Men's Basketball Opens New Year With Home Game vs. Drake
12/30/2010 4:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game #14 • Drake at Creighton • Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011 • 7:05 p.m.
Drake Bulldogs at Creighton Bluejays
Qwest Center Omaha (17,260) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KXSP 590 AM, www.bigsports590.com
Television: None
Series History: Creighton leads, 88-57
Last Meeting: Drake won, 79-74, on Jan. 30, 2010 in Des Moines, Iowa
Next Game
Creighton (9-4, 1-0 MVC) opens the home portion of its Missouri Valley Conference schedule on Saturday, Jan. 1, with a 7:05 pm game against I-80 rival Drake (6-6, 1-0 MVC).
The game will be held at Qwest Center Omaha (17,260) in Omaha, Neb.
Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“Big Sports 590” AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2010-11 season. T. Scott Marr and Nick Bahe will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.bigsports590.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game will not be televised.
Video Webcast Information
Creighton University Athletics and Jump TV will present a live, pay-per-view video webcast of approximately 15 games this season, including Saturday. To sign up for the video webcast, fans can register at http://www.gocreighton.com. Cost for a monthly pass is $10.95 and a four-month pass is $34.95.
Once registered, fans will only need to log-in with their password on game night. The video stream, which will include an audio simulcast of the Big Sports 590 (or KMTV) broadcast, begins approximately 15 minutes before tipoff featuring live video of Qwest Center Omaha and the audio of the Big Sports 590 pre-game show.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Stats tab on the left-hand side of the page for links the exact link.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 9-4 on the season, including an 8-1 home mark at Qwest Center Omaha. Creighton's four losses have come against nationally-ranked BYU, at Northwestern, at Nebraska and in Des Moines against Iowa State. The Bluejays opened MVC play with a 64-53 road win at Illinois State on Wednesday.
Junior guard Antoine Young (14.0 ppg., 3.3 rpg., 4.2 apg.) has carried Creighton at times and leads the squad in scoring, assists, steals, minutes, three-pointers and free throws.
Preseason MVC Player of the Year Kenny Lawson Jr. averages 11.2 points and 6.6 rebounds on the season. He scored 30 points and snared 18 rebounds vs. Saint Joseph's on Dec. 11 to earn National Jesuit Player of the Week accolades.
Freshman forward Doug McDermott (12.1 ppg., 6.0 rpg.) was named recipient of the MVC Newcomer of the Week award each of the first four weeks this season. He's been in double-figures in 10 of 13 contests to date, including a pair of double-doubles.
New on the scene is big man Gregory Echenique (12.0 ppg., 4.8 rpg., 2.3 bpg.). He's made an immediate impact and provides the Jays with a huge boost off the bench.
Creighton averages 67.1 points per game while allowing 62.2 per contest. The Bluejays own an impressive 184/138 assist/turnover ratio. Creighton leads the MVC with 75.2 percent at the line, and leads the nation with its 58.4 percent “free-throw defense”.
The Bluejays, picked fourth in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll, have outscored opponents 173-94 at the line through 13 games.
Scouting Drake
Drake is 6-6 on the season, including a 69-55 home victory over Southern Illinois to open MVC play on Wednesday. The Bulldogs are 4-2 at home, 1-2 on the road, and 1-2 on neutral floors.
Freshman Rayvonte Rice, the 2009-10 Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year, leads the Bulldogs with 13.8 points per game. He's also among the MVC leaders with 17 steals.
Also in double-figures are Ryan Wedel (12.5 ppg.) and Seth VanDeest (10.7 ppg., 5.2 rpg.). Wedel and VanDeest both scored 20 points in Drake's 79-74 win in Des Moines last January.
Drake averages 65.0 points per game while allowing 66.1 per contest. The Bulldogs are also outrebounded by 5.4 caroms per contest.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his first season as head coach at Creighton, but is no stranger to coaching in the state of Nebraska or in the Missouri Valley Conference. McDermott was hired in April after spending the previous four seasons as head coach at Iowa State (2006-10). He has also been a head coach at Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000).
McDermott owns a head coaching record of 289-199 in 17 seasons, a 158-135 mark in 10 Division I years and a 9-4 mark in his first year at Creighton.
He is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Steve Merfeld.
Mark Phelps (Old Dominion, 1996) is 37-41 in his third year with Drake. Phelps, a longtime assistant to Herb Sendek at North Carolina State and Arizona State, replaced National Coach of the Year Keno Davis when Davis left for Providence three years ago. Phelps is assisted by Justin Ohl, Kareem Richardson and Mike Gibson.
Series History vs. Drake
Creighton leads the all-time series with Drake by an 88-57 margin, including a 53-19 mark in Omaha. CU's 88 wins and 145 meetings with Drake are easily its most against any opponent.
Creighton has won 11 of the last 17, 14 of the last 21 and 21 of the past 30 meetings between the schools.
Greg McDermott is 9-5 in his career against Drake. He was 8-2 while in the MVC at Northern Iowa, and 1-3 while at Iowa State. McDermott is 1-1 in head-to-head meetings with Mark Phelps.
Last Game Recap
Creighton picked up its first win at Illinois State since 2005, a 64-53 win over the Redbirds on Wednesday. Antoine Young had 21 points and Gregory Echenique added 14 points and seven rebounds to help Creighton to victory. Anthony Cousin led ISU with 12 points off the bench.
Trading Terre-Dise For Paradise?
This will be the first time since 2006-07 that Creighton is home for the New Year's Day holiday.
Each of the previous three years, Creighton has played in Terre Haute, Ind., at Indiana State on either Dec. 31, Jan. 1 or Jan. 2.
No TV, No Problem
Creighton is a perfect 44-0 in regular-season non-televised games at Qwest Center Omaha.
Creighton has also won 25 straight non-televised home games at Qwest Center Omaha, dating to a March 20, 2006 loss to Miami (Fla.) in the NIT.
Creighton's next home game, against Drake on Jan. 1, will not be televised.
No Upsets Here
In the eight-year history of Qwest Center Omaha, Creighton owns a perfect 48-0 record against teams that enter the game with a record of .500 or worse. Drake is 6-6 so far.
Of the 19 teams that have beaten Creighton at Qwest Center Omaha, eight reached the NIT, seven reached the NCAA's, one played in the CIT and two teams (Wyoming and Illinois State, both in 2004-05) did not make the postseason. The 19th team, BYU, is currently 12-1 and ranked 16th nationally.
Drake/Creighton Features Korver, Again
When Creighton meets Drake on Saturday in Omaha, it'll mark the 25th straight meeting between the schools that a member of the Korver family has been on the roster.
Two-time Valley Player of the Year Kyle Korver went 6-2 in eight games with Creighton against Drake from 1999-2003. Kyle helped Creighton to an MVC Tournament title and a 29-5 record as a senior.
Brother Klayton Korver was at Drake from 2003-08, going 4-7 against the Bluejays. Klayton helped Drake to an MVC Tournament Title and a 28-5 record as a senior.
