#19 Men's Basketball Battles For First Place vs. #10 Marquette on Tuesday

Game #28: #10 Marquette Golden Eagles (21-6, 13-3 BIG EAST) at #19 Creighton Bluejays (18-9, 12-4 BIG EAST)
Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023 • 7:30 p.m. • Omaha, Neb. • CHI Health Center Omaha
| LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF) | MU NOTES (PDF) | PROGRAM (PDF) | TICKETS |

Next Game
First place is on the line when No. 19 Creighton (18-9, 12-4 BIG EAST) hosts its penultimate home game of the season on Tuesday, Feb. 21, when it meets No. 10 Marquette (21-6, 13-3 BIG EAST) in a pivotal battle for the BIG EAST regular-season title.
   CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., will host the action, which tips at 7:30 p.m.
   The game is Creighton's annual Blue Out. Courtesy of ABIDE, rally towels will be placed on thousands of seats.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) and KOOO (101.9 FM) will carry all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2022-23 season. John Bishop and Tyler Clement will call the action.
   The audio is webcast at 1620thezone.com and can be heard on SiriusXM channel 385 and on SXM app channel 975.

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 at https://www.foxsports.com/live.

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.
Scouting No. 19 Creighton
No. 19 Creighton started 6-0, including wins at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational over No. 21 Texas Tech and No. 9 Arkansas, then dropped its next six games. Since losing its BIG EAST opener at Marquette in mid-December, the Jays are 12-3 in league play with nine double-digit wins.
   All-BIG EAST center Ryan Kalkbrenner (14.8 ppg., 6.8 rpg., 2.3 bpg.), who was named 2022 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, is third in the nation in field goal percentage (.703) this season. CU is 18-6 with him in the line-up this year, but 0-3 without him.
   CU had three men named to the BIG EAST's All-Freshman Team last winter who are now sophomores. That trio includes Ryan Nembhard (12.0 ppg., 5.0 apg.) as well as Arthur Kaluma (12.2 ppg., 6.3 rpg.) and Trey Alexander (13.4 ppg., 3.9 rpg.).
   Creighton's highest-impact newcomer has been South Dakota State transfer Baylor Scheierman (12.9 ppg., 8.1 rpg.), who also owns the team lead with 10 double-doubles and 66 three-pointers made.
   Creighton was picked to win the BIG EAST Conference and earned its best preseason AP poll ranking ever (No. 9), thanks to the return of 10 lettermen and three starters from last year's team that finished 23-12.
   CU averages 76.3 points while allowing just 67.5 points per contest. CU shoots 46.7 percent from the floor, 35.3 percent from deep and 75.7 percent at the line.

Scouting #10 Marquette
Marquette is 21-6 on the season and first in the BIG EAST with a 13-3 mark. The Golden Eagles have been idle since defeating then-No. 16 Xavier in the final seconds last Wednesday at Fiserv Forum.
   MU has four men averaging in double-figures, led by Kam Jones (14.9 ppg., 72 three-pointers), Olivier-Maxence Prosper (12.7 ppg.), Oso Ighodaro (11.7 ppg., 6.0 rpg.) and point guard Tyler Kolek (11.7 ppg., 7.6 apg.). In addition, super sub David Joplin contributes 9.8 points per game and shoots 38.8 percent from deep.
   The Golden Eagles average 80.7 points per game and allow just 70.6 per contest. MU shoots 49.4 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from three-point range and 71.0 percent at the line. MU has been outrebounded by 3.1 caroms per contest.

The Series With Marquette
Marquette leads the 100-year old series with Creighton by a 57-39 margin, but Creighton has won seven of the past nine meetings.
   Fifteen of the last 18 meetings have been decided by eight points or less.
   Creighton leads the series 11-9 since the teams became BIG EAST rivals, but is just 4-5 in those meetings to take place in Omaha.
   Greg McDermott is 11-9 in his career against Marquette and 3-1 against Shaka Smart.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 294-146 record in his 13th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 574-341 in his 29th season, and is 443-277 in his 22nd Division I campaign.
   McDermott led Creighton to its first BIG EAST regular-season title in 2019-20, taking a Bluejay team that was picked seventh in the league's preseason poll and ending the year ranked seventh nationally. The Cascade, Iowa native then coached Creighton to its first Sweet 16 since 1974 in 2020-21 and to a share of its first regular-season BIG EAST title in 2019-20.
   McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000).
   He is assisted by Alan Huss, Ryan Miller and Jalen Courtney-Williams.

With A Win...
- Creighton would win its ninth consecutive home game, and for the 10th time in 11 games at all sites.
- Creighton would win its eighth straight home game played in the month of February.
- Creighton would defeat every BIG EAST team for the fourth time in 10 seasons as a member of the league (also 2013-14, 2019-20 and 2020-21).
- Creighton would start 13-4 in league play, matching its best BIG EAST start ever after 17 games (also in 2013-14 and 2020-21).
- Creighton would win its sixth game this season against a top-25 team, tying a program record set in 2019-20.

Ranked vs. Ranked
Creighton is 16-18 all-time as a ranked team when facing a ranked team, including a 15-14 overall mark under Greg McDermott. CU has won its last seven Top 25 showdowns played at home.
Creighton's Top-25 vs. Top-25 Games
Date   CU Rank   Opponent Rank   Result
03/04/1974   #16   #14 South Carolina   L 69-78
03/14/1974   #19   vs. #14 Kansas   L 54-55
03/16/1974   #19   vs. #16 Louisville   W 80-71
03/08/1975   #13   #5 Marquette   L 60-64
12/31/2002   #15   at #19 Xavier   L 73-75
03/18/2012   #19   vs. #4 North Carolina   L 73-87
03/24/2013   #22   vs. #6 Duke   L 50-66
02/16/2014   #18   #6 Villanova   W 101-80
03/23/2014   #16   vs. #23 Baylor   L 55-85
11/15/2016   #22   #9 Wisconsin   W 77-69
12/31/2016   #10   #1 Villanova   L 70-80
01/11/2017   #8   #12 Butler   W 75-64
01/16/2017   #7   at #22 Xavier   W 72-67
01/31/2017   #22   at #16 Butler   W 76-67
02/25/2017   #23   at #2 Villanova   L 63-79
12/01/2017   #25   at #15 Gonzaga   L 74-91
12/28/2017   #25   at #23 Seton Hall   L 84-90
01/13/2018   #25   at #10 Xavier   L 70-92
02/12/2020   #23   at #10 Seton Hall   W 87-82
02/18/2020   #15   at #19 Marquette   W 73-65
02/23/2020   #15   #21 Butler   W 81-59
03/07/2020   #11   #8 Seton Hall   W 77-60
12/08/2020   #8   at #5 Kansas   L 72-73
12/21/2020   #13   #22 Xavier   W 66-61
01/23/2021   #11   #23 Connecticut   W 74-66
02/13/2021   #19   #5 Villanova   W 86-70
03/03/2021   #14   at #10 Villanova   L 60-72
03/28/2021   #19   vs. #1 Gonzaga   L 65-83
11/21/2022   #10   vs. #23 Texas Tech   W 76-65
11/22/2022   #10   vs. #9 Arkansas   W 90-87
11/23/2022   #10   vs. #14 Arizona   L 79-81
12/01/2022   #7   at #2 Texas   L 67-72
02/11/2023   #23   #21 Connecticut   W 56-53
02/14/2023   #18   at #24 Providence   L 86-94 (2OT)
02/21/2023   #19   #10 Marquette   7:30 p.m.

Deep Dive Into The Rankings
The Creighton men's basketball team was ranked ninth in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll, its highest preseason AP ranking ever.
   The Oct. 17th announcement marked just the fifth time in program history the writers have voted CU to the top-25 in the preseason, joining 2006-07 (No. 19), 2012-13 (No. 16) and 2016-17 (No. 22) and 2020-21 (No. 11). All four of those Bluejay teams would end up in the NCAA Tournament.
   Creighton was 10th in the AP poll released on Nov. 14th and Nov. 21 and was seventh last Nov. 28th. The team fell to No. 21 on Dec. 5th. After a two-month absence, Creighton returned to the Top 25 on Feb. 6th when it was tabbed 23rd and was then 18th last week. This week, the Jays came in at 19th.
   The Nov. 28 week was the 21st time in program history that Creighton has been in the top-10 at any point, with all but one of those weeks happening under head coach Greg McDermott. Creighton's best ranking in program history is seventh, done five times (Jan. 16, 2017, March 10, 2020, March 18, 2020, Jan. 7, 2021 and Nov. 28, 2022).
   Including Feb. 20th, Creighton has been ranked 121 times in program history, with 93 of those weeks under the direction of McDermott. Creighton is 151-60 all-time as a ranked team, including a 117-48 mark under McDermott. Creighton has been ranked at least one week in nine of McDermott's 13 seasons on The Hilltop after doing it just five different seasons in program history before his 2010 arrival.
   Creighton was also ninth in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll, its best preseason mark ever in the Coaches poll. The Jays remained ninth in the Nov. 14 Coaches poll and climbed to eighth in the Nov. 21 Coaches poll and were seventh on Nov. 28. CU was 21st on Dec. 5th. This week, the Jays are 19th in the USA Today poll.
   The program's best slotting ever in the Coaches poll is fifth, done on Jan. 4, 2021.

