Men's Basketball Hosts #19 Providence on Saturday

Game #18: #19 Providence Friars (14-3, 6-0 BIG EAST) at Creighton Bluejays (9-8, 3-3 BIG EAST)
Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023 • 1:00 p.m. • Omaha, Neb. • CHI Health Center Omaha
| LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF) | PC NOTES (PDF) |

Next Game
Creighton (9-8, 3-3 BIG EAST) plays its seventh top-25 opponent of the season, but first at home, on Saturday, Jan. 14, when it hosts No. 19 Providence (14-3, 6-0 BIG EAST) for a 1 p.m. tip.
   CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., will host the action.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) and KOOO (101.9 FM) will carry all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2022-23 season. John Bishop and Taylor Stormberg will call the action.
   The audio is webcast at 1620thezone.com and can be heard on SiriusXM channel 384 and on SXM app channel 974.

Telecast Information
Saturday's game will be called by Jeff Levering and Dickey Simpkins and be televised on FS1. The game will also be video webcast on the FoxSports app or at http://foxsports.com/live. Cable authorization may be required.

Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.
   Home games can also be followed on mobile devices at www.gocreightonstats.com.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton started 6-0, including wins at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational over No. 21 Texas Tech and No. 9 Arkansas, then dropped its next six games before picking up BIG EAST wins by double-figures over Butler, DePaul and Seton Hall. That streak was snapped in close road losses to No. 4 UConn (69-60) and No. 12 Xavier (90-87) within the last week.
   All-BIG EAST center Ryan Kalkbrenner (14.8 ppg., 6.9 rpg.), who was named 2022 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, ranks second in the nation in field goal percentage (.739) this season. CU is 9-5 with him in the line-up this year.
   CU had three men named to the BIG EAST's All-Freshman Team last winter who are now sophomores. That trio includes Ryan Nembhard (11.8 ppg., 5.5 apg.) as well as Arthur Kaluma (12.6 ppg., 6.3 rpg.) and Trey Alexander (12.8 ppg., 4.2 rpg.).
   Creighton's highest-impact newcomer to date has been South Dakota State transfer Baylor Scheierman (13.1 ppg., 8.9 rpg.), who also owns the team lead with eight double-doubles and 43 three-pointers made.
   Creighton was picked to win the BIG EAST Conference and earned its best preseason AP poll ranking ever (No. 9), thanks to the return of 10 lettermen and three starters from last year's team that finished 23-12.
   CU averages 76.7 points while allowing just 68.9 points per contest. CU shoots 46.5 percent from the floor, 35.8 percent from deep and 72.5 percent at the line.

Scouting #18 Providence
Providence is 14-3 overall and off to its first 6-0 start in BIG EAST play in history. The Friars are doing it despite losing all five starters from last year's Sweet 16 team that captured the program's first regular-season BIG EAST title.
   PC is 10-0 at home and 4-1 in road games this winter, including league victories away from home over Seton Hall, Butler and DePaul.
   Kentucky transfer Bryce Hopkins (16.0 ppg., 9.1 rpg.) is an early front-runner for BIG EAST Player of the Year honors after 29 points and 23 rebounds in a double-OT win vs. Marquette and 27 points in a victory over UConn.
   Devin Carter averages 13.2 points and Ed Croswell averages 12.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
   The Friars average 79.9 points per game and allow 68.1 points per contest. PC shoots 47.2 percent from the floor, 35.0 percent from three-point range and 73.0 percent from the line while outrebounding teams by 8.9 caroms per contest.

The Series With Providence
Providence leads the all-time series, 18-13 and have split 12 meetings in Omaha. Since Creighton joined PC in the BIG EAST in 2013, the Friars have won 12-of-21 contests at all sites.
   After the scheduled Omaha meeting was cancelled due to COVID-19 within the PC program, the teams split two meetings last season. Providence clinched its first BIG EAST regular-season title ever at the Dunkin' Donuts Center on Feb. 26 (72-51) before CU turned the tables on the Friars 85-58 at Madison Square Garden in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals.
   Greg McDermott is 9-12 in his career against Providence and Ed Cooley. Cooley is 12-10 in his career against Creighton, having also lost a CIT game when he was head coach at Fairfield.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 285-145 record in his 13th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 565-340 in his 29th season, and is 434-276 in his 22nd Division I campaign.
   McDermott led Creighton to its first BIG EAST regular-season title in 2019-20, taking a Bluejay team that was picked seventh in the league's preseason poll and ending the year ranked seventh nationally. The Cascade, Iowa native then coached Creighton to its first Sweet 16 since 1974 in 2020-21 and to a share of its first regular-season BIG EAST title in 2019-20.
   McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000).
   He is assisted by Alan Huss, Ryan Miller and Jalen Courtney-Williams.

With A Win...
- Creighton would improve to 7-6 all-time in Omaha against Providence thanks to wins in four of the past five meetings at CHI Health Center Omaha.
- Creighton would earn its 50th top-25 win ever (50-161), and improve to 2-2 against ranked Providence clubs.
- Creighton would improve to 4-0 in BIG EAST home games this season.

McDermott Among The Best
A Nov. 10th article on CBSSports.com ranked the nation's best Top 25 And 1 coaches, with Creighton's Greg McDermott making that list.
   McDermott and Providence's Ed Cooley were the lone BIG EAST coaches named to the list.
   McDermott and Cooley both rank in the top-13 in league history for BIG EAST victories.
   McDermott has been at his current job (13 seasons) longer than any active BIG EAST coach, but since his first three years were as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, Cooley's 12 years in the BIG EAST lead all active league coaches.
Most League Wins, BIG EAST MBB Coaches (1/12)
   Rk.   Wins   Name, School
   1.   366   Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
   2.   274   Jim Calhoun, UConn
   3.   244   Jay Wright, Villanova
   4.   198   John Thompson Sr., Georgetown
   5.   136   Mike Brey, Notre Dame
   6.   131   John Thompson III, Georgetown
   7.   127   Lou Carnesecca, St. John's
   8.   115   Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh
   9.   112   Ed Cooley, Providence
   10.   111   Rick Pitino, Providence/Louisville
   11.   110   Rollie Massimino, Villanova
   12.   105   Kevin Willard, Seton Hall
   13.   98   Greg McDermott, Creighton
   14.   87   Steve Lappas, Villanova

Challenging Week
On the heels of a trip to No. 4 UConn last Saturday, the schedule doesn't get any easier this week as Creighton was to meet a pair of teams who have both already beaten the Huskies. No. 12 Xavier was 5-0 in league play and on a nine-game winning streak prior to defeating Creighton on Wednesday, while No. 19 Providence is also on a nine-game winning streak and unbeaten in league play (6-0).
   The three BIG EAST teams to beat Creighton this season are a combined 16-4 in league play, while CU's victories have come over teams who are a combined 7-13 in conference action.