Keeping the family tradition in The Valley currently is Creighton senior Kaleb Korver. Kaleb is currently 2-5 against Drake.
What A 2-0 League Start Would Mean
Since 1993-94, only one team (Northern Iowa, a 2008-09 co-champion) has won at least a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title without winning its regular-season opener.
In fact, 15 of the last 16 regular-season champs (or co-champs) have opened 2-0 or better in MVC play, with UNI in 2008-09 once again serving as the exception.
Off to a 1-0 league start already, Creighton looks to make it 2-0 on Saturday vs. Drake.
Creighton has started 2-0 in MVC play 18 times previously. Incredibly, Creighton has ended up finishing first or second in the MVC in all 18 of those seasons, reaching the NCAA or NIT in 12 of the 13 years since postseason play started.
Below is a list of Creighton's previous 2-0 starts in MVC play.
Year MVC Start MVC Finish Postseason
2008-09 2-0 14-4 (T-1st) NIT
2006-07 2-0 13-5 (2nd) NCAA
2003-04 4-0 12-6 (T-2nd) NIT
2002-03 7-0 15-3 (2nd) NCAA
2001-02 2-0 14-4 (T-1st) NCAA
2000-01 2-0 14-4 (1st) NCAA
1988-89 5-0 11-3 (1st) NCAA
1980-81 4-0 11-5 (T-2nd) NCAA
1979-80 3-0 9-7 (T-2nd) --
1977-78 2-0 12-4 (1st) NCAA
1942-43 10-0 10-0 (1st) NIT
1941-42 4-0 9-1 (T-1st) NIT
1940-41 2-0 9-3 (1st) NCAA
1936-37 2-0 8-4 (2nd) no tourneys yet
1933-34 2-0 7-3 (2nd) no tourneys yet
1931-32 8-0 8-0 (1st) no tourneys yet
1929-30 2-0 6-2 (T-1st) no tourneys yet
1928-29 3-0 4-1 (2nd) no tourneys yet
McDermott Off To 9-4 Start
Greg McDermott is off to a 9-4 start after 13 games of his first season on the Creighton sideline.
The last Bluejay coach to start 9-4 or better after 13 games, was Tom Apke, who was also 9-4 in 1974-75. Apke is also the most recent Bluejay coach to win his first two MVC games, having done that once CU rejoined The Valley in 1977-78.
McDermott has led Creighton to its current five-game win streak. His longest win streak while at Iowa State the previous four seasons was six (done twice), while his longest win streak while coaching Northern Iowa from 2001-06 was eight, done in the 2003-04 campaign.
Josh Jones Provides Offensive Boost
Sophomore Josh Jones entered Wednesday's game at Illinois State mired in a 9-of-38 shooting slump to start the season, including 0-of-16 from three-point range.
Against the Redbirds, Jones hit 2-of-3 shots from long-range, and he tied his season-high with six points. The Jays outscored ISU 15-10 in the 8:51 with Jones on the floor.
Creighton is 12-3 over the past two seasons when Jones scores five or more points.
Revenge Games
A win on Saturday would give Creighton a 2-0 start, with wins over Illinois State and Drake.
In the last four years, the only two MVC schools that own a winning record vs. Creighton have been Illinois State and Creighton, as seen below.
Creighton vs. MVC Schools, Last Four Years
Opponent Creighton Record vs. Opponent
Bradley 6-2
Evansville 5-1
Southern Illinois 5-1
Wichita State 5-2
Missouri State 5-2
Indiana State 4-2
Northern Iowa 3-3
Drake 2-5
Illinois State 2-6
Chairmen of the Boards
Creighton has won the rebound battle in five of its past six games, while Drake has been outrebounded in four of its past five contests.
For the year, Creighton ranks sixth in the MVC by outrebounding the opposition by an average of 3.3 rebounds per game. Drake ranks 10th in the league with a -5.3 margin per game.
The last time Creighton played Drake, the Bluejays outrebounded the Bulldogs 39-24, which led to Creighton's 20-0 advantage in second-chance points.
Freshman Showdown
Saturday's showdown features the top-two scoring freshmen in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Drake's Rayvonte Rice ranks sixth in the MVC with 13.8 points per game and is second with 1.4 steals per contest.
Creighton's Doug McDermott is 10th in the MVC with 12.1 points per contest and is the league's only player averaging at least 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
Lock 'Em Up
Creighton has held the opposition's leading scorer below their average (entering that game) in 10 of the last 12 games, including five straight. Only Northwestern's John Shurna and Nebraska's Lance Jeter have exceeded their norms.
Rayvonte Rice's 13.8 points per game paces Drake.
Avg. Pts. Name, Opp. Date
15.0 12 Cameron Jones, N. Arizona Nov. 14
19.0 6 David Perez, Louisiana Nov. 17
16.3 10 Scott Christopherson, Iowa State Nov. 21
18.2 10 Markeith Cummings, Kennesaw St. Nov. 26
22.7 23 John Shurna, Northwestern Nov. 28
24.8 13 Jimmer Fredette, BYU Dec. 1
10.0 12 Lance Jeter, Nebraska Dec. 5
18.8 17 Carl Jones, St. Joseph's Dec. 11
15.0 22 Broderick Gilchrest, Idaho State Dec. 18
17.9 15 Matt Lander, Western Illinois Dec. 20
11.2 9 Jeffrey Merritt, Samford Dec. 22
11.2 5 Austin Hill, Illinois State Dec. 29
Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception.
Creighton has six players from Iowa on this season's team, continuing a long trend of relying on some of the Hawkeye State's top preps. CU's native Iowans this season include seniors Casey Harriman (Ida Grove) and Kaleb Korver (Pella) as well as redshirting sophomore Grant Gibbs (Marion) and freshmen Doug McDermott (Ames) and Will Artino (Waukee).
Other past notable Iowans include Kyle Korver and Pierce Hibma (Pella), Ryan Sears (Ankeny), Brody Deren (Harlan), Tyler McKinney (Urbandale), Nate Funk (Sioux City) and Michael Lindeman (Iowa Falls).
Creighton has played at least one Iowa native in 524 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Clearing The Line
Gregory Echenique proved to be an immovable object in the post on Dec. 20, and there was nothing that an undersized Western Illinois team could do about it.
Echenique attempted 14 free throws, most in the MVC by any player this year, and most by a Bluejay in any game since Dane Watts attempted 15 free throws on Dec. 9, 2007.
Creighton won that game despite its starting five not making any free throws, the first time it could say that since Nov. 29, 2007 vs. Savannah State.
Impact Player
Gregory Echenique scored 12 points in his Creighton debut on Dec. 18 vs. Idaho St., then added 16 more on Dec. 20 vs. Western Illinois.
Echenique was just the third Creighton player in the last 15 years to start with 12 points or more in each of his first two games, joining Darryl Ashford (2009-10) and Edward St. Fleur (1995-96).
The Echenique Effect
While the addition of Gregory Echenique's 12.0 points per game to the line-up has been a big boost, he's made a similar impact on the defensive end of the floor in the lane. Echenique has blocked nine shots through four games, already good enough for second on the team.
