Men's Basketball Meets No. 3 Kansas For Berth in Sweet 16

Game #35: #3 Kansas Jayhawks vs. Creighton Bluejays
Saturday, March 19, 2022 • 1:40 p.m.
Dickies Arena (13,400) • Fort Worth, Texas
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; Westwood One; Sirius 138; XM 205; Internet 968
Television: CBS (Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson, Allie LaForce)
Series History: Kansas leads, 10-6
Last Meeting: #5 Kansas 73, #8 Creighton 72 on 12/8/20 in Lawrence, Kan.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF) | KU NOTES (PDF)

Next Game
Ninth-seeded Creighton (23-11) plays for a return to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 19 when it meets top-seeded and No. 3 Kansas (29-6).
   Tip-off at Dickies Arena (13,400) in Fort Worth, Texas, is set for 1:40 p.m. Central.

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 (and Jayhawk) 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
Saturday's game will be called by Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson and Allie LaForce and be televised on CBS.
   Creighton is 3-2 on CBS under Greg McDermott.
   Streaming video of all NCAA Tournament games is online at http://www.ncaa.com/marchmadnesslive.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 23-11 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. Down 62-53 with 2:30 left on Thursday, Creighton pulled off an epic comeback to earn a 72-69 overtime win over the Aztecs.
   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 (13.8 ppg., 7.8 rpg.), Ryan Nembhard (11.3 ppg., 4.4 apg.) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (13.1 ppg., 7.7 rpg., 2.6 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. Kalkbrenner left Thursday's game with a left knee injury and was still awaiting a diagnosis when these notes were being written hours later, though it seems unlikely he'll be available.
   Alex O'Connell (11.6 ppg., 5.4 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 6-2 on neutral floors this year.
   Creighton averages 69.1 points per game while allowing 66.0 per game. CU shoots 45.0 percent from the floor, 30.3 percent from deep and 73.3 percent at the line. CU is +3.1 on the glass but have also turned the ball over 14.2 times per game.

Scouting #3 Kansas
Kansas has won six straight to improve to 29-6 this season after a 83-56 win vs. Texas Southern on Thursday.
   Ochai Agbaji (19.4 ppg., 5.1 rpg.) was named a consensus First Team All-American after electing to return to school.
   Also in double-figures are Christian Braun (14.6 ppg.), Jalen Wilson (10.9 ppg.), 7.0 rpg.) and David McCormack (10.1 ppg., 7.1 rpg.).
   The Jayhawks average 78.7 points per game and yield just 67.8 per contest. KU shoots 48.2 percent from the floor, 35.9 percent from deep and 72.1 percent at the line.

The Series With Kansas
Kansas leads the all-time series with Creighton by a 10-6 count, including a 2-0 on neutral courts. Each of the last two meetings have been decided by a single point, including last season's top-10 battle in Lawrence won by the Jayhawks, 73-72.
   The only previous NCAA Tournament meeting was a 55-54 KU win in Tulsa in 1974.
   Creighton's last win in the series came on Dec. 5, 1949 (59-55 in Omaha).
   Creighton head coach Greg McDermott is 0-9 all-time against the Jayhawks. The first eight meetings came between 2006-10 when he was the head coach at Iowa State, with last year being his only battle against KU from the Bluejay sideline.
   McDermott is 0-9 in head-to-head meetings against Bill Self. Self is 3-3 in his career against Creighton (0-3 as Oral Roberts coach, 1-0 as Tulsa coach, 1-0 as Illinois coach, 1-0 as Kansas coach).

