Men's Basketball Meets San Diego State on Thursday in NCAA Tourney Opener

Game #34: San Diego State Aztecs vs. Creighton Bluejays
Thursday, March 17, 2022 • 6:27 p.m.
Dickies Arena (13,400) • Fort Worth, Texas
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; Westwood One; Sirius 138; XM 205; Internet 968
Television: truTV (Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson, Allie LaForce)
Series History: Creighton leads, 4-3
Last Meeting: San Diego State 83, Creighton 52 on Nov. 28, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nev.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF) | SDSU NOTES (PDF)

Next Game
Ninth-seeded Creighton (22-11, 12-7 BIG EAST) returns to the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 17 when it meets eighth-seeded San Diego State (23-8, 13-4 Mountain West).
   Tip-off at Dickies Arena (13,400) in Fort Worth, Texas, is set for 6:27 p.m. Central.
   CU's practice time (open to the media & public) is Wednesday from 4:55-5:35 p.m. at Dickies Arena.

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 Nick Bahe will call the action.
   Westwood One Sports will also air the game nationwide on more than 500 terrestrial radio stations outside the Omaha market, with Kevin Kugler and Robbie Hummel on the call. The game can be heard on Sirius channel 138, XM channel 205 and Internet channel 968.
   Only the Westwood One feed will be available over the internet and other mobile devices. Games can be heard by locating the audio by game at http://WestwoodOnesports.com/FortWorth. A listing of Westwood One affiliates can be found at http://westwoodonesports.com/stations,
   The game can also be heard via the free NCAA March Madness Live app (locate audio by individual game), via the free Varsity Network app (locate audio by individual game) or via TuneIn Premium (Fort Worth games are on Westwood One Sports Channel D).
   It's also available via the free Westwood One Sports skill on Alexa ("Alexa, Open Westwood One Sports" or via the NCAA March Madness kill on Alexa and Google Home ("Open March Madness").

Broadcast Information
Thursday's game will be called by Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson and Allie LaForce and be televised on truTV.
   Creighton is 2-1 on truTV in recent seasons, going 1-1 in the 2014 NCAA Tournament (beat Louisiana, lost to Baylor) and 1-0 in the 2021 NCAA Tournament (beat UC Santa Barbara).
   Streaming video of all NCAA Tournament games is online at http://www.ncaa.com/marchmadnesslive.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 22-11 overall and earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament after going 10-4 in February/March, including a run to the final of last week's BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
   The Bluejays returned just 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. CU was picked to finish eighth in the BIG EAST but instead finished in fourth place while posting four wins over the three teams ahead of it.
   Creighton has four players averaging at least 11.3 points per game, including the trio of Ryan Hawkins (13.9 ppg., 7.8 rpg.), Ryan Nembhard (11.3 ppg., 4.4 apg.) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (13.0 ppg., 7.6 rpg., 2.7 bpg.). Nembhard was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year despite suffering a wrist injury on Feb. 23 that will sideline him for the rest of the season.
   Alex O'Connell (11.5 ppg., 5.3 rpg.) had 27 points in a Valentine's Day win vs. Georgetown, his fourth game this season of 20 points or more.
   Not mentioned in that group is Arthur Kaluma (9.9 ppg., 5.1 rpg.), who along with Kalkbrenner was named to the All-Tournament Team last week at Madison Square Garden.
   More than 38 percent of Creighton's points this season have come from freshmen, who composed much of the team's top-10 recruiting class. In fact, Creighton features three of the BIG EAST's four true freshmen to average 25 minutes per game or more and are the nation's only team playing three true freshmen at least 25 minutes per game.
   The Bluejays own five top-25 wins this season, having defeated No. 9 Villanova (79-59), No. 11 Providence (85-58), No. 17 UConn (59-55), No. 18 UConn (64-62) and No. 24 BYU (83-71), and are 5-2 on neutral floors this year.
   Creighton averages 69.0 points per game while allowing 65.9 per game. CU shoots 45.0 percent from the floor, 30.7 percent from deep and 72.9 percent at the line. CU is +2.9 on the glass but have also turned the ball over 14.1 times per game.

Scouting San Diego State
San Diego State earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and will enter the Big Dance with a 23-8 record. The Aztecs were 13-4 in Mountain West Conference play, then lost in the final of the MWC Tournament to Boise State, 53-52.
   Matt Bradley is SDSU's only scorer in double-figures, averaging 17.0 points per game. He's also second on the team with 5.4 rebounds per game and 2.6 assists per contest.
   Trey Pulliam averages 8.5 points per game and tops the Aztecs with 103 assists, while Nathan Mensah averages 7.3 points and a team-leading 7.1 rebounds per contest.
   The Aztecs average 65.3 points per game and yield a mere 57.7 points per contest. SDSU shoots 43.3 percent from the field, 35.8 percent from three-point range and 69.5 percent at the line.

The Series With San Diego State
Creighton owns a 4-3 lead in the all-time series with San Diego State, though SDSU won the only two previous times the programs have met on a neutral floor.
   A victory that many point to as the breakthrough win in the Greg McDermott era was a Nov. 30, 2011 win at San Diego State. In that contest, Creighton trailed by 17 early, only to rally and win at hostile Viejas Arena, 85-83. Doug McDermott led Creighton with 25 points and 12 rebounds, while Ethan Wragge added 19 points.
   Two years later the teams met in Fullerton, Calif., at the Wooden Legacy. McDermott finished that game with 30 points, including 16 in the first seven minutes as the Bluejays raced to an early 19-7 lead. San Diego State won the game, 86-80.
   Most recently, SDSU defeated Creighton 83-52 in November of 2019 at the 19th Annual Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational. Shereef Mitchell is the only active Creighton student-athlete who played in that game.
   Greg McDermott is 1-3 all-time against San Diego State. He is 1-2 against the Aztecs as the Creighton coach, and also lost his Division I debut on Nov. 16, 2001 as coach of Northern Iowa against SDSU in Lubbock, Texas. He is 0-1 against Brian Dutcher.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 275-136 record in his 12th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 555-331 in his 28th season, and is 424-267 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...
• Improve Creighton to 15-23 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Creighton would win games in consecutive NCAA Tournaments for the first time since doing it in three straight years from 2012-14.
• Greg McDermott would improve to 6-6 as Creighton's head coach in the NCAA Tournament, building on his victory total that stands as the most NCAA Tournament wins in program history.
• Advance Creighton to Saturday's Second Round game vs. either Kansas, Texas Southern or Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
• Creighton would improve to 11-12 in its first NCAA Tournament game of an appearance.
• Teams with Ryan Hawkins would improve to 182-19 at the college level, and 43-2 at neutral sites.

