Photo by: Catherine Grosdidier
2021-22 Men's Basketball Recap
6/3/2022 12:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball
A summary of Creighton's 2021-22 season
2021-22 Season Recap (PDF)
   Forced to replace the five starters from its 2020-21 team that reached the Sweet 16, the Creighton men's basketball program exceeded all expectations in 2021-22 en route to a 23-12 record and a return to the NCAA Tournament.
   Picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll of BIG EAST coaches, Creighton ended the season fourth in the league standings and reached the finals of the BIG EAST Tournament for the fourth time in the past eight completed tournaments.
   CU started three newcomers for much of the season along with senior guard Alex O'Connell and sophomore center Ryan Kalkbrenner. That group included Northwest Missouri State transfer Ryan Hawkins, freshman forward Arthur Kaluma and freshman guard Ryan Nembhard, who joined freshman Trey Alexander to form one of the top-10 recruiting classes in the country.
   Creighton trailed at half but rallied to win home games against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Kennesaw State to open the season, then hit the road for the first time for a Nov. 16 meeting with Nebraska. The Bluejays raced to a 29-10 lead after 10 minutes and would not trail again en route to a 77-69 victory. Nembhard had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists in his first taste of the intrastate rivalry and Hawkins made consecutive three-pointers to give CU a 12-point cushion with 90 seconds to play.
   Creighton then headed back to the U.S. Virgin Islands looking to defend the Paradise Jam title it won in 2016. The Bluejays never trailed in a 78-57 win vs. Brown to open play before a hot-shooting Colorado State team dashed CU's chances of becoming the event's first two-time winner. CU responded one night later when Nembhard's coast-to-coast drive and floater at the buzzer capped a game-ending 12-2 run in a 66-64 win over former Missouri Valley Conference rival Southern Illinois.
   Upon returning home, the Bluejays overcame a 56-40 second half deficit to defeat SIU Edwardsville 70-65, then turned away North Dakota State 80-55 to finish November with a 7-1 mark.
   December opened with Creighton falling 64-58 to an upstart Iowa State team that was ranked 19th nationally and eventually reached the Sweet 16. The Jays responded by hammering No. 24 BYU 83-71 on a neutral floor at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., before dropping a 58-57 game to Arizona State to close non-conference play 8-3.
   The first game of the BIG EAST season took place on a Friday night in Omaha when No. 9 Villanova made the trip to CHI Health Center Omaha. Creighton ended the game on a 23-5 run to stun the Wildcats, 79-59, and immediately put the league on notice that CU would be a force to be reckoned with.
   CU had two weeks off after a pair of COVID-19 related cancellations before opening 2022 with a 75-69 double-overtime win at Marquette. The Bluejays led by 17 in the second half, only to see Marquette force overtime. The Jays trailed by five with 1:03 left in overtime before eventually forcing double-OT on a three-pointer to beat the buzzer from O'Connell. CU scored the final eight points of the game in the 75-69 win.
   The Bluejays lost their next two games on the road at No. 19 Villanova and No. 17 Xavier but moved back over the .500 mark in league play with an 87-64 demolition of St. John's. CU then outscored DePaul 43-15 in the second half of a 60-47 home win, with Alan Huss serving as interim head coach after Greg McDermott tested positive for COVID-19..
   CU fell to 4-4 in the BIG EAST after setbacks to Butler and Xavier before showing its toughness in a 59-55 win at No. 17 Connecticut to open February. The victory was impressive in that Kalkbrenner missed the final 15 minutes after suffering an ankle injury.
   Two games later CU started a six-game win streak, which included wins over Butler, Georgetown (twice), DePaul, Marquette and St. John's to propel the Jays to 19-8 overall and 11-5 in league play. Kaluma missed four games during that stretch with a knee injury before returning in a Feb. 23 win at St. John's. The victory over the Red Storm didn't come without a heavy price, as Nembhard was lost for the season after he suffered a wrist injury that required season-ending surgery two days later.
   CU closed February with a loss at Providence that saw the Friars clinch the program's first BIG EAST regular-season title in program history.
   With its postseason hopes dangerously close to the bubble, CU returned home with its third top-25 win of the winter when it defeated No. 18 Connecticut, 64-62. The win improved Creighton to 5-0 all-time against the Huskies.
   Creighton then closed the season with a home loss to Seton Hall, after which it honored Hawkins, O'Connell and KeyShawn Feazell as part of Senior Day.
   CU's 12-7 finish in BIG EAST play was good enough to earn the No. 4 seed for the BIG EAST Tournament. The Bluejays opened with a 74-63 win over Marquette, then destroyed top-seeded and No. 11 Providence 85-58 to seal a trip to the title game.
   As was the case in 2014, 2017 and 2021, Creighton came up short in the BIG EAST Tournament final. CU led 45-44 with three minutes to play before BIG EAST Player of the Year Collin Gillespie sank back-to-back three-pointers to lift the Wildcats to victory. Both Kaluma and Kalkbrenner landed on the All-Tournament Team at the World's Most Famous Arena.
   The strong finish earned Creighton a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and a First Round match-up vs. San Diego State. Creighton trailed by nine points with 2:30 to play before a 9-0 run to end regulation forced overtime. In overtime, Alexander scored five points in 40 seconds to give CU a 71-69 lead with 1:08 left. The Jays got three defensive stops down the stretch to earn a three-point victory despite losing Kalkbrenner midway through overtime with a knee injury.
   With a rotation of just six players Creighton was next tasked with trying to take down top-seeded Kansas. The Bluejays battled and had possession of the ball with a minute left and trailing by one, but it was not to be as back-to-back turnovers led to a 79-72 loss. Kansas would later knock off BIG EAST foes Providence and Villanova en route to the national title.
   Hawkins led Creighton in both scoring (13.8) and rebounding (7.8) in his lone season on campus after transferring up a level from Division II. He was named First Team All-District by the USBWA and Second Team All-BIG EAST by league coaches. Kalkbrenner ranked in the top-five nationally with 134 offensive rebounds and his 89 blocked shots were the most by a Bluejay in 37 seasons. He would be named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in addition to being an Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST choice.
   CU's talented freshman class combined to win 11 BIG EAST Freshman of the Week accolades, led by six from BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Nembhard. Alexander was recognized three times and Kaluma twice to form the nucleus of a team already being projected as a top-15 club next season.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) broadcasted all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2021-22 season. KOOO (101.9 FM) also broadcasted all home games. John Bishop called all the games and was joined by former Bluejays Nick Bahe, Tyler Clement, Brody Deren, Ross Ferrarini and Taylor Stormberg at various times throughout the season.
Television Broadcast Information
Creighton was 21-11 in its 32 televised games in 2021-22, with every game on television except the three games of the Paradise Jam that were streamed exclusively on ESPN3.
   Creighton appeared on FS1 on 22 occasions, three times on FOX, three times on CBS Sports Network, twice on FS2 and once on CBS.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 276-137 record after his 12th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 556-332 after his 28th season, and is 425-268 after 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 was assisted by Alan Huss, Ryan Miller and Jalen Courtney-Williams.
Dynamic Duo
Creighton was one of 11 schools to earn at-large bids in the NCAA Tournament in both men's and women's basketball in 2021-22, a list that featured Arkansas, Baylor, Creighton, Indiana, Iowa State, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
   Those 11 schools, in addition to 13 others (Arizona, Delaware, Gonzaga, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Longwood, Montana State, Tennessee, Texas, UConn, Villanova and Virginia Tech) were the only 24 schools with both men's and women's basketball teams to make the Big Dance.
Winning Despite Adversity
The NCAA Tournament victory vs. San Diego State on March 17th marked the fifth time in the final two months of the season 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 injured his wrist and the Bluejays trailing 58-57. Creighton would rally to win, 81-78.
   On March 17th vs. San Diego State, 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 the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year.
Second Half Trey Is The Best Trey
Trey Alexander picked up three first half fouls, yet finished the victory over San Diego State 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, 170 of Alexander's 259 points (65.6%) came after intermission.
   Alexander scored 10 or more points after halftime in six different games, but never scored more than nine points before the break.
   Alexander also took over during the second half of the season. In the eight games after Ryan Nembhard was lost for the season on Feb. 23, Alexander averaged 11.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while leading CU with 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game in that span.
Multiple Choices
For the first time in 57 years, Creighton had five men average in double-figures for an entire season. This year's double-figure group included Ryan Hawkins (13.8 ppg.), Ryan Kalkbrenner (13.1), Alex O'Connell (11.8), Ryan Nembhard (11.3) and Arthur Kaluma (10.4).
   Creighton had not had five or more men finish a season averaging 10 or more points per game since the 1964-65 club had SIX men average in double- figures (Neil Johnson, 17.3; Elton McGriff, 15.0; Fritz Pointer, 14.3; Tim Powers, 12.6; Bob Miles, 11.9; Charlie Brown (11.6), though Johnson only played in 8-of-23 games.
