Men's Basketball Hosts Rematch vs. Georgetown on Valentine's Day

Game #24: Georgetown Hoyas at Creighton Bluejays
Monday, Feb. 14, 2022 • 8:00 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; 1620thezone.com; KOOO 101.9 FM; XM 385; SiriusXM app 975
Television: FS1 (Matt Schumacker, Nick Bahe)
Series History: Creighton leads, 11-9
Last Meeting: Creighton 80, Georgetown 66 on Feb. 12, 2022 in Washington, D.C.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF) | GU NOTES (PDF)

Next Game
Creighton (15-8, 7-5 BIG EAST) and Georgetown (6-17, 0-12 BIG EAST) meet for the second time in 57 hours on Monday, Feb. 14 in Omaha, Neb.
   Tip-off at CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Abide's Better Together Blue Out
Bluejay fans are asked to wear blue as part of the Abide Better Together Blue Out. The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a complimentary Abide Better Together t-shirt distributed in conjunction with the halftime Pass the Bucket fundraiser.
   Representatives from Abide will pass buckets to support their mission to transform inner-city Omaha one neighborhood at a time. Donations can also be made digitally by texting BetterTogether12 to 44-321.

COVID-19 Precautions at CU Athletic Events
Creighton University is requiring face coverings to be worn in all indoor spaces on its campuses and in all athletic venues, including CHI Health Center Omaha. These requirements will continue through March 4th, at which time the University will reassess conditions.

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 975 of the Sirius/XM app or XM channel 385.

Broadcast Information
Monday's game will be called by Matt Schumacker and Nick Bahe and be televised by 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 15-8 this season, including wins over No. 9 Villanova (79-59), No. 17 UConn (59-55) and No. 24 BYU (83-71). The Bluejays are 7-5 in league play, including road wins at UConn and Marquette.
   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 10.9 points per game, including the trio of Ryan Hawkins (13.4 ppg., 7.2 rpg.), Ryan Nembhard (10.9 ppg., 4.1 apg.) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (11.4 ppg., 7.3 rpg., 2.8 bpg.).
   Alex O'Connell (11.9 ppg., 5.6 rpg.) had a career-high 22 points on Jan. 15 at Xavier, then outdid himself and scored 28 points in a Jan. 19 win vs. St. John's.
   More than 40 percent of Creighton's points this season have come from freshmen, who composed much of the team's top-10 recruiting class.
   Creighton averages 68.4 points per game while allowing 65.5 per game. CU shoots 45.0 percent from the floor, 30.8 percent from deep and 72.6 percent at the line. The Jays are +3.2 on the glass but have also turned the ball over an average of 14.4 times per game.

Scouting Georgetown
Georgetown is off to a 6-17 start and is 0-12 in BIG EAST play as the Hoyas look to snap the longest single-season losing streak (13) in the proud program's history.
   All six of GU's victories have come at home, including a Dec. 11 triumph vs. rival Syracuse, and the Hoyas are 0-8 in road (0-6) or neutral (0-2) contests.
   Preseason BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Aminu Mohammed leads the Hoyas in scoring (13.6 ppg.), rebounding (7.7 rpg.) and steals (37) and shares the BIG EAST lead with seven double-doubles, while Donald Carey averages 13.6 points per game, shoots 42.3 percent from downtown, and has scored in double-figures in 12 straight games.
   Kaiden Rice averages 13.1 points per game and leads the BIG EAST with 82 three-pointers made, including eight triples in Wednesday's game at DePaul.
   The Hoyas score 71.5 points per game on 40.8 percent shooting from the field, 36.1 percent shooting from deep and 73.0 percent at the line. Georgetown allows 76.9 points per contest.

The Series With Georgetown
Creighton is 11-9 all-time against Georgetown and has won eight of the last 11 meetings in the series. Creighton is 6-2 at home against the Hoyas.
   The series began in 1970 in West Palm Beach, Fla., before resuming in 2014 in BIG EAST play.
   Greg McDermott is 10-10 all-time (10-9 as Creighton coach) against Georgetown and 7-3 against Patrick Ewing.
   Creighton defeated Georgetown, 80-66, on Saturday in Washington, D.C.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 268-133 record in his 12th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 548-328 in his 28th season, and is 417-264 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...
- Teams with Ryan Hawkins would improve to 175-16 at the college level, and 100-11 in league play.
- Creighton would win three consecutive BIG EAST games for the first time this season.
- Win or lose, Creighton will extend its stretch of being .500 or better in league play to 31 games, the BIG EAST's only active streak longer than 14.
- Creighton would improve to 7-2 all-time against the Hoyas in games played in Omaha.
- Creighton would improve to 20-2 on Monday's under Greg McDermott.
- Creighton would play back-to-back regular-season games against the same opponent and win both contests for the first time since defeating Saint Louis on Jan. 24 and Feb. 2 in 1976..

The More, The Merrier
In 20 all-time meetings against the Hoyas, Creighton is 10-2 when scoring 74 points or more against Georgetown, but 1-7 when scoring 73 points or less.
   The Bluejays average 82.18 points in the 11 triumphs, but 61.11 points per game in the nine setbacks.
   Creighton is 10-2 this year when scoring 70 points or more, but 5-6 when being held to 69 points or less.
   Creighton is 10th in the BIG EAST with 68.39 points per game this season, but Georgetown is 11th in scoring defense, allowing 76.87 points per contest.

