 73.5 percent at the line. GU out-rebounds foes by 5.8 caroms per contest and surrenders 74.7 points per game.
The Series With Georgetown
Creighton is 9-8 all-time against Georgetown and has won six of the last eight meetings in the series. Creighton has won two of the past three meetings in Washington, D.C., but has never played inside McDonough Arena.
The series began in 1970 in West Palm Beach, Fla., before resuming in 2014 in BIG EAST play.
Greg McDermott is 8-9 all-time (8-8 as Creighton coach) against Georgetown and 5-2 against Patrick Ewing.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 245-121 record in his 11th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 525-316 in 27 seasons, and is 394-252 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 15-5 on the season with its fifth victory in its last six games, while also avenging the lone loss in that span (vs. GU).
- Creighton would improve to 135-51 all-time (101-39 under Greg McDermott) as a nationally-ranked team.
- Creighton would improve to 10-3 all-time when ranked exactly 19th.
- Creighton would improve to 9-8 vs. Georgetown since joining the BIG EAST, including in 8-8 mark in league play and a 3-5 mark in Washington, D.C.
- Creighton would start 7-1 in league road games for the first time ever.
- Creighton would become the nation's first major conference team to earn seven league road wins this season, breaking a tie it owns with Baylor.
- Creighton would win seven road games in league play for the first time since 2011-12 when it was in the Missouri Valley Conference.
- Creighton would win four straight conference road games in the same season for the first time since 2011-12.
The More, The Merrier
Creighton has scored 79 points or more in each of its last eight games against Georgetown, with six of those games ending in a Bluejay victory.
In 17 all-time meetings against the Hoyas, Creighton is 9-2 when scoring 74 points or more against Georgetown, but 0-6 when scoring 73 points or less.
The Bluejays average 84.56 points in the nine triumphs, but 62.75 points per game in the eight setbacks.
Creighton is 10-4 this year when scoring 70 points or more, but 4-1 when being held to 69 points or less.
Creighton scores a BIG EAST-leading 77.6 points per league game this season. Meanwhile, Georgetown is last in scoring defense, allowing 78.2 per league contest.
Winning On the Road
Creighton owns a 34-36 record in BIG EAST road games since the league's 2013-14 realignment. Those 34 victories trail only Villanova's 50.
Since the start of the 2018-19 campaign, Creighton's 15 BIG EAST road wins lead the league.
BIG EAST Road Wins (through 2/8)
Team Since 2013-14 Since 2018-19
Butler 28-42 7-18
Creighton 34-36 15-10
DePaul 12-55 4-18
Georgetown 22-46 7-16
Marquette 26-42 11-12
Providence 32-38 10-15
Seton Hall 32-38 14-11
St. John's 19-52 8-18
Villanova 50-17 14-8
Xavier 31-32 9-11
UConn 3-1 3-1
On The Road, Again
Creighton's trip to Marquette (Feb. 6) and Georgetown (Feb. 9) marks its third two-game road swing in BIG EAST play this season, and it'll look to replicate the success from its first two adventures.
Creighton went 2-0 on a trip to St. John's and UConn on Dec. 17-20, and also went 2-0 last week from Jan. 27-30 on a trip that spanned the Seton Hall and DePaul games. This week's adventure has already started on a positive note with a win at Marquette on Saturday.
All but three schools (Marquette, Villanova, Xavier) have had at least one stretch of multiple BIG EAST road games in a four-day span this season, but only Creighton and Providence will have made three such treks after Tuesday.
Around the league, there have been 12 instances where a team has played two league road games in four days this season. Only Creighton (twice) and UConn (once) have gone 2-0 on such a trip.
Road Warriors
Creighton is 6-1 in its first seven BIG EAST road games this season. This year's 6-1 start on the road in league play is the program's best mark since 2001-02. That team, like this season's, also split a pair of overtime road games. The only loss in that 2001-02 stretch came to a Northern Iowa team coached by Greg McDermott.
Creighton has never started 7-1 on the road in league play, and has never won eight conference road games in the same season.
Creighton has not won four straight conference road games in the same season since 2011-12, something it can accomplish on Tuesday.
The nation's only other major conference (Power 5 or BIG EAST) team with six league road wins this season is unbeaten Baylor.