Ranking News & Notes
- Creighton is 52-162 all-time against top 25 teams.
- Creighton is 34-47 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams, 26 more top 25 wins than any other coach in Creighton history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 18-115 all-time against top 25 foes.
- Creighton's 34 top 25 wins since McDermott took over in 2010 are tied for 33rd-most nationally with Illinois and more than schools like Arizona (33), Xavier (33), UCLA (32), Maryland (27), LSU (18), Houston (17), Nebraska (17), Auburn (17), Wichita State (14), Memphis (13), USC (13) and Saint Mary's (9) in that time.
- Creighton is 29-30 since the start of the 2016-17 season against ranked teams. The 29 wins over ranked teams in that time are the 10th-most nationally and two more than Gonzaga. CU's 29 top 25 wins trails only Villanova (33) among BIG EAST programs in that span. - Creighton has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the last nine seasons (including 2022-23), and multiple ranked foes in each of the last eight seasons (including 2022-23).
- On a national basis, the only 16 teams with a top-25 win each of the last nine seasons (including 2022-23) are Baylor, Creighton, Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas Tech, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Xavier. Schools still trying to extend their streak to nine (or longer) this winter are Florida State, Michigan and Villanova.
- The Bluejays have beaten multiple top-25 foes each of the last eight seasons (2015-16 to 2022-23), something only Baylor, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan State, Purdue and Texas Tech can also claim. Two other schools have beaten multiple top-25 foes in each of the previous seven seasons --   Michigan (0) and Villanova (0) -- but are still seeking two top-25 wins this winter.
- Creighton's Nov. 22nd victory vs. No. 9 Arkansas extended Creighton's streak of seasons with at least one top-10 win to eight. The only schools with at least one top-10 win every season since 2015-16 (including 2022-23) are Creighton, Kansas, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech. Schools still trying to extend their streak to eight (or longer) this winter are Duke and Michigan.
- Creighton is 9-23 in true road games vs. the top 25 under Greg McDermott, compared to a 2-63 mark before his arrival.

- Creighton is just 3-14 all-time against ranked Marquette teams, but has won its last two attempts. CU won at No. 10 Marquette in 2019, then toppled the No. 19 Golden Eagles in Milwaukee in 2020. CU is 0-9 in home games against top-25 Marquette teams.

Big Mac Attack
Greg McDermott's teams have consistently battled some of the best teams in the country.
   The chart below shows how his teams have consistently outpaced some of his predecessors against top-25 foes.
Category   Pre-McDermott   Under McDermott
vs. Top 25 Teams   18-115   34-47
vs. Top 10 Teams   5-31   12-21
vs. Top 10 on Road   1-28   4-11
vs. Top 25 on Road   2-63   9-23

Another Top 25 Foe Bites The Dust
Through games of Feb. 19, Creighton's 10 top-25 games are tied for fourth-most nationally with Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Kansas State, and trailing only the 11 played by Texas Tech, Kansas and Oklahoma.
   Through games of Feb. 19th, the only teams with more than Creighton's five top-25 victories this year are Iowa State (7), Kansas (6), Alabama (6) and Kansas State (6) while others with five top 25 wins include Texas, Tennessee, Arizona and Missouri.
   And when it comes to ranked teams, keep in mind that Creighton also played both Arizona State and Marquette before both teams moved into the top-25 later in the season after facing the Bluejays.
Creighton's Most Top-25 Wins, Season
   Wins   Season   Top-25 Victims
   6   2019-20   #8 Villanova, #10 Seton Hall,
           #12 Texas Tech, #19 Marquette,
           #21 Butler, #8 Seton Hall
   5   2021-22   #9 Villanova, #11 Providence,
           #17 UConn, #18 UConn, #24 BYU
   5   2022-23   #9 Arkansas, #13 Xavier,
           #19 Providence, #21 Texas Tech, #21 Connecticut
   4   2016-17   #9 Wisconsin, #12 Butler,
           #16 Butler, #22 Xavier
   4   2017-18   #3 Villanova, #19 Seton Hall,
           #20 Northwestern, #23 UCLA
   3   2020-21   #5 Villanova, #22 Xavier, #23 UConn
   2   1973-74   #6 Marquette, #16 Louisville
   2   2001-02   #15 Florida, #17 Western Kentucky
   2   2006-07   #11 Southern Illinois, #24 Xavier
   2   2013-14   #4 Villanova, #6 Villanova
   2   2015-16   #5 Xavier, #18 Butler
   2   2018-19   #10 Marquette, #16 Clemson

Most Games vs. Top 25 Teams, Season
   Games   Season   Coach
   12 (5-7)   2021-22   Greg McDermott
   10 (4-6)   2017-18   Greg McDermott
   10 (5-5)   2022-23   Greg McDermott
   8 (1-7)   2014-15   Greg McDermott
   8 (2-6)   2015-16   Greg McDermott
   8 (6-2)   2019-20   Greg McDermott

Most Top 25 Wins Since Start of 2021-22 Season
   Record   Team
   14-9   Kansas
   12-6   Tennessee
   12-10   Iowa State
   11-7   Alabama
   10-3   Arizona
   10-8   Marquette
   10-12   Creighton
   10-13   Texas Tech
   9-4   Purdue
   9-7   Baylor
   9-11   Villanova
   9-12   TCU

The Difference? Defense
Creighton is 5-5 in 10 games this season against top-25 teams. The Bluejays have scored 379 points (75.8 ppg.) in those five wins, and an identical 379 points in those five losses, as well.
   The difference? Defense.
   Creighton has allowed 67.8 points per game in the five wins compared to 81.2 points per game in the five losses.

Who Will Blink First?
Each of the top four teams atop the BIG EAST standings (Marquette, Creighton, Xavier, Providence) are a perfect 8-0 in BIG EAST home games this season with two weeks to play.
   Including non-conference action, that quartet is a combined 55-3 at home, with all three losses coming against Big Ten teams.
   Here's what remains for each team:
Team   2/21-22   2/24-26   2/28-3/1   3/4
MU (13-3)   @CU   DPU   @BU   SJU
CU (12-4)   MU   @VU   GU   @DPU
PC (12-4)   @CONN   @GU   XU   SHU
XU (12-4)   VU   @SHU   @PC   BU

BIG EAST Honors Black Fives Era
During the month of February, the BIG EAST Conference will celebrate Black History Month by partnering with the Black Fives Foundation, a nonprofit public charity whose mission is to research, preserve, showcase, teach, and honor the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball, to host 22 games honoring black athletes, coaches, and communities who played a critical part in the America's basketball history.
   Prior to the integration of the National Basketball Association in 1950, a nationwide-barnstorming circuit was created of independent African American teams. This era, which ran from the early 1900s to 1950, became known as the "Black Fives" Era, referring to the five starting players on a basketball team whose skill, athleticism, and innovative style of play helped shaped and popularize the game.
   For games against St. John's, Marquette and Villanova this month, Creighton will be wearing the name and logo of the Cudahy Rex to honor these pioneers.

Among The Best...EVER!
Ryan Kalkbrenner has made exactly 400 career field goals, meaning he's now eligible to appear in the NCAA's record book for career field goal percentage.
   The Florissant, Mo., native has attempted 601 career shots, putting him at 66.6 percent overall. That places the junior center eighth in NCAA history.
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
   .712 (477-670)   Kris Bankston, Norfolk State   2019-Pres.
   .678 (828-1222)   Steve Johnson, Oregon State   1976-81
   .677 (441-651)   Michael Bradley, Kentucky/Villanova   1998-01
   .668 (566-847)   Murray Brown, Florida State   1976-80
   .667 (740-1109)   Evan Bradds, Belmont   2013-17
   .666 (400-601)   Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton   2020-Pres.
   .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

Ryan BucketGetter
Ryan Kalkbrenner ranks second in the country in field goal percentage (.703) this season. That figure also ranks fifth-best in NCAA history among juniors, and 14th-best ever in a single-season by any player regardless of year of eligibility.
Best Season FG%, NCAA History (min. 5 FG/game)
   Pct. (FG-FGA)   Name, School   Years
   .800 (184-230)   Devontae Cacock, UNCW   2016-17
   .770 (211-274)   Udoka Azubike, Kansas   2017-18
   .748 (181-242)   Udoka Azubuike, Kansas   2019-20
   .746 (235-315)   Steve Johnson, Oregon State   1980-81
   .722 (179-248)   Dwayne Davis, Florida   1988-89
   .720 (136-189)   Max Fiedler, Rice   2022-23*
   .714 (210-294)   Evan Bradds, Belmont   2015-16*
   .713 (154-216)   Keith Walker, Utica   1984-85
   .710 (211-297)   Steve Johnson, Oregon State   1979-80*
   .708 1(114-161)   Josh Roberts, Manhattan   2022-23
   .7075 (150-212)   Adam Mark, Belmont   2001-02
   .707 (133-188)   Asbjorn Midtgaard, Grand Canyon   2020-21
   .704 (254-361)   Oliver Miller, Arkansas   1990-91*
   .7033 (147-209)   Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton   2022-23*
   .7026 (163-232)   Alan Williams, Princeton   1986-87
   .702 (231-329)   Mark McNamara, California   1981-82
   .700 (173-247)   Warren Kidd, MIddle Tennessee   1990-91
*Junior

The Kalkbrenner Difference
Here's a look at the difference with and without Ryan Kalkbrenner this season. Creighton played without Kalkbrenner in its first meeting this season against Marquette, with Fredrick King turning in 16 points and 10 rebounds and three blocked shots on 8-for-8 shooting from the floor.
Stat   Kalkbrenner Plays   Kalkbrenner Out
Team W-L   18-6   0-3
Team FG%   .475   .403
Team 3FG%   .355   .338
Team FG/Game   28.1   27.0
Rebound Margin   +5.5   -8.6
Off. Rebounds/Game   8.9   5.7
CU Points/Game   77.2   69.7
Opp. Points/Game   66.6   75.0
Scoring Margin   +10.6   -5.3
Turnovers/Game   11.5   13.0
Opp. FG%   .418   .440

Kalkbrenner Approaches 1,000 Points
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 982 career points, which ranks 46th-most in Bluejay history. He is 18 points from becoming the 45th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points, something no Bluejay has done since Marcus Zegarowski did it on Jan. 20, 2021 vs. Providence.
   Kalkbrenner, who owns a career-high of 24 points, and has 14 career games of 18 or more points, has appeared in 89 games as a Bluejay.
   Here's a list of Creighton's top scorers ever, as well as how long it took CU's last 20 men to reach 1,000 points.
Games To 1,000 Points, Last 20 Bluejays
Name   CU Games to 1,000 pts.    Date
Marcus Zegarowski   75   01/20/21
Mitch Ballock   100   11/29/20
Ty-Shon Alexander   85   01/15/20
Khyri Thomas   94   02/10/18
Marcus Foster   54   01/17/18
Austin Chatman   138   03/11/15
Ethan Wragge   132   01/18/14
Gregory Echenique   101   03/24/13
Doug McDermott   57   01/15/12
Antoine Young   115   12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr.   108   11/21/10
P'Allen Stinnett   86   01/16/10
Dane Watts   115   01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver   124   03/16/07
Johnny Mathies   91   03/03/06
Nate Funk   92   02/28/05
Kyle Korver   81   01/30/02
Ben Walker   105   01/06/01
Ryan Sears   97   12/01/00
Rodney Buford   59   03/01/97