   Creighton has won each of its last 25 games when five or more players score in double-figures, a streak that dates to Jan. 9, 2019 vs. Marquette.
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 47-157 all-time against top-25 teams, including a 5-7 mark this season. The only teams with more top-25 wins this year were Villanova (9), Kansas (8), Tennessee (7), Texas Tech (7), Marquette (6) and Purdue (6).
- Creighton is 29-42 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's 29 top-25 wins since McDermott took over in 2010 are 35th-most nationally and more than schools like Arizona (28), Maryland (23), LSU (17), Auburn (16), Houston (16), Wichita State (14), Memphis (12), USC (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 24-25 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 and one more than Kentucky (23). CU's 24 top-25 wins trails only Villanova (33) among BIG EAST programs.
20 Wins, Again
Creighton had 23 wins in 2021-22, 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
Gonzaga   24   28-4
Kansas   24   34-6
Duke   23   32-7
Creighton   22   23-12
Kentucky   22   26-8
Where Is Everybody?
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, and in the top-20 in each of the last 15 seasons.
   Here's how Creighton has ranked in the previous 16 seasons in average home attendance.
Year   CU Avg. (Rank)
2005-06Â Â Â 13,900 (20th)Â Â Â
2006-07Â Â Â 15,909 (13th)
2007-08Â Â Â 15,333 (15th)
2008-09Â Â Â 15,930 (12th)
2009-10Â Â Â 14,495 (15th)
2010-11Â Â Â 13,507 (22nd)
2011-12Â Â Â 16,665 (6th)
2012-13Â Â Â 17,155 (6th)
2013-14Â Â Â 17,896 (5th)
2014-15Â Â Â 17,048 (6th)
2015-16Â Â Â 15,941 (10th)
2016-17Â Â Â 17,412 (5th)
2017-18Â Â Â 17,000 (5th)
2018-19Â Â Â 15,980 (8th)
2019-20Â Â Â 17,314 (5th)
2020-21Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â COVID season restricted crowds
2021-22Â Â Â 16,611 (6th)
NCAA Tournament History
Creighton made its 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance, and 14th in the last 24 years, in 2021-22. The Bluejays are 15-24 all-time in NCAA action, including a 11-12 record in its first game but just 2-10 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 9-13 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), 2013 (beat Cincinnati, lost to Duke) and 2022 (beat San Diego State, lost to Kansas) and 0-1 in 2017 (lost to Rhode Island).
   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. 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.
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
2007-08Â Â Â NITÂ Â Â Beat Rhode Island, 74-73
2008-09Â Â Â NITÂ Â Â Beat Bowling Green, 73-71
2009-10Â Â Â CITÂ Â Â Beat South Dakota, 89-78
2010-11Â Â Â CBIÂ Â Â Beat San Jose State, 85-74
2011-12Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â Beat Alabama, 58-57
2012-13Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â Beat Cincinnati, 67-63
2013-14Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â Beat Louisiana, 76-66
2015-16Â Â Â NITÂ Â Â Beat Alabama, 72-54
2016-17Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â Lost to Rhode Island, 84-72
2017-18Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â Lost to Kansas State, 69-59
2018-19Â Â Â NITÂ Â Â Beat Loyola (Chicago), 70-61
2020-21Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â Beat UCSB, 63-62
2021-22Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 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 snapped 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 76-72 (.514) against No. 8 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, including a 15-9 mark (.625) 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 7-69 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   1-1
Planting Seeds
Creighton is 0-3 all-time against No. 1 seeds after falling to Kansas this season.
   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 NCAA Tournament 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 made his 10th postseason appearance with 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 14-14 record in those postseason appearances, including a 14-11 mark at Creighton.
McDermott's Division I Postseason Appearances
Year (School)   Tourney   Postseason W-L
2003-04 (UNI)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 0-1
2004-05 (UNI)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 0-1
2005-06 (UNI)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 0-1
2010-11 (CU)Â Â Â CBIÂ Â Â 4-2
2011-12 (CU)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 1-1
2012-13 (CU)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 1-1
2013-14 (CU)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 1-1
2015-16 (CU)Â Â Â NITÂ Â Â 2-1
2016-17 (CU)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 0-1
2017-18 (CU)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 0-1
2018-19 (CU)Â Â Â NITÂ Â Â 2-1
2020-21 (CU)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 2-1
2021-22 (CU)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 1-1
Most Postseason Bids By CU Coaches
This year's bid to the NCAA Tournament was 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 (14-11) is one of two coaches in program history with a winning record in postseason play, joining Eddie Sutton (2-1).
Coach (Bids)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â NITÂ Â Â CBIÂ Â Â CITÂ Â Â NCITÂ Â Â Total
Hickey (3)Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â 2-2Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 3-3
Belford (1)Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 0-1
McManus (3)Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â 4-4
Sutton (1)Â Â Â 2-1Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 2-1
Apke (4)Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-4
Barone (3)Â Â Â 1-2Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 1-3
Altman (13)Â Â Â 2-7Â Â Â 3-5Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 2-1Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 7-13
McDermott (10)Â Â Â 6-7Â Â Â 4-2Â Â Â 4-2Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 14-11
Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
Though much is made of the influx of freshmen on this year's Creighton team, the Bluejays were 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 in that span with Drake, Northern Colorado, South Alabama, Texas and Xavier.
   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 182-20 overall (146-19 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   2,580   1,220   363   229   257
Elite Company For Hawkins
Creighton senior Ryan Hawkins owned 2,580 career points and 1,220 career rebounds, though the majority of his totals were accumulated at the Division II level at Northwest Missouri State.
   That's more points than NCAA 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 Division I players in NCAA history have finished their careers with at least both 2,580 points and 1,220 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
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 Hawkins, NW Mo. St. & Creighton   2022   2,580   1,220
Pink Out Raises $24,165 in Auction; $86,839 Overall
Creighton raised $24,165 in the auction and $86,839 overall for this year's "Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out" Pink Out game vs. Xavier.
   Below is the final numbers for each jersey/item in the auction this year. Additionally, the David Spence Cancer Foundation matched all donations to Hope Lodge collected on gameday ($28,837), which created an additional $28,837, and a different donor contributed $5,000 to underwrite the 1620 AM broadcast at Nebraska Furniture Mart.
#1Â Â Â $910Â Â Â #2Â Â Â $2,010Â Â Â #4Â Â Â $870
#5Â Â Â $1,775Â Â Â #10Â Â Â $750Â Â Â #11Â Â Â $2,650
#13Â Â Â $1,025Â Â Â #14Â Â Â $690Â Â Â #15Â Â Â $1,500
#21Â Â Â $1,550Â Â Â #22Â Â Â $660Â Â Â #23Â Â Â $2,035
#24Â Â Â $1,850Â Â Â #44Â Â Â $2,700Â Â Â #55Â Â Â $730
Greg McDermott's Shoes   $510   Ball 1: $380
Ball 2: $325Â Ball 3: $355Â Â Ball 4: $465Â Â Â Â Ball 5: $425
In-game Donations: $28,837Â Â Â Matching Funds: $28,837
Additional Donation: $5,000
TOTAL: $86,839
Yearly Pink Out Totals
Creighton has raised $385,967.18 since the start of the 2011-12 season during its annual men's basketball Pink Out.
2011-12:Â Â Â $20,600
2012-13:Â Â Â $24,444
2013-14:Â Â Â $48,247.11
2014-15:Â Â Â $16,384.03
2015-16:Â Â Â $16,527.90
2016-17:Â Â Â $26,361.64
2017-18:Â Â Â $28,796
2018-19:Â Â Â $19,595
2019-20:Â Â Â $31,803.18
2020-21:Â Â Â $40,381
2021-22:Â Â Â $86,839
Additional Donations:Â Â Â $25,988.32
11-Year Totals: $385,967.18
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 its NCAA Tournament 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
10Â Â Â UABÂ Â Â 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
Super Seven
Greg McDermott joined some select company when he directed his troops to a seventh NCAA Tournament. 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   11
Dana Altman   Men's Basketball   7
Brent Vigness   Softball   7
Greg McDermott   Men's Basketball   7
The Ryan Express
Creighton started three players with the first name of Ryan in all but eight 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 were also three of CU's top four scorers (along with Alex O'Connell).
    For the season, the "Ryan Express" contributed 69.1 percent of Creighton's blocked shots, 50.8 percent of its points, 43.6 percent of its assists, 49.7 percent of its rebounds grabbed and 42.2 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   42:09   51-85   (-34)
Nembhard Only   40:55   47-84   (-37)
Kalkbrenner Only   11:34   22-15   +7
Hawkins Only   135:03   218-244   (-26)
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
BIG EAST Success
Creighton was 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 26 of the past 28 tournaments, and multiple Sweet 16 teams in 15 of the last 20 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 last 23 tournaments.
