Creighton University Athletics
Saturday, January 31
Omaha, Neb.
7:00 PM
Creighton University
vs
Connecticut (Pink Out)
Men's Basketball Hosts #2 UConn in Pink Out Game on Saturday
1/29/2026 11:10:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game #22: #2 Connecticut Huskies (20-1, 10-0 BIG EAST) at Creighton Bluejays (12-9, 6-4 BIG EAST)
Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 • 7:00 p.m. • Omaha, Neb. • CHI Health Center Omaha
| LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES | UCONN NOTES | PROGRAM |
Next Game
Creighton (12-9, 6-4 BIG EAST) starts the second half of its BIG EAST season with its annual Pink Out game vs. No. 2 Connecticut (20-1, 10-0 BIG EAST).
Saturday's game will be played in Omaha, Neb., on FNBO Court inside CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) and tip off at 7:00 p.m.
Promotional Schedule
The first 15,000 fans will receive a free pink t-shirt thanks to Methodist Health Systems and CHI Health, as the contest is Creighton's 16th annual Pink Out game. Be sure to pick up an "I Stand For Card" upon entry to honor a loved one during the first half, under 8:00 timeout.
On the concourse there will be face painters and balloon artists.
At halftime, enjoy the entertainment of the X-Pogo Stunt Team.
Broadcast Information
The game will be broadcast on FOX and streamed at https://www.foxsports.com/live.
Tim Brando and Donny Marshall will announce.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) and KOOO (101.9 FM) will carry all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2025-26 season.
John Bishop and Tyler Clement will call the action. The audio is webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
The game can also be heard on SiriusXM 389 as well as https://sxm.app.link/SXM979.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats at http://Creighton.StatBroadcast.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 12-9 overall and 6-4 in BIG EAST play after alternating wins and losses in its last eight games.
The nine teams to beat Creighton are a combined 127-61 (through Wednesday), and three of those opponents (#5 Nebraska, #6 Gonzaga, #8 Iowa State) are ranked in the Top 10 of the Jan. 26th AP poll.
Four of Creighton's top five scorers are newcomers, led by Josh Dix (12.3 ppg.), Austin Swartz (11.9 ppg.), Nik Graves (9.6 ppg., 3.6 apg.) and Blake Harper (9.3 ppg., 4.4 rpg.).
Coming on strong of late has been Jasen Green (10.7 ppg., 5.1 rpg.), while Isaac Traudt (7.2 ppg.) remains one of the most feared marksmen in the league.
Creighton's most productive returner, Jackson McAndrew (6.8 ppg., 4.5 rpg.), as well as key subs Hudson Greer (5.1 ppg.) and Josh Townley-Thomas (6.0 ppg.), have combined to play just 14 games due to injuries, and just five games since the end of November.
Creighton is averaging 78.2 points per game and shooting 46.3 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from three-point range and 75.5 percent at the line.
Scouting No. 2 Connecticut
Connecticut is 20-1 and ranked second nationally, with its only loss coming by four points to undefeated and top-ranked Arizona. UConn's most impressive wins away from home include BYU, Illinois, Kansas and Florida.
The Huskies are also 10-0 in BIG EAST play for the first time since 1998-99 following an 87-81 win vs. Providence on Tuesday, and have won 16 straight.
Solo Ball (14.8 ppg.), Tarris Reed Jr. (14.5 ppg., 7.9 rpg., 2.1 bpg.) and Alex Karaban (13.5 ppg., 5.6 rpg.) lead five UConn players in double-figures, a group that also includes Braylon Mullins (11.4 ppg.) and Silas Demary Jr. (10.4 ppg., 6.1 apg.).
The Huskies average 78.7 points per game and shoot 48.2 percent from the floor, 35.3 percent from three-point range and 70.8 percent at the line while outrebounding teams by 4.7 caroms per contest. UConn also holds foes to 64.3 points per game and 39.1 percent shooting from the floor.
The Series With Connecticut
Creighton is 9-3 all-time against UConn, with the 12 meetings taking place in four different cities since 2020. The 12 games have been decided by a total of 82 points, with 10 of those decided by single-digits.
Greg McDermott is 9-3 against Connecticut and 9-4 all-time in head-to-head meetings vs. Dan Hurley, as Hurley's Rhode Island team defeated Creighton 84-72 in the First Round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament in a game contested in Sacramento, Calif.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 362-180 record in his 16th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 642-375 in his 32nd season, and is 511-311 in 25 Division I campaigns.
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 Alan Huss, Derek Kellogg, Trey Zeigler, Mitch Ballock and Mike Nesbitt.
With A Win...
- Creighton would improve to 10-3 all-time against Connecticut, the best win percentage (.769) of any opponent that has played the Huskies 10 or more times.
- Creighton would improve to 4-1 in its last five meetings against Connecticut.
- Creighton would improve to 12-4 in Pink Out games, including four wins in a row.
- Creighton would extend its win streak to 11 straight years with a Top 10 win and 13 seasons in a row with a Top 25 victory.
- Creighton would improve to 63-178 all-time against Top 25 foes, and 43-61 under Greg McDermott.
- Creighton would improve to 5-0 at home against ranked Connecticut teams all-time.
- Creighton would improve to 1-7 all-time against teams ranked No. 2 in the AP poll.
- Creighton would win its third straight game against a team ranked in the top-two nationally.
- Creighton would win its 11th game of the BIG EAST schedule for the sixth time in the last seven seasons, and seventh time overall.
- Creighton would alternate wins and losses for the ninth straight game.
- Creighton would win 10 home games for the 29th time in the last 30 seasons.
Milestone Watch
- Owen Freeman has 791 career points and is nine short of 800.
- Josh Dix is two made three-pointers away from 150 in his career and 15 points short of 1,100.
- Fedor Zugic is six points away from 200 in his career.
- Blake Harper is 10 rebounds shy of 300 in his career.
More Creighton/UConn Facts
Both Greg McDermott and Dan Hurley coached their sons in college. Doug McDermott was the 2014 National Player of the Year and BIG EAST Player of the Year after leading the country in scoring.
The only other school with a win percentage against UConn of .750 or better (minimum 10 meetings) is Dartmouth, who is also 9-3 against the Huskies. UConn hasn't faced Dartmouth since 1973.
Creighton has allowed just 63.17 points per game in 12 meetings against UConn. The only time the Huskies scored more than 70 was in the first meeting, a 76-74 Bluejay win in overtime.
Pink Out Men's Jersey Auction Raises $43,535.28
When Creighton hosts Connecticut on Saturday in its 16th Annual Pink Out game, Bluejay players will wear pink shooting shirts and pink-trimmed jerseys for the game.
Fans had the opportunity to honor a friend or family member who has battled cancer or is currently battling cancer by purchasing the apparel via auction.
All funds raised benefit American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Omaha, which provides a free home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers who must travel to Omaha to receive their lifesaving treatment. More than just a roof over their heads, it's a nurturing community that helps patients access the care they need. This year Nebraska Cancer Specialists has generously agreed to match all donations to Hope Lodge raised at the game, up to $30,000.
The annual Creighton Pink Out games, donations and matching funds (in MBB/WBB/VB) have raised $1,134,251.20 (including the 2025-26 auction) benefiting the Hope Lodge facility in Omaha and the guests it serves.
This year's men's basketball jersey auction ran from Jan. 15-25 and raised $43,535.28. Below is the final numbers for each men's basketball jersey/item in the auction this year.
#0 $3,350 #1 $2,600 #2 $2,700
#4 $3,800 #5 $1,775 #7 $3,155
#9 $3,050 #10 $3,000 #12 $1,000
#13 $860 #17 $1,525 #23 $2,775
#27 $1,450 #32 $1,226 #41 $2,800
#53 $2,900 Mac's Shoes: $406.01 Golf: $2,800
Ball 1: 347 Ball 2: $375 Ball 3: $460
Ball 4: $445 Basll 5: $450 Mac's Tie: $286.27
Matching Donations On Gameday
As always the Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out game directly supports cancer patients staying for free at the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge right here in Omaha.
This year Nebraska Cancer Specialists has generously agreed to match all donations to Hope Lodge raised at the game, up to $30,000.
All fans – both at home and at the game are asked to consider a donation. Scan the QR code below or visit http://cancer.org/pinkout to make your gameday donation.
Yearly Pink Out Totals
Creighton has raised $1,134,251.20 since the start of the 2011-12 season during its annual men's and basketball Pink Out auctions, plus additional money collected on gameday, underwriting, matching donations and volleyball/women's basketball jersey auctions.
The numbers below show the annual figures for the men's basketball jersey auction unless otherwise noted, but do not include the matching totals or donations that will be collected at the door in 2026.
2011-12: $20,600
2012-13: $24,444
2013-14: $48,247.11
2014-15: $16,384.03
2015-16: $16,527.90
2016-17: $26,361.64
2017-18: $28,796
2018-19: $19,595
2019-20: $31,803.18
2020-21: $40,381
2021-22: $24,165
2022-23: $27,432
2023-24: $36,002.46
2024-25: $43,995.92
2025-26: $43,535.28
MBB Auction Totals = $448,270.52
WBB/VB Auctions + Additional Donations: $685,980.68
15-Year Totals: $1,134,251.20
Creighton's Pink Out History
This year will mark Creighton's 16th Pink Out, which coincides with the arrival of head coach Greg McDermott. The Bluejays are 11-4 in the first 15 Pink Out games, while playing in front of an average of 18,011 fans per game (excluding 2021, when COVID limited attendance), as seen below:
Date Result Attendance
01/29/11 Creighton 83, Indiana State 69 16,044
01/28/12 Creighton 73, Bradley 59 18,436
02/02/13 Creighton 75, Bradley 58 18,111
01/25/14 Creighton 76, Georgetown 63 18,859
01/17/15 Providence 74, Creighton 65 17,640
01/30/16 Seton Hall 75, Creighton 65 17,924
01/28/17 Creighton 83, DePaul 66 17,611
01/27/18 Creighton 85, Georgetown 77 18,518
01/25/19 Creighton 75, Butler 61 18,089
01/26/20 Creighton 77, Xavier 66 17,796
02/03/21 Georgetown 86, Creighton 79 1,845
01/29/22 Xavier 79, Creighton 69 17,850
01/28/23 Creighton 84, Xavier 67 18,277
01/27/24 Creighton 85, DePaul 62 18,571
01/25/25 Creighton 79, Seton Hall 54 18,430
It's Suits And Sneakers Week
The NABC and Coaches vs. Cancer host one of their biggest initiatives of the year from Jan. 26-Feb. 1 for Suits and Sneakers Week.
It'll see the Creighton coaching staff wear suits with sneakers to bring awareness of the importance of cancer screening and health equity.
One-third of people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer, but regular screening increases the chances of detecting certain cancers early before it has a chance to spread. More information about screening and saving lives can be found at Cancer.org.
In 2018 Coaches vs. Cancer presented Greg McDermott with the Champion Award, which recognizes a college coach who has shown extraordinary leadership and a commitment to the American Cancer Society's mission of saving lives, celebrating lives and leading the fight for a world without cancer.
Husky Conquests
Since rejoining the BIG EAST in 2020, Connecticut has played 68 different opponents, but lost to only 17 unique schools.
No school has beaten the Huskies more in that time than Creighton. In fact, Creighton's nine wins over UConn are as many as the next two schools, combined.
Since rejoining the BIG EAST, Connecticut has lost to the same school multiple times in the same season on just seven occasions, with three of those foes being Creighton (3 times in 2020-21, 2 times in 2021-22 and 2 times in 2024-25).
Most Wins vs. UConn Since 2020-21
Wins Opponent
9 Creighton
5 Seton Hall
4 St. John's
4 Xavier
4 Villanova
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 20-117 42-61
vs. Top 10 Teams 5-53 16-30
vs. Top 10 on Road 1-28 4-16
vs. Top 25 on Road 3-64 10-29
Top 25 Notes
A few notes as Creighton preps to play second-ranked Connecticut on Saturday night.
- Creighton is 62-178 all-time against top 25 teams.
- Creighton is 4-0 all-time at home against ranked Connecticut teams.
- Creighton has beaten a team ranked every spot between No. 1 and No. 25...other than No. 2, who the Jays are 0-7 against all-time. UConn is ranked No. 2 this week.
- Following up on the note above, Creighton's first win ever over a team ranked No. 1 came vs. UConn (Feb. 20, 2024), as was its lone win in 12 tries against a team ranked No. 14 (Jan. 18, 2025).
- Creighton is 42-61 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams, 35 more top 25 wins than any other coach in Creighton history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 20-117 all-time against top 25 foes.
- Creighton has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the previous 12 seasons (entering 2025-26). On a national basis, the only teams with a top-25 win each of the previous 12 seasons (entering 2025-26) are Baylor, Creighton, Duke, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas Tech, Villanova, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Creighton has beaten multiple ranked foes in each of the previous 10 seasons (entering 2025-26), something only Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan State, Purdue and Villanova can claim.
Creighton owns at least one Top 10 win each of the previous 10 seasons (entering 2025-26). The only schools with at least one top-10 win every season from 2015-16 to 2024-25 have been Creighton, Kansas and Texas Tech.
- In the last 10 seasons, Creighton owns 37 Top 25 wins. That ranks 17th-most in the nation, just ahead of Arizona (36), Auburn (36), and Connecticut (34).
Top Two Success
Creighton has won each of its last two games against a team ranked in the top two of the AP poll, defeating No. 1 Connecticut on Feb. 20, 2024 as well as No. 1 Kansas on Dec. 4, 2024.
Nationally, CU is one of six teams in the country with an active win streak of two or more against top two teams, as seen below:
Longest Active Win Streaks vs. AP Top 2 Teams
Streak School Streak Date Start
5 Florida Feb. 19, 2022
3 Houston March 24, 2022
3 CCNY March 18, 1950
2 Creighton Feb. 20, 2024
2 Iowa State March 16, 2024
2 Oklahoma State March 12, 2021
Among The Best
Creighton owns more BIG EAST wins (88) than any other school in the last six seasons, nine more than Connecticut's 79.
Since the league's 2013 realignment, Villanova has 167 league wins to lead the BIG EAST by a wide margin, but Creighton's 144 league victories are second-most.
Most Men's Basketball BIG EAST Wins
(2019-20 to Jan. 29, 2026)
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 88 39 .693
UConn 79 27 .745
Villanova 77 45 .631
Marquette 74 53 .583
Providence 66 58 .532
St. John's 68 58 .540
Seton Hall 64 62 .508
Xavier 62 58 .517
Butler 49 79 .383
Georgetown 27 96 .220
DePaul 22 101 .179
Most Men's Basketball BIG EAST Wins
(2013-14 to Jan. 29, 2026)
Team W L Pct.
Villanova 167 63 .726
Creighton 144 91 .613
Xavier 128 100 .561
Marquette 126 109 .536
Providence 124 108 .534
Seton Hall 117 117 .500
St. John's 108 126 .462
Butler 103 133 .436
UConn 79 27 .745
Georgetown 74 158 .319
DePaul 47 185 .203
Bouncing Back
Creighton doesn't lose many games by 20 or more points, as it did on Tuesday at Marquette in its last game.
Since Jan. 1, 2002, Creighton has answered with a victory in its next game 23 of the last 26 times it has happened, including 12 double-digit victories.
Creighton's Losses by 20+ Points Since 2002
Date Loss by 20+ Points Next Game Result
02/28/04 Missouri State 70, CU 46 03/01/04 CU 75, Wichita State 61
02/16/08 Bradley 87, CU 59 02/19/08 CU 88, Missouri State 67
03/21/08 Florida 82, CU 54 11/16/08 CU 82, New Mexico 75
01/03/09 Illinois State 86, CU 64 01/06/09 Northern Iowa 69, CU 66
03/07/09 Illinois State 73, CU 49 03/18/09 CU 73, Bowling Green 71
02/11/12 Wichita State 89, #17 CU 68 02/14/12 CU 88, Southern Illinois 69
03/23/14 #23 Baylor 85, #16 CU 55 11/14/14 CU 104, Central Arkansas 77
01/25/15 #4 Villanova 71, CU 50 01/28/15 CU 77, St. John's 74
01/31/15 #21 Georgetown 67, CU 40 02/04/15 CU 79, Xavier 72 (OT)
11/19/15 #14 Indiana 86, CU 65 11/23/15 CU 85, Rutgers 75
02/03/16 #3 Villanova 83, CU 58 02/06/16 CU 88, DePaul 66
01/25/17 Georgetown 71, #16 CU 51 01/28/17 #16 CU 83, DePaul 66
01/13/18 #10 Xavier 92, #25 CU 70 01/17/18 CU 80, #19 Seton Hall 63
02/01/18 #1 Villanova 98, CU 78 02/07/18 CU 76, DePaul 75
02/20/18 Butler 93, CU 70 02/24/18 CU 89, #3 Villanova 83 (OT)
11/28/19 San Diego State 83, CU 52 11/29/19 CU 83, #12 Texas Tech 76 (OT)
03/01/20 St. John's 91, #10 CU 71 03/04/20 #11 CU 91, Georgetown 76
03/13/21 Georgetown 73, CU 48 03/20/21 #19 CU 63, UC Santa Barbara 62
01/05/22 #19 Villanova 75, CU 41 01/15/22 #17 Xavier 80, CU 73
02/26/22 #11 Providence 72, CU 51 03/02/22 CU 64, #18 UConn 62
03/10/23 #15 Xavier 82, #24 CU 60 03/17/23 CU 72, NC State 63
11/23/23 Colorado St. 69, #8 CU 48 11/30/23 #15 CU 79, Oklahoma State 65
12/18/24 Georgetown 81, CU 57 12/21/24 CU 86, Villanova 79
03/01/25 Xavier 83, CU 61 03/04/25 CU 79, Seton Hall 61
11/11/25 #19 Gonzaga 90, #23 CU 63 11/14/25 CU 84, Md. Eastern Shore 45
12/07/25 Nebraska 71, CU 50 12/13/25 Kansas State 83, CU 76
01/27/26 Marquette 86, CU 62 01/31/26 Saturday vs. #2 Connecticut
Give Me 10
Creighton enters Saturday's game with nine home wins this season, and with a victory can reach double-figures in that category for the 29th time in the last 30 seasons.