Repeat After Me
Creighton won 80-66 at Georgetown on Saturday at 11 a.m. Central, then will face the Hoyas again 57 hours later at 8 p.m. Central on Monday in Omaha.
   Monday's contest was originally scheduled for Dec. 28th after COVID issues within the Hoya program at the time.
   Creighton has not played the same team in back-to-back regular-season games since Feb. 17 and Feb. 21 of 1996. The Bluejays lost in Omaha 58-57, then lost the rematch 87-73 in Cedar Falls.
   Since that 1996 sequence there have been seven other sequences where Creighton played the same opponent in consecutive games. Six of those situations came when CU closed the regular-season against the same team it opened with at the conference tournament.
   The other occasion came in 2011 when Creighton and Oregon played a Best-of-3 series in the College Basketball Invitational finals.
   Creighton has not played back-to-back regular-season games against the same opponent and won both for the first time since defeating Saint Louis on Jan. 24 and Feb. 2 in 1976.

The Rare Three-Time All-Americans
Doug McDermott, the son of Creighton head coach Greg McDermott, wrapped up a memorable career in 2014 with his third straight First Team All-America honor and a sweep of all 14 National Player of the Year awards.
   On Saturday, Creighton will face Georgetown and coach Patrick Ewing. Ewing starred from 1981-85 with the Hoyas and in 1985 was named National Player of the Year by the Associated Press, NABC, Sporting News and won the Naismith Award, finishing with 2,184 career points.
   Prior to McDermott (in 2012, 2013 and 2014), the last player to be a three-time First Team All-American by the Associated Press had been Ewing and Oklahoma standout Wayman Tisdale, who both did so in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Other three-time First Team All-Americans by the AP are Oscar Robertson, Lew Alcindor, Pete Maravich, Ralph Sampson, David Thompson, Jerry Lucas, Tom Gola and Bill Walton.
   McDermott currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs.

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 Saturday's game vs. Georgetown with a team record of 174-16 (.916) at all sites. He's lost consecutive games in his career just twice.
   CU's January 1st win at Marquette marked the 100th conference game of Hawkins' college career. He's currently 99-11 in league games.

Hawk Talk
Ryan Hawkins had 30 points, 12 rebounds and six assists on Feb. 12 at Georgetown.
   It was just the fifth 15/10/5 game in Greg McDermott's 12 seasons at Creighton, and first since Hawkins finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on Nov. 16, 2021 at Nebraska.
Prior to Hawkins, no Bluejay had collected a 15/10/5 line 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 at Nebraska was CU's first 15/10/5 line without a turnover since at least 1980-81.

The 30/10/5 Line
Ryan Hawkins had 30 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in Creighton's Feb. 12 win at Georgetown.
   He's the first Bluejay with a 30/10/5 line since Doug McDermott had 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists at Seton Hall on Jan. 4, 2014.
   Doug McDermott (8x), Kenny Lawson Jr. (once) and Hawkins (once) are CU's only players with a 30 point & 10 rebound game (regardless of assist numbers) in 12 seasons under Greg McDermott.
   Per Basketball-Reference.com, Hawkins joined former Oklahoma phenom Trae Young (on 1/13/18 vs. TCU) as the nation's only players since 2010-11 with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, 8 three-pointers and a steal in the same game.
   It was also the fifth double-double in BIG EAST play for Hawkins, giving him the league's outright lead.

Ready, Aim, Fire!
Ryan Hawkins launched 18 three-point attempts in Saturday's win at Georgetown, the most in CU history by one player in a game.
   By comparison, Hawkins had attempted just 17 three-pointers in his previous five games.
   Hawkins' 18 three-point attempts were the most by a player in any BIG EAST game since Markus Howard shot 4-for-18 from deep in an overtime loss at Butler on Jan. 24, 2020, but Hawkins is the BIG EAST's only player since 2010-11 with 18 three-point tries or more in a regulation game.
   Hawkins is one of four players nationally since 2010-11 with at least 18 three-point attempts and 12 or more rebounds in the same game, and first since South Dakota State's Mike Daum at IPFW on Feb. 18, 2017.
   The eight triples by Hawkins is tied for fourth-most in CU's single-game history and the most since Mitch Ballock made eight trifectas vs. Marquette on Dec. 14, 2020. It also tied Hawkins' personal-high done while at Northwest Missouri State against Southern Nazarene on Nov. 2, 2019.
Most 3-Pointers in a 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
       Ryan Hawkins at Georgetown   02/12/22

Most 3-Point Attempts in a Game, Creighton History
   FGA   Name, Opponent   Date
   18   Ryan Hawkins at Georgetown   02/12/22
   15   Terrell Taylor vs. Florida   03/15/02
       Kyle Korver vs. Fresno State   02/22/03
       Ty-Shon Alexander vs. Villanova   01/13/19
   14   Kyle Korver vs. BYU   12/07/02
       Kyle Korver at Nebraska   12/21/02
       Kyle Korver vs. Evansville   01/15/03
       Ethan Wragge at Villanova   01/20/14
       Mitch Ballock vs. Marquette   12/14/20