Turning Point, Again?
This year has some similarities to the 2019-20 seasons. This year's team is shooting 46.5 percent from the field, 35.8 percent from deep and 72.5 percent at the line while scoring 76.7 points per game and allowing 68.9 per contest.
   Through 17 games the 2019-20 squad shot 46.4 percent from the field, 36.0 percent from deep and 72.1 percent at the line while scoring 77.1 points per game and allowing 68.1 per contest.
   Creighton started the 2019-20 season with a 2-3 league record but the season flipped with a home win over Providence in mid-January.
   That team defeated Providence 78-74 on a go-ahead three-pointer by Marcus Zegarowski with 3.2 seconds left to start a four-game win streak. The Jays would win 11 of their final 13 games to finish 13-5 in league play and tie for the program's lone BIG EAST title in program history.

Pink Out Auction Is Underway
When Creighton hosts Xavier on Saturday, January 28th in its 12th Annual Pink Out game, Bluejay players will wear pink shooting shirts and pink jerseys for the game. Fans have the opportunity to honor a friend or family member who has battled cancer or is currently battling cancer by purchasing the apparel via auction (the shooting shirt can be personalized – last name, nickname, etc.). This year's auction runs through Sunday, January 22nd - items will close in 15 minute increments beginning at 6 p.m.
   All funds raised go to benefit Hope Lodge Omaha. The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Nebraska provides a free home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers who must travel to Omaha to receive their lifesaving treatment. More than just a roof over their heads, it's a nurturing community that helps patients access the care they need.
   The annual Creighton Men's Basketball Pink Out game has raised over $385,000 benefiting the Hope Lodge facility here in Omaha and the guests it serves.
   The auction will go live on the evening of January 12th at http://gocreighton.com/pinkoutauction.

Horseshoes, Hand Grenades, PC at CU
Creighton and Providence have made a habit of playing close games in Omaha in the previous eight seasons.
   Six of the last seven meetings were decided by nine points or less, with five of those decided by four points or less at the end of regulation.
   The teams did not play in Omaha last season, as the Friars were suffering from a COVID-19 outbreak. The game was not rescheduled.
   All eight of Creighton's home games this season have been decided by 10 points or more, and there hasn't been a lead change in the final 9:47 in any of those.
   Since Ed Cooley's arrival in 2011-12, Providence leads the nation with 81 victories by five points or less.
Providence at Creighton, since 2014-15
Date   Providence at Creighton   Score
01/17/15   at Creighton*       L   65-74
01/12/16   at Creighton*       L   48-50
02/22/17   at Creighton*       L   66-68
12/31/17   at Creighton*   W       83-64
03/06/19   at Creighton*   W       76-70 (ot)
01/18/20   at Creighton*   W       78-74
01/20/21   at Creighton*       L   70-74

CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
In Providence's eight previous games inside CHI Health Center Omaha, three of them have featured a go-ahead basket in the final 10 seconds.
   Creighton is 8-8 in contests with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened in 2003.
   The last time such a game happened was in 2020 when Creighton's Marcus Zegarowski hit a shot with 3.2 seconds left to beat Providence.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
11/26/05   Dayton   W 91-90*   Funk FG   :5.7
01/28/06   Wichita St.   W 57-55   Tolliver FG   :0.0
11/25/06   George Mason   W 58-56   Watts FT   :7.5
03/18/08   Rhode Island   W 74-73   Witter 3FG   :3.2
01/13/10   Southern Illinois   W 71-69   Young FG   :1.3
02/18/12   Long Beach St.   W 81-79   Young FG   :0.3
01/28/14   St. John's   W 63-60   McDermott 3FG   :2.8
01/18/20   Providence   W 78-74   Zegarowski 3FG   :3.2
*double-overtime

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

Creighton &, Xavier To The Wire
Since both teams officially joined the BIG EAST in the summer of 2013, 16 of the 22 meetings (including the BIG EAST Tournament and Wednesday) between Creighton and Xavier have been decided by eight points or less, with two games going to overtime.
   Twenty-four of the 37 all-time meetings have been within five points in the final minute, including 10 of the last 16 games.
   Creighton is 1-5 this season in games decided by eight points or less. Xavier is 5-3 in such games. Saturday's foe, Providence, is 4-1 in games decided by eight points or less this winter.

What's Luck Got To Do With It?
In the KenPom.com rankings through Jan. 11th, Creighton ranks 361st of 363 teams in the site's "Luck" category, while Providence is 117th.
   Last year, Providence was first in that same category (of 358 teams), while Creighton was 28th.
   The KenPom.com site defines "Luck" as the deviation in winning percentage between a team's actual record and their expected record using the correlated gaussian method. The luck factor has nothing to do with the rating calculation, but a team that is very lucky (positive numbers) will tend to be rated lower by his system than their record would suggest.

Scheierman Shoots It
Baylor Scheierman had a season-best 25 points at No. 12 Xavier on Wednesday. It was the second 20-point game of the season and 29th of his career when you count his three seasons at South Dakota State.
   Wednesday was Scheierman's fifth career game of 25 points or more, and just three shy of the career-high 28 he scored vs. Oral Roberts in March of 2021.
   Speaking of Scheierman, his last game at South Dakota State last season came against a nationally-ranked Providence team in the NCAA Tournament. He had 18 points and 10 rebounds while playing all 40 minutes against the Friars.

Scheierman Drains 200th Trey
Baylor Scheierman enters Saturday's tilt vs. Providence having made 202 three-pointers in his college career, doing so at a 40.7 percent clip. He made a season-high four treys on Wednesday to surpass the 200-trifecta milestone in his career.
   Scheierman also owns 1,336 points, 786 rebounds, 371 assists and 103 career steals.
   Per Basketball-Reference.com, Scheierman is the nation's only player in the last 30 years with career totals of at least 200 three-pointers, 350 assists and 710 defensive rebounds.

Opposites Attract
Creighton is eighth in the country in fewest fouls per game and per BartTorvik.com, ranks second in defensive free throw rate (free throw attempts / field goal attempts). Providence, on the other hand, is second in the country in free throws made per game and ranks ninth nationally in free throw rate.
   Creighton ranks 15th in defensive rebounds per game, while Providence is 39th in offensive rebounds per game.

Ranking News & Notes
- Creighton is 49-161 all-time against top 25 teams.
- Creighton is 31-46 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams, 24 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 31 top 25 wins since McDermott took over in 2010 are tied for 36th-most nationally and more than schools like Maryland (25), LSU (18), Houston (17), Auburn (17), Wichita State (14), Memphis (13), USC (12) and Saint Mary's (8) in that time. In that same window, Providence also has 31 wins against top 25 teams in that span.
- Creighton is 26-29 since the start of the 2016-17 season against ranked teams. The 26 wins over ranked teams in that time are tied for 13th-most nationally with Florida State. CU's 26 top 25 wins trails only Villanova (33) among BIG EAST programs in that span. Providence has 19 wins against the top 25 since 2016-17.
- Creighton has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the last nine seasons (including 2022-23), and multiple ranked foes in each of the last eight seasons (including 2022-23).
- On a national basis, the only 11 teams with a top-25 win each of the last nine seasons (including 2022-23) are Baylor, Creighton, Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Michigan State, Ohio State, Virginia, Wisconsin and Xavier. Schools still trying to extend their streak to nine (or longer) this winter are Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas Tech, Villanova and West Virginia.
-    The Bluejays have beaten multiple top-25 foes each of the last eight seasons (2015-16 to 2022-23), something only Baylor, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan State and Purdue can also claim. Three other schools have beaten multiple top-25 foes in each of the previous seven seasons --   Michigan (0), Texas Tech (0) and Villanova (0) but are still seeking two top-25 wins this winter.
- Creighton's Nov. 22nd victory vs. No. 9 Arkansas extended Creighton's streak of seasons with at least one top-10 win to eight. The only schools with at least one top-10 win every season since 2015-16 (including 2022-23) are Creighton and Kansas. Schools still trying to extend their streak to eight (or longer) this winter are Duke, Michigan, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech.
- Creighton is 9-22 in true road games vs. the top 25 under Greg McDermott, compared to a 2-63 mark before his arrival.