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.   1,172   Dick Harvey   1956-59
   31.   1,155   Ethan Wragge   2009-14
   32.   1,152   Dane Watts   2004-08
   33.   1,140   Khyri Thomas   2015-18
   34.   1,116   Kenny Evans   1982-87
   35.   1,115   Doug Brookins   1972-75
       1,115   Daryl Stovall   1978-82
   37.   1,093   Tim Powers   1964-67
   38.   1,050   Reggie Morris   1982-86
   39.   1,031   Johnny Mathies   2003-06
   40.   1,024   P'Allen Stinnett   2007-10
   41.   1,023   Rod Mason   1986-88
   42.   1,013   Austin Chatman   2011-15
   43.   1,006   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
   44.   1,004   Anthony Tolliver   2003-07
   45.   994   Chuck Officer   1960-62, 1963-64
   46.   982   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
   47.   979   Terrell Taylor   1999-02
   48.   967   David Wesely   1975-79
   49.   965   Fritz Pointer   1963-66
   50.   939   Cyril Baptiste   1969-71

Rejected!
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns a blocked shot in each of Creighton's last 22 games, including multiple rejections in all but five of those contests.
   Last season Kalkbrenner had a block in 26 straight games from Nov. 16 - Feb. 26th, making him the first Bluejay with a swat in 20 straight games or longer since Benoit Benjamin began a streak of 28 consecutive contests with a rejection on Dec. 14, 1984, a streak that only ended when he left early for the NBA Draft.

Kalkbrenner Invites You To His Block Party
Ryan Kalkbrenner tied his career-high with six blocked shots on Jan. 3 vs. Seton Hall, giving him exactly 150 swats as a Bluejay. The six blocks are tied for the most by any BIG EAST player in a game this season, and the most in a conference game.
   In 34 regular-season conference games played since the start of last season, Kalkbrenner owns 93 blocked shots compared to just 56 fouls.
   Kalkbrenner ranks tied for second in program history in blocked shots with 183 matching Chad Gallagher for second place.
Most Creighton Blocked Shots, Since 1979-80
   Blk.   Name   Years
   411   Benoit Benjamin   1982-85
   183   Chad Gallagher   1987-91
   183   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
   174   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
   153   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2006-11

Scheierman Closes In On 1,500 Points
Baylor Scheierman enters Tuesday with 1,462 career points. The first 1,114 of those points came at South Dakota State, while he has scored 348 points as a Bluejay.
   Scheierman averages 12.9 points per game this season. His season-high is 25 points, while his career-high is 28 points. He had 14 points in the first meeting this season against the Golden Eagles.
   Scheierman also owns 402 career assists, including 82 this season. He's dished at least one helper in all but two games this season, and each of the last 19 contests in a row.

Five Weapons
All five Creighton starters are averaging at least 12.0 points per game. Per research from FOX Sports, that would make Creighton just the seventh team since 2009-10 that can say that.
   Last season marked the first time since 1964-65 that Creighton had five men average in double-figures for an entire season.
   Creighton has won 29 of its last 31 games when five or more players score in double-figures, losing only at No. 12 Xavier on Jan. 11, 2023 and at No. 24 Providence on Feb. 14, 2023.
Five Players Averaging 12.0+ PPG
Since 2009-10 (minimum 75 pct of team games)
Season   Team/Players   Final Record
2022-23   Creighton   18-9, Postseason TBD
Kalkbrenner (14.8), Alexander (13.4), Scheierman (12.9), Kaluma (12.2), Nembhard (12.0)
2020-21   Richmond   14-9, 0-1 NIT
Francis (16.1), Golden (12.7), Gilyard (12.3), Cayo (12.2), Burton (12.0)
2017-18   Kansas   31-8, 4-1 NCAA
Graham (17.3), Mykhailiuk (14.6), Newman (14.2), Azubuike (13.0), Vick (12.1)
2017-18   William & Mary   19-12, Missed Postseason
Knight (18.5), Pierce (14.7), Cohn (14.2), Milon (13.0), Burchfield (12.6)
2016-17   UCLA   31-5, 2-1 NCAA
Leaf (16.3), Alford (15.5), Ball (14.6), Hamilton (14.1), Holiday (12.3)
2015-16   North Florida   22-12, 0-1 NIT
Moore (19.8), Beech (15.4), Daniels (12.3), Davenport (12.3), Mackey (12.0)
2012-13   North Carolina State   24-11, 0-1 NCAA
Leslie (15.1), Howell (12.7), Wood (12.6), Brown (12.4), Warren (12.1)

On A Roll
Creighton has won nine of its past 10 games, with the lone loss coming in double-overtime at then-No. 24 Providence. CU has collected three top-25 wins at home (No. 19 Providence, No. 13 Xavier, No. 21 Connecticut) as well as four double-digit road wins in that span.
   In those 10 games, Creighton has outscored teams 75.7 - 65.2 and shot 81.5 percent from the line. All five starters have averaged at least 11.5 points per game during the run, while the bench has also contributed 100 points.

High Five
Creighton is 4-1 in the last five games despite trailing in the second half of each, and three of those contests coming on the road.
   The Bluejays have ridden their starters hard in that time, with Ryan Nembhard (40.8), Baylor Scheierman (38.6) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (38.2) all averaging at least 38 minutes per game.
   Despite the heavy minutes, that trio is a combined 38-for-41 at the line (92.7 percent), with Scheierman perfect in 12 attempts.
   As a team, Creighton's three-point shooting has improved to 37.6 percent in that time and the Jays are a stout 83.3 percent at the line. The Bluejay bench is 10-for-21 from deep (47.6 percent) in those five games.

Let It Fly
Creighton made 13-of-33 three-pointers in Saturday's win against St. John's.
   In 10 seasons in the BIG EAST, it was Creighton's 11th road game in league play in which the Jays have drained 13 or more trifectas, but first time since making 17-of-35 triples in a win at Seton Hall on Jan. 27, 2021.
   Creighton is 10-1 in BIG EAST road games all-time when making 13 three-pointers or more.

Strength vs. Strength
Per BartTorvik.com, Marquette leads the country in two-point percentage by making 59.3 percent of its two-point shots.
   By contrast, Creighton is 18th nationally in two-point percentage defense as teams shoot just 45.3 percent inside the arc against the Bluejays.
   In the first meeting this season, MU drained 21-of-39 two-point attempts, good for 53.8 percent, though it's worth noting that the Bluejays played without 2022 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner.
   Per KenPom.com, Marquette boasts the nation's No. 3 offense, while Creighton claims the No. 11 defense.

Home Court Advantage
Creighton is 8-0 in BIG EAST home games this season with two league home games left.
   Now in its 10th season as a member, the only previous time the Jays have won their first eight BIG EAST games came in 2013-14.
   That 2013-14 campaign, CU's first in the BIG EAST, saw the Jays finish a perfect 16-0 at home (9-0 in league play). Even more impressive? The Bluejays never trailed at any point in the second half of any of those 16 home games.
   The 2013-14 campaign remains the only time in 20 years of play at CHI Health Center Omaha that Creighton has finished unbeaten in league play at home. CU is 136-44 all-time in conference home games at CHI Health Center Omaha, 73-17 in 10 Missouri Valley Conference seasons and 63-27 in 10 years of BIG EAST home games.

Perfection At The Line
Creighton made all 16 free throw attempts at St. John's on Saturday, which is believed to be the most attempts without a miss in program history.
   The Bluejays were a perfect 8-for-8 at the line in the final 80 seconds, and are now shooting a cool 79.5 percent at the line in true road games this season.
   In all games this season, Creighton is shooting 77.3 percent (92-for-119) in the final five minutes at the line this season.

Spin Zone
Before you bemoan the fact that Creighton's bench ranks 344th in the country in points per game, keep in mind that the Bluejays rank 12th in the nation with 64.97 points per game by its starters.
   If you're curious, Marquette is 61st with 58.07 points per game by its starting five.

Bench Points!
Creighton got tremendous production from its bench at St. John's, as the group scored 13 of CU's first 24 points and 20 points overall.
   Shereef Mitchell made a career-high three three-pointers, Mason Miller's eight points were his most ever in a BIG EAST game and Francisco Farabello made his lone shot in his first action in four games.
   Creighton's 20 bench points were its most since scoring 29 the last time it meant St. John's in mid-January, and came after combining for a total of 29 points in the six games since the first meeting with the Johnnies.

A Dozen Will Do
Creighton is 12-4 in the BIG EAST this season and is the only school in the BIG EAST with 12 or more league wins each of the last four seasons.
   Among the other BIG EAST or "Power 5" Conference schools, UCLA and Virginia have already joined Creighton in doing it a fourth straight season, while Baylor (currently 9-5 in league play), Illinois (8-7) and Kansas (10-4) are trying to get there.

.500 Or Better in League Play, Again
Creighton is 12-4 in league play, clinching a .500 mark or better in league play once again. It is the 27th time in the last 28 seasons that Creighton has gone .500 or better in league play.
   The only BIG EAST teams to finish .500 or better in league play each of the previous five seasons are Creighton, Villanova and Seton Hall. The Wildcats are currently 7-9 in conference play, while Seton Hall is 9-8.

February Favorites
Creighton is 5-1 this February. In the past four seasons, Creighton owns a 22-6 mark in BIG EAST games during the month of February, including a 7-2 record against top-25 competition.
   That overall record ranks as the best in the BIG EAST, through games of Feb. 20.
BIG EAST Records in February, 2020 to Feb. 20, 2023
Team   W   L   Pct.
Creighton   22   6   .786
Providence   18   8   .692
Connecticut   13   7   .650
Seton Hall   18   10   .643
Villanova   17   12   .586
Marquette   12   12   .500
Xavier   12   14   .462
Butler   11   19   .367
St. John's   10   17   .370
Georgetown   8   22   .267
DePaul   6   20   .231

Equal Opportunity Member
With a win on Tuesday over Marquette, it would Creighton would defeat every BIG EAST team for the fourth time in 10 seasons as a member of the league (also 2013-14, 2019-20 and 2020-21).
   Each of those other seasons saw Creighton also advance to the BIG EAST Tournament final.