The 200 Club
The 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 147-19 in the games he has played in, meaning his teams were 182-20 overall.
Northwest Missouri State, Villanova or COVID?
Each of the past six basketball seasons have seen either Villanova, Northwest Missouri State or COVID-19 emerge above all others end the season.
   Villanova won the Division I national title in 2015-16 and 2017-18.
   Creighton's Ryan 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, and then they won it without him in 2021-22.
   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
2015-16Â Â Â Villanova
2016-17Â Â Â Northwest Missouri State (with Ryan Hawkins)
2017-18Â Â Â Villanova
2018-19Â Â Â Northwest Missouri State (with Ryan Hawkins)
2019-20Â Â Â COVID-19
2020-21Â Â Â Northwest Missouri State (with Ryan Hawkins)
2021-22Â Â Â Northwest Missouri State
All-BIG EAST Tourney Picks
This March 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, 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 marked the sixth straight season that Creighton 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   --
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 led the BIG EAST with 11 double-doubles and topped the Bluejays with 13.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in his first year in the program. The sixth-year senior from Atlantic, Iowa, started every game and was one of four men (along with Adama Sanogo, David Jones 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 swatted 89 blocked shots, a key reason that the Bluejays led the league in field goal percentage defense (.397). The sophomore from St. Louis, Mo., also owns a conference-best 134 offensive rebounds, the most by a Creighton player on record dating to the mid-1980s. 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 was 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 was the first Bluejay to be named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year since Justin Patton in 2016-17.
   Alexander averaged 7.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while starting the final 13 of his 35 appearances. He scored in double-figures 11 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 averaged 10.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while starting 30-of-31 appearances. The Glendale, Ariz., product scored in double-figures 14 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 was named the 2021-22 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year after a vote of league coaches. The center's recognition marked 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 owned 89 blocked shots, which ranked 12th-most nationally. He was also sixth in the BIG EAST with 8.0 rebounds per league contest. Creighton led the BIG EAST in field goal percentage defense (.397) in all games and its 67.5 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 won 11 of the league's 16 Freshman of the Week awards this season, including seven of the final 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 went 30-5 after winning the Summit League Tournament and clinching an NCAAA bid.
   North Dakota State's Dave Richman went 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 went 20-12 and reached the NIT.
   Drake's Darian DeVries led the Bulldogs to a 25-11 mark and runner-up finish in the MVC (to Jacobson's UNI team) in the regular-season and the league tournament. Drake played in the CBI.
   Steve Lutz led his Texas A&M-Corpus Christi team to a 24-12 record and a Southland Conference Tournament title in his first year as a head coach, with the Islanders reaching the NCAA Tournament First Four. He inherited a 5-19 team that hadn't won 20 games or had a winning record since 2016-17.
   TJ Otzelberger turned around Iowa State in his first year in Ames. He inherited a 2-22 team (0-18 Big 12) and turned it into a team that reached the Sweet 16 and finished 22-13.
   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 15-20 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 finished his career 43-3 on neutral sites when you include his 6-3 mark this year.
   He finished with a team record of 182-20 (.901) at all sites. He lost consecutive games in his career just twice.
   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.
On The Double!
Ryan Hawkins led the BIG EAST in double-doubles, both overall and in league play.
   His 11 overall double-doubles were 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 collected 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 were 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 missed the final eight games of the 2021-22 season after suffering an injury during 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 recipient of 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 were the most by a BIG EAST freshman since 2011-12.
CU's Been There Before, Unfortunately
The injury to Ryan Nembhard wasn'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 16 games he played, Kaluma averaged 12.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
   Kaluma, who made 16-of-32 free throws (50 percent) in CU's first 17 games, has drained 28-of-35 foul shots (80.0 percent) since then.
   After missing four games in the middle of the season with a knee injury, Kaluma averaged 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in CU's final nine contests.
Getting Offensive On The Glass
Ryan Kalkbrenner owned 134 offensive rebounds this season, tops in the BIG EAST. It's also the most by any Bluejay since at least 1986-87.
CU's Most Offensive Rebounds, Since 1986-87
   OReb   Name   Year
   134   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.
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.
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.
Feb. 12Â 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.
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 game this year were David Jones, Jack Nunge, Julian Champagnie and Adama Sanogo (three times).
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 (482 points) became the first Creighton senior to lead the team in scoring since 2017-18 (Marcus Foster).
   On the other end of the spectrum, freshman Ryan Nembhard topped the Bluejays with 34 steals so far this season. CU hadn't had its steals leader be a freshman since P'Allen Stinnett in 2007-08.
They Are Called Free Throws, After All
Creighton shot 73.8 percent shooting at the free throw line for the season (97th 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 shot 76.1 percent (86-113) in the last two minutes of a game or overtime this season and 74.9 percent (131-175) in the last five minutes of a game or overtime.
All Ball
Ryan Kalkbrenner ranked second in the BIG EAST and 17th nationally with 2.62 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.
   Kalkbrenner was 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 went out of bounds, whereas Creighton 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 was called for just 48 fouls. That made him one of three players nationally in the last 30 years with more than 85 blocks and 50 fouls or less (joining Saint Joseph's C.J. Aiken in 2011-12 and Memphis' Austin Nichols in 2014-15).
   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 owned 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 had 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 4.26 blocked shots per game as a team this winter was the third-best figure since averaging 6.03 blocks per game in 1984-85.
   Creighton was 8-3 this season when blocking six shots or more.
Frosh Watch
Creighton won at a regular rate despite playing three freshmen (Trey Alexander, Arthur Kaluma, Ryan Nembhard) more than 25 minutes per game.
   On a national basis, only 129 players classified as freshmen (true, redshirt or otherwise) played 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 was the only team nationally to play three true freshmen more than 25 minutes per game.
   And speaking of freshman minutes, Nembhard ranked third nationally among true freshmen with 34.8 minutes per game. The next-closest freshman from a Power 5 or BIG EAST program was 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 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 outscored teams by 122 when it has two freshmen or less on the court, but were outscored by 24 points when it had three or more freshmen on the floor.
   All told, 3171:36 of Creighton's 7,075 total minutes (44.83 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:Â Â Â 34:23Â Â Â 59-49Â Â Â +10
2 freshmen:Â Â Â 962:14Â Â Â 1,692-1,578Â Â Â +114
3 freshmen:Â Â Â 347:15Â Â Â 611-407Â Â Â +4
4 freshmen:Â Â Â 45:54Â Â Â 54-85Â Â Â (-31)
5 freshmen:Â Â Â 1:28Â Â Â 5-2Â Â Â +3
Kalkbrenner Doubles Up
Ryan Kalkbrenner surpassed all of his totals from all of last season. Last season Kalkbrenner had 182 points, 108 rebounds, 38 blocks and 29 dunks in 422 minutes. This year Kalkbrenner owned 444 points, 261 rebounds, 89 blocks and 69 dunks in 996 minutes.
   A big part of that has been his increased stamina. Even though his minutes per game have nearly doubled from 13.6 to 29.3 minutes per game, his per-minute stats have also risen.
Per 40 Minutes - Ryan Kalkbrenner
Year   PTS/40   REB/40   BLOCKS/40   DUNKS/40
2020-21Â Â Â 17.3Â Â Â 10.2Â Â Â 3.6Â Â Â 2.7
2021-22Â Â Â 17.8Â Â Â 10.5Â Â Â 3.6Â Â Â 2.8
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, 2010-11Â Â Â 14.9Â Â Â 7.2Â Â Â 3,150
Rodney Buford, 1995-96Â Â Â 14.5Â Â Â 4.2Â Â Â 2,116
Bob Harstad, 1987-88Â Â Â 9.0Â Â Â 8.5Â Â Â 2,110
Chad Gallagher, 1987-88Â Â Â 11.4Â Â Â 5.3Â Â Â 1,983
Arthur Kaluma, 2021-22Â Â Â 10.4Â Â Â 5.4Â Â Â 322
Not Your Ordinary Freshman
Arthur Kaluma had a season-high 24 points on March 19 vs. Kansas. Kaluma (10.4 ppg.) and classmate Ryan Nembhard (11.3 ppg.) became 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 and Kaluma were the first Bluejays 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
   2   Arthur Kaluma   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
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
   10.4   Arthur Kaluma   2021-22
*Went on to win league Freshman of the Year
Kaluma In Elite Company
Arthur Kaluma was one of five true freshmen nationally from the BIG EAST or a Power Five Conference to average at least 10.0 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 Georgetown's Aminu Mohammed and Marquette's Justin Lewis (a second year freshman).
Power 5/BIG EAST Frosh With 9 PPG/5 RPG/0.5 BPG
Name, School   PPG   RPG   BPG
Paolo Banchero, Duke   17.2   7.8   0.9
Jabari Smith, Auburn   16.9   7.4   1.0
Justin Lewis, Marquette   16.8   7.9   0.6
Aminu Mohammed, Georgetown   13.7   8.2   0.6
Arthur Kaluma, Creighton   10.4   5.4   0.6
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.