Another Top 25 Foe
Saturday's game vs. No. 19 Xavier will be the seventh top-25 team that Creighton has faced this season, but first such home game.
   Through games of Jan. 11th, Creighton's six top-25 games are second-most nationally and trail only Alabama (7), whom CU will tie on Saturday.
   Through games of Jan. 11th, the only teams with more than Creighton's two top-25 victories this year are Alabama (5), Arizona (4), Illinois (3), Iowa State (3), Kansas State (3), Texas (3) and Purdue (3).
   And when it comes to ranked teams, keep in mind that Creighton also played both Arizona State and Marquette before both teams moved into the top-25 later in the season after facing the Bluejays.

The Schedule...It Is Strong
Creighton ranks 161st nationally in winning percentage, but owns an NET of 27 (through Jan. 11) thanks in part to a challenging schedule that ranks third-toughest nationally among average opponent NET rankings.
   That number figures to increase in difficulty with a game vs. NET No. 33 Providence on the docket.
   Wednesday's game at Xavier was Creighton's sixth game of the season against a top-20 team in the NET. All six of those contests were played outside of Omaha.
   Creighton has already played 12 teams with a top-96 NET ranking:
   NET   Opponent   CU Result
   4   at UConn   L 60-69
   8   at Texas   L 67-72
   9   vs. Arizona   L 79-81
   17   at Marquette   L 58-69
   19   at Xavier   L 87-90
   20   vs. Arkansas   W 90-87
   33   Providence   Saturday
   56   vs. Arizona State   L 71-73
   71   Seton Hall   W 83-61
   72   vs. Texas Tech   W 76-65
   80   Butler   W 78-56
   89   vs. BYU   L 80-83
   96   Nebraska   L 53-63
   161   St. Thomas   W 72-60
   164   UC Riverside   W 80-51
   171   DePaul   W 80-65
   315   North Dakota   W 96-61
   332   Holy Cross   W 94-65

Kaluma Pounds The Glass
Arthur Kaluma grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds in last Saturday's game at No. 4 UConn, four more than his previous best done twice previously.
   Kaluma's 16 rebounds were the most by a Bluejay since joining the BIG EAST 10 years ago, and last matched on Nov. 12, 2012 when Gregory Echenique also had 16 boards vs. UAB.
   After just one double-double in his first 45 career games, Kaluma posted back-to-back double-doubles vs. Seton Hall and UConn. He finished Wednesday's game at Xavier with 11 points and nine rebounds, coming up just one board short of joining Baylor Scheierman, Ryan Hawkins, Martin Krampelj and Doug McDermott (twice) as the only Bluejays to record three straight double-doubles since 1994-95.
Most Rebounds, Game, Since 1994-95
   Reb.   Player vs. Opponent   Date
   18   Kenny Lawson Jr. vs. St. Joseph's   12-11-2010
   17   Doug McDermott at Bradley   02-11-2011
   16   Donald Davenport at Missouri St.   01-21-1995
   16   Kenny Lawson Jr. vs. Drake   01-01-2011
   16   Doug McDermott at Akron   02-19-2011
   16   Gregory Echenique vs. UAB   11-12-2012
   16   Arthur Kaluma at UConn   01-07-2023
   15   Ben Walker at Baylor   12-04-1999
   15   Justin Carter vs. Kentucky   03-23-2009
   15   Doug McDermott vs. Tulsa   11-23-2013
   15   Ronnie Harrell Jr. vs. #23 UCLA   11-20-2017
   15   Christian Bishop vs. Ohio   03-22-2021
   15   Ryan Kalkbrenner at Georgetown   02-12-2022

Holiday Hoops Proves Popular
Creighton's Christmas Day victory over DePaul scored 2.99 million viewers on FOX - the network's most-watched college hoops game ever.
   Per FOX Sports PR, it was the most-watched college basketball game on any network this season, far ahead of the Kentucky/Michigan State game on ESPN (2.03 million).
   In the last three years, the only regular-season game higher was North Carolina/Duke in Mike Krzyzewski's final home game last March (3.98 million) on ESPN.

SWAT Team
Creighton owned nine blocked shots in its Jan. 3rd victory over Seton Hall. The nine blocked shots were tied for the most in a game under 13th-year head coach Greg McDermott (also done 2/13/18 vs. Bemidji State and 11/27/21 vs. SIU Edwardsville).
   The nine rejections also tied Creighton's CHI Health Center Omaha record for team blocked shots in a game (also done 1/9/08 vs. Evansville, 2/13/18 vs. Bemidji State and 11/27/21 vs. SIU Edwardsville).
   Combined with its 11 three-pointers made, Creighton fell just one block away from its first game with 10 blocks and 10 three-pointers for the first time since Feb. 17, 2002 vs. Wichita State when it had 10 of each.

The Kalkbrenner Difference
Here's a look at the difference with and without Ryan Kalkbrenner this season.
Stat   Kalkbrenner Plays   Kalkbrenner Out
Team W-L   9-5   0-3
Team FG%   .478   .403
Team 3FG%   .362   .338
Team FG/Game   28.6   27.0
Team Dunks/Game   3.57   5.00
Rebound Margin   +5.9   -8.6
Off. Rebounds/Game   9.4   5.7
CU Points/Game   78.2   69.7
Opp. Points/Game   67.6   75.0
Scoring Margin   +10.6   -5.3
Turnovers/Game   11.6   13.0
Opp. FG%   .425   .440

Kalkbrenner Invites You To His Block Party
Ryan Kalkbrenner tied his career-high with six blocked shots on Jan. 3 vs. Seton Hall, giving him exactly 150 swats as a Bluejay. The six blocks are tied for the most by any BIG EAST player in a game this season, and the most in a conference game.
   With six more blocks in the past two games, Kalkbrenner now ranks fourth in program history in blocked shots with 156, three more than Kenny Lawson Jr. (2006-11).
Most Creighton Blocked Shots, Since 1979-80
   Blk.   Name   Years
   411   Benoit Benjamin   1982-85
   183   Chad Gallagher   1987-91
   174   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
   156   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
   153   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2006-11
   138   Brody Deren   2001-04
   136   Anthony Tolliver   2003-07
   109   Doug Swenson   1997-99
   104   Joe Dabbert   2000-04
   82   Christian Bishop   2018-21

Arc's-manship
Creighton shoots 38.9 percent from three-point range in BIG EAST play, and it's been a telling stat.
   In three league wins, Creighton is shooting 35-for-72 from deep (48.6 percent).
   In three league losses, Creighton is shooting 16-for-59 from deep (27.1 percent).
    Creighton is 71-4 under Greg McDermott when making at least half of its three-point attempts, including a 43-1 mark in the past 10 seasons. The lone loss as a BIG EAST member was a 106-104 overtime setback to No. 21 Marquette on Jan. 9, 2019.
   According to Basketball-Reference.com, since McDermott was hired in 2010, Creighton's 75 games shooting 50 percent or better from downtown trail only Weber State (78).