The Big Man Puts On A Big Show
Ryan Kalkbrenner had career-highs with both 22 points and 15 rebounds in Saturday's victory at Georgetown.
   His 15 rebounds were three more than his previous best, done vs. Marquette on Jan. 1, 2022.
   Kalkbrenner's 15 rebounds were the most by a Bluejay since Christian Bishop had 15 rebounds vs. Ohio last March in the win that clinched CU's first Sweet 16 trip since 1974.
   Kalkbrenner's 15 rebounds were the most by a Bluejay in a true road win since Ben Walker had 15 in a win at Baylor on Dec. 4, 1999.
   Making Kalkbrenner's accomplishments all the more impressive is that he played on an ankle he sprained on Feb. 1 in a win at No. 17 UConn. In that game and the two that followed, Kalkbrenner had a combined 11 points and 19 rebounds on 4-of-18 shooting before Saturday's performance, which included six dunks.
   Kalkbrenner is the third Bluejay under Greg McDermott with at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in the same game, joining Doug McDermott (33 points & 15 rebounds vs. Tulsa on 11/23/13) and Kenny Lawson Jr. (30 points & 18 rebounds vs. Saint Joseph's on 12/11/10).
   Besides Kalkbrenner, the only BIG EAST players with a 20/15 this year are Julian Champagnie and Adama Sanogo (twice).

Saturday Standouts
Creighton defeated Georgetown on Saturday thanks to a combined 52 points and 27 rebounds from post players Ryan Kalkbrenner and Ryan Hawkins.
   It was the first time two Bluejays combined for more than 50 points and 25 rebounds in the same game since a Jan. 21, 1991 win at Bradley. On that day, Chad Gallagher had 29 points and 15 rebounds, while Bob Harstad added 26 points and 13 rebounds.
   It was also the first time multiple Bluejays had 10 field goals in the same game since Jan. 5, 1991, also vs. Bradley. During that contest, Gallagher made 11 baskets and Harstad drained 12..

Passing Fancy
Creighton had a season-high 26 assists on 30 field goals in Saturday's victory at Georgetown.
   Creighton assisted on all 12 three-pointers, all nine dunks and five of its eight lay-ups. Two of its four unassisted hoops came on offensive putbacks.
   Creighton's 26 assists were truly a team effort, as Trey Alexander (6), Ryan Hawkins (6) and Alex O'Connell (5) all had season-highs in helpers.
   Creighton's 26 assists were its most at any site since having 28 on Dec. 1, 2020 vs. Nebraska-Omaha and its most in a true road game since distributing 28 assists on 33 baskets at Bradley on Jan. 7, 2012 on an evening that saw Doug McDermott score 44 points.
   CU's 26 assists exceeded its number of assists in its previous three games (24), combined.

Seeking 25K
Creighton has scored 24,934 points all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha, surpassing 24,000 points on Feb. 13, 2021 vs. Villanova on a bucket by Marcus Zegarowski. That puts the Bluejays just 66 points away from 25,000 all-time in the arena.
   Creighton has outscored the opposition 24,934 to 20,903 at the 19-year old facility in 319 all-time games in the building that count.
   Creighton is 23-1 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone at CHI Health Center Omaha, as seen below:
Date   Pts-Opp (CLCO Game #)   Who/How vs. Opp.
02/18/04   1,000-787 (14)   Lindeman FG vs. Indiana State
02/05/05   2,000-1,696 (28)   Funk FG vs. Missouri St.
01/18/06   3,000-2,504 (41)   Watts FT vs. Bradley
01/09/07   4,000-3,359 (56)   Tolliver FG vs. Drake
12/17/07   5,000-4,174 (69)   Ka. Korver 3FG vs. Hou. Baptist
11/16/08   6,000-5,048 (82)   Dotzler FG vs. New Mexico
02/11/09   7,000-5,870 (95)   Witter 3FG vs. Bradley
01/16/10   8,000-6,750 (109)   Young FG vs. Wichita State
12/20/10   9,000-7,645 (123)   Wragge FG vs. W. Illinois
03/23/11   10,000-8,500 (136)   Lawson FG vs. UCF
01/21/12   11,000-9,310 (148)   McDermott FG vs. Ind. St.
12/19/12   12,000-10,136 (161)   Echenique FG vs. Tulsa
11/23/13   13,000-10,922 (173)   Artino FG vs. Tulsa
02/23/14   14,000-11,711 (185)   Gibbs FG vs. Seton Hall
01/28/15   15,000-12,612 (198)   Hanson FT vs. St. John's
12/28/15   16,000-13,498 (211)   Huff FG vs. Coppin State
11/15/16   17,000-14,349 (224)   Patton FG vs. #9 Wisconsin
01/28/17   18,000-15,166 (235)   Hanson FG vs. DePaul
12/18/17   19,000-15,927 (246)   Foster 3FG vs. UT Arlington
11/06/18   20,000-16,741 (258)   Ballock 3FG vs. W. Illinois
02/03/19   21,000-17,619 (270)   Zegarowski FG vs. Xavier
12/07/19   22,000-18,463 (282)   Ballock 3FG vs. Nebraska
03/07/20   23,000-19,280 (294)   Mahoney 3FG vs. #8 Seton Hall
02/13/21   24,000-20,103 (306)   Zegarowski FG vs. #5 Villanova

Family Matters
Creighton graduate manager Corey Edwards is the son of former Georgetown guard David Edwards.
   David Edwards played for the Hoyas from 1989-90, averaging 5.4 points and 4.8 assists per game for a Georgetown team that included Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning.
   Following the season Edwards transferred to Texas A&M, where he played his final three seasons for the Aggies under former Creighton head coach Tony Barone.
   David Edwards finished his college career with 1,311 points, 752 assists and 270 steals.
   Corey Edwards played at George Mason from 2011-15, collecting 480 points, 284 assists and 137 steals while starting 62 of 124 career appearances.