The only exception in that time came in 2014-15, when the Jays won nine times at home.
Where's The Big Fella?
Creighton will be facing Connecticut on Saturday for the 13th time, but it'll be the first time the Jays won't have Ryan Kalkbrenner patrolling the paint.
Kalkbrenner, who starred for five seasons at Creighton from 2020-25, is now shooting 78.0 percent from the field and averaging 8.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Charlotte Hornets.
As a collegian, Kalkbrenner averaged 11.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in 12 all-time meetings against the Huskies. Creighton won nine of those battles.
Ryan Kalkbrenner vs. Connecticut (2020-25)
Date Kalk PTS Kalk REB UConn F/C Starters
12/20/20 5 3 Whaley & Carlton
01/23/21 10 4 Whaley & Sanogo
03/12/21 4 3 Whaley & Sanogo
02/01/22 4 6 Whaley & Sanogo
03/02/22 22 10 Whaley & Sanogo
01/07/23 9 4 Karaban & Sanogo
02/11/23 12 6 Karaban & Sanogo
01/17/24 11 8 Karaban & Johnson
02/20/24 15 5 Karaban & Clingan
01/18/25 16 10 Karaban & Johnson
02/11/25 13 9 Karaban & Johnson
03/14/25 12 4 Karaban & Johnson
Bold = Creighton victories
FOX Rocks
Saturday will mark Creighton's second of four scheduled appearances on FOX this season.
After a rough start on FOX, the network has been a good luck charm for the Bluejays in recent seasons, helping CU improve to 22-20 on the channel since joining the BIG EAST.
Creighton lost its first seven appearances and was 2-10 on FOX in its first six seasons as a BIG EAST member. Since then, Creighton is 20-10 on the network, including victories in 10 of its last 13 games.
Creighton's Record on FOX Since 2013-14
Year W-L
2013-14 0-0
2014-15 0-0
2015-16 0-1
2016-17 0-4
2017-18 1-3 (lost first 2)
2018-19 1-2 (won last 1)
2019-20 2-0
2020-21 5-2 (won first 4)
2021-22 0-3
2022-23 3-2
2023-24 6-0
2024-25 4-2 (won first 4)
2025-26 0-1 (so far)
Saturday's Are For The Jays
The Connecticut game is one of six conference home games that Creighton will have on a Saturday this season. That's a single-season school-record for CU -- regardless of conference affiliation.
Creighton has won 13 of its last 14 Saturday home games in BIG EAST play.
Creighton's .815 win percentage in Saturday league games at all sites and .929 win percentage in Saturday league home games since the start of the 2022-23 season both lead all Power 5 teams.
Best Saturday Win Percentages in League Play
(Power 5 Schools Since 2022-23 Started)
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 22 5 .815
North Carolina 27 7 .794
Duke 28 8 .778
Alabama 24 8 .750
Clemson 26 9 .743
Texas A&M 23 10 .697
Wake Forest 25 11 .694
Auburn 22 10 .688
Tennessee 21 11 .656
Kentucky 20 11 .645
Best Saturday Home Win Percentages in League Play
(Power 5 Schools Since 2022-23 Started)
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 13 1 .929
Duke 15 2 .882
BYU 13 2 .867
Wake Forest 17 3 .850
North Carolina 16 3 .842
Florida 13 3 .813
Iowa State 12 3 .800
Kansas 12 3 .800
Alabama 13 4 .765
Texas A&M 13 4 .765
Vanderbilt 13 4 .765
Home Sweet Home
Creighton won its final four BIG EAST home games in 2023-24, was 9-1 in BIG EAST home games last season, and has started 4-1 in league play at home this winter.
Creighton's 17-2 record is tied for the best mark in the conference by any school in its last 19 BIG EAST home games, as seen below:
Last 19 BIG EAST Home Games
W-L Team
17-2 Creighton
17-2 Connecticut
17-2 St. John's
14-5 Villanova
12-7 Marquette
11-8 Xavier
8-11 Butler
8-11 Seton Hall
7-12 Providence
7-12 Georgetown
6-13 DePaul
That's A Winner
Since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in 2013-14, the only current BIG EAST teams to own a .500 or better record in conference road games are Villanova and Creighton.
Connecticut has a winning record since coming back to the BIG EAST, but falls below .500 when you include its 22-41 road record in the American.
BIG EAST Road Records Since 2013-14
W L School
72 43 Villanova
59 59 Creighton
51 65 Providence
50 63 Xavier
50 67 Marquette
50 68 Seton Hall
43 75 St. John's
39 79 Butler
35 18 Connecticut (57-59 including the American)
29 86 Georgetown
17 98 DePaul
Finding A Way
Since the start of the 2020-21 season Creighton (21), Marquette (21) and Xavier (21) lead the BIG EAST in victories by three points or fewer. No one else owns more than 15. Fittingly, Creighton and Marquette both won one-point games last week, while Xavier lost by one point at Creighton.
Among Power 5 schools, Creighton's 23 wins by three points or less since the start of the 2020-21 campaign ranks tied for second-most nationally.
Most Wins by 3 or Less since 2020-21, Power 5 Teams
W L School
23 17 Arizona State
21 11 Creighton
21 12 Virginia
21 12 Minnesota
21 13 Marquette
21 16 Rutgers
21 18 Xavier
20 11 Oregon
20 12 Vanderbilt
20 13 TCU
20 14 Wisconsin
New Year, Same Success
Creighton owns a 21-8 record in the month of January since the start of 2023 and are also 30-14 in the month of January since the start of 2021. Both marks are second-best in the BIG EAST to UConn as the team's close the month with a head-to-head match-up.
Best January Records Among BIG EAST Teams Since 2023
Rk. W L Pct. Team
1. 23 8 .742 Connecticut
2. 21 8 .724 Creighton
3. 21 9 .700 St. John's
Best January Records Among BIG EAST Teams Since 2021
Rk. W L Pct. Team
1. 32 11 .744 Connecticut
2. 30 14 .682 Creighton
3, 30 15 .667 Marquette
4 x 4
After opening league play with lopsided wins by 41 and 21 points, each of Creighton's last four league victories have come by four points or less.
The only other time Creighton has had four league wins in a row all by four points or less was during the 2009-10 campaign as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
It's the first time Creighton has had four league wins by four points or less since tying a single-season program-record with five such (non-consecutive) victories in 2021-22.
Have We Met?
Of the 165 players listed on BIG EAST rosters just four years ago (2022-23), only 10 of those men are still playing for the same school. Four of those 10 men (Lucas, Gabriel, Sabourin, Wolf) have scored fewer than 10 career points.
Here's a list of who remains from 2022-23:
Team 2022-23 Roster Size Who's Still There?
Butler 13 -
Connecticut 16 Alex Karaban
Creighton 16 Jasen Green
DePaul 15 -
Georgetown 14 -
Marquette 18 Ben Gold, Sean Jones, Jonah Lucas, Chase Ross
Providence 14 Corey Floyd Jr.
Seton Hall 16 David Gabriel
St. John's 15 -
Villanova 12 -
Xavier 16 Ian Sabourin, Michael Wolf
The First 10 in the BIG EAST
Tuesday marked Creighton's 10th BIG EAST game this season. This year is the seventh straight season CU has started league play 5-5 or better after 10 conference games, and 11th time in 13 seasons as a member of the BIG EAST.
Creighton -- First 10 BIG EAST Games, Since 2013-14
Year First 10 BE W-L Final W-L Postseason
2025-26 6-4 ? ? ? ? ? ?
2024-25 8-2 15-5 NCAA
2023-24 7-3 14-6 NCAA
2022-23 7-3 13-7 NCAA
2021-22 5-5 12-7 NCAA
2020-21 7-3 14-4 NCAA
2019-20 6-4 13-5 Canceled
2018-19 4-6 9-9 NIT
2017-18 7-3 10-8 NCAA
2016-17 7-3 10-8 NCAA
2015-16 5-5 9-9 NIT
2014-15 1-9 4-14 --
2013-14 9-1 14-4 NCAA
The Road Less Taken
Through games of Wednesday, BIG EAST squads were 24-31 in league road games. The top four teams in the standings were a combined 16-4 in those road contests.
By comparison, last year BIG EAST teams were 42-68 in league road games, and in 2023-24 road teams were 45-65 in conference action.
The only previous time in league history that the road teams have finished with a winning record in BIG EAST play was the first year of the conference in 1979-80, when they were 11-10.
Swartz Does It Again
Austin Swartz has shown a flair for the dramatic in Creighton's last two home games.
On Jan. 13th vs. Georgetown, Swartz hit a game-tying three-pointer with 17.8 seconds left in regulation, then added a game-winning jumper with 30.3 seconds left in overtime.
On Jan. 21st vs. Xavier, Swartz was fouled with Creighton down two points and 4.3 seconds left. He made the first foul shot before chasing down the offensive rebound and banking in a shot from a tough angle on the right wing with 0.6 seconds left. It came after just his fifth offensive rebound of the season.
CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 9-8 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 2026 when Creighton's Austin Swartz hit a shot with 0.6 seconds left to beat Xavier, CU's first game-winner in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha since 2020.
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
01/21/26 Xavier W 94-93 Swartz FG :0.6
*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
All The Bounces
Tuesday marks Creighton's second game since Austin Swartz's game-winner with 0.6 seconds left vs. Xavier, which came after Swartz missed a potential game-tying free throw with 4.3 seconds left but grabbed his own miss before hitting the game-winner with 0.6 seconds left.
Prior to last Tuesday, Creighton's last game-winner in the last 30 seconds under Greg McDermott was by a different player boasting the same initials and same uniform number who also used the glass in an unlikely fashion, as Steven Ashworth banked in a three-pointer from the corner with 5.8 seconds left to help CU win at Villanova on Feb. 1, 2025.
Below is a list of Creighton's victories under Greg McDermott in which it scored a go-ahead points in the final 30 seconds of a victory.
Go-Ahead Points in Last 30 Seconds of Wins Under McDermott
Player Time Opponent Date
Kenny Lawson Jr. 18.1, Dunk Northern Arizona 11/14/10
Antoine Young 0.3, FG Long Beach St. 02/18/12
Josh Jones 22.6, FG Evansville 02/21/12
Doug McDermott 4.9, FG at Saint Joseph's 11/16/13
Doug McDermott 2.8, 3FG St. John's 01/28/14
Marcus Foster 6.6, 3FG vs. Xavier 03/10/17
Marcus Foster 14.4, 3FG at DePaul 02/07/18
Marcus Zegarowski 3.2 3FG Providence 01/18/20
Christian Bishop 0.8, Dunk at Providence 01/02/21
Christian Bishop 16.0, 2 FT vs. UCSB 03/20/21
Ryan Nembhard 0.0, FG vs. Southern Illinois 11/22/21
Trey Alexander 26.2, 2 FT Villanova 02/04/23
Trey Alexander 12.3, 2 FT St. John's 01/13/24
Trey Alexander 28.4, 3FG at Seton Hall 01/20/24
Trey Alexander 0.2, FG at Villanova 03/09/24
Steven Ashworth 5.8, 3FG at Villanova 02/01/25
Austin Swartz 0.6, FG Xavier 01/21/26
Alternate Ideas
Creighton has alternated wins and losses over each of its last eight games. The streak started on Dec. 30th with a win over Butler, and if the recent pattern continues, the Jays will beat No. 2 Connecticut on Saturday. Creighton's four wins in the stretch have all come by four points or less.
Speaking of alternate, Creighton is in the middle of a stretch where it alternates home and road games over a 10-game stretch that lasts from Jan. 13-Feb. 18.
Merfeld Gets Hall Call
Longtime Creighton men's basketball staffer Steve Merfeld is part of the 2026 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame induction class.
The Hall of Fame Banquet is scheduled for Sunday, September 27th at the Glacier Canyon Lodge of the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells.
Merfeld is a Wisconsin native who graduated from Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1984 and then got his coaching start at St. John's Military Academy in 1984. He served as an assistant coach at Bowling Green (1986-96) and Hampton (1996-97) before serving as head coach at Hampton from 1997-2002.
Merfeld then went on to be head coach at Evansville from 2002-07 and an assistant coach at Bradley before joining the Greg McDermott's original Creighton staff as an assistant coach in 2010. He has been the Bluejays' assistant to the head coach since 2013.
Graves Does It
Nik Graves had 16 points, nine assists and no turnovers in last Wednesday's victory vs. Xavier. He's just the second Creighton player in the last 20 years with at least 16 points and nine assists without a turnover, joining Antoine Young.
Young did it on March 21, 2011 vs. Davidson (22 points, 9 assists) vs. Davidson, then again two days later vs. Central Florida (16 points, 10 assists). Both of those games were in the CBI.
Graves' performance made him the first Bluejay to ever post at least nine assists without a turnover in a BIG EAST game.
Nik The Quik
Nik Graves went nuclear in the first half of Creighton's Dec. 20 game vs. Marquette, scoring 17 points in a span of just 2:55. His 17 points were the most by any Bluejay in a half this season.
Graves entered the game with a season-high of 15 points in the South Dakota game before catching fire against the Golden Eagles.
Here's how it happened:
Time Play CU Score After Points
11:22 Graves Floater Down 15-14
10:56 Graves Jumper Up 16-15
10:07 Graves 3FG Up 21-15
9:03 Graves 3FG Up 27-17
8:46 Graves 3FG Up 30-17
8:24 Graves 3FG Up 33-17
8:24 Graves FT Up 34-17
They Did What?
Creighton led 49-22 at half and walloped Xavier, 98-57, on Dec. 17 in Cincinnati. It led to a plethora of eyebrow-raising stats.
- It was Creighton's largest halftime lead since leading Houston Christian 39-12 at the break on Nov. 13, 2024.
, - It was Creighton's largest halftime lead in a BIG EAST game since leading Georgetown 51-24 at the break on March 1, 2023, and tied for its third-largest ever in BIG EAST play.
- It is believed to be Creighton's largest halftime lead in a conference road game since at least 1948. Creighton's last halftime lead away from home of 27 points or more was also a 49-22 lead, which came on Nov. 30, 1990 in Iowa City, Iowa, against UTSA.
- It was Creighton's largest margin of victory ever in a conference road game, topping its 93-58 win at DePaul on Feb. 11, 2017.
- It was tied for Creighton's second-largest margin of victory ever in a conference game at any site, trailing only a 69-25 win vs. Saint Louis on Jan. 9, 1943 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
That Saint Louis game was also a league lid-lifter.
- It tied Creighton's largest margin of victory ever in a BIG EAST game at any site, matching a 100-59 win vs. St. John's on Feb. 28, 2016.
- Creighton's 98-57 win was the second-largest road win in a BIG EAST Conference game ever, trailing only UConn's 99-57 win at Seton Hall on Feb. 11, 2006. It was also tied for the eighth-largest BIG EAST victory margin in league history, regardless of site.
- Creighton's 41 point win at Xavier matched the combined margin of victory in Creighton's eight previous wins in Cincinnati over the Musketeers. CU had never before won at Xavier by more than 12 points.
- It was the largest margin of victory in a BIG EAST opener by any team, surpassing Villanova's 84-46 win vs. West Virginia on Jan. 5, 2005.
- Creighton's 98 points were its most ever in a conference road win, one more than its output on Jan. 20, 2024 in a 97-94 triple-overtime win at Seton Hall, and two more than its previous high in regulation in a conference road win done on Jan. 20, 2014 at No. 4 Villanova in a 96-68 win.
- Creighton's 98 points were the most Xavier has ever allowed inside Cintas Center, which opened in 2000.
- Along with the Creighton women defeating Omaha 92-48 that same day in Omaha, it was the first time a BIG EAST school posted 40+ point wins in men's and women's basketball on the same day since Nov. 6, 2018, when Seton Hall dominated Wagner in both sports.
The only other time in history that Creighton MBB and WBB had wins of 40+ points on the same day was Nov. 27, 1982, when the men beat Wisconsin-Platteville 98-54 and the women topped SIU Edwardsville 99-59, but both of those games were in Omaha.
- Creighton's men and women both made 16 three-pointers. It was the first time a BIG EAST school had both its men's and women's programs make 15+ three-pointers on the same day since Creighton did it on March 23, 2024. On that day, the CU men did it in a double-overtime win vs. Oregon, while the women did it in a victory against UNLV. Both of those were NCAA Tournament contests.
- It was Xavier's largest halftime deficit since trailing Duke 55-24 at half on Dec. 20, 2008 in East Rutherford, N.J., in an eventual 82-64 loss.
- It was Xavier's largest halftime deficit ever in a BIG EAST game (previously 48-22 vs. UConn on Jan. 28, 2024), and largest halftime deficit in a BIG EAST home game since trailing 44-28 vs. Seton Hall on Dec. 30, 2020.
- It was Xavier's second-largest loss ever in a conference game, trailing only its 99-56 loss at UConn on Jan. 28, 2024.
- It was Xavier's largest loss in a home game in program history, eclipsing an 86-48 loss to Dayton on March 5, 1977.
- Xavier's previous largest loss at Cintas Center (which opened in 2000) was a 64-42 loss to Oral Roberts on Dec. 18, 2011.
Triple Trouble
Austin Swartz made a career-high eight three-pointers on Jan. 13 vs. Georgetown. Swartz's performance was tied for fourth-most trifectas in a game in program history.
In the last 15 seasons, Swartz is just the third player to score at least 33 points, make eight or more three-pointers and shoot at least 75 percent from the field in the same BIG EAST game. He joins current CU assistant coach Mitch Ballock on March 9, 2019, when he made 12-of-14 shots (including 11-for-13 from 3) to score 39 points vs. DePaul, as well as former Marquette standout Kam Jones vs. DePaul on Feb. 21, 2024 when Jones had 34 points, made 8-of-10 three-pointers and shot 12-for-15 from the field.