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.
   Last year marked the sixth straight season that Creighton has finished in fourth place or better.
Creighton's BIG EAST Preseason Poll History
Year    Preseason    Actual    Preseason All-BIG EAST
2013-14    3rd    2nd    Doug McDermott (1st)
2014-15    9th    T-9th    -
2015-16    9th    6th    -
2016-17    3rd    T-3rd    Maurice Watson Jr. (1st); Marcus Foster (HM)
2017-18    5th    T-3rd    Marcus Foster (1st); Khyri Thomas (HM)
2018-19    9th    T-3rd    Martin Krampelj (HM)
2019-20    7th    T-1st   Ty-Shon Alexander (1st)
2020-21    2nd    2nd   Marcus Zegarowski (1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd)
2021-22   8th   4th   None
2022-23   1st   ??   Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Arthur Kaluma (2nd)
           Ryan Nembhard (2nd); Baylor Scheierman (HM)

Among The Best
Since the league's 2013 realignment, Villanova has 132 league wins to lead the BIG EAST by a wide margin, but Creighton's 98 league victories are tied for second-most.
Most Men's Basketball BIG EAST Wins
(2013-14 to 1/12/22)
Team   W   L   Pct.
Villanova   132   35   .790
Providence   98   69   .587
Creighton   98   73   .573
Xavier   94   70   .573
Seton Hall   90   80   .529
Marquette   85   86   .497
Butler   80   93   .462
St. John's   64   106   .376
Georgetown   58   109   .347
DePaul   38   130   .226
Connecticut   28   15   .651

Nationally Relevant
Through games of Jan. 11, Creighton ranked eighth in the country in fewest fouls per game (13.18). The Jays are also 15th in defensive rebounds per game (28.82).
   Individually, Baylor Scheierman ranks 10th nationally with eight double-doubles and fifth with 7.94 defensive rebounds per game.
   Teammate Ryan Kalkbrenner is second in field goal percentage (73.9%) among players to make five field goals per game. Kalkbrenner is the only player in the top eight who has made four or more three-pointers.
   Ryan Nembhard ranks 19th in assist/turnover ratio (2.94), 20th in assists per game (5.5) and 15th in total assists (94).

On The Rebound
Baylor Scheierman gets lots of attention for his shooting and passing skills, but he did lead the Summit League in rebounding last year as well.
   Scheierman has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in nine games this season, and has eight double-doubles to date. The eight double-doubles rank 10th nationally, while his 7.94 defensive rebounds per game are fifth-most in the country, ahead of even Oscar Tshiebwe (7.43) and Zach Edey (7.87).
   Since 2012-13, the only BIG EAST player to finish a season averaging at least 8.0 defensive rebounds per game was Seton Hall's Angel Delgado (8.03) in 2016-17, and the only BIG EAST player to average at least 8.25 defensive rebounds per game since 2004-05 was Notre Dame's Luke Harangody (8.29) in 2008-09.
   Since 2009-10, Scheierman is close to being the nation's only major conference player to average at least 8.00 defensive rebounds and 2.00 three-pointers per game.
   The Aurora, Neb., product's current 8.9 rebounds per game average is the best mark by a Bluejay since Benoit Benjamin averaged 14.1 rebounds per game in 1984-85.
   Scheierman remains on pace to become the first man in school history to average at least 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 three-pointers per game.
   Earlier this year Scheierman became the first Bluejay with four straight double-doubles since Doug McDermott from Nov. 25-Dec. 10, 2011.
    Since the 1994-95 season, Scheierman, Ryan Hawkins, Martin Krampelj and McDermott (twice) are the only four Bluejays to record three straight double-doubles.
   Here's a list of the Creighton players with seven or more double-doubles in a season under Greg McDermott:
Most Double-Doubles, Season, Since 2010-11
   D-D   Creighton Player   Year
   11   Doug McDermott   2011-12
   11   Ryan Hawkins   2021-22
   10   Doug McDermott   2012-13
   9   Doug McDermott   2010-11
   8   Baylor Scheierman   2022-23
   7   Doug McDermott   2013-14
   7   Martin Krampelj   2018-19

3-Ball Falling For Scheierman
Baylor Scheierman nation-leading streak of 22 straight games with multiple three-pointers made was snapped on Jan. 7 at UConn, when he shot 1-for-7 from distance.
   Scheierman has still drained at least one triple in each of his last 27 contests dating to last season.

Scheierman's Great Start
Baylor Scheierman has scored 222 points in his first 17 games as a Bluejay. Since 1995-96, that's the sixth-most by a Creighton newcomer.
Most Points, CU Newcomers First 17 Games Since 1995-96
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year   After 18
   307   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17   328
   238   Justin Patton, Fr.   2016-17   252
   234   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16   243
   229   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11   236
   225   Ryan Hawkins, Sr.   2021-22   236
   222   Baylor Scheierman, Sr.   2022-23   ? ? ?
   210   Denzel Mahoney, Jr.   2019-20   213
   199   Rodney Buford, Fr.   1995-96   218
   199   Ryan Nembhard, Fr.   2021-22   207
   195   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08   197
   187   Doug Swenson, Jr.   1997-98   196
   186   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02   199
   185   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11   197
   180   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16   180
   178   Marcus Zegarowski, Fr.   2018-19   195
   168   Ryan Sears, Fr.   1997-98   185

Fantastic Five
Much has been written about Creighton's starting five this season, and the success CU has had when Ryan Nembhard, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Trey Alexander, Arthur Kaluma and Baylor Scheierman are on the floor together.
   The quintet has played 260:38 (of a possible 680 minutes) together this season, outscoring the opposition 527-430 in those minutes.
   In six games against ranked foes, the group has been paired together for 136:28 (of a possible 240 minutes) and outscored opponents 284-260.
With All 5 Regular Starters On the Floor
Opponent   CU Pts.   Opp Pts.   Diff.   Time
St. Thomas   36   34   +2   20:10
North Dakota   41   31   +10   18:42
Holy Cross   24   11   +13   9:28
UC Riverside   37   14   +23   17:31
#21 Texas Tech   58   49   +9   22:36
#9 Arkansas   33   25   +8   19:36
#14 Arizona   50   51   (-1)   21:17
#2 Texas   44   40   +4   24:49
Nebraska   17   22   (-5)   15:22
Butler   20   19   +1   13:09
DePaul   40   24   +16   14:57
Seton Hall   28   15   +13   14:51
#4 Connecticut   41   40   +1   24:51
#12 Xavier   58   55   +3   23:19
TOTAL   527   430   +97   260:38