Last Meeting vs. Kansas
No. 5 Kansas defeated No. 8 Creighton, 73-72, last season (Dec. 8, 2020) in Lawrence as part of the Big 12 - BIG EAST battle.
   The game featured 13 lead changes and nine ties, with Denzel Mahoney's steal and score tying the game at 70 with 1:04 to go. KU's Jalen Wilson answered with a three-pointer with 40 seconds left to give KU the lead. Creighton had a chance to tie with 1.0 seconds left when Marcus Zegarowski was fouled on a three-point attempt, but the All-American guard missed his final free throw.
   Mahoney led four Bluejays in double-figures with 19 points and also helped keep Ochai Agbaji scoreless in 24 minutes on 0-for-6 shooting. Wilson led all players with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
   Of the eight Creighton players to see the floor that afternoon, only Shereef Mitchell and Ryan Kalkbrenner are still on the CU roster. Mitchell hasn't played since December due to injury, while Kalkbrenner was injured on Thursday night and his status for Saturday remains in question. The Bluejay duo combined for one point, one rebound and one assist in 19 minutes of floor time.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 276-136 record in his 12th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 556-331 in his 28th season, and is 425-267 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 16-23 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Creighton would reach its second consecutive Sweet 16 after no such trips from 1975-2020.
• Greg McDermott would improve to 7-6 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.
• Greg McDermott would win his first head-to-head meeting against Bill Self in 10 tries.
• Advance Creighton to next Friday's Regional semifinal game against either Providence or Richmond in Chicago.
• Creighton would improve to 3-9 in its second NCAA Tournament game of an appearance.
• Creighton would beat a No. 1 seed for the first time.
• Creighton would beat the nation's No. 3 team, matching the best victory in program history. CU also beat No. 3 Villanova 89-83 in overtime on Feb. 14, 2018. That Nova team would not lose again en route to the national championship.
• Teams with Ryan Hawkins would improve to 183-19 at the college level, and 44-2 at neutral sites.
• Creighton would pick up a top-10 win in non-conference play for the first time since 2016 (No. 9 Wisconsin on Nov. 15).
- Creighton would improve to 6-6 vs. top-25 teams this season, matching the program record (done in 2019-20) with its sixth top-25 victory of the year. The six top-25 wins would trail only Villanova (8), Tennessee (7) and Texas Tech (7) nationally in 2021-22.
• Creighton would win for the seventh time in 17 meetings against Kansas, but it would be Creighton's first win vs. KU since 1949.
• Creighton would improve to 4-16 against top-25 teams in NCAA Tournament play with its first such win since defeating No. 15 Florida 83-82 in double-overtime on March 15, 2002.

Winning Despite Adversity
Thursday marked the fifth time in the last seven weeks that Creighton won a game after losing a key player in the process.
   On Feb. 1, Ryan Kalkbrenner sprained his ankle with 15:07 to play at UConn. Though CU was up 37-31 at the time, the host Huskies embarked on a 10-2 run to take a 41-39 lead. Despite the adversity, Creighton would win the game, 59-55.
   One week later on Feb. 8 vs. Butler, Arthur Kaluma injured his knee with Creighton up 40-35 and 12:22 remaining. Kaluma would miss six minutes before returning. The Bluejays trailed 52-51 with 35 seconds left before scoring the final three points in a 54-52 win.
   On Feb. 20 vs. Marquette, Creighton trailed 78-73 when Alex O'Connell sprained his ankle with 4:46 to go. The Bluejays would rally to earn an 83-82 victory.
   On Feb. 23, Creighton trailed 58-57 with 12:55 left when Ryan Nembhard broke his wrist and the Bluejays trailing 58-57. Creighton would rally to win, 81-78.
   And for hopefully the last time this winter, Ryan Kalkbrenner injured his knee with 2:42 to go in overtime and the Bluejays behind, 68-66. CU embarked on a game-ending 6-1 run without their Defensive Player of the Year.

Second Half Trey Is The Best Trey
Trey Alexander picked up three first half fouls, yet finished Thursday's victory with a career-high 18 points. It was the first time all season that he led the Bluejay in scoring.
   Thirteen of those points came after halftime, continuing a trend for the freshman from Oklahoma City who is a cousin of Mike Conley Jr. One of those buckets was a game-tying hoop with 11.2 seconds left in regulation. He then converted a three-point play with 1:08 left that gave Creighton a 71-70 lead, its first advantage since it was 8-7.
   For the season, 161 of Alexander's 245 points (65.7%) have come after intermission.
   Alexander has scored 10 or more points after halftime in six different games, but has never scored more than nine points before the break.

What Does Big Ryan Do?
In addition to being named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST and a member of the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team, Ryan Kalkbrenner also provides Creighton a tremendous presence in the middle.
   The sophomore center suffered a knee injury in overtime of Creighton's victory on Thursday.
   He ranks second nationally with 134 offensive rebounds, third with 3.94 offensive rebounds per game, fourth in field goal percentage (.646) and ninth with 89 blocked shots.
   Creighton is +105 with him on the floor this season, but -48 with Kalkbrenner on the bench.
   If Kalkbrenner can't play on Saturday, it brings back memories of a different sport. In December, Creighton Volleyball lost star Jaela Zimmerman to a torn ACL in a First Round NCAA Tournament victory over Ole Miss. One night later, the Bluejays hosted Kansas and were unable to defeat the Jayhawks.

