#17 Men's Basketball Heads to New York For BIG EAST Tournament

Game #26: Butler Bulldogs or Xavier Musketeers vs. #17 Creighton Bluejays
Thursday, March 11, 2021 • 5 p.m. CST
Madison Square Garden • New York, N.Y.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; www.1620thezone.com
SiriusXM: Sirius 134; XM 207; App 967
Television: FS1 (Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery)
Series History vs. Butler: Creighton leads, 13-10 (1-1 this season)
Series History vs. Xavier: Xavier leads,18-16 (1-1 this season)
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS
CREIGHTON NOTES (PDF) | XAVIER NOTES | BUTLER NOTES

Next Game
Seventeenth-ranked and second-seeded Creighton (18-7, 14-6 BIG EAST) starts the postseason on Thursday, March 11, when it heads to the BIG EAST Tournament presented by Jeep.
   The Bluejays will meet the winner of Wednesday's first round game between 10th-seeded Butler (9-14, 8-12 BIG EAST) and seventh-seeded Xavier (13-7, 6-7 BIG EAST).
   Tip-off on Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., is set for 5 p.m. Central.

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 207 or channel 967 on the SiriusXM app.
   John Bishop will call the action with Nick Bahe. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Thursday's game will be televised nationally by FS1, with Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery handling the call.
   Of Creighton's last 156 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised. CU is 105-51 in those contests.

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

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

Scouting No. 17 Creighton
Creighton is 18-7 overall and 14-6 in the BIG EAST Conference. CU's 14 league wins were three more than any other school, but the Bluejays settled for the second seed because Villanova owned a better winning percentage.
   Creighton is ranked 17th in the latest AP poll and 17th in the Coaches poll, and its seven losses have come by a combined 41 points.
   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.
   For the first time in program history, three Bluejays were named to the All-BIG EAST team in the same season.
   Junior point guard Marcus Zegarowski (15.4 ppg., 4.4 apg.) was an All-American last year and Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year. He matched his career-high with 32 points last Saturday vs. Butler, which helped him attain First Team All-BIG EAST honors.
   Senior wing Denzel Mahoney (13.5 ppg.) won the BIG EAST's Sixth Man Award last season and brought home Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST acclaim. Mahoney owns two more steals (35) than fellow senior Damien Jefferson (12.3 ppg., 5.5 rpg.), who was a Second Team All-BIG EAST choice.
   Not to be forgotten are junior forward Christian Bishop (11.2 ppg., 6.1 rpg.) and Mitch Ballock (10.6 ppg.). Bishop leads the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.691), while Ballock tops the league with 68 three-pointers made.
   Creighton leads the BIG EAST in scoring margin (+9.4), three-point percentage (.368), three-pointers made per game (9.80), field goal percentage (.482), field goal percentage defense (.409).

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 248-123 record in his 11th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 528-318 in 27 seasons, and is 397-254 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.

Scouting Butler
Butler entered the BIG EAST Tournament 9-14 overall, including an 8-12 BIG EAST mark to place the Bulldogs 10th in the league. The Bulldogs won games against Seton Hall and Villanova before having a third straight upset bid dashed with a 93-73 loss at Creighton last Saturday.
   Butler features a balanced attack with six men scoring more than nine points per contest. Chuck Harris (12.8 ppg.) and Jair Bolden (11.1 ppg.) have combined for 102 three-pointers, and Bryce Nze (10.6 ppg.) and Aaron Thompson (10.4 ppg.) aren't far behind. Thompson, however, is expected to miss the rest of the season due to injury.
   The Bulldogs average 63.6 points per game and shoot 41.2 percent from the field, 32.2 percent from deep and 64.0 percent at the line.

The Series With Butler
Creighton is 13-10 all-time vs. Butler in a series that dates to a 27-22 Bluejay win in 1933. The home team has won the last eight meetings.
   LaVall Jordan is 4-4 against Creighton. He is 4-3 against Greg McDermott. McDermott is 8-9 against Butler, including an 8-7 mark as Creighton head coach.
   Since joining the BIG EAST, Creighton is 8-1 when scoring 72 or more points against the Bulldogs and 1-6 when scoring 71 points or less.
   Butler and Creighton have never met in a conference tournament.

Reviewing Butler/Creighton
Creighton and Butler split a pair of regular-season meetings this season, with the home team winning each time.
   Butler rallied from a 13-point deficit in the final eight minutes of regulation to beat the Bluejays 70-66 in overtime on January 16th in Indianapolis. Denzel Mahoney led CU with 29 points in that contest.
   More recently on March 6th, Creighton defeated Butler 93-73 in Omaha. Marcus Zegarowski made 10-of-12 shots and tied his career-high with 32 points. Zegarowski missed the first meeting vs. BU.

This Is 20/20
Creighton and Butler were the only two teams in the BIG EAST to play all 20 league games this year.
Old News
Both Creighton and Butler rely on a solid core group of seniors to lead the way, as the Bluejays have gotten 48.8 percent of its scoring from seniors (Mahoney, Jefferson, Ballock, O'Connell) and the Bulldogs 48.3 percent (Thompson, Nze, Bolden, David, Hodges, Donovan).
   But what really separates the teams is the next two classes. Creighton's juniors have scored 33.2 percent compared to Butler's 15.0 percent. There's a similar disparity among sophomores, where Creighton gets 9.2 percent compared to BU's 0.8 percent.
   Butler has gotten a ton of production from its freshmen with 35.8 percent compared to Creighton's 8.8 percent.
Category   Butler   Creighton
Freshmen   524 (35.8%)   172 (8.8%)
Sophomores   12 (0.8%)   180 (9.2%)
Juniors   220 (15.0%)   652 (33.2%)
Seniors   706 (48.3%)   957 (48.8%)

Feeding Frenzy
Creighton's top single-game scoring effort of the season was a 32-point effort by Marcus Zegarowski last Saturday vs. Butler.
   Before that, the last time a Bluejay had scored 29 points or more had come on January 16th when Denzel Mahoney scored 29 points. That also came against Butler.