A Good Start
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 17 games under Greg McDermott. Notably, the Bluejays have been 9-8 or better each campaign.
Creighton Stats Through 17 Games, Since 2010-11
Year   W-L   FG%   3FG%   FT%   PPG   Opp PPG
2022-23   9-8   .465   .358   .725   76.7   68.9
2021-22   12-5   .468   .319   .709   70.9   65.5
2020-21   13-4   .485   .369   .667   80.2   69.4
2019-20   13-4   .464   .360   .721   77.1   68.1
2018-19   10-7   .511   .439   .662   84.5   77.4
2017-18   14-3   .515   .385   .746   89.9   72.0
2016-17   16-1   .537   .414   .683   86.8   71.5
2015-16   12-5   .496   .388   .691   85.2   74.4
2014-15      9-8   .420   .336   .749   69.4   65.8
2013-14   15-2   .491   .433   .753   82.6   65.0
2012-13   16-1   .522   .453   .754   79.8   61.7
2011-12   15-2   .514   .457   .699   82.2   69.3
2010-11   12-5   .437   .326   .749   67.4   62.8

Big Fred's Big Night
Making his second career start, freshman center Fredrick King had career-highs with 16 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots in the Dec. 12 game vs. Arizona State.
   King was just the second Bluejay of any age in Greg McDermott's 13 years on the CU sideline to post a game with at least 16/11/5, joining Gregory Echenique (18 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks) vs. Houston Christian on Dec. 17, 2011.
   Per Basketball-Reference.com, King is the seventh different freshmen with 16 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks and no turnovers in the same game since 2010-11, a list that includes Chet Holmgren, Armando Bacot, Mo Bamba, Anthony Davis (twice), Thik Bol and Chris Horton.
Freshmen With 16 Pts., 11 Reb., 5 Blk, 0 Turnovers
(Since 2010-11)
Name, School   Date   PTS   REB   BLK
Anthony Davis, Kentucky   01/17/12   27   14   7
Anthony Davis, Kentucky   03/25/12   18   11   6
Chris Horton, Austin Peay   12/05/12   21   11   5
Thik Bol, Southern Illinois   02/19/17   19   11   6
Mo Bamba, Texas   12/29/17   22   15   8
Armando Bacot, N. Carolina   11/29/19   23   12   6
Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga   03/17/22   19   17   7
Fredrick King, Creighton   12/12/22   16   11   5

King Him!
After 38 total points and 25 total rebounds in the first 10 games of his college career, Fredrick King put together back-to-back double-doubles after being pressed into a starting role when Ryan Kalkbrenner was sidelined by a non-COVID illness in mid-December. King had 16 points and 11 rebounds vs. Arizona State on Dec. 12th, then added 16 points and 10 rebounds at Marquette four days later.
   King is CU's freshman with multiple double-doubles in a season since Justin Patton had three in 2016-17.
   King is CU's first true freshman with multiple double-doubles in a season since Doug McDermott had nine in 2010-11. McDermott had also been the last Bluejay freshman with back-to-back double-doubles, having done it on Feb. 1 and Feb. 5, 2011.
   For his efforts, King was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Dec. 19.
   After shooting 8-for-8 vs. Marquette, King was 3-for-3 from the field against Butler to move him to 11-for-11 in league play with eight dunks. He is currently 12-for-16 from the field with nine dunks in conference contests.

Simply Perfect
Below is a list of Creighton players to shoot 100 percent from the field on eight or more attempts in a game since the start of the 1991-92 campaign:
Most FGA, 100% Shooting, Since 1991-92
   FGA   Name, Opponent   Date
   11   Anthony Tolliver vs. Illinois State   01/01/07
   10   Ryan Kalkbrenner vs. Holy Cross   11/14/22
   8   Geoffrey Groselle vs. Coppin State   12/28/15
   8   Justin Patton vs. Loyola (Md.)   12/07/16
   8   Fredrick King at Marquette   12/16/22

Trèy's Bien
Sophomore Trey Alexander scored a career-high 32 points in a Christmas Day win over DePaul in Creighton's last game, easily surpassing his previous high of 18 points.
   Alexander had 14 points in the first half and 18 more after the break. He made a career-high seven three-pointers.
   Creighton's largest lead of the game was 17, done four times. Each came after an Alexander hoop.
   Alexander is the first Bluejay in more than 55 years to have a game with 30 or more points before finishing a game with 20-29 points.

Trèy's Bien, Part II
Creighton made 16 three-point shots in its Christmas Day victory over DePaul, including 10 in the first half.
   It was Creighton's most three-pointers in a game since sinking 17 trifectas at Seton Hall on Jan. 27, 2021.
   CU made 10 triples in the first half of that Seton Hall contest, which was also the last time CU made 10 treys in one half.
   Individually, Trey Alexander made a career-high seven three-pointers. That's the most by any Bluejay since Ryan Hawkins made eight shots from downtown at Georgetown on Feb. 12, 2022.

Paul Silas Passes Away at 79
Paul Silas, Creighton's first Academic All-American and one of the top players in Bluejay men's basketball history, has passed away at the age of 79. Bob Ryan, longtime Boston Globe reporter and a close friend of Silas over many decades, reported the news the morning of Dec. 11th.
   Silas was recruited to Creighton by John J. "Red" McManus out of McClymonds High School in Oakland, Calif., the same high school that produced Bill Russell. Silas arrived on campus in 1960 when freshmen were ineligible to play for the varsity but quickly made a difference a year later when he led CU to the 1961-62 NCAA Tournament and the team closed with a 21-5 record. His 1963-64 team returned to the Big Dance and finished 22-7.
   Silas is the only player in NCAA history with three or more seasons of 557 rebounds and owns the top three single-season rebound totals in Bluejay annals, including 631 as a senior in 1963-64. That figure remains fifth-most in NCAA history and is the most by any player since 1960. He's first in CU history with 1,751 rebounds, ninth in career points (1,661), third in career scoring average (20.51) and also in the top-10 in field goals made (8th) and free throws made (6th).
   Silas' 21.6 career rebounds per game are third-most in NCAA history and his 1,751 rebounds are sixth in NCAA history as well as the most ever by a three-year player. Silas, along with Bill Russell, Julius Erving, Artis Gilmore and Kermit Washington is one of five players to average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds for an NCAA career. Silas owns the top 29 single-game rebound performances in Creighton history, including a 38 rebound effort vs. Centenary on Feb. 19, 1962 that ranks tied for ninth-most in NCAA history.
   He was the first Creighton student-athlete to be named a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 1963-64, was a member of Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit Honor Society, and received the College of Business Administration's Alumni Merit Award in 1993.
   In an old article, Silas boasted about his education, saying "I'm more proud of my academic success at Creighton than of all my athletic accomplishments. What Creighton University does for an athlete or any student is that they teach you how to think, how to deal with everyday living. What I learned at Creighton has helped me close the gap between professional sports and the business world."
   A two-time All-Star and five-time NBA All-Defensive team member, he scored 11,782 points and grabbed 12,357 rebounds while winning three titles (Boston 1974 & 1976, Seattle 1979) during a 16-year NBA career from 1964-80. He later coached 12 seasons in the NBA for the Clippers, Hornets, Bobcats and Cavalier organizations. He was LeBron James' first NBA head coach. His son, Stephen Silas, is the current head coach of the NBA's Houston Rockets.
   Paul was inducted into the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame in 1974, the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2012 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