In the first nine games of the year (without Echenique), opponents made 153-of-330 shots from two-point range, good for 46.4 percent. In four games with Echenique in uniform, foes are shooting 53-of-141 from two-point range, a scant 37.6 percent.
Below is the defensive numbers with and without Echenique in the game this season.
With Echenique In On Defense
Opponent FG-FGA 3FG-FGA Ech. Blocks
Idaho State 10-23 4-8 3
W. Illinois 10-29 2-2 4
Samford 9-20 4-10 0
Illinois State 12-36 3-10 2
Total 41-108 (.380) 13-30 (.433) 9
With Echenique Out Of The Game
Opponent FG-FGA 3FG-FGA Ech. Blocks
First 9 Games 230-532 77-202 n/a
Idaho State 13-36 4-8 n/a
W. Illinois 9-22 3-8 n/a
Samford 7-24 2-12 n/a
Illinois State 7-17 2-8 n/a
Total 266-631 (.422) 88-238 (.370) n/a
10 Conference Wins x 14
Last season's Creighton team extended its MVC record by winning 10 or more league games for a 14th consecutive season.
On a national basis, the only other current school with at least 14 straight years of 10 or more league wins is Kansas (16).
Team of the Decade?
Below is the records for each MVC school since the start of the 2000-01 season, ranked by overall winning percentage. Creighton leads the MVC overall with 229 wins in the decade, as well as 10 postseason appearances:
MVC Standings (start 2000-01 to Dec. 31, 2010)
MVC only All Games
Team W L Pct. W L Pct.
Creighton 126 55 .696 237 102 .699
Southern Illinois 124 57 .685 223 114 .662
Northern Iowa 99 82 .547 195 134 .593
Wichita State 96 85 .530 191 139 .579
Missouri State 94 87 .519 190 141 .574
Illinois State 86 95 .475 176 146 .547
Bradley 87 94 .481 176 158 .527
Drake 77 104 .425 155 163 .487
Indiana State 60 121 .331 130 189 .408
Evansville 56 125 .309 116 189 .380
Postseason Appearances by MVC Teams
(Since 2000-01)
Team NCAA NIT CBI CIT Total
Creighton 5 4 0 1 10
Southern Illinois 6 1 0 0 7
Wichita State 1 4 1 0 6
Northern Iowa 5 0 0 0 5
Bradley 1 2 1 1 5
Missouri State 0 3 0 1 4
Illinois State 0 4 0 0 4
Indiana State 1 0 1 0 2
Drake 1 0 0 1 2
Evansville 0 0 0 1 1
Searching For Six
Creighton takes a five-game win streak into Saturday night's game vs. Drake. This is the team's longest win streak since an 11-game hot streak late in the 2008-09 campaign.
The Bluejays have now put together at least one five-game win streak in 13 of the last 14 seasons.
Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the NCAA's or NIT all 15 previous times they've had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the NCAA/NIT all seven times they haven't.
Qwest Center Records Fall
Creighton set one Qwest Center Omaha record and tied another in its most recent home game, a Dec. 22 win over Samford.
Creighton set a building record by outrebounding the Bulldogs 45-19. That mark was Creighton's largest margin since an identical +26 differential over Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 29, 2001 back when it played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Creighton also held Samford to a season-low 40 points, which tied the fewest points ever in a Qwest Center Omaha game. Alcorn State also had 40 on Nov. 15, 2004.
Defensive Gem
Creighton held Samford to just 40 points on December 22nd. That was the best defensive effort by the Bluejays since limiting Indiana State to 38 points in an MVC Tournament quarterfinal victory on March 2, 2007.
Creighton, which held Jim Molinari's Western Illinois club to 47 points on Dec. 20, held consecutive opponents under 50 points for the first time since Dec. 3-6, 2003.
The 87 points allowed over those two games is the best stretch by Creighton in any set of back-to-back games since Dec. 5-9, 1958 (86).
Four-Headed Monster
Creighton has four players currently averaging in double-figures; Antoine Young (14.0), Doug McDermott (12.1), Kenny Lawson Jr. (11.2) and Gregory Echenique (12.0).
It's been 10 years since Creighton last had a team with four men to average in double-figures over the course of a season.
Creighton's 2000-01 team got double-digit scoring from Kyle Korver (14.6), Ben Walker (12.3), Ryan Sears (11.0) and Terrell Taylor (10.4). That team finished 24-8 overall and is the program's last to win an MVC outright regular-season title.
MVC Home Openers
Creighton is 31-20 all-time in its MVC home opener. That includes a 10-2 mark in the past 12 years, and a 19-14 record since rejoining The Valley in 1977-78.
Creighton is 5-2 all-time at Qwest Center Omaha in MVC home openers, and will be looking to avoid consecutive losses in MVC home openers for the first time since 1990-91 and 1991-92.
Creighton is 2-0 all-time in MVC home openers vs. Drake, beating the Bulldogs 84-63 on Jan. 5, 2003 and 31-21 on Jan. 27, 1934.
Looking To Go Over .500, Again
Creighton has been better than .500 in either the first or second-half of the league season in 29 straight trips through the league.
Creighton's 29 consecutive halves above .500 in league play is easily the Valley's longest active streak, far ahead of Illinois State (6), Northern Iowa (5), Wichita State (3) and Indiana State (1).
Here's how Creighton's teams have fared in the various halves of the MVC season since 1995-96.
Year 1st Half 2nd Half
2010-11 1-0 so far 0-0
2009-10 5-4 5-4
2008-09 5-4 9-0
2007-08 5-4 5-4
2006-07 6-3 7-2
2005-06 7-2 5-4
2004-05 5-4 6-3
2003-04 7-2 5-4
2002-03 8-1 7-2
2001-02 8-1 6-3
2000-01 5-4 9-0
1999-00 5-4 6-3
1998-99 6-3 5-4
1997-98 5-4 7-2
1996-97 5-4 5-4
1995-96 4-5 5-4
Total 90-55 (.621) 93-51 (.646)
Lawson A Fixture
Senior center Kenny Lawson Jr. made his 100th career start on Dec. 22 vs. Samford, the first Bluejay to reach that mark since Dane Watts on Jan. 9, 2008 vs. Evansville.
Lawson has started 86 straight games (and 101 games in his career overall) since stepping aside on Senior Night in 2008, a 111-110 double-overtime win over Bradley. Also in building that night were assistant coach Steve Merfeld (then with Bradley as an assistant) and Gregory Echenique, who made an unofficial visit to Creighton that evening.
Echenique Debuts
Dec. 18 marked Creighton's first game with the services of Gregory Echenique, who was an ineligible transfer until Dec. 17. He became eligible at the end of Creighton's fall semester.
Echenique, a 6'9”, 270-pound center, came to Creighton after spending three semesters at Rutgers from 2008-09. He averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots per game in 39 contests with the Scarlet Knights, which included 37 starts and an average of 27.5 minutes per game.