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Filling The Gym
Creighton ranked sixth nationally this season with 16,611 fans per home game.
2021-22 NCAA Home Attendance Per Game Leaders
   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
Iron Men
Creighton's Ryan Nembhard ranked third overall in the BIG EAST with 34.8 minutes per game, the most by a BIG EAST freshman in 10 years.
   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. Â
   No BIG EAST freshman had 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
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 scored 10 or more points 23 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 averaged 11.8 points per game overall this season.
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We're Jamming!
Ryan Kalkbrenner owned 69 dunks this season and 98 in his career. As a team, Creighton owned 132 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
69   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
21   Alex O'Connell   2021-22
21   Arthur Kaluma   2021-22
20   Khyri Thomas   2017-18
Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Years
121   Martin Krampelj   2015-19
103   Christian Bishop   2018-21
98   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
144Â Â Â 2016-17Â Â Â 25-10 (NCAA)
132Â Â Â 2021-22Â Â Â 23-12 (NCAA)
107Â Â Â 2017-18Â Â Â 21-12 (NCAA)
106Â Â Â 2018-19Â Â Â 20-15 (NIT)
90Â Â Â 2020-21Â Â Â 22-9 (NCAA)
60Â Â Â 2019-20Â Â Â 24-7 (Postseason Canceled)
58Â Â Â 2015-16Â Â Â 20-15 (NIT)
56Â Â Â 2010-11Â Â Â 23-16 (CBI)
54Â Â Â 2012-13Â Â Â 28-8 (NCAA)
42Â Â Â 2011-12Â Â Â 29-6 (NCAA)
35Â Â Â 2013-14Â Â Â 27-8 (NCAA)
29Â Â Â 2014-15Â Â Â 14-19
Our 2, D Too
Unlike past Creighton teams that thrived from three-point land, this year's Bluejay squad dominated from two-point range.
   Creighton ranked 47th nationally (per BartTorvik.com) with its shooting 53.3 percent from two-point range. That included a 57.9 percent mark from inside the paint.
   Defensively, Creighton held the opposition to 43.6 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 shot just 47.9 percent in the paint this season.
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)
2010-11Â Â Â Illinois St. (10-8)
2011-12Â Â Â Â Â Â Missouri St. (14-4)
2012-13Â Â Â Evansville (13-5)
2013-14Â Â Â Marquette (14-4)
2014-15Â Â Â Â Â Â Providence (4-14)
2015-16Â Â Â St. John's (9-9)
2016-17Â Â Â Seton Hall (10-8)
2017-18Â Â Â Â Â Â Seton Hall (10-8)
2018-19Â Â Â Providence (9-9)
2019-20Â Â Â Marquette (13-5)
2020-21Â Â Â Â Â Â Marquette (14-6)
2021-22Â Â Â #9 Villanova (12-7)
#1 In The Record Book; #44 In Your Program
At year's end, Ryan Hawkins led every active player at the Division I level in career rebounds (1,220), and field goals made (927) and was second in points (2,580).
   Hawkins also ranked in the top 13 among the nation's active Division I players in double-doubles (5th), games played (7th), three-pointers made (7th) and steals (11th).
   And while it's not among the categories the NCAA tracks among active players, it's worth noting that Hawkins owned 116 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.
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 was 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.
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 owned 49 games with 10 or more rebounds in his college career.
At The Buzzer!
Ryan Nembhard drove the length of the court in the final 5.2 seconds to sink a floater as time expired to give Creighton a 66-64 win vs. Southern Illinois on Nov. 22 in the third-place game of the Paradise Jam.
   Ironically enough, the game-ending play was installed several years ago by former Bluejay assistant Paul Lusk, himself a Southern Illinois grad.
   The basket was Creighton's first go-ahead shot as time expired since Booker Woodfox beat Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinals on March 6, 2009.
   Prior to Woodfox, Creighton's last previous buzzer-beater had also come against Wichita State, as Anthony Tolliver's shot from the right baseline beat Wichita State on Jan. 28, 2006.
   Nate Funk also hit a buzzer-beater to beat Greg McDermott's Northern Iowa team on Jan. 15, 2005 in Cedar Falls.
   Shots by those four men remain the only game-winning buzzer-beaters by Creighton since the start of the 1999-2000 season.
Five Threats To Score
All five of Creighton's regular starters averaged at least 10.4 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 25 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, though Arthur Kaluma joined him later in the season when he picked up All-Tournament Team accolades at the BIG EAST Tournament.
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.
Winning With Defense
Creighton's made its reputation on the offensive side with its "Let It Fly" philosophy, but the Bluejays won thanks in large part to their defense 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 held teams to 39.7 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 948 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
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,161   UNLV   Next Year
   2.   1,151   Duke   Next Year
   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.   1,057   Texas   Next Year
   8.   1,003   Marshall   Next Year
   9.   996   Baylor   Next Year
   10.   987   Princeton   Next Year
   11.   982   Gonzaga   Next Year
   12.   956   Long Island   Next Year
   13.   948   Creighton   Next Year
   14.   941   Mount St. Mary's   Next Year
   15.   930   Tennessee State   Next Year
Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 948 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,455 trifectas, an average of 7.86 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 266 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 45-9 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 22-18 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:   5 times   2: 17 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: 52 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
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 to 2021-22
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Made   3,624   4th  Â
FG Percentage   .477   4th  Â
3FG Percentage   .377   5th  Â
Assists   6,580   6th  Â
FG Made   11,240   8th  Â
Points   31,452   10th  Â
Wins   276   29th  Â
Winning Percentage   .669   32nd  Â
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.
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
My Name Is...
Only five men who played for Creighton last season were 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 ranked 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
TCUÂ Â Â 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, while this year he averaged 11.3 points per game with the Spurs.
   Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver, Benoit Benjamin and Anthony Tolliver.
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 276 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .668 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more than 85 years ago.
   Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk.   W-L   Name   Years
1.   327-176   Dana Altman   1994-2010
2.   276-137   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
2021-22Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 23-12
2020-21Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 22-9
2019-20Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 136Â Â Â 24-7
2018-19Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 57Â Â Â 20-15
2017-18Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 21-12
2016-17Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 130Â Â Â 25-10
2015-16Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 64Â Â Â 20-15
2014-15Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 49Â Â Â 14-19
2013-14Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 144Â Â Â 27-8
2012-13Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 140Â Â Â 28-8
2011-12Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 101Â Â Â 29-6
2010-11Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 123Â Â Â 23-16
2009-10Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 106Â Â Â 18-16
2008-09Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 27-8
2007-08Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 44Â Â Â 22-11
2006-07Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 120Â Â Â 22-11
2005-06Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 134Â Â Â 20-10
2004-05Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 58Â Â Â 23-11
2003-04Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 101Â Â Â 20-9
2002-03Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 159Â Â Â 29-5
2001-02Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 65Â Â Â 23-9
2000-01Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 90Â Â Â 24-8
1999-00Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 23-10
1998-99Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 22-9
1997-98Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 18-10
1996-97Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 126Â Â Â 15-15
1995-96Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 100Â Â Â 14-15
1994-95Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 52Â Â Â 7-19
1993-94Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 73Â Â Â 7-22
1992-93Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 64Â Â Â 8-18
1991-92Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 51Â Â Â 9-19
1990-91Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 132Â Â Â 24-8
1989-90Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 127Â Â Â 21-12
1988-89Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 123Â Â Â 20-11
1987-88Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 16-16
1986-87Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 65Â Â Â 9-19
1985-86Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 48Â Â Â 12-16
1984-85Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 20-12
1983-84Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 17-14
1982-83Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 77Â Â Â 8-19
1981-82Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 78Â Â Â 7-20
1980-81Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 112Â Â Â 21-9
Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton continued to be highly regarded by KenPom.com, and finished the season ranked 50th overall. That included the nation's No. 112 offense, and No. 19 defense.
   Creighton's No. 19 defense was its best mark in the 20 seasons of the KenPom era.
Year   Off. Rating   Def. Rating   Team W-L
2010-11Â Â Â 66Â Â Â 174Â Â Â 23-16
2011-12Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 166Â Â Â 29-6
2012-13Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 66Â Â Â 28-8
2013-14Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 27-8
2014-15Â Â Â 59Â Â Â 138Â Â Â 14-19
2015-16Â Â Â 43Â Â Â 76Â Â Â 20-15
2016-17Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 46Â Â Â 25-10
2017-18Â Â Â 25Â Â Â 58Â Â Â 21-12
2018-19Â Â Â 47Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 20-15
2019-20Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 78Â Â Â 24-7
2020-21Â Â Â 25Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 22-9
2021-22Â Â Â 112Â Â Â 19Â Â Â 23-12
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 Â
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.
Â
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
03/20/06Â Â Â Miami (Fla.)Â Â Â L 53-52Â Â Â G. Diaz FTÂ Â Â :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 could 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.
