2019-20 Men's Basketball Roster
Roster
Mitch Ballock
- Height:
- 6-5
- Weight:
- 205
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Eudora, Kan.
- High School:
- Eudora
College Bio/Profile/Clippings
2020-21: Senior at Creighton
• Averaged 9.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while starting all 31 games while shooting 38.6 percent from three-point range (76-197).
• Started the last 102 games of his career.
• Preseason Second Team All-BIG EAST.
• Won the BIG EAST’s Sportsmanship Award, a recognition voted on by league coaches for his on and off-the-court contributions.
• Set BIG EAST records for league games played in (74) and started (74).
• Per Synergy Sports, shot 8-for-13 from between 30-40 feet this season, and 13-for-27 in the past two years.
• Has made a three-pointer in 58 of the past 61 games dating back to Creighton’s second game of last season.
• Fourth in the BIG EAST in three-pointers per made per game, 14th in three-point percentage and eighth in minutes per game.
• His 59 three-pointers and 2.95 three-pointers per game in league play led the BIG EAST.
• Made 8-of-14 three-point tries to score 26 points vs. Marquette (Dec. 14).
• Scored season-high 29 points in win at Seton Hall, including go-ahead three-pointer with 37.8 seconds left (Jan. 27).
• Surpassed 1,000 career points in season-opener vs. North Dakota State (Nov. 29) and ranks 20th in CU history with 1,303 points, moving past legendary Bob Gibson on March 12 vs. UConn.
• Led CU with five assists in win vs. Ohio that sent team to Sweet 16 (March 22).
• His 308 three-pointers rank eighth-most among active players nationally and his 130 games were 18th-most among active players.
• His 182 three-pointers in BIG EAST play ranks fifth all-time.
• Has passed Doug McDermott (274) for third in CU history with 308 career three-pointers, he’s the only man in program history with consecutive seasons of 90+ treys.
• In Creighton’s BIG EAST Tournament records, ranks second in minutes played (163), first in three-pointers attempted (30) and first in games started (5).
• Is one of two players in Creighton history with multiple games of 8+ three-pointers along with Kyle Korver.
2019-20: Junior at Creighton
• Started all 31 games, averaging 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
• Led team with 93 three-pointers made and 43.5 percent accuracy from three-point range.
• In the BIG EAST, ranked first in assist/turnover ratio, first in minutes per game, second in three-point percentage, second in three-pointers per game, eighth in defensive rebounds per game, 18th in rebounds per game and 19th in points per game.
• Ranked 11th in NCAA in three-point percentage and 19th in three-pointers made.
• Owned 996 career points entering the BIG EAST Tournament. Crossed the 1,000 point milestone with nine points vs. St. John’s on March 12, but that achievement was wiped away by the cancellation of the game at halftime.
• In BIG EAST play, led league in assist/turnover ratio (3.53).
• His 35.97 minutes per game were the most by a Bluejay since 1992-93 (Matt Petty).
• Made a three-pointer in all but one of Creighton’s last 30 games.
• Owned 93 three-pointers, smashing the record by a Creighton junior previously set by Tad Ackerman (82 in 1994-95).
• Only player in Creighton history with 90+ three-pointers in consecutive seasons and one of two men with 80+ three-pointers in consecutive seasons (Ty-Shon Alexander).
• His 232 career three-pointers are fifth in CU history and he joined Kyle Korver and Ethan Wragge as the third Bluejay to reach 200+ treys as a junior.
• Finished with first career double-double in win over North Florida (Nov. 24), collecting 15 points and 11 rebounds.
• Career-high three blocked shots vs. Nebraska (Dec. 7), which made him CU’s only player in the last 10 seasons with three blocks and three treys in the same game.
• Scored season-high 24 points in league opener vs. Marquette (Jan. 1).
• Made 5-of-7 three-pointers in 76-61 road win at No. 8 Villanova (Feb. 1).
• Tied career-high with eight assists in win vs. St. John’s (Feb. 8).
• Made multiple three-pointers in 11 straight games from Nov. 12-Dec. 21.
• Made a three-pointer in 23 straight games, CU’s sixth-longest streak ever, between Nov. 12-Feb. 8.
• Owned 33 assists and had just five turnovers as Creighton went 6-1 in February.
Summer 2019: Australia Trip
• Led Creighton with 18.3 points per game in Australia, making 51.3 percent of his shots from the floor and 14-of-30 three-point tries (.467).
2018-19: Sophomore at Creighton
• Started all 35 games, averaging 11.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and a team-best 3.2 assists per game, also pacing the club with 33.0 minutes per contest.
• In all games, ranked second in the BIG EAST in assist/turnover ratio, fourth in three-point percentage, fifth in three-pointers per game, 14th in assists per game, 15th in field goal percentage, 25th in points per game and 30th in rebounds per game.
• Finished second on the team with 95 three-pointers, tied for sixth-most in CU single-season history.