He had 12 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots in 18 minutes vs. Idaho State in his Creighton debut. He followed that up with 16 points, four rebounds and four blocked shots in 21 minutes vs. Western Illinois. At the time, Echenique's four blocked shots on Dec. 20 were tied for the most in the MVC in any game this year by one player.
Red-Hot Start
Creighton made its first eight field goal attempts from the field to open its Dec. 18 win over Idaho State, with six of those shots coming from long-range. That helped Creighton build a 22-13 lead which it never surrendered.
Interestingly, it was the second straight game that Creighton had a stretch of six straight three-point attempts that were all made, having done it on six straight possessions vs. Saint Joseph's.
In eight seasons of games at Qwest Center Omaha (124 games), Creighton's previous best had been 6-for-6 starts from the floor vs. High Point (Dec. 2, 2004) and Illinois State (Jan. 22, 2005).
In fact, this was just the seventh occasion all-time that Creighton had started as well as 4-for-4 from the field.
Creighton is 51-for-124 all-time in its first shot of the game at Qwest Center Omaha, including a 3-for-9 mark this winter.
Qwest For 9,000 Ended By Wragge
Creighton has scored 9,050 points all-time at Qwest Center Omaha, surpassing 9,000 points in the building on Dec. 20 after a lay-up by Ethan Wragge vs. Western Illinois. Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 9,108-7,724 in 124 career games in he eight-year old facility.
Creighton is now 8-1 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone, as seen below:
Date Pts-Opp (QCO 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) 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
Practice Pays Off
Antoine Young is frequently the last player in the gym after practice, staying late to work on his shot. The dedication is clearly paying off.
Young entered this season a career 25.6 percent shooter from three-point range (23-90). Already this season, he's at 36.0 percent (18-50) from downtown.
At the line, Young entered the year as a 64.3 percent shooter (101-157). He's currently at 73.7 percent from the stripe (42-57).
Young connected on a career-high four three-point attempts vs. Idaho State on Dec. 18. His 4-for-4 shooting from downtown was a Qwest Center Omaha record for three-point shots without a miss by a Bluejay, eclipsing previous 3-for-3 displays by Johnny Mathies, Pierce Hibma, Dane Watts and Booker Woodfox.
Young Gets Better With Age
Junior point guard Antoine Young had seven assists vs. Idaho State on Dec. 20, most by any Bluejay in a game this season.
Young continues to lead the MVC in assists (now 55), minutes played (466) and assist/turnover ratio (2.39).
Young, who had six assists at Nebraska, five helpers vs. Saint Joseph's, seven dimes vs. Idaho State and five assists vs. Western Illinois, became the first Bluejay player since 2005 to have four straight games of five or more assists. Josh Dotzler (from Nov. 22-Dec. 6, 2005) was the last to turn the trick.
Young has played 28 games since last having a negative assist/turnover ratio, and has three or more assists in 18 of his past 19 games.
Korver A Distributor, Too
Kaleb Korver is giving Antoine Young a run for his money as a distributor this season. The two men are Creighton's only players to each have at least one assist in every game this fall.
Korver, a senior from Pella, Iowa, tied his career-high with back-to-back games of six assists on Dec. 11 and Dec. 18.
Korver was the first Bluejay with consecutive games of six assists or more since March 1-7, 2008, when Cavel Witter did it in consecutive games vs. Bradley.
Starters Have The Green Light
Every player in Creighton's starting line-up during the past 10 games has attempted at least one three-point shot in each of those games.
In fact, 63 of the 65 players to start a game (13 games multiplied by five starters) have hoisted at least one trey. The only exceptions have been three-point specialist Kaleb Korver (who did not shoot in 18 minutes vs. Alabama State) and Josh Jones vs. Louisiana.
The Dec. 11 game vs. Saint Joseph's marked the first time since the 1986 introduction of the three-point shot that every Creighton player to appear attempted at least one trey.
A Fan Of The A-10
Sophomore Ethan Wragge had a career-high of 22 points on Dec. 11 vs. Saint Joseph's, eclipsing his previous best of 21 that came last year in 17 minutes vs. fellow Atlantic-10 power Xavier.
Just like the game against Xavier, Wragge had his points in fewer than 20 minutes of playing time. When he did it last season, he became the first CU player to score more than 20 points in less than 20 minutes since Vernon Moore put up 21 points in 19 minutes against Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 24, 1984.
In three career games against the Atlantic-10 Conference, Wragge has scored 54 points (18.0 ppg.) in 48 minutes (16.0 mpg.) of play, connecting on 14-of-24 three-point attempts (58.3 percent) and 18-of-28 shots overall (64.3 percent).
Solid Stretch
Ethan Wragge will be hard-pressed to have a better four-minute stretch than what he had on Dec. 11 in a win over Saint Joseph's.
Wragge drained consecutive three-pointers with 15:55, 15:10, 13:56, 13:06 and 12:26 left in the second half. He also assisted on a Kaleb Korver trey at the 13:29 mark, and took a charge with 13:13 remaining.
Ball Security
Creighton entered this week ranked 18th nationally with a 1.37 assist/turnover ratio. Of the teams in the top-18 nationally in assist/turnover ratio, six of the 18 are ranked, and six others are getting top-25 votes.
Even more impressive, the Jays are fifth nationally in fewest turnovers per game, at just 10.6.
Creighton also ranked eighth in the country in fewest fouls per game at just 15.0 hacks per contest. That figure also decreased to 14.3 after Wednesday.
Shades Of The Dynamic Duo
Doug McDermott's 20 points and 12 rebounds vs. No. 21 BYU on Dec. 1 were special numbers for any player, but even moreso considering he's just a freshman.
Creighton had not had a freshman record a double-double since Bob Harstad had 18 points and 13 rebounds at No. 14 Bradley on March 9, 1988.
The last Bluejay freshman to have at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in the same game was Chad Gallagher, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds vs. Nebraska-Kearney on Jan. 20, 1988.
In addition, McDermott joined both Harstad and Gallagher as the only Bluejay freshmen in the last 25 years to record a double-double within the team's first seven games of the year. Both Harstad and Gallagher did it early in their 1987-88 freshman campaigns.
McDermott's 20 points were the most by a Bluejay freshman since Ethan Wragge scored 21 points against Xavier on Nov. 27, 2009.
McDermott owns two double-doubles this winter.
Speaking Of Double-Digits
According to STATS Inc., Creighton freshmen Doug McDermott was the nation's only freshman to open the 2010-11 season by scoring in double-figures in each of his team's first eight games.
Additionally, McDermott is among the national freshman leaders in double-figure scoring games, as seen below:
Double-Figure Scoring Games, Freshmen
Source: STATS Inc. • Through Dec. 29, 2010
Streak Name, School Next Game
12 Eric Ferguson, Georgia Southern Jan. 2
11 J.J. Sullinger, Ohio State Dec. 31
11 Andre Stringer, LSU Jan. 2
11 Brandon Knight, Kentucky Dec. 31
11 Terrence Jones, Kentucky Dec. 31
11 Tobias Harris, Tennessee Dec. 31
11 Steven Roundtree, Oral Roberts Dec. 30
10 Doug McDermott, Creighton Jan. 1
10 Trey Zeigler, Central Michigan Dec. 30
10 Sterling Carter, Seattle Jan. 2
10 Travis McKie, Wake Forest Jan. 2
9 Melvin Ejim, Iowa State Dec. 30
9 Ray McCallum, Detroit Dec. 30
McDermott Chalks Up Fourth Straight Honor
Doug McDermott was named MVC Newcomer of the Week for a fourth straight week on Dec. 6th.