About Creighton
Creighton is a private, Jesuit institution located in Omaha, Neb., with 8,770 students. The University was founded in 1878 by Mary Lucretia Creighton, who established it in memory of her husband, telegraph pioneer Edward Creighton.
   Prominent alumni include Bob Gibson (Hall of Fame pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals), Paul Silas (former NBA player and head coach), Kyle Korver (former NBA player), Doug McDermott (San Antonio Spurs), Pat Venditte (former ambidextrous MLB pitcher) and J. Joseph Ricketts (Chicago Cubs owner and founder of TD Ameritrade),
   Creighton picked up the Bluejays moniker in 1924 after a newspaper coordinated a public contest to select a nickname and mascot.
   Creighton officially joined the BIG EAST on July 1, 2013.

Storylines
There's numerous storylines as it relates to Creighton's trip to Fort Worth.
   Creighton freshman Arthur Kaluma is the brother of San Diego State senior Adam Seiko. The two were teammates on the Ugandan National Team last summer when they competed at AfroBasket in Rwanda. Both men started, with Kaluma averaging 13.2 ppg. and Seiko averaging 13.0 ppg. Their coach for Uganda is George Galanopoulos, who is the head coach for the G-League's Texas Legends, who are based out of the Fort Worth suburb of Frisco.
   Creighton's assistant coach Ryan Miller served as assistant and later associate head coach at TCU (in Fort Worth) from 2016-21.
   Creighton has never played an NCAA Tournament game in Fort Worth, but is 4-3 all-time in NCAA games played in the state of Texas (1-0 in both 1962, 1964 & 1974 in Dallas; 0-1 in 1989 in Dallas; 1-1 in 2014 in San Antonio).
   San Diego State's Aguek Arop is from Omaha.
   Both Creighton and San Diego State lost low-scoring conference tournament finals. CU lost 54-48 to Villanova in the BIG EAST final and San Diego State lost to Boise State, 53-52.
   Thursday (March 17) will be the 41st birthday for former Creighton legend Kyle Korver. Korver played at Creighton from 1999-2003 and remains the only Bluejay in program history to appear in four different NCAA Tournaments. He was on hand to cheer on his alma mater at Madison Square Garden last Saturday night for the BIG EAST Tournament championship game.

NCAA Tournament History
Creighton is making its 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance, and 14th in the last 24 years. The Bluejays are 14-23 all-time in NCAA action, including a 10-12 record in its first game.
   Last season Creighton defeated UC Santa Barbara (63-62) and Ohio (72-58) before falling to eventual runner-up Gonzaga (83-65) in the Regional Semifinal. It was CU's first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 1974.
   Creighton owns an 8-12 record all-time in the Midwest Region, far more wins than any other Region. The Bluejays were 2-1 in 1962 (beat Memphis, lost to Cincinnati, beat Texas Tech), 1-2 in 1964 (beat Oklahoma City, lost to Kansas, beat Louisville), 0-1 in 1975 (lost to Maryland), 1978 (lost to DePaul), 1989 (lost to Missouri), 2000 (lost to Auburn), 1-1 in 2002 (beat Florida, lost to Illinois), 2012 (beat Alabama, lost to North Carolina) and 2013 (beat Cincinnati, lost to Duke) and 0-1 in 2017 (lost to Rhode Island).
   In 34 previous NCAA or NIT appearances, Creighton has won consecutive games in the same event just three times, with that happening in the 2016 and 2019 NIT's, as well as the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
   Creighton has had at least one sport reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 35 academic calendar years, as the Bluejays also have gone dancing in men's soccer, volleyball and women's basketball this academic year.
   Including the NCAA's, NIT, CBI and CIT, Creighton will be making its 23rd postseason appearance in the last 25 seasons on Thursday. The 2019-20 team was one of those exceptions, but was likely headed for a 2 or 3 seed in the NCAA's before COVID-19 canceled the event.
   Of the teams to reach last year's Sweet 16, only 11 of them (Loyola Chicago, Houston, Baylor, Arkansas, Villanova, Michigan, UCLA, Alabama, Gonzaga, USC and Creighton) even made this year's field of 68.

Common Opponents
Creighton and San Diego State share four common opponents this season, as both teams played BYU, Arizona State, Georgetown and Colorado State. Creighton is 3-2 while SDSU is 4-2 in those contests.
Team   CU Result   SDSU Result
BYU   W 83-71   L 66-60
Arizona State   L 58-57   W 65-63
Georgetown   W 80-66   W 73-56
   W 88-77
Colorado State   L 81-95   W 79-49
       L 58-57
       W 63-58

Merfeld's One Shining Moment Turns 21
Currently an assistant to the head coach at Creighton, Steve Merfeld coached one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history when his 15th-seeded Hampton team defeated second-seeded Iowa State, 58-57, in Boise, Idaho, in 2001.
   Merfeld's team closed the game on a 14-2 run, capped by a Travis Williams basket with 6.9 seconds left. ISU All-American Jamaal Tinsley's coast-to-coast lay-up attempt rolled out as time expired.
   As the final horn sounded, Merfeld raced across the court from his bench area to the other side, where he was picked up by forward David Johnson in an enduring image as Merfeld kicked his feet in jubilation.
   That video clip is still shown annually in March Madness intros and highlights worldwide.

Postseason Wins In 10 of Last 12 Appearances
Creighton has won at least one game in 10 of its last 12 postseason appearances. The stretch began in 2007-08.
Creighton's Last 12 Postseason Appearances
Year   Tournament   First Game
2007-08   NIT   Beat Rhode Island, 74-73
2008-09   NIT   Beat Bowling Green, 73-71
2009-10   CIT   Beat South Dakota, 89-78
2010-11   CBI   Beat San Jose State, 85-74
2011-12   NCAA   Beat Alabama, 58-57
2012-13   NCAA   Beat Cincinnati, 67-63
2013-14   NCAA   Beat Louisiana, 76-66
2015-16   NIT   Beat Alabama, 72-54
2016-17   NCAA   Lost to Rhode Island, 84-72
2017-18   NCAA   Lost to Kansas State, 69-59
2018-19   NIT   Beat Loyola (Chicago), 70-61
2020-21   NCAA   Beat UCSB, 63-62

Both Sides Now
Creighton is one of just 11 teams that had both its men's and women's basketball teams earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. That list consists of Arkansas, Baylor, Creighton, Indiana, Iowa State, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
   Only 24 schools placed men's and women's basketball teams in both NCAA Tournaments.

Coaching Experience In The Dance
Creighton's full-time coaching staff boasts a combined 32 Division I NCAA Tournament games under their collective belts as either a player (5-6), assistant coach (3-4) or head coach (5-9), winning 13 of those games.
   Greg McDermott is 5-9 in NCAA Tournament action as a Division head coach. He went 0-3 at Northern Iowa (0-1 in 2004, 2005 and 2006) and is 5-6 at Creighton (2-1 in 2021, 1-1 in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and 0-1 in 2017 and 2018). In 2021, he led the Bluejays to their first Sweet 16 since 1974.
   Alan Huss is 3-5 in NCAA Tournament action, going three times as a player at Creighton (1-1 in 1999 and 0-1 in both 2000 and 2001). He is also 2-2 as an assistant coach thanks to a 2018 Creighton loss and a 2-1 mark last year.
   Ryan Miller has been a part of three NCAA Tournaments as an assistant coach, going 1-2 in two appearances (2010, 2012) with New Mexico and 0-1 in 2018 with TCU. He was also part of three tournaments as a player at Division II Northern State, going 2-1 to reach the Elite Eight in 1998, 1-1 in 1996 and 0-1 in 1997.

