#14 Men's Basketball Meets Nebraska on Friday Night

Game #5: Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-1) at #14 Creighton Bluejays (4-0)
Friday, Nov. 22, 2024 • 7:00 p.m. • Omaha, Neb. • CHI Health Center Omaha
| LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES | NU NOTES | PROGRAM |

Next Game
No. 14 Creighton (4-0) hosts Nebraska (3-1) on Friday night in a battle for in-state bragging rights.
    Tip-off on First National Bank Court inside CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7 p.m.
    CU will honor head coach Greg McDermott in a pregame ceremony as he's presented with the game ball from last Wednesday's Creighton-record 328th win.

Promotions
A limited number of BrewJay rally towels will be laid out in the lower bowl.
    Creighton fans are encouraged to wear blue.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) and KOOO (101.9 FM) will carry Creighton men's basketball games during the 2024-25 season. John Bishop and former Bluejay Tyler Clement will call the action.
    The audio is webcast at 1620thezone.com and can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 119 or 201 as well as https://sxm.app.link/SXM963.

Telecast Information
Friday's game will be called by Kevin Kugler and Nick Bahe and be televised on FS1. It will be Creighton's 106th straight game to be televised.
    The game will also be video webcast on the FoxSports app or at http://foxsports.com/live. Cable authorization may be required.

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

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

Scouting #14 Creighton
Creighton is 4-0 on the season after double-digit wins over UTRGV (99-86), FDU (96-70), Houston Christian (78-43) and Kansas City (79-56). The Bluejays return three starters from last year's team that went 25-10 and reached the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years.
    CU had three men score over 600 points last season for the first time, but two of them (Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander) are now in the NBA.
    That leaves fifth-year senior Ryan Kalkbrenner (25.8 ppg., 8.5 rpg., 2.5 bpg., .891 FG%) with a lot of expectations on his broad shoulders, but the 7-foot-1 center is up to it. He was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and has been named a Preseason First Team All-American by CBS Sports, Fox Sports and Field of 68. In addition to being one of the most efficient shooters in NCAA history, Kalkbrenner is also a three-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. He was named BIG EAST and National Player of the Week on Nov. 11.
    Senior Steven Ashworth (16.0 ppg., 7.0 apg., 5.0 rpg.) is back to run the point guard spot, and junior Mason Miller (1.5 ppg.) returns on the wing after leading the BIG EAST with 45.4 percent marksmanship from three-point range.
    Supplementing that trio are Texas Tech transfer Pop Isaacs (9.7 ppg.) and Arizona State transfer Jamiya Neal (9.8 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 4.5 apg.), in addition to a Top 20 recruiting class, four men who redshirted last season, and key reserves Isaac Traudt (8.3 ppg.) Fredrick King (4.3 ppg.) and Jasen Green (2.3 ppg.).

Scouting Nebraska
Nebraska is 3-1 on the young season, defeating UTRGV (87-67), Bethune-Cookman (63-58) and FDU (86-60) at home before losing in Sioux Falls last Sunday to Saint Mary's (77-74).
    The Cornhuskers have been led by Brice Williams (18.8 ppg.), with Juwan Gary (10.5 ppg., 2.5 spg.) and Rollie Worster (10.3 ppg., 1.8 spg.) also scoring in double-figures.
    Nebraska shoots 42.9 percent from the floor, 25.6 percent from three-point range and 79.7 percent at the line while outrebounding teams by 6.7 caroms per contest.
    The Huskers have been outscored by 54 points behind the three-point line, but made up for that by outscoring foes by 62 points at the charity stripe.

The Series With Nebraska
Creighton has won 20 of the past 25 regular-season match-ups, and leads the all-time series (including postseason) 30-27. Creighton has won 11 of the last 13 meetings, with 10 of those wins coming by double-digits.
    Creighton won four of the first seven meetings in the history of the series before a 45-year break where the in-state rivals did not play each other. The series has been played at least once each season since 1977 and is CU's longest running non-conference series by a landslide.
    No. 15 Creighton handed Nebraska its lone home loss last season, 89-60, as Baylor Scheierman had 24 points and 10 rebounds. CU led 52-37 at the half.
    Two years ago Nebraska upset No. 7 Creighton 63-53 in Omaha, snapping the Bluejays' 13-game regular-season home win streak against the Cornhuskers that dated to 1995.
    Greg McDermott is 17-5 all-time vs. Nebraska (11-3 as Creighton head coach) and 4-2 against Fred Hoiberg.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 329-160 record in his 15th season with the Bluejays, as he passed Dana Altman (327-176) as the winningest coach in program history on Nov. 13, 2024. He owns a career mark of 609-355 in his 31st season, and is 478-291 in his 24th Division I campaign.
    McDermott led Creighton to its first BIG EAST regular-season title in 2019-20, taking a Bluejay team that was picked seventh in the league's preseason poll and ending the year ranked seventh nationally. The Cascade, Iowa native has coached Creighton to a share of its first regular-season BIG EAST title in 2019-20 its first Sweet 16 since 1974 in 2020-21 and its first Elite Eight since 1941 in 2022-23.
    McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000).
    He is assisted by Ryan Miller, Derek Kellogg and Trey Zeigler.

With A Win...
- Creighton would improve to 5-0 for the eighth time in Greg McDermott's 15 seasons at Creighton, and third straight campaign.
- Greg McDermott would improve to 200-44 in home games as Creighton's head coach.
- Greg McDermott would improve to 18-5 all-time vs. Nebraska (12-3 as Creighton coach) and 5-2 in head-to-head meetings vs. Fred Hoiberg. The 18 wins would be his second-most against any school, five behind his 23 triumphs vs. DePaul.
- Greg McDermott would win his 12th game as a Creighton coach against Nebraska, two more than Dana Altman for the most ever by a Bluejay men's basketball coach vs. NU.
- Creighton would improve to 6-2 when ranked and facing Nebraska, including a 2-1 mark in Omaha.
- Creighton would improve to 104-17 all-time in home games as a ranked team.
- Creighton would improve to 31-27 all-time against Nebraska, and move to 21-10 in Omaha.
- Creighton would beat Nebraska for the 14th time in the last 15 regular-season meetings in Omaha.
- Creighton would win its ninth straight home game dating back to last year, the BIG EAST's second-longest active home win streak.

Milestone Watch
Steven Ashworth has scored 1,485 career points (454 at Creighton) and is 15 shy of 1,500.
    Steven Ashworth has made 297 career three-pointers (93 at Creighton) and is three away from 300.
    Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 1,874 career points, putting him two shy of Bob Portman's 1,876 that rank fifth-most in program history.
    Greg McDermott is 199-44 in home games as Creighton's head coach, putting him one victory shy of 200.

Twice As Nice
Not only are the Creighton and Nebraska men's basketball teams meeting up on Friday at 7 p.m. at CHI Health Center Omaha, but the schools will also renew their women's basketball rivalry inside D.J. Sokol Arena three hours earlier at 4 p.m.
    It will be the fourth time that the teams have faced off in both men's and women's basketball on the same day, as it also happened in 1983 and 1985 in Lincoln, as well as in 1984 in Omaha.
    The Creighton men have beaten Nebraska in 11 of the previous 13 seasons, while the Bluejay women have topped the Cornhuskers seven of the past eight meetings.
    Creighton has won both the men's and women's basketball game vs. Nebraska in six of the last 13 years (2012, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023), while Nebraska last swept both meetings in 2010.

Do You Remember, Mid-November?
Friday's game will take place on November 22nd and the be the third-earliest meeting on the calendar ever among 58 all-time match-ups in series history.
    The teams met on Nov. 16, 2021 in Lincoln, a 77-69 Bluejay victory.
    In 2006 Nebraska won 73-61 on Nov. 18th.
    That means Friday will be the earliest of the 31 all-time match-ups contested in Omaha.