In the 104-year history of the league, McDermott is the only basketball (men's or women's) player to win Player or Newcomer of the Week in four consecutive weeks.
McDermott's four Newcomer of the Week honors thus far are second-most ever for an entire season in league history. Bradley's Marcellus Sommerville won the award six times during his debut season in the league in 2003-04.
Lawson Named Player of the Week
Creighton senior Kenny Lawson Jr. was named MVC Player of the Week on December 13 following his career-highs of 30 points and 18 rebounds in a win over Saint Joseph's. He played a career-high 34 minutes and also registered a season-best three blocked shots.
This was the first MVC Player of the Week honor of Lawson's career.
Laying Down The Law
Kenny Lawson Jr.'s 30-point, 18-rebound game vs. Saint Joseph's on Dec. 11 kept the pages of the Bluejay record book busy.
His 18 rebounds were the most by a Bluejay since Bob Harstad had 20 rebounds on Jan. 23, 1989. Harstad, ironically, had his jersey retired at halftime and spoke to the team before its pre-game shootaround earlier on Saturday.
His 18 rebounds were also a Qwest Center Omaha record, three more than the previous mark set by Creighton's Justin Carter (vs. Kentucky) and by Akron's Romeo Travis (vs. Creighton).
Lawson's 30 points were the most by a Bluejay since P'Allen Stinnett had 30 points against New Mexico on Nov. 16, 2008.
Lawson was the first Bluejay with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in the same game since Rodney Buford had 30 points and 10 rebounds at Northern Iowa on Dec. 30, 1997.
Lawson was the first Bluejay with at least 30 points and 18 rebounds in the same game since Feb. 7, 1983, when Gregory Brandon had 32 points and 18 rebounds in a win over West Texas State.
Lawson is believed to be the first player in the MVC with a game of 30 points and 18 rebounds since Wichita State's Xavier McDaniel had 33 points and 22 rebounds on Feb. 23, 1985 against Bradley.
Finally, Lawson had 14 points and 11 rebounds in the second half alone. The last Bluejay with a double-double in one half was Brody Deren, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the second half of a Jan. 5, 2004 win at Bradley.
All-Tournament Honors
Both Doug McDermott and Antoine Young were named to the All-Tournament Team of the Global Sports Hy-Vee Challenge.
McDermott averaged a team-high 15.0 points per game in the event, shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 9-for-9 at the line. He also added six assist, a steal and a block.
Young averaged 13.8 points per game and added 16 assists and seven steals. He shot 44.1 percent from the floor, 50 percent from three-point range and 79.2 percent at the line.
Iowa State won the event with a 4-0 record, while Creighton finished 3-1.
Iowa State's Diante Garrett was named tournament MVP, while Melvin Ejim (Iowa State), Cameron Jones (Northern Arizona) and Spencer Dixon (Kennesaw State) were also honored on the squad with McDermott and Young.
I Am Iron Man
Antoine Young logged all 40 minutes in Creighton's Nov. 28 game at Northwestern. He was the first Creighton player to play from tip to buzzer, without a rest, since Ryan Sears on March 15, 2001 vs. Iowa. Since then, Creighton had played 329 games.
Young leads the MVC with 35.8 minutes per game this season.
Streaks Snapped By BYU
Creighton had won 36 straight Wednesday home games, including 23-0 all-time at Qwest Center Omaha, before losing to No. 21 BYU on December 1st. Creighton had not lost a home game on Wednesday since Jan. 12, 2000 vs. #19 Tulsa.
The loss to BYU also snapped Creighton's 26-game home win streak in non-conference regular-season games.
However, one Wednesday streak that remains intact is a 37-game home win streak on Wednesday's against unranked teams, dating to a Dec. 29, 1999 loss to Missouri State.
Toe The Line
Creighton continues to lead the MVC in free-throw percentage, making 75.2 percent of its shots at the line.
By comparison, no Bluejay opponent has had a single-game mark better than 76.9 percent.
Helping the improvement from last year's that shot 72.0 percent overall has been the marksmanship of freshmen Doug McDermott and Jahenns Manigat. Those two newcomers are a combined 27-for-32 at the stripe this season.
Oddly, Creighton's “free-throw defense” has also been exceptional this season. Bluejay opponents are shooting just 58.4 percent from the line, (worst/best) nationally.
Doubling Up From The Start
Doug McDermott scored 10 or more points in each of his first eight games this season. The last previous Creighton player to start a career with 10 or more points in each of the first eight games was Benoit Benjamin, who had eight in a row to start the 1982-83 campaign.
McDermott was the first Bluejay (of any class) to score 10 or more in eight straight games to start the season since then-senior Rodney Buford in 1998-99 had 13 in a row.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest double-figure scoring streaks to start a season since 1979-80.
Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games
To Start Year, Since 1979-80
Consec. Name, Class Year
all 32 Vernon Moore, Sr. 1984-85
28 Benoit Benjamin, Jr. 1984-85
27 Bob Harstad, Sr. 1990-91
16 Rod Mason, Sr. 1987-88
13 Rodney Buford, Sr. 1998-99
12 Gary Swain, Sr. 1986-87
10 Chad Gallagher, Sr. 1990-91
9 Rodney Buford, So. 1996-97
8 Benoit Benjamin, Fr. 1982-83
8 Gregory Brandon, Sr. 1983-84
8 Doug McDermott, Fr. 2010-11
An Impressive Start
Freshman forward Doug McDermott led all players with 18 points in his Nov. 4 exhibition debut, making 6-of-9 shots from the field and grabbing a team-high seven rebounds. His 18 points were the most by a Bluejay in their exhibition debut since Rodney Buford scored 24 points on Nov. 14, 1995 vs. Poznan (Poland).
McDermott was equally impressive on Nov. 12 vs. Alabama State, finishing with 16 points and seven rebounds on 7-of-13 shooting. McDermott's 16 points and seven rebounds made him the first Bluejay freshman since at least 1973 to have 15 or more points and five or more rebounds in the season-opener.
Below is a list of the most points after 14 games by a Bluejay newcomer since 1993-94. Doug McDermott has scored 151 games through 13 games thus far. Nate King had 203 games through 13 games.