Can We Move This To Omaha?
Marcus Zegarowski has lit up Butler each of the past two years in Omaha. In the past two seasons, Zegarowski has scored 57 points in 57 minutes, making 19-of-24 shots (79.2 percent) from the field, 12-of-14 three-pointers (85.7 percent) and helped CU outscore the Bulldogs 174-132.

You Again?
If Creighton does play Butler in Thursday's quarterfinal, it will be the first time since 2011 that the Bluejays open league tournament play against the same opponent it faced to end the regular-season.
   In 2011, Creighton beat Northern Iowa 63-55 in Omaha, then beat the Panthers 60-57 in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals.

Scouting Xavier
Xavier is 13-7 on the season, but just 5-7 in the past two months after an 8-0 start. The struggles started with XU's 66-61 loss at Creighton on Dec. 23rd.
   The Musketeers own non-conference wins over Bradley, Oklahoma and Cincinnati, but enter the BIG EAST Tournament having lost five of its past seven contests.
   Playing a starring role this winter have been Second Team All-BIG EAST honorees Paul Scruggs (14.2 ppg., 5.8 apg., 4.1 rpg., 1.6 spg.) and Zach Freemantle (16.3 ppg., 9.0 rpg.). Scruggs is tops in the league in assists, and Freemantle leads the BIG EAST in rebounds per game.
   Xavier features a high-octane offense that averages 75.1 points per game on 45.8 percent shooting from the floor. After shooting 63-for-159 (39.6%) from three-point range in non-conference play, XU made just 28.4 percent from deep in league play.

The Series With Xavier
Xavier owns a 18-16 lead in the series with Creighton, including a 3-2 mark at neutral sites.
   Creighton has won 2-of-3 BIG EAST Tournament meetings, which have been decided by a combined 13 points. Bluejay fans will fondly remember CU's 2017 victory in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals when Marcus Foster buried a three-pointer in the final seconds to give CU a 75-72 win.
   Twenty-two of the 34 all-time meetings have been within five points in the final minute, including eight of the last 13 games.
    Greg McDermott is 10-9 against Xavier, and 4-3 versus Travis Steele.

Reviewing Xavier/Creighton
Creighton and Xavier split a pair of regular-season meetings this season, with the home team winning each time.
   Creighton handed the Musketeers their first loss of the season on December 23rd in Omaha when Xavier was ranked 22nd nationally.
   More recently, Xavier exacted revenge on Feb. 27 at Cintas Center with a 77-69 victory.
   Marcus Zegarowski (12.5), Denzel Mahoney (12.0) and Damien Jefferson (12.0) all averaged in double-figures for CU in those two meetings.
   Paul Scruggs led Xavier in points (17.0 ppg.) and assists (4.5 apg.) in the contests vs. CU.

More Than A Number
Thursday's potential match-up features a pair of teams who have traditionally excelled in their respective conferences.
   Xavier entered the 2019-20 season with a streak of 37 straight seasons in which it has finished .500 or better in league play before going 8-10 last season and 6-7 this season.
   Including this season, Creighton has gone .500 or better in league play 26 of the past 27 seasons.

Creighton & Xavier To The Wire
Since both teams officially joined the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013, 14 of the 19 meetings (including the BIG EAST Tournament) between Creighton and Xavier have been decided by eight points or less, with two games going to overtime.
   Twenty-two of the 34 all-time meetings have been within five points in the final minute, including eight of the last 13 games.
   Creighton is 7-6 this season in games decided by eight points or less.

Collecting W's
Creighton and Xavier own a ton of similarities since the start of the 2010-11 season. Through games of March 7th, Creighton owned 249 victories, which ranks 29th-most nationally in that time and nine more than Xavier's 240 that rank 34th.
   Gonzaga (332), Kansas (318) and Kentucky (304) lead the nation in wins during the past 11 seasons, while Villanova (285) ranks eighth and is best among current BIG EAST schools.
   The 249 wins accumulated by Creighton ranks ahead of other schools with a national following such as Florida State (244), Memphis (241), Purdue (243), Dayton (239), Maryland (238), UCLA (237), UConn (228), Marquette (220), Indiana (217) and Texas (215) among others.

With A Win...
- Creighton would improve to 19-7 on the season with its ninth victory in the last 12 games.
- Creighton would improve to 139-53 all-time as a nationally-ranked team.
- Creighton would improve to 8-4 all-time when ranked exactly 17th.
- Improve Creighton to 6-6 all-time at the BIG EAST Tournament, including a 3-4 record in the quarterfinal round.
- Improve to 23-4 all-time in conference tournament play as a No. 2 seed, and 3-1 as the No. 2 seed in BIG EAST Tournament play.
- Advance to Friday's 8 p.m. CST semifinal against either DePaul, Providence or UConn.

Conference Tournament History
Creighton is 5-6 all-time entering its seventh appearance at the BIG EAST Tournament, which includes trips to the finals in 2014 and 2017. That doesn't include the 2020 trip that was halted at halftime of the quarterfinal round game vs. St. John's.
   Since joining the BIG EAST, Creighton is 1-0 in the opening round, 2-4 in the quarterfinals, 2-0 in the semifinals and 0-2 in championship games.
   Creighton is 2-1 all-time against Xavier at the BIG EAST Tournament, winning in the 2014 semifinals (86-78) and the 2017 semifinals (75-72) but losing in the 2019 quarterfinals (63-61).
   Creighton has never faced Butler at the BIG EAST Tournament.
   Creighton has won at least one conference tournament game in six of the previous nine seasons (which includes three trips to the MVC Tournament). Only Xavier and Villanova (7 each) have more.
   Creighton has never faced the No. 6 or No. 11 seed in BIG EAST Tournament action.
   Creighton also enjoyed a highly-successful run at the MVC Tournament in the previous three decades. The Bluejays owned a 43-20 all-time record in MVC Tournament play. Creighton's 12 MVC Tournament titles were seven more than any other school, while its 43 wins and .683 winning percentage in league tourney action also remain tops in event history.
   Creighton was 19-12 in the quarterfinals, 12-7 in the semifinals and 12-1 in the championship games as a Valley member. Creighton won the MVC Tournament nine of the last 13 times it won its first game in the event.
   Creighton won its MVC Tournament titles in 1977, 1981, 1989, 1991, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2012 and 2013.