Final Answer
Monday's tilt is a rematch of the 2021 BIG EAST Tournament final, that was won by Georgetown.
   Of the 11 Bluejays to appear in that game, only two current team members (Alex O'Connell and Ryan Kalkbrenner) appeared in that contest and that duo combined for 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting in 34 minutes.
   Georgetown's 2021-22 roster features six of the 12 Hoyas to participate in that game. Those six returners combined for 23 points in 77 minutes on 9-for-23 shooting.

A Case Of The Monday's
Creighton is 19-2 under Greg McDermott in games played on a Monday, including a 1-0 record this season (CU beat Southern Illinois on Nov. 22 in the U.S. Virgin Islands).
   Creighton is also 13-4 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha in games played on a Monday under all coaches.

Scheduling Quirk
Creighton has played the fewest BIG EAST home games (5) and tied for the most BIG EAST road games (7) so far this season, yet enters Monday's game alone in fourth place in the BIG EAST.

Diaper Dandy Duels On Deck
Ryan Nembhard has won a league-high five BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors, while Trey Alexander owns a pair of recognitions after 12 weeks of the 2021-22 season.
   Georgetown's Aminu Mohammed, the league's Preseason Freshman of the Year, has won two of the other weeks that Nembhard or Alexander have not.
   Besides those three men, Butler's Simas Lukosius' has two Freshman of the Week awards and Marquette's Kam Jones has won it once.
   Saturday marked the first meeting at the collegiate level for Mohammed against Nembhard or Alexander.

McDermott After 400 Games at Creighton
Greg McDermott coached in his 400th game on the Creighton sideline last Tuesday vs. Butler. The 54-52 win improved his record to 267-133, and Saturday's win at Georgetown moved him to 268-133.
   Only one previous person in program history has served as head men's basketball coach for 400 games, with that being McDermott's predecessor Dana Altman.
   Altman finished his CU career in 2010 with a 327-176 record, and owned a 260-140 mark after 400 games with the Bluejays.
   Here's a look at Altman and McDermott per each 50 games at Creighton:
Game # at CU   Altman W-L   McDermott W-L
50   20-30   33-17
100   45-55   72-28
150   82-68   112-38
200   116-84   135-65
250   155-95   168-82
300   194-106   198-102
350   226-124   234-116
400   260-140   267-133
450   294-156   --
500   325-175   --

Technically Speaking
Greg McDermott was issued a rare technical foul   when   the   officials   booked   the   Creighton   head coach on Feb. 8th vs. Butler.
   It was just the fifth technical foul that McDermott has been whistled for in 12 years on the Bluejay sideline, and his first since Dec. 8, 2018 at Nebraska. McDermott also picked up technical fouls on Jan. 27, 2018 vs. Georgetown, March 3, 2015 vs. Villanova and Jan. 17, 2015 against Providence.
   Some other facts about technical fouls...
- Greg   McDermott had   two   technical   fouls   in    his four seasons as Iowa State head coach and   five technical fouls in five years as head coach at   Northern Iowa. That means Feb. 8th was his 680th game in 21 seasons as a Division I head coach, but just his 12th technical.
- It remains just the fifth technical foul issued to a Creighton coach in 319 games at CHI Health Center Omaha. Besides four to McDermott, Dana Altman was also given one on Feb. 17, 2007.
- It   was   just   the   35th   technical   foul   Creighton    has been called for in 12 seasons under   Greg McDermott. Others with technical fouls include Alex O'Connell (4), Gregory Echenique (3), Maurice Watson Jr. (3), Marcus Foster (3), Grant Gibbs (2), Justin Patton (2), Damien Jefferson (2), Will Artino (1), Steve Lutz (1), Avery Dingman (1), Isaiah Zierden (1), Khyri Thomas (1), Christian Bishop (1), Arthur Kaluma (1), Martin Krampelj (1), Denzel Mahoney (1), Davion Mintz (1) and Ryan Nembhard (1). Since McDermott took over prior to 2010-11, the Bluejays own 35 technical fouls in 401 games (compared to 62 by its opponents).
- Since the start of the 1994-95 season, Creighton had played 904 games and been charged with 74 technical fouls.

Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
Though much is made of the influx of freshmen on this year's Creighton team, the Bluejays are 4-1 this season in games decided by five points or less.
   Since the start of last season, Creighton is 7-2 in one-possession games (decided by 3 or less). Those seven victories by three points or less are tied for 17th-most nationally in that span and trails only Xavier (9) among BIG EAST schools. By comparison, Georgetown is tied for 183rd with three wins by three or less in that time.
   None of the first eight meetings between Creighton and Georgetown to be held in Omaha have been decided by six points or less. In fact, those meetings have been decided by an average of 16.1 points.

