Men's Basketball Returns to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday To Face Butler

Game #18: Creighton Bluejays at Butler Bulldogs
Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022 • 5:30 p.m. CST
Hinkle Fieldhouse (9,100) • Indianapolis, Ind.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, 1620thezone.com; XM 391; SiriusXM app 981
Television: FS1 (Aaron Goldsmith, Donny Marshall)
Series History: Creighton leads, 14-10
Last Meeting: #17 Creighton 87, Butler 56 on March 11, 2021 in New York, N.Y.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE RADIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF) | BU NOTES (PDF)

Next Game
Creighton (12-5, 4-2 BIG EAST) heads to historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Jan. 26, to take on Butler (9-10, 2-6 BIG EAST) at 5:30 p.m. Central.
   The contest will be Creighton's first regular-season battle in the venue since beating Ohio last March to clinch the program's first Sweet 16 trip since 1974.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2021-22 season. KOOO (101.9 FM) also broadcasts all home games.
   John Bishop and former Bluejay Taylor Stormberg will call the action.
   The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com and can be heard on channel 981 of the Sirius/XM app or XM channel 391.

Broadcast Information
Wednesday's game will be called by Aaron Goldsmith and Donny Marshall, and be televised on FS1. The game will also be video webcast online at http://foxsports.com/live or the FoxSports app.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.
   Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 12-5 this season, including double-digit wins over No. 9 Villanova (79-59) and No. 24 BYU (83-71). The Bluejays are 4-2 in league play.
   The Bluejays return seven lettermen but no starters from last year's team that finished 22-9 overall, runner-up in the BIG EAST, and reached the program's first Sweet 16 since 1974.
   Creighton has four players averaging at least 11 points per game, including the trio of Ryan Hawkins (13.2 ppg., 7.5 rpg.), Ryan Nembhard (11.7 ppg., 4.4 apg.) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (12.2 ppg., 7.2 rpg., 3.1 bpg.).
   Alex O'Connell (13.2 ppg.) had a career-high 22 points on Jan. 15 at Xavier, then outdid himself and scored 28 points in Wednesday's win vs. St. John's. He leads the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.550), three-point percentage (.528) and three-pointers per game (3.17) in league action.
   More than 39 percent of Creighton's points this season have come from freshmen, who composed much of the team's top-10 recruiting class.
   Creighton averages 70.9 points per game while allowing 65.5 per game. CU shoots 46.8 percent from the floor, 31.9 percent from deep and 70.9 percent at the line. The Jays are +5.5 on the glass but have also turned the ball over an average of 15.0 times per game.

Scouting Butler
Butler is 9-10 this season and 2-6 in BIG EAST play after a playing six ranked teams in its past seven games. Inside historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler is 6-4, but just 1-3 in league action.
   The Bulldogs have lost four straight games since a 72-58 win at Georgetown on Jan. 13th.
   Chuck Harris leads a balanced effort with 10.8 points per game, just ahead of Bryce Golden (9.3 ppg.), Jayden Taylor (9.2 ppg.), Jair Bolden (8.6 ppg.) and Bryce Nze (8.1 ppg., 5.7 rpg.).
   Fifth-year senior Aaron Thompson (7.4 ppg., 4.0 apg.) also returns to man the point guard position and ranks as one of the league's top defenders.
   The Bulldogs average 62.1 points per game while shooting 41.6 percent from the field, 31.2 percent from three-point range and 68.9 percent at the line. BU surrenders 65.1 points per game and forces 12.3 turnovers per contest.

The Series With Butler
Creighton is 14-10 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 not played on a neutral site.
   Creighton is 3-8 all-time in Indianapolis against the Bulldogs, including a 2-6 mark since the schools became BIG EAST rivals.
   Greg McDermott is 10-9 in his career vs. Butler, including a 10-7 mark on the Creighton sideline. He is 5-4 against LaVall Jordan, with the home team winning each time (except one neutral meeting).
   Since joining the BIG EAST, Creighton is 9-1 when scoring 72 or more points against the Bulldogs and 1-6 when scoring 71 points or less.
   Butler beat Creighton 70-66 in overtime last January 16th in Indianapolis before CU walloped the Bulldogs 93-73 on March 6 in Omaha and again 87-56 five days later at the BIG EAST Tournament.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 265-130 record in his 12th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 545-325 in his 28th season, and is 414-261 in his 21st Division I campaign.
   McDermott led Creighton to its first BIG EAST regular-season title in 2019-20, taking a Bluejay team that was picked seventh in the league's preseason poll and ending the year ranked seventh nationally. The Cascade, Iowa native then coached Creighton to its first Sweet 16 since 1974 in 2020-21 and to a share of its first regular-season BIG EAST title in 2019-20.
   McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000).
   He is assisted by Alan Huss, Ryan Miller and Jalen Courtney-Williams.

With A Win...
- Creighton would win its third straight game.
- Creighton would start 5-2 (or better) in league play for the eighth time in 12 seasons under Greg McDermott.
- Creighton would snap a four-game losing streak at Hinkle Fieldhouse, its longest active road skid against any active BIG EAST member. CU's last win inside the arena that's on the National Historic Landmark list came Jan. 31, 2017.
- Teams with Ryan Hawkins would improve to 172-13 at the college level, and 97-8 in league play.
- Win or lose, Creighton will extend its stretch of being .500 or better in league play to 26 games, the BIG EAST's only streak of 10 or longer.

Strong League Start Projects To Postseason
Creighton has started 5-2 or better in league play in seven of Greg McDermott's first 11 seasons at the helm. This year's squad is 4-2 heading into Wednesday's game at Butler.
   Six of those teams to start like that reached the NCAA Tournament, while a seventh reached the quarterfinals of the NIT.
   Each of Creighton's 15 teams since 1988-89 to start 5-2, 6-1 or 7-0 after seven games in league play have reached the postseason, a stretch that includes 10 NCAA Tournaments and five NIT's.
   Last year CU started 6-1 in league play and finished in second place at 14-6 overall in BIG EAST action.
Hinkle Magic
Though it has lost four straight games at Hinkle Fieldhouse to Butler, the college basketball shrine was still home to one of the top moments in Bluejay history last March.
   It's the site of where Creighton defeated Ohio 72-58 to reach the program's first Sweet 16 since 1974.
   Alas, any hope at a Hoosiers' type moment came to an abrupt end six days later when the Bluejays lost to undefeated and top-ranked Gonzaga, also at Hinkle Fieldhouse. That Gonzaga team included Andrew Nembhard, the older brother of current CU point guard Ryan Nembhard.

In Huss We Trust
With head coach Greg McDermott sidelined by COVID-19 protocols last Saturday, assistant Alan Huss led the Bluejay coaching efforts in Creighton's 60-47 victory over DePaul last Saturday.
   It's not the first time that Huss has taken the lead on the sideline, as also served as interim head coach in Creighton's 93-73 win vs. Butler last season on March 6, 2021.
   Huss has never been a full-time college head coach but was previously a head coach at several prep schools, including La Lumiere in La Porte, Ind., about 150 miles north of Indianapolis.
   Huss will also lead the coaching staff in Wednesday's game at Butler, as McDermott cannot escape protocols until Thursday at the earliest.