Ring Bearers
Creighton's current full-time coaching staff and players have combined for nine postseason Division I conference tournament titles.
   Assistant coach Alan Huss was on Creighton's 1999 and 2000 MVC Tourney champs, while Greg McDermott owns three MVC Tourney titles under his belt (one as Northern Iowa coach, two as Creighton coach). Terrence Rencher also won the 1994 and 1995 Southwest Conference Tournament while a student-athlete at Texas, earning Most Outstanding Player accolades in 1995. Assistant coach Paul Lusk has been a part of a Big Ten title as an assistant coach at Purdue in 2009. In addition, Alex O'Connell won an ACC Tournament title while at Duke in 2019.
   Here's a breakdown of how many conference tournament titles each person has been a part of:
Name      Titles Won    Years With A Title
Greg McDermott   3   2004@, 2012*, 2013*
Alan Huss   2   1999^, 2000^
Terrence Rencher   2   1994!, 1995!
Paul Lusk   1   2009#
Alex O'Connell   1   2019$
@ won a MVC title as a head coach at Northern Iowa
* won two MVC titles as a head coach at Creighton
^ won two MVC titles as a player at Creighton
! won two Southwest Conference titles as a player at Texas
# won a Big Ten title as an assistant at Purdue
$ won an ACC title as a player at Duke

Eight Tourney Titles Since 1999
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles since 1999. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (17), Duke (12), Winthrop (11), Kentucky (10), New Mexico State (10), Kansas (9), Belmont (8), Creighton (8), Iona (8), Montana (8), Murray State (8) and Utah State (8).
   Creighton has appeared in two title games since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013. That trails only Villanova (5), and is tied with Providence (2) and Seton Hall (2). Xavier has advanced to one final.

Random League Tournament Facts
-Creighton has won 12 of its last 14 conference tournament games decided by four points or less.
-Creighton is 10-6 in its last 16 conference tournament games when playing an opponent with a better seed than the Bluejays.
-Creighton is 4-0 all-time in conference tournament play against teams defending a conference tournament title. Villanova won the 2019 tournament title and the 2020 event wasn't completed.
-The top two seeds haven't met in a BIG EAST final since 2004.
-Creighton went 6-3 in its final nine conference games this year. Each of the previous six times the Jays went exactly 6-3 in its last nine league games, CU reached the league tournament final. In five of those seasons, the Jays won it all.
-Creighton went 4-2 in its final six conference games this year. Five of the last seven times the Jays went exactly 4-2 in its last six league games, CU won the tournament. During one of the exceptions (2014), the Jays lost in the final.
-Creighton is 22-4 all-time in 10 previous conference tournament appearances as a No. 2 seed, including six titles.
-As a BIG EAST member, Creighton is 2-1 in one previous appearance as the second seed, falling in the 2014 title game.
-Six of Creighton's last seven teams to be a second seed in a conference tournament have reached the final, with five winning the event.
Creighton As the #2 Seed (22-4)
   Year   League   Record
   1980   MVC   1-1
   1981   MVC   3-0
   1998   MVC   0-1
   1999   MVC   3-0
   2002   MVC   3-0
   2003   MVC   3-0
   2007   MVC   3-0
   2009   MVC   1-1
   2012   MVC   3-0
   2014   BIG EAST   2-1

Famous Moment, Famous Coach, Famous Arena
Madison Square Garden is often referred to as the "World's Most Famous Arena", and a former Creighton coach is involved in what a 2013 Bleacher Report poll named the greatest moment in Madison Square Garden history.
   After missing Game 6 with a severe thigh injury, NBA MVP Willis Reed limped out of the tunnel prior to Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to raucous applause. He would start and make the New York Knicks' first two baskets. Though he wouldn't score again, the tone was set and he was named Finals MVP.
   Reed would later serve as head coach at Creighton from 1981-85, winning 52 games.

Previous All-Tourney Picks
This week marks Creighton's seventh trip to the BIG EAST Tournament, not counting last season's abbreviated trek that was halted at halftime of its first game.
   In the previous six trips played to completion, the only men to earn All-Tournament Team honors has been Doug McDermott and Austin Chatman, who helped take CU to the finals in 2014, and Marcus Foster, who led the Jays to the 2017 title tilt.
   McDermott scored 94 points in his three games, making 34-of-63 shots from the field, 14-of-28 three-point shots and 12-of-14 attempts from the line. He set a BIG EAST Tournament record for points in a half when he scored 27 in the first half vs. DePaul.
   Chatman averaged 8.7 points, 6.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game while directing the Bluejay offense. He made 9-of-16 shots from the floor.
   In 2017 Foster averaged 16.3 points, 3.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game at The Garden. His three-pointer in the closing seconds of the semifinal lifted Creighton to a 75-72 win and advanced the Bluejays to their second title game in four seasons.