Big (Ten) Mac Attack
Creighton is 18-5 in its last 23 games against teams from the Big Ten (when the game was played, so last year's NCAA contest vs. Oregon wouldn't count). Creighton has outscored foes by an average of 8.04 points in those 23 games, which include 14 double-figure victories.
    Greg McDermott is 31-17 in his career against teams that are currently in the Big Ten (not including USC/UCLA/Oregon/Washington), including a 18-7 mark on the Creighton sideline.
Creighton's Last 23 Games vs. the Big Ten
Date    Opponent    Score
11/20/11    vs. Iowa (in Des Moines)    W 82-59
12/04/11    Nebraska    W 76-66
12/22/11    Northwestern    W 87-79
11/23/12    vs. Wisconsin (in Las Vegas)    W 84-74
12/06/12    at Nebraska    W 64-42
12/08/13    Nebraska    W 82-67
12/07/14    at Nebraska    W 65-55
11/19/15    at #14 Indiana    L 65-86
11/23/15    vs. Rutgers (in Las Vegas)    W 85-75
12/09/15    Nebraska    W 83-67
11/15/16    #9 Wisconsin    W 79-67
12/07/16    at Nebraska    W 77-62
11/15/17    at #20 Northwestern    W 92-88
12/09/17    Nebraska    W 75-65
11/15/18    Ohio State    L 60-69
12/08/18    at #24 Nebraska    L 75-94
11/12/19    at Michigan    L 69-79
12/07/19    Nebraska    W 95-76
12/11/20    Nebraska    W 98-74
11/16/21    at Nebraska    W 77-69
12/04/22    Nebraska    L 53-63
11/14/23    Iowa    W 92-84
12/03/23    at Nebraska    W 89-60

Good Start vs. Nebraska
As Creighton head coach, Greg McDermott owns an 11-3 record against Nebraska. He is the only Creighton men's basketball coach to win seven straight games over the Cornhuskers (2011-17), and his 11 overall victories against Nebraska are one more than the previous record for a Bluejay men's basketball head coach against Nebraska, as Dana Altman went 10-7.
    McDermott owns a 17-5 record in his career against the Cornhuskers. Among his 609 career head coaching victories at all levels, the only other team he has beaten more as a head coach is DePaul (23-1).

McDermott/Hoiberg Connections
Greg McDermott was head coach at Iowa State from 2006-10 before leaving to take the Creighton job. His replacement in Ames was none other than Fred Hoiberg, the current Nebraska coach.
    Hoiberg left Iowa State to take the head coaching job with the NBA's Chicago Bulls in the summer of 2015. With the Bulls, he would coach Greg's son Doug McDermott, who would average 9.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game under Hoiberg.
    Doug McDermott played for his dad Greg McDermott at Creighton, where he was a three-time First Team All-American. Fred Hoiberg's son, Sam Hoiberg, also plays for him at Nebraska.
    Both Hoiberg and Creighton great Doug McDermott attended Ames High School and led the school to a state title.

More Connections
Creighton assistant coach Trey Zeigler is the son of Nebraska assistant coach Ernie Zeigler.
    Nebraska's Rollie Worster is a former teammate of Creighton's Steven Ashworth, as both men were at Utah State in 2020-21. Worster averaged 9.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game for the Aggies that season, while Ashworth averaged 6.1 points, 2.6 assists and 1.9 rebounds for the Aggies
    Additionally, Nebraska's Jeffrey Grace III was a teammate of Creighton's Jamiya Neal in 2021-22 at Arizona State. Grace redshirted that season, while Neal played in 30 games as a reserve.

Friday Night Lights
Creighton doesn't play many Friday home games, but judging by its success, it might not be a bad idea for the future.
    Creighton is 33-1 in Friday home games since Dec. 13, 1975, and 22-1 at CHI Health Center Omaha on the final day of the work week. The lone loss came on Feb. 2, 2024 vs. Butler by a 99-98 count.
    Prior to the Butler setback, CU's lat Friday home loss had come on Dec. 12, 1975 to North Texas.

What's Your 5-0?
Creighton is 4-0 and in search of a 5-0 start for the eighth time in 15 seasons under Greg McDermott. Here's a closer look at the previous seven 5-0 starts:
W's Before L    Season    First Loss
    13-0    2016-17    #1 Villanova
    7-0    2011-12    at Saint Joseph's
    6-0    2012-13    Boise State
    6-0    2022-23    vs. #7 Arizona
    5-0    2023-24    vs. Colorado State
    5-0    2014-15    vs. Ole Miss
    5-0    2013-14    vs. San Diego State

I'll "Half" More Of That Please
Need one big reason why Creighton has won 20 of the past 25 regular-season meetings with Nebraska? Check out the quick starts the Bluejays have gotten off to on a consistent basis.
    Creighton has led at halftime in 19 of the past 25 regular-season meetings, with nine double-digit leads at intermission in that span. Four of the six times that Creighton trailed it half, it came back to win the game anyway. Nebraska has led at halftime and beaten Creighton in the regular-season just twice since Jan. 8, 1997, with those coming in December of 2018 and December of, 2022.
    Also of note, Nebraska has scored more than 30 first half points in just five of the last 21 regular-season meetings vs. Creighton at all sites.
    Creighton is 276-49 all-time under Greg McDermott when leading at halftime, and is 4-0 when up at the break this winter.
Creighton vs Nebraska, Last 25 Reg.-Season Meetings
Date    City    Half Score    Final Score
12/09/99    Omaha    CU 40-38    CU 89-72
01/02/01    Lincoln    NU 24-22    CU 62-61
12/12/01    Omaha    CU 30-23    CU 76-70
12/21/02    Lincoln    CU 46-35    CU 81-73
12/10/03    Omaha    CU 33-23    CU 61-54
12/11/04    Lincoln    NU 22-18    CU 50-48
12/11/05    Omaha    CU 31-11    CU 70-44
11/18/06    Lincoln    CU 31-28    NU 73-61
11/24/07    Omaha    CU 47-20    CU 74-62
11/29/08    Lincoln    CU 31-18    NU 54-52
12/06/09    Omaha    CU 32-27    CU 67-61
12/05/10    Lincoln    CU 29-21    NU 59-54
12/04/11    Omaha    CU 32-29    CU 76-66
12/06/12    Lincoln    CU 28-17    CU 64-42
12/08/13    Omaha    CU 51-25    CU 82-67
12/07/14    Lincoln    NU 28-27    CU 65-55
12/09/15    Omaha    CU 36-30    CU 83-67
12/07/16    Lincoln    CU 31-30    CU 77-62
12/09/17    Omaha    NU 33-28    CU 75-65
12/08/18    Lincoln    NU 47-34    NU 94-75
12/07/19    Omaha    CU 48-22    CU 95-76
12/11/20    Omaha    CU 44-40    CU 98-74
11/16/21    Lincoln    CU 40-36    CU 77-69
12/04/22    Omaha    NU 25-23    NU 63-53
12/03/23    Lincoln    CU 52-37    CU 89-60

One For The Record Books
Nebraska enters Friday with a 3-1 record, while Creighton will bring a 4-0 mark into the match-up.
    Creighton has finished with more wins than Nebraska in 25 of the last 26 seasons since the 1998-99 campaign.
    Since the start of the 1998-99 season (including this winter), Creighton is 602-276 (.686), while Nebraska is 403-421 (.489) on the hardwood.
Year    Nebraska    Creighton
1998-99    20-13    22-9
1999-00    11-19    23-10
2000-01    14-16    24-8
2001-02    13-15    23-9
2002-03    11-19    29-5
2003-04    18-13    20-9
2004-05    14-14    23-11
2005-06    19-14    20-10
2006-07    17-14    22-11
2007-08    20-13    22-11
2008-09    18-13    27-8
2009-10    15-18    18-16
2010-11    19-13    23-16
2011-12    12-18    29-6
2012-13    15-18    28-8
2013-14    19-13    27-8
2014-15    13-18    14-18
2015-16    16-18    20-15
2016-17    12-19    25-10
2017-18    22-11    21-12
2018-19    19-17    20-15
2019-20    7-25    24-7
2020-21    7-20    22-9
2021-22    10-22    23-12
2022-23    16-16    24-13
2023-24    23-11    25-10
2024-25    3-1 so far    4-0 so far

State Pride On The Line
Creighton owns three men who are Nebraska natives as it heads into its annual match-up against the University of Nebraska.
    Jasen Green and Josh Townley-Thomas are from Omaha, and Isaac Traudt calls Grand Island home.
    Five members of the Cornhusker team are from the state of Nebraska.