NCAA Experience
Nine players on the Creighton team have been a part of an NCAA Tournament squad before, and five of them have appeared for the Bluejays in the Big Dance.
   Alex O'Connell, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Shereef Mitchell, Sami Osmani, Devin Davis, Rati Andronikashvili and Modestas Kancleris were all part of CU's 2021 team that went 2-1. O'Connell, Kalkbrenner and Mitchell played in all three games, Davis played in the win vs. Ohio and the loss to Gonzaga, and Osmani played in the loss vs. Gonzaga. Andronikashvili and Kancleris both missed the entire 2020-21 season with ACL injuries.
   O'Connell also played in seven NCAA Tournament games at Duke, including a pair of starts, as the Blue Devils went 5-2 in those contests. Duke also won one other game in which he didn't appear in. The Blue Devils reached the Elite Eight in both seasons. He averaged 1.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in those games and started Duke's Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games in 2019 in place of an injured Cam Reddish. O'Connell played in all three of CU's NCAA Tournament games last season.
   KeyShawn Feazell played in an NCAA Tournament loss for Mississippi State in 2019 against Liberty.
   Ryan Hawkins was a part of four NCAA Tournament teams while playing at the Division II level for Northwest Missouri State, going 18-1 (12-1 when he played). He redshirted on NMSU's 2016-17 team that won the national title. In 2017-18 he played in one game (a loss) vs. Minnesota State. In both 2018-19 and 2020-21 he started all six games of Northwest's title run. He was named the MVP of the 2020-21 Elite Eight after posting 32 points in the Elite Eight, 20 points and 11 rebounds in the semifinal and 31 points and 18 rebounds in the title game vs. West Texas A&M.

Against NCAA Tournament Opponents
Creighton is 7-7 against teams that made the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Jays were 3-0 against Marquette, 2-0 vs. UConn, 1-1 vs. Providence, 1-2 vs. Villanova, 0-2 vs. Seton Hall and 0-1 against both Colorado State and Iowa State. In those 14 games, Creighton went 3-2 at home, 2-3 on the road and 2-2 on neutral floors.
   Ryan Hawkins led CU with 13.2 points and also averaged 7.5 rebounds per game. Ryan Kalkbrenner averaged 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest.
   As a team, Creighton has allowed 67.6 points per game while scoring 65.2 points per contest. CU is +2.9 on the glass and shoots 43.2 percent from the field, 29.7 percent from deep and 73.9 percent at the line.
   All six full games that Ryan Nembhard has missed have come against NCAA Tournament teams, with CU going 3-3 in that stretch.

BIG EAST Success
Creighton is one of six BIG EAST teams to make the NCAA Tournament this season,joining Providence, Villanova, Connecticut, Marquette and Seton Hall.
   The BIG EAST has had a Sweet 16 squad in 25 of the past 27 tournaments, and multiple Sweet 16 teams in 14 of the last 19 tournaments.
   Even when you remove Louisville's vacated 2013 title, the BIG EAST Conference has won a combined 14 NCAA men's and women's basketball titles in the previous 21 tournaments.

History As A No. 5 Seed
Since the NCAA began seeding all the teams in 1979, this year marks the first time Creighton has been a No. 9 seed. It snaps a streak of six straight NCAA berths in which the Bluejays began play as a better seed and in its "home whites" for its initial NCAA Tournament game.
   Since 1985, No. 9 seeds are 73-71 (.507) against No. 8 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, including a 12-8 mark (.600) in the last five tournaments. In 33 of the last 36 tournaments, the No. 9 seed has won at least one first round game. The only exceptions came in 2000, 2002 and 2015.
   Since 1985, No. 9 seeds are 7-66 in the Second Round, 4-3 in the Regional Semifinal and 1-3 in the Regional Final. The only no. 9 seed to reach the Final Four was Wichita State in 2013
Creighton's NCAA Tourney Seeds
(since seeding began in 1979)
Year   Seed   Record
1981   8th   0-1
1989   14th   0-1
1991   11th   1-1
1999   10th   1-1
2000   10th   0-1
2001   10th   0-1
2002   12th   1-1
2003   6th   0-1
2005   10th   0-1
2007   10th   0-1
2012   8th   1-1
2013   7th   1-1
2014   3rd   2-1
2017   6th   0-1
2018   8th   0-1
2021   5th   2-1
2022   9th   ? ? ?

McDermott In The Postseason
Creighton coach Greg McDermott is making his 10th postseason appearance at Creighton, and 13th overall as a Division I head coach when you include his time at Northern Iowa.
   McDermott's Division I teams own an 13-13 record in 12 previous postseason appearances, including a 13-10 mark in nine previous appearances at Creighton.
McDermott's Division I Postseason Appearances
Year (School)   Tourney   Postseason W-L
2003-04 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2004-05 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2005-06 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2010-11 (CU)   CBI   4-2
2011-12 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2012-13 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2013-14 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2015-16 (CU)   NIT   2-1
2016-17 (CU)   NCAA   0-1
2017-18 (CU)   NCAA   0-1
2018-19 (CU)   NIT   2-1
2020-21 (CU)   NCAA   2-1
2021-22 (CU)   NCAA   ? ? ?

Most Postseason Bids By CU Coaches
This year's bid to the NCAA Tournament is the 10th postseason bid for Greg McDermott at Creighton. Only Dana Altman (13) has taken the Bluejays to more postseason appearances in men's basketball.
   McDermott's five NCAA Tournament wins are a school record, two more than John J. "Red" McManus.
   McDermott's seven NCAA Tournament trips are tied for the most in program history as well, matching what Altman did.
   McDermott's 13 postseason wins at Creighton are the most in school history, six more than Altman's seven.
   McDermott (13-10) is one of two coaches in program history with a winning record in postseason play, joining Eddie Sutton (2-1).
Coach (Bids)   NCAA   NIT   CBI   CIT   NCIT   Total
Hickey (3)   1-1   2-2   0-0   0-0   0-0   3-3
Belford (1)   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-1   0-1
McManus (3)   3-3   0-0   0-0   0-0   1-1   4-4
Sutton (1)   2-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-0   2-1
Apke (4)   0-3   0-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-4
Barone (3)   1-2   0-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   1-3
Altman (13)   2-7   3-5   0-0   2-1   0-0   7-13
McDermott (10*)   5-6   4-2   4-2   0-0   0-0   13-10
*The 2022 NCAA Tournament is McDermott's 10th appearance

Super Seven
Greg McDermott will join some select company when he directs his troops to a seventh NCAA Tournament this weekend. That puts him in the company of some of the greatest coaches in CU Athletics history.
   McDermott is one of five head coaches in Creighton history to lead seven different NCAA Tournament teams.
Name   Sport   NCAA's @CU
Bob Warming   Men's Soccer   11
Kirsten Bernthal Booth   Volleyball   10
Dana Altman   Men's Basketball   7
Brent Vigness   Softball   7
Greg McDermott   Men's Basketball   7

Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
Though much is made of the influx of freshmen on this year's Creighton team, the Bluejays are 7-2 this season in games decided by five points or less.
   Since the start of last season, Creighton is 10-2 in one-possession games (decided by 3 or less). Those 10 victories by three points or less are tied for third-most nationally (Texas and Drake have 11) in that span and is the most among BIG EAST schools.
   Creighton has won games this season by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 points.