Work Of Art
Arthur Kaluma led Creighton in scoring on Tuesday with 16 points vs. Butler, the latest in a string of good performances by the Bluejay freshman.
   Prior to missing Saturday's win at Georgetown with an injury, Kaluma averaged 10.7 points and 7.3 rebounds in his last three games and his 11.6 points per game over CU's previous five games led the team.
   Kaluma, who made 16-of-32 free throws (50 percent) in CU's first 17 games, has drained 12-of-14 foul shots (85.7 percent) since then.

Prop And Circumstance
Creighton is 38-18 all-time in its final game prior to a Super Bowl, including four straight wins (including Saturday at Georgetown).
    By comparison, Creighton is 33-22 in its first game after the Super Bowl, but does own wins in six of the previous eight years.

Best In Class
Seniors Ryan Hawkins (309 points) and Alex O'Connell (273 points) are atop the Bluejay leaderboard when it comes to points scored this season.
   No Bluejay senior has led the team in scoring since 2017-18 (Marcus Foster), and the last time CU's top two scorers were seniors was 2013-14 (Doug McDermott & Ethan Wragge).
   On the other end of the spectrum, freshman Ryan Nembhard leads the Bluejays with 31 steals so far this season. CU hasn't had its steals leader be a freshman since P'Allen Stinnett in 2007-08.

Give Me Five
With Arthur Kaluma sidelined by injury, Trey Alexander made his first career start on Feb. 12 at Georgetown.
   Prior to that line-up fix, Creighton had been one of nine schools to have used the same starting five in every game this season, a group that also included Gonzaga, Purdue Fort Wayne, Murray State, North Texas, San Francisco, Syracuse, Toledo and Virginia Tech.
   Of those programs, Creighton was the only one whose line-up includes two freshmen.
   This season marked the third time in Greg McDermott's 12 seasons that the Bluejays have utilized the same starting five for the first 21 games of the season. CU opened the 2012-13 campaign starting Doug McDermott, Gregory Echenique, Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat and Austin Chatman while the 2011-12 team started Echenique, Gibbs, Manigat, Doug McDermott and Antoine Young.

Stepping It Up
Ryan Hawkins has averaged 15.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in seven contests against ranked teams, shooting 50.6 percent from the field, 45.9 percent from three-point range and 94.1 percent at the line.
   By comparison, Hawkins averages 12.4 points and 6.8 rebounds against unranked foes, shooting 41.3 percent from the field, 35.0 percent from downtown and 77.4 percent from the stripe.

Clutch When It Counts
In its Feb. 1 win at UConn, all 27 points after halftime were scored by Trey Alexander (11), Ryan Hawkins (10) or Alex O'Connell (6).
   Those three men are also CU's top scorers after halftime in league play, with each man scoring between 61-84 points.
   For the season in BIG EAST play, Alexander has scored 24 points in the first half compared to 61 in the second half. The freshman is also shooting a team-best 52.6 percent from the floor after the break in those contests.

They Are Called Free Throws, After All
After shooting a combined 74-for-93 (79.6 percent)from the line over the last seven games, Creighton has climbed to 72.6 percent shooting at the free throw line for the season (131st nationally). That's a significant improvement over last year's team that ranked 322nd nationally with 64.0 percent marksmanship at the stripe.
   CU is in the midst of a streak in which it has missed four free throws or less in 10 straight games for the first time in at least 40 seasons.
   Individually, Alex O'Connell is shooting 88.9 percent and has sunk 13 straight free throws, Ryan Kalkbrenner has made 19 of his last 24 attempts and Ryan Hawkins has drained 18 of his past 19 tries.
   As a team, Creighton is shooting 81.2 percent (56-69) in the last two minutes of a game or overtime this season and 78.4 percent (91-116) in the last five minutes of a game or overtime.

Run It Back
Last year's Creighton team finished second in the BIG EAST and went on to reach the program's first Sweet 16 since 1974.
   Through 12 league games this season, Creighton has had the exact same result as it did a year ago against the same opponent/site in every game but two (home vs. Xavier and at Seton Hall), though it certainly hopes to avoid a home loss to Georgetown like last season.
Site/School   2020-21   2021-22
Villanova   CU 86-70   CU 79-59
at Marquette   CU 71-68   CU 75-69 (2OT)
at Villanova   VU 72-60   VU 75-41
at Xavier   XU 77-69   XU 80-73
St. John's   CU 97-79   CU 87-64
DePaul   CU 77-53   CU 60-47
at Butler   BU 70-66 (OT)   BU 72-55
Xavier   CU 66-61   XU 74-64
at UConn   CU 76-74 (OT)   CU 59-55
at Seton Hall   CU 83-81   SHU 74-55
Butler   CU 93-73   CU 54-52
at Georgetown   CU 63-48   CU 80-66
Georgetown   GU 86-79   Monday