Defense Steps Up
Creighton is allowing teams to shoot just 33.4 percent from the field and 63.8 points per game.
    In the last two games, CU has held Houston Christian to 43 points and 25.4 percent shooting before limiting Kansas City to 56 points on 29.3 percent marksmanship last Saturday.
    It's the first time since 2014 that Creighton has allowed fewer than 100 combined points in consecutive games, and the first time since March of 2016 that CU has held back-to-back foes below 30 percent shooting from the floor.

Poll Position
Creighton was ranked 14th in the Nov. 18 Associated Press Top 25 poll. It's the 15th straight week the Bluejays have been ranked, the fourth-longest streak in program history and the nation's 13th-longest active streak.
Most Consecutive Weeks in AP Poll, CU History
    Weeks    Dates
    24    Feb. 3, 2020-March 15, 2021
    17    Feb. 27, 2012-Feb. 4, 2013
    16    Oct. 31, 2016 - Feb. 20, 2017
    15    Jan. 8, 2024 - Present

Longest Active Streaks in the AP Poll
    Weeks    Team
    88    Houston
    67    Kansas
    62    Tennessee
    60    Arizona
    42    Connecticut
    41    Purdue
    34    Marquette
    33    Baylor
    26    Duke
    24    Kentucky
    24    North Carolina
    16    Auburn
    15    Creighton
    14    Iowa State

McDermott Passes Altman On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 329 victories at Creighton, passing his predecessor Dana Altman for the most in program history in CU's Nov. 13 win vs. Houston Christian.
    McDermott's .673 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, as well as the history of the Creighton Athletic Department.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton MBB History
Rk.    W-L    Name    Years
1.    329-160    Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
2.    327-176    Dana Altman    1994-2010
3.    165-66    Arthur A. Schabinger     1922-1935
4.    138-118    John J. "Red" McManus     1959-1969
5.    130-64    Tom Apke    1974-1981

Most Wins, Creighton Athletics History (as of 11/21)
Coach, Sport    Victories
Brent Vigness, Softball    819
Ed Servais, Baseball    678*
Mary Higgins, Softball    564
Tom Lilly, Men's & Women's Tennis    542*#
Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Volleyball    495*
Jim Flanery, Women's Basketball    428*
Ed Hubbs, Men's & Women's Tennis    347
Greg McDermott, Men's Basketball    329*
Dana Altman, Men's Basketball    327
*still active coaching at Creighton
#currently just the women's tennis coach

Stability Is Key
One reason for Creighton's extended run of success has been the continuity within its coaching staff. The Bluejays have had just two head coaches in the last 31 years, Dana Altman (1994-2010) and Greg McDermott (2010-Present).
    Here's a list of major conference schools to have a coach with 300 wins at that school, and their predecessor also had 300 wins at the school:
School    Former Coach    Current Coach
Creighton    Dana Altman    Greg McDermott
Kansas    Roy Williams    Bill Self
Michigan State    Jud Heathcote    Tom Izzo
Purdue    Gene Keady    Matt Painter

Video Game Numbers
Ryan Kalkbrenner's numbers defy logic. Take a look:
- In his career, Kalkbrenner owns 316 blocked shots, 248 dunks and just 227 career personal fouls in 138 games played. This year only, he's got 10 blocks, 12 dunks and two fouls.
    The only nine major conference men's players in history besides Kalkbrenner (+89) to block 315 shots and own at least 85 more blocks than fouls are Jarvis Varnado (+220), Tim Duncan (+178), Emeka Okafor (+170), Calvin Booth (+165), Hasheem Thabeet (+159), Benoit Benjamin (+147), Jamarion Sharp (+141), Shaquille O'Neal (+125), Dikembe Mutombo (+120), Jeff Withey (+103) and Ralph Sampson (+93).
- This season, Kalkbrenner has missed five total shots from the field, but put back two of those misses. He has also made three three-pointers.
- Kalkbrenner has missed just once in the second half this season. He's 18-for-19 from the field (including 17-17 from 2-point range), 9-for-9 from the line, and has 46 points in 43 minutes of action.

The Launch Pad
Basketball-Reference.com did the math, and Creighton owns 9,350 three-pointers in 1,231 games since the rule went national in 1986-87.
    That ranks second-most in the country in that span, trailing only Duke (9,734 through Nov. 21).
    Additionally, Creighton's 7.60 three-pointers per game in that time lead the nation among programs who are currently in a major conference.

All-Around Ashworth
Steven Ashworth owns 64 points, 28 assists and 20 rebounds through four games this season.
    The only other Bluejays with those figures in any four-game span since 2005-06 are Baylor Scheierman (once in Dec. of 2023, once in Feb. of 2024) and Maurice Watson Jr. (in Jan. 2016).
    Since 1970-71, only 13 different players have finished a season averaging at least 16.0 points, 7.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game, a list filled with stars such as Magic Johnson (twice), Jason Kidd and Ja Morant. The last player to do it was Ohio's Jason Preston in 2019-20.

7-Foot-1 Of Awesome
A few notes about Ryan Kalkbrenner.
    There's only two BIG EAST players to score 73+ points in 60 minutes or less in any two game span since 2005-06. Ryan Kalkbrenner (73 points in 58 minutes) in the opening week this season and UConn's Kemba Walker (73 points in 60 minutes) in 2010.
    Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of three major conference players since 2005-06 to score 73 points and block six shots in any two game span, joining Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kansas State's Michael Beasley.
    There's been only four BIG EAST players to score 73+ points to score any two-game span since 2012: Marquette's Markus Howard (7x), DePaul's Max Strus, Creighton's Doug McDermott and Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner.
    Kalkbrenner is the nation's second player since 2005-06 to score 24+ points and shoot 90 percent (min. 10 FGA) in consecutive games, joining Belmont's Evan Bradds from November of 2015.
    Evan Bradds (7x) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (6x) are the only men in the country with five or more career games of 90 percent shooting (min. 10 FGA) since 2005-06.
    And because you can never have enough notes about Evan Bradds, know that he finished his Belmont career in 2017 shooting 740-for-1109 from the field. Ryan Kalkbrenner is currently a near-identical 754-1126 from the field.

Bigger Than Life
Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner is shooting 89.1 percent from the field through four games (41-46). He made 20-of-22 on opening night vs. UTRGV, sank 9-of-10 shots vs. FDU, a perfect 6-for-6 vs. Houston Christian and most recently was 6-for-8 vs. Kansas City.
    He is the nation's only player since 2005-06 to shoot 90 percent or better on six attempts or more in three consecutive games.
    He's also the nation's only player since 2005-06 to shoot 90 percent or better in any three-game span with 30 or more field goal attempts.