Can Teacher Learn From His Pupil?
Creighton coach Greg McDermott is a Northern Iowa graduate who later was the head coach at his alma mater from 2001-06. When he departed, assistant coach Ben Jacobson was promoted to the top spot.
   It was Jacobson's 2010 Northern Iowa team that was seeded ninth (like Creighton in 2022) and defeated a No. 8 seed from the Mountain West Conference (like Creighton in 2022) to face top-seeded Kansas (like Creighton in 2022).
   That upset was best known for a dagger three-pointer by Ali Farokhmanesh with 35 seconds left and 28 on the shot clock and UNI clinging to a 63-62 lead.

Sweet Redemption Possible?
In 1974, Tommie Smith had a game-winning lay-up to lead Kansas to a 55-54 victory vs. Creighton in the only previous NCAA Tournament meeting between the Bluejays and Jayhawks.
   That 1974 Creighton team had been the last squad to reach the Sweet 16 until last year's Bluejay team beat UCSB and Ohio to reach the Round of 16.

40 Minute Men
Creighton had four men play 40 minutes or more on Thursday, using just seven players in the entire overtime game.
   Ryan Hawkins never left the floor, playing every second of all 45 minutes. It was the 32nd time in Hawkins' college career that he's played 40 minutes or more, and fifth time this winter.
   Hawkins has logged 36 minutes or more in each of CU's last 13 games.

Streak Busters
San Diego State streaks that ended Thursday night at the hands of Creighton:
   - 35 straight wins when scoring at least 65 points.
   - 37 straight wins when leading with 5:00 to go.
   - 12 straight wins when leading at half.

Working Overtime
Creighton won Thursday's game in overtime over San Diego State, 72-69.
   The win improved Creighton to 2-1 all-time in NCAA Tournament overtime games, as the Jays beat Florida 83-82 in double-OT in 2002 before losing the Nevada 77-71 in 2007.
   Creighton is now 61-50 all-time in overtime games, including a 2-0 mark this season (CU won at Marquette, 75-69 in double-OT on Jan. 1).
   Creighton is now 11-6 in overtime games under Greg McDermott.
   Creighton has played back-to-back overtime games on five previous occasions, most recently on Dec. 9 & 14, 2014, when it beat South Dakota in double-OT, only to loss to Saint Mary's five days later.

Thursday's Tidbits
- Thursday's win vs. San Diego State was just the third under Greg McDermott when Creighton made two or fewer three-pointers. CU shot 1-for-19 from deep and beat Kennesaw State on Nov. 11, 2021, and also defeated Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2013 despite 2-for-9 marksmanship.
- Creighton had made a three-pointer before halftime in 316 games (dating to January of 2013) before it was snapped last Saturday in the BIG EAST Tournament final vs. Villanova when the Jays shot 0-for-13 from deep before the break.
   Thursday, CU shot 0-for-7 in the first half vs. San Diego State to compile a second straight game without a trey before the halftime buzzer.
- Thursday's win was Creighton's sixth on a neutral floor this season, having already won twice in the U.S. Virgin Islands, once in Sioux Falls, S.D., twice in New York City and once in Fort Worth.
   The six neutral site victories ties a school-record, matching what the 2012-13 team did.
- Ryan Hawkins owns 266 rebounds this season. The only Bluejay with more rebounds in the last 30 seasons is Doug McDermott, who had 280 rebounds in 2010-11, 288 in 2011-12 and 276 in 2012-13.
- Creighton's bench has been outscored 37-1 in the last two games. The lone point came in the final second of overtime vs. San Diego State on a free throw attempt where KeyShawn Feazell was intentionally trying to miss it off the back rim.

Storylines
There's numerous storylines as it relates to Creighton's trip to Fort Worth and Saturday's game against Kansas.
       Creighton's assistant coach Ryan Miller served as assistant and later associate head coach at TCU (in Fort Worth) from 2016-21.
   Creighton radio analyst Nick Bahe played at Kansas from 2003-05 on Bill Self's first two teams before transferring for his final three years of college at Creighton from 2005-08.
   Creighton is 5-3 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) and 1-0 in Fort Worth (in 2022).
   Creighton would reach the Sweet 16 for the second time since losing to Kansas in 1974 by a single point.