League Road After After After
Year Games 1-6 W-L 7 Road 8 Road 9 Road
2020-21 5-1 6-1 - -
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 6-1 in conference road games this season. Since a 94-76 win at St. John's on Dec. 17th, five of Creighton's last six league road tilts have been tied at some point in the last 3:02 of regulation. In the game 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 seven BIG EAST road games this season, Marcus Zegarowski is averaging 16.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 47.9 percent from three-point range.
Denzel Mahoney is averaging 13.0 points per game and Damien Jefferson averages 11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
Mitch Ballock is averaging 11.4 points per game and shooting 42.9 percent from downtown.
In 14 league games at all sites, Creighton has outscored the opposition 127-112 in the final three minutes of regulation (plus overtime), limiting foes to 35.1 percent shooting from the field and 30.4 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 Rare Three-Time All-Americans
Doug McDermott, the son of Creighton head coach Greg McDermott, wrapped up a memorable career in 2014 with his third straight First Team All-America honor and a sweep of all 14 National Player of the Year awards.
On Tuesday, Creighton will face Georgetown and coach Patrick Ewing. Ewing starred from 1981-85 with the Hoyas and in 1985 was named National Player of the Year by the Associated Press, NABC, Sporting News and won the Naismith Award, finishing with 2,184 career points.
Prior to McDermott (in 2012, 2013 and 2014), the last player to be a three-time First Team All-American by the Associated Press had been Ewing and Oklahoma standout Wayman Tisdale, who both did so in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Other three-time First Team All-Americans by the AP are Oscar Robertson, Lew Alcindor, Pete Maravich, Ralph Sampson, David Thompson, Jerry Lucas, Tom Gola and Bill Walton.
McDermott currently plays for the Indiana Pacers.
What's Your 20?
Tuesday's game at Georgetown will be Creighton's 20th contest of the season. With 14 wins so far this year, 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.
Creighton -- First 20 Games, Last 24 Years
Year First 20 W-L Final W-L Postseason
2019-20 14-5 so far ? ? ? ? ? ?
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 this season with a win at Marquette.
The Big 10
Creighton is 10-4 in league play after Saturday's victory at Marquette.
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 10-4 in league play and Saturday's win clinched 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.
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 six contests, Zegarowski has averaged 16.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game while owning an assist/turnover ratio of 2.63.
Zegarowski has shot 77.8 percent at the charity stripe in those contests, and connected on 39.5 percent of his three-point tries in that span.
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 901 straight games. The streak is tied for 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 (2/7)
Rk. Streak School Next
1. 1,118 UNLV 2/8
2. 1,103 Duke 2/11
3. 1,063 Arkansas 2/9
4. 1,050 Western Kentucky 2/12
5. 1,044 East Tennessee State 2/10
6. 1,024 Oakland 2/12
7. 1,023 Pacific 2/13
8. 1,012 Texas 2/9
9. 962 Marshall 2/12
10. 958 Princeton Season Canceled
11. 949 Baylor 2/13
12. 936 Gonzaga 2/8
13. 919 Long Island 2/8
14. 901 Mount St. Mary's 2/11
901 Creighton 2/9
16. 893 Tennessee State 2/11
17. 885 Cornell Season Canceled
885 East Carolina 2/8
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.
The only opponent that Creighton owns multiple games of 16+ three-pointers against is Georgetown. CU drilled 16 triples in 2018 against the Hoyas, then drained 17 treys vs. Georgetown last season.
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 280 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. 280 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. 182 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 162 career three-pointers in BIG EAST play, which ranks 13th all-time.
Ballock's 26 points were the most by a Bluejay in any conference opener since 2012, when Doug McDermott scored 29 points vs. Evansville. That came when CU belonged to the Missouri Valley Conference.
3-Pointers Made, Game, Creighton History
3FG Name, Opponent Date
11 Mitch Ballock vs. DePaul 03/09/19
9 Kyle Korver vs. Evansville 01/15/03
Ethan Wragge at Villanova 01/20/14
8 Tad Ackerman at Drake 01/23/95
Kyle Korver at Xavier 12/31/02
Terrell Taylor vs. Florida 03/15/02
Isaiah Zierden at DePaul 01/17/16
Mitch Ballock vs. Marquette 12/14/20
Most Career 3FG Made, BIG EAST Games Only
Rank 3FG Name, School
1. 245 Markus Howard, Marquette
2. 201 Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
3. 189 Colin Falls, Notre Dame
4. 183 Gerry McNamara, Syracuse
5. 180 Myles Powell, Seton Hall
6. 178 Steve Edwards, Miami (Fla.)