Swartz has now made seven or more three-pointers twice this season, making him just the fifth different Bluejay to ever do that along with Trey Alexander (2022-23), Mitch Ballock (2018-19 and 2020-21), Kyle Korver (2002-03), Ethan Wragge (2013-14). Korver did it four times in 2002-03, making him the only Bluejay with three (or more) such games in the same season.
With another game of seven or more three-pointers in the next seven weeks, Swartz can join Rutgers' Jerome Coleman (in 2001-02) as the only players in the last 30 years with three or more BIG EAST games in the same season with seven trifectas or more. No one's had multiple BIG EAST games of eight or more three-pointers in the same campaign during the last 30 years.
Swartz could also become CU's first player ever to make seven three-pointers against the same school more than once in a career.
3FG Name, Opponent Date
11 Mitch Ballock vs. DePaul 03/09/19
9 Kyle Korver vs. Evansville 01/15/03
Ethan Wragge at Villanova 01/20/14
8 Tad Ackerman at Drake 01/23/95
Kyle Korver at Xavier 12/31/02
Terrell Taylor vs. Florida 03/15/02
Isaiah Zierden at DePaul 01/17/16
Mitch Ballock vs. Marquette 12/14/20
Ryan Hawkins at Georgetown 02/12/22
Austin Swartz vs. Georgetown 01/13/26
7 Gary Swain vs. Nebraska-Omaha 12/11/86
Ryan Sears vs. Wyoming 12/06/97
Kyle Korver vs. Notre Dame 11/26/02
Kyle Korver vs. Fresno State 02/22/03
Nate Funk at Nebraska 11/18/06
Booker Woodfox at Saint Joseph's 12/06/08
Ethan Wragge at Saint Joseph's 11/16/13
Doug McDermott vs. DePaul 03/13/14
Cole Huff vs. Seton Hall 03/10/16
Ty-Shon Alexander vs. Clemson 11/21/18
Mitch Ballock at Nebraska 12/08/18
Marcus Zegarowski vs. Butler 02/23/20
Mitch Ballock at Seton Hall 01/27/21
Trey Alexander vs. DePaul 12/25/22
Trey Alexander vs. Georgetown 03/01/23
Baylor Scheierman at Marquette 12/30/23
Steven Ashworth vs. Butler 03/08/25
Austin Swartz at Xavier 12/17/25
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 32 victories since the start of the 2010-11 season after trailing by double-figures at some point, including rallies from 10 points down at both Villanova (25-15 on Jan. 7) and Georgetown (36-26 on Jan. 13).
This is the fifth time under Greg McDermott that Creighton has had multiple wins after trailing by 10+ points in the same month, joining March of 2012, December of 2014, February of 2018 and November of 2021.
Fifteen of those 32 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
17 vs. DePaul 03/13/25
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
11 St. John's 12/31/24
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
10 Georgetown 02/23/25
10 at Villanova 01/07/26
10 Georgetown 01/13/26
Making An Impact
The 7th Annual Silver Waves Media 100 Most Impactful High Major Coaches List was unveiled on Jan. 12th.
Creighton had three coaches on the list, as Alan Huss, Derek Kellogg and Trey Zeigler were all recognized. Not only was Trey Zeigler honored, but so was his dad Ernie Zeigler, who is an assistant coach at Nebraska.
The only eight schools with at least three coaches honored on the list were Florida (4), Kansas (4), BYU, Creighton, Duke, Illinois, Stanford and Texas.
No DQ's Here
Through Wednesday, Creighton was one of three teams nationally that has not had a player foul out this season, a group that also includes Yale and Michigan State.
Last year Creighton was tied for 19th nationally with only four foul out disqualifications
In 2023-24, Creighton was the only team in the country without a player to foul out.
In 2022-23, Creighton's two foul outs were tied for second-fewest in the nation.
In the last four seasons (2022-23 to present), Creighton has only had only six players foul out in 129 games.
Jays Reach 30K at CHI
Creighton has outscored its opponents 30,094-25,175 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.91 points per game in 381 all-time games in the building that count.
Creighton is 28-2 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone at CHI Health Center Omaha, as seen below:
Date Pts-Opp (CHI 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
02/26/25 29,000-24,231 (370) Kalkbrenner FG vs. DePaul
01/13/26 30,000-25,082 (381) Dix FT vs. Georgetown
McDermott Among The Best
Greg McDermott ranks sixth in BIG EAST history with 144 regular-season league wins. The five coaches ahead of him all have won at least one national title.
McDermott, along with Ed Cooley, Rick Pitino and Kevin Willard are the only four active coaches with 100 regular-season BIG EAST wins.
McDermott has been at his current job (16 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 15 years in the BIG EAST lead all active league coaches.
Most League Wins, BIG EAST MBB Coaches (1/29)
Rk. Wins Name, School
1. 366 Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
2. 274 Jim Calhoun, UConn
3. 244 Jay Wright, Villanova
4. 198 John Thompson Jr., Georgetown
5. 149 Rick Pitino, Prov./Louisville/SJU
6. 144 Greg McDermott, Creighton
7. 136 Mike Brey, Notre Dame
8. 132 Ed Cooley, Providence/G'Town
9. 131 John Thompson III, Georgetown
10. 127 Lou Carnesecca, St. John's
Swartz Comes Through
Austin Swartz made 6-of-11 shots from the field on Jan. 21 vs. Xavier. Creighton is now 6-0 this season when the sophomore shoots 50 percent or better (min. 1 FGA) from the field, including five BIG EAST victories.
Bench Boost
Creighton scored 43 (at Xavier) and 41 (vs. Marquette) bench points in its first two league games, a fact that's even more incredible when you consider that the Bluejays had gone 147 straight BIG EAST games without scoring 40+ points off the bench dating to Jan. 13, 2018.
CU also scored 40 bench points vs. Xavier on Jan. 21st.
Creighton had not scored 40+ bench points in consecutive games (conference or otherwise) since doing it vs. Presbyterian (43) and Longwood (56) in November of 2012.
40+ Points in BIG EAST Play
Year 40+ Bench Points Opponent
2013-14: 0 of 18 -
2014-15: 2 of 18 @SJU, SJU
2015-16: 1 of 18 DPU
2016-17: 0 of 18 -
2017-18: 1 of 18 @XU
2018-19: 0 of 18 -
2019-20: 0 of 18 -
2020-21: 0 of 20 -
2021-22: 0 of 19 -
2022-23: 0 of 20 -
2023-24: 0 of 20 -
2024-25: 0 of 20 -
2025-26: 3 of 10 so far @XU, MU, XU
Most Creighton Bench Points in BIG EAST Play
Bench Pts. Opponent Date
51 DePaul 02/06/16
46 at Xavier 01/13/18
45 at St. John's 02/07/15
44 St. John's 01/28/15
43 at Xavier 12/17/25
41 Marquette 12/20/25
40 Xavier 01/21/26
Deep Thoughts
Greg McDermott talked in the off-season about how this year's squad figured to be the deepest team he's ever had at Creighton, and the results have proven him right.
Creighton's bench has outscored foes 597-470 this season. That +127 figure would be CU's best year-end mark since 2017-18 (+229). The 597 points are CU's most bench points since scoring 661 bench points in 2018-19.
Creighton's bench has accounted for 36.36 percent of CU's scoring, and 28.43 points per game. That's the most bench points per game since the 2007-08 team averaged 36.91 bench points per game and actually outscored the starting line-up (34.61 ppg.).
Creighton entered this season with 48 straight wins when scoring 17 or more bench points, but are just 11-8 this year when scoring 17 points or more off the bench.
Creighton's loss on Jan. 10 when scoring 38 bench points vs. St. John's was CU's most bench points in a loss since scoring 46 at No. 10 Xavier on Jan. 13, 2018.
That's A Plus
Nik Graves finished CU's Dec. 20 win against Marquette with a +40 plus/minus rating, as Creighton outscored Marquette 66-26 with the senior guard on the floor.
That +40 mark out-did the previous high by a Bluejay this season (Josh Dix was +37 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore) and was the top mark by a Creighton player since James Milliken was also +40 on Feb. 28, 2016.
Non-Con Success
Creighton went 6-5 in regular-season non-conference play this season. It's the 29th straight season that the Bluejays have had a .500 record or better in regular-season non-conference game. The last Bluejay team that wasn't was CU's 1996-97 team that went 5-6.
Creighton's last team to lose five regular-season non-conference games was its 2022-23 squad that finished the year in the Elite Eight.
Below is a look at Creighton's annual regular-season non-conference marks under Greg McDermott.
W-L Year Year-End W-L (Postseason)
8-5 2010-11 23-16 (CBI)
11-1 2011-12 29-6 (NCAA)
11-2 2012-13 28-8 (NCAA)
10-2 2013-14 27-8 (NCAA)
9-4 2014-15 14-19 (None)
9-4 2015-16 20-15 (NIT)
13-0 2016-17 25-10 (NCAA)
11-2 2017-18 21-12 (NCAA)
9-4 2018-19 20-15 (NIT)
11-2 2019-20 24-7 (None due to COVID-19)
4-1 2020-21 22-9 (NCAA)
8-3 2021-22 23-12 (NCAA)
6-5 2022-23 24-13 (NCAA)
9-2 2023-24 25-10 (NCAA)
7-4 2024-25 25-11 (NCAA)
6-5 2025-26 TBD
Sharing Is Caring
Creighton's 31 assists at Xavier were its second-most ever in a game under Greg McDermott, trailing only the 32 vs. USC Upstate on Dec. 20, 2017 in a 116-62 win.
Nationally, Creighton became the first road team with 31 or more assists in a Power 5 conference game since Washington at California on March 3, 2005.
Creighton's 31 assists were the most in a regular-season BIG EAST game by any school since Xavier had 32 vs. Georgetown on Jan. 21, 2023, and tied for the third-most in any league game since 1996-97. Creighton's 31 assists were also its most ever in any BIG EAST game.
Home Run
Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.92 points per home game (21,601 points in 267 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.31 points in non-conference home games (10,371 points in 123 home games).
Creighton is 163-7 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.
Turnover Trends
How well Creighton has taken care of the ball has had a major correlation whether or not the Bluejays win.
Creighton owns a 222/120 assist/turnover ratio (1.85) in its 12 wins this year, compared to a 120/111 (1.08) ratio in its nine losses.
Sixty Percent Club
Creighton shot 60.3 percent in its Dec. 17 win at Xavier. Since Greg McDermott was hired at Creighton, the Bluejays have shot 60 percent or better 33 times.
Here's that list, as well as several others, per Basketball-Reference.com, through Jan. 27.
Most Games, 60%+ FG Shooting, Since 2010-11
Rk. Games (W-L) Team
1. 50 (50-0) Gonzaga
2. 33 (33-0) Creighton
3. 30 (30-0) Kansas
30 (29-1) Northern Colorado
5. 28 (28-0) Indiana
28 (28-0) South Dakota State
28 (27-1) Loyola (Chicago)
28 (25-3) Campbell
Most Games, 50%+ FG Shooting, Since 2010-11
Rk. Games (W-L) Team
1. 321 (311-10) Gonzaga
2. 229 (213-16) Belmont
3. 227 (214-13) Kansas
4. 226 (211-15) Creighton
5. 221 (209-12) Duke
Most Games, 50%+ 3FG Shooting, Since 2010-11
Rk. Games (W-L) Team
1. 92 (81-11) Weber State
2. 88 (78-10) UCLA
3. 87 (72-15) Michigan State
4. 86 (82-4) Creighton
86 (83-3) Gonzaga
Best Field Goal Percentage, Since 2010-11
Rk. FG% Team
1. .508 Gonzaga
2. .483 Belmont
3. .478 Kansas
4. .476 Creighton
5. .476 Duke
Best 2-Point Field Goal Percentage, Since 2010-11
(includes teams that have been Division I 10+ years)
Rk. 2FG% Team
1. .574 Gonzaga
2. .573 Belmont
3. .553 Creighton
4. .541 Furman
5. .540 Duke
Austin Powers
Austin Swartz had 27 points in 23 minutes of CU's Dec. 17 road win at Xavier.
He's just the seventh Bluejay in the last 20 seasons with 25+ points in 25 minutes or less, and joined Cole Huff as one of two Bluejays with a game of 27+ points in 23 minutes or less since 1991-92.
25+ Points in 25 Minutes or Less
Creighton Players Since 1991-92
PTS MIN Name, Opponent Date
26 25 Dane Watts vs. Mississippi Valley State 11/17/07
25 18 Doug McDermott vs. Hou. Christian 12/17/11
27 24 Geoffrey Groselle vs. North Texas 12/21/15
28 22 Cole Huff vs. DePaul 02/06/16
25 25 Marcus Zegarowski vs. #21 Butler 02/23/20
25 23 Trey Alexander vs. Georgetown 03/01/23
27 23 Austin Swartz at Xavier 12/17/25
Triple Option
Creighton made 16 three-pointers in its Dec. 17 victory at Xavier. It was tied for the third-most three-pointers ever by the Bluejays in a road game.
Most 3FG Made in a Road Game, Creighton History
3FG 3FGA Opponent Date
21 35 at #4 Villanova 01/20/14
17 35 at Seton Hall 01/27/21
16 36 at Georgetown 01/06/18
16 33 at Xavier 12/17/25
Preseason All-BIG EAST Votes Revealed
The Creighton men's basketball team was picked to finish third in the BIG EAST Conference in the annual survey of league coaches, which was unveiled as part of 2025 BIG EAST Media Day on October 21.
It marks the fourth straight year the Bluejays have been tabbed for a top-three finish and the third time CU has been picked exactly third in the BIG EAST poll, having also happened in 2013-14 as well as 2016-17.
Defending league champion St. John's garnered 7-of-11 first place votes and was chosen atop the poll with 97 points, just ahead of Connecticut. The Huskies collected four first place votes and 94 points. Creighton was third with 80 points, just ahead of Providence (64) and Marquette (60). The second half of the league poll consists of Georgetown (57), Villanova (50), Xavier (33), DePaul (29), Butler (26) and Seton Hall (15).
Creighton finished 25-11 overall and 15-5 in BIG EAST play last season and returns starters Jackson McAndrew (7.8 ppg., 4.4 rpg.) and Jasen Green (4.9 ppg., 3.2 rpg.) along with a talented crop of newcomers.
Three of those newcomers join McAndrew with Preseason All-BIG EAST accolades, giving CU four honorees for the first time since its 2022-23 team that eventually finished the season in the Elite Eight. Owen Freeman was voted a Preseason All- BIG EAST First Team selection and Josh Dix was a Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team choice. McAndrew and Nik Graves were both Preseason All-BIG EAST Third Team honorees.
Freeman is the eighth different Bluejay to earn Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team recognition, and first to do it prior to playing a game with the Bluejays. It also means CU has had a First Team pick each of the last four seasons, as Trey Alexander was chosen prior to 2023-24 and Ryan Kalkbrenner was honored each of the previous three campaigns.
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 10th straight finish in the top four of the league standings.
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 T-2nd Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Trey Alexander (1st)
Baylor Scheierman (2nd)
2024-25 2nd 2nd Ryan Kalkbrenner (POY, 1st); Steven Ashworth (3rd)
2025-26 3rd ? ? ? Owen Freeman (1st); Josh Dix (2nd)
Jackson McAndrew (3rd); Nik Graves (3rd)
League Of Their Own
Creighton has finished with a .500 mark or better in league play 29 times in the previous 30 seasons, one of six schools nationally that can say that.
The only BIG EAST teams to finish .500 or better in league play each of the previous 10 seasons are Creighton and Villanova.
Creighton is also the only "Power 5" school with an active streak of six years or longer with 12 or more league wins.
Most Seasons .500 or Better League Record
Last 30 Seasons (Entering 2025-26)
Seasons Team
30 Duke
30 Kansas
30 Gonzaga
29 Creighton
29 Kentucky
29 Michigan State
Consecutive Seasons .500 or Better League Record
Power 5 Schools (Entering 2025-26)
Seasons Team
36 Kansas
30 Duke
14 Oregon
13 Villanova
10 Creighton
10 Houston
10 Florida
Consecutive Seasons 12+ League Wins
Power 5 Schools (Entering 2025-26)
Seasons Team
6 Creighton
Best BIG EAST Years
Creighton's 15 league wins last season set a program record for most conference wins in any of its first 12 seasons in the BIG EAST. It was the third straight season CU won 14 league games or more, something only Villanova (2013-14 to 2017-18) and Connecticut (1993-94 to 1995-96) have done in BIG EAST history.
Four of CU's seven teams to win 12 or more BIG EAST games reached the BIG EAST Tournament final, with the prematurely cancelled 2019-20 campaign being one of the exceptions.
Creighton's 15 conference wins last year matched its most as a member of any league, as it picked up 15 conference wins in 2002-03 when it was a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
Creighton has now set or tied program records for most conference wins in a one-year span (15), two-year span (29), three-year span (43), four-year span (55), five-year span (69), six-year span (82) and seven-year span (91).
Creighton has finished first or second in the BIG EAST in four of the last six seasons, and top four in the league each of the previous nine campaigns.
Creighton's Most BIG EAST Wins, Season
W-L Year BIG EAST Tourney
15-5 2024-25 TBA
14-4 2013-14 Lost in Final
14-6 2020-21 Lost in Final
14-6 2022-23 Lost in Semi's
14-6 2023-24 Lost in Quarterfinals
13-5 2019-20 Tourney Cancelled
12-7 2021-22 Lost in Final
Creighton's Most Conference Wins, Season
W-L Year League
15-3 2002-03 MVC
15-5 2024-25 BIG EAST
14-4 2000-01 MVC
14-4 2001-02 MVC
14-4 2008-09 MVC
14-4 2011-12 MVC
14-4 2013-14 BIG EAST
14-6 2020-21 BIG EAST
14-6 2022-23 BIG EAST
14-6 2023-24 BIG EAST
Availability Reports
The BIG EAST is now requiring availability reports prior to each league game, with plans calling for the information will be released three hours prior to each conference contest.