Most Points, Newcomer, First 14 Games Since 1993-94
Pts. Name, Class Year
217 Nate King, Jr. 1993-94
161 P'Allen Stinnett, Fr. 2007-08
157 Doug McDermott, Fr. (thru 13) 2010-11
157 Rodney Buford, Fr. 1995-96
156 Tad Ackerman, Jr. 1994-95
146 Brody Deren, So. 2001-02
142 Ryan Sears, Fr. 1997-98
138 Doug Swenson, Jr. 1997-98
134 Darryl Ashford, Jr. 2009-10
129 Edward St. Fleur, Jr. 1995-96
128 Nick Porter, Jr. 2005-06
Rare Freshman Start
With his start on Nov. 12, Doug McDermott became the first Creighton freshman to start the season-opener since Ryan Sears in 1997-98. Sears would go on to earn MVC Freshman of the Year honors, starting all 124 games of his Bluejay career and remains the MVC's all-time leader with 283 steals. Sears also dished a Creighton-record 570 career assists.
A Strong Fall
Creighton has already placed three teams into the NCAA Tournament during the 2010-11 school year, as Bluejay teams in women's soccer, men's soccer and women's volleyball have all made the “Big Dance” within the past month.
On a national basis, only 10 schools nationally can say this, an elite list that consists of Creighton, California, Duke, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio State, Penn, Penn State and UCLA.
Creighton men's basketball has seven NCAA Tournament appearances in the past 12 years, most in the MVC in that time.
Harstad Honored on Dec. 11
Already inducted into both the Creighton Athletics (2002) and Missouri Valley Conference (2008) Hall of Fame's, former Creighton men's basketball standout Bob Harstad was honored during the Dec. 11 game vs. Saint Joseph's.
Harstad's jersey was retired during a halftime ceremony. The Loveland, Colo., native wore No. 30 during his career from 1987-91 with the Jays, but the number will still be available for current (such as Antoine Young) and future Bluejays to wear.
The only other previous players to have their jersey's retired in Creighton men's basketball history are Bob Portman (#33), Paul Silas (#35) and Bob Gibson (#45).
Harstad is one of only four MVC players -- joining Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson, Indiana State's Larry Bird and Wichita State's Xavier McDaniel -- to score 2,000 points (2,110) and grab 1,000 or more rebounds (1,126).
A first-team All-MVC choice from 1989 to 1991, he was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Player of the Year in 1990 and earned State Farm MVC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors in 1991.
He led CU to regular-season titles and postseason tournament crowns in 1989 and 1991. He also powered the Jays to two NCAA Tournament appearances and a win over New Mexico State in the first round in 1991.
High Octane Setback
Despite putting up 88 points vs. Iowa State on Nov. 21, Creighton still came up on the short end of the scoreboard. Prior to that, Creighton had won 37 straight games when scoring 88 points or more since losing on Feb. 12, 1994.
Fab Five
Creighton's starting line-up accounted for 86 of the team's 88 points on Nov. 21 vs. Iowa State. In fact, the only points off the bench came with 3:42 left on a Wayne Runnels putback.
All five of Creighton's starters had 12 points or more, becoming the first starting quintet in double-figures since Jan. 31, 2007 at Bradley.
Creighton's two bench points were its fewest since also scoring two bench points on Feb. 17, 2007 vs. Drexel.
Creighton's bench was much more effective on Friday vs. Kennesaw State, scoring 32 points against the Owls.
In Creighton's nine wins, the bench has scored 208 points (23.1 ppg.), but in the four losses it's scored just 34 points (8.5 ppg.).
Helping Hands
Creighton dished 25 assists on its 29 made baskets on Nov. 26 vs. Kennesaw State, as seven players had multiple helpers.
It was the first time Creighton's had 25 assists in a game since Dec. 22, 2009 vs. Houston Baptist. In that game, Creighton also had exactly 25 assists on exactly 29 field goals.
'Tis The Season For Charity
Creighton has attacked the lane and the boards while racking up gaudy free throw numbers through 13 games.
The Bluejays have shot 173-of-230 (75.2 percent) at the line, while its opponents are a combined 94-of-161 (58.4 percent) from the charity stripe.
Eight of the 10 Creighton players with at least one attempt from the line are shooting 71.0 percent or better, leading to the improvement from last year's team that shot 72.0 percent overall.
Active Leader
Kenny Lawson Jr. leads all active Missouri Valley Conference players with 633 rebounds, 142 blocked shots and 101 games started.
He also ranks third on that list with 1,099 career points and became the 34th member of Creighton's 1,000 point club on Nov. 21 vs. Iowa State. The only active MVC players with more points than Lawson are Bradley teammates Andrew Warren (1,245) and Sam Maniscalco (1,210).
Below is a list of Creighton all-time scoring leaders:
Most Points, Creighton History
Rk. Pts. Name Years
1. 2,116 Rodney Buford 1995-99
2. 2,110 Bob Harstad 1987-91
3. 1,983 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
4. 1,876 Bob Portman 1966-69
5. 1,801 Kyle Korver 1999-03
6. 1,754 Nate Funk 2002-07
7. 1,682 Rick Apke 1974-78
8. 1,661 Paul Silas 1961-64
9. 1,654 Vernon Moore 1981-85
10. 1,575 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
11. 1,526 John C. Johnson 1975-79
12. 1,500 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
13. 1,437 Eddie Cole 1951-55
14. 1,369 Gene Harmon 1971-74
15. 1,361 Duan Cole 1987-92
16. 1,309 Ryan Sears 1997-01
17. 1,303 Elton Tuttle 1951-54
18. 1,272 Bob Gibson 1954-57
19. 1,267 Wally Anderzunas 1965-67, 1968-69
20. 1,254 Gary Swain 1983-87
21. 1,238 Ben Walker 1997-01
22. 1,196 Ray Yost 1951-54
23. 1,172 Dick Harvey 1956-59
24. 1,152 Dane Watts 2004-08
25. 1,116 Kenny Evans 1982-87
26. 1,115 Doug Brookins 1972-75
1,115 Daryl Stovall 1978-82
28. 1,099 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pr.
29. 1,093 Tim Powers 1964-67
Lawson Up For Senior CLASS Award
Senior center Kenny Lawson Jr. is one of 30 candidates nationwide for the Senior CLASS Award. The award – presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year in 10 sports – focuses on the “Four C's” of classroom, character, community and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season and complete college education brings.
Lawson is the one of two MVC men's athletes named this year (joining Bradley guard Dodie Dunson), but the fourth Creighton candidate since 2003. Kyle Korver was a finalist for the award in 2003, while Anthony Tolliver was a finalist in 2007. Both were also named Senior CLASS All-Americans. In addition, Dane Watts was a candidate in 2008 but did not advance to the final stage.
Creighton, which also has Sam Schuett as a candidate for the women's award, is one of just five schools nationally (Creighton, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Lehigh and Duke) with a candidate on both the men's and women's side.
The 2011 men's candidate class includes three CoSIDA Academic All-Americans from a year ago, nine student-athletes on the preseason watch list for the John R. Wooden Award, 16 players with grade point averages of 3.0 and above and eight from teams ranked in the Associated Press preseason top 25. It also includes 2010-11 Creighton opponents Dodie Dunson (Bradley), Jimmer Fredette (BYU) and Cameron Jones (Northern Arizona).
Third Time's A Charm
Creighton has won each of its first three home games in 15 of the past 16 years, including this season.