7. 172 Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati
8. 168 Allan Ray, Villanova
9. 167 Gary Buchanan, Villanova
10. 166 Kerry Kittles, Villanova
166 Terry Dehere, Seton Hall
12. 165 Troy Bell, Boston College
13. 162 Mitch Ballock, Creighton
14. 159 Matt Carroll, Notre Dame
159 Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
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 four wins this winter when scoring 69 point or less, a figure that's equal to its total number of wins in that situation during the previous four years combined.
Creighton has not won five games in the same season when scoring 69 points or less since six such victories in 2012-13.
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 31st in Monday's (Feb. 8) latest update.
Up, Up, And Away
Since Feb. 19, 2019, Creighton owns a 28-9 mark in regular-season BIG EAST games. That's five 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 10-4 28-9
Seton Hall 2-3 13-5 8-5 23-13
Villanova 2-3 13-5 7-1 22-9
Providence 3-2 12-6 5-8 20-16
UConn 2-4# 10-8# 5-4 17-16
Xavier 4-1 8-10 4-2 16-13
Butler 1-4 10-8 5-8 16-20
Marquette 2-4 8-10 5-8 15-22
St. John's 1-4 5-13 7-6 13-23
Georgetown 4-2 5-13 3-6 12-21
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. 12 offense, and No. 58 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 12 58 14-5 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 38 victories since the start of the 2019-20 season trail only Kansas and Baylor.
Best Records Since 2019-20 (through 2/7)
(Power 5 Conferences + BIG EAST)
Team 2019-20 2020-21 Total
Baylor 26-4 17-0 43-4
Kansas 28-3 12-7 40-10
Creighton 24-7 14-5 38-12
USC 22-9 15-3 37-12
Florida State 26-5 10-3 36-8
Villanova 24-7 12-2 36-9
Virginia 23-7 13-3 36-10
Ohio State 21-10 15-4 36-14
Louisville 24-7 11-4 35-11
Wisconsin 21-10 14-6 35-16
Colorado 21-11 14-5 35-16
Auburn 25-6 10-10 35-16
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 1,100; Zegarowski Over 1,000
Mitch Ballock owns 1,190 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. 1,196 Ray Yost 1951-54
28. 1,190 Mitch Ballock 2017-Pres.
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. 1,093 Tim Powers 1964-67
37. 1,085 Marcus Zegarowski 2018-Pres.
38. 1,050 Reggie Morris 1982-86
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 4,070 career points at Creighton, and 5,314 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 9th, Creighton's potential starting five (Mitch Ballock, Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Denzel Mahoney and Marcus Zegarowski) will be a collective 40,941 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 40,892 days old on Feb. 9th.
Creighton has gotten 49.1 percent of its scoring from its four seniors (Mahoney, Jefferson, Ballock and Alex O'Connell). In BIG EAST road games, the seniors have scored 51.5 percent of CU's 528 points, with the junior class contributing an additional 33.7 percent of the points.
Category Points Pct. of Team's Pts.
Freshmen 134 8.9%
Sophomores 156 10.3%
Juniors 480 31.7%
Seniors 743 49.1%
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 15-of-19 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 15-4 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.
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
Balance Is Big
All five Creighton starters are averaging 10.2 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 10.5 points per game or more.
High-Powered Offense
Creighton ranks 36th nationally with 79.6 points per game.
The Bluejays have 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 6.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots while playing just 14.3 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 14-2 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 2-3 when he does not. Finally, CU is 7-0 when Kalkbrenner scores 10 or more points.
Denzel A Leading Man
Creighton trailed 70-65 with 84 seconds left at Kansas before Denzel Mahoney embarked on a personal 5-0 run to tie the game 21 seconds later.
Mahoney led Creighton with 19 points at Kansas. He upped that to 20 points on Dec. 11 vs. Nebraska before matching his Bluejay best with 21 points vs. Marquette last Dec. 14. He pumped in 16 more at St. John's in a win on Dec. 17.