Recapping DePaul
- Creighton used a 23-2 run to overcome an 11-point second half deficit to defeat DePaul, 60-47, on Saturday.
- Saturday's win vs. DePaul was Creighton's 15th straight win in the series against the Blue Demons.
- Seventeen of the last 19 meetings with DePaul have been decided by 10 or more points.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner had a career-high six blocked shots, the most by a Bluejay since Gregory Echenique had six swats vs. Wichita State on March 10, 2013.
- Freshman Trey Alexander scored a season-best 12 points and collected a season-best three steals.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner became Creighton's first player with at least 18 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks in the same game since Kenny Lawson Jr. had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocks on Jan. 3, 2010 at Evansville.
- DePaul's 47 points were the fewest ever allowed by the Bluejays in a BIG EAST game.
- Creighton was without head coach Greg McDermott (COVID protocols), while DePaul was without standout guard Javon Freeman-Liberty.
- Creighton has now won its sixth conference game of the year in 24 of the last 28 seasons.

Trey's Bien
Creighton guard Trey Alexander was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week, the sixth time in 10 weeks a Bluejay has earned the league honor.
   Alexander averaged 11.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals in a pair of Creighton wins last week.
   The Oklahoma City product had a career-high 11 points and four assists in Creighton's win on Wednesday vs. St. John's, adding five rebounds.
   In Saturday's come-from-behind win vs. DePaul, Alexander scored all of his new career-high 12 points after halftime as the Bluejays outscored the Blue Demons, 37-15. Alexander also finished the afternoon with seven rebounds, two assists and a career-high three steals.
   Creighton classmate Ryan Nembhard has already won the honor five times this season.

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 26 victories since the start of the 2010-11 season after trailing by double-figures at some point, including three such rallies this season. In Saturday's win vs. DePaul, CU trailed 34-23 a minute into the second half before beginning its push.
   Twelve of those 26 comebacks have come away from home.
   Creighton's comeback from 16 points down vs. SIUE on Nov. 27 was its biggest since rallying from 16 points down at Seton Hall on Jan. 27th.
   If you're curious, CU's largest comeback win since 2000 came on Jan. 28, 2006, when the Jays trailed 25-6 early before rallying to beat Wichita State on a buzzer-beater by Anthony Tolliver.
CU's Double-Digit Comebacks Since 2010-11
Deficit   Opponent   Date
18   #18 Oklahoma   11/19/14
17   at San Diego State   11/30/11
16   at Evansville   02/16/13
16   at Seton Hall   01/27/21
16   SIU Edwardsville   11/27/21
15   Arkansas-Pine Bluff   11/09/21
14   Evansville   02/21/12
13   at Saint Joseph's   11/16/13
13   Xavier   01/12/14
13   #22 Xavier   12/23/20
12   Saint Joseph's   12/11/10
12   at DePaul   01/17/16
12   East Tennessee State   11/11/18
11   at Wichita State   12/31/11
11   Northern Iowa   01/10/12
11   vs. Alabama   03/16/12
11   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/16
11   vs. Connecticut   03/12/21
11   DePaul   01/22/22
10   UAB   11/14/12
10   vs. Drake   03/02/12
10   at Nebraska   12/07/14
10   South Dakota   12/09/14
10   St. John's   01/03/18
10   at DePaul   02/07/18
10   Bemidji State   02/13/18

Defense Steps Up
Creighton allowed just 15 points in the second half of last Saturday's victory vs. DePaul.
   It was the fewest points allowed in the second half of a game against a Division I team since the Bluejays did it twice in a 10-day span in 2001 when Alan Huss was wrapping up his senior season.
   DePaul's 47 points were the least allowed by Creighton in a conference game since joining the BIG EAST, and fewest since a 59-45 win vs. Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2013.

SWAT Team
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns a blocked shot in each of Creighton's last 15 games, including multiple rejections in all but two of those contests.
   Kaklbrenner is the first Bluejay with a swat in 15 straight games or longer since Gregory Echenique registered a rejection in the final 12 games of 2010-11 and continued it into the first five games of the 2011-12 campaign.
   Kalkbrenner owns multiple blocked shots in each of Creighton's last 10 wins.

Kalkbrenner Doubles Up
Just halfway into his sophomore season, Ryan Kalkbrenner has surpassed all of his totals from all of last season already.
   Last season Kalkbrenner had 182 points, 108 rebounds, 38 blocks and 29 dunks in 422 minutes. This year Kalkbrenner owns 207 points, 123 rebounds, 52 blocks and 35 dunks in 456 minutes.
   A big part of that has been his increased stamina. Even though his minutes per game have nearly doubled from 13.6 to 26.8 minutes per game, his per-minute stats have also risen.
Per 40 Minutes - Ryan Kalkbrenner
Year   PTS/40   REB/40   BLOCKS/40   DUNKS/40
2020-21   17.3   10.2   3.6   2.7
2021-22   18.2   10.8   4.6   3.1

All Ball
Ryan Kalkbrenner ranks second in the BIG EAST and 13th nationally with 3.06 blocked shots per game, a figure that ranks as the best by a Bluejay since Benoit Benjamin averaged 5.06 blocks per game in 1984-85.
   Though he's got an uphill climb to catch Big Ben, Kalkbrenner is still on track to become the first Bluejay to average more than 2.00 blocks per game since Chad Gallagher (2.19) in 1990-91.
   Of Kalkbrenner's 52 blocked shots this year, only 10 have gone out of bounds, whereas Creighton has rebounded 27 of the rejections.
   Making the 7-foot-1 sophomore's accomplishments all the more impressive is that the big man owns 52 blocks but has been called for just 22 fouls. Through games of Jan. 23, that made him the nation's only player with more than 32 blocked shots and 22 personal fouls or less.
   Kalkbrenner owns 90 career blocked shots. He ranks ninth in Creighton history in that category.
Most Career Blocked Shots (Since 1979-80)
   Blk.   Name   Years
   411   Benoit Benjamin   1982-85
   183   Chad Gallagher   1987-91
   174   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
   153   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2006-11
   138   Brody Deren   2001-04
   136   Anthony Tolliver   2003-07
   109   Doug Swenson   1997-99
   104   Joe Dabbert   2000-04
   90   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Present
   82   Christian Bishop   2018-21

You've Been Blocked!
Ryan Kalkbrenner had five blocked shots on both Nov. 22 vs. Southern Illinois and Nov. 27 vs. SIUE. Just how rare is that? In Greg McDermott's 12 years on the Creighton sideline, the only Bluejay with multiple games of 5+ blocks in the same season had been Gregory Echenique, who did it in 2010-11 (2x) as well as 2012-13 (4x).
   Kalkbrenner owns six different games this season with five blocks or more, with three of those coming against top-25 foes (BYU, Villanova, Xavier).
   Kalkbrenner became the first Bluejay with five swats in consecutive games since Benoit Benjamin did it in six straight games from Jan. 27-Feb. 14, 1985. Benjamin had a streak of 7, 12, 6, 5, 5 and 6 rejections during that stretch.
   Benjamin set MVC records that still stand with 411 career blocks and 162 rejections in 1984-85.