Deep Dive Into The Rankings
The Creighton men's basketball team was ranked ninth in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll, its highest preseason AP ranking ever.
   The Oct. 17th announcement marked just the fifth time in program history the writers have voted CU to the top-25 in the preseason, joining 2006-07 (No. 19), 2012-13 (No. 16) and 2016-17 (No. 22) and 2020-21 (No. 11). All four of those Bluejay teams would end up in the NCAA Tournament.
   Creighton was 10th in the AP poll released on Nov. 14th and Nov. 21 and was seventh last Nov. 28th. The team fell to No. 21 on Dec. 5th.
   The Nov. 28 week was the 21st time in program history that Creighton has been in the top-10 at any point, with all but one of those weeks happening under head coach Greg McDermott. Creighton's best ranking in program history is seventh, done five times (Jan. 16, 2017, March 10, 2020, March 18, 2020, Jan. 7, 2021 and Nov. 28, 2022).
   Creighton has been ranked 118 times in program history, with 90 of those weeks under the direction of McDermott. Creighton is 148-60 all-time as a ranked team, including a 114-46 mark under McDermott. Creighton has been ranked at least one week in nine of McDermott's 13 seasons on The Hilltop after doing it just five different seasons in program history before his 2010 arrival.
   Creighton was also ninth in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll, its best preseason mark ever in the Coaches poll. The Jays remained ninth in the Nov. 14 Coaches poll and climbed to eighth in the Nov. 21 Coaches poll and were seventh on Nov. 28. CU was 21st on Dec. 5th. The program's best slotting ever in the Coaches poll is fifth, done on Jan. 4, 2021.

Sophomores Standing Tall
Legendary Marquette coach Al McGuire once said that the best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores. The Bluejay trio of Arthur Kaluma, Trey Alexander and Ryan Nembhard were all part of the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team last season, and all three are off to fantastic starts as sophomores.
   This year the trio have combined to average 37.2 points per contest.
   Collectively, they shoot 42.2 percent from the field (216-512), 35.8 percent from downtown (72-201) and 76.3 percent at the line (129-169) while also contributing 228 rebounds and 157 assists against just 97 turnovers.
   Creighton is 15-3 in the last two seasons when all three men play and they combine for 13 or more rebounds.

An Area for Improvement
One area that Creighton will look to improve in 2022-23 is its marksmanship from behind the arc, as last year's 30.8 percent shooting from deep was its worst as a team since 1993-94.
   The Creighton staff is confident those numbers can improve as its talented freshman class is now sophomores. Thus far, Creighton is second in the BIG EAST with 8.9 three-pointers made per game and also second with 35.8 percent marksmanship from deep.
   Last year's freshmen combined to shoot 27.2 percent from deep (85-313), but they're not the first Bluejay freshmen to struggle early on from downtown, as seen in the chart below of some other prominent marksmen.
   Even that chart is a little misleading, as Doug McDermott shot 15-of-53 (.283) from deep in his first 20 games of his freshman year before finishing 32-of-63 (.508) in his last 19 games. Likewise, Kyle Korver was shooting 11-for-41 (.268) from downtown after his first 14 contests before blistering the nets to the tune of 52-of-104 (.500).
   As a Freshman   Other College Years
Name   3FG-3FGA   3FG%   3FG-3FGA   3FG%
Ky. Korver   63-145   .434   308-674   .457
McDermott   47-116   .405   237-482   .492
Ty. Alexander   32-96   .333   178-469   .380
Ballock   44-135   .326   264-638   .414
Tr. Alexander   18-64   .281   27-62   .435
Kaluma   27-102   .265   22-67   .328
Nembhard   33-106   .311   23-72   .319

Big Fred's World
Fredrick King had four points (on two dunks) and three blocked shots in his first career start on Saturday vs. BYU.
   King was the first Bluejay true freshman to start a game at center since Kenton Walker on Feb. 5, 2008, when the Jays topped UNI, 74-50.
   One of the other Creighton starters that night was Nick Bahe, who was on the call for FS1 for each of King's first two starts.
   King is the first true freshman center to make multiple starts for Creighton since Joel Templeman in 1994-95.

Wooden Award Watch List
The Creighton duo of Baylor Scheierman and Ryan Kalkbrenner have been named to the Preseason Top 50 Watch List for the John R. Wooden Award® presented by Wendy's®.
   The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2023 John R. Wooden Award Men's Player of the Year presented by Wendy's. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ midseason list, late season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2023 John R. Wooden Award will be presented in Los Angeles in April.
   Scheierman and Kalkbrenner give Creighton nine Preseason John R. Wooden Award Watch List recognitions in 13 seasons under Greg McDermott. Marcus Zegarowski made the list in 2020-21, one year after Ty-Shon Alexander was listed prior to the 2019-20 campaign. Others to make the list include Marcus Foster (2017-18), Maurice Watson Jr. (2016-17), Doug McDermott (2013-14, 2012-13 and 2011-12). Creighton's lone recipient of the John R. Wooden Award® is Doug McDermott, who was recognized following the completion of the 2013-14 campaign.

Turnover Free At The Point
Ryan Nembhard's 12 assists without a turnover vs. Holy Cross on Nov. 14 made him just the fourth player in Bluejay history to accomplish that feat. He's the first to do it inside CHI Health Center Omaha and the first Bluejay to do it at any site since 2002.
   Here's the single-game assist leaders at Creighton, along with their turnover statistics on that night:
Ast.   Name, Opponent   Date   TO
17   Ralph Bobik vs. Bradley   01/22/74   0
   Ralph Bobik at St. Francis (Pa.)   02/23/73   ??
16   Ralph Bobik vs. BYU   12/17/73   4
14   Maurice Watson Jr. at Providence   01/07/17   2
   Maurice Watson Jr. at Seton Hall   01/09/16   4
13   Maurice Watson Jr. vs. Washington St.   11/18/16   4
   Maurice Watson Jr. vs. Akron   12/03/16   5
   Jason Bey vs. Southern Illinois   02/27/95   1
   Latrell Wrightsell vs. Nebraska   12/07/91   1
12   Ryan Nembhard vs. Holy Cross   11/14/22   0
   Grant Gibbs vs. Northwestern   12/22/11   4
   Tyler McKinney at Nebraska   12/21/02   0
    Ed St. Fleur at CS-Sacramento   01/13/96   0
    Latrell Wrightsell vs. N. Iowa   02/01/92   4
    Duan Cole at Iowa State   01/16/90   5
    Vernon Moore at Southern Illinois   01/17/85   2
    Randy Eckker at Gonzaga   01/14/77   2
   Randy Eckker at Bradley   01/12/77   4

Speaking Of Assists
Ryan Nembhard's 12 assists vs. Holy Cross were the second double-figure assist game of his Bluejay career, joining the 10 helpers he dished in his collegiate debut last November vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
   Nembhard is the seventh different Bluejay with 10 or more assists in a game under Greg McDermott, joining Maurice Watson Jr. (12 times), Grant Gibbs (4), Marcus Zegarowski (4), Austin Chatman (3), Antoine Young (2) and Malik Albert (1).
   Also worth noting regarding Nembhard's big night? He played just 19 minutes in the win, making him the nation's only player with 12 assists against a Division I opponent this year while playing less than 30 minutes.