All Ball
Ryan Kalkbrenner ranks second in the BIG EAST and 14th nationally with 2.83 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.
   Kalkbrenner's 65 swats are the second-most in school history by a sophomore, but still far behind Benjamin's 157 in 1983-84. He is the first Bluejay of any class with more than 62 blocked shots in a season since Gallagher in 1990-91 (70).
   Kalkbrenner's 65 blocks rank fifth-most by a CU player of any year.
   Of Kalkbrenner's 65 blocked shots this year, only 13 have gone out of bounds, whereas Creighton has rebounded 35 of the rejections.
   Making the 7-foot-1 sophomore's accomplishments all the more impressive is that the big man owns 65 blocks but has been called for just 27 fouls. Through games of Feb. 12, that made him the nation's only player with 35 or more blocked shots and less than 30 personal fouls.
   Kalkbrenner owns 103 career blocked shots. He ranks ninth in Creighton history in that category and became the third-fastest Bluejay to reach 100 blocks when he did it in his 53rd career game.
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
   103   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Present
   82   Christian Bishop   2018-21

Most Blocked Shots, Season (Since 1979-80)
   Blk.   Name   Years
   162   Benoit Benjamin (Jr.)   1984-85
   157   Benoit Benjamin (So.)   1983-84
   92   Benoit Benjamin (Fr.)   1982-83
   70   Chad Gallagher (Sr.)   1990-91
   65   Ryan Kalkbrenner (So.)   2021-22
   62   Chad Gallagher (Jr.)   1989-90
   62   Gregory Echenique (Sr.)   2012-13
   57   Doug Swenson (Jr.)   1997-98
   57   Anthony Tolliver (Sr.)   2006-07
   57   Gregory Echenique (Jr.)   2011-12
   56   Brody Deren (Jr.)   2002-03
   56   Kenny Lawson Jr. (So.)   2008-09

Fewest Games to 100 Career Blocks
Games   Name   Date, Opponent
31   Benoit Benjamin   12/6/83 vs. Rockhurst
47   Doug Swenson   1/30/99 at Northern Iowa
53   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2/8/22 vs. Butler
57   Gregory Echenique   2/14/12 at Southern Illinois
64   Brody Deren   3/9/03 vs. Wichita State
84   Kenny Lawson Jr.   1/3/10 at Evansville
91   Chad Gallagher   2/19/90 at Drake
105   Anthony Tolliver   1/6/07 at Evansville
121   Joe Dabbert   2/18/04 vs. Indiana State

SWAT Team
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns a blocked shot in each of Creighton's last 21 games, including multiple rejections in all but three of those contests.
   Kalkbrenner is the first Bluejay with a swat in 20 straight games or longer since Benoit Benjamin began a streak of 28 consecutive contests with a swat on Dec. 14, 1984, a streak that only ended when he left early for the NBA Draft.

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 seven 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 eight contests this winter with at least seven swats.
   Creighton is 11-6 all-time under McDermott when blocking seven or more shots, and the six losses have come by a combined 34 points.
   Creighton's 4.87 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 8-3 this season when blocking six shots or more.

Shortest Month Also The Busiest
Creighton is scheduled to play nine games in the shortest month of the year, February.
   If everything takes place as planned, it'd be CU's first month with nine games since January of 2017, when the Bluejays went 7-2.
   The last time Creighton played nine games during the month of February came in 2009. That Bluejay squad went 9-0 in those games, winning by an average of 11.67 points per game, en route to a Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title.
   Creighton is 3-1 so far in February.

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 10 other schools can also claim. Gonzaga has done it four times,, Marquette, Oklahoma and Villanova have done it three times while Arizona, Baylor, Kentucky, Iowa State, Memphis and Tennessee 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, Kansas, Michigan State, Purdue, Texas Tech and Villanova can also claim. Four other schools have beaten multiple top-25 foes in each of the previous six seasons --   Florida State (1), Michigan (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
   3   2021-22   #9 Villanova, #17 UConn, #24 BYU
   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

Frosh Watch
Creighton is winning at a regular rate despite playing three freshmen (Trey Alexander, Arthur Kaluma, Ryan Nembhard) more than 23 minutes per game.
   On a national basis through Feb. 12, only 153 players classified as freshmen (true, redshirt or otherwise) were playing 23 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 third nationally among true freshmen with 34.5 minutes per game. The next-closest freshman from a Power 5 or BIG EAST program is Boston College's Jaeden Zackery (33.5 mpg.).

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 122 when it has two freshmen or less on the court, but have been outscored by 55 points when it has three or more freshmen on the floor.
   All told, 2181:42 of Creighton's 4,650 total minutes (46.92 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:   571:52   1022-905   +117
3 freshmen:   251:01   438-465   (-27)
4 freshmen:   45:54   54-85   (-31)
5 freshmen:   1:28   5-2   +3