Block Party
After owning seven or more blocked shots in a game just nine times in Greg McDermott's first 11 seasons on the Bluejay sideline, Creighton has seven contests this winter with at least seven swats.
   Creighton is 11-5 all-time under McDermott when blocking seven or more shots, and the five losses have come by a combined 17 points.
   Creighton's 5.12 blocked shots per game as a team this winter is its best figure since averaging 6.03 blocks per game in 1984-85.
   Creighton is 7-1 this season when blocking six shots or more.

Did You Know?
Creighton has beaten Butler by 20 or more points each of the past two meetings.
   It is believed that the last time Creighton beat the same conference team by 20 or more points in three straight meetings came between 1941-43, when the Bluejays drubbed Tulsa 54-23, 59-38 and 65-26.

Not Your Ordinary Freshman
Arthur Kaluma had a season-high 20 points on last Wednesday vs. St. John's.
   Kaluma (8.6 ppg.) and classmate Ryan Nembhard (11.7 ppg.) are attempting to become the seventh and eighth Creighton freshmen in the past 28 seasons to average at least 10 points per game.
   In that span, five previous Bluejay freshmen have averaged 10.5 points per game or more, and each was named league Freshman of the Year.
   Before this season, Creighton hadn't had a freshman score 20 points in a game since Marcus Zegarowski vs. Coe on Dec. 20, 2018.
CU Freshmen With 20+ Point Games, Since 1994-95
   20+ Point Games   Name   Season
   6   Rodney Buford   1995-96
   6   Doug McDermott   2010-11
   5   Justin Patton   2016-17
   4   P'Allen Stinnett   2007-08
   3   Kyle Korver   1999-00
   2   Terrell Taylor   1999-00
   1   Ryan Sears   1999-00
   1   Ben Walker   1999-00
   1   Ethan Wragge   2009-10
   1   Toby Hegner   2014-15
   1   Khyri Thomas   2015-16
   1   Mitch Ballock   2017-18
   1   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-19
   1   Ryan Nembhard   2021-22
   1   Arthur Kaluma   2021-22

Most Points Per Game, CU Freshmen, Since 1994-95
   PPG   Name   Season
   14.9   *Doug McDermott   2010-11
   14.5   *Rodney Buford   1995-96
   12.9   *Justin Patton   2015-16
   12.6   *P'Allen Stinnett   2007-08
   11.7   Ryan Nembhard   2021-22
   10.5   *Ryan Sears   1997-98
   10.4   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-19
*Went on to win league Freshman of the Year

Home Court Advantage
Creighton has won its first three BIG EAST home games by 20 (Villanova), 23 (St. John's) and 13 (DePaul) points
   It's the first time Creighton has won its initial three league games at home by double-figures since 2012-13.
   That 2012-13 team, which finished 28-8 overall and 13-5 in Missouri Valley Conference play to win the regular-season title, actually won its first six league games by double-digits.

Filling The Gym
Creighton ranks sixth nationally this season with 16,357 fans per home game.
2021-22 NCAA Home Attendance Per Game Leaders
   Rank   School   Average
   1.   Kentucky   19,104
   2.   Arkansas   18,853
   3.   North Carolina   17,448
   4.   Syracuse   17,382
   5.   Tennessee   16,879
   6.   Creighton   16,357
   7.   Kansas   16,211
   8.   Wisconsin   16,035
   9.   Indiana   15,315

Arthur The Great?
Since 1983-84, Arthur Kaluma is just Creighton's fifth player to average 8.0 points and 4.0 rebounds as a true freshman.
   The only others to do it are Doug McDermott (2010-11), Rodney Buford (1995-96), Bob Harstad (1987-88) and Chad Gallagher (1987-88).
   What do McDermott, Buford, Harstad and Gallagher have in common? They rank as the top four career scorers in Creighton Basketball history.
8 PPG & 4 RPG as True Freshmen Since 1983-84
Name, Fr. Year   Fr. PPG   Fr. RPG   Career Pts.
Doug McDermott, 2010-11   14.9   7.2   3,150
Rodney Buford, 1995-96   14.5   4.2   2,116
Bob Harstad, 1987-88   9.0   8.5   2,110
Chad Gallagher, 1987-88   11.4   5.3   1,983
Arthur Kaluma, 2021-22   8.6   4.7   146

Kaluma In Elite Company
Arthur Kaluma is one of four freshmen nationally from the BIG EAST or a Power Five Conference to be averaging at least 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.7 blocked shots per game.
   He's joined by a pair of projected top-3 NBA Draft picks, Duke's Paolo Banchero and Auburn's Jabari Smith, as well as Michigan's Moussa Diabate.
Power 5/BIG EAST Frosh With 8 PPG/4 RPG/0.7 BPG
Name, School   PPG   RPG   BPG
Paolo Banchero, Duke   17.9   7.9   0.9
Jabari Smith, Auburn   15.7   6.3   1.1
Moussa Diabate   9.1   6.1   0.7
Arthur Kaluma, Creighton   8.6   4.7   0.7

What's The Difference?
Creighton is off to a 4-2 start in league play, but the difference in a number of categories really jump out.
Stat   4 BE Wins   2 BE Losses
Points/Game   75.2   57.0
Points Allowed/Game   59.8   77.5
Reb. Margin   +13.0   -4.0
Offensive Rebounds/Game   14.3   6.0
3FG/Game   9.3   6.0
A/TO Ratio   61/64   22/37
CU's FG% Defense   .365   .443
After Halftime Score   160-119   58-90
Ryan Hawkins PPG   15.3   6.5
Ryan Kalkbrenner Reb./Game   10.5   4.0
R. Andronikashvili Assists/Game   3.3   0.5

BIG EAST Pacesetters
- Ryan Kalkbrenner leads the BIG EAST with 3.6 offensive rebounds per game in all games and 3.8 offensive rebounds per game in league play.
- Ryan Hawkins leads the BIG EAST with 8.0 defensive rebounds per game in league action.
- Alex O'Connell leads the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.550), three-point percentage (.528) and three-pointers per game (3.17) in league action.
- Creighton leads the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.468) in all games, while Butler (.416) is 11th (worst) in the league in that category.
- Creighton also leads the BIG EAST with 28.9 defensive rebounds per game for all games.
- In league play, CU leads the BIG EAST in field goal percentage defense (.390).
- CU also best in the BIG EAST in three-point field goal percentage defense (.263), while Butler shoots it a league-worst 27.0 percent from deep in league contests.
- Creighton is a league-best +7.3 on the glass in conference play, while Butler ranks 10th at -7.6 caroms per contest.

Shooters Shoot
In league play only, Creighton is third the BIG EAST with 8.17 three-pointers per game and is sixth in the conference with 34.3 percent marksmanship from deep.
   That improvement is a welcome sign after the Bluejays ranked last in the league with 6.09 treys per game and 30.3 percent accuracy from deep in non-conference action.

Iron Men
Creighton's Ryan Nembhard ranks third in the BIG EAST with 34.5 minutes per game as he attempts to become the first freshman to lead the BIG EAST in minutes per game (all games) in the last 15 seasons.
   Nembhard's 34.5 minutes per game average in all games is on pace to be the most by a BIG EAST freshman in 10 years, as Providence's LaDontae Henton (37.2), St. John's Maurice Harkless (36.1) and St. John's D'Angelo Harrison (35.3) all did it in 2011-12. No BIG EAST freshman has averaged more than 34 minutes per game since.