The league website with that information is
https://bigeast.com/sports/2025/11/26/2526_mbb_availability_reports.aspx .
Three's Company
Creighton has made five or more three-pointers in 92 straight games, the nation's second-longest active streak.
CU's streak of 65 consecutive games with six or more three-pointers was snapped on Thanksgiving Day vs. Oregon when the Jays made five three-pointers.
Longest Active Streaks of 5+ 3FG Made (1/28)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 118 North Florida 1/29
2. 92 Creighton 1/31
3. 90 BYU 1/31
4. 88 Wofford 1/29
Seeking the Pefect Blend
Creighton's roster includes nine newcomers and seven returners. CU has yet to play a single possession with five returners on the floor at the same time.
# of Newcomers CU Pts.-Opp Pts. % of Pts. by CU
0 Newcomers on Floor Hasn't Happened n/a
1 Newcomer on Floor 55-48 .534
2 Newcomers on Floor 401-409 .495
3 Newcomers on Floor 627-586 .517
4 Newcomers on Floor 511-488 .512
5 Newcomers on Floor 48-42 .533
Newcomers Lead The Way
For the season, 1,104 of Creighton's 1,642 points have been scored by newcomers, an astounding 67.2 percent. This shouldn't be too much of a shock though, as only 28.0 percent of last year's points returned.
By comparison, newcomers on last year's team were responsible for only 36.6 percent of the points.
McDermott's Coaching Tree
Greg McDermott's coaching tree includes 11 men who are currently a head coach at the Division I level, including three men at Power 5 schools.
Here's a list:
Darian DeVries - Indiana
Eric Henderson - Drake
Ben Jacobson - Northern Iowa
Steve Lutz - Oklahoma State
Ryan Miller - Murray State
TJ Otzelberger - Iowa State
Bryan Petersen - South Dakota State
David Richman - North Dakota State
Daniyal Robinson - North Texas
Paul Sather - North Dakota
Patrick Sellers - Central Connecticut State
Postseason Success
Creighton has won at least one NCAA Tournament game in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. That makes CU one of four teams in the country to have a win in each of the last five NCAA Tournaments, joining Baylor, Gonzaga and Houston.
This is the first time that Creighton Basketball has won an NCAA Tournament game in five straight years. The only other CU program in any sport to win an NCAA Tournament game in five straight seasons is Creighton Volleyball (2015-19).
Even though a certain NCAA bid was wiped away in 2020 by COVID-19, Creighton has still appeared in each of the last five NCAA Tournaments (2021-25).
The only previous time that Creighton Men's Basketball has appeared in five straight NCAA Tournaments was from 1999-2003.
Creighton is one of 13 teams to have appeared in each of the last five NCAA Tournaments (2021-25). That list consists of Alabama, Baylor, Connecticut, Creighton, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan State, Purdue, San Diego State, Tennessee and Texas.
Ain't Too Proud To Brag
Creighton has won 20 or more games in each of the past 10 seasons, tied for the nation's fourth-longest active streak. Kansas leads the way with 36, followed by Gonzaga (28) and Belmont (15). The others with 10 (like Creighton) include Oregon and Houston.
Creighton has won 22 games or more in six straight seasons. Only Gonzaga (28) and Houston (8) have longer streaks.
Creighton is one of two schools to have men's and women's basketball programs to both own 22 wins or more each of the previous four seasons, a list that includes Creighton and UConn.
Creighton is one of two teams in the nation with 25 or more wins in both men's basketball and women's basketball each of the previous two seasons. That list consists of Creighton and Gonzaga.
Most Consecutive 20-Win Seasons
Team Consec. 20-Win Seasons (entering 2025-26)
Kansas 36
Gonzaga 28
Belmont 15
Oregon 15
Creighton 10
Houston 10
Most Consecutive 22-Win Seasons
Team Consec. 22-Win Yrs. (entering 2025-26)
Gonzaga 28
Houston 8
Creighton 6
25 of 27 Seasons With 20 Wins
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 25 of the previous 27 seasons, a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
Entering 2025-26, just two schools have had 20 or more wins each of the previous 27 years: Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 26 times, Creighton and Kentucky 25 times each.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Previous 27 Seasons
Team 20-Win Seasons (Entering 2025-26)
Gonzaga 27
Kansas 27
Duke 26
Creighton 25
Kentucky 25
Arizona 23
Florida 23
Michigan State 23
BYU 22
Memphis 22
North Carolina 22
Ohio State 22
Wisconsin 22
Most 20-Win Seasons, Head Coaches Since 2010-11
20-Win Seasons (2010-11 to 20224-25) Name, Team
15 Mark Few, Gonzaga
15 Bill Self, Kansas
15 Dana Altman, Oregon
14 Greg McDermott, Creighton
14 John Calipari, Kentucky and Arkansas
Two Dozen, Cousin
Creighton is one of 15 schools to have won 24 games or more in 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024- 25. That group consists of Alabama, Arizona, Charleston, Connecticut, Creighton, Drake, Duke, Gonzaga, Grand Canyon, Houston, Purdue, Saint Mary's, Tennessee, Utah State and VCU.
Sweetness!
Creighton is one of just nine teams to have reached at least three of the last five Sweet 16s.
Houston has done it each of the previous five seasons, while Alabama, Arkansas and Gonzaga have done it four times each.
Doing it three times in the previous five seasons are Duke, Michigan, Purdue, Tennessee, UCLA and Creighton.
Most Sweet 16's, Previous Five Seasons
# Team Years
5 Houston 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
4 Alabama 2021 - 2023 2024 2025
4 Arkansas 2021 2022 2023 - 2025
4 Gonzaga 2021 2022 2023 2024 -
3 Creighton 2021 - 2023 2024 -
3 UCLA 2021 2022 2023 - -
3 Duke - 2022 - 2024 2025
3 Michigan 2021 2022 - - 2025
3 Purdue - 2022 - 2024 2025
3 Tennessee - - 2023 2024 2025
Coaching Consistency Is Key
Between women's basketball coach Jim Flanery (462) and men's basketball coach Greg McDermott (362), Creighton is the nation's only school with a pair of active head coaches with at least 360 victories at their current school.
Flanery (hired in 2002) and McDermott (2010) also make Creighton one of three schools to have the same men's and women's basketball head coaches each of the last 15 seasons, joining Boise State (Leon Rice and Gordy Presnell) and Northern Iowa (Ben Jacobsen and Tanya Warren).
Jacobsen played on teams McDermott assisted at North Dakota from 1989-93 and later replaced McDermott as head coach at UNI In 2006, while Warren was a former Creighton player and assistant and is one of two women in program history to have her number retired.
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 32 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
Long Run
Greg McDermott is in his 16th season on the Creighton sideline in 2025-26. That's tied for the 15th-longest active run of any men's coach with his current team as a Division I head coach.
Most Consecutive Years as Head Coach, Current Team
Years Name School
1995-Pr. Tom Izzo Michigan State
1998-Pr. Greg Kampe Oakland
1999-Pr. Mark Few Gonzaga
1999-Pr. James Jones Yale
2001-Pr. Randy Bennett Saint Mary's
2002-Pr. Bill Self Kansas
2003-Pr. Scott Drew Baylor
2005-Pr. Matt Painter Purdue
2006-Pr. Ben Jacobsen Northern Iowa
2006-Pr. Bill Coen Northeastern
2007-Pr. Mark Schmidt St. Bonaventure
2007-Pr. Brent Reed Lehigh
2007-Pr. Tommy Amaker Harvard
2009-Pr. LaVelle Moton North Carolina Central
2010-Pr. Greg McDermott Creighton
2010-Pr. Andy O'Toole Robert Morris
2010-Pr. Tad Boyle Colorado
2010-Pr. Leon Rice Boise State
2010-Pr. Dana Altman Oregon
2010-Pr. Russell Turner UC Irvine
2010-Pr. Brad Brownell Clemson
The McDermott Era
Greg McDermott owns 362 wins at Creighton since his arrival in 2010-11. It's the eighth-most of programs that have had the same coach the entire time.
Schools With Most Wins Since 2010-11, Only 1 Coach
(Through games of Jan. 29)
Rk. Wins School Coach Next
1. 473 Gonzaga Mark Few 1/31
2. 441 Kansas Bill Self 1/31
3. 403 Saint Mary's Randy Bennett 1/31
4. 393 Michigan State Tom Izzo 1/30
5. 378 Oregon Dana Altman 2/1
6. 376 Purdue Matt Painter 2/1
7. 368 Baylor Scott Drew 1/31
8. 362 Creighton Greg McDermott 1/31
National Ranks In The McDermott Era
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since the start of the 2010-11 season among teams to have played 200 or more Division I games, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 to Jan. 27, 2026
Category CU Stat CU Rank
3FG Made 4,876 2nd
2FG Percentage .553 3rd
FG Percentage .476 4th
Assists 8,706 5th
3FG Percentage .371 7th
FG Made 14,830 8th
Points 41,454 8th
Wins 362 25th
Winning Percentage .668 33rd
Among The Best
CBS Sports conducted a pair of surveys during the summer that highlight Greg McDermott as one of the best in the country at what he does.
Who is the best X's and O's coach in college basketball right now? (Asked to roughly 100 coaches)
1. Matt Painter (Purdue): 19%
2. Dan Hurley (UConn): 18%
3. Greg McDermott (Creighton): 16%
4. Kelvin Sampson (Houston): 7%
5. Ben McCollum (Iowa): 5%
6. Randy Bennett (Saint Mary's): 4%
Tom Izzo (Michigan State): 4%
Dusty May Michigan): 4%
Bill Self (Kansas): 4%
10. Rick Barnes (Tennessee): 2%
Chris Collins (Northwestern): 2%
Grant McCasland (Texas Tech): 2%
Nate Oats (Alabama): 2%
Rick Pitino (St. John's): 2%
Mark Schmidt (St. Bonaventure): 2%
Others: 7%
Who are the best college basketball coaches? (Asked to 6 CBB writers)
1. Dan Hurley, Connecticut
2. Kelvin Sampson, Houston
3. Rick Pitino, St. John's
4. Bill Self, Kansas
5. Matt Painter, Purdue
6. Nate Oats, Alabama
7. Todd Golden, Florida
8. Tom Izzo, Michigan State
9. Mark Few, Gonzaga
10. Scott Drew, Baylor
11. Jon Scheyer, Duke
12. Dusty May, Michigan
13. Rick Barnes, Tennessee
14. John Calipari, Arkansas
15. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona
16. Mark Pope, Kentucky
17. Greg McDermott, Creighton
18. Grant McCasland, Texas Tech
19. Brad Underwood, Illinois
20. Pat Kelsey, Louisville
21. TJ Otzelberger, Iowa State
22. Chris Beard, Ole Miss
23. Mick Cronin, UCLA
24. Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's
25. Shaka Smart, Marquette
And 1. Ben McCollum, Iowa
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 1,077 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 (1/28)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 1,284 Duke 1/31
2. 1,280 UNLV 1/30
3. 1,212 East Tennessee State 1/29
4. 1,190 Oakland 2/1
5. 1,184 Pacific 1/31
6. 1,183 Texas 1/31
7. 1,120 Marshall 1/31
8. 1,116 Gonzaga 1/31
9. 1,100 Princeton 1/30
10. 1,077 Creighton 1/31
11. 1,067 Long Island 1/29
12. 1,062 Mount St. Mary's 1/30
Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 1,077 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 8,718 trifectas, an average of 8.09 treys per game.
Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 336 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 113-32 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 39-38 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: 105 times 6: 114 times
7: 156 times 8: 135 times 9: 96 times
10: 94 times 11: 67 times 12: 65 times
13: 54 times 14: 26 times 15: 9 times
16: 10 times 17: 5 times 18: 1 time
19: 2 times 20: 1 time 21: 1 time 22: 1 time
Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Not counting 2019-20, when there was no postseason, Creighton has made the postseason each of the 12 most recent times in which it has made at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts to open the year.
Ten 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 10 of its last 14 season-openers, including 50 percent (37-for-74) on Wednesday vs. South Dakota.
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 NCAA
.500 2025-26 South Dakota ? ? ?
The Push For 90
Of Creighton's 26 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, 13 have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
Put another way...of CU's 20 teams (before 2025-26) to score 90 points in an opener, 13 would reach the NCAA Tournament.
Here's a look at Creighton's 12 most recent teams (before 2025-26) 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 25-11 NCAA
92-76 South Dakota 11/05/25 ? ? ? ? ? ?
NBA Jays
There are five former Creighton players in the NBA this season.
Former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott is with the Sacramento Kings as he begins his 12th year in the NBA. He was a Lottery pick in 2014 by the Denver Nuggets.
Baylor Scheierman is in his second year with the Boston Celtics after being a First Round pick in 2024.
Trey Alexander, who was named 2024-25 G-League Rookie of the Year in the Denver Nuggets organization, is now on a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans.
There is palpable buzz around Ryan Kalkbrenner, a Second Round pick of the Charlotte Hornets, in his rookie campaign.
Lastly, former Creighton point guard Ryan Nembhard is on a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks. Nembhard played two years at Creighton before finishing his career at Gonzaga.
These men give Creighton at least one NBA player for the 42nd time in the last 43 seasons.
Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver, Benoit Benjamin and Anthony Tolliver.
Who's Back?
With Creighton returning only seven of the 15 men who appeared in a game last season -- including its top three scorers -- much of the production is gone.
Below is a breakdown of what is back:
Stat Returners Departures
3FG Made 135 (39.2%) 209 (60.8%)
Minutes 2661 (36.7%) 4589 (63.3%)
Rebounds 426 (34.4%) 811 (65.6%)
Starts 61 (33.9%) 119 (66.1%)
Steals 43 (33.1%) 87 (66.9%)
Points 761 (28.0%) 1956 (72.0%)
Assists 112 (18.2%) 503 (81.8%)
Blocks 28 (17.4%) 133 (82.6%)
Charges Taken 2 (16.7%) 10 (83.3%)
Preseason Top 25
The Creighton men's basketball team was ranked 23rd in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll, the fourth straight season the Bluejays have been ranked among the nation's best in the preseason.
This year's announcement marks the eighth 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), 2023-24 (No. 8) and 2024-25 (No. 15). All seven of those teams would end up in the NCAA Tournament, with three of the four 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 this year's preseason ranking, Creighton has now been ranked 148 times in program history, with 120 of those under the direction of Greg McDermott. Creighton is 180-78 all-time as a ranked team, including a 146-66 mark under McDermott. Creighton has now been ranked at least one week in 12 of McDermott's 16 seasons on The Hilltop after doing it just five different seasons in program history before his 2010 arrival.
Creighton has been one of 11 schools ranked in the Top 25 of the Preseason AP poll each of the last four years, joining Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Creighton was one of three BIG EAST Conference schools in the poll, joining No. 4 Connecticut and No. 5 St. John's.
Among Creighton's non-conference opponents in the poll are preseason No. 21 Gonzaga and preseason No. 16 Iowa State.
Creighton was also ranked 23rd in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll.
Let's Go On A Run
Creighton unleashed a 23-0 run on Iowa State during its exhibition meeting, turning an early 8-4 deficit into a 27-8 lead over a span of just under seven minutes (6:57).
Dating back to the start of the 2021-22 season, it was Creighton's largest run in any game, including exhibitions. Below is that list.
Longest Creighton Runs Since 2021-22
Run Opponent (Score change) Date
23-0* #16 Iowa State (4-8 to 27-8) 10/17/25
21-0* Upper Iowa (32-29 to 53-29) 10//30/21
20-0 Texas Southern (61-44 to 81-44) 11/18/23
19-0 vs. #11 Providence (37-27 to 56-27) 03/11/22
19-0 Georgetown (0-0 to 19-0) 03/01/23
18-0 Houston Christian (19-9 to 37-9) 11/13/24
*exhibition game
Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns 61 starts from last year's team (31 by Jackson McAndrew, 25 by Jasen Green, 4 by Isaac Traudt, 1 by Ty Davis), its fewest since the 2021-22 team returned just two starts.
Returning Returning Starts Final
Year Starters From Previous Year W-L
2025-26 2 61 ? ? ?
2024-25 3 105 25-11
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
McDermott Is Wins Leader
Greg McDermott has 362 victories at Creighton, passing his predecessor Dana Altman (327) for the most in program history in CU's Nov. 13, 2024 win vs. Houston Christian.
McDermott broke a different record on Jan. 21, 2025 at DePaul when he coached his 504th game on the Bluejay sideline, breaking the mark of 503 held by Altman.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton MBB History
Rk. W-L Name Years
1. 362-180 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
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. 18,571 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. 18,475 Nebraska 11/22/24
17. 18,458 Evansville 12/29/12
18. 18,436 Bradley 01/28/12
19. 18,430 Seton Hall 01/25/25
20. 18,323 DePaul 02/07/14
CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 382 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the now 23-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 316-66 (.827) record all-time at the facility.
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 30,094-25,175 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.88 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 95 different times, including twice this year (Maryland Eastern Shore and Utah Tech).
Incredibly, Creighton hasn't trailed in its home opener in 10 of the past 25 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 35-39 all-time in the 74 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 8-14 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 42-32 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
Creighton is 219-48 (.820) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn't trailed in 68 of those games. In that same span, CU owns a 112-11 home record (.911) 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 334-66 (.835) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Perfect 10
Greg McDermott has guided his team to the NCAA Tournament 10 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 10 or more NCAA Tournament teams.
Name Sport NCAA's @CU
Kirsten Bernthal Booth Volleyball 14
Bob Warming Men's Soccer 11
Greg McDermott Men's Basketball 10
Jim Flanery Women's Basketball 8
Dana Altman Men's Basketball 7
Brent Vigness Softball 7
Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton finished the 2024-25 season ranked 35th overall by KenPom.com. That included the nation's No. 33 offense, and No. 44 defense.