Kalkbrenner In The Top 10
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 1,874 career points, as he became the 45th men's player in Creighton history to surpass 1,000 on Feb. 25, 2023 at Villanova.
    The only player in Creighton history to enter a season with more career points than Kalkbrenner's 1,771 were the 2,216 for Doug McDermott. A distant third were Rodney Buford and Bob Harstad, who each had 1,540 points entering their final campaign.
    Kalkbrenner moved past Kyle Korver on Nov. 6 and is now sixth on Creighton's all-time scoring list. He enters Nov. 22nd just two points behind Bob Portman for fifth place.
    Here's a list of Creighton's top scorers ever.
Most Career Points, Creighton History
    Rank    Pts.    Name    Years
    1.    3,150    Doug McDermott    2010-14
    2.    2,116    Rodney Buford    1995-99
    3.    2,110    Bob Harstad     1987-91
    4.    1,983    Chad Gallagher     1987-91
    5.    1,876    Bob Portman     1966-69
    6.    1,874    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2020-Pres.
    7.    1,801    Kyle Korver    1999-03
    8.    1,754    Nate Funk    2002-07
    9.    1,682    Rick Apke     1974-78
    10.    1,661    Paul Silas    1961-64

    Kalkbrenner also ranks second in program history in blocked shots with 316. Kalkbrenner had 107 swats last year and is now 95 blocks behind Benoit Benjamin.
Most Creighton Blocked Shots, Since 1979-80
    Blk.    Name    Years
    411    Benoit Benjamin    1982-85
    316    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2020-Pres.
    183    Chad Gallagher    1987-91

Among The Best...EVER!
Ryan Kalkbrenner has made 754 of 1,126 career shots, putting him at 67.0 percent overall. That places the senior center second in field goal percentage in NCAA history among players to make 700 or more field goals and at least four field goals per game.
    However, Kalkbrenner is first among all such players who have ever attempted 50 or more three-point field goal attempts....he's taken 91.
Best Career FG%, NCAA History (min. 700 FG, 4FG/game)
    Pct. (FG-FGA)    Name, School    Years
    .678 (828-1222)    Steve Johnson, Oregon State    1976-81
    .670 (754-1126)    Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton    2020-Pres.
    .667 (740-1109)    Evan Bradds, Belmont    2013-17
    .664 (702-1058)    Todd MacCulloch, Washington    1995-99
    .651 (747-1147)    Bill Walton, UCLA    1971-74

Super Seniors
Fifth-year senior Ryan Kalkbrenner is third in field goal percentage, fourth in the nation in points per game and is 23rd in blocks per game, while classmate Steven Ashworth is tied for the NCAA lead in free throw percentage.
    Here's a list of the categories that Creighton is in the Top 20 in, through games of Sunday, Nov. 17th.
Category    Rank    Stat
Team Win Percentage    T-1st    1.000
FT Pct. (Ashworth)    T-1st    1.000
Team Fouls Per Game    1st    9.3
Defensive Rebounds Per Game    2nd    36.00
Field Goal Percentage (Kalkbrenner)    3rd    .891
Points Per Game (Kalkbrener)    4th    25.8
Field Goals Made (Kalkbrenner)    6th    41
Free Throw Percentage    9th    .817
Double-Doubles (Kalkbrenner)    10th    2
Field Goal Percentage Defense    10th    .334
Points (Kalkbrenner)    12th    103
Rebounds Per Game    13th    45.75
Blocks (Kalkbrenner)    14th    10
Assists Per Game    16th    20.3
Assists Per Game (Ashworth)    17th    7.0
Assists (Ashworth)    18th    28

He Shoots, He Scores
Ryan Kalkbrenner had a night for the ages on Nov. 6 in the season-opener vs. UTRGV, finishing with 49 points on 20-of-22 shooting from the floor and 7-of-8 free throws while adding 11 rebounds and three blocked shots.
    Kalkbrenner's 49 points were the second-most in program history, two behind Bob Portman's 51 on Dec. 16, 1967 vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Portman made 16-of-35 field goal attempts and 18-of-23 foul shots in his record-setting contest.
    Below is a list of the previous Bluejay performances of 40 points or more
Most Points, Creighton Game
    Pts.    Name, Opponent    Date    FG    FT
    51    Bob Portman vs. UW-Milwaukee    12/16/1967    16    19
    49    Ryan Kalkbrenner vs. UTRGV    11/06/2024    20*    7
    47    Eddie Cole vs. Morningside (OT)    11/29/1954    18    11
    46    Bob Portman vs. Weber State    12/23/1968    19    8
    45    Tim Powers at Idaho State    01/29/1966    17    11
    45    Benoit Benjamin vs. Indiana State    01/19/1985    18    9
    45    Doug McDermott vs. Providence    03/08/2014    17#    6
    44    Doug McDermott at Bradley    01/07/2012    18@    5
    43    Bob Portman at Kansas State    02/12/1968    16    11
    43    Benoit Benjamin vs. Southern Illinois    01/17/1985    18    7
    42    Bob Portman vs. LaSalle    01/30/1968    19    4
    42    Cavel Witter vs. Bradley (2OT)    03/01/2008    13%    12
    41    Doug McDermott vs. Wichita State    03/02/2013    15#    6
    40    Chad Gallager vs. Wichita State    02/17/1990    14    12
    40    Rodney Buford vs. Bradley    12/30/1998    13$    8
*includes 2 three-pointers
@includes 3 three-pointers
%includes 4 three-pointers
#includes 5 three-pointers
$includes 6 three-pointers

Honors Roll In For Kalkbrenner
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner was named the first BIG EAST Player of the Week of the 2024-25 season, the conference announced on Nov. 11. He also picked up National Player of the Week acclaim from ESPN's Dick Vitale, NCAA.com's Andy Katz, the USBWA, Associated Press as well as the Lute Olson Award.
    The 7-foot-1 center averaged 36.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game as No. 15 Creighton posted a pair of double-digit victories to open the season. The three-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year shot 90.6 percent from the field (29-32), including 100 percent from three-point range (3-3), and also made 92.3 percent (12-13) of his free throw attempts.
    It was the first weekly honor from the BIG EAST of Kalkbrenner's career, though he's certainly no stranger to hardware. Kalkbrenner is one of three men to earn at least three BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was named First Team All-BIG EAST in 2022-23, Second Team All-BIG EAST in 2023-24 and Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST in 2021-22. Prior to this season, Kalkbrenner was named the league's Preseason Player of the Year. He is also a four-time member of the BIG EAST's All-Academic Team.

