#8 Men's Basketball Hosts Iowa For First Time Since 1999 on Tuesday
11/12/2023 3:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Creighton hosts Iowa for the first time since 1999
Game #3:Â Iowa Hawkeyes (2-0) at #8 Creighton Bluejays (2-0)
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 • 9:00 p.m. • Omaha, Neb. • CHI Health Center Omaha
| LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES | IOWA NOTES | PROGRAM |Â Â
NOTE: Rankings in this release are from the Oct. 16 preseason poll. A new poll will come out on Nov. 13.
Next Game
No. 8 Creighton (2-0) hosts Iowa (2-0) on Tuesday, Nov. 14, as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games. Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 9 p.m.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) and KOOO (101.9 FM) will carry all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2023-24 season. John Bishop and Taylor Stormberg will call the action. Â
   The audio is webcast at 1620thezone.com and can be heard on SiriusXM channel 83 as well as at Â
https://siriusxm.us/SXM83.
Telecast Information
Tuesday's game will be called by Kevin Kugler and Nick Bahe 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 by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting #8 Creighton
Ranked eighth nationally in the preseason AP and Coaches polls, Creighton has lofty expectations after coming one possession shy of the program's first Final Four last March. Tuesday's 105-54 romp over Florida A&M and an 89-60 win vs. North Dakota State on Saturday have done nothing to diminish those hopes.
   The nucleus of the team is formed by three returning starters as senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11.0 ppg., 76.9 FG%), senior forward Baylor Scheierman (16.0, 5.5 rpg., 4.0 apg) and junior guard Trey Alexander (20.5 ppg., 5.5 rpg., 4.5 apg.) all put their professional aspirations on hold and came back.
   Add in senior transfer Steven Ashworth (12.0,. 4.0 apg., 60.0 3FG%), the USBWA District VII Player of the Year last year at Utah State, and it's easy to see why CU is one of three BIG EAST teams picked in the top-10 nationally.
   Other returners include sophomores Mason Miller (8.0 ppg,. 50 3FG%) and Fredrick King (7.0 ppg., 7.5 rpg.), as well as senior Francisco Farabello (6.5 ppg., 50 3FG%).
    Creighton was picked to finish second of 11 teams in a preseason poll of BIG EAST coaches. It's No. 8 spot in the polls was its best preseason rank in program history.
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Scouting Iowa
Iowa is 2-0 on the season after crushing both North Dakota (110-68) and Alabama State (98-67) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
   Five men average in double-figures, a group led by Payton Sandfort (19.0 ppg., 10.5 rpg.), Patrick McCaffery (16.5 ppg.) and Ben Krikke (15.5 ppg.).
   Owen Freeman (11.0 ppg.) and Tony Perkins (11.0 ppg.) also score at a double-digit clip, while Brock Harding (7.0 apg.) and Dastone Bowen (10 assists, 0 turnovers) do a great job distributing.
   The Hawkeyes average 104.0 points per game, shooting 49.7 percent overall and 39.6 percent from three-point land, in addition to an incredible 50/13 assist/turnover ratio.
The Series vs. Iowa
Iowa leads the all-time series with Creighton by a 14-11 margin, but the Bluejays have won five of the past seven meetings.
   Each of the last two meetings have taken place on neutral floors, a 2001 NCAA Tournament game won by Iowa (69-56) in Uniondale, N.Y. and an 82-59 Bluejay win in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2011.
   Creighton has reached the NCAA Tournament each of the last five seasons it has played the Hawkeyes.
   Creighton head coach Greg McDermott is 6-4 all-time against Iowa and 1-0 against Fran McCaffery.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 302-150 record in his 14th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 582-345 in his 30th season, and is 451-281 in his 23rd 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 has coached Creighton to a share of its first regular-season BIG EAST title in 2019-20 its first Sweet 16 since 1974 in 2020-21 and its first Elite Eight since 1941 in 2022-23.
   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 Ryan Miller, Jalen Courtney-Williams and Derek Kellogg.
With A Win...
- Creighton would improve to 3-0 on the season.
- Creighton would improve to 12-14 all-time against Iowa, including a 6-2 mark at home.
- Creighton would improve to 3-0 for the 11th time in 14 seasons under Greg McDermott.
- Creighton would improve to 98-9 in non-conference home games under Greg McDermott.
- Creighton would improve to 281-60 (.824) all-time inside CHI Health Center Omaha.
Milestone Watch
- Baylor Scheierman enters Tuesday having made at least one three-pointer in each of his last 49 games, including all 39 as a Bluejay.
Year 14 Progress Report
There were 53 head coaches hired nationwide prior to the 2010-11 season, including Creighton's Greg McDermott and Iowa's Fran McCaffery. Only 11 of those men still remain in their current role.
   Among the remaining coaches, McDermott is first on that list in NCAA trips, and second on that list in wins. He trails only his predecessor at Creighton, Dana Altman. McCaffery is tied for second with seven NCAA trips.
   Here's the record of those 11 men, through games of Nov. 11th.
W-LÂ Â Â Name, School (NCAA Trips)
323-140Â Â Â Dana Altman, Oregon (7)
302-150Â Â Â Greg McDermott, Creighton (8)
274-172Â Â Â Tad Boyle, Colorado (5)
269-155Â Â Â Leon Rice, Boise State (4)
266-171Â Â Â Russell Turner, UC Irvine (2)
263-176Â Â Â Fran McCaffery, Iowa (7)
260-169Â Â Â Tod Kowalczyk, Toledo
248-176Â Â Â Bob Marlin, Louisiana-Lafayette (2)
243-177Â Â Â Brad Brownell, Clemson (3)
217-211Â Â Â Andy Toole, Robert Morris (1)
153-253Â Â Â Keith Richard, Louisiana-Monroe
Century Mark Links These Two
Both Greg McDermott and Fran McCaffery were hired prior to the 2010-11 season, and both men have made a high-powered offense part of their notoriety.
   Since then, Creighton ranks tied for ninth nationally with 24 games of 100 points or more. Iowa is tied for 12th with 23 such games.
   Among teams from the "Power 6", only North Carolina (34) has more than those two teams.
Nationally Speaking
Through games of Nov. 11th, Creighton is all over the NCAA stat leaders. The Bluejays rank in the top 10 in seven different categories and top-20 in three others.
   Rank   Category   Stat
   1   Fouls Per Game   6.5
   1   Three-Pointers Per Game   15.0
   1   Winning Percentage   1.000
   2   Effective FG%   .711
   4   Field Goal Percentage   .587
   4   Rebound Margin   +23.0
   6   Three-Point Attempts Per Game   33.0
   15   Scoring Margin   +40.0
   15   Scoring Offense   97.0
   18   Three-Point Percentage   45.5
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One Of A Kind
Trey Alexander did a little bit of everything on Saturday vs. North Dakota State, finishing with 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a career-high five steals.
   He's the first Bluejay in Greg McDermott's 14 seasons on the Creighton sideline with at least 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals in the same game. In fact, it hadn't been done by a Creighton player since Kyle Korver had 25 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals at TCU on Dec. 4, 2001. Up that minimum to five steals and the last Bluejay to do it was Rodney Buford (20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 7 steals) vs. Southwest Missouri State on Jan. 21, 1998.
   This season, the only other player nationally with  at least 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 assists in a game is UConn's Tristen Newton, who had 22 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals and four assists on Saturday vs. Stonehill.
This Is 20/20
Trey Alexander has started his junior season with 20 points vs. Florida A&M, then 21 points vs. North Dakota State.
   He's just the third Bluejay to score 20 or more in each of CU's first two games in the last 25 seasons, joining Marcus Foster in 2017-18 and Doug McDermott in 2013-14.
   Foster did it the first two games, then had 12 points in his third contest to snap the streak.
   McDermott did it the first six games of his senior season in 2013-14 and went on to be named National Player of the Year that season.
   Creighton has not had a player score 20 points or more in three consecutive games at any time of year since Marcus Zegarowski from Dec. 7-17, 2019.
Fast Start
Creighton has scored 194 points through two games, its most since the 2017-18 club had 201 points at that point.
   That 2017-18 squad is the only team in school history to ever open the season by scoring 89 points or more in each of its first three games, something CU will shoot for on Tuesday evening.
Ruthless Efficiency
Through games of Saturday, Creighton ranked second nationally in effective field goal percentage (.711) and fourth nationally in field goal percentage (.587).
   The Bluejays are shooting 74.5 percent from two-point range (41-55) and 45.5 percent from three-point range (30-66) thus far.
   CU is the only team in the nation to shoot 56.7 percent or better in every half it has played this season.
   This mark marks the first time in the last 40 years that Creighton has shot 56 percent or better from the floor in each of its first two games.
Gavitt Tipoff Games History
This year marks the eighth and final edition of the Gavitt Tipoff Games. Creighton has participated each of them except last season, going 3-3 in the event while facing three ranked teams, and playing on the road four times.
   In 2015 the Bluejays lost at No. 14 Indiana, 86-65.
   In 2016, Creighton beat No. 9 Wisconsin, 79-67, in Omaha.
   In 2017 Creighton picked up a 92-88 win at No. 20 Northwestern.
   In 2018, Creighton dropped a 69-60 decision to Ohio State in Omaha.
   In 2019, Creighton fell 79-69 at Michigan.
   There were no Gavitt Tipoff Games in 2020-21 due to COVID-19.
   In 2021, Creighton won 77-69 in Lincoln against Nebraska.
   Creighton did not play in the event last season.
More Gavitt Tipoff Games Info
Creighton's 3-3 mark in the Gavitt Tipoff Games is tied for fourth-best among BIG EAST teams, trailing only St. John's (4-2), Xavier (3-2) and DePaul (4-3).
   The Red Storm and Blue Demons are the only BIG EAST teams with more than CU's three victories in the event.