In four career games as a Bluejay against a top-10 opponent, Mahoney has averaged 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game to help CU to a 3-1 mark. Mahoney has made 53.1 percent (26-49) of his shots from the floor, 45.5 percent (10-22) from three-point range and 100 percent (12-12) at the charity stripe.
Four of his top 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
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 44 or more three-pointers made, with Mitch Ballock (48) leading the way, one more than Marcus Zegarowski (47) and four ahead of Denzel Mahoney (44). Jair Bolden (Butler) has made 45 and Julian Champagnie (St. John's) 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 10-3 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 245 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
McDermott's .669 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. 245-121 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 13.0 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 901 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,113 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 272 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 6-8 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: 94 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. 7, 2021
Category CU Stat CU Rank
3FG Percentage .384 2nd
3FG Made 3,281 2nd
Assists 5,937 4th
FG Percentage .481 3rd
FG Made 10,020 8th
Wins 245 29th
Winning Percentage .669 33rd
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.
Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021 • 8:00 p.m. CST
McDonough Arena • Washington, D.C.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; www.1620thezone.com
SiriusXM: Sirius 134; XM 201; App 964
Television: CBS Sports Network (Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas)
Series History: Creighton leads, 9-8
Last Meeting: Georgetown 86, #15 Creighton 79 on Feb. 3, 2021 in Omaha, Neb.
CREIGHTON NOTES PDF | GEORGETOWN NOTES PDF | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS
Next Game
No. 19 Creighton (14-5, 10-4 BIG EAST) closes a two-game road trip on Tuesday, Feb. 9, when it takes on Georgetown (5-9, 3-6 BIG EAST).
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. CST, at McDonough Arena on the Georgetown campus in Washington, D.C.
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 134 or XM 201 or channel 964 on the SiriusXM app.
John Bishop will call the action with Taylor Stormberg. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Tuesday's game will be televised nationally by CBS Sports Network, with Andrew Catalon and Steve Lappas on the call.
Of Creighton's last 150 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised. CU is 101-49 in those contests.
Video Webcast Information
Go to https://www.cbssports.com/cbs-sports-network/ and enter your provider for cable authorization to stream the game on CBS Sports Network.
It is available on mobile devices using the CBS Sports App with the same info.
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 14-5 start that includes a 10-4 BIG EAST mark and a 6-2 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 (15.0 ppg.) won the BIG EAST's Sixth Man Award last season, while junior forward Christian Bishop (11.3 ppg., 5.4 rpg.) has shot 69.4 percent from the field to lead the league.
Point guard Marcus Zegarowski (14.8 ppg., 4.4 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., 5.1 rpg.), who forced overtime with a jumper in the final second of regulation at UConn. He has scored in double-figures in 15 of the last 18 games.
Creighton leads the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.484) while averaging 79.6 points per game and yielding just 70.2 points per contest.
Scouting Georgetown
Georgetown is 5-9 overall and 3-6 in BIG EAST play, but 2-1 with a close loss at No. 3 Villanova since returning from a COVID-19 pause.
Jahvon Blair (17.6 ppg., 4.3 apg.) leads the Hoyas in both points per game and assists per game. He's joined in double-figures by Qudus Wahab (12.1 ppg., 7.8 rpg., 2.1 bpg.) and Jamorko Pickett (11.9 ppg., 8.4 rpg.).
The Hoyas average 72.8 points per game while shooting 42.9 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from three-point range and 73.5 percent at the line. GU out-rebounds foes by 5.8 caroms per contest and surrenders 74.7 points per game.
The Series With Georgetown
Creighton is 9-8 all-time against Georgetown and has won six of the last eight meetings in the series. Creighton has won two of the past three meetings in Washington, D.C., but has never played inside McDonough Arena.
The series began in 1970 in West Palm Beach, Fla., before resuming in 2014 in BIG EAST play.
Greg McDermott is 8-9 all-time (8-8 as Creighton coach) against Georgetown and 5-2 against Patrick Ewing.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 245-121 record in his 11th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 525-316 in 27 seasons, and is 394-252 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 15-5 on the season with its fifth victory in its last six games, while also avenging the lone loss in that span (vs. GU).
- Creighton would improve to 135-51 all-time (101-39 under Greg McDermott) as a nationally-ranked team.
- Creighton would improve to 10-3 all-time when ranked exactly 19th.