Toppled 10
Creighton has gone 7-5 in its last 12 games against top-10 teams, outscoring the opposition by 37 points in those contests.
Creighton's Last Six Games vs. Top 10 Teams
Date   Opponent   Score
02/24/2018   #3 Villanova   W 89-83 (OT)
12/01/2018   #1 Gonzaga   L 92-103
03/03/2019   at #10 Marquette   W 66-60
02/01/2020   at #8 Villanova   W 76-61
02/12/2020   at #10 Seton Hall   W 87-82
03/07/2020   #8 Seton Hall   W 77-60
12/08/2020   at #5 Kansas   L 72-73
02/13/2021   #5 Villanova   W 86-70
03/03/2021   at #10 Villanova   L 60-72
03/28/2021   vs. #1 Gonzaga   L 65-83
12/17/2021   #9 Villanova   W 79-59
03/12/2022   vs. #8 Villanova   L 48-54
Saturday   vs. #3 Kansas   ? ? ?

Top 25 Success
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, Michigan, Purdue, Texas Tech and Villanova can also claim.
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

Ranking News & Notes
- Creighton is 47-156 all-time against top-25 teams, including a 5-6 mark this season. The only teams with more top-25 wins this year are Villanova (8), Texas Tech (7), Marquette (6) and Tennessee (6).
- Creighton is 29-41 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams, 22 more top-25 wins than any other coach in Creighton history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 18-115 all-time against top-25 foes.
- Creighton is 5-8 in neutral site games vs. the top-25 under Greg McDermott, compared to a 5-22 mark before his arrival.
- Creighton's 29 top-25 wins since McDermott took over in 2010 are 34th-most nationally and more than schools like Arizona (28), Maryland (23), LSU (17), Auburn (16), Houston (14), Wichita State (14), USC (11), Memphis (11) and Saint Mary's (7) in that time.
- Creighton has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the last eight seasons (including 2021-22), and multiple ranked foes in each of the last seven seasons (including 2021-22).
   On a national basis, the only 19 teams with a top-25 win each of the last eight seasons (including 2021-22) are Baylor, Creighton, Duke, Florida State, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas Tech, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Xavier.
- Creighton is 24-24 since the start of the 2016-17 season against ranked teams. The 24 wins over ranked teams in that time are 14th-most nationally, one behind Gonzaga 13th place. CU's 24 top-25 wins trails only Villanova (32) among BIG EAST programs.

20 Wins, Again
Creighton has 23 wins, securing a seventh straight 20-win season.
   Creighton is one of six schools with 20 or more wins in each of the last seven seasons, joining Belmont, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Oregon.

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 thru 3/17
Gonzaga   24   27-3
Kansas   24   29-6
Duke   23   28-6
Creighton   22   23-11
Kentucky   22   26-8

Where Is Everybody?
Both Creighton and Kansas annually average far more than the Dickies Arena capacity of 13,400.
   Removing last year's COVID-affected season, Creighton has ranked in the top-10 schools nationally in average home attendance in each of the last 10 seasons, while Kansas has done that for 13 consecutive campaigns.
   Here's how the schools have ranked in the previous 15 seasons in average home attendance.
Year   CU Avg. (Rank)   KU Avg. (Rank)
2005-06   13,900 (20th)   16,300 (10th)
2006-07   15,909 (13th)   16,300 (12th)
2007-08   15,333 (15th)   16,409 (13th)
2008-09   15,930 (12th)   16,350 (9th)
2009-10   14,495 (15th)   16,433 (9th)
2010-11   13,507 (22nd)   16,436 (9th)
2011-12   16,665 (6th)   16,445 (10th)
2012-13   17,155 (6th)   16,438 (10th)
2013-14   17,896 (5th)   16,437 (9th)
2014-15   17,048 (6th)   16,383 (7th)
2015-16   15,941 (10th)   16,436 (9th)
2016-17   17,412 (5th)   16,395 (8th)
2017-18   17,000 (5th)   16,344 (7th)
2018-19   15,980 (8th)   16,236 (7th)
2019-20   17,314 (5th)   16,388 (8th)
2020-21                   COVID season restricted crowds
2021-22   16,611 (6th)   16,253 (8th)