Creighton has finished with a top-25 offense per KenPom eight times and a top-25 defense three times in 15 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 33 44 35
2025-26 (1/28) 57 102 65
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2025-26 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.
Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 • 7:00 p.m. • Omaha, Neb. • CHI Health Center Omaha
| LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES | UCONN NOTES | PROGRAM |
Next Game
Creighton (12-9, 6-4 BIG EAST) starts the second half of its BIG EAST season with its annual Pink Out game vs. No. 2 Connecticut (20-1, 10-0 BIG EAST).
Saturday's game will be played in Omaha, Neb., on FNBO Court inside CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) and tip off at 7:00 p.m.
Promotional Schedule
The first 15,000 fans will receive a free pink t-shirt thanks to Methodist Health Systems and CHI Health, as the contest is Creighton's 16th annual Pink Out game. Be sure to pick up an "I Stand For Card" upon entry to honor a loved one during the first half, under 8:00 timeout.
On the concourse there will be face painters and balloon artists.
At halftime, enjoy the entertainment of the X-Pogo Stunt Team.
Broadcast Information
The game will be broadcast on FOX and streamed at https://www.foxsports.com/live.
Tim Brando and Donny Marshall will announce.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) and KOOO (101.9 FM) will carry all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2025-26 season.
John Bishop and Tyler Clement will call the action. The audio is webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
The game can also be heard on SiriusXM 389 as well as https://sxm.app.link/SXM979.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats at http://Creighton.StatBroadcast.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 12-9 overall and 6-4 in BIG EAST play after alternating wins and losses in its last eight games.
The nine teams to beat Creighton are a combined 127-61 (through Wednesday), and three of those opponents (#5 Nebraska, #6 Gonzaga, #8 Iowa State) are ranked in the Top 10 of the Jan. 26th AP poll.
Four of Creighton's top five scorers are newcomers, led by Josh Dix (12.3 ppg.), Austin Swartz (11.9 ppg.), Nik Graves (9.6 ppg., 3.6 apg.) and Blake Harper (9.3 ppg., 4.4 rpg.).
Coming on strong of late has been Jasen Green (10.7 ppg., 5.1 rpg.), while Isaac Traudt (7.2 ppg.) remains one of the most feared marksmen in the league.
Creighton's most productive returner, Jackson McAndrew (6.8 ppg., 4.5 rpg.), as well as key subs Hudson Greer (5.1 ppg.) and Josh Townley-Thomas (6.0 ppg.), have combined to play just 14 games due to injuries, and just five games since the end of November.
Creighton is averaging 78.2 points per game and shooting 46.3 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from three-point range and 75.5 percent at the line.
Scouting No. 2 Connecticut
Connecticut is 20-1 and ranked second nationally, with its only loss coming by four points to undefeated and top-ranked Arizona. UConn's most impressive wins away from home include BYU, Illinois, Kansas and Florida.
The Huskies are also 10-0 in BIG EAST play for the first time since 1998-99 following an 87-81 win vs. Providence on Tuesday, and have won 16 straight.
Solo Ball (14.8 ppg.), Tarris Reed Jr. (14.5 ppg., 7.9 rpg., 2.1 bpg.) and Alex Karaban (13.5 ppg., 5.6 rpg.) lead five UConn players in double-figures, a group that also includes Braylon Mullins (11.4 ppg.) and Silas Demary Jr. (10.4 ppg., 6.1 apg.).
The Huskies average 78.7 points per game and shoot 48.2 percent from the floor, 35.3 percent from three-point range and 70.8 percent at the line while outrebounding teams by 4.7 caroms per contest. UConn also holds foes to 64.3 points per game and 39.1 percent shooting from the floor.
The Series With Connecticut
Creighton is 9-3 all-time against UConn, with the 12 meetings taking place in four different cities since 2020. The 12 games have been decided by a total of 82 points, with 10 of those decided by single-digits.
Greg McDermott is 9-3 against Connecticut and 9-4 all-time in head-to-head meetings vs. Dan Hurley, as Hurley's Rhode Island team defeated Creighton 84-72 in the First Round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament in a game contested in Sacramento, Calif.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 362-180 record in his 16th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 642-375 in his 32nd season, and is 511-311 in 25 Division I campaigns.
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 Alan Huss, Derek Kellogg, Trey Zeigler, Mitch Ballock and Mike Nesbitt.
With A Win...
- Creighton would improve to 10-3 all-time against Connecticut, the best win percentage (.769) of any opponent that has played the Huskies 10 or more times.
- Creighton would improve to 4-1 in its last five meetings against Connecticut.
- Creighton would improve to 12-4 in Pink Out games, including four wins in a row.
- Creighton would extend its win streak to 11 straight years with a Top 10 win and 13 seasons in a row with a Top 25 victory.
- Creighton would improve to 63-178 all-time against Top 25 foes, and 43-61 under Greg McDermott.
- Creighton would improve to 5-0 at home against ranked Connecticut teams all-time.
- Creighton would improve to 1-7 all-time against teams ranked No. 2 in the AP poll.
- Creighton would win its third straight game against a team ranked in the top-two nationally.
- Creighton would win its 11th game of the BIG EAST schedule for the sixth time in the last seven seasons, and seventh time overall.
- Creighton would alternate wins and losses for the ninth straight game.
- Creighton would win 10 home games for the 29th time in the last 30 seasons.
Milestone Watch
- Owen Freeman has 791 career points and is nine short of 800.
- Josh Dix is two made three-pointers away from 150 in his career and 15 points short of 1,100.
- Fedor Zugic is six points away from 200 in his career.
- Blake Harper is 10 rebounds shy of 300 in his career.
More Creighton/UConn Facts
Both Greg McDermott and Dan Hurley coached their sons in college. Doug McDermott was the 2014 National Player of the Year and BIG EAST Player of the Year after leading the country in scoring.
The only other school with a win percentage against UConn of .750 or better (minimum 10 meetings) is Dartmouth, who is also 9-3 against the Huskies. UConn hasn't faced Dartmouth since 1973.
Creighton has allowed just 63.17 points per game in 12 meetings against UConn. The only time the Huskies scored more than 70 was in the first meeting, a 76-74 Bluejay win in overtime.
Pink Out Men's Jersey Auction Raises $43,535.28
When Creighton hosts Connecticut on Saturday in its 16th Annual Pink Out game, Bluejay players will wear pink shooting shirts and pink-trimmed jerseys for the game.
Fans had the opportunity to honor a friend or family member who has battled cancer or is currently battling cancer by purchasing the apparel via auction.
All funds raised benefit American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Omaha, which provides a free home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers who must travel to Omaha to receive their lifesaving treatment. More than just a roof over their heads, it's a nurturing community that helps patients access the care they need. This year Nebraska Cancer Specialists has generously agreed to match all donations to Hope Lodge raised at the game, up to $30,000.
The annual Creighton Pink Out games, donations and matching funds (in MBB/WBB/VB) have raised $1,134,251.20 (including the 2025-26 auction) benefiting the Hope Lodge facility in Omaha and the guests it serves.
This year's men's basketball jersey auction ran from Jan. 15-25 and raised $43,535.28. Below is the final numbers for each men's basketball jersey/item in the auction this year.
#0 $3,350 #1 $2,600 #2 $2,700
#4 $3,800 #5 $1,775 #7 $3,155
#9 $3,050 #10 $3,000 #12 $1,000
#13 $860 #17 $1,525 #23 $2,775
#27 $1,450 #32 $1,226 #41 $2,800
#53 $2,900 Mac's Shoes: $406.01 Golf: $2,800
Ball 1: 347 Ball 2: $375 Ball 3: $460
Ball 4: $445 Basll 5: $450 Mac's Tie: $286.27
Matching Donations On Gameday
As always the Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out game directly supports cancer patients staying for free at the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge right here in Omaha.
This year Nebraska Cancer Specialists has generously agreed to match all donations to Hope Lodge raised at the game, up to $30,000.
All fans – both at home and at the game are asked to consider a donation. Scan the QR code below or visit http://cancer.org/pinkout to make your gameday donation.
Yearly Pink Out Totals
Creighton has raised $1,134,251.20 since the start of the 2011-12 season during its annual men's and basketball Pink Out auctions, plus additional money collected on gameday, underwriting, matching donations and volleyball/women's basketball jersey auctions.
The numbers below show the annual figures for the men's basketball jersey auction unless otherwise noted, but do not include the matching totals or donations that will be collected at the door in 2026.
2011-12: $20,600
2012-13: $24,444
2013-14: $48,247.11
2014-15: $16,384.03
2015-16: $16,527.90
2016-17: $26,361.64
2017-18: $28,796
2018-19: $19,595
2019-20: $31,803.18
2020-21: $40,381
2021-22: $24,165
2022-23: $27,432
2023-24: $36,002.46
2024-25: $43,995.92
2025-26: $43,535.28
MBB Auction Totals = $448,270.52
WBB/VB Auctions + Additional Donations: $685,980.68
15-Year Totals: $1,134,251.20
Creighton's Pink Out History
This year will mark Creighton's 16th Pink Out, which coincides with the arrival of head coach Greg McDermott. The Bluejays are 11-4 in the first 15 Pink Out games, while playing in front of an average of 18,011 fans per game (excluding 2021, when COVID limited attendance), as seen below:
Date Result Attendance
01/29/11 Creighton 83, Indiana State 69 16,044
01/28/12 Creighton 73, Bradley 59 18,436
02/02/13 Creighton 75, Bradley 58 18,111
01/25/14 Creighton 76, Georgetown 63 18,859
01/17/15 Providence 74, Creighton 65 17,640
01/30/16 Seton Hall 75, Creighton 65 17,924
01/28/17 Creighton 83, DePaul 66 17,611
01/27/18 Creighton 85, Georgetown 77 18,518
01/25/19 Creighton 75, Butler 61 18,089
01/26/20 Creighton 77, Xavier 66 17,796
02/03/21 Georgetown 86, Creighton 79 1,845
01/29/22 Xavier 79, Creighton 69 17,850
01/28/23 Creighton 84, Xavier 67 18,277
01/27/24 Creighton 85, DePaul 62 18,571
01/25/25 Creighton 79, Seton Hall 54 18,430
It's Suits And Sneakers Week
The NABC and Coaches vs. Cancer host one of their biggest initiatives of the year from Jan. 26-Feb. 1 for Suits and Sneakers Week.
It'll see the Creighton coaching staff wear suits with sneakers to bring awareness of the importance of cancer screening and health equity.
One-third of people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer, but regular screening increases the chances of detecting certain cancers early before it has a chance to spread. More information about screening and saving lives can be found at Cancer.org.
In 2018 Coaches vs. Cancer presented Greg McDermott with the Champion Award, which recognizes a college coach who has shown extraordinary leadership and a commitment to the American Cancer Society's mission of saving lives, celebrating lives and leading the fight for a world without cancer.
Husky Conquests
Since rejoining the BIG EAST in 2020, Connecticut has played 68 different opponents, but lost to only 17 unique schools.
No school has beaten the Huskies more in that time than Creighton. In fact, Creighton's nine wins over UConn are as many as the next two schools, combined.
Since rejoining the BIG EAST, Connecticut has lost to the same school multiple times in the same season on just seven occasions, with three of those foes being Creighton (3 times in 2020-21, 2 times in 2021-22 and 2 times in 2024-25).
Most Wins vs. UConn Since 2020-21
Wins Opponent
9 Creighton
5 Seton Hall
4 St. John's
4 Xavier
4 Villanova
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 20-117 42-61
vs. Top 10 Teams 5-53 16-30
vs. Top 10 on Road 1-28 4-16
vs. Top 25 on Road 3-64 10-29
Top 25 Notes
A few notes as Creighton preps to play second-ranked Connecticut on Saturday night.
- Creighton is 62-178 all-time against top 25 teams.
- Creighton is 4-0 all-time at home against ranked Connecticut teams.
- Creighton has beaten a team ranked every spot between No. 1 and No. 25...other than No. 2, who the Jays are 0-7 against all-time. UConn is ranked No. 2 this week.
- Following up on the note above, Creighton's first win ever over a team ranked No. 1 came vs. UConn (Feb. 20, 2024), as was its lone win in 12 tries against a team ranked No. 14 (Jan. 18, 2025).
- Creighton is 42-61 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams, 35 more top 25 wins than any other coach in Creighton history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 20-117 all-time against top 25 foes.
- Creighton has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the previous 12 seasons (entering 2025-26). On a national basis, the only teams with a top-25 win each of the previous 12 seasons (entering 2025-26) are Baylor, Creighton, Duke, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas Tech, Villanova, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Creighton has beaten multiple ranked foes in each of the previous 10 seasons (entering 2025-26), something only Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan State, Purdue and Villanova can claim.
Creighton owns at least one Top 10 win each of the previous 10 seasons (entering 2025-26). The only schools with at least one top-10 win every season from 2015-16 to 2024-25 have been Creighton, Kansas and Texas Tech.
- In the last 10 seasons, Creighton owns 37 Top 25 wins. That ranks 17th-most in the nation, just ahead of Arizona (36), Auburn (36), and Connecticut (34).
Top Two Success
Creighton has won each of its last two games against a team ranked in the top two of the AP poll, defeating No. 1 Connecticut on Feb. 20, 2024 as well as No. 1 Kansas on Dec. 4, 2024.
Nationally, CU is one of six teams in the country with an active win streak of two or more against top two teams, as seen below:
Longest Active Win Streaks vs. AP Top 2 Teams
Streak School Streak Date Start
5 Florida Feb. 19, 2022
3 Houston March 24, 2022
3 CCNY March 18, 1950
2 Creighton Feb. 20, 2024
2 Iowa State March 16, 2024
2 Oklahoma State March 12, 2021
Among The Best
Creighton owns more BIG EAST wins (88) than any other school in the last six seasons, nine more than Connecticut's 79.
Since the league's 2013 realignment, Villanova has 167 league wins to lead the BIG EAST by a wide margin, but Creighton's 144 league victories are second-most.
Most Men's Basketball BIG EAST Wins
(2019-20 to Jan. 29, 2026)
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 88 39 .693
UConn 79 27 .745
Villanova 77 45 .631
Marquette 74 53 .583
Providence 66 58 .532
St. John's 68 58 .540
Seton Hall 64 62 .508
Xavier 62 58 .517
Butler 49 79 .383
Georgetown 27 96 .220
DePaul 22 101 .179
Most Men's Basketball BIG EAST Wins
(2013-14 to Jan. 29, 2026)
Team W L Pct.
Villanova 167 63 .726
Creighton 144 91 .613
Xavier 128 100 .561
Marquette 126 109 .536
Providence 124 108 .534
Seton Hall 117 117 .500
St. John's 108 126 .462
Butler 103 133 .436
UConn 79 27 .745
Georgetown 74 158 .319
DePaul 47 185 .203
Bouncing Back
Creighton doesn't lose many games by 20 or more points, as it did on Tuesday at Marquette in its last game.
Since Jan. 1, 2002, Creighton has answered with a victory in its next game 23 of the last 26 times it has happened, including 12 double-digit victories.
Creighton's Losses by 20+ Points Since 2002
Date Loss by 20+ Points Next Game Result
02/28/04 Missouri State 70, CU 46 03/01/04 CU 75, Wichita State 61
02/16/08 Bradley 87, CU 59 02/19/08 CU 88, Missouri State 67
03/21/08 Florida 82, CU 54 11/16/08 CU 82, New Mexico 75
01/03/09 Illinois State 86, CU 64 01/06/09 Northern Iowa 69, CU 66
03/07/09 Illinois State 73, CU 49 03/18/09 CU 73, Bowling Green 71
02/11/12 Wichita State 89, #17 CU 68 02/14/12 CU 88, Southern Illinois 69
03/23/14 #23 Baylor 85, #16 CU 55 11/14/14 CU 104, Central Arkansas 77
01/25/15 #4 Villanova 71, CU 50 01/28/15 CU 77, St. John's 74
01/31/15 #21 Georgetown 67, CU 40 02/04/15 CU 79, Xavier 72 (OT)
11/19/15 #14 Indiana 86, CU 65 11/23/15 CU 85, Rutgers 75
02/03/16 #3 Villanova 83, CU 58 02/06/16 CU 88, DePaul 66
01/25/17 Georgetown 71, #16 CU 51 01/28/17 #16 CU 83, DePaul 66
01/13/18 #10 Xavier 92, #25 CU 70 01/17/18 CU 80, #19 Seton Hall 63
02/01/18 #1 Villanova 98, CU 78 02/07/18 CU 76, DePaul 75
02/20/18 Butler 93, CU 70 02/24/18 CU 89, #3 Villanova 83 (OT)
11/28/19 San Diego State 83, CU 52 11/29/19 CU 83, #12 Texas Tech 76 (OT)
03/01/20 St. John's 91, #10 CU 71 03/04/20 #11 CU 91, Georgetown 76
03/13/21 Georgetown 73, CU 48 03/20/21 #19 CU 63, UC Santa Barbara 62
01/05/22 #19 Villanova 75, CU 41 01/15/22 #17 Xavier 80, CU 73
02/26/22 #11 Providence 72, CU 51 03/02/22 CU 64, #18 UConn 62
03/10/23 #15 Xavier 82, #24 CU 60 03/17/23 CU 72, NC State 63
11/23/23 Colorado St. 69, #8 CU 48 11/30/23 #15 CU 79, Oklahoma State 65
12/18/24 Georgetown 81, CU 57 12/21/24 CU 86, Villanova 79
03/01/25 Xavier 83, CU 61 03/04/25 CU 79, Seton Hall 61
11/11/25 #19 Gonzaga 90, #23 CU 63 11/14/25 CU 84, Md. Eastern Shore 45
12/07/25 Nebraska 71, CU 50 12/13/25 Kansas State 83, CU 76
01/27/26 Marquette 86, CU 62 01/31/26 Saturday vs. #2 Connecticut
Give Me 10
Creighton enters Saturday's game with nine home wins this season, and with a victory can reach double-figures in that category for the 29th time in the last 30 seasons.