Fit To Be Tied
Just how close was Creighton and Providence last Tuesday? Neither team led by more than four points for a stretch of 42:41 of game time as it went from 13-9 with 14:57 left in the first half to 87-84 with 2:16 left in the second overtime.
   The 20 lead changes were tied for the most in a Bluejay game in the last 22 seasons with the 20 lead changes against Illinois State on Feb. 13, 2010.
   The 17 ties were the most in any Bluejay game in the last 22 seasons.

Team Streak
It's been a season of streaks for Creighton this winter.
   The Bluejays won their first six games from Nov. 7 - Nov. 22nd.
   CU then lost its next six games from Nov. 23-Dec. 16.
   After winning three (Dec. 22-Jan. 3) and then losing two (Jan. 7-11), the Jays had an eight-game win streak that dated to Jan. 14 snapped on Feb. 14 in Friartown.

Winning With Defense
Long revered for its offensive prowess, Creighton has turned into one of the nation's best defensive teams in recent seasons.
   This year's team ranks 11th in KenPom's defensive efficiency ratings after being 19th a year ago.
   On Feb. 11th, Creighton held Connecticut to nine points on 4-of-20 shooting from the field in the final 10:39 of a 56-53 win.
   One game earlier on Feb. 8, Creighton held Seton Hall to seven points on 3-of-15 shooting from the field in the final 11:58 of a 75-62 win.
   Creighton won 63-53 at Georgetown, holding the Hoyas to 35.3 percent shooting. GU's leading scorers, Brandon Murray and Primo Spears, both were scoreless in the first half and finished with a combined 21 points on 9-of-32 shooting from the floor.
   On Jan. 17 in a 73-52 win at Butler, Creighton held the Bulldogs to 3-of-13 shooting in the final 10:31 as part of a game-ending 20-8 run.
   In the final five minutes BIG EAST play this season, Bluejay opponents are shooting 35.4 percent from the floor (46-130), 21.4 percent from downtown (9-42) and have made just 43 free throws.
   In league games only, Creighton leads the BIG EAST in points per game allowed (66.74) and field goal percentage defense (.406).

McDermott Among The Best
A Nov. 10th article on CBSSports.com ranked the nation's best Top 25 And 1 coaches, with Creighton's Greg McDermott making that list.
   McDermott and Providence's Ed Cooley were the lone BIG EAST coaches named to the list.
   McDermott and Cooley both rank in the top-13 in league history for BIG EAST victories and are the only two active coaches with 100 regular-season BIG EAST wins. The list contains six different coaches who have won at least one national title.
   McDermott has been at his current job (13 seasons) longer than any active BIG EAST coach, but since his first three years were as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, Cooley's 12 years in the BIG EAST lead all active league coaches.
   McDermott needed to coach in 173 BIG EAST regular-season games to earn his 100th conference win, 10th-fastest in league history.
Most League Wins, BIG EAST MBB Coaches (2/13)
   Rk.   Wins   Name, School
   1.   366   Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
   2.   274   Jim Calhoun, UConn
   3.   244   Jay Wright, Villanova
   4.   198   John Thompson Sr., Georgetown
   5.   136   Mike Brey, Notre Dame
   6.   131   John Thompson III, Georgetown
   7.   127   Lou Carnesecca, St. John's
   8.   118   Ed Cooley, Providence
   9.   115   Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh
   10.   111   Rick Pitino, Providence/Louisville
   11.   110   Rollie Massimino, Villanova
   12.   107   Greg McDermott, Creighton
   13.   105   Kevin Willard, Seton Hall

Fewest BIG EAST Games To 100 MBB League Wins
   Rk.   Wins   Name, School
   1.   136   John Thompson Sr., Georgetown
   2.   145   Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh
   3.   152   Lou Carnesecca, St. John's
   4.   154   Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
   5.   156   Rick Pitino, Providence/Louisville
   6.   157   John Thompson III, Georgetown
   7.   168   Jim Calhoun, UConn
   8.   169   Mike Brey, Notre Dame
   9.   172   Jay Wright, Villanova
   10.   173   Greg McDermott, Creighton
   11.   174   Rollie Massimino, Villanova
   12.   190   Ed Cooley, Providence
   13.   211   Kevin Willard, Seton Hall

It's Been A While
Creighton was ranked ninth in the preseason Associated Press poll and vaulted to seventh after a 6-0 start and trip to the Maui Jim Maui Invitational title game.
   However, six straight losses from Nov. 23-Dec. 16 saw the Bluejays tumble not just out of the top 25, but to the point where it went back-to-back weeks (Dec. 19 & Dec. 26) where it didn't receive a single vote for the Top 25.
   But a 12-3 stretch over 15 games from Dec. 22 - Feb. 19 has seen CU return to the rankings, where it is now 19th.
   Per research from FOX Sports, the Bluejays are the first team in the last 14 seasons (since 2009-10) to be ranked at any time in a season after suffering through a six-game losing streak.

Alexander Inspired By Jim Jackson
Currently an analyst for FOX Sports, Jim Jackson was named UPI Player of the Year as a standout at Ohio State during the 1991-92 campaign.
   The Feb. 11th win over UConn marked the third Creighton game this season with Jackson calling the game, and on each occasions the Jays have gotten a standout performance from sophomore guard Trey Alexander.
   Jackson did five Creighton games last year -- CU's final five contests as it turns out -- when Alexander averaged 13.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game.
Trey Alexander's Stats
Jackson Status   PPG   APG   RPG   3FG%   FT%
With Jim Jackson    17.8   3.5   3.8   .474   .800
   8 game totals   142   28   30   18-38   32-40
Without Jim Jackson   8.9   2.3   3.8   .339   .811
   54 game totals   479   126   207   44-132   107-132

Sold Out in Omaha
February 11th marked Creighton's third straight home sellout, the first time it has met or exceeded CHI Health Center Omaha's 17,352 capacity that many times in a row since the final six home games in 2019-20 when the Jays captured their first BIG EAST regular-season title.
   It's also the first time Creighton's had three straight home crowds over 18,000 since the final three home games of 2017-18. The Jays have not attracted four straight crowds of 18,000 or more since the final four home games of 2013-14 and the home opener in 2014-15.
   Creighton has now sold out five home games this season (Nebraska, Providence, Xavier, Villanova, UConn) and played in front of 12 sellouts overall (also vs. Texas Tech, Arkansas and Arizona in Maui, as well as road games at UConn, Xavier, Providence and St. John's).
   Creighton ranks sixth nationally this season with 17,108 fans per home game.
2022-23 NCAA Home Attendance Per Game Leaders
Through 2/19/23
   Rank   School   Average
   1.   Kentucky   19,814
   2.   North Carolina   19,603
   3.   Arkansas   19,032
   4.   Syracuse   18,795
   5.   Tennessee   18,707
   6.   Creighton   17,108
   7.   Kansas   16,300
   8.   Indiana   15,952
   9.   Illinois   14,993
   10.   Wisconsin   14,854

Some Loyal Fans
Creighton's average home crowd of 17,108 this year ranks fifth-most in program history.
   Creighton had never attracted more than 141,000 home fans in any season prior to the opening of CHI Health Center Omaha, and now has done it each of the last 19 non-COVID seasons.
   Creighton has led its conference in average home attendance every year (except the 2020-21 COVID season) since moving into CHI Health Center Omaha, which is in its 20th season.
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,413   Creighton   2016-17
   17,314   Creighton   2019-20
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,108   Creighton   2022-23
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   17,000   Creighton   2017-18

Watch This
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Creighton senior Baylor Scheierman is a Top 10 candidate for the 2023 Julius Erving Award. Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor in its ninth year recognizes the top small forward in Division I men's college basketball.
   A senior from Aurora, Neb., Scheierman is averaging 12.9 points per game and leads the nation's 19th-ranked team with 8.1 rebounds per game and 66 made three-pointers. He ranks 13th nationally with 7.22 defensive rebounds per game and 32nd with 10 double-doubles.
   In March, five finalists will be presented to Erving and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Julius Erving Award is composed of top men's college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
   Previous winners of the Julius Erving Award are Wendell Moore Jr., Duke (2022), Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (2021), Saddiq Bey, Villanova (2020), Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga (2019), Mikal Bridges, Villanova (2018), Josh Hart, Villanova (2017), Denzel Valentine, Michigan State (2016) and Stanley Johnson, Arizona (2015).

Home Grown Bluejays
The BIG EAST owns 57 transfers spread out amongst its 11 teams, but Creighton owns just two of them (Francisco Farabello and Baylor Scheierman). Only Villanova (1) has fewer, while Seton Hall owns a league-high 10 transfers.
Transfers On Roster, Current BIG EAST
   10   Seton Hall
   9   DePaul
   8   Georgetown
   7   Providence
   5   St. John's
   4   Connecticut
   4   Xavier
   4   Butler
   3   Marquette
   2   Creighton
   1   Villanova

Among The Best
Since the league's 2013 realignment, Villanova has 137 league wins to lead the BIG EAST by a wide margin, but Creighton's 107 league victories are second-most.
Most Men's Basketball BIG EAST Wins
(2013-14 to 2/19/23)
Team   W   L   Pct.
Villanova   137   40   .774
Creighton   107   74   .591
Providence   104   73   .588
Xavier   100   74   .574
Seton Hall   96   85   .530
Marquette   92   88   .511
Butler   83   100   .454
St. John's   69   112   .381
Georgetown   60   118   .337
DePaul   39   139   .219
Connecticut   33   19   .635

Pure Charity
Creighton has made 128-of-157 free throw attempts (81.5 percent) during the past 10 games.
   For the season, Creighton is shooting 75.7 percent as a team from the charity stripe. That's the team's best mark since shooting 75.9 percent in 2012-13, and would be the second-best figure in Greg McDermott's 13-year tenure at CU.