- Creighton would improve to 9-8 vs. Georgetown since joining the BIG EAST, including in 8-8 mark in league play and a 3-5 mark in Washington, D.C.
- Creighton would start 7-1 in league road games for the first time ever.
- Creighton would become the nation's first major conference team to earn seven league road wins this season, breaking a tie it owns with Baylor.
- Creighton would win seven road games in league play for the first time since 2011-12 when it was in the Missouri Valley Conference.
- Creighton would win four straight conference road games in the same season for the first time since 2011-12.
The More, The Merrier
Creighton has scored 79 points or more in each of its last eight games against Georgetown, with six of those games ending in a Bluejay victory.
In 17 all-time meetings against the Hoyas, Creighton is 9-2 when scoring 74 points or more against Georgetown, but 0-6 when scoring 73 points or less.
The Bluejays average 84.56 points in the nine triumphs, but 62.75 points per game in the eight setbacks.
Creighton is 10-4 this year when scoring 70 points or more, but 4-1 when being held to 69 points or less.
Creighton scores a BIG EAST-leading 77.6 points per league game this season. Meanwhile, Georgetown is last in scoring defense, allowing 78.2 per league contest.
Winning On the Road
Creighton owns a 34-36 record in BIG EAST road games since the league's 2013-14 realignment. Those 34 victories trail only Villanova's 50.
Since the start of the 2018-19 campaign, Creighton's 15 BIG EAST road wins lead the league.
BIG EAST Road Wins (through 2/8)
Team Since 2013-14 Since 2018-19
Butler 28-42 7-18
Creighton 34-36 15-10
DePaul 12-55 4-18
Georgetown 22-46 7-16
Marquette 26-42 11-12
Providence 32-38 10-15
Seton Hall 32-38 14-11
St. John's 19-52 8-18
Villanova 50-17 14-8
Xavier 31-32 9-11
UConn 3-1 3-1
On The Road, Again
Creighton's trip to Marquette (Feb. 6) and Georgetown (Feb. 9) marks its third two-game road swing in BIG EAST play this season, and it'll look to replicate the success from its first two adventures.
Creighton went 2-0 on a trip to St. John's and UConn on Dec. 17-20, and also went 2-0 last week from Jan. 27-30 on a trip that spanned the Seton Hall and DePaul games. This week's adventure has already started on a positive note with a win at Marquette on Saturday.
All but three schools (Marquette, Villanova, Xavier) have had at least one stretch of multiple BIG EAST road games in a four-day span this season, but only Creighton and Providence will have made three such treks after Tuesday.
Around the league, there have been 12 instances where a team has played two league road games in four days this season. Only Creighton (twice) and UConn (once) have gone 2-0 on such a trip.
Road Warriors
Creighton is 6-1 in its first seven BIG EAST road games this season. This year's 6-1 start on the road in league play is the program's best mark since 2001-02. That team, like this season's, also split a pair of overtime road games. The only loss in that 2001-02 stretch came to a Northern Iowa team coached by Greg McDermott.
Creighton has never started 7-1 on the road in league play, and has never won eight conference road games in the same season.
Creighton has not won four straight conference road games in the same season since 2011-12, something it can accomplish on Tuesday.
The nation's only other major conference (Power 5 or BIG EAST) team with six league road wins this season is unbeaten Baylor.
League Road After After After
Year Games 1-6 W-L 7 Road 8 Road 9 Road
2020-21 5-1 6-1 - -
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 6-1 in conference road games this season. Since a 94-76 win at St. John's on Dec. 17th, five of Creighton's last six league road tilts have been tied at some point in the last 3:02 of regulation. In the game 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 seven BIG EAST road games this season, Marcus Zegarowski is averaging 16.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 47.9 percent from three-point range.
Denzel Mahoney is averaging 13.0 points per game and Damien Jefferson averages 11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
Mitch Ballock is averaging 11.4 points per game and shooting 42.9 percent from downtown.
In 14 league games at all sites, Creighton has outscored the opposition 127-112 in the final three minutes of regulation (plus overtime), limiting foes to 35.1 percent shooting from the field and 30.4 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 Rare Three-Time All-Americans
Doug McDermott, the son of Creighton head coach Greg McDermott, wrapped up a memorable career in 2014 with his third straight First Team All-America honor and a sweep of all 14 National Player of the Year awards.