The only exception in that time came in 2014-15, when the Jays won nine times at home.
Where's The Big Fella?
Creighton will be facing Connecticut on Saturday for the 13th time, but it'll be the first time the Jays won't have Ryan Kalkbrenner patrolling the paint.
Kalkbrenner, who starred for five seasons at Creighton from 2020-25, is now shooting 78.0 percent from the field and averaging 8.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Charlotte Hornets.
As a collegian, Kalkbrenner averaged 11.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in 12 all-time meetings against the Huskies. Creighton won nine of those battles.
Ryan Kalkbrenner vs. Connecticut (2020-25)
Date Kalk PTS Kalk REB UConn F/C Starters
12/20/20 5 3 Whaley & Carlton
01/23/21 10 4 Whaley & Sanogo
03/12/21 4 3 Whaley & Sanogo
02/01/22 4 6 Whaley & Sanogo
03/02/22 22 10 Whaley & Sanogo
01/07/23 9 4 Karaban & Sanogo
02/11/23 12 6 Karaban & Sanogo
01/17/24 11 8 Karaban & Johnson
02/20/24 15 5 Karaban & Clingan
01/18/25 16 10 Karaban & Johnson
02/11/25 13 9 Karaban & Johnson
03/14/25 12 4 Karaban & Johnson
Bold = Creighton victories
FOX Rocks
Saturday will mark Creighton's second of four scheduled appearances on FOX this season.
After a rough start on FOX, the network has been a good luck charm for the Bluejays in recent seasons, helping CU improve to 22-20 on the channel since joining the BIG EAST.
Creighton lost its first seven appearances and was 2-10 on FOX in its first six seasons as a BIG EAST member. Since then, Creighton is 20-10 on the network, including victories in 10 of its last 13 games.
Creighton's Record on FOX Since 2013-14
Year W-L
2013-14 0-0
2014-15 0-0
2015-16 0-1
2016-17 0-4
2017-18 1-3 (lost first 2)
2018-19 1-2 (won last 1)
2019-20 2-0
2020-21 5-2 (won first 4)
2021-22 0-3
2022-23 3-2
2023-24 6-0
2024-25 4-2 (won first 4)
2025-26 0-1 (so far)
Saturday's Are For The Jays
The Connecticut game is one of six conference home games that Creighton will have on a Saturday this season. That's a single-season school-record for CU -- regardless of conference affiliation.
Creighton has won 13 of its last 14 Saturday home games in BIG EAST play.
Creighton's .815 win percentage in Saturday league games at all sites and .929 win percentage in Saturday league home games since the start of the 2022-23 season both lead all Power 5 teams.
Best Saturday Win Percentages in League Play
(Power 5 Schools Since 2022-23 Started)
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 22 5 .815
North Carolina 27 7 .794
Duke 28 8 .778
Alabama 24 8 .750
Clemson 26 9 .743
Texas A&M 23 10 .697
Wake Forest 25 11 .694
Auburn 22 10 .688
Tennessee 21 11 .656
Kentucky 20 11 .645
Best Saturday Home Win Percentages in League Play
(Power 5 Schools Since 2022-23 Started)
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 13 1 .929
Duke 15 2 .882
BYU 13 2 .867
Wake Forest 17 3 .850
North Carolina 16 3 .842
Florida 13 3 .813
Iowa State 12 3 .800
Kansas 12 3 .800
Alabama 13 4 .765
Texas A&M 13 4 .765
Vanderbilt 13 4 .765
Home Sweet Home
Creighton won its final four BIG EAST home games in 2023-24, was 9-1 in BIG EAST home games last season, and has started 4-1 in league play at home this winter.
Creighton's 17-2 record is tied for the best mark in the conference by any school in its last 19 BIG EAST home games, as seen below:
Last 19 BIG EAST Home Games
W-L Team
17-2 Creighton
17-2 Connecticut
17-2 St. John's
14-5 Villanova
12-7 Marquette
11-8 Xavier
8-11 Butler
8-11 Seton Hall
7-12 Providence
7-12 Georgetown
6-13 DePaul
That's A Winner
Since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in 2013-14, the only current BIG EAST teams to own a .500 or better record in conference road games are Villanova and Creighton.
Connecticut has a winning record since coming back to the BIG EAST, but falls below .500 when you include its 22-41 road record in the American.
BIG EAST Road Records Since 2013-14
W L School
72 43 Villanova
59 59 Creighton
51 65 Providence
50 63 Xavier
50 67 Marquette
50 68 Seton Hall
43 75 St. John's
39 79 Butler
35 18 Connecticut (57-59 including the American)
29 86 Georgetown
17 98 DePaul
Finding A Way
Since the start of the 2020-21 season Creighton (21), Marquette (21) and Xavier (21) lead the BIG EAST in victories by three points or fewer. No one else owns more than 15. Fittingly, Creighton and Marquette both won one-point games last week, while Xavier lost by one point at Creighton.
Among Power 5 schools, Creighton's 23 wins by three points or less since the start of the 2020-21 campaign ranks tied for second-most nationally.
Most Wins by 3 or Less since 2020-21, Power 5 Teams
W L School
23 17 Arizona State
21 11 Creighton
21 12 Virginia
21 12 Minnesota
21 13 Marquette
21 16 Rutgers
21 18 Xavier
20 11 Oregon
20 12 Vanderbilt
20 13 TCU
20 14 Wisconsin
New Year, Same Success
Creighton owns a 21-8 record in the month of January since the start of 2023 and are also 30-14 in the month of January since the start of 2021. Both marks are second-best in the BIG EAST to UConn as the team's close the month with a head-to-head match-up.
Best January Records Among BIG EAST Teams Since 2023
Rk. W L Pct. Team
1. 23 8 .742 Connecticut
2. 21 8 .724 Creighton
3. 21 9 .700 St. John's
Best January Records Among BIG EAST Teams Since 2021
Rk. W L Pct. Team
1. 32 11 .744 Connecticut
2. 30 14 .682 Creighton
3, 30 15 .667 Marquette
4 x 4
After opening league play with lopsided wins by 41 and 21 points, each of Creighton's last four league victories have come by four points or less.
The only other time Creighton has had four league wins in a row all by four points or less was during the 2009-10 campaign as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
It's the first time Creighton has had four league wins by four points or less since tying a single-season program-record with five such (non-consecutive) victories in 2021-22.
Have We Met?
Of the 165 players listed on BIG EAST rosters just four years ago (2022-23), only 10 of those men are still playing for the same school. Four of those 10 men (Lucas, Gabriel, Sabourin, Wolf) have scored fewer than 10 career points.
Here's a list of who remains from 2022-23:
Team 2022-23 Roster Size Who's Still There?
Butler 13 -
Connecticut 16 Alex Karaban
Creighton 16 Jasen Green
DePaul 15 -
Georgetown 14 -
Marquette 18 Ben Gold, Sean Jones, Jonah Lucas, Chase Ross
Providence 14 Corey Floyd Jr.
Seton Hall 16 David Gabriel
St. John's 15 -
Villanova 12 -
Xavier 16 Ian Sabourin, Michael Wolf
The First 10 in the BIG EAST
Tuesday marked Creighton's 10th BIG EAST game this season. This year is the seventh straight season CU has started league play 5-5 or better after 10 conference games, and 11th time in 13 seasons as a member of the BIG EAST.
Creighton -- First 10 BIG EAST Games, Since 2013-14
Year First 10 BE W-L Final W-L Postseason
2025-26 6-4 ? ? ? ? ? ?
2024-25 8-2 15-5 NCAA
2023-24 7-3 14-6 NCAA
2022-23 7-3 13-7 NCAA
2021-22 5-5 12-7 NCAA
2020-21 7-3 14-4 NCAA
2019-20 6-4 13-5 Canceled
2018-19 4-6 9-9 NIT
2017-18 7-3 10-8 NCAA
2016-17 7-3 10-8 NCAA
2015-16 5-5 9-9 NIT
2014-15 1-9 4-14 --
2013-14 9-1 14-4 NCAA
The Road Less Taken
Through games of Wednesday, BIG EAST squads were 24-31 in league road games. The top four teams in the standings were a combined 16-4 in those road contests.
By comparison, last year BIG EAST teams were 42-68 in league road games, and in 2023-24 road teams were 45-65 in conference action.
The only previous time in league history that the road teams have finished with a winning record in BIG EAST play was the first year of the conference in 1979-80, when they were 11-10.
Swartz Does It Again
Austin Swartz has shown a flair for the dramatic in Creighton's last two home games.
On Jan. 13th vs. Georgetown, Swartz hit a game-tying three-pointer with 17.8 seconds left in regulation, then added a game-winning jumper with 30.3 seconds left in overtime.
On Jan. 21st vs. Xavier, Swartz was fouled with Creighton down two points and 4.3 seconds left. He made the first foul shot before chasing down the offensive rebound and banking in a shot from a tough angle on the right wing with 0.6 seconds left. It came after just his fifth offensive rebound of the season.
CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 9-8 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 2026 when Creighton's Austin Swartz hit a shot with 0.6 seconds left to beat Xavier, CU's first game-winner in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha since 2020.
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
01/21/26 Xavier W 94-93 Swartz FG :0.6
*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
All The Bounces
Tuesday marks Creighton's second game since Austin Swartz's game-winner with 0.6 seconds left vs. Xavier, which came after Swartz missed a potential game-tying free throw with 4.3 seconds left but grabbed his own miss before hitting the game-winner with 0.6 seconds left.
Prior to last Tuesday, Creighton's last game-winner in the last 30 seconds under Greg McDermott was by a different player boasting the same initials and same uniform number who also used the glass in an unlikely fashion, as Steven Ashworth banked in a three-pointer from the corner with 5.8 seconds left to help CU win at Villanova on Feb. 1, 2025.
Below is a list of Creighton's victories under Greg McDermott in which it scored a go-ahead points in the final 30 seconds of a victory.
Go-Ahead Points in Last 30 Seconds of Wins Under McDermott
Player Time Opponent Date
Kenny Lawson Jr. 18.1, Dunk Northern Arizona 11/14/10
Antoine Young 0.3, FG Long Beach St. 02/18/12
Josh Jones 22.6, FG Evansville 02/21/12
Doug McDermott 4.9, FG at Saint Joseph's 11/16/13
Doug McDermott 2.8, 3FG St. John's 01/28/14
Marcus Foster 6.6, 3FG vs. Xavier 03/10/17
Marcus Foster 14.4, 3FG at DePaul 02/07/18
Marcus Zegarowski 3.2 3FG Providence 01/18/20
Christian Bishop 0.8, Dunk at Providence 01/02/21
Christian Bishop 16.0, 2 FT vs. UCSB 03/20/21
Ryan Nembhard 0.0, FG vs. Southern Illinois 11/22/21
Trey Alexander 26.2, 2 FT Villanova 02/04/23
Trey Alexander 12.3, 2 FT St. John's 01/13/24
Trey Alexander 28.4, 3FG at Seton Hall 01/20/24
Trey Alexander 0.2, FG at Villanova 03/09/24
Steven Ashworth 5.8, 3FG at Villanova 02/01/25
Austin Swartz 0.6, FG Xavier 01/21/26
Alternate Ideas
Creighton has alternated wins and losses over each of its last eight games. The streak started on Dec. 30th with a win over Butler, and if the recent pattern continues, the Jays will beat No. 2 Connecticut on Saturday. Creighton's four wins in the stretch have all come by four points or less.
Speaking of alternate, Creighton is in the middle of a stretch where it alternates home and road games over a 10-game stretch that lasts from Jan. 13-Feb. 18.
Merfeld Gets Hall Call
Longtime Creighton men's basketball staffer Steve Merfeld is part of the 2026 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame induction class.
The Hall of Fame Banquet is scheduled for Sunday, September 27th at the Glacier Canyon Lodge of the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells.
Merfeld is a Wisconsin native who graduated from Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1984 and then got his coaching start at St. John's Military Academy in 1984. He served as an assistant coach at Bowling Green (1986-96) and Hampton (1996-97) before serving as head coach at Hampton from 1997-2002.
Merfeld then went on to be head coach at Evansville from 2002-07 and an assistant coach at Bradley before joining the Greg McDermott's original Creighton staff as an assistant coach in 2010. He has been the Bluejays' assistant to the head coach since 2013.
Graves Does It
Nik Graves had 16 points, nine assists and no turnovers in last Wednesday's victory vs. Xavier. He's just the second Creighton player in the last 20 years with at least 16 points and nine assists without a turnover, joining Antoine Young.
Young did it on March 21, 2011 vs. Davidson (22 points, 9 assists) vs. Davidson, then again two days later vs. Central Florida (16 points, 10 assists). Both of those games were in the CBI.
Graves' performance made him the first Bluejay to ever post at least nine assists without a turnover in a BIG EAST game.
Nik The Quik
Nik Graves went nuclear in the first half of Creighton's Dec. 20 game vs. Marquette, scoring 17 points in a span of just 2:55. His 17 points were the most by any Bluejay in a half this season.
Graves entered the game with a season-high of 15 points in the South Dakota game before catching fire against the Golden Eagles.
Here's how it happened:
Time Play CU Score After Points
11:22 Graves Floater Down 15-14
10:56 Graves Jumper Up 16-15
10:07 Graves 3FG Up 21-15
9:03 Graves 3FG Up 27-17
8:46 Graves 3FG Up 30-17
8:24 Graves 3FG Up 33-17
8:24 Graves FT Up 34-17
They Did What?
Creighton led 49-22 at half and walloped Xavier, 98-57, on Dec. 17 in Cincinnati. It led to a plethora of eyebrow-raising stats.
- It was Creighton's largest halftime lead since leading Houston Christian 39-12 at the break on Nov. 13, 2024.
, - It was Creighton's largest halftime lead in a BIG EAST game since leading Georgetown 51-24 at the break on March 1, 2023, and tied for its third-largest ever in BIG EAST play.
- It is believed to be Creighton's largest halftime lead in a conference road game since at least 1948. Creighton's last halftime lead away from home of 27 points or more was also a 49-22 lead, which came on Nov. 30, 1990 in Iowa City, Iowa, against UTSA.
- It was Creighton's largest margin of victory ever in a conference road game, topping its 93-58 win at DePaul on Feb. 11, 2017.
- It was tied for Creighton's second-largest margin of victory ever in a conference game at any site, trailing only a 69-25 win vs. Saint Louis on Jan. 9, 1943 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
That Saint Louis game was also a league lid-lifter.
- It tied Creighton's largest margin of victory ever in a BIG EAST game at any site, matching a 100-59 win vs. St. John's on Feb. 28, 2016.
- Creighton's 98-57 win was the second-largest road win in a BIG EAST Conference game ever, trailing only UConn's 99-57 win at Seton Hall on Feb. 11, 2006. It was also tied for the eighth-largest BIG EAST victory margin in league history, regardless of site.
- Creighton's 41 point win at Xavier matched the combined margin of victory in Creighton's eight previous wins in Cincinnati over the Musketeers. CU had never before won at Xavier by more than 12 points.
- It was the largest margin of victory in a BIG EAST opener by any team, surpassing Villanova's 84-46 win vs. West Virginia on Jan. 5, 2005.
- Creighton's 98 points were its most ever in a conference road win, one more than its output on Jan. 20, 2024 in a 97-94 triple-overtime win at Seton Hall, and two more than its previous high in regulation in a conference road win done on Jan. 20, 2014 at No. 4 Villanova in a 96-68 win.
- Creighton's 98 points were the most Xavier has ever allowed inside Cintas Center, which opened in 2000.
- Along with the Creighton women defeating Omaha 92-48 that same day in Omaha, it was the first time a BIG EAST school posted 40+ point wins in men's and women's basketball on the same day since Nov. 6, 2018, when Seton Hall dominated Wagner in both sports.
The only other time in history that Creighton MBB and WBB had wins of 40+ points on the same day was Nov. 27, 1982, when the men beat Wisconsin-Platteville 98-54 and the women topped SIU Edwardsville 99-59, but both of those games were in Omaha.
- Creighton's men and women both made 16 three-pointers. It was the first time a BIG EAST school had both its men's and women's programs make 15+ three-pointers on the same day since Creighton did it on March 23, 2024. On that day, the CU men did it in a double-overtime win vs. Oregon, while the women did it in a victory against UNLV. Both of those were NCAA Tournament contests.
- It was Xavier's largest halftime deficit since trailing Duke 55-24 at half on Dec. 20, 2008 in East Rutherford, N.J., in an eventual 82-64 loss.
- It was Xavier's largest halftime deficit ever in a BIG EAST game (previously 48-22 vs. UConn on Jan. 28, 2024), and largest halftime deficit in a BIG EAST home game since trailing 44-28 vs. Seton Hall on Dec. 30, 2020.
- It was Xavier's second-largest loss ever in a conference game, trailing only its 99-56 loss at UConn on Jan. 28, 2024.
- It was Xavier's largest loss in a home game in program history, eclipsing an 86-48 loss to Dayton on March 5, 1977.
- Xavier's previous largest loss at Cintas Center (which opened in 2000) was a 64-42 loss to Oral Roberts on Dec. 18, 2011.
Triple Trouble
Austin Swartz made a career-high eight three-pointers on Jan. 13 vs. Georgetown. Swartz's performance was tied for fourth-most trifectas in a game in program history.
In the last 15 seasons, Swartz is just the third player to score at least 33 points, make eight or more three-pointers and shoot at least 75 percent from the field in the same BIG EAST game. He joins current CU assistant coach Mitch Ballock on March 9, 2019, when he made 12-of-14 shots (including 11-for-13 from 3) to score 39 points vs. DePaul, as well as former Marquette standout Kam Jones vs. DePaul on Feb. 21, 2024 when Jones had 34 points, made 8-of-10 three-pointers and shot 12-for-15 from the field.