Creighton's Nov. 17 win over Louisiana was the 17th straight season that the Jays won their third home game of the year.
Lawson Moves Up The Charts
With 11 points vs. Alabama State on Nov. 12, Kenny Lawson Jr. became the seventh player to score 500 or more points at Qwest Center Omaha. Lawson, who now stands at 593, ranks second in Qwest Center Omaha scoring history. Nate Funk holds the facility record with 735 career points.
Lawson (332 rebounds) also ranks in second place on the Qwest Center Omaha rebound list, trailing only Dane Watts (351).
Lawson also owns 76 blocks in his career at Qwest Center Omaha. That's a facility record, five more than the former mark held by Anthony Tolliver. The top shot blockers in Bluejay history (at all sites) are listed below:
Most Blocked Shots, Creighton History
Blk. Name Years
411 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
183 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
142 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-Pres.
138 Brody Deren 2001-04
136 Anthony Tolliver 2003-07
The Four-Point Play
Few plays in basketball are as rare as the four-point play, which happen only when a player is fouled while making a three-point shot and then hits the ensuing free throw.
On Nov. 14 against Northern Arizona, senior Kaleb Korver did it midway through the first half. He became the first Bluejay to do record a four-point play since P'Allen Stinnett did it at Dayton on Nov. 14, 2009.
Before Stinnett's magic, Creighton had not had a player convert a four-point play in a regular-season game since Johnny Mathies vs. Evansville on Jan. 22, 2006.
According to Harvey Pollack's NBA Statistical Yearbook, Kaleb's older brother, Kyle Korver, has just three four-point plays to his credit in his eight-year NBA career.
Qwest To Be The Best, 105 Times Over
Creighton has played 124 regular and postseason contests at Qwest Center Omaha all-time in its eight seasons at the facility.
The Bluejays own a 105-19 (.847) record all-time at the facility, including a 24-1 figure on Wednesday's, a 6-0 mark on Thursday's and a 3-0 mark on Friday's.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 9,108-7,724 in games at Qwest Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.2 points per game. The 19 losses have been by a combined 111 points (5.8 ppg.). Creighton has led wire-to-wire 26 different times, including once this winter.
Creighton's win on Nov. 17 vs. Louisiana was its 100th all-time at the facility, coming in just 118 games. By comparison, Creighton needed 138 games to reach 100 wins at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Creighton is also a mind-boggling 19-10 at Qwest Center Omaha in games in which it trails by 10 or more points at any juncture.
Creighton is 9-0 in Qwest Center Omaha games in which both teams own leads of 10 or more points, and 26-1 in games at Qwest Center Omaha in which there are no lead changes.
Big Shoes To Fill
Creighton's Greg McDermott replaced the school's all-time wins leader, Dana Altman, who was named head coach at Oregon in April. The winningest coach in school history, Altman was 327-176 in 16 years at Creighton, leading the program to seven NCAA Tournaments and 13 straight postseason bids.
Altman's win total ranks third in Missouri Valley Conference history and he was named coach of the Missouri Valley Conference's All-Centennial Team in 2007.
First Time Since 1921
It might seem hard to believe given the lineage of Creighton coaches (such as Eddie Sutton, Tony Barone, Dana Altman, Red McManus, Tom Apke, etc...) through the years, but Creighton's Nov. 17 night's win over Louisiana made Greg McDermott the first Creighton coach to start 3-0 on the Bluejay sidelines since 1921.
The only other men to start their Creighton careers 3-0 were the school's first three coaches. Thomas E. Mills started 6-0 in 1916-19, Eddie Mulholland started 5-0 in 1920-21, and after Mulholland abruptly resigned mid-season, Charles Kearney took over and was 3-0 before taking his first loss.
Quick Starts Key To Playing in Postseason
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 11 of the past 13 seasons, including this season. Each of Creighton's last 11 3-0 starts have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Father/Son Duo
Doug McDermott is the only player in Creighton men's basketball history to play for his father, head coach Greg McDermott. The previous closest relationship between a player/coach had been when Rick Apke (1974-78) played for his older brother, head coach Tom Apke (1974-81).
Return Of The Mac
Greg McDermott is the 10th MVC head coach to coach at two different league schools and first since Ken Hayes got hired away from Tulsa to go to New Mexico State in 1975.
He is the first to go to a different league and coach there, then come back to the MVC.
McDermott went 90-63 in five years at Northern Iowa from 2001-06, advancing to the NCAA Tournament each of his final three seasons.
Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns four starters (Kenny Lawson Jr., Antoine Young, Darryl Ashford and Casey Harriman) from last year's team that finished 18-16.
Creighton's roster contains players who made 123 starts a year ago, the first time the Jays have returned 120 or more starts since the 2006-07 team that was also the program's most recent to reach the NCAA Tournament.
Returning Returning Starts Final
Year Starters From Previous Year W-L
2010-11 4 123 ? ? ?
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
Preseason MVC Poll
Creighton has been picked fourth in the preseason poll of MVC coaches, SID's and media. Wichita State was a near-unanimous pick to win the league, garnering 33-of-39 first-place votes and 382 points overall.
Missouri State was second with 313 points and one first-place vote.
Northern Iowa (289, 1 first-place vote), Creighton (282) and Bradley (264, 2) rounded out the upper half of the league.
In sixth was Illinois State (165), where it was followed by Indiana State (136), Drake (120), Southern Illinois (120) and Evansville (73).
Creighton senior Kenny Lawson Jr. is one of five men on the preseason all-MVC team. He's joined on the team by UNI's Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Wichita State's Toure' Murry, Bradley's Sam Maniscalco and Missouri State's Kyle Weems.
Lawson was also named Preseason MVC Player of the Year. He is the third Bluejay to be honored since 2001, joining Kyle Korver (2002-03) and Nate Funk (2006-07).
Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 11 of the last 12 seasons, an unprecedented feat in Missouri Valley Conference history that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
Just five schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 12 years: Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse.
Creighton is one of six schools with 20 or more wins in 11 of the past 12 years. That list consists of Creighton, Kent State, Kentucky, Texas, Utah State and Xavier.
That's better than traditional powers Arizona, Connecticut, Memphis and Michigan State (10 each), ahead of Pittsburgh and Wisconsin (9 each) and even better than Louisville (8).
Postseason x 13
Creighton has made the postseason in 13 consecutive seasons, the longest streak of postseason bids in MVC history.
The only 10 schools to make the postseason in each of the last 13 years are Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Oklahoma State and Syracuse.
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 548 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. That's the longest active streak in the MVC.
UNLV (762), Vanderbilt (757) and Kentucky (754) are the only three schools that have made at least one three-point basket since the rule was adopted prior to the 1986 campaign.
Full House
Creighton averaged 14,495 fans per game, which ranked 15th nationally, in 2009-10. Creighton averaged 15,883 in 15 games at Qwest Center Omaha before two CIT crowds below 5,000 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium dropped the average precipitously.
Creighton has now finished in the top-15 of the national attendance leaders in each of the last four seasons.