   As a whole, the BIG EAST has gone 1-3-3 in seven previous Gavitt Tipoff Games, with the lone win coming in 2021 when the BIG EAST won 6-of-8 games. The BIG EAST is 26-30 all-time in Gavitt Tipoff Games competitions.
   Here's a look at this year's competitions:
Monday, Nov. 13
Xavier at Purdue
Michigan at St. John's
Tuesday, Nov. 14
Wisconsin at Providence
Marquette at Illinois
Iowa at Creighton
Wednesday, Nov. 15
Georgetown at Rutgers
Friday, Nov. 17
Maryland at Villanova
Butler at Michigan State
Big (Ten) Mac Attack
Creighton is 16-5 in its last 21 games against teams from the Big Ten. Creighton has outscored foes by an average of 7.00 points in those 21 games, which include 13 double-figure victories.
   Greg McDermott is 29-17 in his career against teams that are currently in the Big Ten (not including USC/UCLA/Oregon/Washington), including a 16-7 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   Creighton is 8-2 under McDermott in home games against Big Ten programs.
Creighton's Last 21 Games vs. the Big Ten
Date   Opponent   Score
11/20/11Â Â Â vs. Iowa (in Des Moines)Â Â Â W 82-59
12/04/11   Nebraska   W 76-66
12/22/11   Northwestern   W 87-79
11/23/12Â Â Â vs. Wisconsin (in Las Vegas)Â Â Â W 84-74
12/06/12   at Nebraska   W 64-42
12/08/13   Nebraska   W 82-67
12/07/14   at Nebraska   W 65-55
11/19/15   at #14 Indiana   L 65-86
11/23/15Â Â Â vs. Rutgers (in Las Vegas)Â Â Â W 85-75
12/09/15   Nebraska   W 83-67
11/15/16   #9 Wisconsin   W 79-67
12/07/16   at Nebraska   W 77-62
11/15/17   at #20 Northwestern   W 92-88
12/09/17   Nebraska   W 75-65
11/15/18   Ohio State   L 60-69
12/08/18   at #24 Nebraska   L 75-94
11/12/19   at Michigan   L 69-79
12/07/19   Nebraska   W 95-76
12/11/20   Nebraska   W 98-74
11/16/21   at Nebraska   W 77-69
12/04/22   Nebraska   L 53-63
Like Father, Like Son
Both Greg McDermott and Fran McCaffery have coached their sons in college.
   Doug McDermott played at Creighton from 2010-14 and finished his career fifth in NCAA history with 3,150 career points. He was a three-time First Team All-American and won National Player of the Year accolades as a senior.
   Connor McCaffery played in 166 games for his father the previous five seasons, contributing 745 points, 527 assists and 490 rebounds.
   His younger brother, Patrick McCaffery, is in his fifth season with the Hawkeyes. He owns 802 career points, 304 rebounds and 110 assists. He ranks second on the Iowa team with 16.5 points per game this season.
It's Been A While
Though they're separated by just 247 miles and it only takes I-80 to get there, it's been nearly 24 years since Iowa's last trip to Omaha for a regular-season game (the teams had a closed scrimmage in 2014).
   That last meeting came on Nov. 27, 1999, as Creighton shot 56 percent and defeated the No. 23 Hawkeyes 85-76 behind 19 points each from Ryan Sears and Ben Walker. Iowa was led by 19 points from Dean Oliver.
   The game was played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium (which was torn down in 2016). In 1999, Greg McDermott was entering his final year as the head coach at Wayne State while Fran McCaffery was starting his first season as the head coach at UNC Greensboro.
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 987 straight games. The streak is the nation's 11th-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 (11/11)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,194   UNLV   11/17
   2.   1,191   Duke   11/14
   3.   1,117   East Tennessee State   11/13
   4.   1,097   Texas   11/15
   5.   1,096   Oakland   11/14
   6.   1,094   Pacific   11/15
   7.   1,037   Marshall   11/19
   8.   1,032   Baylor   11/12
   9.   1,021   Gonzaga   11/14
   10.   1,021   Princeton   11/15
   11.   987   Creighton   11/14
   12.   986   Long Island   11/13
   13.   976   Mount St. Mary's   11/18
   14.   965   Tennessee State   11/15
Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 987 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,815 trifectas, an average of 7.92 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly seven three-pointers 147 times, more than any figure.
   Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 284 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 65-15 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 28-25 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:   5 times   2: 19 times   3: 36 times
4:   75 times   5:  103 times   6: 101 times
7:  147 times   8:  124 times   9: 93 times
10: 82 times   11: 57 times   12: 57 times
13: 45 times   14: 19 times   15: 7 times
16: 8 times   17: 3 times   18: 1 time
19: 2 times   20: 1 time   21: 1 time   22: 1 time
Can't Stop Scheierman
Baylor Scheierman made a three-point basket in all 37 games he played last season and each game this season, stretching his streak dating to last year to 49 in a row if you include the end of his time at South Dakota State.
   Scheierman's streak is the longest streak in Creighton history, six more than Ty-Shon Alexander's 33.
   Also listed is the nation's longest active streaks of games with a three-pointer, per the FOX Sports research team.
Consecutive Games With A 3-Pointer, Creighton History
   Streak   Name   Dates of Streak
   39   Baylor Scheierman   Nov. 7, 2022 - Present
   33   Ty-Shon Alexander   Feb. 27, 2018-March 6, 2019
   31   Booker Woodfox   Nov. 25, 2008-March 23, 2009
   28   Kyle Korver   Feb. 4, 2001-Feb. 6, 2002
   27   Kyle Korver   Feb. 13, 2002-Jan. 20, 2003
Consecutive Games With A 3-Pointer
Nation's Longest Active Streaks (11/13)
   Streak   Name, School   Next Game
   67   Kamdyn Curfman, Marshall   11/19
   49   Baylor Scheierman, Creighton / S. Dakota St.   11/14
Scheierman Drains 250th Trey
Baylor Scheierman has made 252 three-pointers in his college career, doing so at a 39.5 percent clip.
   Scheierman also owns 1,618 points, 952 rebounds, 450 assists and 121 career steals.
   Per Basketball-Reference.com, Scheierman is the nation's only player in the last 30 years with career totals of at least 225 three-pointers, 425 assists and 900 rebounds.
Quickest To Pizza!!!
For the last few decades, Godfather's Pizza has had a promotion for Creighton Basketball season ticket holders to provide a free mini pizza with the purchase of a drink if the Bluejays hit a certain scoring threshold, which has been 75 since 2005-06 (and was 70 before that).
   In Tuesday night's opener, those fans were rewarded by a Steven Ashworth three-pointer with 14:32 left in the second half.
   Since moving to CHI Health Center Omaha, it was the fourth-quickest that the Bluejays have reached that mark (yes, we track that). A look at the others:
Quickest to 75 Points at CHI Health Center Omaha
   Time Left   Opponent   Date   Final Score
   15:06   Longwood   12/09/16   W 113-58
   14:56   USC Upstate   12/20/17   W 116-62
   14:42   Campbell   11/25/11   W 104-81
   14:32   Florida A&M   11/07/23   W 105-54
   13:52   Coe   12/20/18   W 110-60
   13:45   UMKC   11/11/16   W 89-82
   13:33   Houston Baptist   12/17/07   W 110-73
   13:14   Coppin State   12/28/15   W 102-77
   13:14   UTSA   11/17/15   W 103-78
   12:33   North Texas   12/21/15   W 105-82
   12:33   Central Arkansas   11/14/14   W 106-77
Century Club
Creighton opened the season with a 105-54 victory over Florida A&M on Nov. 7th. A few nuggets about that.
- Creighton improved to 65-3 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, and 27-1 when scoring 105 points or more.
- Creighton's only 100-point game last year was a 104-76 home win over St. John's on Jan. 25, 2023.
- After scoring 100 points in the season opener in the first 93 years in program history, Creighton has done it three additional times in Greg McDermott's 14-year tenure. CU hadn't scored 100 points in a season opener since a 104-77 victory vs. Central Arkansas to open the 2014-15 campaign.
- Creighton ranks tied for ninth nationally with 24 games of 100 points or more since the start of the 2010-11 season, which coincides with Greg McDermott's arrival. Among Power 6 teams, only North Carolina (34) has more.
- What's crazy about Greg McDermott's teams scoring 100 points or more 24 times at Creighton is that neither his Iowa State teams (127 games) or Northern Iowa teams (153 games) ever cracked the century mark, and reached 90 points or more only six times.
A One And A Two...
Not only is Creighton a perfect 14-0 in season-openers under Greg McDermott, but the Bluejays have started 2-0 in all but one campaign (2019-20) under McDermott as well. That 2019-20 team, of course, went on to share the BIG EAST regular-season title.
   Ten of McDermott's first 13 Bluejay squads have started 3-0.
Immediate Impact
Steven Ashworth came in with the reputation of being a lights shooter, and did nothing to dispel those myths in his Bluejay debut.
   The senior point guard made 5-of-7 three-point shots, scoring 17 points, while also contributing four assists without a turnover in 18 minutes of action.
   Ashworth's 17 points were the most in a Creighton debut since Marcus Foster had 19 points in a 2016 victory over UMKC.
   Speaking of newcomers, redshirt freshman Isaac Traudt scored 12 points on Tuesday. Six of Creighton's first seven freshmen under Greg McDermott to score a dozen or more points in their collegiate debut ended up on the conference's All-Freshman Team, with three of them (Ryan Nembhard, Justin Patton and Doug McDermott) earning Freshman of the Year honors.
Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Not counting 2019-20, when there was no postseason, Creighton has made the postseason each of the previous 10 times in which it has made at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts to open the year. That's a good omen considering that Creighton shot 56.7 percent in Tuesday's lid-lifter.