   Forced to replace the five starters from its 2020-21 team that reached the Sweet 16, the Creighton men's basketball program exceeded all expectations in 2021-22 en route to a 23-12 record and a return to the NCAA Tournament.
   Picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll of BIG EAST coaches, Creighton ended the season fourth in the league standings and reached the finals of the BIG EAST Tournament for the fourth time in the past eight completed tournaments.
   CU started three newcomers for much of the season along with senior guard Alex O'Connell and sophomore center Ryan Kalkbrenner. That group included Northwest Missouri State transfer Ryan Hawkins, freshman forward Arthur Kaluma and freshman guard Ryan Nembhard, who joined freshman Trey Alexander to form one of the top-10 recruiting classes in the country.
   Creighton trailed at half but rallied to win home games against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Kennesaw State to open the season, then hit the road for the first time for a Nov. 16 meeting with Nebraska. The Bluejays raced to a 29-10 lead after 10 minutes and would not trail again en route to a 77-69 victory. Nembhard had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists in his first taste of the intrastate rivalry and Hawkins made consecutive three-pointers to give CU a 12-point cushion with 90 seconds to play.
   Creighton then headed back to the U.S. Virgin Islands looking to defend the Paradise Jam title it won in 2016. The Bluejays never trailed in a 78-57 win vs. Brown to open play before a hot-shooting Colorado State team dashed CU's chances of becoming the event's first two-time winner. CU responded one night later when Nembhard's coast-to-coast drive and floater at the buzzer capped a game-ending 12-2 run in a 66-64 win over former Missouri Valley Conference rival Southern Illinois.
   Upon returning home, the Bluejays overcame a 56-40 second half deficit to defeat SIU Edwardsville 70-65, then turned away North Dakota State 80-55 to finish November with a 7-1 mark.
   December opened with Creighton falling 64-58 to an upstart Iowa State team that was ranked 19th nationally and eventually reached the Sweet 16. The Jays responded by hammering No. 24 BYU 83-71 on a neutral floor at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., before dropping a 58-57 game to Arizona State to close non-conference play 8-3.
   The first game of the BIG EAST season took place on a Friday night in Omaha when No. 9 Villanova made the trip to CHI Health Center Omaha. Creighton ended the game on a 23-5 run to stun the Wildcats, 79-59, and immediately put the league on notice that CU would be a force to be reckoned with.
   CU had two weeks off after a pair of COVID-19 related cancellations before opening 2022 with a 75-69 double-overtime win at Marquette. The Bluejays led by 17 in the second half, only to see Marquette force overtime. The Jays trailed by five with 1:03 left in overtime before eventually forcing double-OT on a three-pointer to beat the buzzer from O'Connell. CU scored the final eight points of the game in the 75-69 win.
   The Bluejays lost their next two games on the road at No. 19 Villanova and No. 17 Xavier but moved back over the .500 mark in league play with an 87-64 demolition of St. John's. CU then outscored DePaul 43-15 in the second half of a 60-47 home win, with Alan Huss serving as interim head coach after Greg McDermott tested positive for COVID-19..
   CU fell to 4-4 in the BIG EAST after setbacks to Butler and Xavier before showing its toughness in a 59-55 win at No. 17 Connecticut to open February. The victory was impressive in that Kalkbrenner missed the final 15 minutes after suffering an ankle injury.
   Two games later CU started a six-game win streak, which included wins over Butler, Georgetown (twice), DePaul, Marquette and St. John's to propel the Jays to 19-8 overall and 11-5 in league play. Kaluma missed four games during that stretch with a knee injury before returning in a Feb. 23 win at St. John's. The victory over the Red Storm didn't come without a heavy price, as Nembhard was lost for the season after he suffered a wrist injury that required season-ending surgery two days later.
   CU closed February with a loss at Providence that saw the Friars clinch the program's first BIG EAST regular-season title in program history.
   With its postseason hopes dangerously close to the bubble, CU returned home with its third top-25 win of the winter when it defeated No. 18 Connecticut, 64-62. The win improved Creighton to 5-0 all-time against the Huskies.
   Creighton then closed the season with a home loss to Seton Hall, after which it honored Hawkins, O'Connell and KeyShawn Feazell as part of Senior Day.
   CU's 12-7 finish in BIG EAST play was good enough to earn the No. 4 seed for the BIG EAST Tournament. The Bluejays opened with a 74-63 win over Marquette, then destroyed top-seeded and No. 11 Providence 85-58 to seal a trip to the title game.
   As was the case in 2014, 2017 and 2021, Creighton came up short in the BIG EAST Tournament final. CU led 45-44 with three minutes to play before BIG EAST Player of the Year Collin Gillespie sank back-to-back three-pointers to lift the Wildcats to victory. Both Kaluma and Kalkbrenner landed on the All-Tournament Team at the World's Most Famous Arena.
   The strong finish earned Creighton a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and a First Round match-up vs. San Diego State. Creighton trailed by nine points with 2:30 to play before a 9-0 run to end regulation forced overtime. In overtime, Alexander scored five points in 40 seconds to give CU a 71-69 lead with 1:08 left. The Jays got three defensive stops down the stretch to earn a three-point victory despite losing Kalkbrenner midway through overtime with a knee injury.
   With a rotation of just six players Creighton was next tasked with trying to take down top-seeded Kansas. The Bluejays battled and had possession of the ball with a minute left and trailing by one, but it was not to be as back-to-back turnovers led to a 79-72 loss. Kansas would later knock off BIG EAST foes Providence and Villanova en route to the national title.
   Hawkins led Creighton in both scoring (13.8) and rebounding (7.8) in his lone season on campus after transferring up a level from Division II. He was named First Team All-District by the USBWA and Second Team All-BIG EAST by league coaches. Kalkbrenner ranked in the top-five nationally with 134 offensive rebounds and his 89 blocked shots were the most by a Bluejay in 37 seasons. He would be named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in addition to being an Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST choice.
   CU's talented freshman class combined to win 11 BIG EAST Freshman of the Week accolades, led by six from BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Nembhard. Alexander was recognized three times and Kaluma twice to form the nucleus of a team already being projected as a top-15 club next season.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) broadcasted all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2021-22 season. KOOO (101.9 FM) also broadcasted all home games. John Bishop called all the games and was joined by former Bluejays Nick Bahe, Tyler Clement, Brody Deren, Ross Ferrarini and Taylor Stormberg at various times throughout the season.
Television Broadcast Information
Creighton was 21-11 in its 32 televised games in 2021-22, with every game on television except the three games of the Paradise Jam that were streamed exclusively on ESPN3.
   Creighton appeared on FS1 on 22 occasions, three times on FOX, three times on CBS Sports Network, twice on FS2 and once on CBS.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 276-137 record after his 12th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 556-332 after his 28th season, and is 425-268 after 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 was assisted by Alan Huss, Ryan Miller and Jalen Courtney-Williams.
Dynamic Duo
Creighton was one of 11 schools to earn at-large bids in the NCAA Tournament in both men's and women's basketball in 2021-22, a list that featured Arkansas, Baylor, Creighton, Indiana, Iowa State, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
   Those 11 schools, in addition to 13 others (Arizona, Delaware, Gonzaga, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Longwood, Montana State, Tennessee, Texas, UConn, Villanova and Virginia Tech) were the only 24 schools with both men's and women's basketball teams to make the Big Dance.
Winning Despite Adversity
The NCAA Tournament victory vs. San Diego State on March 17th marked the fifth time in the final two months of the season 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 injured his wrist and the Bluejays trailing 58-57. Creighton would rally to win, 81-78.
   On March 17th vs. San Diego State, 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 the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year.
Second Half Trey Is The Best Trey
Trey Alexander picked up three first half fouls, yet finished the victory over San Diego State 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, 170 of Alexander's 259 points (65.6%) came after intermission.
   Alexander scored 10 or more points after halftime in six different games, but never scored more than nine points before the break.
   Alexander also took over during the second half of the season. In the eight games after Ryan Nembhard was lost for the season on Feb. 23, Alexander averaged 11.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while leading CU with 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game in that span.
Multiple Choices
For the first time in 57 years, Creighton had five men average in double-figures for an entire season. This year's double-figure group included Ryan Hawkins (13.8 ppg.), Ryan Kalkbrenner (13.1), Alex O'Connell (11.8), Ryan Nembhard (11.3) and Arthur Kaluma (10.4).
   Creighton had not had five or more men finish a season averaging 10 or more points per game since the 1964-65 club had SIX men average in double- figures (Neil Johnson, 17.3; Elton McGriff, 15.0; Fritz Pointer, 14.3; Tim Powers, 12.6; Bob Miles, 11.9; Charlie Brown (11.6), though Johnson only played in 8-of-23 games.
   Creighton has won each of its last 25 games when five or more players score in double-figures, a streak that dates to Jan. 9, 2019 vs. Marquette.