Kalkbrenner Up For Naismith Award
Ryan Kalkbrenner has been named one of 50 players to watch during the season-long competition for the 2023 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Men's Player of the Year honor, as announced by The Atlanta Tipoff Club.
   A junior from Florissant, Mo., Kalkbrenner averaged 13.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots per game while starting CU's first 34 contests last season. He was an Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST choice, BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and named to the All-BIG EAST Tournament Team while ranking fourth nationally in both field goal percentage (.646) and offensive rebounds per game (3.9). He was the lone Bluejay named Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST last month for ninth-ranked team in the nation, who are predicted to win the BIG EAST.
   Kalkbrenner's recognition makes him the fourth different Bluejay in 13-year head coach Greg McDermott's tenure to be on a Naismith Award watch list. Doug McDermott was on the Preseason watch list in 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 and was a finalist in 2012-13 before winning the award in 2013-14. Marcus Foster was named to the Midseason watch list in 2016-17, then made the Preseason and Midseason watch list in 2017-18. More recently, Marcus Zegarowski was on the Preseason and Midseason watch list in 2020-21.
   The midseason 30 team will be announced in February, and then the competition will be narrowed down to 10 national semifinalists in early March. Following those results, four finalists will be named on March 21, 2023, and the winner of the 2023 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy for Men's Player of the Year will be announced on April 2, 2023.

Top 10 Under McDermott
Prior to Greg McDermott's 2010 arrival, Creighton had spent one week ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll in program history (10th on Jan. 20, 2003, when Dana Altman's team led by Kyle Korver lost at Steve Merfeld's Evansville team).
   Under McDermott, Creighton has spent 21 weeks in the top 10, including at least one week in five different seasons (1 week in 2012-13; 8 weeks in 2016-17, 3 weeks in 2019-20, 5 weeks in 2020-21 and 4 weeks so far this year).
   Creighton's best AP ranking ever is seventh, done five times (Jan. 16, 2017; March 10, 2020; March 18, 2020; Jan. 7, 2021 and Nov. 28, 2022).

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 331 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 20-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 272-59 (.822) 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 25,865-21,671 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.67 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 88 different times, including twice this year (Holy Cross, DePaul).
   Incredibly, Creighton hasn't trailed in its home opener in 10 of the past 23 seasons (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2019-20).
   Creighton is also 32-35 all-time in the 67 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 40-29 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 175-41 (.810) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn't trailed in 63 of those games. In that same span, CU owns a 95-9 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 291-59 (.831) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Home Run
Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.42 points per home game (17,371 points in 216 home games), a figure that climbs to 83.84 points in non-conference home games (8,719 points in 104 home games).
   Creighton is 132-6 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.

Who's Back?
With Creighton returning eight of the 13 men who appeared in a game last season, it's no surprise that a similar ratio of the production from 2021-22 is also gone. Below is a breakdown of what is back:
Stat   Returners   Departures
Blocks   118 (79.2%)   31 (20.8%)
Assists   284 (60.9%)   182 (39.1%)
Starts   104 (59.4%)   71 (40.6%)
Points   1,360 (56.2%)   1,062 (43.8%)
Minutes   3,881 (54.9%)   3,194 (45.1%)
Charges Taken   7 (53.8%)   6 (46.2%)
Rebounds   663 (53.3%)   580 (46.7%)
Steals   98 (51.0%)   94 (49.0%)
3FG Made   83 (35.3%)   152 (64.7%)

Youth Is Served
In case you've forgotten, Creighton had at least one freshman on the floor for every second of every game last season, and actually had a late stretch of 1:28 vs. Colorado State when all five of its players on the floor were freshmen.
   All told, 3171:36 of Creighton's 7,075 total minutes (44.83 percent) were played by freshmen last season.
   By comparison, in 2020-21 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.
   Through 17 games this season, Creighton's freshmen have played 445:36 of 3400 possible minutes (13.11 percent).
2021-22 Minute Breakdown
Freshmen   Time   Score   Margin
0 freshmen:   Never   --   --
1 freshman:   34:23   59-49   +10
2 freshmen:   962:14   1,692-1,578   +114
3 freshmen:   347:15   611-407   +4
4 freshmen:   45:54   54-85   (-31)
5 freshmen:   1:28   5-2   +3

Watch This
Creighton has four men that made a preseason watch list for their respective position.
   Ryan Nembhard is one of 20 candidates on the watch list for the 2023 Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation's best point guard. Nembhard is the fourth different Bluejay in the last 12 years named to the Bob Cousy Award watch list, joining Antoine Young (2011-12), Maurice Watson Jr. (2016-17) and Marcus Zegarowski (2020-21).
   Baylor Scheierman is one of 20 candidates on the watch list for the 2023 Julius Erving Award, given to the nation's best small forward. Scheierman is Creighton's first player in the nine seasons of the Julius Erving Award to be named to the watch list at any point.
   Arthur Kaluma is one of 20 candidates on the watch list for the 2023 Karl Malone Award, given to the nation's best power forward. Kaluma is Creighton's first player in the nine seasons of the Karl Malone Award to be named to the watch list at any point.
   Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of 20 candidates on the watch list for the 2023 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given to the nation's best center. Kalkbrenner joins Justin Patton (2016-17) as Creighton's second player in the nine seasons of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award to be named to the watch list at any point.
   Creighton (4) is one of six schools with four or more MBB players on a watch list, joining Duke (5), Kentucky (5), Arizona (4), Gonzaga (4) and UCLA (4).
   CU's four watch list student-athletes match the totals of the rest of the BIG EAST combined (Xavier 2, Villanova 1, UConn 1).