   Eight of those postseason trips were NCAA Tournament berths. The last time that didn't hold true was 1991-92, when CU shot 51.0 percent in the opener but finished just 9-19.
   Including 2023-24, Creighton has shot 50 percent or better in eight of its last 12 season-openers.
CU Season-Opener Field Goal Percentage 50+%
Since 1993-94
FG%   Year   Opponent   Postseason
.541Â Â Â 1997-98Â Â Â UMKCÂ Â Â NIT
.524   1998-99   Towson State   NCAA
.569   2000-01   Western Illinois   NCAA
.594   2002-03   UT Arlington   NCAA
.500   2012-13   North Texas   NCAA
.556   2013-14   Alcorn State   NCAA
.528   2015-16   Texas Southern   NIT
.508Â Â Â 2016-17Â Â Â UMKCÂ Â Â NCAA
.558   2017-18   Yale   NCAA
.524   2019-20   Kennesaw St.   Postseason CCD
.585   2021-22   Ark.-Pine Bluff   NCAA
.567Â Â Â 2023-24Â Â Â Florida A&MÂ Â Â ? ? ?
The Push For 90
Of Creighton's 24 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, 11 have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
   Put another way...of CU's 18 teams (before 2023-24) to score 90 points in an opener, 11 would reach the NCAA Tournament.
   Here's a look at Creighton's last 10 teams (including 2023-24) to score 90 or more points in a season-opener:
            Final   Post-
   Score   Opponent   Date   W-L   Season
   93-47   UT-San Antonio   11/30/90   24-8   NCAA
   93-48   Towson State   11/14/98   22-9   NCAA
   96-50   Western Illinois   11/20/00   24-8   NCAA
   106-50   Texas-Arlington   11/17/02   29-5   NCAA
   97-65   N. Carolina A&T   11/11/11   29-6   NCAA
   107-61   Alcorn State   11/08/13   27-8   NCAA
   104-77   Central Arkansas   11/14/14   14-19   --
   93-70   Texas Southern   11/14/15   20-15   NIT
   92-76   Yale   11/10/17   21-12   NCAA
   90-77   Ark.-Pine Bluff   11/09/21   23-12   NCAA
   105-54   Florida A&M   11/07/23   ? ? ?   ? ? ?
November Reign
Creighton is a 73-1 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th. The lone loss came in 2018 when it lost to Ohio State.
   Creighton has won 80 of its 82 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012 and Ohio State in 2018.
   Overall, Creighton is 112-21 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
A Head Start
Creighton got a jump start on the season with nine practices in July before heading to the Bahamas to play in three games during the first week of August.
   Creighton won all three games by 14 points or more, averaged 98.3 points., and outrebounded foes by 21.3 caroms per contest.
   Trey Alexander led CU by averaging 20.0 points before missing the final contest, but Ryan Kalkbrenner (11.0 ppg.), Baylor Scheierman (10.0 ppg.) and Fredrick King (10.0 ppg.) also scored at a double-digit clip.
   Steven Ashworth led CU with 15 assists, King and Brock Vice had a team-high 18 rebounds and Kalkbrenner topped the team with 10 swats.
Who's Back?
With Creighton returning seven of the 13 men who appeared in a game last season, it's no surprise that a similar ratio of the production from 2022-23 is also gone. Below is a breakdown of what is back:
Stat   Returners   Departures
Blocks   126 (82.9%)   26 (17.1%)
Rebounds   860 (67.9%)   411 (32.1%)
3FG Made   207 (64.9%)   112 (35.1%)
Points   1833 (64.8%)   995 (35.2%)
Steals   119 (64.3%)   66 (35.7%)
Minutes   4693 (63.0%)   2757 (37.0%)
Starts   111 (60.0%)   74 (40.0%)
Charges Taken   16 (59.3%)   11 (40.7%)
Assists   308 (53.0%)   273 (47.0%)
Preseason Top 10
The Creighton men's basketball team was ranked eighth in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll, its highest preseason AP ranking ever. That's one spot better than the previous best, done last year, when the Bluejays started the season ranked ninth.
   The announcement marks just the sixth 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), 2020-21 (No. 11) and 2022-23 (No. 9). All five of those teams would end up in the NCAA Tournament, with the last two making the Sweet 16 and last year's club reaching the Elite Eight.
   It's also the 23rd week in program history that Creighton has been in the top-10 at any point, with all but one of those occasions 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 now been ranked 123 times in program history, with 95 of those under the direction of McDermott. Creighton is 153-63 all-time as a ranked team, including a 119-51 mark under McDermott. Creighton has now been ranked at least one week in 10 of McDermott's 14 seasons on The Hilltop after doing it just five different seasons in program history before his 2010 arrival.
      Creighton is one of four schools to be ranked in the preseason top-10 each of the past two seasons, joining Kansas, Duke and Houston.
   Along with No. 5 Marquette, No. 6 Connecticut and No. 8 Creighton, this year marked the first time since 2011-12 that the BIG EAST had three Preseason Top-10 teams.
   Creighton is also eighth in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll, its best preseason mark ever.
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
The Creighton men's basketball team has been picked to finish second in the BIG EAST Conference in the annual survey of league coaches, which was unveiled as part of BIG EAST Media Day.
   It's the second time in Creighton's 11 years in the BIG EAST Conference that the Bluejays have been picked second, as the 2020-21 squad was also picked second (and eventually finished second). The Bluejays also had three players receive recognition on one of the Preseason All-BIG EAST teams, tied with preseason favorite Marquette for the most in the league.
   The Bluejays collected four first-place votes and earned 92 points in the poll, trailing only Marquette's seven first-place votes and 96 overall points. Defending national champion Connecticut was tabbed third with 79 points, just ahead of Villanova's 76 for fourth place. Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino's first St. John's team garnered 59 points to be chosen fifth, just ahead of Xavier (57) and Providence (51). The bottom four teams in the poll are Georgetown (34), Seton Hall (30), Butler (16) and DePaul (15).
   Creighton finished 24-13 overall and 14-6 in BIG EAST play last season and are the only league team to return three of its scorers that averaged at least a dozen points per game. The Bluejays won three NCAA Tournament games to advance to its first Elite Eight since 1941.
   In 2023-24, Creighton will be led by senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is a Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST selection. Kalkbrenner becomes the first player in program history to earn Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST honors multiple times, and along with Preseason Player of the Year Tyler Kolek from Marquette was one of two men to be named on every ballot.
   Joining Kalkbrenner with the Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST acclaim was junior guard Trey Alexander. Alexander was an Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST choice at the end of last season, as was teammate Baylor Scheierman. A senior guard from Aurora, Neb., Scheierman earned Preseason Second Team All-BIG EAST plaudits in 2023-24.
   This year marks the second time that Creighton has had more than two players land on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, and comes 12 months after Creighton had four men listed prior to the 2022-23 campaign. Creighton last had two men named Preseason First Team All-Conference in its Missouri Valley Conference days in 2006-07 (Anthony Tolliver, Nate Funk).
   Kolek was named 2023-24 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league's head coaches, which comes as little surprise after the point guard was named 2023 BIG EAST Player of the Year and BIG EAST Tournament MVP after leading the Golden Eagles to both the regular-season and tournament titles. Connecticut guard Stephon Castle was chosen BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year. The coaches, who were not permitted to select their own players, also chose an All-BIG EAST First Team, All-BIG EAST Second Team and All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention. Â
   Creighton has matched or exceeded its preseason projection in all but one season since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14, the best showing in the league in that time. The Bluejays are seeking an eighth straight finish in the top four of the league standings. CU's team two years ago was predicted to finish eighth in the BIG EAST, then ended up in fourth. Four years ago, a team picked seventh in the BIG EAST's preseason poll went 13-5 in league play to share its first league title with Villanova and Seton Hall. That Bluejay team ended the year ranked seventh in the entire nation.
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   3rd   Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Arthur Kaluma (2nd)
         Ryan Nembhard (2nd); Baylor Scheierman (HM)
2023-24   2nd   ??   Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Trey Alexander (1st)
         Baylor Scheierman (2nd)
Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since the start of the 2010-11 season among teams to have played 100 or more Division I games, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 to Nov. 11, 2023
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Made   3,973   3rd  Â
FG Percentage   .477   4th
Assists   7,200   6th  Â
3FG Percentage   .376   6th
FG Made   12,325   8th  Â
Points   34,474   9th  Â
Wins   302   24th  Â
Winning Percentage   .668   32nd
Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns 111 starts from last year's team, its most since bringing back 124 starts from its 2020-21 club.
   Creighton has won 20 or more games each of the previous eight times (and 12 of the last 13 times) it has returned 100 or more starts.
   Returning   Returning Starts    Final
Year   Starters   From Previous Year   W-L
2023-24Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 111Â Â Â ? ? ?
2022-23Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 104Â Â Â 24-13
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
Four Of A Kind
Creighton has four players that were named to a Preseason Watch List in Steven Ashworth (Bob Cousy Point Guard), Trey Alexander (Jerry West Shooting Guard), Baylor Scheierman (Julius Erving Small Forward) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center).
   Creighton is one of six schools to have four men listed at a position, joining Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette and UConn.
   Those same four men were named to CBS Sports Preseason Top 100 And 1 player listings, with Kalkbrenner (5), Alexander (12), Scheierman (26) and Ashworth (76) making CU the only school with three of the top 30 players or four of the top 76 players. Kansas and Duke were the only other teams with four players listed in the Top 100 And 1.
   Last but not least, both Alexander and Kalkbrenner were two of 20 players on the NABC's Preseason Division I Player of the Year Watch List. The only other schools with two players on that list were Duke and USC.
Downtown Duo
Only two players nationally that are returning in 2023-24 had 120+ assists, 87+ three-pointers and 38+ steals in 2022-23.
   Baylor Scheierman and Steven Ashworth.