On Tuesday, Creighton will face Georgetown and coach Patrick Ewing. Ewing starred from 1981-85 with the Hoyas and in 1985 was named National Player of the Year by the Associated Press, NABC, Sporting News and won the Naismith Award, finishing with 2,184 career points.
Prior to McDermott (in 2012, 2013 and 2014), the last player to be a three-time First Team All-American by the Associated Press had been Ewing and Oklahoma standout Wayman Tisdale, who both did so in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Other three-time First Team All-Americans by the AP are Oscar Robertson, Lew Alcindor, Pete Maravich, Ralph Sampson, David Thompson, Jerry Lucas, Tom Gola and Bill Walton.
McDermott currently plays for the Indiana Pacers.
What's Your 20?
Tuesday's game at Georgetown will be Creighton's 20th contest of the season. With 14 wins so far this year, 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.
Creighton -- First 20 Games, Last 24 Years
Year First 20 W-L Final W-L Postseason
2019-20 14-5 so far ? ? ? ? ? ?
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 this season with a win at Marquette.
The Big 10
Creighton is 10-4 in league play after Saturday's victory at Marquette.
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 10-4 in league play and Saturday's win clinched 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.
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 six contests, Zegarowski has averaged 16.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game while owning an assist/turnover ratio of 2.63.
Zegarowski has shot 77.8 percent at the charity stripe in those contests, and connected on 39.5 percent of his three-point tries in that span.
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 901 straight games. The streak is tied for 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 (2/7)
Rk. Streak School Next
1. 1,118 UNLV 2/8
2. 1,103 Duke 2/11
3. 1,063 Arkansas 2/9
4. 1,050 Western Kentucky 2/12
5. 1,044 East Tennessee State 2/10
6. 1,024 Oakland 2/12
7. 1,023 Pacific 2/13
8. 1,012 Texas 2/9
9. 962 Marshall 2/12
10. 958 Princeton Season Canceled
11. 949 Baylor 2/13
12. 936 Gonzaga 2/8
13. 919 Long Island 2/8
14. 901 Mount St. Mary's 2/11
901 Creighton 2/9
16. 893 Tennessee State 2/11
17. 885 Cornell Season Canceled
885 East Carolina 2/8
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.
The only opponent that Creighton owns multiple games of 16+ three-pointers against is Georgetown. CU drilled 16 triples in 2018 against the Hoyas, then drained 17 treys vs. Georgetown last season.
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 280 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. 280 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. 182 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 162 career three-pointers in BIG EAST play, which ranks 13th all-time.
Ballock's 26 points were the most by a Bluejay in any conference opener since 2012, when Doug McDermott scored 29 points vs. Evansville. That came when CU belonged to the Missouri Valley Conference.
3-Pointers Made, Game, Creighton History
3FG Name, Opponent Date
11 Mitch Ballock vs. DePaul 03/09/19
9 Kyle Korver vs. Evansville 01/15/03
Ethan Wragge at Villanova 01/20/14
8 Tad Ackerman at Drake 01/23/95
Kyle Korver at Xavier 12/31/02
Terrell Taylor vs. Florida 03/15/02
Isaiah Zierden at DePaul 01/17/16
Mitch Ballock vs. Marquette 12/14/20
Most Career 3FG Made, BIG EAST Games Only
Rank 3FG Name, School
1. 245 Markus Howard, Marquette
2. 201 Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
3. 189 Colin Falls, Notre Dame
4. 183 Gerry McNamara, Syracuse
5. 180 Myles Powell, Seton Hall
6. 178 Steve Edwards, Miami (Fla.)
7. 172 Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati
8. 168 Allan Ray, Villanova
9. 167 Gary Buchanan, Villanova
10. 166 Kerry Kittles, Villanova
166 Terry Dehere, Seton Hall
12. 165 Troy Bell, Boston College
13. 162 Mitch Ballock, Creighton
14. 159 Matt Carroll, Notre Dame
159 Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
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 four wins this winter when scoring 69 point or less, a figure that's equal to its total number of wins in that situation during the previous four years combined.
Creighton has not won five games in the same season when scoring 69 points or less since six such victories in 2012-13.
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 31st in Monday's (Feb. 8) latest update.