Double-Digit BIG EAST Wins
Creighton leads all teams in BIG EAST play with a +8.81 scoring margin, so it shouldn't be a shock that it also owns the league lead with nine double-digit conference wins this winter.
   Creighton's six league victories by 15 points or more also top the conference, and are the most by any league school since Creighton had seven league wins by 15 or more in both 2020-21 and 2019-20. No BIG EAST team has had more than seven league wins by 15 or more points since Villanova had nine in 2017-18.
   10 Pt. BE Wins   15 Pt. BE Wins   Team
   9   6   Creighton
   7   3   Marquette
   7   3   Providence
   5   4   Seton Hall
   5   3   Connecticut
   5   1   Xavier
   4   3   Villanova
   3   2   St. John's
   1   1   Butler
   1   0   DePaul
   0   0   Georgetown

Foul Play
Creighton has committed just six personal fouls in two of the its last six games, which no doubt contributes to its 12.9 fouls per game that is second-best nationally.
   Creighton is one of five teams this year with multiple games of six fouls or fewer (joining Nebraska, Notre Dame, Richmond and South Diego State), and is the first club with back-to-back games of six fouls or less since Hofstra on Nov. 22 & 24, 2021 vs. Richmond and Molloy.
   Creighton's defense is keyed by 2022 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner, who leads the league in blocks per game. In the past two seasons, Kalkbrenner has swatted 145 shots in 58 games played while collecting as many as four personal fouls just four times.
   In Creighton's last seven games, Bluejay opponents have made a total of 10 free throws in the final 10 minutes of the second half (not including overtimes).

Bizarro World
In the preseason, most human "experts" had Creighton as a top-10 team, while the computers had the Jays closer to the 20-30 range.
   Now that the season is past the midway point and into February, the tables have turned.
   Creighton is currently ranked 19th in the Associated Press poll and 19th in the USA Today Coaches polls.
   However, the Bluejays are 10th in KenPom, 12th in Bart Torvik, 11th in the Sagarin ratings and 13th in the NET through games of Feb. 19. Since Ryan Kalkbrenner returned on Dec. 22nd, Bart Torvik's site ranks Creighton fifth and Marquette is 17th.

Top BIG EAST Starts
Creighton is off to an 12-4 start in BIG EAST play this season, tied for its second-best mark (also 2020-21) through 16 games since joining the league in the summer of 2013.
   Creighton started 13-3 in its debut season of 2013-14. That team, however, lost its 17th league contest, meaning a win on Tuesday would move CU to 13-4, matching its best 17-game start BIG EAST start ever with 2013-14 and 2020-21.
   Since joining the BIG EAST, Creighton is 5-4 in its 17th game of the league season, including wins in five of the previous six seasons.

Just Call Him Trey-lor Scheierman
Baylor Scheierman has made a three-point basket in all 27 games he's played this season, stretching his streak dating to last year to 37 in a row if you include the end of his time at South Dakota State.
   Ty-Shon Alexander owns the longest streak in Creighton history of 33, done from Feb. 27, 2018 - March 6, 2019.
    It's worth noting that Kyle Korver's third-place streak of 28 games with a trey was snapped when he did not attempt a field goal in 24 minutes of play during an 83-56 win over UNI (and head coach Greg McDermott) on Feb. 9, 2002. Korver then drained a triple in 27 more games in a row, a stretch from Feb. 13, 2002 to Jan. 20, 2003 before it was snapped against Evansville (and head coach Steve Merfeld).
   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
   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
   27   Baylor Scheierman   Nov. 7, 2022 - Present
   25   Rodney Buford   Jan. 25, 1997-Jan. 10, 1998
   23   Ethan Wragge   Nov. 8, 2013-Feb. 9, 2014
   23   Mitch Ballock   Nov. 12, 2019-Feb. 8, 2020
   23   Marcus Zegarowski   Dec. 17, 2020 - March 28, 2021
   22   Khyri Thomas   Jan. 28-Dec. 5, 2017
   21   Ethan Wragge   Jan. 3-March 24, 2010
   20   Johnny Mathies   Dec. 22, 2004-Feb. 28, 2005
   20   Marcus Foster   Dec. 31, 2017-March 16, 2018

Consecutive Games With A 3-Pointer
Nation's Longest Active Streaks (through 2/20/23)
   Streak   Name, School   Next Game
   62   Kamdyn Curfman, Marshall   2/22
   58   Darius McGhee. Liberty   2/22
   57   Jordan "Jelly" Walker, UAB   2/23
   40   Taijon Jones, UNC Asheville   2/22
   39   Santiago Vescovi, Tennessee   2/21
   37   Baylor Scheierman, Creighton   2/18
   33   Jarod Lucas, Nevada   2/21

Nembhard Nears Triple-Double
Benoit Benjamin owns all three triple-doubles in Creighton history, but each were of the point/rebound/block variety and done in the 1980's.
   The Bluejays have never had a traditional point/rebound/assist triple-double, though Ryan Nembhard flirted with one on Jan. 28th when he had 11 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists vs. Xavier.
   Nembhard is the third Bluejay with at least eight points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a game under Greg McDermott, joining Damien Jefferson (10 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists at St. John's on 12/17/20) and Khyri Thomas (16 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists vs. DePaul on 2/27/18).

Giving It 100
Creighton won a 104-76 game vs. St. John's on Jan. 25, bringing up a bevy of numbers related to the century mark.
   Creighton improved to 64-3 all-time when scoring 100 or more points, while Greg McDermott rose to 22-1 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 100 or more points.
   Creighton's 104 points were its second-most ever in regulation in a conference game, trailing only its 115 in a 35-point win vs. Indiana State on Jan. 19, 1985. No BIG EAST team had scored 104 points or more in regulation since 2017.
   It was Creighton's first game with 100+ points in regulation since Dec. 20, 2018 vs. Coe and the first time with 100+ points in regulation against a Division I team since Dec. 20, 2017 vs. USC Upstate.
    It was Creighton's first game scoring 50 points or more in both halves since Dec. 20, 2018 vs. Coe and first time exceeding 50 points in both halves since posting 58 in each half of a 116-62 rout of USC Upstate on Dec. 20, 2017.
   Creighton has not scored 100 points in a true road game since a 106-86 victory at UMKC on Dec. 18, 1989, though it has surpassed the century mark three times on neutral floors since then (most recently 100 on Nov. 20, 2017 vs. No. 22 UCLA).
   After never coaching a team to 100 or more points in nine combined seasons at Northern Iowa and Iowa State, Creighton has now scored 100 or more points 23 times under Greg McDermott, tied for the 10th-most nationally as seen below:
Most Games With 100+ Points Since 2010-11
   Rk.   100+ Pt. Games   School
   1.   46   Gonzaga
   2.   36   VMI
   3.   35   The Citadel
   4.   34   North Carolina
   5.   27   Charleston Southern
   6.   26   Central Michigan
       26   Fort Wayne
   8.   25   Houston Christian
   9.   24   Portland State
   10.   23   Creighton
       23   Indiana
       23   Winthrop

Kalkbrenner Recognized For Defense
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of 15 men on the Watch List for this year's Naismith Trophy Men's Defensive Player of the Year award, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Jan. 26.
   Kalkbrenner leads the BIG EAST with 2.3 blocked shots per game, which also ranks 12th nationally. Kalkbrenner also paces the conference with 2.8 blocked shots per league game.
   Last season the Florissant, Mo., native became Creighton's third BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in six seasons following a vote of league coaches.
   Kalkbrenner has also been named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Watch List, the USBWA Oscar Robertson Midseason Watch List, the Wooden Award Preseason Watch List and Preseason Jersey Mike's Naismith Award Watch List during his junior campaign.
   Last year the 10 semifinalists for the award were named on March 1st, with the list being trimmed to four finalists on March 16. Auburn's Walker Kessler was announced as the winner on April 3rd at the Final Four. Other past winners include Baylor's Davion Mitchell (2020-21), Kansas' Marcus Garrett (2019-20), Washington's Matisse Thybulle (2018-19) and West Virginia's Jevon Carter (2017-18).

Give Me 10
Currently 12-1 inside CHI Health Center Omaha, Creighton now owns at least 10 home wins for the 26th time in the last 27 seasons.
    The only exception in that time came in 2014-15, when the Jays won nine times at home.
   Creighton also has surpassed 200,000 total home fans for the season for the 17th time in the last 18 years. The only exception was the 2020-21 season that was impacted by COVID-19, which restricted crowds nationwide.

The Double-Digit Kid
Ryan Nembhard had his first points/rebounds double-double at Butler when he finished with 12 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
   It was the second double-double of his career, as he had 15 points and 10 assists in his Bluejay debut in November of 2021.
   It took the sophomore all of 10 days to do it again, as he had 11 points and 10 rebounds (as well as eight assists) on Jan. 28 vs. No. 13 Xavier.
   Though Creighton's never had a traditional points/rebounds/assists triple-double, Nembhard is the first Creighton player with (different) games of 10+ points, 10+ rebounds and 10+ assists in his CU career since Austin Chatman in his career from 2011-15.
   The last Bluejay with (different) games of 10+ points, 10+ rebounds and 10+ assists in the same season was Grant Gibbs in 2011-12.
   No Creighton player has had double-doubles in points/assists and points/rebounds in the same season since at least 1981-82.

Kalkbrenner On Watch List For An Oscar
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of 50 players nationally to be named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List, the United States Basketball Writers Association announced.
   Kalkbrenner is one of five BIG EAST players on the list, joining Souley Boum (Xavier), Bryce Hopkins (Providence), Adama Sonogo (Connecticut) and Joel Soriano (St. John's).
   He is just the second different Creighton player in head coach Greg McDermott's 13 seasons to make the Midseason Watch list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, joining Doug McDermott in 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14. McDermott became the lone Creighton recipient ever to win the Oscar Robertson Trophy when he was recognized following the 2013-14 campaign.
   Kalkbrenner leads Creighton with 14.8 points per game and leads the BIG EAST with 2.3 blocked shots per contest. He ranks third nationally in field goal percentage (.703) and is second on the Bluejays with 6.8 rebounds per game.