Recent BIG EAST Tourney Records
Below is a list of how each team in the BIG EAST has performed in the league tournament since the league was reconfigured in 2013-14, sorted by win percentage.
BIG EAST Tournament Records Since 2013-14
(includes both first round games in 2020 before tourney canceled)
Rank   Team   W-L   Pct.      Titles
1.   Villanova   14-2   .875   4
2.   Providence   8-5   .615   1
   Seton Hall   8-5   .615   1
4.   Xavier   8-7   .533   0
5.   Creighton   5-6   .455   0
6.   Marquette   4-6   .400   0
   St. John's   4-6   .400   0
8.   DePaul   2-6   .250   0
9.   Georgetown   2-7   .222   0
10.   Butler   1-6   .143   0
11.   UConn   0-0   ---   0

Looking Back At Last Year
Last year Creighton was in the midst of its BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinal vs. St. John's when the game was halted at halftime due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It would be the last half of college basketball across the country in the 2019-20 season.
   Several other notable items took place that day.
   After scoring just 16 points all season, Creighton's Jett Canfield scored eight points in the first half on 3-for-3 shooting.
   Also in the first half, Mitch Ballock surpassed 1,000 career points.
   With the game canceled at halftime, none of the stats from that day counted, and Ballock had to surpass 1,000 career points for the second time in November during CU's 2020-21 season-opener.

All-BIG EAST Trio
Creighton's Marcus Zegarowski (First Team), Damien Jefferson (Second Team) and Denzel Mahoney (Honorable Mention) each picked up All-BIG EAST recognition in a vote of league coaches
   This year marks the first time that Creighton had three players named All-BIG EAST in the same season.
   In addition, Mitch Ballock brought home the league's Sportsmanship Award.

Only In 2020-21
Though Creighton's 14 BIG EAST wins are three more than any other team in the BIG EAST, the Bluejays are the second seed in this week's conference tournament since the league decided before the year to go by winning percentage to determine a league champion and seeds.
   The BIG EAST isn't alone in this. It's one of eight leagues that saw the top team in winning percentage not be the same team that had the most conference wins.
Wins Leader Not League Champ, Nationally
League   Wins Leader   Conf Champ
American   Houston, 14-3   Wichita St., 11-2
BIG EAST   Creighton, 14-6   Villanova, 11-4
Big 10   Illinois, 16-4   Michigan, 14-3
Conf-USA   UAB, 13-5   Louisiana Tech, 12-4
MEAC   Norfolk St., 8-4   North Carolina A&T, 7-1
   Coppin State, 8-4
MWC   Utah State, 15-4   San Diego St., 14-3
Pac-12   USC, 15-5   Oregon, 14-4
Summit   South Dakota, 11-4   South Dakota St., 9-3
   N. Dakota St., 11-4

Ballock Approaches Gibson
Mitch Ballock ranks 24th in Creighton history with 1,261 career points. He's six points shy of Wally Anderzunas for 23rd place, and 11 points away from reaching Bob Gibson for 22nd place.
   And yes, that's the same Bob Gibson that was a Hall of Fame baseball player with the St. Louis Cardinals. Gibson enjoyed a standout career on the hardwood (and baseball field) with Creighton and actually played a year with the Harlem Globetrotters before joining the St. Louis Cardinals.
   Rank   Points   Player   Years
   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.   1,261   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   25.   1,254   Gary Swain   1983-87
   26.   1,241   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-20
   27.   1,238   Ben Walker   1997-01

Ballock Reaches 300 Treys
Mitch Ballock owns 300 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, and ahead of Doug McDermott (274).
   His 232 career treys entering the year were second-most in school history after a junior season, trailing only Kyle Korver (242).
   Ballock ranked 19th nationally with 93 three-pointers made and 11th in three-point percentage (.435) last season.
   Ballock's teammate, Marcus Zegarowski, is three trifectas away from 200 career triples. A third Bluejay, Denzel Mahoney, owns 205 career three-pointers (121 at Southeast Missouri State, 84 at Creighton).
Most Career 3FG, Creighton History
Rank       3FG   Name   Years
   1.   371   Kyle Korver   1999-03
   2.   334   Ethan Wragge   2009-14
   3.   300   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.   197   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-Pres.

A Good Sign?
Creighton won on Senior Day vs. Butler by a 93-73 score. It was CU's largest margin of victory in a regular-season finale since an 86-60 win vs. Wichita State in 2003.
   This year is the fourth time that Creighton has won its final regular-season game by 20 or more points before heading to a conference tournament. CU would win the MVC Tournament in 2000 and 2003, and go 1-1 at Arch Madness in 2001.

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 made 182 career three-pointers in BIG EAST games, which ranks fifth 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.   182   Mitch Ballock, Creighton
   6.   180   Myles Powell, Seton Hall

Three-Ballock, Corner Pocket
Mitch Ballock enters Thursday's game with exactly 300 career three-pointers made, which ranks seventh nationally among active players.
   He's the third Bluejay to make 300 or more trifectas, joining Kyle Korver (371) and Ethan Wragge (334) in that elite grouping. Ballock is the first of that trio to drain 300 three-pointers while also dishing 300 or more career assists (currently 332 and counting).
   Korver reached 300 treys in his 108th game as a Bluejay, while Wragge achieved that milestone in his 134th career contest. It took Ballock 124 contests.

Inbounds, In Range
Mitch Ballock has frequently displayed his long-range marksmanship. Per research from WhiteAndBlueReview.com writer Matt DeMarinis using Synergy Sports database, Ballock has made 7-of-12 three-pointers this season taken from between 30-40 feet away.
   Over the past two seasons, he's 12-of-25 from 30-40 feet away.

Milestone Watch
A few approaching milestones...
Christian Bishop
   - Is one block shy of 79 in his career, which would tie him for ninth in Creighton history.
Mitch Ballock
   - Is eight rebounds shy of 500 in his career.
   - Is 11 points shy of matching legendary two-sport athlete Bob Gibson for 22nd in Creighton history.
Greg McDermott
   - Is two wins shy of 250 at Creighton.
   - Is three wins shy of 400 in his Division I career.
Alex O'Connell
   - Is eight points shy of 500 in his career (431 at Duke, 61 at Creighton).
Marcus Zegarowski
   - Is three made three-pointers shy of becoming the 10th man with 200 three-pointers as a Bluejay.