Elite Company For Hawkins
Creighton senior Ryan Hawkins owns 2,407 career points and 1,113 career rebounds, though the majority of his totals were accumulated at the Division II level at Northwest Missouri State.
   That's more points than legends such as Alonzo Mourning (2,001), Bob Lanier (2,067), Tim Duncan (2,117), Derrick Coleman (2,143), Patrick Ewing (2,184), Ralph Sampson (2,225), Jerry West (2,309) and Lew Alcindor (2,325).
   Only 21 other Division I players in NCAA history have finished their careers with 2,407 points and 1,113 rebounds or more.
Name, School(s)   Last Year   Pts.   Reb.
Lionel Simmons, La Salle   1990   3,217   1,429
Mike Daum, South Dakota State   2019   3,067   1,236
Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati   1960   2,973   1,338
Danny Manning, Kansas   1988   2,951   1,187
Elvin Hayes, Houston   1968   2,884   1,602
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina   2009   2,872   1,219
Larry Bird, Indiana State   1979   2,850   1,247
Hank Gathers, USC/Loyola Marymount   1990   2,273   1,128
David Robinson, Navy   1987   2,669   1,314
Michael Brooks, La Salle   1980   2,628   1,372
Dickie Hemric, Wake Forest   1955   2,587   1,802
Calvin Natt, La.-Monroe   1979   2,581   1,285
Terry Taylor, Austin Peay   2021   2,507   1,248
Caleb Green, Oral Roberts   2007   2,503   1,189
Elgin Baylor, College of Idaho/Seattle   1958   2,500   1,559
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame   2010   2,476   1,222
Nick Fazekas, Nevada   2007   2,464   1,254
Tom Gola, La Salle   1955   2,462   2,201
Christian Laettner, Duke   1992   2,460   1,149
Keith Lee, Memphis   1985   2,408   1,336

Kalkbrenner Doubles Up
Midway 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 263 points, 167 rebounds, 65 blocks and 45 dunks in 628 minutes.
   A big part of that has been his increased stamina. Even though his minutes per game have nearly doubled from 13.6 to 27.3 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   16.8   10.6   4.1   2.9

Not Your Ordinary Freshman
Arthur Kaluma had a season-high 20 points on Jan. 19 vs. St. John's.
   Kaluma (9.0 ppg.) and classmate Ryan Nembhard (10.9 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.
   Nembhard, who had a career-high 23 points vs. Xavier on Jan. 29, is the first Bluejay with multiple games of 20 points or more as a true freshman since Doug McDermott in 2010-11.
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
   2   Ryan Nembhard   2021-22
   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   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
   10.9   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

Filling The Gym
Creighton ranks sixth nationally this season with 16,404 fans per home game.
2021-22 NCAA Home Attendance Per Game Leaders
Through 2/12/22
   Rank   School   Average
   1.   Kentucky   19,146
   2.   Arkansas   18,988
   3.   North Carolina   18,391
   4.   Syracuse   18,359
   5.   Tennessee   17,400
   6.   Creighton   16,404
   7.   Wisconsin   16,324
   8.   Kansas   16,238
   9.   Indiana   15,569
   10.   BYU   15,254

Arthur The Great?
Arthur Kaluma is just Creighton's fifth true freshman since 1983-84 to average 8.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
   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   9.3   5.0   204

Kaluma In Elite Company
Arthur Kaluma is one of three freshmen nationally from the BIG EAST or a Power Five Conference to be averaging at least 9.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.7 blocked shots per game this season.
   He's joined by a pair of projected top-3 NBA Draft picks, Duke's Paolo Banchero and Auburn's Jabari Smith.
Power 5/BIG EAST Frosh With 9 PPG/4 RPG/0.7 BPG
Name, School   PPG   RPG   BPG
Paolo Banchero, Duke   17.0   8.7   0.9
Jabari Smith, Auburn   15.2   6.8   1.0
Arthur Kaluma, Creighton   9.3   5.0   0.7

BIG EAST Pacesetters
- Ryan Kalkbrenner leads the BIG EAST with 3.57 offensive rebounds per game in all games.
- In league play, Ryan Hawkins owns a BIG EAST-best five double-doubles. His seven overall double-doubles are tied for most in the conference with Georgetown's Aminu Mohammed and Providence's Noah Horchler.
- Creighton leads the BIG EAST in field goal percentage defense in all games (.392) and league play only (.388), while Georgetown ranks last in all games (.454) and league play (.484) in the same category.
- Creighton leads the conference in defensive rebounds per all games (28.48) and league games (28.67), while GU is last in league play with 21.92 defensive rebounds per game.
- Creighton ranks second in BIG EAST play in scoring defense (65.58), while Georgetown is last in the league in that category (80.42).
- Georgetown leads the BIG EAST in three-point percentage in all games (.361) while Creighton is last at 30.8 percent.

What's The Difference?
Creighton is off to a 7-5 start in league play, but the difference in a number of categories really jump out.
Stat   7 BE Wins   5 BE Losses
Points Scored Per Game   70.6   57.6
Points Allowed Per Game   58.9   75.0
Rebound Margin   +7.3   -5.6
Offensive Rebounds/Game   11.7   7.2
3FG Made Per Game   8.6   5.0
A/TO Ratio   103/102   45/76
CU's FG% Defense   .353   .441
After Halftime Score   253-203   156-227
Ryan Hawkins Points/Game   18.4   5.8
Ryan Kalkbrenner Reb./Game   9.6   5.4
R. Andronikashvili Assists/Game   2.4   0.2

Defense Steps Up
Creighton allowed just 15 points in the second half of its Jan. 22 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.

Iron Men
Creighton's Ryan Nembhard ranks second in the BIG EAST with 34.6 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 34.6 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 has scored in double-figures in 10 of the past 14 games.
   After scoring in double-figures in 16 of 125 contests over his first four seasons at Duke and Creighton, O'Connell has scored 10 or more points in 16-of-23 battles this season.
   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 Jan. 19, including a career-high six three-pointers.
   The Georgia native is averaging 11.9 points per game overall this season and 12.4 points per game in BIG EAST action.