   Both will play for Creighton this season.
   In Tuesdays' season-opener, the duo combined for six assists, eight three-pointers and no steals.
Let's Go On A Run
Creighton has won at least one NCAA Tournament game in 2021, 2022 and 2023. That makes CU one of seven teams in the country to have a win in each of the last three NCAA Tournaments, joining Arkansas, Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and UCLA.
   The only other time that Creighton has won an NCAA Tournament game in consecutive seasons came in 2012, 2013 and 2014, also under Greg McDermott.
   Creighton is one of six schools with 20 or more wins in each of the last eight seasons, joining Belmont, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Oregon.
   Creighton is one of seven teams to post 22 or more wins in each of the last four seasons, joining Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston, Liberty, San Diego State and Southern California.
   Creighton is one of just eight teams to have reached at least two of the last three Sweet 16s. Gonzaga, Houston and UCLA have done it each of the last three seasons, while Alabama, Creighton, Michigan and Villanova have done it twice each.
23 of 25 Seasons With 20 Wins
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 23 of the last 25 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 25 years: Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 24 times, Creighton and Kentucky 23 times.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 25 Seasons
Team   20-Win Seasons     2022-23 W-L
Gonzaga   25   31-6
Kansas   25   28-8
Duke   24   27-9
Creighton   23   24-13
Kentucky   23   22-12
Dynamic Duo
Creighton is also one of eight schools to have men's and women's basketball programs to both own 22 wins or more each of the previous two seasons, a list that includes Creighton, Gonzaga, Liberty, Princeton, Tennessee, Texas, Toledo and UConn.
   This season, Creighton is one of eight teams with a preseason top-25 squad on both the men's and women's side, joining Baylor, Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina, Southern California, Tennessee and Texas.
   The only five schools to be ranked in the preseason men's and women's basketball Top 25 of the AP Poll both this season and last season are Baylor, Creighton, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
   Creighton is one of 11 schools to make the NCAA Tournament in both men's and women's basketball each of the past two seasons, a list that consists of Arizona, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Miami (Fla.), Tennessee, Texas and UConn.
   The only schools with at-large bids in each of the previous two years in both men's and women's basketball are Baylor, Creighton, Indiana and Miami (Fla.).
A Dozen Will Do
Creighton finished 14-6 in the BIG EAST last season and is the only school in the BIG EAST with 12 or more league wins each of the previous four seasons.
   Among the other BIG EAST or "Power 5" Conference schools, Kansas, UCLA and Virginia have also done it the previous four years.
   Creighton has now owned a .500 mark or better in league play 27 times in the last 28 seasons.
   The only BIG EAST teams to finish .500 or better in league play each of the previous six seasons are Creighton, Villanova and Seton Hall.
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.
   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
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
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 302 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.   302-150   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
CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
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
03/20/06Â 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.   18,509   Villanova   02/04/23
   13.   18,495   Marquette   02/17/18
   14.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   15.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   16.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   17.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   18.   18,321   #3 Villanova   02/24/18
   19.   18,294   #19 Iowa State   12/04/21
   20.   18,286   #21 Connecticut   02/12/23
CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 340 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 21-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 280-60 (.823) 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 26,612-22,241 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.86 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 89 different times.
   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 32-36 all-time in the 68 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 182-42 (.813) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn't trailed in 64 of those games. In that same span, CU owns a 96-9 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 299-60 (.832) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
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Home Run
Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.52 points per home game (18,118 points in 225 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.08 points in non-conference home games (8,913 points in 106 home games).
   Creighton is 137-6 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.
Elite Eight
Greg McDermott guided his team to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time last season. That put him in the company of some of the greatest coaches in CU Athletics history, and most among basketball coaches.
   McDermott is one of five head coaches in Creighton history to lead seven or more NCAA Tournament teams.
Name   Sport   NCAA's @CU
Kirsten Bernthal Booth   Volleyball   12
Bob Warming   Men's Soccer   11
Greg McDermott   Men's Basketball   8
Dana Altman   Men's Basketball   7
Brent Vigness   Softball   7
Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton finished last season ranked 12th overall by KenPom.com. That included the nation's No. 23 offense, and No. 14 defense. Creighton's No. 14 defense was its best mark in the 21 seasons of the KenPom era.
   Creighton has had a top-25 offense per KenPom seven times in 13 seasons under Greg McDermott and a top-25 defense twice.
Year   Off. Rating   Def. Rating   Overall Rank
2010-11Â Â Â 66Â Â Â 174Â Â Â 98
2011-12Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 166Â Â Â 28
2012-13Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 66Â Â Â 15
2013-14Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 17
2014-15Â Â Â 59Â Â Â 138Â Â Â 79
2015-16Â Â Â 43Â Â Â 76Â Â Â 40
2016-17Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 46Â Â Â 28
2017-18Â Â Â 25Â Â Â 58Â Â Â 30
2018-19Â Â Â 47Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 55
2019-20Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 78Â Â Â 12
2020-21Â Â Â 25Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 22
2021-22Â Â Â 112Â Â Â 19Â Â Â 50
2022-23Â Â Â 23Â Â Â 14Â Â Â 12
2023-24Â Â Â 8Â Â Â 20Â Â Â 8
Kalkbrenner Repeats As Top Defender
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner was named 2023 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.
   Kalkbrenner became just the 11th player in league history to win the recognition more than once, joining the likes of Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, Kris Dunn and Allen Iverson among those to win the award multiple times, and is the first repeat winner since former Bluejay guard Khyri Thomas in 2017 and 2018.
   Between Kalkbrenner and Thomas, Creighton has now had a BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in four of the previous seven seasons.
Most BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Honors
   Honors   Name, School   Years (*ties)
   4   Patrick Ewing, Georgetown   1982, 83, 84, 85
   3   Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown   1989, 90*, 92
   2   Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown   1990, 91
   2   Allen Iverson, Georgetown   1995, 96
   2   Etan Thomas, Syracuse   1999, 00
   2   John Linehan, Providence   2001, 02
   2   Emeka Okafor, Connecticut   2003, 04
   2   Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut   2008, 09
   2   Kris Dunn, Providence   2015*, 16
   2   Khyri Thomas, Creighton   2017*, 18
   2   Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton   2022, 23
Kalkbrenner Surpasses 1,000 Points
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 1,189 career points, as he became the 45th men's player in Creighton history to surpass 1,000 on Feb. 25, 2023 at Villanova. He was the first Bluejay to score 1,000 since Marcus Zegarowski did it on Jan. 20, 2021 vs. Providence.
   He currently ranks 30th in program history. Here's a list of Creighton's top scorers ever:
Most Career Points, Creighton History
   Rank   Pts.   Name   Years
   1.   3,150   Doug McDermott   2010-14
   2.   2,116   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   3.   2,110   Bob Harstad    1987-91
   4.   1,983   Chad Gallagher    1987-91
   5.   1,876   Bob Portman    1966-69
   6.   1,801   Kyle Korver   1999-03
   7.   1,754   Nate Funk   2002-07
   8.   1,682   Rick Apke    1974-78
   9.   1,661   Paul Silas   1961-64
   10.   1,654   Vernon Moore    1981-85
   11.   1,575   Benoit Benjamin    1982-85
   12.   1,526   John C. Johnson   1975-79
   13.   1,500   Kevin McKenna   1977-81
   14.   1,437   Eddie Cole   1951-55
   15.   1,369   Gene Harmon   1971-74
   16.   1,361   Duan Cole   1987-92
   17.   1,342   Antoine Young   2008-12
   18.   1,313   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2006-11
   19.   1,309   Ryan Sears   1997-01
   20.   1,304   Mitch Ballock   2017-21
   21.   1,303   Elton Tuttle   1951-54
   22.   1,293   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-21
   23.   1,292   Marcus Foster   2016-18
   24.   1,272   Bob Gibson   1954-57
   25.   1,267   Wally Anderzunas   1965-67, 1968-69
   26.   1,254   Gary Swain   1983-87
   27.   1,241   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-20
   28.   1,238   Ben Walker   1997-01
   29.   1,196   Ray Yost   1951-54
   30.   1,189   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
   31.   1,172   Dick Harvey   1956-59
   Kalkbrenner also ranks second in program history in blocked shots with 202.
Most Creighton Blocked Shots, Since 1979-80
   Blk.   Name   Years
   411   Benoit Benjamin   1982-85
   202   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
   183   Chad Gallagher   1987-91
   174   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
   153   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2006-11
Among The Best...EVER!
Ryan Kalkbrenner has made 482 of 720 career shots, putting him at 66.9 percent overall. That places the senior center fifth in field goal percentage in NCAA history among players to make 400 or more field goals and at least four field goals per game.
Best Career FG%, NCAA History (min. 400 FG, 4FG/game)
   Pct. (FG-FGA)   Name, School   Years
   .746 (469-629)   Udoka Azubuike, Kansas   2016-20
   .740 (497-672)   Tacko Fall, UCF   2015-19
   .678 (828-1222)   Steve Johnson, Oregon State   1976-81
   .677 (441-651)   Michael Bradley, Kentucky/Villanova   1998-01
   .669 (482-720)   Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton   2020-Pres.
   .668 (566-847)   Murray Brown, Florida State   1976-80
   .667 (740-1109)   Evan Bradds, Belmont   2013-17
   .665 (411-618)   Lee Campbell, MTSU, Missouri State   1987-90
   .664 (496-747)   Warren Kidd, Middle Tennessee State   1990-93
   .664 (702-1058)   Todd MacCulloch, Washington   1995-99
   .662 (476-719)   Joe Senser, West Chester   1975-79
#ProJays
Former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott is back for a third season with the San Antonio Spurs, giving Creighton at least one NBA player in 40 of the last 41 seasons. McDermott is in his 10th season in the NBA. Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver and Anthony Tolliver.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2023-24 season went on sale on September 28th.
   Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CHI Health Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com, and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000.
   For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 • 9:00 p.m. • Omaha, Neb. • CHI Health Center Omaha
| LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES | IOWA NOTES | PROGRAM |Â Â
NOTE: Rankings in this release are from the Oct. 16 preseason poll. A new poll will come out on Nov. 13.
Next Game
No. 8 Creighton (2-0) hosts Iowa (2-0) on Tuesday, Nov. 14, as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games. Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 9 p.m.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) and KOOO (101.9 FM) will carry all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2023-24 season. John Bishop and Taylor Stormberg will call the action. Â
   The audio is webcast at 1620thezone.com and can be heard on SiriusXM channel 83 as well as at Â
https://siriusxm.us/SXM83.
Telecast Information
Tuesday's game will be called by Kevin Kugler and Nick Bahe 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 by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting #8 Creighton
Ranked eighth nationally in the preseason AP and Coaches polls, Creighton has lofty expectations after coming one possession shy of the program's first Final Four last March. Tuesday's 105-54 romp over Florida A&M and an 89-60 win vs. North Dakota State on Saturday have done nothing to diminish those hopes.
   The nucleus of the team is formed by three returning starters as senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11.0 ppg., 76.9 FG%), senior forward Baylor Scheierman (16.0, 5.5 rpg., 4.0 apg) and junior guard Trey Alexander (20.5 ppg., 5.5 rpg., 4.5 apg.) all put their professional aspirations on hold and came back.
   Add in senior transfer Steven Ashworth (12.0,. 4.0 apg., 60.0 3FG%), the USBWA District VII Player of the Year last year at Utah State, and it's easy to see why CU is one of three BIG EAST teams picked in the top-10 nationally.
   Other returners include sophomores Mason Miller (8.0 ppg,. 50 3FG%) and Fredrick King (7.0 ppg., 7.5 rpg.), as well as senior Francisco Farabello (6.5 ppg., 50 3FG%).
    Creighton was picked to finish second of 11 teams in a preseason poll of BIG EAST coaches. It's No. 8 spot in the polls was its best preseason rank in program history.
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Scouting Iowa
Iowa is 2-0 on the season after crushing both North Dakota (110-68) and Alabama State (98-67) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
   Five men average in double-figures, a group led by Payton Sandfort (19.0 ppg., 10.5 rpg.), Patrick McCaffery (16.5 ppg.) and Ben Krikke (15.5 ppg.).
   Owen Freeman (11.0 ppg.) and Tony Perkins (11.0 ppg.) also score at a double-digit clip, while Brock Harding (7.0 apg.) and Dastone Bowen (10 assists, 0 turnovers) do a great job distributing.
   The Hawkeyes average 104.0 points per game, shooting 49.7 percent overall and 39.6 percent from three-point land, in addition to an incredible 50/13 assist/turnover ratio.
The Series vs. Iowa
Iowa leads the all-time series with Creighton by a 14-11 margin, but the Bluejays have won five of the past seven meetings.
   Each of the last two meetings have taken place on neutral floors, a 2001 NCAA Tournament game won by Iowa (69-56) in Uniondale, N.Y. and an 82-59 Bluejay win in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2011.
   Creighton has reached the NCAA Tournament each of the last five seasons it has played the Hawkeyes.
   Creighton head coach Greg McDermott is 6-4 all-time against Iowa and 1-0 against Fran McCaffery.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 302-150 record in his 14th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 582-345 in his 30th season, and is 451-281 in his 23rd 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 has coached Creighton to a share of its first regular-season BIG EAST title in 2019-20 its first Sweet 16 since 1974 in 2020-21 and its first Elite Eight since 1941 in 2022-23.
   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 Ryan Miller, Jalen Courtney-Williams and Derek Kellogg.
With A Win...
- Creighton would improve to 3-0 on the season.
- Creighton would improve to 12-14 all-time against Iowa, including a 6-2 mark at home.
- Creighton would improve to 3-0 for the 11th time in 14 seasons under Greg McDermott.
- Creighton would improve to 98-9 in non-conference home games under Greg McDermott.
- Creighton would improve to 281-60 (.824) all-time inside CHI Health Center Omaha.
Milestone Watch
- Baylor Scheierman enters Tuesday having made at least one three-pointer in each of his last 49 games, including all 39 as a Bluejay.
Year 14 Progress Report
There were 53 head coaches hired nationwide prior to the 2010-11 season, including Creighton's Greg McDermott and Iowa's Fran McCaffery. Only 11 of those men still remain in their current role.
   Among the remaining coaches, McDermott is first on that list in NCAA trips, and second on that list in wins. He trails only his predecessor at Creighton, Dana Altman. McCaffery is tied for second with seven NCAA trips.
   Here's the record of those 11 men, through games of Nov. 11th.
W-LÂ Â Â Name, School (NCAA Trips)
323-140Â Â Â Dana Altman, Oregon (7)
302-150Â Â Â Greg McDermott, Creighton (8)
274-172Â Â Â Tad Boyle, Colorado (5)
269-155Â Â Â Leon Rice, Boise State (4)
266-171Â Â Â Russell Turner, UC Irvine (2)
263-176Â Â Â Fran McCaffery, Iowa (7)
260-169Â Â Â Tod Kowalczyk, Toledo
248-176Â Â Â Bob Marlin, Louisiana-Lafayette (2)
243-177Â Â Â Brad Brownell, Clemson (3)
217-211Â Â Â Andy Toole, Robert Morris (1)
153-253Â Â Â Keith Richard, Louisiana-Monroe
Century Mark Links These Two
Both Greg McDermott and Fran McCaffery were hired prior to the 2010-11 season, and both men have made a high-powered offense part of their notoriety.
   Since then, Creighton ranks tied for ninth nationally with 24 games of 100 points or more. Iowa is tied for 12th with 23 such games.
   Among teams from the "Power 6", only North Carolina (34) has more than those two teams.
Nationally Speaking
Through games of Nov. 11th, Creighton is all over the NCAA stat leaders. The Bluejays rank in the top 10 in seven different categories and top-20 in three others.
   Rank   Category   Stat
   1   Fouls Per Game   6.5
   1   Three-Pointers Per Game   15.0
   1   Winning Percentage   1.000
   2   Effective FG%   .711
   4   Field Goal Percentage   .587
   4   Rebound Margin   +23.0
   6   Three-Point Attempts Per Game   33.0
   15   Scoring Margin   +40.0
   15   Scoring Offense   97.0
   18   Three-Point Percentage   45.5
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One Of A Kind
Trey Alexander did a little bit of everything on Saturday vs. North Dakota State, finishing with 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a career-high five steals.
   He's the first Bluejay in Greg McDermott's 14 seasons on the Creighton sideline with at least 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals in the same game. In fact, it hadn't been done by a Creighton player since Kyle Korver had 25 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals at TCU on Dec. 4, 2001. Up that minimum to five steals and the last Bluejay to do it was Rodney Buford (20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 7 steals) vs. Southwest Missouri State on Jan. 21, 1998.
   This season, the only other player nationally with  at least 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 assists in a game is UConn's Tristen Newton, who had 22 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals and four assists on Saturday vs. Stonehill.
This Is 20/20
Trey Alexander has started his junior season with 20 points vs. Florida A&M, then 21 points vs. North Dakota State.
   He's just the third Bluejay to score 20 or more in each of CU's first two games in the last 25 seasons, joining Marcus Foster in 2017-18 and Doug McDermott in 2013-14.
   Foster did it the first two games, then had 12 points in his third contest to snap the streak.
   McDermott did it the first six games of his senior season in 2013-14 and went on to be named National Player of the Year that season.
   Creighton has not had a player score 20 points or more in three consecutive games at any time of year since Marcus Zegarowski from Dec. 7-17, 2019.
Fast Start
Creighton has scored 194 points through two games, its most since the 2017-18 club had 201 points at that point.
   That 2017-18 squad is the only team in school history to ever open the season by scoring 89 points or more in each of its first three games, something CU will shoot for on Tuesday evening.
Ruthless Efficiency
Through games of Saturday, Creighton ranked second nationally in effective field goal percentage (.711) and fourth nationally in field goal percentage (.587).
   The Bluejays are shooting 74.5 percent from two-point range (41-55) and 45.5 percent from three-point range (30-66) thus far.
   CU is the only team in the nation to shoot 56.7 percent or better in every half it has played this season.
   This mark marks the first time in the last 40 years that Creighton has shot 56 percent or better from the floor in each of its first two games.
Gavitt Tipoff Games History
This year marks the eighth and final edition of the Gavitt Tipoff Games. Creighton has participated each of them except last season, going 3-3 in the event while facing three ranked teams, and playing on the road four times.
   In 2015 the Bluejays lost at No. 14 Indiana, 86-65.
   In 2016, Creighton beat No. 9 Wisconsin, 79-67, in Omaha.
   In 2017 Creighton picked up a 92-88 win at No. 20 Northwestern.
   In 2018, Creighton dropped a 69-60 decision to Ohio State in Omaha.
   In 2019, Creighton fell 79-69 at Michigan.
   There were no Gavitt Tipoff Games in 2020-21 due to COVID-19.
   In 2021, Creighton won 77-69 in Lincoln against Nebraska.
   Creighton did not play in the event last season.
More Gavitt Tipoff Games Info
Creighton's 3-3 mark in the Gavitt Tipoff Games is tied for fourth-best among BIG EAST teams, trailing only St. John's (4-2), Xavier (3-2) and DePaul (4-3).
   The Red Storm and Blue Demons are the only BIG EAST teams with more than CU's three victories in the event.
   As a whole, the BIG EAST has gone 1-3-3 in seven previous Gavitt Tipoff Games, with the lone win coming in 2021 when the BIG EAST won 6-of-8 games. The BIG EAST is 26-30 all-time in Gavitt Tipoff Games competitions.