On Any Given Day
For the second consecutive season, Creighton has beaten every other team in the BIG EAST.
   Creighton went 2-0 against four programs and 1-1 against six schools this season.
   Creighton is the only BIG EAST team with a win over all other 10 teams in the league this year.

Up, Up, And Away
Since Feb. 19, 2019, Creighton owns a 32-11 mark in regular-season BIG EAST games. That's six more wins than anyone else in the league in that time.
   Not only that, but Creighton owned the most wins to close the 2018-19 season after Feb. 19th, tied for the most wins in 2019-20, and has the most wins in 2020-21 as well.
Conference Records Since Feb. 19, 2019
Team   After 2/19/19   '19-20   '20-21   Total
Creighton   5-0   13-5   14-6   32-11
Villanova   2-3   13-5   11-4   26-12
Seton Hall   2-3   13-5   10-9   25-17
Providence   3-2   12-6   9-10   24-18
UConn   2-4#   10-8#   11-6   23-18
Butler   1-4   10-8   8-12   19-24
Xavier   4-1   8-10   6-7   18-18
Marquette   2-4   8-10   8-11   18-25
Georgetown   4-2   5-13   7-9   16-24
St. John's   1-4   5-13   10-9   16-26
DePaul   2-3   3-15   2-13   7-31
#includes 2018-19 and 2019-20 in the AAC

Quad Squad
Creighton owns an 11-4 record against teams that are either Quad 1 (4-3) or Quad 2 (7-1) this season according to Monday morning's edition of the NET.
   Creighton (11-4) is one of 11 clubs nationwide with 11 or more victories against teams in the top two quadrants, joining Alabama (15-5), Illinois (14-6), Gonzaga (11-0), Michigan (13-3), Purdue (13-7), Ohio State (12-8), Iowa (12-7), West Virginia (11-8), Baylor (11-1), and Arkansas (11-5).
   Creighton's four Quad 1 wins are tied for 19th-most nationally, while its seven Quad 2 victories are tied for the second-most in the NCAA.
   Creighton was 25th in the March 8th edition of the NET.

Fool Me Once...But Eight Times?
Creighton has met or exceeded its preseason BIG EAST prognostication every year since joining the league, as seen below.
   This year also marks the fifth straight season that Creighton has finished in first, second or a tie for third place.
Creighton's BIG EAST Preseason Poll History
Year    Preseason    Actual    Preseason All-BIG EAST
2013-14    3rd    2nd    Doug McDermott (1st)
2014-15    9th    T-9th    -
2015-16    9th    6th    -
2016-17    3rd    T-3rd    Maurice Watson Jr. (1st); Marcus Foster (HM)
2017-18    5th    T-3rd    Marcus Foster (1st); Khyri Thomas (HM)
2018-19    9th    T-3rd    Martin Krampelj (HM)
2019-20    7th    T-1st   Ty-Shon Alexander (1st)
2020-21    2nd    2nd   Marcus Zegarowski (1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd)

Up Is Down; Down Is Up
Creighton finished in second place in the BIG EAST standings with a 14-6 league record, trailing only Villanova's 11-4 mark. Though CU had three more wins, it has a worse winning percentage (.700) than Villanova (.733).
   What's unusual is how Creighton got to this point. The Bluejays are 7-1 against the top five seeds in this year's BIG EAST Tournament, but 7-5 against the bottom six seeds.

Fourteen Is Fine
Creighton won 14 conference games this season, tied for its most in any of its eight seasons in the BIG EAST (also 2013-14).
   This year's squad is just the seventh team in Creighton history with 14 or more league victories. Six have won exactly 14 while the 2002-03 squad led by Kyle Korver finished 15-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
   Creighton has now won 10 or more league games in 22 of the last 25 seasons.

.500 Or Better in League Play, Again
Creighton went 14-6 in league play, clinching a .500 mark or better in league play for the 26th time in the last 27 seasons.
   The only BIG EAST teams to finish .500 or better in league play each of the last five seasons (including 2020-21) are Creighton, Villanova and Seton Hall.

Can Zegarowski Follow McDermott's Lead?
Marcus Zegarowski tied his career-high with 32 points to lead Creighton to a win the final game of the regular-season last Saturday.
   With 30 or more points on Thursday, Zegarowski would be the first Bluejay with consecutive 30-point contests since Doug McDermott.
   McDermott had a career-high 45 points in CU's regular-season finale in 2014. He then scored 35 and 32 in his first two games of the BIG EAST Tournament.

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. 5 Villanova, 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 11 teams that have posted multiple top-25 wins in each of the last six seasons (including 2020-21) are Baylor, Creighton, Florida State, 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, 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
   3   2020-21   #5 Villanova, #22 Xavier, #23 UConn
   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

On The Double
Marcus Zegarowski had his second career double-double on Feb. 27th when the junior point guard turned in 15 points and 10 assists against Xavier.
   Zegarowski's only previous double-double came on Dec. 1 vs. Nebraska-Omaha, when he had 11 points and a career-best 11 assists.
   Zegarowski is one of four Bluejays with a double-dip this season, as Christian Bishop (4), Damien Jefferson (2) and Denzel Mahoney (1) have also done it.