Consistency Is Key
Ryan Kalkbrenner has scored 10 or more points in each of his last 26 games. It's the longest streak of his career and the fourth-longest stretch by any Bluejay since 1994-95. Kalkbrenner also owns at least one blocked shot in 18 straight games, tied for the third-longest streak by a Bluejay since 1994-95
    Kalkbrenner's streak of 18 straight games with at least 10 points and one block is the nation's longest current active streak...no other active player has a streak as long as 10.
    Looking at just blocked shots, Kalkbrenner has the nation's second-longest active streak:
Creighton's Longest Streaks, 10+ Points, Since 1994-95
    Streak    Name    Dates
    37    Doug McDermott    4/1/11 - 11/9/12
    33    Marcus Foster    1/14/17 - 1/3/18
    28    Doug McDermott    12/3/13 - 3/23/14
    26    Ryan Kalkbrenner    1/2/24 - Present
    24    Nate Funk    12/23/06 - 3/16/07
    21    Doug McDermott    11/18/12 - 2/2/13
    21    Ryan Kalkbrenner    1/11/23 - 3/26/23
    20    Baylor Scheierman    1/9/24 - 3/29/24

Creighton's Longest Streaks With A Block, Since 1994-95
    Streak    Name    Dates
    26    Ryan Kalkbrenner    11/16/21 - 2/26/22
    25    Ryan Kalkbrenner    11/14/22 - 3/1/23
    18    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2/2/24 - Present
    17    Brody Deren    2/4/03 - 12/6/03
    17    Gregory Echenique    2/16/11 - 11/25/11
    14    Brody Deren    2/4/02 - 11/17/02
    14    Kenny Lawson Jr.    12/10/08 - 1/24/09
    14    Ryan Kalkbrenner    11/30/23 - 1/23/24
    13    Justin Patton    11/29/16 - 1/16/17

Nation's Longest Active Streaks With A Block
    Streak    Name, School    Next Game
    46    Felix Okpara, Ohio St./Tennessee    Nov. 21
    18    Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton    Nov. 22
    17    Amari Williams, Drexel/Kentucky    Nov. 22

Kalkbrenner Scoring Tidbits
Ryan Kalkbrenner's 49 points vs. UTRGV on Nov. 6 bring up all sorts of notes.
- In the last 25 years, the only player nationally with more points in a season-opener than Kalkbrenner's 49 was Arkansas' Rotnei Clarke, who had 51 in 2009 against Alcorn State.
-    Kalkbrenner's 49 points are the fourth-most ever in a season-opener by a player on a Top 25 team, trailing only LSU's Bob Pettit (60 in 1953), UCLA's Lew Alcindor (56 in 1966) and Jacksonville's Artis Gilmore (50 in 1970). Those other three men are in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
- Kalkbrenner is the first Bluejay with 40+ points and 10+ rebounds in the same game since Chad Gallagher had 40 points and 11 rebounds vs. Wichita State on Feb. 17, 1990.
- Kalkbrenner's 49 points were the fifth-most points in a game in BIG EAST history. Marquette's Markus Howard had games of 53, 52 and 51, while Providence's MarShon Brooks had a 52 point game as well.
- Kalkbrenner's 49 points were the most in a double-double performance in BIG EAST history.
- Before Kalkbrenner's 49 points and 11 rebounds, no other high major player has posted as many points and rebounds in any game over the past 30 years.
- Kalkbrenner is also the nation's only player with 49+ points and 3+ blocks in the same game since at least 2005-06.
- Kalkbrenner scored Creighton's first eight points and got better as the game went on. He had nine points in the first 10 minutes, then scored 11 in the final 10 minutes before half for the highest-scoring first half of his career.
    Kalkbrenner then scored 14 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half before closing his masterpiece with 15 points in the final 10 minutes.
- Kalkbrenner's 49 points broke Doug McDermott's record of 45 points by a Creighton player at CHI Health Center Omaha. The overall record is 53 by Marquette's Markus Howard on Jan. 9, 2019.

Having A Field Day
Ryan Kalkbrenner's 20 field goals made on Nov. 6 were a Creighton single-game record, eclipsing the previous mark of 19 done twice by Bob Portman in 1968.
    Kalkbrenner's 20 field goals are the most in a season-opener by any player nationally in the last 15 seasons.
    Kalkbrenner is the only player in the BIG EAST in at least 30 years with 49+ points and 20+ field goals in a game.
    Kalkbrenner's 20 field goals tied the single-game BIG EAST record held by Providence's MarShon Brooks vs. Notre Dame in 2011.
    Kalkbrenner's 20 field goals made were a CHI Health Center Omaha record, breaking the old mark of 17 done twice by Doug McDermott and once by Evansville's Colt Ryan.
    Kalkbrenner's 20 field goals made were the most by any player in a game against a Division I foe since Iowa State's Melvin Ejim made 20 hoops vs. TCU on Feb. 8, 2014.
    Kalkbrenner's 90.9 percent shooting from the field was the highest field goal percentage in a 45-point game by any Division I player in the past 25 seasons, and the highest by a player to attempt 20 or more shots in a game in the past 25 years.
- Kalkbrenner was the first player with 20 field goals on 90 percent shooting in a Division I game since UCLA's Bill Walton made 21-of-22 shots vs. Memphis in the 1973 NCAA final.
- Kalkbrenner missed just three shots (2 FG, 1 FT). He's the first Division I or NBA player to score 45+ points while missing no more than three shots (FG or FT) since Dirk Nowitzki did in the 2011 NBA playoffs.
- Kalkbrenner made his final three field goal attempts in the first half, then made 11-of-11 shots in the second half, giving him 14 buckets in a row. That's two shy of the NCAA single-game record of 16 made field goals in a row set by Kent State's Doug Grayson vs. North Carolina on Dec. 6, 1967.

Automatic Ashworth
Steven Ashworth set a Creighton single-game record on Nov. 6 vs. UTRGV when he was a perfect 17-for-17 at the free throw line. It's the most attempts without a miss in a game in CU history.
    The last previous power conference player to make 17+ free throws without a miss was Tennessee's Grant Williams vs. Vanderbilt on Jan. 23, 2019, who was 23-for-23.
    The 17 makes at the line were an arena record (two others had made 15), and tied for second-most in a game in CU history behind only Bob Portman's 19 vs. UW-Milwaukee on Dec. 16, 1967.
    Ashworth's 17 attempts are 10th-most in CU history, and the most by a Bluejay since Nate Funk shot 18 in a double-overtime win vs. Dayton on Nov. 26, 2005.
    Ashworth has now made 37 consecutive free throws, the second-longest streak in program history according to available records. The longest streak belongs to Doug McDermott (45 from Dec. 1, 2013 to Jan. 4, 2014).
    And speaking of streaks owned by Ashworth, the senior has buried a three-pointer in 23 games in a row. Among BIG EAST players, only Marquette's Kam Jones (42 after Nov. 18) has a longer active streak at their current school.

Doing It All
Steven Ashworth was Creighton's first player with at least 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the same game since Ryan Sears had 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists vs. Southern Illinois on Jan. 8, 1999.
    Ashworth's 25 points marked the eighth time in his career he's scored 25+ points, but just the second time in a Bluejay uniform he's done it.
    Ashworth's top scoring output at CU was on Feb. 2, 2024 vs. Butler, when he scored 26.

Dynamic Duo
Ryan Kalkbrenner (49) and Steven Ashworth (25) combined for 74 points on Nov. 6th. It was the most points by any BIG EAST duo since at least 1996-97.
    It's the second-most points by any Creighton pair in the same game, one point shy of the mark set on Jan. 19, 1985 when Benoit Benjamin (45) and Vernon Moore (30) combined for 75.
    It's the most points by any Creighton duo in 15 seasons under Greg McDermott. The previous high was 62, done on March 9, 2019 by Mitch Ballock (39) and Martin Krampelj (23) vs. DePaul. Ballock is now a graduate manager on the Bluejay staff.
     In addition to Ballock and Krampelj, Creighton's only other duo to combine for 62+ points in a game since 1996-97 was Nate Funk (38) and Johnny Mathies (24), who did it in double-overtime on Nov. 26, 2005 vs. Dayton.
    The last Division I duo to combine for 74+ points in a non-overtime game was Austin Peay's Terry Taylor and Jordyn Adams (both with 37) vs. Tennessee State on Jan. 23, 2020.