   Here's a look at this year's competitions:
Monday, Nov. 13
Xavier at Purdue
Michigan at St. John's
Tuesday, Nov. 14
Wisconsin at Providence
Marquette at Illinois
Iowa at Creighton
Wednesday, Nov. 15
Georgetown at Rutgers
Friday, Nov. 17
Maryland at Villanova
Butler at Michigan State
Big (Ten) Mac Attack
Creighton is 16-5 in its last 21 games against teams from the Big Ten. Creighton has outscored foes by an average of 7.00 points in those 21 games, which include 13 double-figure victories.
   Greg McDermott is 29-17 in his career against teams that are currently in the Big Ten (not including USC/UCLA/Oregon/Washington), including a 16-7 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   Creighton is 8-2 under McDermott in home games against Big Ten programs.
Creighton's Last 21 Games vs. the Big Ten
Date   Opponent   Score
11/20/11Â Â Â vs. Iowa (in Des Moines)Â Â Â W 82-59
12/04/11   Nebraska   W 76-66
12/22/11   Northwestern   W 87-79
11/23/12Â Â Â vs. Wisconsin (in Las Vegas)Â Â Â W 84-74
12/06/12   at Nebraska   W 64-42
12/08/13   Nebraska   W 82-67
12/07/14   at Nebraska   W 65-55
11/19/15   at #14 Indiana   L 65-86
11/23/15Â Â Â vs. Rutgers (in Las Vegas)Â Â Â W 85-75
12/09/15   Nebraska   W 83-67
11/15/16   #9 Wisconsin   W 79-67
12/07/16   at Nebraska   W 77-62
11/15/17   at #20 Northwestern   W 92-88
12/09/17   Nebraska   W 75-65
11/15/18   Ohio State   L 60-69
12/08/18   at #24 Nebraska   L 75-94
11/12/19   at Michigan   L 69-79
12/07/19   Nebraska   W 95-76
12/11/20   Nebraska   W 98-74
11/16/21   at Nebraska   W 77-69
12/04/22   Nebraska   L 53-63
Like Father, Like Son
Both Greg McDermott and Fran McCaffery have coached their sons in college.
   Doug McDermott played at Creighton from 2010-14 and finished his career fifth in NCAA history with 3,150 career points. He was a three-time First Team All-American and won National Player of the Year accolades as a senior.
   Connor McCaffery played in 166 games for his father the previous five seasons, contributing 745 points, 527 assists and 490 rebounds.
   His younger brother, Patrick McCaffery, is in his fifth season with the Hawkeyes. He owns 802 career points, 304 rebounds and 110 assists. He ranks second on the Iowa team with 16.5 points per game this season.
It's Been A While
Though they're separated by just 247 miles and it only takes I-80 to get there, it's been nearly 24 years since Iowa's last trip to Omaha for a regular-season game (the teams had a closed scrimmage in 2014).
   That last meeting came on Nov. 27, 1999, as Creighton shot 56 percent and defeated the No. 23 Hawkeyes 85-76 behind 19 points each from Ryan Sears and Ben Walker. Iowa was led by 19 points from Dean Oliver.
   The game was played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium (which was torn down in 2016). In 1999, Greg McDermott was entering his final year as the head coach at Wayne State while Fran McCaffery was starting his first season as the head coach at UNC Greensboro.
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 987 straight games. The streak is the nation's 11th-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 (11/11)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,194   UNLV   11/17
   2.   1,191   Duke   11/14
   3.   1,117   East Tennessee State   11/13
   4.   1,097   Texas   11/15
   5.   1,096   Oakland   11/14
   6.   1,094   Pacific   11/15
   7.   1,037   Marshall   11/19
   8.   1,032   Baylor   11/12
   9.   1,021   Gonzaga   11/14
   10.   1,021   Princeton   11/15
   11.   987   Creighton   11/14
   12.   986   Long Island   11/13
   13.   976   Mount St. Mary's   11/18
   14.   965   Tennessee State   11/15
Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 987 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,815 trifectas, an average of 7.92 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly seven three-pointers 147 times, more than any figure.
   Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 284 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 65-15 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 28-25 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:   5 times   2: 19 times   3: 36 times
4:   75 times   5:  103 times   6: 101 times
7:  147 times   8:  124 times   9: 93 times
10: 82 times   11: 57 times   12: 57 times
13: 45 times   14: 19 times   15: 7 times
16: 8 times   17: 3 times   18: 1 time
19: 2 times   20: 1 time   21: 1 time   22: 1 time
Can't Stop Scheierman
Baylor Scheierman made a three-point basket in all 37 games he played last season and each game this season, stretching his streak dating to last year to 49 in a row if you include the end of his time at South Dakota State.
   Scheierman's streak is the longest streak in Creighton history, six more than Ty-Shon Alexander's 33.
   Also listed is the nation's longest active streaks of games with a three-pointer, per the FOX Sports research team.
Consecutive Games With A 3-Pointer, Creighton History
   Streak   Name   Dates of Streak
   39   Baylor Scheierman   Nov. 7, 2022 - Present
   33   Ty-Shon Alexander   Feb. 27, 2018-March 6, 2019
   31   Booker Woodfox   Nov. 25, 2008-March 23, 2009
   28   Kyle Korver   Feb. 4, 2001-Feb. 6, 2002
   27   Kyle Korver   Feb. 13, 2002-Jan. 20, 2003
Consecutive Games With A 3-Pointer
Nation's Longest Active Streaks (11/13)
   Streak   Name, School   Next Game
   67   Kamdyn Curfman, Marshall   11/19
   49   Baylor Scheierman, Creighton / S. Dakota St.   11/14
Scheierman Drains 250th Trey
Baylor Scheierman has made 252 three-pointers in his college career, doing so at a 39.5 percent clip.
   Scheierman also owns 1,618 points, 952 rebounds, 450 assists and 121 career steals.
   Per Basketball-Reference.com, Scheierman is the nation's only player in the last 30 years with career totals of at least 225 three-pointers, 425 assists and 900 rebounds.
Quickest To Pizza!!!
For the last few decades, Godfather's Pizza has had a promotion for Creighton Basketball season ticket holders to provide a free mini pizza with the purchase of a drink if the Bluejays hit a certain scoring threshold, which has been 75 since 2005-06 (and was 70 before that).
   In Tuesday night's opener, those fans were rewarded by a Steven Ashworth three-pointer with 14:32 left in the second half.
   Since moving to CHI Health Center Omaha, it was the fourth-quickest that the Bluejays have reached that mark (yes, we track that). A look at the others:
Quickest to 75 Points at CHI Health Center Omaha
   Time Left   Opponent   Date   Final Score
   15:06   Longwood   12/09/16   W 113-58
   14:56   USC Upstate   12/20/17   W 116-62
   14:42   Campbell   11/25/11   W 104-81
   14:32   Florida A&M   11/07/23   W 105-54
   13:52   Coe   12/20/18   W 110-60
   13:45   UMKC   11/11/16   W 89-82
   13:33   Houston Baptist   12/17/07   W 110-73
   13:14   Coppin State   12/28/15   W 102-77
   13:14   UTSA   11/17/15   W 103-78
   12:33   North Texas   12/21/15   W 105-82
   12:33   Central Arkansas   11/14/14   W 106-77
Century Club
Creighton opened the season with a 105-54 victory over Florida A&M on Nov. 7th. A few nuggets about that.
- Creighton improved to 65-3 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, and 27-1 when scoring 105 points or more.
- Creighton's only 100-point game last year was a 104-76 home win over St. John's on Jan. 25, 2023.
- After scoring 100 points in the season opener in the first 93 years in program history, Creighton has done it three additional times in Greg McDermott's 14-year tenure. CU hadn't scored 100 points in a season opener since a 104-77 victory vs. Central Arkansas to open the 2014-15 campaign.
- Creighton ranks tied for ninth nationally with 24 games of 100 points or more since the start of the 2010-11 season, which coincides with Greg McDermott's arrival. Among Power 6 teams, only North Carolina (34) has more.
- What's crazy about Greg McDermott's teams scoring 100 points or more 24 times at Creighton is that neither his Iowa State teams (127 games) or Northern Iowa teams (153 games) ever cracked the century mark, and reached 90 points or more only six times.
A One And A Two...
Not only is Creighton a perfect 14-0 in season-openers under Greg McDermott, but the Bluejays have started 2-0 in all but one campaign (2019-20) under McDermott as well. That 2019-20 team, of course, went on to share the BIG EAST regular-season title.
   Ten of McDermott's first 13 Bluejay squads have started 3-0.
Immediate Impact
Steven Ashworth came in with the reputation of being a lights shooter, and did nothing to dispel those myths in his Bluejay debut.
   The senior point guard made 5-of-7 three-point shots, scoring 17 points, while also contributing four assists without a turnover in 18 minutes of action.
   Ashworth's 17 points were the most in a Creighton debut since Marcus Foster had 19 points in a 2016 victory over UMKC.
   Speaking of newcomers, redshirt freshman Isaac Traudt scored 12 points on Tuesday. Six of Creighton's first seven freshmen under Greg McDermott to score a dozen or more points in their collegiate debut ended up on the conference's All-Freshman Team, with three of them (Ryan Nembhard, Justin Patton and Doug McDermott) earning Freshman of the Year honors.
Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Not counting 2019-20, when there was no postseason, Creighton has made the postseason each of the previous 10 times in which it has made at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts to open the year. That's a good omen considering that Creighton shot 56.7 percent in Tuesday's lid-lifter.
   Eight of those postseason trips were NCAA Tournament berths. The last time that didn't hold true was 1991-92, when CU shot 51.0 percent in the opener but finished just 9-19.
   Including 2023-24, Creighton has shot 50 percent or better in eight of its last 12 season-openers.