Winning On the Road
Creighton owns a 35-38 record in BIG EAST road games since the league's 2013-14 realignment. Those 35 victories trail only Villanova's 50.
   Since the start of the 2018-19 campaign, Creighton's 16 BIG EAST road wins lead the league.
BIG EAST Road Records (through 2020-21)
Team   Since 2013-14   Since 2018-19
Butler   28-45   7-21
Connecticut   5-4   5-4
Creighton   35-38   16-12
DePaul   13-57   5-20
Georgetown   23-47   8-17
Marquette   28-45   13-15
Providence   33-40   11-17
Seton Hall   32-41   14-14
St. John's   19-54   8-20
Villanova   50-20   14-11
Xavier   31-36   9-15

Road Warriors
Creighton went 7-3 in BIG EAST road games this season, tying a program record for most road wins in a league season.
   Creighton, Baylor, Illinois, USC, Oregon and Alabama are the nation's only major conference (Power 5 or BIG EAST) teams with seven or more league road wins this season.
   League Road   After   After   After
Year   Games 1-6 W-L   7 Road   8 Road   9 Road
2020-21   5-1   6-1   7-1   7-2
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 went 7-3 in conference road games this season. Since a 94-76 win at St. John's on Dec. 17th, five of Creighton's last nine league road tilts have been tied at some point in the last 3:02 of regulation. In one of the games that wasn't, Creighton won by three after Marquette missed a tying three-pointer in the final seconds.
   Creighton beat UConn 76-74 in overtime on Dec. 20th, as Damien Jefferson tied the game with 0.2 seconds left in regulation.
   Creighton won 67-65 at Providence on Jan. 2nd on Christian Bishop's dunk with 0.8 seconds left.
   Creighton lost 70-66 in overtime at Butler on Jan. 16th.
   On Jan. 27th at Seton Hall, Mitch Ballock's three-pointer with 37.8 seconds left broke an 81-all tie and helped Creighton to an 85-81 victory.
   On Jan. 30th at DePaul, Creighton trailed 60-59 before Denzel Mahoney made two free throws with 3:02 left to start a game-ending 10-2 run.
   In Creighton's 10 BIG EAST road games this season, Marcus Zegarowski averaged 15.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 40.1 percent from three-point range.
   Denzel Mahoney averaged 11.0 points per game and Damien Jefferson averaged 12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.
   Mitch Ballock averaged 11.9 points per game and shooting 45.3 percent from downtown.

Give Me 10
The Feb. 24 win vs. DePaul was Creighton's 10th home win of the season. It's the 24th time in the last 25 seasons CU has done that.
   The only exception in that time came in 2014-15, when the Jays won nine times at home.

Double-Double Duo
Creighton had a pair of players record a double-double in the Feb. 13 victory vs. Villanova as Christian Bishop (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Damien Jefferson (10 points, 10 rebounds) each did it.
   Bishop (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Jefferson (10 points, 10 rebounds) also accomplished the feat earlier this season in CU's Dec. 17 win at St. john's.
   Before Bishop and Jefferson (twice), the last Bluejay duo to record double-doubles in the same contest since Dec. 9, 2017, when both Martin Krampelj and Ronnie Harrell Jr. did it.

Bishop The Ultimate Chess Piece
Christian Bishop is a tad undersized to play the center position, but his versatility has made him a match-up nightmare for some opponents.
   Bishop has averaged 11.9 points and 8.1 rebounds while compiling three double-doubles over the past nine games, a stretch that started with Creighton's Jan. 30 win at DePaul. In that same span, he's made 43-of-60 field goal attempts (71.7 percent).
   For the year, Bishop is shooting 69.1 percent from the field, far ahead of the next best competitor in the BIG EAST (Nate Watson, 60.3 percent).
   In league play only, Bishop's 65.4 percent marksmanship easily outpaced St. John's Isaih Moore's 60.7 percent.

Not Just A Hoops Powerhouse
Creighton is one of five schools in the country to have a top-25 team in both volleyball and men's basketball this week.
   Creighton is joined in that elite grouping by Texas, Baylor, Ohio State and Purdue.
    Creighton's 23rd-ranked volleyball team continues its chase for a seventh straight BIG EAST regular-season title this weekend at Butler while the Bluejays' 17th-ranked men's basketball squad eyes a BIG EAST Tournament title at Madison Square Garden.

Zegarowski Earns National Honor
NCAA.com correspondent Andy Katz named Creighton guard Marcus Zegarowski as his National Player of the Week on Feb. 15th.
   The junior averaged 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists as Creighton picked up double-digit wins vs. Georgetown and No. 5 Villanova.
   Zegarowski opened his week with nine points, six rebounds, and four assists as Creighton defeated Georgetown on the road, 63-48. He also had two of Creighton's school-record 19 steals in the triumph.
   Zegarowski finished his week with a season-high 25 points in Creighton's 86-70 victory vs. No. 5 Villanova and added five assists and three rebounds. He made 10-of-18 field goal attempts in the victory, and his 17 points in the first half matched the most by a Bluejay all season before intermission.

Points Taken (Away)
Creighton allowed just 48 points in its 15-point victory at Georgetown on Feb. 9th in its best defensive effort of the season.
   It's the fewest points the Jays have allowed in a league game since joining the BIG EAST in 2013, and least against a Power 5 or BIG EAST team since holding Nebraska to 42 in 2012.
   Georgetown's 48 points were its fewest in a game since scoring 48 points in back-to-back games in January of 2013 vs. Marquette and Pitt.
   Below is a list of the top seven defensive efforts by Creighton against a BIG EAST team since joining the league. Three of the top six have come this season.
Fewest Points Allowed vs. BIG EAST since 2013-14
   Pts. Allowed   School, Date   Result
   48   at Georgetown, 2/9/21   CU 63-48
   49   Marquette, 12/31/13   CU 67-49
   50   Providence, 1/12/16   PC 50-48
   53   at Marquette, 1/14/15   MU 53-52
   53   Seton Hall, 1/6/21   CU 89-53
   53   DePaul, 2/24/21   CU 77-53
   54   Xavier, 2/3/19   CU 76-54

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

Men of Steal
Creighton picked up 19 steals on Feb. 9th at Georgetown to break a school-record of 18 set five times previously.
   The Bluejays had previously pilfered 18 swipes five times previously, doing so at Cleveland State (12/18/91), vs. Illinois State (12/12/99), vs. Savannah State (11/29/07), vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11/20/08) and vs. DePaul (2/15/20).
   Creighton's 11 steals in the first half were its most in any half since also having 11 in the first half vs. Southern on Dec. 15, 2008.
   Among the Bluejays who established or tied career-highs in steals were Denzel Mahoney (4), Mitch Ballock (4) and Shereef Mitchell (3). Ballock had all four of his steals in a span of 98 seconds that saw the Hoyas turn it over on five straight trips.