• Ranked 27th nationally in three-point percentage, 44th in assist/turnover ratio, 55th in three-pointers made and 75th in three-pointers made per game.
• Delivered one of the best shooting displays in BIG EAST history on March 9 vs. DePaul, setting an NCAA record for three-point percentage (minimum 12 attempts) when he drained 11-of-12 three-pointers en route to a career-high 39 points.
• His 11 treys vs. DePaul were two more than the previous Creighton single-game record of nine held by Kyle Korver and Ethan Wragge, and tied the BIG EAST mark for a conference game set in 2018 by Marquette’s Markus Howard.
• Scored 23 points, making 6-of-12 three-point shots, in win vs. Georgia State (Nov. 20). Also added seven rebounds and six assists vs. the Panthers.
• Made his first six three-point shots and scored 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting from deep at No. 24 Nebraska (Dec. 8).
2017-18: Freshman at Creighton
• Named to the BIG EAST’s All-Freshman Team after averaging 7.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
• His 21.4 minutes per game were the most by a Bluejay freshman guard since 2007-08.
• Started team’s last five games, averaging 11.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 36.4 minutes in those contests.
• Debuted with five points and four rebounds in win vs. Yale (Nov. 10).
• Scored a season-high 22 points in 30 minutes to help Creighton to a win over No. 23 UCLA (Nov. 20), including a personal 7-0 run in the first half and 10-0 in the second half.
• Named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Nov. 27 after averaging 11.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in three wins.
• Had 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in win vs. Nebraska (Dec. 9), helping him to a second BIG EAST Freshman of the Week accolade.
• Won third BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honor on Dec. 26 after averaging 13.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in two victories.
• Made his first career start on Feb. 24 in win over No. 3 Villanova and finished with 13 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals.
• Drained a go-ahead three-pointer in final 35 seconds of regulation of eventual overtime win over No. 3 Villanova (Feb. 24).
• Led Creighton with 16 points and eight rebounds in NCAA Tournament debut vs. Kansas State (March 16), becoming the first Bluejay freshman to lead team in scoring in his NCAA debut since Kevin McKenna in 1977.
Eudora High School
• Recognized as a top-55 recruit per Rivals (No. 37), ESPN (No. 43), 247Sports (No. 49) and Scout (No. 53), he spurned Kansas to attend Creighton.
• Named Gatorade Kansas Player of the Year after his senior season.
• Averaged 25.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game as a senior for a team that reached the Class 4A sub-state title game.
• Missed most of his junior season due to a torn labrum, but returned for the state tournament and scored 18 points in a substate championship game.
• As a sophomore, averaged 20 points, six rebounds and three assists per game to earn First Team All State honors as team finished second in state.
• Earned the “Best Shooter” award at the Stephen Curry Select Camp and finished as runner-up in the three-point contest at the Under Armour Elite 24 camp in 2014.
• Invited to the adidas Nations Camp and the Pangos All-America Camp.
• Scored 40 points in his varsity debut as a freshman, and averaged 21 points per game while helping Eudora win its first Class 4A-II state title that same season.
• Coached at Eudora by Kyle Deterding.
• Played on the AAU circuit for KC Run GMC and coach LJ Goolsby.
• Started dunking in sixth grade.
• Also had offers from Kansas, Iowa State, Maryland, Oklahoma and Indiana among others before committing to Creighton on Super Bowl Sunday in 2016.
Awards & Honors
2017-18 BIG EAST All-Academic Team
2017-18 BIG EAST All-Freshman Team
2017-18 BIG EAST Freshman of the Week, 11/27
2017-18 BIG EAST Freshman of the Week, 12/11
2017-18 BIG EAST Freshman of the Week, 12/26
2018-19 BIG EAST All-Academic Team
2019-20 BIG EAST All-Academic Team
2020-21 BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award
2020-21 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Watch List (20)
2020-21 Preseason Second Team All-BIG EAST
Personal
• Son of Don and LaDonna Ballock.
• Has siblings Megan, Emily, Justin, Jordan and Andrew.
• Brother Andrew played basketball at Drury, sisters Emily and Megan ran track at Pittsburg State and brother Justin also was on the track team at Pittsburg State.
• Is a management major.
• Best summer vacation was a trip to Brazil to see his sister.
• Chose Creighton because of the people, atmosphere and style of play.
• Favorite movies are Coach Carter and Remember the Titans.
• Loves playing in the BIG EAST because of the great competition night in and night out.
• Favorite TV show is Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
• Believes voting and education are the ways to beat social injustice.
• Sports hero is Kobe Bryant, and has always worn No. 24 because of it.
• Favorite visiting BIG EAST city is Providence.
• Is inspired by his parents.
• Biggest sports thrill he witnessed was the Kansas City Chiefs AFC Championship win vs. Tennessee.
• First celebrity crush was Jennifer Lopez.