Postseason Features Last-Second Drama
Twelve of Creighton's previous 17 postseason runs (all but 2010, 2014 and 2016, 2017 and 2019) have included a game that was decided in the final seconds, including 2021.
   In fact, Creighton's past 17 postseason openers have been decided by an average of 6.35 points and feature five games decided by one point (including a double-OT finish), two by two points, one game by four points, two by six points (including an OT finish), two games by 10 points, three games by 11 points one by 12 points, and one decided by 18 points.
   In 2021, Christian Bishop made two go-ahead free throws with 16.0 seconds left and UC Santa Barbara's Amadou Sow missed a point-bank lay-up with two seconds left as Creighton won, 63-62.
   In 2013 Cincinnati missed a game-tying three-pointer in the final 20 seconds and Creighton guard Austin Chatman made 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to hold on to a 67-63 win.
   In 2012 Creighton edged Alabama in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 58-57, as Trevor Releford's game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer came up short.
   Creighton's 2010-11 campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion in the CBI title game at Oregon. Creighton had the ball in a tie game with the shot clock off, but committed a backcourt violation on Oregon's "unique" floor. The Ducks' E.J. Singler then banked in a game-winning shot with 2.0 seconds left. A desperation three-pointer by Creighton was off the mark.
   In 2009, Creighton rallied from a 14-point deficit and would hang on to beat Bowling Green, 73-71 in the first round of the NIT. The Jays needed a last-second defensive stand, as BGSU's Darryl Clements' game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.
   The following game, Creighton led Kentucky by one with 36 seconds left, only to miss two free throws and see UK All-American Jodie Meeks convert a three-point play. CU's Booker Woodfox, the nation's No. 2 three-point shooter, missed an open trey as time expired, and Creighton lost 65-63.
   In 2008, Creighton rallied from a 12-point deficit in the final 3:07 to top Rhode Island, 74-73, in the first round of the NIT. Cavel Witter hit the game-winner with 3.2 seconds left to give CU its first lead of the game since 3-0.
   In 2007, Creighton had the ball for a final shot in a tie game against Nevada in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Nate Funk's shot attempt missed, and a tip-in try was also not converted. The Jays would eventually lose 77-71 in overtime.
   In second round of the 2006 NIT, Miami (Fla.) guard Guilermo Diaz drained a free throw with 2.6 seconds left to beat Creighton 53-52. A last-second shot attempt by Bluejay senior Johnny Mathies was knocked out of his hands.
   In the 2005 NCAA Tourney, Nate Funk had his three-point try with seven seconds left blocked by Tyrone Sally, and Sally raced downcourt for a breakaway dunk with 2.4 seconds left to give West Virginia a 63-61 win. Funk's three-point try from the corner missed at the buzzer.
   In 2004, Creighton fell 71-70 to Nebraska in the NIT. The Jays led nearly the entire second half before NU's go-ahead basket with 12 seconds left. Nate Funk's game-winning jumper from 18-feet away was blocked by Husker guard Jake Muhleisen.
   In 2003 Creighton lost 79-73 to Central Michigan in the NCAA's. The Jays trailed 50-24 with 16:24 left but a furious rally got them within two points (72-70) with 1:20 left, only to turn it over the next three possessions.
   In the 2002 NCAA's, Creighton beat #15 Florida, 83-82, in Chicago. Terrell Taylor hit a game-winning trey with 0.2 seconds left in double-overtime, his final three of 28 points after a scoreless first half.

The 200 Club
Saturday's BIG EAST Tournament final was the 200th that Ryan Hawkins has been on the sidelines for since enrolling in college way back in 2016.
   Hawkins redshirted for a 35-1 national championship team at Northwest Missouri State in 2016-17, and since has gone 146-18 in the games he has played in, meaning his teams are 181-19 overall.

Hawkins, Villanova or COVID?
It's tough to predict who will win the national title at this point, but if the past is any indication, there was a good chance an unstoppable force was on the floor at Madison Square Garden last Saturday.
   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)

Foul Play
Creighton ranks sixth-best in the country with just 13.4 fouls per game, a good thing for a squad that has been using a seven-man rotation for the better part of the last month.
   San Diego State is 232nd nationally with 17.4 fouls per game.
   Creighton also ranks fourth in the country per BartTorvik.com in defensive free throw rate (FTA/FGA).

Seeking The Speed Limit
Creighton failed to break the 50 point barrier in its last outing, when it finished the Villanova game with just 48 points.
   It was just the fifth time in Greg McDermott's 12 years at Creighton that the Bluejays failed to score 50 or more points.
   In McDermott's Division I career spanning 691 games, his teams are 1-18 when scoring less than 50 points. The lone win came on Feb. 28, 2004, when Northern Iowa defeated Indiana State 48-47 in Terre Haute.
   CU is also 2-25 under McDermott when scoring 56 points or fewer, with both wins coming earlier this season vs. Kennesaw State (51-44) and vs. Butler (54-52)
   In the game after scoring 56 points or less, Creighton has gone 20-6 under McDermott while averaging 76.5 points.
   CU has not been held to less than 55 points in consecutive games since January of 2008 and hasn't been held under 50 points in consecutive contests since January of 1952.
   San Diego State ranks second nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 57.7 points per game.