O'Connell Can
Senior Alex O'Connell had six points on Saturday vs. DePaul, snapping a streak in which he had scored in double-figures in seven straight games.
   He scored a career-high 22 points at No. 17 Xavier on Jan. 15th, making 7-of-10 shots, 4-of-6 three-pointers and all four free throw tries, before upping that with a new high of 28 points vs. St. John's on Wednesday, including a career-high six three-pointers.
   After scoring in double-figures just 13-of-101 games at Duke and 3-of-24 contests last season at Creighton, O'Connell has scored 10 or more points in 13-of-17 battles this season.
   The Georgia native is averaging 13.1 points per game overall this season and 16.3 points per game in BIG EAST action. Both figures lead the team.

Chairmen Of The Boards
Creighton is 9-0 this season when grabbing 10 or more offensive rebounds. The Bluejays average 11.75 offensive rebounds in its 12 wins, compared to 7.60 offensive boards in its five losses.
   One big reason for CU's success on the offensive glass has been Ryan Kalkbrenner. The sophomore leads the league in that category (3.6 orpg.) grabbed 13 offensive rebounds in two wins last week (7 vs. St. John's, 6 vs. DePaul).
   Creighton is undefeated over the past two seasons when grabbing 10 or more offensive rebounds, going 14-0 since a loss on March 1, 2020 to St. John's.

Top 25 Success
A 79-59 win vs. No. 9 Villanova coupled with an 83-71 win vs. No. 24 BYU means Creighton owns a pair double-digit wins over top-25 competition this season, something only four other schools can also claim. Gonzaga's done it three times while Villanova, Oklahoma and Iowa State have also done it twice.
   The Bluejays have now beaten multiple top-25 foes each of the last seven seasons (2015-16 to 2021-22), something only Baylor, Gonzaga, Purdue, Texas Tech and Villanova can also claim. Five other schools have beaten multiple top-25 foes in each of the previous six seasons --   Florida State, Kansas (1), Michigan, Michigan State (1), Penn State and West Virginia (1) but are still seeking two top-25 wins this winter.
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
   2   2021-22   #9 Villanova, #24 BYU

Up, Up And Away
Since Feb. 19, 2019, Creighton owns a 36-13 mark in regular-season BIG EAST games. That's three 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 had the most wins in 2020-21 as well.
Conference Records Since Feb. 19, 2019
(Through Jan. 23, 2022)
Team   After 2/19/19   '19-20   '20-21   '21-22   Total
Creighton   5-0   13-5   14-6   4-2   36-13
Villanova   2-3   13-5   11-4   7-2   33-14
Providence   3-2   12-6   9-10   6-1   30-19
Seton Hall   2-3   13-5   10-9   3-4   28-21
UConn   2-4#   10-8#   11-6   4-2    27-20
Marquette   2-4   8-10   8-11   6-3   24-28
Xavier   4-1   8-10   6-7   4-3   22-21
Butler   1-4   10-8   8-12   2-6   21-30
St. John's   1-4   5-13   10-9   2-4   18-30
Georgetown   4-2   5-13   7-9   0-5   16-29
DePaul   2-3   3-15   2-13   1-7   8-38
#includes 2018-19 and 2019-20 in the AAC

Among The Best
Since the league's 2013 realignment, Villanova has 121 league wins to lead the BIG EAST by a wide margin, but Creighton's 87 league victories are second-most.
Men's Basketball BIG EAST Wins, 2013-14 to 1/23/22
Team   W   L   Pct.
Villanova   121   29   .807
Creighton   87   65   .572
Xavier   84   62   .575
Providence   84   67   .556
Seton Hall   79   73   .520
Butler   74   80   .481
Marquette   74   80   .481
Georgetown   58   88   .397
St. John's   57   94   .377
DePaul   31   118   .208
Connecticut   15   8   .652

Nembhard Bags Fifth Freshman Honor
Creighton point guard Ryan Nembhard was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for the fifth time this season on Monday, Jan. 17th.
   Nembhard had 18 points, six assists, three steals and two rebounds in an 80-73 defeat at #17 Xavier on Saturday. Nembhard's eight field goals were a season-best while his three steals matched his personal high.
   The Aurora, Ontario, Canada product was previously honored on Nov. 15, Nov. 22, Nov. 29 and Dec. 20, while the rest of the league's freshmen have combined to win four total accolades.
   Nembhard is Creighton men's basketball's first player named Freshman or Newcomer of the Week five times in the same season since Doug McDermott was recognized as Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week seven times in 2010-11.

Hawkins, Villanova or COVID?
It's tough to predict who will win the national title in mid-January, but if the past is any indication, there was a good chance an unstoppable force was on the floor at Finneran Pavilion on Jan. 5th.
   Each of the past six basketball seasons have seen either Villanova, Ryan Hawkins or COVID-19 emerge above all others end the season.
   Villanova won the Division I national title in 2015-16 and 2017-18.
   Hawkins was part of the Northwest Missouri State teams that won national titles at the Division II level in 2016-17, 2018-19 and 2020-21.
   COVID-19 ended the 2019-20 season, a year in which Creighton and Villanova were likely headed towards top-three seeds. Meanwhile, Hawkins' Northwest Missouri State team was the top-ranked squad in the Division II ranks and finished with 31-1 overall record and on a 23-game win streak.
Year   National Champion
2015-16   Villanova
2016-17   Ryan Hawkins (Northwest Missouri State)
2017-18   Villanova
2018-19   Ryan Hawkins (Northwest Missouri State)
2019-20   COVID-19
2020-21   Ryan Hawkins (Northwest Missouri State)

How's This, For Starters?
Creighton and Villanova are the only two teams in the BIG EAST Conference to have used the same starting five for every game this season.
   Creighton's bench has scored 207 points in 17 games, while Nova's reserve corps have scored 218 points in 18 games.
   What makes it all the more impressive is that the five men to start for Creighton this year had combined for ZERO combined starts as Bluejays entering the season, whereas Villanova's Collin Gillespie (87), Justin Moore (41), Jermaine Samuels (76) and Brandon Slater (2) had 206 career starts as a Wildcat entering this winter.

Frosh Watch
Creighton is winning at a regular rate despite playing three freshmen (Trey Alexander, Arthur Kaluma, Ryan Nembhard) more than 22 minutes per game.
   On a national basis through Jan. 23, only 153 players classified as freshmen (true, redshirt or otherwise) were playing 22 minutes per game per Basketball-Reference.com.
   Only seven of those freshmen are from the BIG EAST, and besides Alexander, Kaluma and Nembhard the only other true freshmen in the BIG EAST playing 22 minutes per game or more are Georgetown's Aminu Mohammed and Butler's Jayden Taylor.
   CU is the only team nationally to play three true freshmen more than 22 minutes per game.
   And speaking of freshman minutes, Nembhard ranks fifth nationally among all freshmen with 34.5 minutes per game. The next-closest freshman from a Power 5 or BIG EAST program is Nebraska's Bryce McGowens (33.6 mpg.).