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 47-157 all-time against top-25 teams, including a 5-7 mark this season. The only teams with more top-25 wins this year were Villanova (9), Kansas (8), Tennessee (7), Texas Tech (7), Marquette (6) and Purdue (6).
- Creighton is 29-42 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's 29 top-25 wins since McDermott took over in 2010 are 35th-most nationally and more than schools like Arizona (28), Maryland (23), LSU (17), Auburn (16), Houston (16), Wichita State (14), Memphis (12), USC (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 24-25 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 and one more than Kentucky (23). CU's 24 top-25 wins trails only Villanova (33) among BIG EAST programs.
20 Wins, Again
Creighton had 23 wins in 2021-22, 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
Gonzaga   24   28-4
Kansas   24   34-6
Duke   23   32-7
Creighton   22   23-12
Kentucky   22   26-8
Where Is Everybody?
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, and in the top-20 in each of the last 15 seasons.
   Here's how Creighton has ranked in the previous 16 seasons in average home attendance.
Year   CU Avg. (Rank)
2005-06Â Â Â 13,900 (20th)Â Â Â
2006-07Â Â Â 15,909 (13th)
2007-08Â Â Â 15,333 (15th)
2008-09Â Â Â 15,930 (12th)
2009-10Â Â Â 14,495 (15th)
2010-11Â Â Â 13,507 (22nd)
2011-12Â Â Â 16,665 (6th)
2012-13Â Â Â 17,155 (6th)
2013-14Â Â Â 17,896 (5th)
2014-15Â Â Â 17,048 (6th)
2015-16Â Â Â 15,941 (10th)
2016-17Â Â Â 17,412 (5th)
2017-18Â Â Â 17,000 (5th)
2018-19Â Â Â 15,980 (8th)
2019-20Â Â Â 17,314 (5th)
2020-21Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â COVID season restricted crowds
2021-22Â Â Â 16,611 (6th)
NCAA Tournament History
Creighton made its 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance, and 14th in the last 24 years, in 2021-22. The Bluejays are 15-24 all-time in NCAA action, including a 11-12 record in its first game but just 2-10 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 9-13 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), 2013 (beat Cincinnati, lost to Duke) and 2022 (beat San Diego State, lost to Kansas) and 0-1 in 2017 (lost to Rhode Island).
   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. 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.
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
2007-08Â Â Â NITÂ Â Â Beat Rhode Island, 74-73
2008-09Â Â Â NITÂ Â Â Beat Bowling Green, 73-71
2009-10Â Â Â CITÂ Â Â Beat South Dakota, 89-78
2010-11Â Â Â CBIÂ Â Â Beat San Jose State, 85-74
2011-12Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â Beat Alabama, 58-57
2012-13Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â Beat Cincinnati, 67-63
2013-14Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â Beat Louisiana, 76-66
2015-16Â Â Â NITÂ Â Â Beat Alabama, 72-54
2016-17Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â Lost to Rhode Island, 84-72
2017-18Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â Lost to Kansas State, 69-59
2018-19Â Â Â NITÂ Â Â Beat Loyola (Chicago), 70-61
2020-21Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â Beat UCSB, 63-62
2021-22Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 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 snapped 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 76-72 (.514) against No. 8 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, including a 15-9 mark (.625) 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 7-69 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   1-1
Planting Seeds
Creighton is 0-3 all-time against No. 1 seeds after falling to Kansas this season.
   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 NCAA Tournament 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 made his 10th postseason appearance with 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 14-14 record in those postseason appearances, including a 14-11 mark at Creighton.
McDermott's Division I Postseason Appearances
Year (School)   Tourney   Postseason W-L
2003-04 (UNI)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 0-1
2004-05 (UNI)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 0-1
2005-06 (UNI)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 0-1
2010-11 (CU)Â Â Â CBIÂ Â Â 4-2
2011-12 (CU)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 1-1
2012-13 (CU)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 1-1
2013-14 (CU)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 1-1
2015-16 (CU)Â Â Â NITÂ Â Â 2-1
2016-17 (CU)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 0-1
2017-18 (CU)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 0-1
2018-19 (CU)Â Â Â NITÂ Â Â 2-1
2020-21 (CU)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 2-1
2021-22 (CU)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â 1-1
Most Postseason Bids By CU Coaches
This year's bid to the NCAA Tournament was 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 (14-11) is one of two coaches in program history with a winning record in postseason play, joining Eddie Sutton (2-1).
Coach (Bids)Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â NITÂ Â Â CBIÂ Â Â CITÂ Â Â NCITÂ Â Â Total
Hickey (3)Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â 2-2Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 3-3
Belford (1)Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 0-1
McManus (3)Â Â Â 3-3Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â 4-4
Sutton (1)Â Â Â 2-1Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 2-1
Apke (4)Â Â Â 0-3Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-4
Barone (3)Â Â Â 1-2Â Â Â 0-1Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 1-3
Altman (13)Â Â Â 2-7Â Â Â 3-5Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 2-1Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 7-13
McDermott (10)Â Â Â 6-7Â Â Â 4-2Â Â Â 4-2Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 0-0Â Â Â 14-11
Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
Though much is made of the influx of freshmen on this year's Creighton team, the Bluejays were 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 in that span with Drake, Northern Colorado, South Alabama, Texas and Xavier.
   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 182-20 overall (146-19 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   2,580   1,220   363   229   257
Elite Company For Hawkins
Creighton senior Ryan Hawkins owned 2,580 career points and 1,220 career rebounds, though the majority of his totals were accumulated at the Division II level at Northwest Missouri State.
   That's more points than NCAA 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 Division I players in NCAA history have finished their careers with at least both 2,580 points and 1,220 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
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 Hawkins, NW Mo. St. & Creighton   2022   2,580   1,220
Pink Out Raises $24,165 in Auction; $86,839 Overall
Creighton raised $24,165 in the auction and $86,839 overall for this year's "Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out" Pink Out game vs. Xavier.
   Below is the final numbers for each jersey/item in the auction this year. Additionally, the David Spence Cancer Foundation matched all donations to Hope Lodge collected on gameday ($28,837), which created an additional $28,837, and a different donor contributed $5,000 to underwrite the 1620 AM broadcast at Nebraska Furniture Mart.
#1Â Â Â $910Â Â Â #2Â Â Â $2,010Â Â Â #4Â Â Â $870
#5Â Â Â $1,775Â Â Â #10Â Â Â $750Â Â Â #11Â Â Â $2,650
#13Â Â Â $1,025Â Â Â #14Â Â Â $690Â Â Â #15Â Â Â $1,500
#21Â Â Â $1,550Â Â Â #22Â Â Â $660Â Â Â #23Â Â Â $2,035
#24Â Â Â $1,850Â Â Â #44Â Â Â $2,700Â Â Â #55Â Â Â $730
Greg McDermott's Shoes   $510   Ball 1: $380
Ball 2: $325Â Ball 3: $355Â Â Ball 4: $465Â Â Â Â Ball 5: $425
In-game Donations: $28,837Â Â Â Matching Funds: $28,837
Additional Donation: $5,000
TOTAL: $86,839
Yearly Pink Out Totals
Creighton has raised $385,967.18 since the start of the 2011-12 season during its annual men's basketball Pink Out.
2011-12:Â Â Â $20,600
2012-13:Â Â Â $24,444
2013-14:Â Â Â $48,247.11
2014-15:Â Â Â $16,384.03
2015-16:Â Â Â $16,527.90
2016-17:Â Â Â $26,361.64
2017-18:Â Â Â $28,796
2018-19:Â Â Â $19,595
2019-20:Â Â Â $31,803.18
2020-21:Â Â Â $40,381
2021-22:Â Â Â $86,839
Additional Donations:Â Â Â $25,988.32
11-Year Totals: $385,967.18
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 its NCAA Tournament 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
10Â Â Â UABÂ Â Â 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
Super Seven
Greg McDermott joined some select company when he directed his troops to a seventh NCAA Tournament. 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   11
Dana Altman   Men's Basketball   7
Brent Vigness   Softball   7
Greg McDermott   Men's Basketball   7
The Ryan Express
Creighton started three players with the first name of Ryan in all but eight 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 were also three of CU's top four scorers (along with Alex O'Connell).
    For the season, the "Ryan Express" contributed 69.1 percent of Creighton's blocked shots, 50.8 percent of its points, 43.6 percent of its assists, 49.7 percent of its rebounds grabbed and 42.2 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   42:09   51-85   (-34)
Nembhard Only   40:55   47-84   (-37)
Kalkbrenner Only   11:34   22-15   +7
Hawkins Only   135:03   218-244   (-26)
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
BIG EAST Success
Creighton was 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 26 of the past 28 tournaments, and multiple Sweet 16 teams in 15 of the last 20 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 last 23 tournaments.
The 200 Club
The 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 147-19 in the games he has played in, meaning his teams were 182-20 overall.