Jays Don't Foul...Do You Follow?
Creighton led the nation with just 11.5 fouls per game last year, well ahead of runner-up Lipscomb's 12.9 per contest, and are averaging an even lower 9.3 fouls per game this season.
    Creighton was the only team nationally that did not have a player foul out last season. Per Elias, Creighton's streak of 57 straight games without a foul out is the nation's longest since at least 2005-06.
    Since the start of last season, only two teams (Nebraska and Alabama), have gotten into the bonus in the first half against Creighton.
    Since the start of last year, Creighton has committed three fouls or less in 18 different halves.
    In 39 games since the start of last season, Creighton has allowed just 45 made free throws in a 1-and-1 situations, and just 12 made free throws in the double bonus (and 6 of those came in an overtime session). Only two of those free throws in a 1-and-1 situation came in the first half (vs. Alabama).
    Here's a look at how many fouls Creighton was called for this season by half:
Creighton Fouls By Half
Opponent    First Half    Second Half
UTRGV    4    7
FDU    5    7
Houston Christian    2    6
Kansas City    2    4
Total    13    24

Jays Pass 28K at CHI
Creighton has outscored its opponents 28,154-23,485 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 13.04 points per game in 358 all-time games in the building that count.
    Creighton is 26-2 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
12/20/23    27,000-22,535 (345)    Kalkbrenner FG vs. Villanova
11/13/24    28,000-23,388 (357)    Isaacs 3FG vs. Hou. Christian

Consistency Is Key
Ryan Kalkbrenner has scored eight points or more in 62 straight games, easily the nation's longest active streak. North Carolina's RJ Davis has done it in 46 straight games (through Nov. 18), while Alabama's Mark Sears and Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. are next at 42 in a row.
    Kalkbrenner's streak of 62 straight is the longest by a Creighton player since 2005-06, four more than a streak of 58 in a row by Marcus Foster that ended in 2018, and Baylor Scheierman did it in 41 consecutive games before ending his career. And if you're reading this far, you're surely curious about Doug McDermott, who closed his career with an NCAA-record 135 games in double-figures. McDermott's longest streak of eight points or more was 40 from Nov. 18, 2012 - Nov. 29, 2013.

Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Not counting 2019-20, when there was no postseason, Creighton has made the postseason each of the previous 11 times in which it has made at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts to open the year. That's a good sign since CU shot 60 percent on Nov. 6, its best mark since at least 1993-94 in a lid-lifter.
    Nine of those postseason trips were NCAA Tournament berths. The last time that didn't hold true was 1991-92, when CU shot 51.0 percent in the opener but finished just 9-19.
    Creighton has shot 50 percent or better in nine of its last 13 season-openers.
CU Season-Opener Field Goal Percentage 50+%
Since 1993-94
FG%    Year    Opponent    Postseason
.541    1997-98    UMKC    NIT
.524    1998-99    Towson State    NCAA
.569    2000-01    Western Illinois    NCAA
.594    2002-03    UT Arlington    NCAA
.500    2012-13    North Texas    NCAA
.556    2013-14    Alcorn State    NCAA
.528    2015-16    Texas Southern    NIT
.508    2016-17    UMKC    NCAA
.558    2017-18    Yale    NCAA
.524    2019-20    Kennesaw St.    Postseason Ccd.
.585    2021-22    Ark.-Pine Bluff    NCAA
.567    2023-24    Florida A&M    NCAA
.600    2024-25    UTRGV    ? ? ?

The Push For 90
Of Creighton's 25 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, 12 have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
    Put another way...of CU's 19 teams (before 2024-25) to score 90 points in an opener, 12 would reach the NCAA Tournament.
    Here's a look at Creighton's last 12 teams to score 90 or more points in a season-opener:
                Final    Post-
    Score    Opponent    Date    W-L    Season
    93-47    UT-San Antonio    11/30/90    24-8    NCAA
    93-48    Towson State    11/14/98    22-9    NCAA
    96-50    Western Illinois    11/20/00    24-8    NCAA
    106-50    Texas-Arlington    11/17/02    29-5    NCAA
    97-65    North Carolina A&T    11/11/11    29-6    NCAA
    107-61    Alcorn State    11/08/13    27-8    NCAA
    104-77    Central Arkansas    11/14/14    14-19    --
    93-70    Texas Southern    11/14/15    20-15    NIT
    92-76    Yale    11/10/17    21-12    NCAA
    90-77    Arkansas-Pine Bluff    11/09/21    23-12    NCAA
    105-54    Florida A&M    11/07/23    25-10    NCAA
    99-86    UTRGV    11/06/24    ? ? ?    ? ? ?

November Reign
Creighton is a 79-1 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th. The lone loss came in 2018 when it lost to Ohio State.
    Creighton has won 86 of its 88 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012 and Ohio State in 2018.
    Overall, Creighton is 120-22 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.

One Of The Best
Senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner has been named one of 20 candidates on the NABC Division I Player of the Year Preseason Watch List, one of 50 players up for the John R. Wooden Award, and one of 50 candidates for the Naismith Trophy Men's Player of the Year Watch List.
    Kalkbrenner is four players named to the Naismith's Preseason list each of the last three years (joining Hunter Dickinson, RJ Davis and Caleb Love). He's also one of four players to make the NABC Preseason list each of the past two seasons, joining Dickinson, Oumar Ballo and Wade Taylor IV.

Kalkbrenner A Top Defender
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in 2023-24 for the third straight season.
    Kalkbrenner is just the third player in league history to win the recognition three times or more, joining Georgetown greats Patrick Ewing (4x) and Alonzo Mourning (3x).
    Between Kalkbrenner and 2017 & 2018 winner Khyri Thomas, Creighton has now had a BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in five of the previous eight seasons.
Most BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Honors
    Honors    Name, School    Years (*ties)
    4    Patrick Ewing, Georgetown    1982, 83, 84, 85
    3    Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown    1989, 90*, 92
    3    Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton    2022, 23, '24
    2    Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown    1990*, 91
    2    Allen Iverson, Georgetown    1995, 96
    2    Etan Thomas, Syracuse    1999, 00
    2    John Linehan, Providence    2001, 02
    2    Emeka Okafor, Connecticut    2003, 04
    2    Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut    2008, 09
    2    Kris Dunn, Providence    2015*, 16
    2    Khyri Thomas, Creighton    2017*, 18

Who's Back?
With Creighton returning six of the 11 men who appeared in a game last season, it's no surprise that a similar ratio of the production from 2023-24 is also gone. Below is a breakdown of what is back:
Stat    Returners    Departures
Blocks    119 (83.2%)    24 (16.8%)
Starts    105 (60.0%)    70 (40.0%)
Minutes    3684 (51.3%)    3491 (48.7%)
Rebounds    636 (51.1%)    608 (48.9%)
Points    1383 (49.1%)    1432 (50.9%)
3FG Made    171 (45.6%)    204 (54.4%)
Assists    226 (38.4%)    362 (61.6%)
Steals    42 (31.3%)    92 (68.7%)
Charges Taken    4 (30.8%)    9 (69.2%)

Preseason Top 15
The Creighton men's basketball team was ranked 15th in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll, the third straight season the Bluejays have been ranked among the nation's best in the preseason.
    This year's announcement marks the seventh time in program history the writers have voted CU to the top-25 in the preseason, joining 2006-07 (No. 19), 2012-13 (No. 16) and 2016-17 (No. 22), 2020-21 (No. 11), 2022-23 (No. 9) and 2023-24 (No. 8). All six of those teams would end up in the NCAA Tournament, with the last three most recent squads making the Sweet 16.
    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 its Nov. 18 ranking, Creighton has now been ranked 145 times in program history, with 117 of those under the direction of McDermott. Creighton is 179-73 all-time as a ranked team, including a 145-61 mark under McDermott. Creighton has now been ranked at least one week in 11 of McDermott's 15 seasons on The Hilltop after doing it just five different seasons in program history before his 2010 arrival.
    Creighton is one of 13 schools ranked in the Top 25 of the Preseason AP poll each of the last three years, joining Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Creighton, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Narrow that list to just the Preseason Top 15 the past three seasons and only seven schools can claim that, with Creighton joining Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, North Carolina and Tennessee.
    Creighton was one of three BIG EAST Conference schools in the preseason poll, joining No. 3 Connecticut and No. 18 Marquette. Two of Creighton's December opponents, No. 1 Kansas (Dec. 4) and No. 2 Alabama (Dec. 14), are atop the poll. CU will also meet No. 13 Texas A&M on Nov. 27 in Las Vegas.
    Creighton was also 14th in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll, and is currently 13th.