Jays Break Even vs. Self
Few men have enjoyed the success nationally as Hall of Fame coach Bill Self, who is 757-229 since becoming a head coach in 1993.
   However, Self is just 3-3 against Creighton. The Bluejays are one of seven teams he has faced six times or more in his career but still has a record of .500 or worse. With a Creighton win vs. KU on Saturday, Self's .429 win percentage (3-4) would match his second-lowest mark against any foe (min. 7 games), trailing only Arizona (3-5; .375) and be equal to his mark vs. Duke (3-4; .429).
Bill Self .500 or Worse vs. Opponents (min. 6 games)
Fresno State   .333   2-4
Southern Illinois   .333   2-4
Arizona   .375   3-5
Duke   .429   3-4
Villanova   .444   4-5
Creighton   .500   3-3
Indiana   .500   4-4

NCAA Tournament History
Creighton is making its 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance, and 14th in the last 24 years. The Bluejays are 15-23 all-time in NCAA action, including a 11-12 record in its first game but just 2-9 in its second 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 a 9-12 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) and are 1-0 so far in 2022 (beat San Diego State).
   In 35 NCAA or NIT appearances (including 2022), 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 made 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 Kansas share two common opponents this season, as both teams played Iowa State and St. John's. Creighton is 2-1 while Kansas is 3-0 in those contests.
Team   CU Result   KU Result
Iowa State   ISU 64-58   KU 62-61
       KU 70-61
St. John's   CU 87-64   KU 95-75
   CU 81-78

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 11 of Last 13 Appearances
Creighton has won at least one game in 11 of its last 13 postseason appearances. The stretch began in 2007-08.
Creighton's Last 13 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
2021-22   NCAA   Beat San Diego St., 72-69 (OT)

History As A No. 9 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 75-72 (.510) against No. 8 seeds in the NCAA Tournament (through Thursday, so Seton Hall vs. TCU is not included), including a 14-9 mark (.609) in the last six tournaments. In 34 of the last 37 tournaments (including 2022), 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   1-0 so far

Planting Seeds
Creighton is 0-2 all-time against No. 1 seeds.
   The Bluejays lost to North Carolina 87-73 in the Third Round in 2012 and to Gonzaga 83-65 last season in the Regional Semifinal.
   The best seed that Creighton has beaten since the introduction of seeds in 1981 was No. 5 Florida in 2002.

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 a 14-13 record in those postseason appearances, including a 14-10 mark 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   1-0 so far

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 six 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 14 postseason wins at Creighton are the most in school history, twice as many as Altman's seven.
   McDermott (14-10) 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*)   6-6   4-2   4-2   0-0   0-0   14-10
*The 2022 NCAA Tournament is McDermott's 10th appearance

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

Postseason Features Last-Second Drama
Including 2022, 13 of Creighton's previous 18 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 18 (including 2022) postseason openers have been decided by an average of 6.17 points and feature five games decided by one point (including a double-OT finish), two by two points, one game decided by three (in OT), 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 2022 Creighton rallied from a 62-53 deficit in the final 2:30 of regulation to earn a 72-69 overtime win vs. San Diego State.
   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.

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 182-19 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   2,566   1,214   360   227   257

Elite Company For Hawkins
Creighton senior Ryan Hawkins owns 2,566 career points and 1,214 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 2,566 points and 1,214 rebounds or more.
   With 16 points, he'll pass Calvin Natt. With six rebounds, he'll pass Tyler Hansbrough.
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

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 27 victories since the start of the 2010-11 season after trailing by double-figures at some point, including four such rallies this season. In Thursday's win vs. San Diego State, Creighton trailed 35-21 late in the first half.
   Thirteen of those 27 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
14   vs. San Diego State   03/17/22
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

The Ryan Express
Creighton has started three players with the first name of Ryan in all but seven 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. Kalkbrenner then got hurt on March 17th. Those three men are also three of CU's top four scorers (along with Alex O'Connell).
    For the season, the "Ryan Express" has contributed 69.9 percent of Creighton's blocked shots, 51.7 percent of its points, 44.9 percent of its assists, 50.4 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   95:11   146-165   (-19)
Kalk/Hawk Only   285:47   477-446   +31
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

Men's Basketball Meets No. 3 Kansas For Berth in Sweet 16

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Players Mentioned

Trey Alexander

Christian Bishop

KeyShawn Feazell

Ryan Hawkins

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Arthur Kaluma

Denzel Mahoney

Shereef Mitchell

Ryan Nembhard

Alex O'Connell

Marcus Zegarowski