Nembhard A Consistent Threat
Ryan Nembhard's 199 points through 17 games are tied for the second-most by any Bluejay true freshman in the last 35 seasons, trailing only Doug McDermott and even with Rodney Buford.
   McDermott would finish his career with 3,150 in 145 career games to rank fifth in NCAA history.
   McDermott and Buford (2,116) are the top two career scorers in Creighton history.
Most Points, CU Newcomers First 17 Games Since 1995-96
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year   After 18
   307   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17   328
   238   Justin Patton, Fr.   2016-17   252
   234   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16   243
   229   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11   236
   225   Ryan Hawkins, Sr.   2021-22   ? ? ?
   210   Denzel Mahoney, Jr.   2019-20   213
   199   Rodney Buford, Fr.   1995-96   218
   199   Ryan Nembhard, Fr.   2021-22   ? ? ?
   195   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08   197
   187   Doug Swenson, Jr.   1997-98   196
   186   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02   199
   185   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11   197
   180   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16   180
   178   Marcus Zegarowski, Fr.   2018-19   195
   168   Ryan Sears, Fr.   1997-98   185

Youth Is Served
Creighton has just seven non-freshmen on this year's roster, and is playing multiple freshmen on a consistent basis this season. Creighton has had at least one freshman on the floor for every second of every game this season, and actually had a late stretch of 1:28 vs. Colorado State when all five of its players on the floor were freshmen.
   Creighton has outscored teams by 124 when it has two freshmen or less on the court, but have been outscored by 31 points when it has three or more freshmen on the floor.
   All told, 1597:13 of Creighton's 3,450 total minutes (46.30 percent) have been played by freshmen this season.
   By comparison, last season Creighton had a freshman on the floor just 32.4 percent of the time and had multiple freshmen on the floor just 17 minutes (of 1,250) all season (1.4 percent). Only 7.5 percent (465:52 of 6250) of CU's overall minutes were played by freshmen in 2020-21.
Freshmen   Time   Score   Margin
0 freshmen:   Never   --   --
1 freshmen:   33:45   54-49   +5
2 freshmen:   435:51   828-709   +119
3 freshmen:   170:35   275-285   (-10)
4 freshmen:   38:21   44-68   (-24)
5 freshmen:   1:28   5-2   +3

We're Jamming!
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 35 dunks this season and 64 in his career. As a team, Creighton owns 70 dunks this season. Here's a look at the Creighton student-athletes with 20 or more dunks in a season, and 25 or more dunks in a career, under McDermott:
Most Creighton Dunks, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Year
74   Martin Krampelj   2018-19
72   Justin Patton   2016-17
50   Christian Bishop   2020-21
38   Christian Bishop   2019-20
36   Gregory Echenique   2012-13
35   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2021-22
33   Martin Krampelj   2017-18
30   Gregory Echenique   2011-12
29   Marcus Foster   2017-18
29   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-21
24   Gregory Echenique   2010-11
23   Marcus Foster   2016-17
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11
20   Khyri Thomas   2017-18

Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Years
121   Martin Krampelj   2015-19
103   Christian Bishop   2018-21
90   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
72   Justin Patton   2016-17
64   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
52   Marcus Foster   2016-18
51   Khyri Thomas   2015-18
38   Will Artino   2011-15
33   Zach Hanson   2013-17
25   Geoffrey Groselle   2012-16
25   Damien Jefferson   2018-21

Most Creighton Dunks, Team, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Year   Team W-L
144   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
107   2017-18   21-12 (NCAA)
106   2018-19   20-15 (NIT)
90   2020-21   22-9 (NCAA)
70   2021-22   12-5 so far
60   2019-20   24-7 (Postseason Canceled)
58   2015-16   20-15 (NIT)
56   2010-11   23-16 (CBI)
54   2012-13   28-8 (NCAA)
42   2011-12   29-6 (NCAA)
35   2013-14   27-8 (NCAA)
29   2014-15   14-19

Our 2, D Too
Unlike past Creighton teams that thrived from three-point land, this year's Bluejay squad is dominating from two-point range.
   Creighton ranks 19th nationally (per BartTorvik.com) with its shooting 55.7 percent from two-point range. That's its second-best mark ever under Greg McDermott (59.0 in 2017-18) and includes a 60.6 percent mark from inside the paint.
   Defensively, Creighton is holding the opposition to 43.1 percent shooting from two-point range, the nation's 10th-best figure. That's CU's best mark under McDermott, far surpassing the 45.5 percent mark allowed by the 2012-13 club. Bluejay foes are shooting just 47.4 percent in the paint this season.

#1 In The Record Book; #44 In Your Program
Ryan Hawkins leads every active player at the Division I level in career rebounds (1,076) and field goals made (832) and is second in points (2,323).
   Hawkins also ranks in the top 11 among the nation's active Division I players in double-doubles (6th), games played (9th), three-pointers made (9th) and steals (11th).
   And while it's not among the categories the NCAA tracks among active players, it's worth noting that Hawkins owns 103 career games of 10 or more points. The NCAA Division I record in that category is 135, done by former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott.

Only In 2020-21 (Let's Hope)
Though Creighton's 14 BIG EAST wins last season were three more than any other team in the BIG EAST, the Bluejays were the second seed in the conference tournament since the league decided before the season to go by winning percentage to determine a league champion and seeds.
   The BIG EAST wasn't alone in this. It was 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, in 2020-21
League   Conf. 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

Conference Openers Have Gone Well
Creighton owns a 17-7 record in its last 24 conference openers after a 79-59 win vs. Villanova in its last outing.
   Greg McDermott is 12-9 all-time in conference openers as a Division I head coach, including an 8-4 mark at Creighton (6-3 in the BIG EAST).
   The last team to win a share of any BIG EAST regular-season title after losing the league opener was the 2012-13 Georgetown club. No squad has won an outright title after losing the league opener since Notre Dame won the West Division in 2000-01. And no team has won a league outright title in a one-division BIG EAST after losing the league lid-lifter since Georgetown in 1988-89.
Yearly League Openers Under Greg McDermott
Year   Won (Final W-L)   Lost (Final W-L)
2010-11   Illinois St. (10-8)
2011-12       Missouri St. (14-4)
2012-13   Evansville (13-5)
2013-14   Marquette (14-4)
2014-15       Providence (4-14)
2015-16   St. John's (9-9)
2016-17   Seton Hall (10-8)
2017-18       Seton Hall (10-8)
2018-19   Providence (9-9)
2019-20   Marquette (13-5)
2020-21       Marquette (14-6)
2021-22   #9 Villanova (TBD)

Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked eighth in the preseason BIG EAST Conference poll that was selected via a vote of league coaches.
   Villanova was a unanimous selection to win the league, with Connecticut and Xavier finishing second and third, respectively. St. John's is fourth, followed by Seton Hall, Butler, Providence and Creighton. Rounding out the poll are Marquette, Georgetown and DePaul.
   Villanova standout Collin Gillespie was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, and was joined on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team by Nate Watson (Providence), Julian Champagnie (St. John's), Jared Rhoden (Seton Hall), Paul Scruggs (Xavier) and Zach Freemantle (Xavier).
   Creighton is the only school in the league that has met or exceeded its preseason BIG EAST prognostication every year since joining the league, as seen below:
Creighton's BIG EAST Preseason Poll History
Year    Preseason    Actual    Preseason All-BIG EAST
2013-14    3rd    2nd    Doug McDermott (1st)
2014-15    9th    T-9th    -
2015-16    9th    6th    -
2016-17    3rd    T-3rd    Maurice Watson Jr. (1st); Marcus Foster (HM)
2017-18    5th    T-3rd    Marcus Foster (1st); Khyri Thomas (HM)
2018-19    9th    T-3rd    Martin Krampelj (HM)
2019-20    7th    T-1st   Ty-Shon Alexander (1st)
2020-21    2nd    2nd   Marcus Zegarowski (1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd)
2021-22   8th   ? ? ?   --

Wins On Wins on Wins
Creighton's Nov. 21 loss vs. Colorado State was the first time in the six-year college career of Ryan Hawkins that one of his teams lost on a neutral floor. The Northwest Missouri State transfer is now 40-1 on neutral sites when you include his 3-1 mark this year.
   He enters Wednesday's game vs. Butler with a team record of 171-13 (.929) at all sites.
   CU's January 1st win at Marquette marked the 100th conference game of Hawkins' college career. He's currently 96-8 in those games.

Hawkins Scores 25
Ryan Hawkins scored 25 points vs. No. 19 Iowa State. It was the 96th time in his career that the Atlantic, Iowa native scored in double-figures, and 46th time he's scored 20 points or more in a game.
   Hawkins' 25 points were the most by a Bluejay in any game this season, and most by any CU player against a top-25 team since Marcus Zegarowski scored 25 points in an 86-70 win vs. No. 5 Villanova on Feb. 13, 2021.
   Hawkins then scored 25 points against No. 24 BYU in his next outing, making him the first Bluejay with back-to-back games of 25 or more points since Marcus Foster had consecutive 29 point efforts on Feb. 7 & 10, 2018.
   Hawkins is the first Bluejay with multiple games of 25+ points vs. top-25 teams in the same season since Ty-Shon Alexander in 2018-19. Marcus Foster in 2017-18 is the last person with three such games in a season.

The Ryan Express
Creighton has started three players with the first name of Ryan in each game this winter, as Ryan Nembhard, Ryan Hawkins and Ryan Kalkbrenner are all entrenched as starters. Those three men are also three of CU's top four scorers (along with Alex O'Connell).
   In the Dec. 11 win vs. No. 24 BYU, Nembhard, Hawkins and Kalkbrenner combined for 56 points, 21 rebounds and seven blocked shots.
    For the season, the "Ryan Express" has contributed 71.3 percent of Creighton's blocked shots, 52.3 percent of its points, 53.6 percent of its assists, 49.2 percent of its rebounds grabbed and 46.1 percent of its steals.
   Creighton had not started multiple players with the same first name in the same regular-season game since Nov. 18, 2006, when both Nick Porter and Nick Bahe started against Nebraska.
   Creighton has not had a season in which three players with the same first name all started at least once in the regular-season since at least 1980.
   With so many men named Ryan (not to mention assistant coach Ryan Miller), the Bluejay staff has gone to referring to Hawkins as "Hawk", the 7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner as "Big Ryan" and Nembhard as "R2", in honor of his uniform number, as well as "Coach Miller".

Elite Company For Hawkins
In 1991 when Creighton was in the Missouri Valley Conference, former Bluejay Bob Harstad (along with Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird and Xavier McDaniel) was one the answers to the trivia question of "Who are the only four players in MVC history with 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds"?
   Years later, Doug McDermott finished his career with 3,150 points and 1,088 rebounds, though not all those rebounds came while playing within The Valley.
   So what's the point, you're asking? Creighton senior Ryan Hawkins owns 2,323 career points and 1,076 career rebounds, though the majority of his totals were accumulated at the Division II level at Northwest Missouri State.
   Entering this season, only 117 players in NCAA history have achieved 2,000 points and 1,000 points at the Division I level.

A Good Start
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 17 games under Greg McDermott. Notably, the Bluejays have been 9-8 or better each campaign.
Creighton Stats Through 17 Games, Since 2010-11
Year   W-L   FG%   3FG%   FT%   PPG   Opp PPG
2021-22   12-5   .468   .319   .709   70.9   65.5
2020-21   13-4   .485   .369   .667   80.2   69.4
2019-20   13-4   .464   .360   .721   77.1   68.1
2018-19   10-7   .511   .439   .662   84.5   77.4
2017-18   14-3   .515   .385   .746   89.9   72.0
2016-17   16-1   .537   .414   .683   86.8   71.5
2015-16   12-5   .496   .388   .691   85.2   74.4
2014-15      9-8   .420   .336   .749   69.4   65.8
2013-14   15-2   .491   .433   .753   82.6   65.0
2012-13   16-1   .522   .453   .754   79.8   61.7
2011-12   15-2   .514   .457   .699   82.2   69.3
2010-11   12-5   .437   .326   .749   67.4   62.8

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

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

Five Threats To Score
All five Creighton starters are averaging at least 8.6 points per game this season, a fact made all the more impressive when you consider that these men owned a total of ZERO career starts as a Bluejay entering this winter.
   Creighton has won 22 straight games when five or more players have 10 points or more.

Nembhard's Big Day
Playing his first collegiate road game, freshman point guard Ryan Nembhard thrived in a hostile environment in Lincoln. The Canadian native had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists.
   Since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010, the only other Bluejays with a 20/5/5 game were Mitch Ballock (1), Marcus Foster (3), Grant Gibbs (1), Doug McDermott (2), Khyri Thomas (2), Maurice Watson Jr. (2) and Marcus Zegarowski (3).
   Nembhard is CU's first freshman with a 20/5/5 line since at least 1981-82.
   Nembhard's 22 points were the most by a Bluejay of any year in their first game vs. Nebraska since at least 1980.

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

Hawk Talk
Ryan Hawkins finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on Nov. 16 at Nebraska. It was just the fourth 15/10/5 game in Greg McDermott's 12 seasons at Creighton, and first since Khyri Thomas had 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a Nov. 15, 2017 Gavitt Tipoff Games win at Northwestern.
   The only others with a 15/10/5 game under McDermott were Austin Chatman (17 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists vs. Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014) and Doug McDermott (30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists at Seton Hall on Jan. 4, 2014).
   Hawkins' performance was CU's first 15/10/5 line without a turnover since at least 1980-81.

Like A Hawk
Ryan Hawkins had 10 or more rebounds in each of CU's first three games. He's the first Bluejay to do that to start a season since Benoit Benjamin's streak of 27 consecutive double-figure rebounding games to open his junior campaign in 1984-85.
   Hawkins owns 42 games with 10 or more rebounds in his college career.

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

Playing With The Lead
In 317 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 85 of those contests, a staggering 26.8 percent of the time.
     Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is
164-38 and hasn't trailed in 60 of those games. He owns an 91-8 record vs. non-conference teams at CHI Health Center Omaha.