Top 25 Success
A 79-59 win vs. No. 9 Villanova, an 83-71 win vs. No. 24 BYU and a 85-58 win vs. No. 11 Providence means Creighton owns three double-digit wins over top-25 competition this season, something only six other schools can also claim. Gonzaga has done it five times, Texas Tech has done it four times. Creighton, Marquette, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Villanova have done it three times.
   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 (1) and West Virginia (1) but are still seeking a second top-25 win 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
   5   2021-22   #9 Villanova, #17 UConn,
           #18 UConn, #24 BYU
   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

All-BIG EAST Tourney Picks
Last week marked Creighton's eighth trip to the BIG EAST Tournament, not counting the 2020 abbreviated trek that was halted at halftime of its first game.
   The only men to earn All-Tournament Team honors have been Doug McDermott and Austin Chatman (2014), Marcus Foster (2017), Marcus Zegarowski (2021) and Ryan Kalkbrenner and Arthur Kaluma (2022).
   McDermott scored 94 points in his three games, making 34-of-63 shots from the field, 14-of-28 three-point shots and 12-of-14 attempts from the line. He set a BIG EAST Tournament record for points in a half (since broken) when he scored 27 in the first half vs. DePaul.
   Chatman averaged 8.7 points, 6.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game while directing the Bluejay offense. He made 9-of-16 shots from the floor.
   In 2017 Foster averaged 16.3 points, 3.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game at The Garden. His three-pointer in the closing seconds of the semifinal lifted Creighton to a 75-72 win and advanced the Bluejays to their second title game in four seasons.
   In 2021, Zegarowski averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 61.5 percent from three-point range as the Bluejays reached the finals.
   Both Arthur Kaluma and Ryan Kalkbrenner were named to the All-Tournament Team at the 2022 BIG EAST Tournament. Kaluma averaged 13.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in three games, while Kalkbrenner led CU with 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game on 76 .0 percent shooting from the field.

Fool Me Once...But Nine Times?
Creighton has met or exceeded its preseason BIG EAST prognostication every year since joining the league, as seen below.
   This year also marks the sixth straight season that Creighton has finished in fourth place or better.
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   4th   None

Awards Haul
Five members of the Creighton men's basketball team received recognition from the BIG EAST Conference. Ryan Hawkins was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team and Ryan Kalkbrenner was named All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention. Additionally, the Bluejay trio of Ryan Nembhard, Trey Alexander and Arthur Kaluma were named to the BIG EAST's All-Freshman Team. Kalkbrenner was also named Defensive Player of the Year while Nembhard was tabbed as Freshman of the Year.
   Hawkins leads the BIG EAST with 11 double-doubles and tops the Bluejays with 13.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in his first year in the program. The sixth-year senior from Atlantic, Iowa, has started every game and is one of three men (along with Adama Sanogo and Justin Lewis) in the BIG EAST to rank among the top 10 in both points and rebounds per game. Hawkins' selection gives Creighton a player named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team for the seventh straight season.
   Kalkbrenner has swatted 89 blocked shots, a key reason that the Bluejays lead the league in field goal percentage defense (.395). The sophomore from St. Louis, Mo., also owns a conference-best 128 offensive rebounds, the most by a Creighton player since Bob Harstad in 1988-89. Kalkbrenner is CU's fourth player named All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention in the past four seasons, joining Denzel Mahoney (2020-21), Martin Krampelj (2018-19) and Ty-Shon Alexander (2018-19). He is CU's first Defensive Player of the Year since Khyri Thomas won it in back-to-back seasons in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
   Nembhard became Creighton's first unanimous choice to the All-Freshman Team since Marcus Zegarowski in 2018-19. Nembhard was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week a league-leading six times after pacing the Bluejays in assists (4.4), steals (1.3) and minutes (34.8) per game. The Aurora, Ontario, Canada product averaged 11.3 points per contest before undergoing season-ending surgery on his right wrist on February 25. Nembhard is the first Bluejay to be named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year since Justin Patton in 2016-17.
   Alexander averaged 6.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while starting the final 11 of his 33 appearances to date. He's scored in double-figures nine times and took over starting point guard duties after Nembhard got injured on February 23. The Oklahoma City, Okla., native was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week three times during his debut season.
   Kaluma is averaging 9.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while starting 28-of-29 appearances. The Glendale, Ariz., product has scored in double-figures 12 times this year and was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Feb. 14 and March 6.
   Creighton is the first team to land three members of the BIG EAST's All-Freshman Team in the same season since Georgetown placed Mac McClung, James Akinjo and Josh LeBlanc on the squad in 2018-19.

Kalkbrenner Named BIG EAST's Top Defender
Creighton sophomore Ryan Kalkbrenner has been named the 2021-22 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year after a vote of league coaches. The center's recognition marks the third time in the past six seasons that a Bluejay has won the award, joining two-time honoree Khyri Thomas (2016-17, 2017-18).
   Kalkbrenner owns 89 blocked shots, which ranks ninth-most nationally. He was also sixth in the BIG EAST with 8.0 rebounds per league contest. Creighton leads the BIG EAST in field goal percentage defense (.395) in all games and its 65.9 points allowed per league game was second-best, with the St. Louis, Mo., native anchoring the Bluejay defense.
   Kalkbrenner had a blocked shot in 26 straight games at one point, Creighton's longest streak since 1984-85, and his 89 blocked shots have only been surpassed by Benoit Benjamin (three times) in Bluejay history.
   The 13 men listed on the All-Conference teams that faced Creighton this season averaged 13.3 points per league game while shooting 37.2 percent against the Bluejays, compared to 15.8 points per game on 45.7 percent shooting in all other games.

My King (Arthur)!
Creighton forward Arthur Kaluma earned the final BIG EAST Freshman of the Week award, league officials announced on Sunday, March 6.
   Kaluma averaged 12.0 points and 5.0 rebounds as Creighton split home games against #18 UConn and Seton Hall during the first week of March.
    He started his week with 15 first half points in a win vs. No. 18 UConn, a game in which CU never trailed. He added five rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot
    The Glendale, Ariz., product then had nine points and five rebounds against Seton Hall.
   It was Kaluma's second recognition, as the forward was previously recognized on Feb. 14th. Combined with teammates Ryan Nembhard (Nov. 15, Nov. 22, Nov. 29, Dec. 20, Jan. 17, Feb. 21) and Trey Alexander (Jan. 24, Feb. 7, Feb. 28), Creighton has now won 11 of the league's 16 Freshman of the Week awards this season, including seven of the past eight weeks.

McDermott's Coaching Tree
A bunch of former Greg McDermott protégés are also thriving.
   Eric Henderson led South Dakota State to the first 18-0 season in Summit League history. The Jackrabbits are 30-4 after winning the Summit League Tournament and clinching an NCAAA bid.
   North Dakota State's Dave Richman is 23-10 overall and finished as the runner-up in the Summit League standings and Summit League Tournament to Henderson's SDSU team.
   Ben Jacobson won the MVC regular-season title while coaching Northern Iowa. The Panthers are 19-11 and headed to the NIT.
   Drake's Darian DeVries led the Bulldogs to a 24-10 mark and runner-up finish in the MVC (to Jacobson's UNI team) in the regular-season and the league tournament. Drake is CBI-bound.
   Steve Lutz has led his Texas A&M-Corpus Christi team to a 24-11 record and a Southland Conference Tournament title in his first year as a head coach. He inherited a 5-19 team that hadn't won 20 games or had a winning record since 2016-17.
   TJ Otzelberger has turned around Iowa State in his first year in Ames. He inherited a 2-22 team (0-18 Big 12) that enters the NCAA Tournament with a 20-13 overall mark..
   Patrick Sellers led Central Connecticut State to an 8-24 record in his first season with the Blue Devils, including a victory in the Northeast Conference Tournament.
   And though he wasn't ever an assistant under McDermott, former Bluejay player Grant Gibbs has led the G-League's Oklahoma City Blue to a 12-15 record.