Northwest Missouri State, Villanova or COVID?
Each of the past six basketball seasons have seen either Villanova, Northwest Missouri State or COVID-19 emerge above all others end the season.
   Villanova won the Division I national title in 2015-16 and 2017-18.
   Creighton's Ryan 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, and then they won it without him in 2021-22.
   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
2015-16Â Â Â Villanova
2016-17Â Â Â Northwest Missouri State (with Ryan Hawkins)
2017-18Â Â Â Villanova
2018-19Â Â Â Northwest Missouri State (with Ryan Hawkins)
2019-20Â Â Â COVID-19
2020-21Â Â Â Northwest Missouri State (with Ryan Hawkins)
2021-22Â Â Â Northwest Missouri State
All-BIG EAST Tourney Picks
This March 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, 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 marked the sixth straight season that Creighton 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   --
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 led the BIG EAST with 11 double-doubles and topped the Bluejays with 13.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in his first year in the program. The sixth-year senior from Atlantic, Iowa, started every game and was one of four men (along with Adama Sanogo, David Jones 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 swatted 89 blocked shots, a key reason that the Bluejays led the league in field goal percentage defense (.397). The sophomore from St. Louis, Mo., also owns a conference-best 134 offensive rebounds, the most by a Creighton player on record dating to the mid-1980s. 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 was 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 was the first Bluejay to be named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year since Justin Patton in 2016-17.
   Alexander averaged 7.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while starting the final 13 of his 35 appearances. He scored in double-figures 11 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 averaged 10.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while starting 30-of-31 appearances. The Glendale, Ariz., product scored in double-figures 14 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 was named the 2021-22 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year after a vote of league coaches. The center's recognition marked 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 owned 89 blocked shots, which ranked 12th-most nationally. He was also sixth in the BIG EAST with 8.0 rebounds per league contest. Creighton led the BIG EAST in field goal percentage defense (.397) in all games and its 67.5 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 won 11 of the league's 16 Freshman of the Week awards this season, including seven of the final 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 went 30-5 after winning the Summit League Tournament and clinching an NCAAA bid.
   North Dakota State's Dave Richman went 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 went 20-12 and reached the NIT.
   Drake's Darian DeVries led the Bulldogs to a 25-11 mark and runner-up finish in the MVC (to Jacobson's UNI team) in the regular-season and the league tournament. Drake played in the CBI.
   Steve Lutz led his Texas A&M-Corpus Christi team to a 24-12 record and a Southland Conference Tournament title in his first year as a head coach, with the Islanders reaching the NCAA Tournament First Four. He inherited a 5-19 team that hadn't won 20 games or had a winning record since 2016-17.
   TJ Otzelberger turned around Iowa State in his first year in Ames. He inherited a 2-22 team (0-18 Big 12) and turned it into a team that reached the Sweet 16 and finished 22-13.
   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 15-20 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 finished his career 43-3 on neutral sites when you include his 6-3 mark this year.
   He finished with a team record of 182-20 (.901) at all sites. He lost consecutive games in his career just twice.
   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.
On The Double!
Ryan Hawkins led the BIG EAST in double-doubles, both overall and in league play.
   His 11 overall double-doubles were 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 collected 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 were 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 missed the final eight games of the 2021-22 season after suffering an injury during 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 recipient of 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 were the most by a BIG EAST freshman since 2011-12.
CU's Been There Before, Unfortunately
The injury to Ryan Nembhard wasn'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 16 games he played, Kaluma averaged 12.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
   Kaluma, who made 16-of-32 free throws (50 percent) in CU's first 17 games, has drained 28-of-35 foul shots (80.0 percent) since then.
   After missing four games in the middle of the season with a knee injury, Kaluma averaged 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in CU's final nine contests.
Getting Offensive On The Glass
Ryan Kalkbrenner owned 134 offensive rebounds this season, tops in the BIG EAST. It's also the most by any Bluejay since at least 1986-87.
CU's Most Offensive Rebounds, Since 1986-87
   OReb   Name   Year
   134   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.
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.
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.
Feb. 12Â 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.
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 game this year were David Jones, Jack Nunge, Julian Champagnie and Adama Sanogo (three times).
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 (482 points) became the first Creighton senior to lead the team in scoring since 2017-18 (Marcus Foster).
   On the other end of the spectrum, freshman Ryan Nembhard topped the Bluejays with 34 steals so far this season. CU hadn't had its steals leader be a freshman since P'Allen Stinnett in 2007-08.
They Are Called Free Throws, After All
Creighton shot 73.8 percent shooting at the free throw line for the season (97th 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 shot 76.1 percent (86-113) in the last two minutes of a game or overtime this season and 74.9 percent (131-175) in the last five minutes of a game or overtime.
All Ball
Ryan Kalkbrenner ranked second in the BIG EAST and 17th nationally with 2.62 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.
   Kalkbrenner was 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 went out of bounds, whereas Creighton 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 was called for just 48 fouls. That made him one of three players nationally in the last 30 years with more than 85 blocks and 50 fouls or less (joining Saint Joseph's C.J. Aiken in 2011-12 and Memphis' Austin Nichols in 2014-15).
   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 owned 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 had 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 4.26 blocked shots per game as a team this winter was the third-best figure since averaging 6.03 blocks per game in 1984-85.
   Creighton was 8-3 this season when blocking six shots or more.
Frosh Watch
Creighton won at a regular rate despite playing three freshmen (Trey Alexander, Arthur Kaluma, Ryan Nembhard) more than 25 minutes per game.
   On a national basis, only 129 players classified as freshmen (true, redshirt or otherwise) played 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 was the only team nationally to play three true freshmen more than 25 minutes per game.
   And speaking of freshman minutes, Nembhard ranked third nationally among true freshmen with 34.8 minutes per game. The next-closest freshman from a Power 5 or BIG EAST program was 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 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 outscored teams by 122 when it has two freshmen or less on the court, but were outscored by 24 points when it had three or more freshmen on the floor.
   All told, 3171:36 of Creighton's 7,075 total minutes (44.83 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:Â Â Â 34:23Â Â Â 59-49Â Â Â +10
2 freshmen:Â Â Â 962:14Â Â Â 1,692-1,578Â Â Â +114
3 freshmen:Â Â Â 347:15Â Â Â 611-407Â Â Â +4
4 freshmen:Â Â Â 45:54Â Â Â 54-85Â Â Â (-31)
5 freshmen:Â Â Â 1:28Â Â Â 5-2Â Â Â +3
Kalkbrenner Doubles Up
Ryan Kalkbrenner surpassed all of his totals from all of last season. Last season Kalkbrenner had 182 points, 108 rebounds, 38 blocks and 29 dunks in 422 minutes. This year Kalkbrenner owned 444 points, 261 rebounds, 89 blocks and 69 dunks in 996 minutes.
   A big part of that has been his increased stamina. Even though his minutes per game have nearly doubled from 13.6 to 29.3 minutes per game, his per-minute stats have also risen.
Per 40 Minutes - Ryan Kalkbrenner
Year   PTS/40   REB/40   BLOCKS/40   DUNKS/40
2020-21Â Â Â 17.3Â Â Â 10.2Â Â Â 3.6Â Â Â 2.7
2021-22Â Â Â 17.8Â Â Â 10.5Â Â Â 3.6Â Â Â 2.8
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, 2010-11Â Â Â 14.9Â Â Â 7.2Â Â Â 3,150
Rodney Buford, 1995-96Â Â Â 14.5Â Â Â 4.2Â Â Â 2,116
Bob Harstad, 1987-88Â Â Â 9.0Â Â Â 8.5Â Â Â 2,110
Chad Gallagher, 1987-88Â Â Â 11.4Â Â Â 5.3Â Â Â 1,983
Arthur Kaluma, 2021-22Â Â Â 10.4Â Â Â 5.4Â Â Â 322
Not Your Ordinary Freshman
Arthur Kaluma had a season-high 24 points on March 19 vs. Kansas. Kaluma (10.4 ppg.) and classmate Ryan Nembhard (11.3 ppg.) became 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 and Kaluma were the first Bluejays 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
   2   Arthur Kaluma   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
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
   10.4   Arthur Kaluma   2021-22
*Went on to win league Freshman of the Year
Kaluma In Elite Company
Arthur Kaluma was one of five true freshmen nationally from the BIG EAST or a Power Five Conference to average at least 10.0 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 Georgetown's Aminu Mohammed and Marquette's Justin Lewis (a second year freshman).
Power 5/BIG EAST Frosh With 9 PPG/5 RPG/0.5 BPG
Name, School   PPG   RPG   BPG
Paolo Banchero, Duke   17.2   7.8   0.9
Jabari Smith, Auburn   16.9   7.4   1.0
Justin Lewis, Marquette   16.8   7.9   0.6
Aminu Mohammed, Georgetown   13.7   8.2   0.6
Arthur Kaluma, Creighton   10.4   5.4   0.6
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.