Assists 'R' Us
Ryan Nembhard's 10 assists in CU's season-opener were the most by a Bluejay freshman in any game since Marcus Zegarowski had 10 on March 9, 2018 vs. DePaul. He was the nation's ONLY freshman with 10+ assists on the opening night of the college basketball season.
   Prior to Nembhard, no Bluejay (of any year) had dished 10 or more assists in a season-opener since Edward St. Fleur on Nov. 22, 1996 at Wyoming.

Making An Entrance
Arthur Kaluma (15) and Ryan Nembhard (15) became CU's first true freshmen to debut with 10 points or more since Khyri Thomas had 18 points vs. Texas Southern in 2015.
   Nembhard (15 pts., 10 ast.) and Ryan Hawkins (16 pts., 11 reb.) were the first Bluejays since at least 1980 with double-doubles in the season-opener of their debut campaign. No CU player (of any year) had started the season with a double-double since Will Artino (14 pts., 10 reb.) in 2014-15 vs. Central Arkansas.
   Kaluma's eight rebounds were the most by a true freshman in the regular-season opener since Martin Krampelj in 2015 and the most by any Bluejay freshman since redshirt freshman Justin Patton snared eight rebounds in his 2016 debut.
   Kaluma had four blocked shots on Nov. 9 vs. UAPB. The last previous Bluejay newcomer with multiple blocked shots in a season-opener? That'd be Artino on Nov. 11, 2011 vs. North Carolina A&T. Kaluma's four swats were the most by any Bluejay (of any year) on Opening Day since Jeffrey Day had five swats vs. Alcorn State to open the 2004-05 campaign..
   Kaluma (15 & 8) became Creighton's second freshman since at least 1973 to debut with 15+ points and 5+ rebounds, joining Doug McDermott (16 & 7) in 2010.
   Ryan Hawkins grabbed 11 rebounds vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the most by a Bluejay since Damien Jefferson had 12 in 2018. Other than Jefferson, no one's had more than 11 rebounds in their CU debut since Cyril Baptiste snared 17 caroms in 1969. When Hawkins followed with 10 rebounds vs. Kennesaw State, he became CU's first player (of any year) with 10+ rebounds in CU's first two games since Doug Swenson in 1998-99.

Freshman Starts Almost Unheard Of
Between 1992-93 and 2020-21, only four true freshmen started Creighton's regular-season opener. Then on Nov. 9 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, both Ryan Nembhard and Arthur Kaluma got the nod on opening night. Nembhard had 15 points and 10 assists while Kaluma owned 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
   This season marked the first time Creighton started two true freshmen in a regular-season opener since 1991-92 (Eric Dantzler and Mike Amos).
   About the other true freshmen to start...
   Ryan Sears did so in 1997-98. The point guard would go on to start all 124 games of his CU career and remains the program's all-time career assist (570) and steals (283) leader.
   Doug McDermott did so in 2010-11, and he went on to start all 145 games of his career. He would graduate as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 career points and is the only three-time First Team All-American since 1986. He now plays for the San Antonio Spurs.
   Khyri Thomas got a start in 2015-16 and remained in CU's starting five each of his first 24 games, and 96-of-102 career contests with the Jays. He has spent parts of the past three seasons in the NBA.
   Shereef Mitchell joined this elite group in 2019-20 when he got the starting nod against Kennesaw State. Mitchell finished with eight points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals in 28 minutes of work.

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 930 straight games. The streak is the nation's 13th-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 (1/24)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,149   UNLV   1/28
   2.   1,131   Duke   1/25
   3.   1,081   Western Kentucky   1/27
   4.   1,072   East Tennessee State   1/26
   5.   1,050   Oakland   1/27
   6.   1,047   Pacific   1/27
   7.   1,042   Texas   1/25
   8.   988   Marshall   1/27
   9.   981   Baylor   1/25
   10.   975   Princeton   1/29
   11.   967   Gonzaga   1/27
   12.   944   Long Island   1/27
   13.   930   Creighton   1/26
   14.   929   Mount St. Mary's   1/27
   15.   918   Tennessee State   1/27

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 930 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,337 trifectas, an average of 7.89 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 139 times, more than any figure.
   Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 263 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
   Creighton has also made a trifecta in the first half of 301 straight games (since going 0-7 vs. Drake on Jan. 23, 2013). That streak was in serious jeopardy on Opening Day this season as CU missed its first 14 three-point tries before a man named Trey (Alexander) extended the streak.
   Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 41-7 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 15-13 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:    5 times   2: 15 times   3: 33 times
4:    71 times   5:   99 times   6: 99 times
7:   139 times   8:   116 times   9: 90 times
10: 77 times   11: 53 times   12: 49 times
13: 44 times   14: 19 times   15: 7 times
16: 7 times   17: 3 times   19: 1 time
20: 1 time   21: 1 time   22: 1 time

My Name Is...
Only five men who played for Creighton last season are back this winter, and none of them averaged more than 15 minutes per game.
   Per research by TCU, Creighton's 18.0 percent of minutes returning ranks third-lowest among all teams nationally, and is the least among all teams from the BIG EAST or a Power 5 Conference.
Lowest Percentage of Minutes Returning
School   Pct. of Minutes Returning
Tennessee-Martin      0.0
Portland      8.5
Creighton   18.0
Missouri   19.7
Duquesne   23.2
Iowa State   25.1
Robert Morris   26.3
Boston College   27.6
South Alabama   28.6
TCU   29.2

Who's Back?
With Creighton returning only five of the 15 men who appeared in a game last season, it's no surprise that much of the production from 2020-21 is also gone. Below is a breakdown of what is back:
Stat   Returners   Departures
Starts   2 (1.3%)   153 (98.7%)
3FG Made   25 (8.5%)   268 (91.5%)
Assists   68 (14.0%)   417 (86.0%)
Points   371 (15.8%)   1,984 (84.2%)
Minutes   1,124 (18.0%)   5,126 (82.0%)
Steals   39 (18.1%)   177 (81.9%)
Rebounds   207 (20.7%)   794 (79.3%)
Charges Taken   5 (29.4%)   12 (70.6%)
Blocks   39 (37.9%)   64 (62.1%)

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 Jan. 23, 2022
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Made   3,505   3rd
3FG Percentage   .381   3rd
FG Percentage   .479   3rd
Assists   6,353   5th
FG Made   10,799   8th
Points   30,236   9th
Wins   265   28th
Winning Percentage   .671   31st

Top-10 Class
Creighton signed four top-100 players en route to inking the No. 7 recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports. That also ranks as the best class in the BIG EAST Conference.
   Here's how the nation's top-10 classes shake out:
1.   Memphis
2.   Michigan
3.   Gonzaga
4.   Tennessee
5.   Duke
6.   LSU
7.   Creighton
8.   Florida State
9.   Connecticut
10.   Kentucky

#ProJays
Former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott is a starter for the San Antonio Spurs, giving Creighton at least one NBA player in 38 of the last 39 seasons.
   Last year five Bluejays appeared in an NBA game, as McDermott was joined by Ty-Shon Alexander, Justin Patton, Khyri Thomas and Anthony Tolliver.
   McDermott is in his eighth season in the NBA. Last year he with Indiana he averaged a career-high 13.6 points per game.
   Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver, Benoit Benjamin and Anthony Tolliver.