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

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 907 straight games. The streak is the nation's 15th-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 (3/7)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,127   UNLV   3/10
   2.   1,111   Duke   3/9
   3.   1,070   Arkansas   3/12
   4.   1,057   Western Kentucky   3/11
   5.   1,051   East Tennessee State   TBD
   6.   1,029   Oakland   3/8
   7.   1,031   Pacific   TBD
   8.   1,020   Texas   3/11
   9.   968   Marshall   3/10
   10.   958   Princeton   Season Canceled
   11.   954   Baylor   3/11
   12.   942   Gonzaga   3/8
   13.   926   Long Island   Season Over
   14.   909   Mount St. Mary's   3/9
   15.   907   Creighton   3/11
   16.   899   Tennessee State   Season Over

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

No. 17 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 17th in the AP poll and 17th in the Coaches poll.
   The No. 17 AP ranking is 10 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 23 AP polls since Feb. 3, 2020, joining Gonzaga (94), Villanova (39), Baylor (36), Houston (25) and Iowa (25). The 23 straight weeks in the rankings is the longest stretch in program history, six 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 25th in Monday's (March 8) latest update.

Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton continues to be highly regarded by KenPom.com, and is currently 17th. That includes the nation's No. 12 offense, and No. 49 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 the last 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   49   18-7 so far

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 20-of-25 games and he's upped his average to 12.7 points per contest.
   Jefferson pumped in a career-high 26 points on Jan. 20th vs. Providence, six more than his previous best.

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

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 42 victories since the start of the 2019-20 season trail only Kansas, Baylor, USC and Oregon.
Best Records Since 2019-20 (through 3/7)
(Power 5 Conferences + BIG EAST)
Team   2019-20   2020-21   Total
Baylor   26-4   21-1   47-5
Kansas   28-3   19-8   47-11
Oregon   24-7   18-5   43-12
USC   22-9   21-6   43-15
Creighton   24-7   18-7   42-14
Florida State   26-5   15-5   41-10
Arkansas   20-12   21-5   41-17
Colorado   21-11   20-7   41-18
Villanova   24-7   16-5   40-12
Illinois   21-10   19-6   40-16
Virginia   23-7   17-6   40-13
Iowa   20-11   20-7   40-18

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 22 victories since the start of the 2010-11 season 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 Since 2010-11
Deficit   Opponent   Date
18   #18 Oklahoma   11/19/14
17   at San Diego State   11/30/11
16   at Evansville   02/16/13
16   at Seton Hall   01/27/21
14   Evansville   02/21/12
13   at Saint Joseph's   11/16/13
13   Xavier   01/12/14
13   #22 Xavier   12/23/20
12   Saint Joseph's   12/11/10
12   at DePaul   01/17/16
12   East Tennessee State   11/11/18
11   at Wichita State   12/31/11
11   Northern Iowa   01/10/12
11   vs. Alabama   03/16/12
11   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/16
10   UAB   11/14/12
10   vs. Drake   03/02/12
10   at Nebraska   12/07/14
10   South Dakota   12/09/14
10   St. John's   01/03/18
10   at DePaul   02/07/18
10   Bemidji State   02/13/18

Ballock Over 1,200; Zegarowski Over 1,000
Mitch Ballock owns 1,261 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.   1,261   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
   25.   1,254   Gary Swain   1983-87
   26.   1,241   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-20
   27.   1,238   Ben Walker   1997-01
   28.   1,196   Ray Yost   1951-54
   29.   1,189   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-Pres.
   30.   1,172   Dick Harvey   1956-59

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 4,384 career points at Creighton, and 5,628 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 March 11th, Creighton's potential starting five (Mitch Ballock, Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Denzel Mahoney and Marcus Zegarowski) will be a collective 41,091 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 41,142 days old on March 11th.

High-Powered Offense
Creighton has pumped in 93 or more points in six games this season, one of 10 teams in the country (with Iowa, Gonzaga, Baylor, The Citadel, Eastern Kentucky, Sam Houston State, Southern Utah, Oral Roberts 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 48-3 in since 2010-11 when scoring 93 points or more. The nation's only teams to score 93+ more than 51 times since 2010-11 are Gonzaga (71), North Carolina (68) and Belmont (52).
   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).

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 17-1 all-time when Marcus Zegarowski has 19 or more points, 7-1 when he has eight or more assists and 28-5 when he makes three or more three-pointers.
   Creighton is 15-2 all-time when Mitch Ballock scores 17 or more points, 11-0 when he has six or more assists and 12-0 when he makes three or more free throws.
   Creighton is 18-6 all-time when Christian Bishop has seven or more rebounds.
   Finally, Creighton is also 21-3 when Shereef Mitchell grabs two or more rebounds, and also 20-4 when he dishes multiple assists.

Balance Is Big
All five Creighton starters are averaging 10.6 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 averaged 10.6 points per game or more.