Preseason BIG EAST Poll
The Creighton men's basketball team has been picked to finish second in the BIG EAST Conference in the annual survey of league coaches, which was unveiled as part of BIG EAST Media Day.
    It marks the second straight year CU has been picked second, and fourth time in the past five seasons the Bluejays have been tabbed for a top-two finish. CU's 2020-21 squad and 2023-24 teams were also both picked second, and eventually finished in second place, while the 2022-23 squad that eventually reached the Elite Eight was picked first and finished in third place.
    Connecticut, the defending BIG EAST regular season and tournament champion and the reigning national champion, was chosen to finish first in the poll. The Huskies received all possible 10 first-place votes and 100 points from the league's head coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
    Creighton will be led by Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is a Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST selection for the third time and also earned his first Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year accolade. Kalkbrenner remains the only player in program history to earn Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST honors multiple times. The only other Bluejays to be named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year have been Doug McDermott (2013-14) and Marcus Zegarowski (2020-21).
    Joining Kalkbrenner with Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST acclaim was Connecticut's Alex Karaban, Marquette's Kam Jones, Providence's Bryce Hopkins, St. John's Kadary Richmond and Villanova's Eric Dixon.
    Creighton has matched or exceeded its preseason projection in all but one season since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14, the best showing in the league in that time. The Bluejays are seeking a ninth straight finish in the top four of the league standings. CU's team three years ago was predicted to finish eighth in the BIG EAST, then ended up in fourth. Five years ago, a team picked seventh in the BIG EAST's preseason poll went 13-5 in league play to share its first league title with Villanova and Seton Hall. That Bluejay team ended the year ranked seventh in the entire nation.
Creighton's BIG EAST Preseason Poll History
Year     Preseason     Actual     Preseason All-BIG EAST
2013-14     3rd     2nd     Doug McDermott (POY, 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 (POY, 1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd)
2021-22    8th    4th    -
2022-23    1st    3rd    Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Arthur Kaluma (2nd)
            Ryan Nembhard (2nd); Baylor Scheierman (HM)
2023-24    2nd    ??    Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Trey Alexander (1st)
            Baylor Scheierman (2nd)
2024-25    2nd    ??    Ryan Kalkbrenner (POY, 1st); Steven Ashworth (3rd)

Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since the start of the 2010-11 season among teams to have played 100 or more Division I games, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 to Nov. 17, 2024
Category    CU Stat    CU Rank
3FG Made    4,353    2nd
2FG Percentage    .550    3rd
FG Percentage    .477    4th
Assists    7,830    5th
3FG Percentage    .374    6th
FG Made    13,395    7th
Points    37,447    9th
Wins    329    23rd
Winning Percentage    .673    30th

New Court Debuts
Creighton is playing home games on a new basketball court designed to tell the story of Creighton University and the program's proud history.
    The court was designed by GLGR out of Beaverton, Ore., and produced by Ledford Sports Floors out of Jenks, Okla.
    The court includes multiple intricate features that merit up-close inspection to gain a full appreciation for the attention to detail in the new Creighton-centric design.
• Six numbers will appear on the west sideline, three in front of each bench, to recognize the retired jersey numbers for No. 3 (Doug McDermott), No. 25 (Kyle Korver), No. 30 (Bob Harstad), No. 33 (Bob Portman), No. 35 (Paul Silas) and No. 45 (Bob Gibson).
• Within the eye of the Bluejay logo at midcourt will be the number 1916, a nod to Creighton's first recognized year of intercollegiate basketball.
• Just inside the three-point line on the South end will be text of seven core Jesuit values, such as "Women and Men For and With Others". It is believed that Creighton will be the nation's first Division I team with its school motto included inside its basketball court.
• Also inside the three-point line on the North side of the court are Heritage logos to honor Creighton's history.
• The new color scheme also features an updated courtside gradient, in addition to a feather pattern inside the three-point line, a nod to Creighton's Bluejay nickname.

Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns 105 starts from last year's team, the fifth time in the past six seasons its returned at least 100 starts.
    Creighton has won 20 or more games each of the previous nine times (and 13 of the last 14 times) it has returned 100 or more starts.
    Returning    Returning Starts     Final
Year    Starters    From Previous Year    W-L
2024-25    3    105    ? ? ?
2023-24    3    111    25-10
2022-23    3    104    24-13
2021-22    0    2    23-12
2020-21    5    124    22-9
2019-20    4    136    24-7
2018-19    2    57    20-15
2017-18    2    72    21-12
2016-17    4    130    25-10
2015-16    1    64    20-15
2014-15    1    49    14-19
2013-14    4    144    27-8
2012-13    4    140    28-8
2011-12    3    101    29-6
2010-11    4    123    23-16
2009-10    3    106    18-16
2008-09    3    83    27-8
2007-08    1    44    22-11
2006-07    4    120    22-11
2005-06    4    134    20-10
2004-05    2    58    23-11
2003-04    3    101    20-9
2002-03    5    159    29-5
2001-02    2    65    23-9
2000-01    3    90    24-8
1999-00    3    84    23-10
1998-99    3    84    22-9
1997-98    4    72    18-10
1996-97    4    126    15-15
1995-96    4    100    14-15
1994-95    2    52    7-19
1993-94    3    73    7-22
1992-93    2    64    8-18
1991-92    2    51    9-19
1990-91    4    132    24-8
1989-90    4    127    21-12
1988-89    4    123    20-11
1987-88    3    83    16-16
1986-87    2    65    9-19
1985-86    1    48    12-16
1984-85    4    124    20-12
1983-84    3    72    17-14
1982-83    3    77    8-19
1981-82    2    78    7-20
1980-81    4    112    21-9

#ProJays
Creighton has three alums in the NBA this season.
    Former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott is with the Sacramento Kings as he begins his 11th year in the NBA.
    Baylor Scheierman was a First Round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by the NBA champion Boston Celtics.
    Trey Alexander went undrafted, but was signed on a two-way contract by the Denver Nuggets.
    These men give Creighton at least one NBA player for the 41st time in the last 42 seasons.
    Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver, Benoit Benjamin and Anthony Tolliver.

Let's Go On A Run
Creighton has won at least one NCAA Tournament game in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. That makes CU one of five teams in the country to have a win in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments, joining Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston and Kansas.
    This is the first time that Creighton has won an NCAA Tournament game in four straight years.

Ain't Too Proud To Brag
Creighton (9 straight seasons) is one of six schools with 20 or more wins in each of the previous nine seasons joining Kansas (35), Gonzaga (27), Belmont (14), Oregon (9) and Houston (9).
    Creighton (5 straight seasons) is also one of five teams to post 22 or more wins in each of the previous five seasons, joining Gonzaga (27), Houston (7), San Diego State (5) and Baylor (5).
    Creighton was one of six teams in the nation with 25 or more wins in both men's basketball and women's basketball last season. That list consists of Creighton, Gonzaga, NC State, South Carolina, UConn and Vermont.
    Creighton is one of four schools to have men's and women's basketball programs to both own 22 wins or more each of the previous three seasons, a list that included Creighton, Gonzaga, Princeton and UConn.