Butler's Two-Point Conversions Failed
Creighton held Butler to just 27.3 percent shooting from two-point range on Jan. 18th, the seventh-best defensive mark in Greg McDermott's 13 years on the Bluejay sideline.
Creighton's Best Defensive 2FG%, Since 2010-11
   2FG%   2FG-2FGA   Opponent (*BIG EAST)   Date
   .222   8-36   Maryland-Eastern Shore   12-15-17
   .259   7-27   at Georgetown*   02-09-21
   .263   5-19   Coe   12-20-18
   .273   12-44   at Butler*   01-17-23
   .282   11-39   Wagner   03-19-16
   .289   11-38   Bemidji State   02-13-18
   .292   14-48   Butler*   01-23-16

What's Luck Got To Do With It?
In the KenPom.com rankings through Feb. 15th, Creighton ranks 343rd of 363 teams in the site's "Luck" category, while Marquette is 262nd-luckiest.
   The KenPom.com site defines "Luck" as the deviation in winning percentage between a team's actual record and their expected record using the correlated gaussian method. The luck factor has nothing to do with the rating calculation, but a team that is very lucky (positive numbers) will tend to be rated lower by his system than their record would suggest.

Jays Surpass 26K at CHI
Creighton has scored 26,248 points all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha, surpassing 26,000 in the facility on Jan. 25 vs. St. John's.
   Creighton has outscored the opposition 26,248-21,995 at the 20-year old facility in 335 all-time games in the building that count.
   Creighton is 25-1 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone at CHI Health Center Omaha, as seen below:
Date   Pts-Opp (CLCO Game #)   Who/How vs. Opp.
02/18/04   1,000-787 (14)   Lindeman FG vs. Indiana State
02/05/05   2,000-1,696 (28)   Funk FG vs. Missouri St.
01/18/06   3,000-2,504 (41)   Watts FT vs. Bradley
01/09/07   4,000-3,359 (56)   Tolliver FG vs. Drake
12/17/07   5,000-4,174 (69)   Kaleb Korver 3FG vs. Hou. Baptist
11/16/08   6,000-5,048 (82)   Dotzler FG vs. New Mexico
02/11/09   7,000-5,870 (95)   Witter 3FG vs. Bradley
01/16/10   8,000-6,750 (109)   Young FG vs. Wichita State
12/20/10   9,000-7,645 (123)   Wragge FG vs. W. Illinois
03/23/11   10,000-8,500 (136)   Lawson FG vs. UCF
01/21/12   11,000-9,310 (148)   McDermott FG vs. Ind. St.
12/19/12   12,000-10,136 (161)   Echenique FG vs. Tulsa
11/23/13   13,000-10,922 (173)   Artino FG vs. Tulsa
02/23/14   14,000-11,711 (185)   Gibbs FG vs. Seton Hall
01/28/15   15,000-12,612 (198)   Hanson FT vs. St. John's
12/28/15   16,000-13,498 (211)   Huff FG vs. Coppin State
11/15/16   17,000-14,349 (224)   Patton FG vs. #9 Wisconsin
01/28/17   18,000-15,166 (235)   Hanson FG vs. DePaul
12/18/17   19,000-15,927 (246)   Foster 3FG vs. UT Arlington
11/06/18   20,000-16,741 (258)   Ballock 3FG vs. W. Illinois
02/03/19   21,000-17,619 (270)   Zegarowski FG vs. Xavier
12/07/19   22,000-18,463 (282)   Ballock 3FG vs. Nebraska
03/07/20   23,000-19,280 (294)   Mahoney 3FG vs. #8 Seton Hall
02/13/21   24,000-20,103 (306)   Zegarowski FG vs. #5 Villanova
02/14/22   25,000-20,950 (320)   Hawkins 3FG vs. Georgetown
01/25/23   26,000-21,786 (333)   Nembhard 3FG vs. St. John's

Turning Point, Again?
This year has some similarities to the 2019-20 season, shooting 46.7 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from deep and 75.7 percent at the line while scoring 76.3 points per game and allowing 67.5 per contest.
   Through 27 games the 2019-20 squad was 21-6 and shooting 47.0 percent from the field, 37.7 percent from deep and 73.5 percent at the line while scoring 78.1 points per game and allowing 69.5 points per contest.
   Creighton started the 2019-20 season with a 2-3 league record but the season flipped with a home win over Providence in mid-January. That team defeated Providence 78-74 on a go-ahead three-pointer by Marcus Zegarowski with 3.2 seconds left to start a four-game win streak. The Jays would win 11 of their final 13 games to finish 13-5 in league play and tie for the program's lone BIG EAST title in program history.
   This year's team started with a 3-3 league record before a 73-67 win over Providence and is now 12-4 in conference play.

The Schedule...It Is Strong
Creighton ranks 74th nationally in winning percentage, but owns an NET of 13 (through Feb. 19) thanks in part to a challenging schedule that ranks ninth-toughest nationally among average opponent NET rankings.
   That matches Creighton's best NET of the season, and best at any point of a previous season since it was 13th on Jan., 13, 2021.
   A win on Tuesday would mark Creighton's fifth Quad 1 win of the season, tied for second-best among BIG EAST teams.
   Creighton has already played 19 games against teams with a top-100 NET ranking:
   NET   Opponent   CU Result
   8   at UConn   L 60-69
   8   UConn   W 56-53
   9   at Texas   L 67-72
   11   vs. Arizona   L 79-81
   14   at Marquette   L 58-69
   14   Marquette   Tuesday
   19   vs. Arkansas   W 90-87
   25   at Xavier   L 87-90
   25   Xavier   W 84-67
   38   Providence   W 73-67
   38   at Providence   L 84-96 (2OT)
   54   vs. Texas Tech   W 76-65
   71   Seton Hall   W 83-61
   71   at Seton Hall   W 75-62
   70   vs. Arizona State   L 71-73
   84   Villanova   W 66-61
   84   at Villanova   Saturday
   92   Nebraska   L 53-63
   94   vs. BYU   L 80-83
   97   St. John's   W 104-76
   97   at St. John's   W 77-67
   122   Butler   W 78-56
   122   at Butler   W 73-52
   141   UC Riverside   W 80-51
   167   DePaul   W 80-65
   188   St. Thomas   W 72-60
   220   at Georgetown   W 63-53
   280   North Dakota   W 96-61
   329   Holy Cross   W 94-65

Scheierman Drains 200th Trey
Baylor Scheierman enters Tuesday's tilt having made 225 three-pointers in his college career, doing so at a 40.0 percent clip.
   Scheierman also owns 1,462 points, 853 rebounds, 402 assists and 115 career steals.
   Per Basketball-Reference.com, Scheierman is the nation's only player in the last 30 years with career totals of at least 200 three-pointers, 400 assists and 750 defensive rebounds.

Kaluma Pounds The Glass
Arthur Kaluma grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds on Jan. 7 at No. 4 UConn, four more than his previous best done twice previously.
   Kaluma's 16 rebounds were the most by a Bluejay since joining the BIG EAST 10 years ago, and last matched on Nov. 12, 2012 when Gregory Echenique also had 16 boards vs. UAB.
   After just one double-double in his first 45 career games, Kaluma posted back-to-back double-doubles vs. Seton Hall and UConn. He finished the Jan. 11 game at Xavier with 11 points and nine rebounds, coming up just one board short of joining Baylor Scheierman, Ryan Hawkins, Martin Krampelj and Doug McDermott (twice) as the only Bluejays to record three straight double-doubles since 1994-95.
Most Rebounds, Game, Since 1994-95
   Reb.   Player vs. Opponent   Date
   18   Kenny Lawson Jr. vs. St. Joseph's   12-11-2010
   17   Doug McDermott at Bradley   02-11-2011
   16   Donald Davenport at Missouri St.   01-21-1995
   16   Kenny Lawson Jr. vs. Drake   01-01-2011
   16   Doug McDermott at Akron   02-19-2011
   16   Gregory Echenique vs. UAB   11-12-2012
   16   Arthur Kaluma at UConn   01-07-2023
   15   Ben Walker at Baylor   12-04-1999
   15   Justin Carter vs. Kentucky   03-23-2009
   15   Doug McDermott vs. Tulsa   11-23-2013
   15   Ronnie Harrell Jr. vs. #23 UCLA   11-20-2017
   15   Christian Bishop vs. Ohio   03-22-2021
   15   Ryan Kalkbrenner at Georgetown   02-12-2022

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

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

Offense Under The Christmas Tree
Trey Alexander was averaging 4.5 points per game in mid-January a year ago before averaging 9.6 points in his final 20 outings for an overall 7.4 points per game average for his rookie campaign.
   This season Alexander is averaging 13.4 points per game and has scored seven points or more in all but two contests.
   Starting with his career-high 32 points vs. DePaul on Christmas Day, Alexander has averaged 15.6 points per game and scored in double-figures in all but two of those.
    Alexander continues to be rock solid at the free throw line, making 80.0 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe. He made 10-of-11 foul shots on Jan. 14 vs. Providence, including 6-for-6 marksmanship down the stretch.
Nationally Relevant
Through games of Feb. 19, Creighton ranked second-best in the country in fewest fouls per game (12.9). The Jays are also sixth in defensive rebounds per game (28.89) and 36th in assist/turnover ratio (1.35).
   Individually, Baylor Scheierman ranks 32nd nationally with 10 double-doubles and 13th with 7.22 defensive rebounds per game.
   Teammate Ryan Kalkbrenner is third in field goal percentage (70.3%) among players to make five field goals per game.
   Ryan Nembhard ranks 33rd in assist/turnover ratio (2.67), 43rd in assists per game (5.0) and 41st in total assists (135).