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 308 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 18-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 254-54 (.825) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (21-0).
   Creighton's Nov. 25, 2017 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 24,184-20,244 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.79 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 157-36 (.813) at CHI Health Center Omaha since 2010-11 and hasn't trailed in 60 of those games. In that same span, CU 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 273-54 (.835) 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 the last 11 seasons. Khyri Thomas had 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists vs. DePaul on Feb. 27, 2018.
   Here's a list of Creighton players with at least 7+ points, 7+ rebounds and 7+ assists in the same game since 1987-88.
7+ Point, 7+ Rebound, 7+ Assist Games, Since 1987-88
   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Name   Date
   16   9   7   Mike Amos   1/30/1993
   24   11   7   Rodney Buford   11/18/1998
   25   8   8   Ryan Sears   1/8/2000
   9   7   10   Grant Gibbs   12/19/2011
   12   10   7   Grant Gibbs   1/13/2012
   12   7   9   Austin Chatman   11/11/2013
   9   7   7   Austin Chatman   1/25/2014
   7   9   7   Khyri Thomas   12/9/2015
   16   8   7   Maurice Watson Jr.   1/26/2016
   14   12   7   Khyri Thomas   2/28/2017
   16   8   8   Khyri Thomas   2/27/2018
   10   10   8   Damien Jefferson   12/17/2020

Big Ryan's Big Night
Freshman center Ryan Kalkbrenner had a season-high 15 points in just 16 minutes of work on Dec. 17 at St. John's, including four baskets in a three-minute span during the decisive 22-4 second half run.
   For the season, Kalkbrenner has averaged 6.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots while playing just 14.0 minutes per game. Kalkbrenner ranks sixth nationally among freshmen with 34 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 18-3 this year when he makes a field goal, and 0-3 when he does not. The Bluejays are also 13-3 when he blocks a shot, and 5-3 when he does not. Finally, CU is 7-0 when Kalkbrenner scores 10 or more points.

3's Are Falling
Creighton is tied for 11th in the country with six different games of 13 three-pointers this year. Among power conference teams, only Baylor has done it more.
   Creighton has three of the five players in the BIG EAST with 55 or more three-pointers made, with Mitch Ballock (68) leading the way, six more than Marcus Zegarowski (62) and 13 ahead of Denzel Mahoney (55). Julian Champagnie (St. John's) has made 58, as has Jair Bolden (Butler).

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 14-4 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 the start of the 2010-11 season, Creighton is averaging 81.30 points per home game (15,690 points in 193 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.14 points in non-conference home games (7,918 points in 93 home games).
   Creighton is 122-6 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    2nd   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 (before 2020-21)
Team   20-Win Seasons   2020-21 W-L*   Next Game
Gonzaga   22   24-0   3/8
Kansas   22   19-8   3/11
Duke   22   11-11   3/9
Kentucky   21   9-15   3/11
Creighton   20   18-7   3/11
Florida   20   13-8   3/11
*after games of March 7, 2021

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%

#ProJays
Creighton has three players in the NBA this season,   Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers), Ty-Shon Alexander (Phoenix Suns) and Justin Patton (Houston Rockets).
   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 13.2 points and 4.0 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.
   Patton was in the G-League with the Westchester Knicks but recently signed a 2-way contract and was called up by the Houston Rockets. He made his first career NBA start on Feb. 28th and scored a career-high 10 points. He's averaging 6.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
   In addition, three other Bluejays played in the NBA last season but are currently in the G-League or unsigned...Kyle Korver, Anthony Tolliver and Khyri Thomas.

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 248 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.   248-123   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

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 907 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,173 trifectas, an average of 7.91 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 259 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 278 consecutive contests (since 0-7 at Drake on 1/23/13).
   Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 35-6 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 7-8 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:    4 times   2: 15 times   3: 31 times
4:    71 times   5:   95 times   6: 95 times
7:   136 times   8:   115 times   9: 86 times
10: 76 times   11: 52 times   12: 49 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 the start of the 2010-11 season, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 through March 7, 2021
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Percentage   .384   2nd
3FG Made   3,341   2nd
FG Percentage   .480   3rd
Assists   6,033   4th
FG Made   10,188   9th
Wins   249   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 since 2010-11. 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 Since 2010-11
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   2nd, BIG EAST   TBD

What Does #11 Mean?
Creighton was ranked 11th in the preseason Associated Press poll. Below is a listing of how teams ranked 11th in the preseason have done since 1999-2000.
Year   School   Year-End Rank*   NCAA's (Wins)
2019-20:   Virginia   16   Tourney Canceled
2018-19:    Kansas State   15   Yes (0)
2017-18:    West Virginia   14   Yes (2)
2016-17:    Indiana   NR   No (0)
2015-16:    Gonzaga   21   Yes (2)
2014-15:    Wichita State   14   Yes (2)
2013-14:    Ohio State   22   Yes (0)
2012-13:    North Carolina   NR   Yes (1)
2011-12:    Memphis   NR   Yes (0)
2010-11:    Kentucky   11   Yes (4)
2009-10:    Butler   11   Yes (5)
2008-09:    Purdue   17   Yes (2)
2007-08:    Marquette   25   Yes (1)
2006-07:    Alabama   NR   No (0)
2005-06:   Boston College   7   Yes (2)
2004-05:   Duke   3   Yes (2)
2003-04:   Kentucky   2   Yes (1)
2002-03:   Oregon   NR   Yes (0)
2001-02:   Virginia   NR   No (0)
2000-01:   Florida   8   Yes (1)
1999-00:   Kansas   NR   Yes (1)
*based on final poll before NCAA Tournament

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.

#17 Men's Basketball Heads to New York For BIG EAST Tournament

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Rati Andronikashvili

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

Jett Canfield

Jacob Epperson

Damien Jefferson

Antwann Jones

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Modestas Kancleris

Denzel Mahoney

Shereef Mitchell

Alex O'Connell

Marcus Zegarowski