Swartz has now made seven or more three-pointers twice this season, making him just the fifth different Bluejay to ever do that along with Trey Alexander (2022-23), Mitch Ballock (2018-19 and 2020-21), Kyle Korver (2002-03), Ethan Wragge (2013-14). Korver did it four times in 2002-03, making him the only Bluejay with three (or more) such games in the same season.
With another game of seven or more three-pointers in the next seven weeks, Swartz can join Rutgers' Jerome Coleman (in 2001-02) as the only players in the last 30 years with three or more BIG EAST games in the same season with seven trifectas or more. No one's had multiple BIG EAST games of eight or more three-pointers in the same campaign during the last 30 years.
Swartz could also become CU's first player ever to make seven three-pointers against the same school more than once in a career.
3FG Name, Opponent Date
11 Mitch Ballock vs. DePaul 03/09/19
9 Kyle Korver vs. Evansville 01/15/03
Ethan Wragge at Villanova 01/20/14
8 Tad Ackerman at Drake 01/23/95
Kyle Korver at Xavier 12/31/02
Terrell Taylor vs. Florida 03/15/02
Isaiah Zierden at DePaul 01/17/16
Mitch Ballock vs. Marquette 12/14/20
Ryan Hawkins at Georgetown 02/12/22
Austin Swartz vs. Georgetown 01/13/26
7 Gary Swain vs. Nebraska-Omaha 12/11/86
Ryan Sears vs. Wyoming 12/06/97
Kyle Korver vs. Notre Dame 11/26/02
Kyle Korver vs. Fresno State 02/22/03
Nate Funk at Nebraska 11/18/06
Booker Woodfox at Saint Joseph's 12/06/08
Ethan Wragge at Saint Joseph's 11/16/13
Doug McDermott vs. DePaul 03/13/14
Cole Huff vs. Seton Hall 03/10/16
Ty-Shon Alexander vs. Clemson 11/21/18
Mitch Ballock at Nebraska 12/08/18
Marcus Zegarowski vs. Butler 02/23/20
Mitch Ballock at Seton Hall 01/27/21
Trey Alexander vs. DePaul 12/25/22
Trey Alexander vs. Georgetown 03/01/23
Baylor Scheierman at Marquette 12/30/23
Steven Ashworth vs. Butler 03/08/25
Austin Swartz at Xavier 12/17/25
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 32 victories since the start of the 2010-11 season after trailing by double-figures at some point, including rallies from 10 points down at both Villanova (25-15 on Jan. 7) and Georgetown (36-26 on Jan. 13).
This is the fifth time under Greg McDermott that Creighton has had multiple wins after trailing by 10+ points in the same month, joining March of 2012, December of 2014, February of 2018 and November of 2021.
Fifteen of those 32 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
17 vs. DePaul 03/13/25
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
11 St. John's 12/31/24
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
10 Georgetown 02/23/25
10 at Villanova 01/07/26
10 Georgetown 01/13/26
Making An Impact
The 7th Annual Silver Waves Media 100 Most Impactful High Major Coaches List was unveiled on Jan. 12th.
Creighton had three coaches on the list, as Alan Huss, Derek Kellogg and Trey Zeigler were all recognized. Not only was Trey Zeigler honored, but so was his dad Ernie Zeigler, who is an assistant coach at Nebraska.
The only eight schools with at least three coaches honored on the list were Florida (4), Kansas (4), BYU, Creighton, Duke, Illinois, Stanford and Texas.
No DQ's Here
Through Wednesday, Creighton was one of three teams nationally that has not had a player foul out this season, a group that also includes Yale and Michigan State.
Last year Creighton was tied for 19th nationally with only four foul out disqualifications
In 2023-24, Creighton was the only team in the country without a player to foul out.
In 2022-23, Creighton's two foul outs were tied for second-fewest in the nation.
In the last four seasons (2022-23 to present), Creighton has only had only six players foul out in 129 games.
Jays Reach 30K at CHI
Creighton has outscored its opponents 30,094-25,175 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.91 points per game in 381 all-time games in the building that count.
Creighton is 28-2 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone at CHI Health Center Omaha, as seen below:
Date Pts-Opp (CHI 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
02/26/25 29,000-24,231 (370) Kalkbrenner FG vs. DePaul
01/13/26 30,000-25,082 (381) Dix FT vs. Georgetown
McDermott Among The Best
Greg McDermott ranks sixth in BIG EAST history with 144 regular-season league wins. The five coaches ahead of him all have won at least one national title.
McDermott, along with Ed Cooley, Rick Pitino and Kevin Willard are the only four active coaches with 100 regular-season BIG EAST wins.
McDermott has been at his current job (16 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 15 years in the BIG EAST lead all active league coaches.
Most League Wins, BIG EAST MBB Coaches (1/29)
Rk. Wins Name, School
1. 366 Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
2. 274 Jim Calhoun, UConn
3. 244 Jay Wright, Villanova
4. 198 John Thompson Jr., Georgetown
5. 149 Rick Pitino, Prov./Louisville/SJU
6. 144 Greg McDermott, Creighton
7. 136 Mike Brey, Notre Dame
8. 132 Ed Cooley, Providence/G'Town
9. 131 John Thompson III, Georgetown
10. 127 Lou Carnesecca, St. John's
Swartz Comes Through
Austin Swartz made 6-of-11 shots from the field on Jan. 21 vs. Xavier. Creighton is now 6-0 this season when the sophomore shoots 50 percent or better (min. 1 FGA) from the field, including five BIG EAST victories.
Bench Boost
Creighton scored 43 (at Xavier) and 41 (vs. Marquette) bench points in its first two league games, a fact that's even more incredible when you consider that the Bluejays had gone 147 straight BIG EAST games without scoring 40+ points off the bench dating to Jan. 13, 2018.
CU also scored 40 bench points vs. Xavier on Jan. 21st.
Creighton had not scored 40+ bench points in consecutive games (conference or otherwise) since doing it vs. Presbyterian (43) and Longwood (56) in November of 2012.
40+ Points in BIG EAST Play
Year 40+ Bench Points Opponent
2013-14: 0 of 18 -
2014-15: 2 of 18 @SJU, SJU
2015-16: 1 of 18 DPU
2016-17: 0 of 18 -
2017-18: 1 of 18 @XU
2018-19: 0 of 18 -
2019-20: 0 of 18 -
2020-21: 0 of 20 -
2021-22: 0 of 19 -
2022-23: 0 of 20 -
2023-24: 0 of 20 -
2024-25: 0 of 20 -
2025-26: 3 of 10 so far @XU, MU, XU
Most Creighton Bench Points in BIG EAST Play
Bench Pts. Opponent Date
51 DePaul 02/06/16
46 at Xavier 01/13/18
45 at St. John's 02/07/15
44 St. John's 01/28/15
43 at Xavier 12/17/25
41 Marquette 12/20/25
40 Xavier 01/21/26
Deep Thoughts
Greg McDermott talked in the off-season about how this year's squad figured to be the deepest team he's ever had at Creighton, and the results have proven him right.
Creighton's bench has outscored foes 597-470 this season. That +127 figure would be CU's best year-end mark since 2017-18 (+229). The 597 points are CU's most bench points since scoring 661 bench points in 2018-19.
Creighton's bench has accounted for 36.36 percent of CU's scoring, and 28.43 points per game. That's the most bench points per game since the 2007-08 team averaged 36.91 bench points per game and actually outscored the starting line-up (34.61 ppg.).
Creighton entered this season with 48 straight wins when scoring 17 or more bench points, but are just 11-8 this year when scoring 17 points or more off the bench.
Creighton's loss on Jan. 10 when scoring 38 bench points vs. St. John's was CU's most bench points in a loss since scoring 46 at No. 10 Xavier on Jan. 13, 2018.
That's A Plus
Nik Graves finished CU's Dec. 20 win against Marquette with a +40 plus/minus rating, as Creighton outscored Marquette 66-26 with the senior guard on the floor.
That +40 mark out-did the previous high by a Bluejay this season (Josh Dix was +37 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore) and was the top mark by a Creighton player since James Milliken was also +40 on Feb. 28, 2016.
Non-Con Success
Creighton went 6-5 in regular-season non-conference play this season. It's the 29th straight season that the Bluejays have had a .500 record or better in regular-season non-conference game. The last Bluejay team that wasn't was CU's 1996-97 team that went 5-6.
Creighton's last team to lose five regular-season non-conference games was its 2022-23 squad that finished the year in the Elite Eight.
Below is a look at Creighton's annual regular-season non-conference marks under Greg McDermott.
W-L Year Year-End W-L (Postseason)
8-5 2010-11 23-16 (CBI)
11-1 2011-12 29-6 (NCAA)
11-2 2012-13 28-8 (NCAA)
10-2 2013-14 27-8 (NCAA)
9-4 2014-15 14-19 (None)
9-4 2015-16 20-15 (NIT)
13-0 2016-17 25-10 (NCAA)
11-2 2017-18 21-12 (NCAA)
9-4 2018-19 20-15 (NIT)
11-2 2019-20 24-7 (None due to COVID-19)
4-1 2020-21 22-9 (NCAA)
8-3 2021-22 23-12 (NCAA)
6-5 2022-23 24-13 (NCAA)
9-2 2023-24 25-10 (NCAA)
7-4 2024-25 25-11 (NCAA)
6-5 2025-26 TBD
Sharing Is Caring
Creighton's 31 assists at Xavier were its second-most ever in a game under Greg McDermott, trailing only the 32 vs. USC Upstate on Dec. 20, 2017 in a 116-62 win.
Nationally, Creighton became the first road team with 31 or more assists in a Power 5 conference game since Washington at California on March 3, 2005.
Creighton's 31 assists were the most in a regular-season BIG EAST game by any school since Xavier had 32 vs. Georgetown on Jan. 21, 2023, and tied for the third-most in any league game since 1996-97. Creighton's 31 assists were also its most ever in any BIG EAST game.
Home Run
Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.92 points per home game (21,601 points in 267 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.31 points in non-conference home games (10,371 points in 123 home games).
Creighton is 163-7 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.
Turnover Trends
How well Creighton has taken care of the ball has had a major correlation whether or not the Bluejays win.
Creighton owns a 222/120 assist/turnover ratio (1.85) in its 12 wins this year, compared to a 120/111 (1.08) ratio in its nine losses.
Sixty Percent Club
Creighton shot 60.3 percent in its Dec. 17 win at Xavier. Since Greg McDermott was hired at Creighton, the Bluejays have shot 60 percent or better 33 times.
Here's that list, as well as several others, per Basketball-Reference.com, through Jan. 27.
Most Games, 60%+ FG Shooting, Since 2010-11
Rk. Games (W-L) Team
1. 50 (50-0) Gonzaga
2. 33 (33-0) Creighton
3. 30 (30-0) Kansas
30 (29-1) Northern Colorado
5. 28 (28-0) Indiana
28 (28-0) South Dakota State
28 (27-1) Loyola (Chicago)
28 (25-3) Campbell
Most Games, 50%+ FG Shooting, Since 2010-11
Rk. Games (W-L) Team
1. 321 (311-10) Gonzaga
2. 229 (213-16) Belmont
3. 227 (214-13) Kansas
4. 226 (211-15) Creighton
5. 221 (209-12) Duke
Most Games, 50%+ 3FG Shooting, Since 2010-11
Rk. Games (W-L) Team
1. 92 (81-11) Weber State
2. 88 (78-10) UCLA
3. 87 (72-15) Michigan State
4. 86 (82-4) Creighton
86 (83-3) Gonzaga
Best Field Goal Percentage, Since 2010-11
Rk. FG% Team
1. .508 Gonzaga
2. .483 Belmont
3. .478 Kansas
4. .476 Creighton
5. .476 Duke
Best 2-Point Field Goal Percentage, Since 2010-11
(includes teams that have been Division I 10+ years)
Rk. 2FG% Team
1. .574 Gonzaga
2. .573 Belmont
3. .553 Creighton
4. .541 Furman
5. .540 Duke
Austin Powers
Austin Swartz had 27 points in 23 minutes of CU's Dec. 17 road win at Xavier.
He's just the seventh Bluejay in the last 20 seasons with 25+ points in 25 minutes or less, and joined Cole Huff as one of two Bluejays with a game of 27+ points in 23 minutes or less since 1991-92.
25+ Points in 25 Minutes or Less
Creighton Players Since 1991-92
PTS MIN Name, Opponent Date
26 25 Dane Watts vs. Mississippi Valley State 11/17/07
25 18 Doug McDermott vs. Hou. Christian 12/17/11
27 24 Geoffrey Groselle vs. North Texas 12/21/15
28 22 Cole Huff vs. DePaul 02/06/16
25 25 Marcus Zegarowski vs. #21 Butler 02/23/20
25 23 Trey Alexander vs. Georgetown 03/01/23
27 23 Austin Swartz at Xavier 12/17/25
Triple Option
Creighton made 16 three-pointers in its Dec. 17 victory at Xavier. It was tied for the third-most three-pointers ever by the Bluejays in a road game.
Most 3FG Made in a Road Game, Creighton History
3FG 3FGA Opponent Date
21 35 at #4 Villanova 01/20/14
17 35 at Seton Hall 01/27/21
16 36 at Georgetown 01/06/18
16 33 at Xavier 12/17/25
Preseason All-BIG EAST Votes Revealed
The Creighton men's basketball team was picked to finish third in the BIG EAST Conference in the annual survey of league coaches, which was unveiled as part of 2025 BIG EAST Media Day on October 21.
It marks the fourth straight year the Bluejays have been tabbed for a top-three finish and the third time CU has been picked exactly third in the BIG EAST poll, having also happened in 2013-14 as well as 2016-17.
Defending league champion St. John's garnered 7-of-11 first place votes and was chosen atop the poll with 97 points, just ahead of Connecticut. The Huskies collected four first place votes and 94 points. Creighton was third with 80 points, just ahead of Providence (64) and Marquette (60). The second half of the league poll consists of Georgetown (57), Villanova (50), Xavier (33), DePaul (29), Butler (26) and Seton Hall (15).
Creighton finished 25-11 overall and 15-5 in BIG EAST play last season and returns starters Jackson McAndrew (7.8 ppg., 4.4 rpg.) and Jasen Green (4.9 ppg., 3.2 rpg.) along with a talented crop of newcomers.
Three of those newcomers join McAndrew with Preseason All-BIG EAST accolades, giving CU four honorees for the first time since its 2022-23 team that eventually finished the season in the Elite Eight. Owen Freeman was voted a Preseason All- BIG EAST First Team selection and Josh Dix was a Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team choice. McAndrew and Nik Graves were both Preseason All-BIG EAST Third Team honorees.
Freeman is the eighth different Bluejay to earn Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team recognition, and first to do it prior to playing a game with the Bluejays. It also means CU has had a First Team pick each of the last four seasons, as Trey Alexander was chosen prior to 2023-24 and Ryan Kalkbrenner was honored each of the previous three campaigns.
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 10th straight finish in the top four of the league standings.
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 T-2nd Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Trey Alexander (1st)
Baylor Scheierman (2nd)
2024-25 2nd 2nd Ryan Kalkbrenner (POY, 1st); Steven Ashworth (3rd)
2025-26 3rd ? ? ? Owen Freeman (1st); Josh Dix (2nd)
Jackson McAndrew (3rd); Nik Graves (3rd)
League Of Their Own
Creighton has finished with a .500 mark or better in league play 29 times in the previous 30 seasons, one of six schools nationally that can say that.
The only BIG EAST teams to finish .500 or better in league play each of the previous 10 seasons are Creighton and Villanova.
Creighton is also the only "Power 5" school with an active streak of six years or longer with 12 or more league wins.
Most Seasons .500 or Better League Record
Last 30 Seasons (Entering 2025-26)
Seasons Team
30 Duke
30 Kansas
30 Gonzaga
29 Creighton
29 Kentucky
29 Michigan State
Consecutive Seasons .500 or Better League Record
Power 5 Schools (Entering 2025-26)
Seasons Team
36 Kansas
30 Duke
14 Oregon
13 Villanova
10 Creighton
10 Houston
10 Florida
Consecutive Seasons 12+ League Wins
Power 5 Schools (Entering 2025-26)
Seasons Team
6 Creighton
Best BIG EAST Years
Creighton's 15 league wins last season set a program record for most conference wins in any of its first 12 seasons in the BIG EAST. It was the third straight season CU won 14 league games or more, something only Villanova (2013-14 to 2017-18) and Connecticut (1993-94 to 1995-96) have done in BIG EAST history.
Four of CU's seven teams to win 12 or more BIG EAST games reached the BIG EAST Tournament final, with the prematurely cancelled 2019-20 campaign being one of the exceptions.
Creighton's 15 conference wins last year matched its most as a member of any league, as it picked up 15 conference wins in 2002-03 when it was a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
Creighton has now set or tied program records for most conference wins in a one-year span (15), two-year span (29), three-year span (43), four-year span (55), five-year span (69), six-year span (82) and seven-year span (91).
Creighton has finished first or second in the BIG EAST in four of the last six seasons, and top four in the league each of the previous nine campaigns.
Creighton's Most BIG EAST Wins, Season
W-L Year BIG EAST Tourney
15-5 2024-25 TBA
14-4 2013-14 Lost in Final
14-6 2020-21 Lost in Final
14-6 2022-23 Lost in Semi's
14-6 2023-24 Lost in Quarterfinals
13-5 2019-20 Tourney Cancelled
12-7 2021-22 Lost in Final
Creighton's Most Conference Wins, Season
W-L Year League
15-3 2002-03 MVC
15-5 2024-25 BIG EAST
14-4 2000-01 MVC
14-4 2001-02 MVC
14-4 2008-09 MVC
14-4 2011-12 MVC
14-4 2013-14 BIG EAST
14-6 2020-21 BIG EAST
14-6 2022-23 BIG EAST
14-6 2023-24 BIG EAST
Availability Reports
The BIG EAST is now requiring availability reports prior to each league game, with plans calling for the information will be released three hours prior to each conference contest.
The league website with that information is
https://bigeast.com/sports/2025/11/26/2526_mbb_availability_reports.aspx .