Up, Up And Away
Since Feb. 19, 2019, Creighton owns a 39-16 mark in regular-season BIG EAST games. That's one more win 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 Feb. 13, 2022)
Team   After 2/19/19   '19-20   '20-21   '21-22   Total
Creighton   5-0   13-5   14-6   7-5   39-16
Villanova   2-3   13-5   11-4   12-3   38-15
Providence   3-2   12-6   9-10   11-1   35-19
UConn   2-4#   10-8#   11-6   8-5   31-23
Seton Hall   2-3   13-5   10-9   6-7   31-24
Marquette   2-4   8-10   8-11   8-6   26-31
Xavier   4-1   8-10   6-7   7-6   25-24
Butler   1-4   10-8   8-12   5-9   24-33
St. John's   1-4   5-13   10-9   5-8   21-34
Georgetown   4-2   5-13   7-9   0-12   16-36
DePaul   2-3   3-15   2-13   3-10   10-41
#includes 2018-19 and 2019-20 in the AAC

Among The Best
Since the league's 2013 realignment, Villanova has 126 league wins to lead the BIG EAST by a wide margin, but Creighton's 90 league victories are second-most.
Men's Basketball BIG EAST Wins, 2013-14 to 2/13/22
Team   W   L   Pct.
Villanova   126   30   .808
Creighton   90   68   .570
Providence   89   67   .571
Xavier   87   65   .572
Seton Hall   82   75   .522
Butler   77   83   .481
Marquette   76   83   .478
St. John's   59   98   .376
Georgetown   58   95   .382
DePaul   33   121   .214
Connecticut   19   11   .633

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 its Jan. 22 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

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 five total accolades (one of which was won by teammate Trey Alexander).
   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)

We're Jamming!
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 45 dunks this season and 74 in his career. As a team, Creighton owns 88 dunks this season, including nine vs. Georgetown on Feb. 12th.
   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 Greg 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
45   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2021-22
38   Christian Bishop   2019-20
36   Gregory Echenique   2012-13
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
74   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
72   Justin Patton   2016-17
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)
88   2021-22   15-8 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 51st nationally (per BartTorvik.com) with its shooting 53.4 percent from two-point range. That includes a 58.0 percent mark from inside the paint.
   Defensively, Creighton is holding the opposition to 42.5 percent shooting from two-point range, the nation's seventh-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 46.9 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 (1,113) and is second in points (2,407) and field goals made (861).
   Hawkins also ranks in the top 11 among the nation's active Division I players in double-doubles (5th), games played (10th), three-pointers made (10th) and steals (11th).
   And while it's not among the categories the NCAA tracks among active players, it's worth noting that Hawkins owns 106 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   ? ? ?   --

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 was the 46th time he's scored 20 points or more in a game.
   At the time, 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. On Feb. 12th the trio combined for 57 points, 30 rebounds and 13 assists in an 80-66 win at Georgetown.
    For the season, the "Ryan Express" has contributed 67.0 percent of Creighton's blocked shots, 52.3 percent of its points, 48.4 percent of its assists, 49.4 percent of its rebounds grabbed and 44.5 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".

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 of Creighton's regular starters are averaging at least 9.3 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.

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 44 games with 10 or more rebounds in his college career.

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 936 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 (2/13)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,154   UNLV   2/16
   2.   1,138   Duke   2/15
   3.   1,087   Western Kentucky   2/14
   4.   1,078   East Tennessee State   2/16
   5.   1,056   Oakland   2/18
   6.   1,055   Pacific   2/19
   7.   1,048   Texas   2/15
   8.   994   Marshall   2/17
   9.   987   Baylor   2/16
   10.   979   Princeton   2/18
   11.   973   Gonzaga   2/16
   12.   950   Long Island   2/17
   13.   936   Creighton   2/14
   14.   935   Mount St. Mary's   2/17
   15.   924   Tennessee State   2/17

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 936 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,372 trifectas, an average of 7.88 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 140 times, more than any figure.
   Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 264 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 307 straight games (since going 0-7 vs. Drake on Jan. 23, 2013).
   Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 42-7 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 17-16 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:    5 times   2: 16 times   3: 33 times
4:    72 times   5:   100 times   6: 100 times
7:   140 times   8:   116 times   9: 90 times
10: 77 times   11: 53 times   12: 50 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

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 39.3 percent shooting this season, which would also be the program's best mark in more than 40 years.

Playing With The Lead
In 319 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 85 of those contests, a staggering 26.6 percent of the time.
     Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is
165-39 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.

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 Feb. 12, 2022
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Made   3,541   3rd
3FG Percentage   .379   3rd
FG Percentage   .478   4th
Assists   6,418   5th
FG Made   10,935   9th
Points   30,603   10th
Wins   268   30th
Winning Percentage   .668   33rd

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 268 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .668 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.   268-133   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 ranked 22nd overall. 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 defensive 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   131   29   15-8 so far

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 319 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 19-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 262-57 (.821) 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 24,934-20,903 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.64 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 85 different times.
   Creighton is also 32-34 all-time in the 66 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 40-27 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 165-39 (.809) 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 281-57 (.831) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Home Run
Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.59 points per home game (16,440 points in 204 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.

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

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 Hosts Rematch vs. Georgetown on Valentine's Day

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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