Up, Up, And Away
Since Feb. 19, 2019, Creighton owns a 28-9 mark in regular-season BIG EAST games. That's five 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 10-4 28-9
Seton Hall 2-3 13-5 8-5 23-13
Villanova 2-3 13-5 7-1 22-9
Providence 3-2 12-6 5-8 20-16
UConn 2-4# 10-8# 5-4 17-16
Xavier 4-1 8-10 4-2 16-13
Butler 1-4 10-8 5-8 16-20
Marquette 2-4 8-10 5-8 15-22
St. John's 1-4 5-13 7-6 13-23
Georgetown 4-2 5-13 3-6 12-21
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. 12 offense, and No. 58 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 12 58 14-5 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 38 victories since the start of the 2019-20 season trail only Kansas and Baylor.
Best Records Since 2019-20 (through 2/7)
(Power 5 Conferences + BIG EAST)
Team 2019-20 2020-21 Total
Baylor 26-4 17-0 43-4
Kansas 28-3 12-7 40-10
Creighton 24-7 14-5 38-12
USC 22-9 15-3 37-12
Florida State 26-5 10-3 36-8
Villanova 24-7 12-2 36-9
Virginia 23-7 13-3 36-10
Ohio State 21-10 15-4 36-14
Louisville 24-7 11-4 35-11
Wisconsin 21-10 14-6 35-16
Colorado 21-11 14-5 35-16
Auburn 25-6 10-10 35-16
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 1,100; Zegarowski Over 1,000
Mitch Ballock owns 1,190 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. 1,196 Ray Yost 1951-54
28. 1,190 Mitch Ballock 2017-Pres.
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. 1,093 Tim Powers 1964-67
37. 1,085 Marcus Zegarowski 2018-Pres.
38. 1,050 Reggie Morris 1982-86
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 4,070 career points at Creighton, and 5,314 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 9th, Creighton's potential starting five (Mitch Ballock, Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Denzel Mahoney and Marcus Zegarowski) will be a collective 40,941 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 40,892 days old on Feb. 9th.
Creighton has gotten 49.1 percent of its scoring from its four seniors (Mahoney, Jefferson, Ballock and Alex O'Connell). In BIG EAST road games, the seniors have scored 51.5 percent of CU's 528 points, with the junior class contributing an additional 33.7 percent of the points.
Category Points Pct. of Team's Pts.
Freshmen 134 8.9%
Sophomores 156 10.3%
Juniors 480 31.7%
Seniors 743 49.1%
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 15-of-19 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 15-4 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.
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
Balance Is Big
All five Creighton starters are averaging 10.2 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 10.5 points per game or more.
High-Powered Offense
Creighton ranks 36th nationally with 79.6 points per game.
The Bluejays have 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 6.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots while playing just 14.3 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 14-2 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 2-3 when he does not. Finally, CU is 7-0 when Kalkbrenner scores 10 or more points.
Denzel A Leading Man
Creighton trailed 70-65 with 84 seconds left at Kansas before Denzel Mahoney embarked on a personal 5-0 run to tie the game 21 seconds later.
Mahoney led Creighton with 19 points at Kansas. He upped that to 20 points on Dec. 11 vs. Nebraska before matching his Bluejay best with 21 points vs. Marquette last Dec. 14. He pumped in 16 more at St. John's in a win on Dec. 17.
In four career games as a Bluejay against a top-10 opponent, Mahoney has averaged 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game to help CU to a 3-1 mark. Mahoney has made 53.1 percent (26-49) of his shots from the floor, 45.5 percent (10-22) from three-point range and 100 percent (12-12) at the charity stripe.
Four of his top 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
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 44 or more three-pointers made, with Mitch Ballock (48) leading the way, one more than Marcus Zegarowski (47) and four ahead of Denzel Mahoney (44). Jair Bolden (Butler) has made 45 and Julian Champagnie (St. John's) 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 10-3 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 245 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
McDermott's .669 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. 245-121 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 13.0 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 901 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,113 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 272 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 6-8 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: 94 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. 7, 2021
Category CU Stat CU Rank
3FG Percentage .384 2nd
3FG Made 3,281 2nd
Assists 5,937 4th
FG Percentage .481 3rd
FG Made 10,020 8th
Wins 245 29th
Winning Percentage .669 33rd
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.
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/ Men's BasketballCreighton Men's Basketball Availability - 9/24/25
Wednesday, September 24
Meet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
Friday, August 15