Three's Company
Creighton has made five or more three-pointers in 92 straight games, the nation's second-longest active streak.
CU's streak of 65 consecutive games with six or more three-pointers was snapped on Thanksgiving Day vs. Oregon when the Jays made five three-pointers.
Longest Active Streaks of 5+ 3FG Made (1/28)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 118 North Florida 1/29
2. 92 Creighton 1/31
3. 90 BYU 1/31
4. 88 Wofford 1/29
Seeking the Pefect Blend
Creighton's roster includes nine newcomers and seven returners. CU has yet to play a single possession with five returners on the floor at the same time.
# of Newcomers CU Pts.-Opp Pts. % of Pts. by CU
0 Newcomers on Floor Hasn't Happened n/a
1 Newcomer on Floor 55-48 .534
2 Newcomers on Floor 401-409 .495
3 Newcomers on Floor 627-586 .517
4 Newcomers on Floor 511-488 .512
5 Newcomers on Floor 48-42 .533
Newcomers Lead The Way
For the season, 1,104 of Creighton's 1,642 points have been scored by newcomers, an astounding 67.2 percent. This shouldn't be too much of a shock though, as only 28.0 percent of last year's points returned.
By comparison, newcomers on last year's team were responsible for only 36.6 percent of the points.
McDermott's Coaching Tree
Greg McDermott's coaching tree includes 11 men who are currently a head coach at the Division I level, including three men at Power 5 schools.
Here's a list:
Darian DeVries - Indiana
Eric Henderson - Drake
Ben Jacobson - Northern Iowa
Steve Lutz - Oklahoma State
Ryan Miller - Murray State
TJ Otzelberger - Iowa State
Bryan Petersen - South Dakota State
David Richman - North Dakota State
Daniyal Robinson - North Texas
Paul Sather - North Dakota
Patrick Sellers - Central Connecticut State
Postseason Success
Creighton has won at least one NCAA Tournament game in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. That makes CU one of four teams in the country to have a win in each of the last five NCAA Tournaments, joining Baylor, Gonzaga and Houston.
This is the first time that Creighton Basketball has won an NCAA Tournament game in five straight years. The only other CU program in any sport to win an NCAA Tournament game in five straight seasons is Creighton Volleyball (2015-19).
Even though a certain NCAA bid was wiped away in 2020 by COVID-19, Creighton has still appeared in each of the last five NCAA Tournaments (2021-25).
The only previous time that Creighton Men's Basketball has appeared in five straight NCAA Tournaments was from 1999-2003.
Creighton is one of 13 teams to have appeared in each of the last five NCAA Tournaments (2021-25). That list consists of Alabama, Baylor, Connecticut, Creighton, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan State, Purdue, San Diego State, Tennessee and Texas.
Ain't Too Proud To Brag
Creighton has won 20 or more games in each of the past 10 seasons, tied for the nation's fourth-longest active streak. Kansas leads the way with 36, followed by Gonzaga (28) and Belmont (15). The others with 10 (like Creighton) include Oregon and Houston.
Creighton has won 22 games or more in six straight seasons. Only Gonzaga (28) and Houston (8) have longer streaks.
Creighton is one of two schools to have men's and women's basketball programs to both own 22 wins or more each of the previous four seasons, a list that includes Creighton and UConn.
Creighton is one of two teams in the nation with 25 or more wins in both men's basketball and women's basketball each of the previous two seasons. That list consists of Creighton and Gonzaga.
Most Consecutive 20-Win Seasons
Team Consec. 20-Win Seasons (entering 2025-26)
Kansas 36
Gonzaga 28
Belmont 15
Oregon 15
Creighton 10
Houston 10
Most Consecutive 22-Win Seasons
Team Consec. 22-Win Yrs. (entering 2025-26)
Gonzaga 28
Houston 8
Creighton 6
25 of 27 Seasons With 20 Wins
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 25 of the previous 27 seasons, a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
Entering 2025-26, just two schools have had 20 or more wins each of the previous 27 years: Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 26 times, Creighton and Kentucky 25 times each.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Previous 27 Seasons
Team 20-Win Seasons (Entering 2025-26)
Gonzaga 27
Kansas 27
Duke 26
Creighton 25
Kentucky 25
Arizona 23
Florida 23
Michigan State 23
BYU 22
Memphis 22
North Carolina 22
Ohio State 22
Wisconsin 22
Most 20-Win Seasons, Head Coaches Since 2010-11
20-Win Seasons (2010-11 to 20224-25) Name, Team
15 Mark Few, Gonzaga
15 Bill Self, Kansas
15 Dana Altman, Oregon
14 Greg McDermott, Creighton
14 John Calipari, Kentucky and Arkansas
Two Dozen, Cousin
Creighton is one of 15 schools to have won 24 games or more in 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024- 25. That group consists of Alabama, Arizona, Charleston, Connecticut, Creighton, Drake, Duke, Gonzaga, Grand Canyon, Houston, Purdue, Saint Mary's, Tennessee, Utah State and VCU.
Sweetness!
Creighton is one of just nine teams to have reached at least three of the last five Sweet 16s.
Houston has done it each of the previous five seasons, while Alabama, Arkansas and Gonzaga have done it four times each.
Doing it three times in the previous five seasons are Duke, Michigan, Purdue, Tennessee, UCLA and Creighton.
Most Sweet 16's, Previous Five Seasons
# Team Years
5 Houston 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
4 Alabama 2021 - 2023 2024 2025
4 Arkansas 2021 2022 2023 - 2025
4 Gonzaga 2021 2022 2023 2024 -
3 Creighton 2021 - 2023 2024 -
3 UCLA 2021 2022 2023 - -
3 Duke - 2022 - 2024 2025
3 Michigan 2021 2022 - - 2025
3 Purdue - 2022 - 2024 2025
3 Tennessee - - 2023 2024 2025
Coaching Consistency Is Key
Between women's basketball coach Jim Flanery (462) and men's basketball coach Greg McDermott (362), Creighton is the nation's only school with a pair of active head coaches with at least 360 victories at their current school.
Flanery (hired in 2002) and McDermott (2010) also make Creighton one of three schools to have the same men's and women's basketball head coaches each of the last 15 seasons, joining Boise State (Leon Rice and Gordy Presnell) and Northern Iowa (Ben Jacobsen and Tanya Warren).
Jacobsen played on teams McDermott assisted at North Dakota from 1989-93 and later replaced McDermott as head coach at UNI In 2006, while Warren was a former Creighton player and assistant and is one of two women in program history to have her number retired.
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 32 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
Long Run
Greg McDermott is in his 16th season on the Creighton sideline in 2025-26. That's tied for the 15th-longest active run of any men's coach with his current team as a Division I head coach.
Most Consecutive Years as Head Coach, Current Team
Years Name School
1995-Pr. Tom Izzo Michigan State
1998-Pr. Greg Kampe Oakland
1999-Pr. Mark Few Gonzaga
1999-Pr. James Jones Yale
2001-Pr. Randy Bennett Saint Mary's
2002-Pr. Bill Self Kansas
2003-Pr. Scott Drew Baylor
2005-Pr. Matt Painter Purdue
2006-Pr. Ben Jacobsen Northern Iowa
2006-Pr. Bill Coen Northeastern
2007-Pr. Mark Schmidt St. Bonaventure
2007-Pr. Brent Reed Lehigh
2007-Pr. Tommy Amaker Harvard
2009-Pr. LaVelle Moton North Carolina Central
2010-Pr. Greg McDermott Creighton
2010-Pr. Andy O'Toole Robert Morris
2010-Pr. Tad Boyle Colorado
2010-Pr. Leon Rice Boise State
2010-Pr. Dana Altman Oregon
2010-Pr. Russell Turner UC Irvine
2010-Pr. Brad Brownell Clemson
The McDermott Era
Greg McDermott owns 362 wins at Creighton since his arrival in 2010-11. It's the eighth-most of programs that have had the same coach the entire time.
Schools With Most Wins Since 2010-11, Only 1 Coach
(Through games of Jan. 29)
Rk. Wins School Coach Next
1. 473 Gonzaga Mark Few 1/31
2. 441 Kansas Bill Self 1/31
3. 403 Saint Mary's Randy Bennett 1/31
4. 393 Michigan State Tom Izzo 1/30
5. 378 Oregon Dana Altman 2/1
6. 376 Purdue Matt Painter 2/1
7. 368 Baylor Scott Drew 1/31
8. 362 Creighton Greg McDermott 1/31
National Ranks In The McDermott Era
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since the start of the 2010-11 season among teams to have played 200 or more Division I games, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 to Jan. 27, 2026
Category CU Stat CU Rank
3FG Made 4,876 2nd
2FG Percentage .553 3rd
FG Percentage .476 4th
Assists 8,706 5th
3FG Percentage .371 7th
FG Made 14,830 8th
Points 41,454 8th
Wins 362 25th
Winning Percentage .668 33rd
Among The Best
CBS Sports conducted a pair of surveys during the summer that highlight Greg McDermott as one of the best in the country at what he does.
Who is the best X's and O's coach in college basketball right now? (Asked to roughly 100 coaches)
1. Matt Painter (Purdue): 19%
2. Dan Hurley (UConn): 18%
3. Greg McDermott (Creighton): 16%
4. Kelvin Sampson (Houston): 7%
5. Ben McCollum (Iowa): 5%
6. Randy Bennett (Saint Mary's): 4%
Tom Izzo (Michigan State): 4%
Dusty May Michigan): 4%
Bill Self (Kansas): 4%
10. Rick Barnes (Tennessee): 2%
Chris Collins (Northwestern): 2%
Grant McCasland (Texas Tech): 2%
Nate Oats (Alabama): 2%
Rick Pitino (St. John's): 2%
Mark Schmidt (St. Bonaventure): 2%
Others: 7%
Who are the best college basketball coaches? (Asked to 6 CBB writers)
1. Dan Hurley, Connecticut
2. Kelvin Sampson, Houston
3. Rick Pitino, St. John's
4. Bill Self, Kansas
5. Matt Painter, Purdue
6. Nate Oats, Alabama
7. Todd Golden, Florida
8. Tom Izzo, Michigan State
9. Mark Few, Gonzaga
10. Scott Drew, Baylor
11. Jon Scheyer, Duke
12. Dusty May, Michigan
13. Rick Barnes, Tennessee
14. John Calipari, Arkansas
15. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona
16. Mark Pope, Kentucky
17. Greg McDermott, Creighton
18. Grant McCasland, Texas Tech
19. Brad Underwood, Illinois
20. Pat Kelsey, Louisville
21. TJ Otzelberger, Iowa State
22. Chris Beard, Ole Miss
23. Mick Cronin, UCLA
24. Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's
25. Shaka Smart, Marquette
And 1. Ben McCollum, Iowa
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 1,077 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 (1/28)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 1,284 Duke 1/31
2. 1,280 UNLV 1/30
3. 1,212 East Tennessee State 1/29
4. 1,190 Oakland 2/1
5. 1,184 Pacific 1/31
6. 1,183 Texas 1/31
7. 1,120 Marshall 1/31
8. 1,116 Gonzaga 1/31
9. 1,100 Princeton 1/30
10. 1,077 Creighton 1/31
11. 1,067 Long Island 1/29
12. 1,062 Mount St. Mary's 1/30
Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 1,077 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 8,718 trifectas, an average of 8.09 treys per game.
Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 336 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 113-32 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 39-38 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: 105 times 6: 114 times
7: 156 times 8: 135 times 9: 96 times
10: 94 times 11: 67 times 12: 65 times
13: 54 times 14: 26 times 15: 9 times
16: 10 times 17: 5 times 18: 1 time
19: 2 times 20: 1 time 21: 1 time 22: 1 time
Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Not counting 2019-20, when there was no postseason, Creighton has made the postseason each of the 12 most recent times in which it has made at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts to open the year.
Ten 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 10 of its last 14 season-openers, including 50 percent (37-for-74) on Wednesday vs. South Dakota.
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 NCAA
.500 2025-26 South Dakota ? ? ?
The Push For 90
Of Creighton's 26 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, 13 have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
Put another way...of CU's 20 teams (before 2025-26) to score 90 points in an opener, 13 would reach the NCAA Tournament.
Here's a look at Creighton's 12 most recent teams (before 2025-26) 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 25-11 NCAA
92-76 South Dakota 11/05/25 ? ? ? ? ? ?
NBA Jays
There are five former Creighton players in the NBA this season.
Former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott is with the Sacramento Kings as he begins his 12th year in the NBA. He was a Lottery pick in 2014 by the Denver Nuggets.
Baylor Scheierman is in his second year with the Boston Celtics after being a First Round pick in 2024.
Trey Alexander, who was named 2024-25 G-League Rookie of the Year in the Denver Nuggets organization, is now on a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans.
There is palpable buzz around Ryan Kalkbrenner, a Second Round pick of the Charlotte Hornets, in his rookie campaign.
Lastly, former Creighton point guard Ryan Nembhard is on a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks. Nembhard played two years at Creighton before finishing his career at Gonzaga.
These men give Creighton at least one NBA player for the 42nd time in the last 43 seasons.
Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver, Benoit Benjamin and Anthony Tolliver.
Who's Back?
With Creighton returning only seven of the 15 men who appeared in a game last season -- including its top three scorers -- much of the production is gone.
Below is a breakdown of what is back:
Stat Returners Departures
3FG Made 135 (39.2%) 209 (60.8%)
Minutes 2661 (36.7%) 4589 (63.3%)
Rebounds 426 (34.4%) 811 (65.6%)
Starts 61 (33.9%) 119 (66.1%)
Steals 43 (33.1%) 87 (66.9%)
Points 761 (28.0%) 1956 (72.0%)
Assists 112 (18.2%) 503 (81.8%)
Blocks 28 (17.4%) 133 (82.6%)
Charges Taken 2 (16.7%) 10 (83.3%)
Preseason Top 25
The Creighton men's basketball team was ranked 23rd in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll, the fourth straight season the Bluejays have been ranked among the nation's best in the preseason.
This year's announcement marks the eighth 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), 2023-24 (No. 8) and 2024-25 (No. 15). All seven of those teams would end up in the NCAA Tournament, with three of the four 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 this year's preseason ranking, Creighton has now been ranked 148 times in program history, with 120 of those under the direction of Greg McDermott. Creighton is 180-78 all-time as a ranked team, including a 146-66 mark under McDermott. Creighton has now been ranked at least one week in 12 of McDermott's 16 seasons on The Hilltop after doing it just five different seasons in program history before his 2010 arrival.
Creighton has been one of 11 schools ranked in the Top 25 of the Preseason AP poll each of the last four years, joining Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Creighton was one of three BIG EAST Conference schools in the poll, joining No. 4 Connecticut and No. 5 St. John's.
Among Creighton's non-conference opponents in the poll are preseason No. 21 Gonzaga and preseason No. 16 Iowa State.
Creighton was also ranked 23rd in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll.
Let's Go On A Run
Creighton unleashed a 23-0 run on Iowa State during its exhibition meeting, turning an early 8-4 deficit into a 27-8 lead over a span of just under seven minutes (6:57).
Dating back to the start of the 2021-22 season, it was Creighton's largest run in any game, including exhibitions. Below is that list.
Longest Creighton Runs Since 2021-22
Run Opponent (Score change) Date
23-0* #16 Iowa State (4-8 to 27-8) 10/17/25
21-0* Upper Iowa (32-29 to 53-29) 10//30/21
20-0 Texas Southern (61-44 to 81-44) 11/18/23
19-0 vs. #11 Providence (37-27 to 56-27) 03/11/22
19-0 Georgetown (0-0 to 19-0) 03/01/23
18-0 Houston Christian (19-9 to 37-9) 11/13/24
*exhibition game
Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns 61 starts from last year's team (31 by Jackson McAndrew, 25 by Jasen Green, 4 by Isaac Traudt, 1 by Ty Davis), its fewest since the 2021-22 team returned just two starts.
Returning Returning Starts Final
Year Starters From Previous Year W-L
2025-26 2 61 ? ? ?
2024-25 3 105 25-11
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
McDermott Is Wins Leader
Greg McDermott has 362 victories at Creighton, passing his predecessor Dana Altman (327) for the most in program history in CU's Nov. 13, 2024 win vs. Houston Christian.
McDermott broke a different record on Jan. 21, 2025 at DePaul when he coached his 504th game on the Bluejay sideline, breaking the mark of 503 held by Altman.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton MBB History
Rk. W-L Name Years
1. 362-180 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
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. 18,571 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. 18,475 Nebraska 11/22/24
17. 18,458 Evansville 12/29/12
18. 18,436 Bradley 01/28/12
19. 18,430 Seton Hall 01/25/25
20. 18,323 DePaul 02/07/14
CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 382 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the now 23-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 316-66 (.827) record all-time at the facility.
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 30,094-25,175 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.88 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 95 different times, including twice this year (Maryland Eastern Shore and Utah Tech).
Incredibly, Creighton hasn't trailed in its home opener in 10 of the past 25 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 35-39 all-time in the 74 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 8-14 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 42-32 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
Creighton is 219-48 (.820) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn't trailed in 68 of those games. In that same span, CU owns a 112-11 home record (.911) 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 334-66 (.835) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Perfect 10
Greg McDermott has guided his team to the NCAA Tournament 10 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 10 or more NCAA Tournament teams.
Name Sport NCAA's @CU
Kirsten Bernthal Booth Volleyball 14
Bob Warming Men's Soccer 11
Greg McDermott Men's Basketball 10
Jim Flanery Women's Basketball 8
Dana Altman Men's Basketball 7
Brent Vigness Softball 7
Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton finished the 2024-25 season ranked 35th overall by KenPom.com. That included the nation's No. 33 offense, and No. 44 defense.
Creighton has finished with a top-25 offense per KenPom eight times and a top-25 defense three times in 15 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 33 44 35
2025-26 (1/28) 57 102 65
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2025-26 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.
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/ Men's BasketballThursday, July 23
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