24 of 26 Seasons With 20 Wins
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 24 of the previous 26 seasons (1998-99 to 2023-24), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
    Just two schools have had 20 or more wins each of the last 26 years: Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 25 times, Creighton and Kentucky 24 times each.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Previous 26 Seasons
Team                 20-Win Seasons
Gonzaga    26
Kansas    26
Duke    25
Creighton    24
Kentucky    24
Arizona    22
Florida    22
Ohio State    22
Michigan State    22
BYU    21
Memphis    21
North Carolina    21
Wisconsin    21

Most Consecutive 22-Win Seasons
Team                 Consec. 22-Win Years
Gonzaga    27
Houston    7
Creighton    5
San Diego State    5
Baylor    5

Sweetness!
Creighton is one of just five teams to have reached at least three of the last four Sweet 16s.
    Gonzaga and Houston have done it each of the last four seasons, while Alabama, UCLA and Creighton have done it three times each.
    This is the first time Creighton has been in the Sweet 16 in back-to-back tournaments.
Most Sweet 16's, Last Four Years
    #    Team    Years
    4    Gonzaga    2021    2022    2023    2024
    4    Houston    2021    2022    2023    2024
    3    Creighton    2021        -    2023    2024
    3    UCLA    2021    2022    2023         -
    3    Alabama    2021       -    2023    2024

Top 25 Men & Women
Creighton is one of 12 schools with a preseason top-25 squad on both the men's and women's side in 2024-25, joining Alabama, Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Texas and UCLA.
    The only five schools to be ranked in the preseason men's and women's basketball Top 25 of the AP Poll each of the last three seasons are Baylor, Creighton, North Carolina and Texas.
    Creighton is one of eight schools to make the NCAA Tournament in both men's and women's basketball each of the previous three seasons, a list that consists of Arizona, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Tennessee, Texas and UConn.
    Creighton is one of 14 schools that won an NCAA Tournament game last season in both men's and women's basketball: Alabama, Arizona, Baylor, Colorado, Creighton, Duke, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas, North Carolina, NC State, Tennessee, Texas, and UConn.

A Dozen Will Do
Creighton has owned a .500 mark or better in league play 28 times in the previous 29 seasons, one of seven schools nationally that can say that.
    The only BIG EAST teams to finish .500 or better in league play each of the previous nine seasons are Creighton, Villanova and Seton Hall.
    Among the other "Power 5" Conference schools, only Virginia (7 straight years) also has an active streak of five years or longer with 12 or more league wins.
Most Seasons .500 or Better League Record
Previous 29 Seasons
    Seasons    Team
    29    Duke
    29    Kansas
    29    Gonzaga
    28    Kentucky
    28    Michigan State
    28    Creighton
    28    Murray State

Consecutive Seasons .500 or Better League Record
Power 5 Schools
    Seasons    Team
    35    Kansas
    29    Duke
    13    Virginia
    13    Oregon
    12    Villanova
    9    Creighton
    9    Houston
    9    Seton Hall
    9    Florida

Consecutive Seasons 12+ League Wins
Power 5 Schools
    Seasons    Team
    7    Virginia
    5    Creighton

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

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 1,024 straight games. That ranks as the nation's 10th-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 11/18)
    Rk.    Streak    School    Next Game
    1.    1,231    UNLV    11/20
    2.    1,229    Duke    11/22
    3.    1,162    East Tennessee State    11/22
    4.    1,137    Oakland    11/21
    5.    1,134    Pacific    11/22
    6.    1,131    Texas    11/21
    7.    1,071    Marshall    11/23
    8.    1,062    Gonzaga    11/20
    9.    1,055    Princeton    11/21
    10.    1,024    Creighton    11/22
    11.    1,017    Long Island    11/20
    12.    1,010    Mount St. Mary's    11/20

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 1,024 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 8,195 trifectas, an average of 8.00 treys per game.
    Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 305 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 85-20 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 34-30 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:    5 times    2: 19 times    3: 36 times
4:    75 times    5:   104 times    6: 107 times
7:   151 times    8:   127 times    9: 94 times
10: 86 times    11: 60 times    12: 60 times
13: 49 times    14: 24 times    15: 9 times
16: 8 times    17: 4 times    18: 1 time
19: 2 times    20: 1 time    21: 1 time    22: 1 time

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. Creighton's all-time largest crowd ever in a home opener came in the 2014-15 campaign, when 18,160 fans saw the Jays defeat Central Arkansas.
      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.    18,571    DePaul    01/22/24
    10.    18,525    Marquette    12/31/13
    11.    18,519    #8 Seton Hall    03/07/20
    12.    18,518    Georgetown    01/27/18
    13.    18,509    Villanova    02/04/23
    14.    18,495    Marquette    02/17/18
    15.    18,494    Illinois State    02/09/13
    16.    18,458    Evansville    12/29/12
    17.    18,436    Bradley    01/28/12
    18.    18,323    DePaul    02/07/14
    19.    18,321    #3 Villanova    02/24/18
    20.    18,294    #19 Iowa State    12/04/21

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 358 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the now 22-year-old facility.
    The Bluejays own a 296-62 (.827) record all-time at the facility, and is 22-1 there on Friday's.
    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 28,154-23,485 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 13.04 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 92 different times, including once this year (Kansas City).
    Incredibly, Creighton hasn't trailed in its home opener in 10 of the past 24 seasons (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2019-20).
    Creighton is also 32-36 all-time in the 68 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 8-11 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 41-29 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
    Creighton is 199-44 (.819) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn't trailed in 66 of those games. In that same span, CU owns a 105-9 home record (.921) 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 315-62 (.836) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Home Run
Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.91 points per home game (19,660 points in 243 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.50 points in non-conference home games (9,633 points in 114 home games).
    Creighton is 149-7 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.

Nine Is Divine
Greg McDermott has guided his team to the NCAA Tournament nine times at Creighton. That put him in the company of some of the greatest coaches in CU Athletics history, and most among basketball coaches.
    McDermott is one of three head coaches in Creighton history to lead eight or more NCAA Tournament teams.
Name    Sport    NCAA's @CU
Kirsten Bernthal Booth    Volleyball    13
Bob Warming    Men's Soccer    11
Greg McDermott    Men's Basketball    9
Dana Altman    Men's Basketball    7
Brent Vigness    Softball    7
Jim Flanery    Women's Basketball    7

Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton finished the 2023-24 season ranked 11th overall by KenPom.com. That included the nation's No. 9 offense, and No. 24 defense.
    Creighton has finished with a top-25 offense per KenPom eight times and a top-25 defense three times in 14 completed seasons under Greg McDermott.
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    23    14    12
2023-24    9    24    11
2024-25    14    35    18

McDermott's Coaching Tree
Greg McDermott's coaching tree owns 10 men who are currently a head coach at the Division I level. Seven of the 10 won 20+ games last season. Here's a list:
Darian DeVries - West Virginia
Eric Henderson - South Dakota State
Alan Huss - High Point
Ben Jacobson - Northern Iowa
Steve Lutz - Oklahoma State
TJ Otzelberger - Iowa State
David Richman - North Dakota State
Daniyal Robinson - Cleveland State
Paul Sather - North Dakota
Patrick Sellers - Central Connecticut State

Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2024-25 season went on sale on October 16th.
    Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CHI Health Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com, and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000.
    For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.

#14 Men's Basketball Meets Nebraska on Friday Night

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Players Mentioned

Trey Alexander

Steven Ashworth

Jasen Green

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Fredrick King

Mason Miller

Jamiya Neal

Baylor Scheierman

Josh Townley-Thomas

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