On The Rebound
Baylor Scheierman gets lots of attention for his shooting and passing skills, but he did lead the Summit League in rebounding last year as well.
   Scheierman has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 11 games this season, and has 10 double-doubles to date. The 10 double-doubles rank 32nd nationally, while his 7.22 defensive rebounds per game are 13th-most in the country.
   The Aurora, Neb., product's current 8.1 rebounds per game average is the second-best mark by a Bluejay since Benoit Benjamin averaged 14.1 rebounds per game in 1984-85, trailing only Doug McDermott's 8.2 in 2011-12.
   Scheierman remains on pace to become the first man in school history to average at least 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 three-pointers per game.
   Earlier this year Scheierman became the first Bluejay with four straight double-doubles since Doug McDermott from Nov. 25-Dec. 10, 2011.
    Since the 1994-95 season, Scheierman, Ryan Hawkins, Martin Krampelj and McDermott (twice) are the only four Bluejays to record three straight double-doubles.
   Here's a list of the Creighton players with seven or more double-doubles in a season under Greg McDermott:
Most Double-Doubles, Season, Since 2010-11
   D-D   Creighton Player   Year
   11   Doug McDermott   2011-12
   11   Ryan Hawkins   2021-22
   10   Doug McDermott   2012-13
   10   Baylor Scheierman   2022-23
   9   Doug McDermott   2010-11
   7   Doug McDermott   2013-14
   7   Martin Krampelj   2018-19

Fantastic Five
Much has been written about Creighton's starting five this season, and the success CU has had when Ryan Nembhard, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Trey Alexander, Arthur Kaluma and Baylor Scheierman are on the floor together.
   The quintet has played 470:25 (of a possible 1,290 minutes) together this season, outscoring the opposition 919-761 in those minutes.
   In 10 games against ranked foes, the group has been paired together for 231:00 (of a possible 410 minutes), and outscored opponents 456-412.
With All 5 Regular Starters On the Floor
Opponent   CU Pts.   Opp Pts.   Diff.   Time
St. Thomas   36   34   +2   20:10
North Dakota   41   31   +10   18:42
Holy Cross   24   11   +13   9:28
UC Riverside   37   14   +23   17:31
#21 Texas Tech   58   49   +9   22:36
#9 Arkansas   33   25   +8   19:36
#14 Arizona   50   51   (-1)   21:17
#2 Texas   44   40   +4   24:49
Nebraska   17   22   (-5)   15:22
Butler   20   19   +1   13:09
DePaul   40   24   +16   14:57
Seton Hall   28   15   +13   14:51
#4 Connecticut   41   40   +1   24:51
#12 Xavier   58   55   +3   23:19
#19 Providence   40   21   +19   19:19
Butler   27   23   +4   14:00
St. John's   35   32   +3   11:28
#13 Xavier   48   39   +9   22:40
Georgetown   36   23   +13   23:34
Villanova   46   45   +1   27:50
Seton Hall   40   25   +15   20:15
#21 Connecticut   17   22   (-5)   14:13
#24 Providence   67   70   (-3)   38:20
St. John's   36   31   +5   18:08
TOTAL   919   761   +158   470:25

Arc's-manship
Creighton shoots 36.1 percent from three-point range in BIG EAST play, and it's been a telling stat.
   In 12 league wins, Creighton is shooting 109-for-283 from deep (38.5 percent).
   In four league losses, Creighton is shooting 23-for-83 from deep (27.7 percent).
    Creighton is 72-4 under Greg McDermott when making at least half of its three-point attempts, including a 40-1 mark in the past 10 seasons. The lone loss as a BIG EAST member was a 106-104 overtime setback to No. 21 Marquette on Jan. 9, 2019.
   According to Basketball-Reference.com, since McDermott was hired in 2010, Creighton's 76 games shooting 50 percent or better from downtown trail only Weber State (80).

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

King Him!
After 38 total points and 25 total rebounds in the first 10 games of his college career, Fredrick King put together back-to-back double-doubles after being pressed into a starting role when Ryan Kalkbrenner was sidelined by a non-COVID illness in mid-December. King had 16 points and 11 rebounds vs. Arizona State on Dec. 12th, then added 16 points and 10 rebounds at Marquette four days later.
   King is CU's freshman with multiple double-doubles in a season since Justin Patton had three in 2016-17.
   King is CU's first true freshman with multiple double-doubles in a season since Doug McDermott had nine in 2010-11. McDermott had also been the last Bluejay freshman with back-to-back double-doubles, having done it on Feb. 1 and Feb. 5, 2011.
   For his efforts, King was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Dec. 19.
   After shooting 8-for-8 vs. Marquette, King was 3-for-3 from the field against Butler to move him to 11-for-11 in league play with eight dunks. He is currently 21-for-32 from the field with 12 dunks in conference contests.

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

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

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

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

Sophomores Standing Tall
Legendary Marquette coach Al McGuire once said that the best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores. The Bluejay trio of Arthur Kaluma, Trey Alexander and Ryan Nembhard were all part of the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team last season, and all three are off to fantastic starts as sophomores.
   This year the trio have combined to average 37.6 points per contest.
   Collectively, they shoot 43.5 percent from the field (350-809), 35.9 percent from downtown (113-313) and 77.9 percent at the line (202-257) while also contributing 381 rebounds and 245 assists against just 149 turnovers.
   Creighton is 22-4 in the last two seasons when all three men play and they combine for 13 or more rebounds.

An Area for Improvement
One area that Creighton will look to improve in 2022-23 is its marksmanship from behind the arc, as last year's 30.8 percent shooting from deep was its worst as a team since 1993-94.
   The Creighton staff is confident those numbers can improve as its talented freshman class is now sophomores. Thus far, Creighton is third in the BIG EAST with 8.6 three-pointers made per game and third with 35.3 percent marksmanship from deep.
   Last year's freshmen combined to shoot 27.2 percent from deep (85-313), but they're not the first Bluejay freshmen to struggle early on from downtown, as seen in the chart below of some other prominent marksmen.
   Even that chart is a little misleading, as Doug McDermott shot 15-of-53 (.283) from deep in his first 20 games of his freshman year before finishing 32-of-63 (.508) in his last 19 games. Likewise, Kyle Korver was shooting 11-for-41 (.268) from downtown after his first 14 contests before blistering the nets to the tune of 52-of-104 (.500).
   As a Freshman   Other College Years
Name   3FG-3FGA   3FG%   3FG-3FGA   3FG%
Ky. Korver   63-145   .434   308-674   .457
McDermott   47-116   .405   237-482   .492
Ty. Alexander   32-96   .333   178-469   .380
Ballock   44-135   .326   264-638   .414
Tr. Alexander   18-64   .281   44-106   .415
Nembhard   33-106   .311   38-109   .349
Kaluma   27-102   .265   31-98   .316

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 336 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 20-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 277-59 (.824) 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 26,248-21,995 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.66 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 88 different times, including twice this year (Holy Cross, DePaul).
   Incredibly, Creighton hasn't trailed in its home opener in 10 of the past 23 seasons (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2019-20).
   Creighton is also 32-35 all-time in the 67 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 8-11 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 40-29 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 180-41 (.814) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn't trailed in 63 of those games. In that same span, CU owns a 95-9 home record vs. non-conference teams.
   Factor in a 17-0 home mark at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 and two wins at the Civic in the 2010 CIT, and the Bluejays are 296-59 (.834) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Home Run
Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.33 points per home game (17,754 points in 221 home games), a figure that climbs to 83.84 points in non-conference home games (8,719 points in 104 home games).
   Creighton is 134-6 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points, with four of those losses coming against Marquette.

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

Youth Is Served
In case you've forgotten, Creighton had at least one freshman on the floor for every second of every game last season, and actually had a late stretch of 1:28 vs. Colorado State when all five of its players on the floor were freshmen.
   All told, 3171:36 of Creighton's 7,075 total minutes (44.83 percent) were played by freshmen last season.
   By comparison, in 2020-21 Creighton had a freshman on the floor just 32.4 percent of the time and had multiple freshmen on the floor just 17 minutes (of 1,250) all season (1.4 percent). Only 7.5 percent (465:52 of 6250) of CU's overall minutes were played by freshmen in 2020-21.
   Through 27 games this season, Creighton's freshmen have played 611:18 of 5,450 possible minutes (11.22 percent).
2021-22 Minute Breakdown
Freshmen   Time   Score   Margin
0 freshmen:   Never   --   --
1 freshman:   34:23   59-49   +10
2 freshmen:   962:14   1,692-1,578   +114
3 freshmen:   347:15   611-407   +4
4 freshmen:   45:54   54-85   (-31)
5 freshmen:   1:`28   5-2   +3

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

20 Wins, Again
Creighton had 23 wins in 2021-22, securing a seventh straight 20-win season.
   Creighton is one of six schools with 20 or more wins in each of the previous seven seasons, joining Belmont, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Oregon.

22 of 24 Seasons With 20 Wins
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 22 of the last 24 seasons, a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
   Just two schools have had 20 or more wins each of the last 24 years: Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 23 times, Creighton and Kentucky 22 times.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 24 Seasons
Team   20-Win Seasons       2021-22 W-L
Gonzaga   24   28-4
Kansas   24   34-6
Duke   23   32-7
Creighton   22   23-12
Kentucky   22   26-8

More Than Just Being Tall
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 142 dunks in his career, including 69 last year. He has more career dunks than any other Bluejay player since Greg McDermott's arrival in 2010.
   Here's a look at the Creighton student-athletes with 20 or more dunks in a season, and 25 or more dunks in a career, under McDermott:
Most Creighton Dunks, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Year
74   Martin Krampelj   2018-19
72   Justin Patton   2016-17
69   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2021-22
50   Christian Bishop   2020-21
44   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2022-23
38   Christian Bishop   2019-20
36   Gregory Echenique   2012-13
33   Martin Krampelj   2017-18
30   Gregory Echenique   2011-12
29   Marcus Foster   2017-18
29   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-21
24   Gregory Echenique   2010-11
23   Marcus Foster   2016-17
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11
22   Fredrick King   2022-23
21   Alex O'Connell   2021-22
21   Arthur Kaluma   2021-22
20   Khyri Thomas   2017-18

Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Years
142   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
121   Martin Krampelj   2015-19
103   Christian Bishop   2018-21
90   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
72   Justin Patton   2016-17
52   Marcus Foster   2016-18
51   Khyri Thomas   2015-18
38   Will Artino   2011-15
36   Arthur Kaluma   2021-Pres.
33   Zach Hanson   2013-17
25   Geoffrey Groselle   2012-16
25   Damien Jefferson   2018-21

Most Creighton Dunks, Team, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Year   Team W-L
144   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
132   2021-22   23-12 (NCAA)
107   2017-18   21-12 (NCAA)
106   2018-19   20-15 (NIT)
90   2020-21   22-9 (NCAA)
86   2022-23   18-9 so far (Postseason TBD)
60   2019-20   24-7 (Postseason Canceled)
58   2015-16   20-15 (NIT)
56   2010-11   23-16 (CBI)
54   2012-13   28-8 (NCAA)
42   2011-12   29-6 (NCAA)