In Search Of 20 Wins, Again
Creighton had 22 wins last season, its sixth consecutive campaign with 20 or more victories.
   Only six teams have won 20 games or more in each of the previous six seasons: Belmont, Creighton, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Oregon.

21 of 23 Seasons With 20 Wins
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 21 of the last 23 seasons (entering 2021-22), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
   Just two schools have had 20 or more wins each of the last 23 years: Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 22 times, Creighton and Kentucky 21 times.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Previous 23 Seasons
Team   20-Win Seasons   2020-21 W-L
Gonzaga   23   31-1
Kansas   23   21-9
Duke   22   13-11
Creighton   21   22-9
Kentucky   21   9-16

Who Are These Guys?
For the first time since at least 1980-81, Creighton will not return any of its five starters as Mitch Ballock, Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Denzel Mahoney and Marcus Zegarowski are all gone after combining to make 152-of-155 possible starts last season.
   In fact, there's only been four previous times in the last 40 years that just one starter has returned. Those four occurrences came in 1985-86 (went 12-16), 2007-08 (22-11), 2014-15 (14-19) and
2015-16 (20-15).
   Shereef Mitchell started two games last season when Zegarowski was injured, and no other active Bluejay had ever started a game for CU prior to CU's Nov. 9 season-opener. In the previous 40 seasons, Creighton's always returned players who combined for at least 40 starts in the previous season.
   Returning   Returning Starts    Final
Year   Starters   From Previous Year   W-L
2021-22   0   2   ? ? ?
2020-21   5   124   22-9
2019-20   4   136   24-7
2018-19   2   57   20-15
2017-18   2   72   21-12
2016-17   4   130   25-10
2015-16   1   64   20-15
2014-15   1   49   14-19
2013-14   4   144   27-8
2012-13   4   140   28-8
2011-12   3   101   29-6
2010-11   4   123   23-16
2009-10   3   106   18-16
2008-09   3   83   27-8
2007-08   1   44   22-11
2006-07   4   120   22-11
2005-06   4   134   20-10
2004-05   2   58   23-11
2003-04   3   101   20-9
2002-03   5   159   29-5
2001-02   2   65   23-9
2000-01   3   90   24-8
1999-00   3   84   23-10
1998-99   3   84   22-9
1997-98   4   72   18-10
1996-97   4   126   15-15
1995-96   4   100   14-15
1994-95   2   52   7-19
1993-94   3   73   7-22
1992-93   2   64   8-18
1991-92   2   51   9-19
1990-91   4   132   24-8
1989-90   4   127   21-12
1988-89   4   123   20-11
1987-88   3   83   16-16
1986-87   2   65   9-19
1985-86   1   48   12-16
1984-85   4   124   20-12
1983-84   3   72   17-14
1982-83   3   77   8-19
1981-82   2   78   7-20
1980-81   4   112   21-9

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 265 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .671 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more than 85 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.   265-130   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

Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton continued to be highly regarded by KenPom.com, and finished last season 22nd. That included the nation's No. 25 offense, and No. 32 defense.
   Creighton had not finished with a top-35 defense since 2006-07, and has not finished better than 30th since 2001-02.
   Last season was the sixth different time in the last 10 seasons that Creighton has had a top-25 offense per KenPom.
   Creighton has finished with an offensive and defending rating in the top-83 nationally every season since 2015-16. Nationally, the only nine other schools that can claim that (entering 2021-22) are Baylor, Florida, Florida State, Gonzaga, Kansas, Maryland, Purdue, Texas Tech and Villanova.
Year   Off. Rating   Def. Rating   Team W-L
2010-11   66   174   23-16
2011-12   5   166   29-6
2012-13   5   66   28-8
2013-14   2   124   27-8
2014-15   59   138   14-19
2015-16   43   76   20-15
2016-17   32   46   25-10
2017-18   25   58   21-12
2018-19   47   83   20-15
2019-20   3   78   24-7
2020-21   25   32   22-9
2021-22   73   37   12-5 so far

CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 8-8 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
11/26/05   Dayton   W 91-90*   Funk FG   :5.7
01/28/06   Wichita St.   W 57-55   Tolliver FG   :0.0
11/25/06   George Mason   W 58-56   Watts FT   :7.5
03/18/08   Rhode Island   W 74-73   Witter 3FG   :3.2
01/13/10   Southern Illinois   W 71-69   Young FG   :1.3
02/18/12   Long Beach St.   W 81-79   Young FG   :0.3
01/28/14   St. John's   W 63-60   McDermott 3FG   :2.8
01/18/20   Providence   W 78-74   Zegarowski 3FG   :3.2
*double-overtime

Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
03/20/06   Miami (Fla.)   L 53-52   G. Diaz FT   :2.6
01/20/07   Southern Illinois   L 58-57   B. Mullins FG   :4.1
01/10/15   #19 Seton Hall   L 68-67   S. Gibbs 3FG   :2.2
02/16/15   #19 Butler   L 58-56   R. Jones FG   :1.9
03/07/15   Xavier   L 74-73   D. Davis FT's   :6.3
01/12/16   #12 Providence   L 50-48   K. Dunn FG   :0.0
02/22/17   Providence   L 68-66   K. Cartwright 3FG   :2.4
02/10/18   #5 Xavier   L 71-72   Q. Goodin FT's   :0.3

Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time.
      Rank   Att.   Opponent   Date
   1.   18,868   Providence   03/08/14
   2.   18,859   Georgetown   01/25/14
   3.   18,831   #1 Villanova   12/31/16
   4.   18,797   #6 Villanova   02/16/14
   5.   18,759   #1 Gonzaga   12/01/18
   6.   18,742   Seton Hall   02/23/14
   7.   18,735   Wichita State   02/11/12
   8.   18,613   Wichita State   03/02/13
   9.   18,525   Marquette   12/31/13
   10.   18,519   #8 Seton Hall   03/07/20
   11.   18,518   Georgetown   01/27/18
   12.   18,495   Marquette   02/17/18
   13.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   14.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   15.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   16.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   17.   18,321   #3 Villanova   02/24/18
   18.   18,294   #19 Iowa State   12/04/21
   19.   18,257   #5 Xavier   02/10/18
   20.   18,191   DePaul   02/27/18

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 317 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 19-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 261-56 (.823) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (22-0).
   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 24,816-20,777 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.74 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 85 different times.
   Creighton is also 32-33 all-time in the 65 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 8-11 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 39-27 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 164-38 (.812) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn't trailed in 60 of those games. In that same span, CU owns an 91-8 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 280-56 (.833) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Home Run
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, Creighton is averaging 80.80 points per home game (16,322 points in 202 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.08 points in non-conference home games (8,324 points in 99 home games).
   Creighton is 125-6 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.

Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2021-22 season went on sale on October 18th.
   Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CHI Health Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com, and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000.
   For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.

Men's Basketball Returns to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday To Face Butler

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Trey Alexander

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

Ryan Hawkins

Damien Jefferson

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Arthur Kaluma

Denzel Mahoney

Shereef Mitchell

Ryan Nembhard

Alex O'Connell

Marcus Zegarowski