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 42-2 on neutral sites when you include his 5-2 mark this year.
   He enters the NCAA Tournament with a team record of 181-19 (.905) at all sites. He's lost consecutive games in his career just twice, but is coming off a loss.
   CU's January 1st win at Marquette marked the 100th conference game of Hawkins' college career, while the Feb. 14 win vs. Georgetown was his 100th conference victory. He finished his career 104-13 in league games.

Fun Fact
Creighton is the only school in the BIG EAST with 12 or more league wins each of the last three seasons. Among the other BIG EAST or "Power 5" Conferences, only Baylor, Illinois, Kansas, UCLA and Virginia have done so.

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   4th   --

.500 Or Better in League Play, Again
Creighton went 12-7 in league play, earning a .500 mark or better in league play once again. It is the 26th time in the last 27 seasons that Creighton has gone .500 or better in league play.
   The only BIG EAST teams to finish .500 or better in league play each of the last six seasons (including 2021-22) are Creighton, Villanova and Seton Hall.

20 Wins, Again
Creighton has 22 wins, securing a seventh straight 20-win season.
   Creighton entered this season as one of six schools with 20 or more wins in each of the last six seasons, joining Belmont, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Oregon.
   All those other schools have 20 or more wins this season except Oregon (19). The Ducks play at Utah State in the NIT.

22 of 24 Seasons With 20 Wins
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 22 of the last 24 seasons (including 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 24 years (including 2021-22): Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 23 times, Creighton and Kentucky 22 times.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 24 Seasons (includes 2021-22)
Team   20-Win Seasons   2021-22 W-L
Gonzaga   24   26-3
Kansas   24   28-6
Duke   23   28-6
Creighton   22   22-11
Kentucky   22   26-7

On The Double!
Ryan Hawkins leads the BIG EAST in double-doubles, both overall and in league play.
   His 11 overall double-doubles are tied with Georgetown's Aminu Mohammed. His nine double-dips in league play were two more than UConn's Adama Sanogo.
   No BIG EAST player has had 11 or more double-doubles since 2019-20, when Xavier's Tyrique Jones (21), DePaul's Paul Reed (18) and Georgetown's Omer Yurtseven (13) all did so.
   Hawkins' 11 double-doubles are the most in a season by any Bluejay since Doug McDermott had 11 as a sophomore in 2011-12. No CU player has had 12 or more double-doubles since Bob Harstad had 12 in 1989-90.
Most CU Double-Doubles Since 1987-88, Season
   D-D   Name   Year
   13   Bob Harstad   1988-89
   12   Bob Harstad   1989-90
   11   Bob Harstad   1990-91
   11   Doug McDermott   2011-12
   11   Ryan Hawkins   2021-22
   10   Chad Gallagher   1990-91
   10   Doug McDermott   2012-13

Most CU Double-Doubles Since 1987-88, Career
   D-D   Name   Year
   42   Bob Harstad   1987-91
   37   Doug McDermott   2010-14
   24   Chad Gallagher   1987-91
   13   Martin Krampelj   2015-19
   11   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   11   Anthony Tolliver   2003-07
   11   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2006-11
   11   Ryan Hawkins   2021-22

Nembhard To Miss Rest of 2021-22 Season
Guard Ryan Nembhard will miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season after suffering an injury during last Creighton's Feb. 23 win at St. John's. He underwent surgery on his right wrist on Feb. 25th.
   "We are heartbroken for Ryan, who has been such an integral part of our success this season," said Creighton head coach Greg McDermott. "He will remain a key part of our team while he is sidelined, but I know he will come back stronger than ever and we look forward to his healthy return."
   A six-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week and the frontrunner for BIG EAST Freshman of the Year accolades, Nembhard was averaging 11.3 points and a team-leading 4.4 assists per game. He started all 27 games he participated in and his 34.8 minutes per game are the most by a BIG EAST freshman since 2011-12.

CU's Been There Before, Unfortunately
The injury to Ryan Nembhard isn't the first time in recent memory that Creighton has suffered a injury to a key player late in the year. Each of the previous teams answered the bell and reached the postseason (when one was played), as has this team.
   In 2019-20 Marcus Zegarowski suffered a knee injury in CU's final regular-season game of the year. Creighton was ranked seventh nationally and headed towards a No. 2 or No. 3 seed before COVID-19 ended the season prematurely.
   In 2017-18, Martin Krampelj suffered a knee injury in CU's 19th game of the season. That team went on to reach the NCAA Tournament.
   In 2016-17, Maurice Watson Jr. suffered a knee injury in CU's 19th game of the season. That team went on to reach the NCAA Tournament.

Work Of Art
In the Feb. 23 win at St. John's, Arthur Kaluma returned from a knee injury that sidelined him for four games. The Glendale, Ariz., product had 12 points in 19 minutes, the latest in a string of good performances by the Bluejay freshman.
   In the last 14 games he's played, Kaluma has averaged 11.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
   Kaluma, who made 16-of-32 free throws (50 percent) in CU's first 17 games, has drained 19-of-23 foul shots (82.6 percent) since then.

Getting Offensive On The Glass
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 128 offensive rebounds this season, tops in the BIG EAST. Since 1986-87, the only Bluejay with more was Bob Harstad's 118 in 1988-89:
Most Offensive Rebounds, Since 1986-87
   OReb   Name   Year
   128   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2021-22
   118   Bob Harstad   1988-89
   110   Bob Harstad   1989-90
   108   Nate King   1993-94
   106   Bob Harstad   1987-88
   101   Randall Crutcher   1996-97

10's All Around
Creighton went 12-7 in league play after earning its 10th conference win of the season on Feb. 20 vs. Marquette. Creighton has now won 10 or more league games in 23 of the last 26 seasons (including 2021-22).

Another 10!
The Feb. 20 win vs. Marquette was Creighton's 10th home win this season. The Bluejays have now reached double-figures in that category for the 25th time in the last 26 seasons.
   The only exception in that time came in 2014-15, when the Jays won nine times at home.
   Creighton also surpassed 200,000 home fans for the season on Feb. 20th for the 16th time in the last 17 years. The only exception was the 2020-21 season that was impacted by COVID-19, which restricted crowds nationwide.