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 Feb. 19, 2023
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Made   3,857   4th
FG Percentage   .476   4th
Assists   7,004   6th
3FG Percentage   .376   6th
FG Made   11,986   8th
Points   33,513   10th
Wins   294   28th
Winning Percentage   .668   33rd

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 27 victories since the start of the 2010-11 season after trailing by double-figures at some point, including four such rallies last season. In its NCAA Tournament win vs. San Diego State, Creighton trailed 35-21 late in the first half.
   Thirteen of those 27 comebacks have come away from home.
   If you're curious, CU's largest comeback win since 2000 came on Jan. 28, 2006, when the Jays trailed 25-6 early before rallying to beat Wichita State on a buzzer-beater by Anthony Tolliver.
CU's Double-Digit Comebacks Under McDermott
Deficit   Opponent   Date
18   #18 Oklahoma   11/19/14
17   at San Diego State   11/30/11
16   at Evansville   02/16/13
16   at Seton Hall   01/27/21
16   SIU Edwardsville   11/27/21
15   Arkansas-Pine Bluff   11/09/21
14   Evansville   02/21/12
14   vs. San Diego State   03/17/22
13   at Saint Joseph's   11/16/13
13   Xavier   01/12/14
13   #22 Xavier   12/23/20
12   Saint Joseph's   12/11/10
12   at DePaul   01/17/16
12   East Tennessee State   11/11/18
11   at Wichita State   12/31/11
11   Northern Iowa   01/10/12
11   vs. Alabama   03/16/12
11   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/16
11   vs. Connecticut   03/12/21
11   DePaul   01/22/22
10   UAB   11/14/12
10   vs. Drake   03/02/12
10   at Nebraska   12/07/14
10   South Dakota   12/09/14
10   St. John's   01/03/18
10   at DePaul   02/07/18
10   Bemidji State   02/13/18

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 294 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.   294-146   Greg McDermott   2010-Pres.
3.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger    1922-1935
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-1969
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-1981

Super Seven
Greg McDermott joined some select company when he directed his troops to a seventh NCAA Tournament last season. That put him in the company of some of the greatest coaches in CU Athletics history.
   McDermott is one of five head coaches in Creighton history to lead seven different NCAA Tournament teams.
Name   Sport   NCAA's @CU
Kirsten Bernthal Booth   Volleyball   12
Bob Warming   Men's Soccer   11
Dana Altman   Men's Basketball   7
Brent Vigness   Softball   7
Greg McDermott   Men's Basketball   7

McDermott's Coaching Tree
A bunch of former Greg McDermott protégés are thriving at the Division I level.
   Eric Henderson led South Dakota State to the first 18-0 season in Summit League history. The Jackrabbits went 30-5 after winning the Summit League Tournament and clinching an NCAAA bid.
   North Dakota State's Dave Richman went 23-10 overall and finished as the runner-up in the Summit League standings and Summit League Tournament to Henderson's SDSU team.
   Ben Jacobson won the MVC regular-season title while coaching Northern Iowa. The Panthers went 20-12 and reached the NIT.
   Drake's Darian DeVries led the Bulldogs to a 25-11 mark and runner-up finish in the MVC (to Jacobson's UNI team) in the regular-season and the league tournament. Drake played in the CBI.
   Steve Lutz led his Texas A&M-Corpus Christi team to a 24-12 record and a Southland Conference Tournament title in his first year as a head coach, with the Islanders reaching the NCAA Tournament First Four. He inherited a 5-19 team that hadn't won 20 games or had a winning record since 2016-17.
   TJ Otzelberger turned around Iowa State in his first year in Ames. He inherited a 2-22 team (0-18 Big 12) and turned it into a team that reached the Sweet 16 and finished 22-13.
   Patrick Sellers led Central Connecticut State to an 8-24 record in his first season with the Blue Devils, including a victory in the Northeast Conference Tournament.
   Paul Sather is the head coach at North Dakota after successful tenures at Black Hills State and Northern State.

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

Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton finished last season ranked 50th overall by KenPom.com. That included the nation's No. 112 offense, and No. 19 defense. Creighton's No. 19 defense was its best mark in the 20 seasons of the KenPom era.
   Creighton has had a top-25 offense per KenPom in six of the previous 11 seasons.
   Since 2002 every national champion has been a KenPom top 40 offense and a KenPom top 22 defense.
   Here's where Creighton ranked after games of Feb. 19.
Year   Off. Rating   Def. Rating   Overall Rank
2010-11   66   174   98
2011-12   5   166   28
2012-13   5   66   15
2013-14   2   124   17
2014-15   59   138   79
2015-16   43   76   40
2016-17   32   46   28
2017-18   25   58   30
2018-19   47   83   55
2019-20   3   78   12
2020-21   25   32   22
2021-22   112   19   50
2022-23   27   11   10

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
03/20/06   Miami (Fla.)   L 53-52   G. Diaz FT   :2.6
01/20/07   Southern Illinois   L 58-57   B. Mullins FG   :4.1
01/10/15   #19 Seton Hall   L 68-67   S. Gibbs 3FG   :2.2
02/16/15   #19 Butler   L 58-56   R. Jones FG   :1.9
03/07/15   Xavier   L 74-73   D. Davis FT's   :6.3
01/12/16   #12 Providence   L 50-48   K. Dunn FG   :0.0
02/22/17   Providence   L 68-66   K. Cartwright 3FG   :2.4
02/10/18   #5 Xavier   L 71-72   Q. Goodin FT's   :0.3

Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time.
      Rank   Att.   Opponent   Date
   1.   18,868   Providence   03/08/14
   2.   18,859   Georgetown   01/25/14
   3.   18,831   #1 Villanova   12/31/16
   4.   18,797   #6 Villanova   02/16/14
   5.   18,759   #1 Gonzaga   12/01/18
   6.   18,742   Seton Hall   02/23/14
   7.   18,735   Wichita State   02/11/12
   8.   18,613   Wichita State   03/02/13
   9.   18,525   Marquette   12/31/13
   10.   18,519   #8 Seton Hall   03/07/20
   11.   18,518   Georgetown   01/27/18
   12.   18,509   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

Preseason BIG EAST Poll
The Creighton men's basketball team was picked to win the BIG EAST Conference in the annual survey of league coaches, which was unveiled as part of BIG EAST Media Day on Oct. 18th at Madison Square Garden.
   It's the first time since 2012-13 that Creighton has been chosen as a preseason favorite in its league, though that recognition came in CU's final season in the Missouri Valley Conference.
   This is the 10th time Creighton has been tabbed as the preseason favorite (also 1989-90, 1990-91, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2011-12 and 2012-13), though the first nine occurrences all happened in the Missouri Valley Conference. Four of those MVC teams finished first (1990-91, 2000-01, 2008-09, 2012-13), while the other five took second place. Six of those nine Bluejay squads went on to win the MVC Tournament (1990-91, 1998-99, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2011-12, 2012-13) and seven of the nine squads played in the NCAA Tournament (1990-91, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2011-12, 2012-13).
   The Bluejays collected eight first-place votes and earned 98 points in the poll. Xavier was picked second in the poll with 86 points, including two first-place votes. Villanova, the defending BIG EAST Tournament champion, was one point behind Xavier with 85 points and received one first-place vote from the men's basketball head coaches, who did not vote for their own teams. Connecticut was picked fourth with 77 points and Providence was fifth with 62 points. St. John's and Seton Hall finished sixth and seventh with 62 and 52 points, respectively. Butler was eighth with 36 points, four points ahead of ninth-place Marquette with 32 points. Georgetown was 10th with 21 points and DePaul 11th with 12 points.
   Creighton is the only school in the league that has met or exceeded its preseason BIG EAST prognostication every year since joining the league, as seen below:
Creighton's BIG EAST Preseason Poll History
Year    Preseason    Actual    Preseason All-BIG EAST
2013-14    3rd    2nd    Doug McDermott (1st)
2014-15    9th    T-9th    -
2015-16    9th    6th    -
2016-17    3rd    T-3rd    Maurice Watson Jr. (1st); Marcus Foster (HM)
2017-18    5th    T-3rd    Marcus Foster (1st); Khyri Thomas (HM)
2018-19    9th    T-3rd    Martin Krampelj (HM)
2019-20    7th    T-1st   Ty-Shon Alexander (1st)
2020-21    2nd    2nd   Marcus Zegarowski (1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd)
2021-22   8th   4th   None
2022-23   1st   ??   Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Arthur Kaluma (2nd)
           Ryan Nembhard (2nd); Baylor Scheierman (HM)

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 975 straight games. The streak is the nation's 13th-longest active streak.
   Creighton's last game without a three-pointer came at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993, when the Jays were 0-for-5. Creighton's last win without making a three-point basket came on March 3, 1991 when the Jays went 0-for-2 from three-point range in a 71-66 win over Southern Illinois in the championship game of the MVC Tournament.
   Below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (through 2/19)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,187   UNLV   2/24
   2.   1,180   Duke   2/20
   3.   1,121   Western Kentucky   2/23
   4.   1,112   East Tennessee State   2/22
   5.   1,091   Oakland   2/23
   6.   1,088   Pacific   2/23
   7.   1,084   Texas   2/21
   8.   1,032   Marshall   2/22
   9.   1,023   Baylor   2/21
   10.   1,012   Princeton   2/25
   11.   1,010   Gonzaga   2/23
   12.   983   Long Island   2/25
   13.   975   Creighton   2/21
   14.   969   Mount St. Mary's   2/24
   15.   959   Tennessee State   2/23

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 975 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,688 trifectas, an average of 7.89 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly seven three-pointers 146 times, more than any figure.
   Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 278 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 58-14 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 27-22 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:    5 times   2: 18 times   3: 35 times
4:    75 times   5:   102 times   6: 101 times
7:   146 times   8:   123 times   9: 92 times
10: 80 times   11: 56 times   12: 55 times
13: 45 times   14: 19 times   15: 7 times
16: 8 times   17: 3 times   19: 1 time
20: 1 time   21: 1 time   22: 1 time

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

#19 Men's Basketball Battles For First Place vs. #10 Marquette on Tuesday

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Players Mentioned

Trey Alexander

Francisco Farabello

Ryan Hawkins

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Arthur Kaluma

Fredrick King

Mason Miller

Shereef Mitchell

Ryan Nembhard

Alex O'Connell

Baylor Scheierman