Preseason BIG EAST Poll
The Creighton men's basketball team was picked to win the BIG EAST Conference in the annual survey of league coaches, which was unveiled as part of BIG EAST Media Day on Oct. 18th at Madison Square Garden.
   It's the first time since 2012-13 that Creighton has been chosen as a preseason favorite in its league, though that recognition came in CU's final season in the Missouri Valley Conference.
   This is the 10th time Creighton has been tabbed as the preseason favorite (also 1989-90, 1990-91, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2011-12 and 2012-13), though the first nine occurrences all happened in the Missouri Valley Conference. Four of those MVC teams finished first (1990-91, 2000-01, 2008-09, 2012-13), while the other five took second place. Six of those nine Bluejay squads went on to win the MVC Tournament (1990-91, 1998-99, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2011-12, 2012-13) and seven of the nine squads played in the NCAA Tournament (1990-91, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2011-12, 2012-13).
   The Bluejays collected eight first-place votes and earned 98 points in the poll. Xavier was picked second in the poll with 86 points, including two first-place votes. Villanova, the defending BIG EAST Tournament champion, was one point behind Xavier with 85 points and received one first-place vote from the men's basketball head coaches, who did not vote for their own teams. Connecticut was picked fourth with 77 points and Providence was fifth with 62 points. St. John's and Seton Hall finished sixth and seventh with 62 and 52 points, respectively. Butler was eighth with 36 points, four points ahead of ninth-place Marquette with 32 points. Georgetown was 10th with 21 points and DePaul 11th with 12 points.
   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   -
2022-23   1st   ??   Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Arthur Kaluma (2nd)
           Ryan Nembhard (2nd); Baylor Scheierman (HM)

We're Jamming!
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 130 dunks in his career, including 69 last year. He has more career dunks than any other Bluejay player since Greg McDermott's arrival in 2010.
   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
32   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2022-23
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
130   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
121   Martin Krampelj   2015-19
103   Christian Bishop   2018-21
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
32   Arthur Kaluma   2021-Pres.
25   Geoffrey Groselle   2012-16
25   Damien Jefferson   2018-21

Most Creighton Dunks, Team, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Year   Team W-L
144   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
132   2021-22   23-12 (NCAA)
107   2017-18   21-12 (NCAA)
106   2018-19   20-15 (NIT)
90   2020-21   22-9 (NCAA)
65   2022-23   9-8 so far (Postseason TBD)
60   2019-20   24-7 (Postseason Canceled)
58   2015-16   20-15 (NIT)
56   2010-11   23-16 (CBI)
54   2012-13   28-8 (NCAA)
42   2011-12   29-6 (NCAA)

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

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 previous 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, 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: Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 23 times, Creighton and Kentucky 22 times.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 24 Seasons
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

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 Jan. 8, 2023
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Made   3,766   4th
FG Percentage   .477   4th
3FG Percentage   .376   7th
Assists   6,836   6th
FG Made   11,680   8th
Points   32,669   10th
Wins   285   30th
Winning Percentage   .664   35th

#ProJays
Former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott is back for a second season with the San Antonio Spurs, giving Creighton at least one NBA player in 39 of the last 40 seasons. McDermott is in his ninth season in the NBA.
   Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver, Benoit Benjamin and Anthony Tolliver.

Multiple Choices
For the first time since 1964-65, Creighton had five men average in double-figures for an entire season last season. Last 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.
   This year's team has five players averaging 11.5 points per game or more, Ryan Kalkbrenner (14.8), Trey Alexander (12.8), Ryan Nembhard (11.8), Arthur Kaluma (12.6), Baylor Scheierman (13.1).
   Creighton has won 26 of its last 27 games when five or more players score in double-figures, losing only at No. 12 Xavier on Jan. 11, 2023.

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 last 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.
   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 Under McDermott
Deficit   Opponent   Date
18   #18 Oklahoma   11/19/14
17   at San Diego State   11/30/11
16   at Evansville   02/16/13
16   at Seton Hall   01/27/21
16   SIU Edwardsville   11/27/21
15   Arkansas-Pine Bluff   11/09/21
14   Evansville   02/21/12
14   vs. San Diego State   03/17/22
13   at Saint Joseph's   11/16/13
13   Xavier   01/12/14
13   #22 Xavier   12/23/20
12   Saint Joseph's   12/11/10
12   at DePaul   01/17/16
12   East Tennessee State   11/11/18
11   at Wichita State   12/31/11
11   Northern Iowa   01/10/12
11   vs. Alabama   03/16/12
11   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/16
11   vs. Connecticut   03/12/21
11   DePaul   01/22/22
10   UAB   11/14/12
10   vs. Drake   03/02/12
10   at Nebraska   12/07/14
10   South Dakota   12/09/14
10   St. John's   01/03/18
10   at DePaul   02/07/18
10   Bemidji State   02/13/18

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 285 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .663 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.   285-145   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

Super Seven
Greg McDermott joined some select company when he directed his troops to a seventh NCAA Tournament last season. That put 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
Kirsten Bernthal Booth   Volleyball   12
Bob Warming   Men's Soccer   11
Dana Altman   Men's Basketball   7
Brent Vigness   Softball   7
Greg McDermott   Men's Basketball   7

McDermott's Coaching Tree
A bunch of former Greg McDermott protégés are thriving at the Division I level.
   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.
   Paul Sather is the head coach at North Dakota after successful tenures at Black Hills State and Northern State.

Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton finished last season ranked 50th overall by KenPom.com. 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.
   Creighton has had a top-25 offense per KenPom in six of the previous 11 seasons.
   Here's where Creighton ranked after games on Jan. 11.
Year   Off. Rating   Def. Rating   Overall Rank
2010-11   66   174   98
2011-12   5   166   28
2012-13   5   66   15
2013-14   2   124   17
2014-15   59   138   79
2015-16   43   76   40
2016-17   32   46   28
2017-18   25   58   30
2018-19   47   83   55
2019-20   3   78   12
2020-21   25   32   22
2021-22   112   19   50
2022-23   26   32   19

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

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 965 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 (through 1/11)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,177   UNLV   1/14
   2.   1,168   Duke   1/14
   3.   1,110   Western Kentucky   1/14
   4.   1,101   East Tennessee State   1/14
   5.   1,079   Oakland   1/12
   6.   1,078   Pacific   1/14
   7.   1,073   Texas   1/14
   8.   1,020   Marshall   1/12
   9.   1,012   Baylor   1/14
   10.   1,003   Princeton   1/14
   11.   999   Gonzaga   1/12
   12.   972   Long Island   1/14
   13.   965   Creighton   1/14
   14.   957   Mount St. Mary's   1/13
   15.   947   Tennessee State   1/12

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 965 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,607 trifectas, an average of 7.88 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 143 times, more than any figure.
   Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 275 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 53-14 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 23-21 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:    5 times   2: 18 times   3: 34 times
4:    75 times   5:   101 times   6: 101 times
7:   143 times   8:   121 times   9: 92 times
10: 80 times   11: 55 times   12: 54 times
13: 44 times   14: 19 times   15: 7 times
16: 8 times   17: 3 times   19: 1 time
20: 1 time   21: 1 time   22: 1 time

Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2022-32 season went on sale on October 14th. Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CHI Health Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com.
   For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Trey Alexander

Ryan Hawkins

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Arthur Kaluma

Fredrick King

Ryan Nembhard

Alex O'Connell

Baylor Scheierman