CU Season-Opener Field Goal Percentage 50+%
Since 1993-94
FG%   Year   Opponent   Postseason
.541Â Â Â 1997-98Â Â Â UMKCÂ Â Â NIT
.524   1998-99   Towson State   NCAA
.569   2000-01   Western Illinois   NCAA
.594   2002-03   UT Arlington   NCAA
.500   2012-13   North Texas   NCAA
.556   2013-14   Alcorn State   NCAA
.528   2015-16   Texas Southern   NIT
.508Â Â Â 2016-17Â Â Â UMKCÂ Â Â NCAA
.558   2017-18   Yale   NCAA
.524   2019-20   Kennesaw St.   Postseason CCD
.585   2021-22   Ark.-Pine Bluff   NCAA
.567Â Â Â 2023-24Â Â Â Florida A&MÂ Â Â ? ? ?
The Push For 90
Of Creighton's 24 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, 11 have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
   Put another way...of CU's 18 teams (before 2023-24) to score 90 points in an opener, 11 would reach the NCAA Tournament.
   Here's a look at Creighton's last 10 teams (including 2023-24) to score 90 or more points in a season-opener:
            Final   Post-
   Score   Opponent   Date   W-L   Season
   93-47   UT-San Antonio   11/30/90   24-8   NCAA
   93-48   Towson State   11/14/98   22-9   NCAA
   96-50   Western Illinois   11/20/00   24-8   NCAA
   106-50   Texas-Arlington   11/17/02   29-5   NCAA
   97-65   N. Carolina A&T   11/11/11   29-6   NCAA
   107-61   Alcorn State   11/08/13   27-8   NCAA
   104-77   Central Arkansas   11/14/14   14-19   --
   93-70   Texas Southern   11/14/15   20-15   NIT
   92-76   Yale   11/10/17   21-12   NCAA
   90-77   Ark.-Pine Bluff   11/09/21   23-12   NCAA
   105-54   Florida A&M   11/07/23   ? ? ?   ? ? ?
November Reign
Creighton is a 73-1 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th. The lone loss came in 2018 when it lost to Ohio State.
   Creighton has won 80 of its 82 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012 and Ohio State in 2018.
   Overall, Creighton is 112-21 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
A Head Start
Creighton got a jump start on the season with nine practices in July before heading to the Bahamas to play in three games during the first week of August.
   Creighton won all three games by 14 points or more, averaged 98.3 points., and outrebounded foes by 21.3 caroms per contest.
   Trey Alexander led CU by averaging 20.0 points before missing the final contest, but Ryan Kalkbrenner (11.0 ppg.), Baylor Scheierman (10.0 ppg.) and Fredrick King (10.0 ppg.) also scored at a double-digit clip.
   Steven Ashworth led CU with 15 assists, King and Brock Vice had a team-high 18 rebounds and Kalkbrenner topped the team with 10 swats.
Who's Back?
With Creighton returning seven of the 13 men who appeared in a game last season, it's no surprise that a similar ratio of the production from 2022-23 is also gone. Below is a breakdown of what is back:
Stat   Returners   Departures
Blocks   126 (82.9%)   26 (17.1%)
Rebounds   860 (67.9%)   411 (32.1%)
3FG Made   207 (64.9%)   112 (35.1%)
Points   1833 (64.8%)   995 (35.2%)
Steals   119 (64.3%)   66 (35.7%)
Minutes   4693 (63.0%)   2757 (37.0%)
Starts   111 (60.0%)   74 (40.0%)
Charges Taken   16 (59.3%)   11 (40.7%)
Assists   308 (53.0%)   273 (47.0%)
Preseason Top 10
The Creighton men's basketball team was ranked eighth in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll, its highest preseason AP ranking ever. That's one spot better than the previous best, done last year, when the Bluejays started the season ranked ninth.
   The announcement marks just the sixth 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), 2020-21 (No. 11) and 2022-23 (No. 9). All five of those teams would end up in the NCAA Tournament, with the last two making the Sweet 16 and last year's club reaching the Elite Eight.
   It's also the 23rd week in program history that Creighton has been in the top-10 at any point, with all but one of those occasions 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 now been ranked 123 times in program history, with 95 of those under the direction of McDermott. Creighton is 153-63 all-time as a ranked team, including a 119-51 mark under McDermott. Creighton has now been ranked at least one week in 10 of McDermott's 14 seasons on The Hilltop after doing it just five different seasons in program history before his 2010 arrival.
      Creighton is one of four schools to be ranked in the preseason top-10 each of the past two seasons, joining Kansas, Duke and Houston.
   Along with No. 5 Marquette, No. 6 Connecticut and No. 8 Creighton, this year marked the first time since 2011-12 that the BIG EAST had three Preseason Top-10 teams.
   Creighton is also eighth in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll, its best preseason mark ever.
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
The Creighton men's basketball team has been picked to finish second in the BIG EAST Conference in the annual survey of league coaches, which was unveiled as part of BIG EAST Media Day.
   It's the second time in Creighton's 11 years in the BIG EAST Conference that the Bluejays have been picked second, as the 2020-21 squad was also picked second (and eventually finished second). The Bluejays also had three players receive recognition on one of the Preseason All-BIG EAST teams, tied with preseason favorite Marquette for the most in the league.
   The Bluejays collected four first-place votes and earned 92 points in the poll, trailing only Marquette's seven first-place votes and 96 overall points. Defending national champion Connecticut was tabbed third with 79 points, just ahead of Villanova's 76 for fourth place. Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino's first St. John's team garnered 59 points to be chosen fifth, just ahead of Xavier (57) and Providence (51). The bottom four teams in the poll are Georgetown (34), Seton Hall (30), Butler (16) and DePaul (15).
   Creighton finished 24-13 overall and 14-6 in BIG EAST play last season and are the only league team to return three of its scorers that averaged at least a dozen points per game. The Bluejays won three NCAA Tournament games to advance to its first Elite Eight since 1941.
   In 2023-24, Creighton will be led by senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is a Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST selection. Kalkbrenner becomes the first player in program history to earn Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST honors multiple times, and along with Preseason Player of the Year Tyler Kolek from Marquette was one of two men to be named on every ballot.
   Joining Kalkbrenner with the Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST acclaim was junior guard Trey Alexander. Alexander was an Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST choice at the end of last season, as was teammate Baylor Scheierman. A senior guard from Aurora, Neb., Scheierman earned Preseason Second Team All-BIG EAST plaudits in 2023-24.
   This year marks the second time that Creighton has had more than two players land on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, and comes 12 months after Creighton had four men listed prior to the 2022-23 campaign. Creighton last had two men named Preseason First Team All-Conference in its Missouri Valley Conference days in 2006-07 (Anthony Tolliver, Nate Funk).
   Kolek was named 2023-24 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league's head coaches, which comes as little surprise after the point guard was named 2023 BIG EAST Player of the Year and BIG EAST Tournament MVP after leading the Golden Eagles to both the regular-season and tournament titles. Connecticut guard Stephon Castle was chosen BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year. The coaches, who were not permitted to select their own players, also chose an All-BIG EAST First Team, All-BIG EAST Second Team and All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention. Â
   Creighton has matched or exceeded its preseason projection in all but one season since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14, the best showing in the league in that time. The Bluejays are seeking an eighth straight finish in the top four of the league standings. CU's team two years ago was predicted to finish eighth in the BIG EAST, then ended up in fourth. Four years ago, a team picked seventh in the BIG EAST's preseason poll went 13-5 in league play to share its first league title with Villanova and Seton Hall. That Bluejay team ended the year ranked seventh in the entire nation.
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   3rd   Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Arthur Kaluma (2nd)
         Ryan Nembhard (2nd); Baylor Scheierman (HM)
2023-24   2nd   ??   Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Trey Alexander (1st)
         Baylor Scheierman (2nd)
Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since the start of the 2010-11 season among teams to have played 100 or more Division I games, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 to Nov. 11, 2023
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Made   3,973   3rd  Â
FG Percentage   .477   4th
Assists   7,200   6th  Â
3FG Percentage   .376   6th
FG Made   12,325   8th  Â
Points   34,474   9th  Â
Wins   302   24th  Â
Winning Percentage   .668   32nd
Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns 111 starts from last year's team, its most since bringing back 124 starts from its 2020-21 club.
   Creighton has won 20 or more games each of the previous eight times (and 12 of the last 13 times) it has returned 100 or more starts.
   Returning   Returning Starts    Final
Year   Starters   From Previous Year   W-L
2023-24Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 111Â Â Â ? ? ?
2022-23Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 104Â Â Â 24-13
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
Four Of A Kind
Creighton has four players that were named to a Preseason Watch List in Steven Ashworth (Bob Cousy Point Guard), Trey Alexander (Jerry West Shooting Guard), Baylor Scheierman (Julius Erving Small Forward) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center).
   Creighton is one of six schools to have four men listed at a position, joining Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette and UConn.
   Those same four men were named to CBS Sports Preseason Top 100 And 1 player listings, with Kalkbrenner (5), Alexander (12), Scheierman (26) and Ashworth (76) making CU the only school with three of the top 30 players or four of the top 76 players. Kansas and Duke were the only other teams with four players listed in the Top 100 And 1.
   Last but not least, both Alexander and Kalkbrenner were two of 20 players on the NABC's Preseason Division I Player of the Year Watch List. The only other schools with two players on that list were Duke and USC.
Downtown Duo
Only two players nationally that are returning in 2023-24 had 120+ assists, 87+ three-pointers and 38+ steals in 2022-23.
   Baylor Scheierman and Steven Ashworth.
   Both will play for Creighton this season.
   In Tuesdays' season-opener, the duo combined for six assists, eight three-pointers and no steals.