What's In A Number
There's little doubt that Duke forward Christian Laettner was one of the greatest college players of his generation nearly 30 years ago from 1988-92.
   What you might not realize is that Laettner's career stats are quite comparable to what Ryan Hawkins has accomplished at the college level.
   Laettner's teams went 123-26 with a pair of national titles, whereas as Hawkins' teams have gone 181-19 overall (146-18 when he plays).
Comparing Christian Laettner & Ryan Hawkins
Year   NCAA Titles   PTS   REB   3FG   AST   STL
Laettner   2   2,460   1,149   79   273   243
Hawkins   3   2,556   1,206   360   226   254

Elite Company For Hawkins
Creighton senior Ryan Hawkins owns 2,556 career points and 1206 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), Lew Alcindor (2,325) and Christian Laettner (2,460).
   Only 10 other Division I players in NCAA history have finished their careers with at least both 2,556 points and 1,206 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
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
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

Ryan's Pave Way To Road Success
Creighton had six road wins this season, and Ryan Hawkins had a double-double in each of them.
   In those six contests, Hawkins has led CU with 22.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while he's shot 51.1 percent from the field and 45.9 percent from three-point range.
   Ryan Kalkbrenner averaged a double-double in those six road wins too, collecting 14.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game on 60.3 percent shooting from the floor.
   Those two, combined with namesake Ryan Nembhard, combined to score 292 of CU's 443 points (65.9 percent) in the six road victories.

The Ryan Express
Creighton has started three players with the first name of Ryan in all but six games this winter, as Ryan Nembhard, Ryan Hawkins and Ryan Kalkbrenner were all entrenched as starters until Nembhard's season-ending injury on Feb. 23. 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. Most recently, they had 56 points and 27 rebounds in a 71-59 win at DePaul on Feb. 17th.
    For the season, the "Ryan Express" has contributed 69.9 percent of Creighton's blocked shots, 52.2 percent of its points, 45.4 percent of its assists, 50.5 percent of its rebounds grabbed and 43.5 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".
Ryan's?   Time   Score   Margin
None   42:01   51-85   (-34)
Nembhard Only   40:55   47-84   (-37)
Kalkbrenner Only   11:34   22-15   +7
Hawkins Only   90:14   140-158   (-18)
Kalk/Hawk Only   245:44   411-384   +27
Nemb/Kalk Only   93:58   145-168   (-23)
Nemb/Hawk Only   201:18   373-329   +44
All 3 Ryan's   604:16   1089-953   +136

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 with 0 turnovers 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.
   Hawkins owned nine double-doubles in league play, tops in the BIG EAST.

Ready, Aim, Fire!
Ryan Hawkins launched 18 three-point attempts in win at Georgetown on Feb. 12, the most in CU history by one player in a game.
   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 the Feb. 12 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 the 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 (three times).

Feb. 12 Standouts
Creighton defeated Georgetown on Feb. 12 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 the Feb. 12 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.

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 the first 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). KeyShawn Feazell picked up a technical foul on Feb. 14 vs. Georgetown, as well. Since McDermott took over prior to 2010-11, the Bluejays own 36 technical fouls in 411 games (compared to 66 by its opponents).
- Since the start of the 1994-95 season, Creighton had played 915 games and been charged with 75 technical fouls.

Best In Class
Seniors Ryan Hawkins (458 points) and Alex O'Connell (381 points) are first and third on 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 34 steals so far this season. CU hasn't had its steals leader be a freshman since P'Allen Stinnett in 2007-08.

They Are Called Free Throws, After All
Creighton has climbed to 72.9 percent shooting at the free throw line for the season (130th nationally). That's a significant improvement over last year's team that ranked 322nd nationally with 64.0 percent marksmanship at the stripe.
   As a team, Creighton is shooting 75.5 percent (80-106) in the last two minutes of a game or overtime this season and 74.4 percent (122-164) in the last five minutes of a game or overtime.

All Ball
Ryan Kalkbrenner ranks second in the BIG EAST and 15th nationally with 2.70 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 will become the first Bluejay to average more than 2.00 blocks per game since Chad Gallagher (2.19) in 1990-91.
   Kalkbrenner's 89 swats are the second-most in school history by a sophomore, but still far behind Benjamin's 157 in 1983-84. Benjamin, who had seasons of 162, 157 and 92 rejections, is the only player with more.
   Of Kalkbrenner's 89 blocked shots this year, only 19 have gone out of bounds, whereas Creighton has rebounded 49 of the rejections.
   Making the 7-foot-1 sophomore's accomplishments all the more impressive is that the big man owns 89 blocks but has been called for just 47 fouls. Through games of March 13, that made him the nation's only player with more than 52 blocked shots and 50 personal fouls or less.
   Kalkbrenner owns 127 career blocked shots. He ranks seventh 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
   127   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Present
   109   Doug Swenson   1997-99
   104   Joe Dabbert   2000-04
   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
   89   Ryan Kalkbrenner (So.)   2021-22
   70   Chad Gallagher (Sr.)   1990-91
   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's streak of 26 straight games with a blocked shot was snapped when he was held without a swat on March 2 in a win vs. No. 18 UConn. During that streak, he owned multiple rejections in all but three of those contests.
   Kalkbrenner was 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 nine contests this winter with at least seven swats.
   Creighton is 11-7 all-time under McDermott when blocking seven or more shots, and the seven losses have come by a combined 40 points.
   Creighton's 4.42 blocked shots per game as a team this winter is the third-best figure since averaging 6.03 blocks per game in 1984-85.
   Creighton is 8-3 this season when blocking six shots or more.

Frosh Watch
Creighton is winning at a regular rate despite playing three freshmen (Trey Alexander, Arthur Kaluma, Ryan Nembhard) more than 25 minutes per game.
   On a national basis through March 13th, only 127 players classified as freshmen (true, redshirt or otherwise) were playing 25 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 25 minutes per game or more was Georgetown's Aminu Mohammed.
   CU is the only team nationally to play three true freshmen more than 25 minutes per game.
   And speaking of freshman minutes, Nembhard ranks third nationally among true freshmen with 34.8 minutes per game. The next-closest freshman from a Power 5 or BIG EAST program is Boston College's Jaeden Zackery (34.5 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 121 when it has two freshmen or less on the court, but have been outscored by 19 points when it has three or more freshmen on the floor.
   All told, 3015:33 of Creighton's 6,650 total minutes (45.35 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 freshman:   33:48   56-49   +7
2 freshmen:   904:27   1,601-1,485   +116
3 freshmen:   320:37   561-552   +9
4 freshmen:   45:54   54-85   (-31)
5 freshmen:   1:28   5-2   +3

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 428 points, 251 rebounds, 89 blocks and 69 dunks in 956 minutes.
   A big part of that has been his increased stamina. Even though his minutes per game have nearly doubled from 13.6 to 29.0 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   17.9   10.5   3.7   2.9

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   9.9   5.1   286

Not Your Ordinary Freshman
Arthur Kaluma had a season-high 20 points on Jan. 19 vs. St. John's. Kaluma (9.9 ppg.) and classmate Ryan Nembhard (11.3 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, all six Bluejay freshmen to average 10.5 points per game or more have been 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   2016-17
   12.6   *P'Allen Stinnett   2007-08
   11.3   *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 16,611 fans per home game.
2021-22 NCAA Home Attendance Per Game Leaders
Through 3/13/22
   Rank   School   Average
   1.   Syracuse   20,017
   2.   Kentucky   19,338
   3.   Arkansas   19,022
   4.   North Carolina   18,536
   5.   Tennessee   18,202
   6.   Creighton   16,611
   7.   Wisconsin   16,505
   8.   Kansas   16,253
   9.   Indiana   15,845
   10.   Nebraska   15,283