2009-10 Attendance Leaders (FINAL)
Rk. School Average
1. Kentucky 24,111
2. Syracuse 22,152
3. Louisville 19,397
4. Tennessee 19,168
5. North Carolina 17,786
6. Wisconsin 17,230
7. Maryland 16,792
8. Memphis 16,498
9. Kansas 16,433
10. Marquette 15,617
11. Indiana 15,296
12. Illinois 14,870
13. Michigan State 14,759
14. Texas 14,629
15. Creighton 14,495
16. Ohio State 14,181
Highest Season Home Attendance, MVC History
Home Att. School Year
302,676 Creighton 2008-09
276,000 Creighton 2007-08
246,419 Creighton 2009-10
236,313 Creighton 2005-06
222,728 Creighton 2006-07
192,258 Creighton 2003-04
191,440 Louisville 1974-75
Highest Average Attendance, MVC History
Avg. Att. School Year
15,930 Creighton 2008-09
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
15,333 Creighton 2007-08
14,495 Creighton 2009-10
13,901 Creighton 2005-06
13,674 Louisville 1974-75
Jays Sweep Weekly Awards
Creighton swept the weekly awards handed out by the Missouri Valley Conference on Nov. 15, as Antoine Young was named MVC Player of the Week and Doug McDermott named MVC Newcomer of the Week.
Young averaged 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game in wins over Alabama State and Northern Arizona. He opened the year with 21 points against ASU while also grabbing a career-high seven rebounds. He scored the first four points and assisted a three-pointer in the 11-0 second half run that gave Creighton the lead for good. On Nov. 14, he had 11 points, four rebounds, three steals and three assists in a win over NAU.
McDermott averaged 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in his first weekend of play. He began his career with 16 points and seven rebounds against Alabama State, becoming the first freshman to start the opener since 1997-98. He then had 10 points in Creighton's 74-70 win over Northern Arizona.
McDermott repeated his honors on Nov. 22 after averaging 14.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in two games.
McDermott won his third straight award on Nov. 29 after averaging 16.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game vs. Kennesaw State and Northwestern, shooting 70 percent (14-20) from the floor.
McDermott made it 4-for-4 on Dec. 6th, earning the honor after averaging 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in losses to No. 21 BYU and Nebraska.
Consistent Challengers
Nine of Creighton's last 13 teams have finished either first or second in The Valley's regular-season race. Two of the four that didn't won the MVC Tournament.
The Bluejays won the MVC in 2000-01 and tied for the title in 2001-02 and 2008-09. CU was second in the MVC in 1997-98 and 2006-07, tied for second in the MVC in 1998-99, 2003-04 and 2005-06, and finished tied for third in 2004-05. The 1999-00 club was fourth in the MVC, but won the MVC Tournament.
Creighton's MVC Finishes, Last 13 Years
1st Place 2000-01
Tied for First 2001-02 (won MVC Tourn.), 2008-09
2nd Place 1997-98, 2002-03 (won MVC Tourn.), 2006-07 (won MVC Tourn.)
Tied for 2nd 1998-99 (won MVC Tourn.), 2003-04, 2005-06
Tied for 3rd Place 2004-05 (won MVC Tourn.)
4th Place 1999-00 (won MVC Tourn.); 2007-08; 2009-10
Learning From Past Losses
Creighton heads into the 2010-11 season looking to rebound from a quarterfinal round loss to Bradley in the 2010 MVC Tournament.
Each of Creighton's previous three quarterfinal round losses (1998, 2004, 2006) saw the Bluejays claim the Arch Madness crown the following spring.
Creighton's six conference tournament titles in the past 12 years trail only Gonzaga, Duke and Winthrop nationally.
Foreign Invasion
Creighton has a pair of foreigners on the roster for just the third time in school history with Canadian Jahenns Manigat and Venezuelan Gregory Echenique. Echenique is the nation's only returning Venezuelan who also played NCAA ball last season.
The last pair of simultaneous international teammates at Creighton was Brice Nengsu (Cameroon) and Manny Gakou (France) from 2005-07.
Creighton's other international players on record include Livan Pyfrom (1999-2001, Bahamas), Nerijus Karlikanovas (1998-2000, Lithuania) and Colin Lubsey (1992-93, Australia).
NBA Jays
Kyle Korver and Anthony Tolliver give Creighton a pair of alums in the NBA for the third straight year.
Korver plays for the Chicago Bulls and is in his eighth year in the NBA, including previous stops in Philadelphia and Utah.
Tolliver plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves and is in his third year in the NBA, including previous stops with Cleveland, San Antonio, New Orleans, Portland and Golden State.
Creighton has now had an NBA player in 27 of the last 28 years, and 44 of 47 seasons since 1964-65.
Piling Up The Points, and Wins
Creighton has won 69 straight home games when scoring 68 points or more since Feb. 5, 2005.
Creighton has also won 44 straight games when scoring 90 points or more, dating to Jan. 11, 1988.
Creighton has won 15 straight when scoring 100 points or more, dating to Feb. 26, 1977.
Last Season Recap
Creighton finished 18-16 on the season, winning a pair of games in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament before falling in the semifinals. Creighton's 10-8 league mark was good for fourth place, the Jays 13th straight year of a fourth-place finish or better.
Individually, Kenny Lawson Jr. was a second-team all-MVC pick and led the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. Justin Carter ranked second on the team in both scoring and rebounding, while Antoine Young topped the team in assists and steals.
Academically Tops In The MVC Too
For the sixth time in the eight-year existence of the award, Creighton University has been recognized with the 2009-10 MVC All-Academic Award. Bluejay student-athletes posted a 3.33 cumulative grade-point average over the 2009-10 academic calendar. Creighton previously shared the award in 2003-04, and were the outright winners in 2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09.
Creighton had four men's basketball players earn Dean's List (3.50 GPA or better) accolades last year; Matthew Dorwart, Kaleb Korver, Derek Sebastian and Taylor Stormberg.
Shuttle Service Provided Again
Chief Bus will provide complimentary shuttle service from the Creighton University campus to Qwest Center Omaha for all men's basketball home games this season. The service is available to all fans, not just Creighton students.
The shuttle will start 75 minutes before tip-off and shuttles will continue to operate the route during the game. The three designated stops for pick-up around the CU campus are: 24th & California (nearside/southbound); 20th & Cass (nearside/eastbound) and at Billy Blues Alumni Grill (outside the Mike & Josie Harper Center in the turnaround which is on the east side of the building).
The shuttle will then go eastbound on Capitol Avenue and then go north up 10th Street for drop-off at the Qwest Center Omaha convention center entrance. The route is designed for each shuttle driver to make a roundtrip every 15 minutes.
Following the game's conclusion, the shuttle will start at the Qwest Center Omaha convention center entrance on 10th Street and loop the original route with the first of three stops at 24th & California Streets.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2010-11 season went on sale on November 1st at 10 am.
Fans can purchase tickets in advance at Qwest Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any game and cost is $12 for adults and $8 for youth ages 3-18 (children two and under are free).
For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