Let's Go On A Run
Creighton has won at least one NCAA Tournament game in 2021, 2022 and 2023. That makes CU one of seven teams in the country to have a win in each of the last three NCAA Tournaments, joining Arkansas, Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and UCLA.
   The only other time that Creighton has won an NCAA Tournament game in consecutive seasons came in 2012, 2013 and 2014, also under Greg McDermott.
   Creighton is one of six schools with 20 or more wins in each of the last eight seasons, joining Belmont, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Oregon.
   Creighton is one of seven teams to post 22 or more wins in each of the last four seasons, joining Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston, Liberty, San Diego State and Southern California.
   Creighton is one of just eight teams to have reached at least two of the last three Sweet 16s. Gonzaga, Houston and UCLA have done it each of the last three seasons, while Alabama, Creighton, Michigan and Villanova have done it twice each.
23 of 25 Seasons With 20 Wins
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 23 of the last 25 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 25 years: Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 24 times, Creighton and Kentucky 23 times.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 25 Seasons
Team   20-Win Seasons     2022-23 W-L
Gonzaga   25   31-6
Kansas   25   28-8
Duke   24   27-9
Creighton   23   24-13
Kentucky   23   22-12
Dynamic Duo
Creighton is also one of eight schools to have men's and women's basketball programs to both own 22 wins or more each of the previous two seasons, a list that includes Creighton, Gonzaga, Liberty, Princeton, Tennessee, Texas, Toledo and UConn.
   This season, Creighton is one of eight teams with a preseason top-25 squad on both the men's and women's side, joining Baylor, Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina, Southern California, Tennessee and Texas.
   The only five schools to be ranked in the preseason men's and women's basketball Top 25 of the AP Poll both this season and last season are Baylor, Creighton, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
   Creighton is one of 11 schools to make the NCAA Tournament in both men's and women's basketball each of the past two seasons, a list that consists of Arizona, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Miami (Fla.), Tennessee, Texas and UConn.
   The only schools with at-large bids in each of the previous two years in both men's and women's basketball are Baylor, Creighton, Indiana and Miami (Fla.).
A Dozen Will Do
Creighton finished 14-6 in the BIG EAST last season and is the only school in the BIG EAST with 12 or more league wins each of the previous four seasons.
   Among the other BIG EAST or "Power 5" Conference schools, Kansas, UCLA and Virginia have also done it the previous four years.
   Creighton has now owned a .500 mark or better in league play 27 times in the last 28 seasons.
   The only BIG EAST teams to finish .500 or better in league play each of the previous six seasons are Creighton, Villanova and Seton Hall.
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.
   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
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
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 302 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.   302-150   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
CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
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
03/20/06Â 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.   18,509   Villanova   02/04/23
   13.   18,495   Marquette   02/17/18
   14.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   15.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   16.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   17.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   18.   18,321   #3 Villanova   02/24/18
   19.   18,294   #19 Iowa State   12/04/21
   20.   18,286   #21 Connecticut   02/12/23
CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 340 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 21-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 280-60 (.823) 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 26,612-22,241 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.86 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 89 different times.
   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 32-36 all-time in the 68 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 182-42 (.813) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn't trailed in 64 of those games. In that same span, CU owns a 96-9 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 299-60 (.832) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
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Home Run
Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.52 points per home game (18,118 points in 225 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.08 points in non-conference home games (8,913 points in 106 home games).
   Creighton is 137-6 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.
Elite Eight
Greg McDermott guided his team to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time last season. That put him in the company of some of the greatest coaches in CU Athletics history, and most among basketball coaches.
   McDermott is one of five head coaches in Creighton history to lead seven or more NCAA Tournament teams.
Name   Sport   NCAA's @CU
Kirsten Bernthal Booth   Volleyball   12
Bob Warming   Men's Soccer   11
Greg McDermott   Men's Basketball   8
Dana Altman   Men's Basketball   7
Brent Vigness   Softball   7
Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton finished last season ranked 12th overall by KenPom.com. That included the nation's No. 23 offense, and No. 14 defense. Creighton's No. 14 defense was its best mark in the 21 seasons of the KenPom era.
   Creighton has had a top-25 offense per KenPom seven times in 13 seasons under Greg McDermott and a top-25 defense twice.
Year   Off. Rating   Def. Rating   Overall Rank
2010-11Â Â Â 66Â Â Â 174Â Â Â 98
2011-12Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 166Â Â Â 28
2012-13Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 66Â Â Â 15
2013-14Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 17
2014-15Â Â Â 59Â Â Â 138Â Â Â 79
2015-16Â Â Â 43Â Â Â 76Â Â Â 40
2016-17Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 46Â Â Â 28
2017-18Â Â Â 25Â Â Â 58Â Â Â 30
2018-19Â Â Â 47Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 55
2019-20Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 78Â Â Â 12
2020-21Â Â Â 25Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 22
2021-22Â Â Â 112Â Â Â 19Â Â Â 50
2022-23Â Â Â 23Â Â Â 14Â Â Â 12
2023-24Â Â Â 8Â Â Â 20Â Â Â 8
Kalkbrenner Repeats As Top Defender
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner was named 2023 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.
   Kalkbrenner became just the 11th player in league history to win the recognition more than once, joining the likes of Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, Kris Dunn and Allen Iverson among those to win the award multiple times, and is the first repeat winner since former Bluejay guard Khyri Thomas in 2017 and 2018.
   Between Kalkbrenner and Thomas, Creighton has now had a BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in four of the previous seven seasons.
Most BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Honors
   Honors   Name, School   Years (*ties)
   4   Patrick Ewing, Georgetown   1982, 83, 84, 85
   3   Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown   1989, 90*, 92
   2   Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown   1990, 91
   2   Allen Iverson, Georgetown   1995, 96
   2   Etan Thomas, Syracuse   1999, 00
   2   John Linehan, Providence   2001, 02
   2   Emeka Okafor, Connecticut   2003, 04
   2   Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut   2008, 09
   2   Kris Dunn, Providence   2015*, 16
   2   Khyri Thomas, Creighton   2017*, 18
   2   Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton   2022, 23
Kalkbrenner Surpasses 1,000 Points
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 1,189 career points, as he became the 45th men's player in Creighton history to surpass 1,000 on Feb. 25, 2023 at Villanova. He was the first Bluejay to score 1,000 since Marcus Zegarowski did it on Jan. 20, 2021 vs. Providence.
   He currently ranks 30th in program history. Here's a list of Creighton's top scorers ever:
Most Career Points, Creighton History
   Rank   Pts.   Name   Years
   1.   3,150   Doug McDermott   2010-14
   2.   2,116   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   3.   2,110   Bob Harstad    1987-91
   4.   1,983   Chad Gallagher    1987-91
   5.   1,876   Bob Portman    1966-69
   6.   1,801   Kyle Korver   1999-03
   7.   1,754   Nate Funk   2002-07
   8.   1,682   Rick Apke    1974-78
   9.   1,661   Paul Silas   1961-64
   10.   1,654   Vernon Moore    1981-85
   11.   1,575   Benoit Benjamin    1982-85
   12.   1,526   John C. Johnson   1975-79
   13.   1,500   Kevin McKenna   1977-81
   14.   1,437   Eddie Cole   1951-55
   15.   1,369   Gene Harmon   1971-74
   16.   1,361   Duan Cole   1987-92
   17.   1,342   Antoine Young   2008-12
   18.   1,313   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2006-11
   19.   1,309   Ryan Sears   1997-01
   20.   1,304   Mitch Ballock   2017-21
   21.   1,303   Elton Tuttle   1951-54
   22.   1,293   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-21
   23.   1,292   Marcus Foster   2016-18
   24.   1,272   Bob Gibson   1954-57
   25.   1,267   Wally Anderzunas   1965-67, 1968-69
   26.   1,254   Gary Swain   1983-87
   27.   1,241   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-20
   28.   1,238   Ben Walker   1997-01
   29.   1,196   Ray Yost   1951-54
   30.   1,189   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
   31.   1,172   Dick Harvey   1956-59
   Kalkbrenner also ranks second in program history in blocked shots with 202.
Most Creighton Blocked Shots, Since 1979-80
   Blk.   Name   Years
   411   Benoit Benjamin   1982-85
   202   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
   183   Chad Gallagher   1987-91
   174   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
   153   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2006-11
Among The Best...EVER!
Ryan Kalkbrenner has made 482 of 720 career shots, putting him at 66.9 percent overall. That places the senior center fifth in field goal percentage in NCAA history among players to make 400 or more field goals and at least four field goals per game.
Best Career FG%, NCAA History (min. 400 FG, 4FG/game)
   Pct. (FG-FGA)   Name, School   Years
   .746 (469-629)   Udoka Azubuike, Kansas   2016-20
   .740 (497-672)   Tacko Fall, UCF   2015-19
   .678 (828-1222)   Steve Johnson, Oregon State   1976-81
   .677 (441-651)   Michael Bradley, Kentucky/Villanova   1998-01
   .669 (482-720)   Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton   2020-Pres.
   .668 (566-847)   Murray Brown, Florida State   1976-80
   .667 (740-1109)   Evan Bradds, Belmont   2013-17
   .665 (411-618)   Lee Campbell, MTSU, Missouri State   1987-90
   .664 (496-747)   Warren Kidd, Middle Tennessee State   1990-93
   .664 (702-1058)   Todd MacCulloch, Washington   1995-99
   .662 (476-719)   Joe Senser, West Chester   1975-79
#ProJays
Former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott is back for a third season with the San Antonio Spurs, giving Creighton at least one NBA player in 40 of the last 41 seasons. McDermott is in his 10th season in the NBA. Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver and Anthony Tolliver.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2023-24 season went on sale on September 28th.
   Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CHI Health Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com, and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000.
   For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
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/ Men's BasketballCreighton Men's Basketball Availability - 9/24/25
Wednesday, September 24
Meet 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