Kaluma In Elite Company
Arthur Kaluma is one of five true freshmen nationally from the BIG EAST or a Power Five Conference to be averaging at least 9.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 0.5 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, as well as Michigan's Moussa Diabate and Georgetown's Aminu Mohammed.
Power 5/BIG EAST Frosh With 9 PPG/5 RPG/0.5 BPG
Name, School   PPG   RPG   BPG
Paolo Banchero, Duke   17.0   7.8   0.9
Jabari Smith, Auburn   17.1   7.0   1.0
Aminu Mohammed, Georgetown   13.7   8.2   0.6
Arthur Kaluma, Creighton   9.9   5.1   0.6
Moussa Diabate, Michigan   9.0   5.9   0.8

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 overall in the BIG EAST with 34.8 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 34.8 minutes per game average will be the most by a BIG EAST freshman in 10 years, as Providence's LaDontae Henton (37.2) and 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.

Among The Best
Since the league's 2013 realignment, Villanova has 130 league wins to lead the BIG EAST by a wide margin, but Creighton's 95 league victories are second-most.
Men's MBB BIG EAST Wins, 2013-14 to End 2021-22
Team   W   L   Pct.
Villanova   130   31   .807
Creighton   95   70   .576
Providence   92   69   .571
Xavier   88   70   .557
Seton Hall   87   76   .534
Marquette   79   85   .482
Butler   78   88   .473
St. John's   62   101   .380
Georgetown   58   102   .370
DePaul   36   125   .224
Connecticut   24   12   .667

Up, Up And Away
Since Feb. 19, 2019, Creighton owns a 44-18 mark in regular-season BIG EAST games. That's two 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
Team   After 2/19/19   '19-20   '20-21   '21-22   Total
Creighton   5-0   13-5   14-6   12-7   44-18
Villanova   2-3   13-5   11-4   16-4   42-16
Providence   3-2   12-6   9-10   14-3   38-21
UConn   2-4#   10-8#   11-6   13-6   36-24
Seton Hall   2-3   13-5   10-9   11-8   36-25
Marquette   2-4   8-10   8-11   11-8   29-33
Xavier   4-1   8-10   6-7   8-11   26-29
Butler   1-4   10-8   8-12   6-14   25-38
St. John's   1-4   5-13   10-9   8-11   24-37
Georgetown   4-2   5-13   7-9   0-19   16-43
DePaul   2-3   3-15   2-13   6-14   13-45
#includes 2018-19 and 2019-20 in the AAC

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

O'Connell Can
After scoring in double-figures in 16 of 125 contests over his first four seasons at Duke and Creighton, senior Alex O'Connell has scored 10 or more points 21 times 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. He also scored 27 points on Feb. 14 in a win vs. Georgetown.
   The Georgia native is averaging 11.3 points per game overall this season.

We're Jamming!
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 68 dunks this season and 97 in his career. As a team, Creighton owns 128 dunks this season, including nine vs. Georgetown on Feb. 12th and eight vs. No. 18 UConn on March 2nd.
   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
68   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2021-22
50   Christian Bishop   2020-21
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
20   Alex O'Connell   2021-22

Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Years
121   Martin Krampelj   2015-19
103   Christian Bishop   2018-21
97   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
90   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
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)
128   2021-22   22-11 so far
107   2017-18   21-12 (NCAA)
106   2018-19   20-15 (NIT)
90   2020-21   22-9 (NCAA)
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 39th nationally (per BartTorvik.com) with its shooting 53.9 percent from two-point range. That includes a 58.7 percent mark from inside the paint.
   Defensively, Creighton is holding the opposition to 43.5 percent shooting from two-point range, the nation's eighth-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 47.6 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 (1,206), and field goals made (918) and is second in points (2,556).
   Hawkins also ranks in the top 13 among the nation's active Division I players in double-doubles (5th), games played (6th), three-pointers made (7th) and steals (13th).
   And while it's not among the categories the NCAA tracks among active players, it's worth noting that Hawkins owns 114 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.

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 (12-7)

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.

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.

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

Five Threats To Score
All five of Creighton's regular starters are averaging at least 9.9 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 24 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 49 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.

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 946 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 (3/14)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,161   UNLV   Next Year
   2.   1,146   Duke   3/18
   3.   1,094   Western Kentucky   Next Year
   4.   1,083   East Tennessee State   Next Year
   5.   1,062   Oakland   Next Year
   6.   1,060   Pacific   Next Year
   7.   1,055   Texas   3/18
   8.   1,003   Marshall   Next Year
   9.   994   Baylor   3/17
   10.   986   Princeton   3/15
   11.   979   Gonzaga   3/17
   12.   956   Long Island   Next Year
   13.   946   Creighton   3/17
   14.   941   Mount St. Mary's   Next Year
   15.   930   Tennessee State   Next Year

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 946 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,441 trifectas, an average of 7.87 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 142 times, more than any figure.
   Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 265 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
   Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 45-8 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 21-18 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:    5 times   2: 16 times   3: 34 times
4:    73 times   5:   101 times   6: 101 times
7:   142 times   8:   118 times   9: 91 times
10: 77 times   11: 53 times   12: 51 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

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%)

#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.

Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since the start of the 2010-11 season, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 through March 13, 2022
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Made   3,610   3rd
3FG Percentage   .377   5th
FG Percentage   .477   4th
Assists   6,548   5th
FG Made   11,194   8th
Points   31,308   10th
Wins   275   30th
Winning Percentage   .669   32nd

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

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 275 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .669 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more 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.   275-136   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

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

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   124   18   22-11 so far

Playing With The Lead
In 323 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 86 of those contests, a staggering 26.6 percent of the time.
     Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is
168-40 and hasn't trailed in 61 of those games. He owns an 91-8 record vs. non-conference teams at CHI Health Center Omaha.

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 323 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 19-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 265-58 (.820) 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 25,229-21,189 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.51 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 86 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 40-28 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 168-40 (.808) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn't trailed in 61 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 284-58 (.830) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Home Run
Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.56 points per home game (16,735 points in 208 home games), a figure that climbs to 80.07 points in non-conference home games (8,324 points in 99 home games). Creighton is 127-6 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.   18,192   Marquette   02/20/22

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 Meets San Diego State on Thursday in NCAA Tourney Opener

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Trey Alexander

Rati Andronikashvili

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

Devin Davis

KeyShawn Feazell

Ryan Hawkins

Damien Jefferson

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Arthur Kaluma

Modestas Kancleris

Denzel Mahoney

Shereef Mitchell

Ryan Nembhard

Alex O'Connell

Sami Osmani

Marcus Zegarowski