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Filling The Gym
Creighton ranked sixth nationally this season with 16,611 fans per home game.
2021-22 NCAA Home Attendance Per Game Leaders
   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
Iron Men
Creighton's Ryan Nembhard ranked third overall in the BIG EAST with 34.8 minutes per game, the most by a BIG EAST freshman in 10 years.
   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. Â
   No BIG EAST freshman had 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
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 scored 10 or more points 23 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 averaged 11.8 points per game overall this season.
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We're Jamming!
Ryan Kalkbrenner owned 69 dunks this season and 98 in his career. As a team, Creighton owned 132 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
69   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
21   Alex O'Connell   2021-22
21   Arthur Kaluma   2021-22
20   Khyri Thomas   2017-18
Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Years
121   Martin Krampelj   2015-19
103   Christian Bishop   2018-21
98   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
144Â Â Â 2016-17Â Â Â 25-10 (NCAA)
132Â Â Â 2021-22Â Â Â 23-12 (NCAA)
107Â Â Â 2017-18Â Â Â 21-12 (NCAA)
106Â Â Â 2018-19Â Â Â 20-15 (NIT)
90Â Â Â 2020-21Â Â Â 22-9 (NCAA)
60Â Â Â 2019-20Â Â Â 24-7 (Postseason Canceled)
58Â Â Â 2015-16Â Â Â 20-15 (NIT)
56Â Â Â 2010-11Â Â Â 23-16 (CBI)
54Â Â Â 2012-13Â Â Â 28-8 (NCAA)
42Â Â Â 2011-12Â Â Â 29-6 (NCAA)
35Â Â Â 2013-14Â Â Â 27-8 (NCAA)
29Â Â Â 2014-15Â Â Â 14-19
Our 2, D Too
Unlike past Creighton teams that thrived from three-point land, this year's Bluejay squad dominated from two-point range.
   Creighton ranked 47th nationally (per BartTorvik.com) with its shooting 53.3 percent from two-point range. That included a 57.9 percent mark from inside the paint.
   Defensively, Creighton held the opposition to 43.6 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 shot just 47.9 percent in the paint this season.
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)
2010-11Â Â Â Illinois St. (10-8)
2011-12Â Â Â Â Â Â Missouri St. (14-4)
2012-13Â Â Â Evansville (13-5)
2013-14Â Â Â Marquette (14-4)
2014-15Â Â Â Â Â Â Providence (4-14)
2015-16Â Â Â St. John's (9-9)
2016-17Â Â Â Seton Hall (10-8)
2017-18Â Â Â Â Â Â Seton Hall (10-8)
2018-19Â Â Â Providence (9-9)
2019-20Â Â Â Marquette (13-5)
2020-21Â Â Â Â Â Â Marquette (14-6)
2021-22Â Â Â #9 Villanova (12-7)
#1 In The Record Book; #44 In Your Program
At year's end, Ryan Hawkins led every active player at the Division I level in career rebounds (1,220), and field goals made (927) and was second in points (2,580).
   Hawkins also ranked in the top 13 among the nation's active Division I players in double-doubles (5th), games played (7th), three-pointers made (7th) and steals (11th).
   And while it's not among the categories the NCAA tracks among active players, it's worth noting that Hawkins owned 116 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.
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 was 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.
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 owned 49 games with 10 or more rebounds in his college career.
At The Buzzer!
Ryan Nembhard drove the length of the court in the final 5.2 seconds to sink a floater as time expired to give Creighton a 66-64 win vs. Southern Illinois on Nov. 22 in the third-place game of the Paradise Jam.
   Ironically enough, the game-ending play was installed several years ago by former Bluejay assistant Paul Lusk, himself a Southern Illinois grad.
   The basket was Creighton's first go-ahead shot as time expired since Booker Woodfox beat Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinals on March 6, 2009.
   Prior to Woodfox, Creighton's last previous buzzer-beater had also come against Wichita State, as Anthony Tolliver's shot from the right baseline beat Wichita State on Jan. 28, 2006.
   Nate Funk also hit a buzzer-beater to beat Greg McDermott's Northern Iowa team on Jan. 15, 2005 in Cedar Falls.
   Shots by those four men remain the only game-winning buzzer-beaters by Creighton since the start of the 1999-2000 season.
Five Threats To Score
All five of Creighton's regular starters averaged at least 10.4 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 25 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, though Arthur Kaluma joined him later in the season when he picked up All-Tournament Team accolades at the BIG EAST Tournament.
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.
Winning With Defense
Creighton's made its reputation on the offensive side with its "Let It Fly" philosophy, but the Bluejays won thanks in large part to their defense 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 held teams to 39.7 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 948 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
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,161   UNLV   Next Year
   2.   1,151   Duke   Next Year
   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.   1,057   Texas   Next Year
   8.   1,003   Marshall   Next Year
   9.   996   Baylor   Next Year
   10.   987   Princeton   Next Year
   11.   982   Gonzaga   Next Year
   12.   956   Long Island   Next Year
   13.   948   Creighton   Next Year
   14.   941   Mount St. Mary's   Next Year
   15.   930   Tennessee State   Next Year
Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 948 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,455 trifectas, an average of 7.86 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 266 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 45-9 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 22-18 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:   5 times   2: 17 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: 52 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
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 to 2021-22
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Made   3,624   4th  Â
FG Percentage   .477   4th  Â
3FG Percentage   .377   5th  Â
Assists   6,580   6th  Â
FG Made   11,240   8th  Â
Points   31,452   10th  Â
Wins   276   29th  Â
Winning Percentage   .669   32nd  Â
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.
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
My Name Is...
Only five men who played for Creighton last season were 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 ranked 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
TCUÂ Â Â 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, while this year he averaged 11.3 points per game with the Spurs.
   Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver, Benoit Benjamin and Anthony Tolliver.
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 276 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .668 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more than 85 years ago.
   Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk.   W-L   Name   Years
1.   327-176   Dana Altman   1994-2010
2.   276-137   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
2021-22Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 23-12
2020-21Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 22-9
2019-20Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 136Â Â Â 24-7
2018-19Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 57Â Â Â 20-15
2017-18Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 21-12
2016-17Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 130Â Â Â 25-10
2015-16Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 64Â Â Â 20-15
2014-15Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 49Â Â Â 14-19
2013-14Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 144Â Â Â 27-8
2012-13Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 140Â Â Â 28-8
2011-12Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 101Â Â Â 29-6
2010-11Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 123Â Â Â 23-16
2009-10Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 106Â Â Â 18-16
2008-09Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 27-8
2007-08Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 44Â Â Â 22-11
2006-07Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 120Â Â Â 22-11
2005-06Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 134Â Â Â 20-10
2004-05Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 58Â Â Â 23-11
2003-04Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 101Â Â Â 20-9
2002-03Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 159Â Â Â 29-5
2001-02Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 65Â Â Â 23-9
2000-01Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 90Â Â Â 24-8
1999-00Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 23-10
1998-99Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 22-9
1997-98Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 18-10
1996-97Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 126Â Â Â 15-15
1995-96Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 100Â Â Â 14-15
1994-95Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 52Â Â Â 7-19
1993-94Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 73Â Â Â 7-22
1992-93Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 64Â Â Â 8-18
1991-92Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 51Â Â Â 9-19
1990-91Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 132Â Â Â 24-8
1989-90Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 127Â Â Â 21-12
1988-89Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 123Â Â Â 20-11
1987-88Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 16-16
1986-87Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 65Â Â Â 9-19
1985-86Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 48Â Â Â 12-16
1984-85Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 20-12
1983-84Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 17-14
1982-83Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 77Â Â Â 8-19
1981-82Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 78Â Â Â 7-20
1980-81Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 112Â Â Â 21-9
Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton continued to be highly regarded by KenPom.com, and finished the season ranked 50th overall. That included the nation's No. 112 offense, and No. 19 defense.
   Creighton's No. 19 defense was its best mark in the 20 seasons of the KenPom era.
Year   Off. Rating   Def. Rating   Team W-L
2010-11Â Â Â 66Â Â Â 174Â Â Â 23-16
2011-12Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 166Â Â Â 29-6
2012-13Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 66Â Â Â 28-8
2013-14Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 27-8
2014-15Â Â Â 59Â Â Â 138Â Â Â 14-19
2015-16Â Â Â 43Â Â Â 76Â Â Â 20-15
2016-17Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 46Â Â Â 25-10
2017-18Â Â Â 25Â Â Â 58Â Â Â 21-12
2018-19Â Â Â 47Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 20-15
2019-20Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 78Â Â Â 24-7
2020-21Â Â Â 25Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 22-9
2021-22Â Â Â 112Â Â Â 19Â Â Â 23-12
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 Â
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.
Â
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
03/20/06Â Â Â Miami (Fla.)Â Â Â L 53-52Â Â Â G. Diaz FTÂ Â Â :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 could 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.
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/ Men's BasketballMeet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Ty Davis
Friday, August 15
