Men's Basketball Hosts No. 18 Oklahoma on Wednesday in Early Showdown
11/18/2014 12:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game #3 vs. #18/18 Oklahoma • Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014 • 7:01 p.m.
#18/18 Oklahoma Sooners at Creighton Bluejays
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FOX Sports 1
Series History: Oklahoma leads series, 2-1
Last Time: Oklahoma 106, Creighton 89 on 12/26/86 in Oklahoma City, OK
Next Game
Creighton (2-0) continues its five-game homestand to open the 2014-15 season on Wednesday, Nov. 19 vs. No. 18/18 Oklahoma (1-0).
Tip-off at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7:01 pm Central.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 The Zone) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2014-15 season. John Bishop and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action.
The pregame show “Bluejay Shootaround” is hosted by Josh Peterson and former Bluejay Josh Dotzler, and will air from 6:00 - 6:30 pm.
Following the game, Tim Krueger and Heath Gunderson will host “Overtime” for approximately one hour, while also taking calls from listeners.
The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Wednesday's game will air live nationally on FOX Sports 1. Kevin Kugler and Bill Raftery will announce. It also will be repeated or tape-delayed at the following times and networks:
Nov. 19 11 pm FOX Sports 2
Nov. 19 11 pm FOX Sports Midwest
Nov. 19 11 pm FOX Sports West
Nov. 20 1 am MASN 2
Nov. 20 2 am Root Sports (Northwest Region)
Nov. 20 10 am FOX Sports 1
Nov. 20 2 pm FOX Sports North
Nov. 20 6 pm FOX Sports 2
Nov. 22 1 am FOX Sports Arizona
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Wednesday's game will be available via FOXSportsGO.com for desktop users, and via the FOX Sports GO app for mobile devices (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Window devices). A cable authorization may be required.
The FOX Sports GO mobile app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store or the Windows Store.
GoCreighton.com will also have a free webcast of the postgame press conference.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit GoCreighton.com and click on the Live Stats icon near the top right of the page for a link to the exact URL.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 2-0 on the young season, never trailing in victories over Central Arkansas (104-77) and Chicago State (84-66).
Six players are averaging at least 9.0 points per game so far, led by Will Artino (17.0 ppg., 9.0 rpg.) and Isaiah Zierden (17.0 ppg.). Both Artino and Zierden have had career-highs point totals in each of CU's two games so far.
Not far behind is Cal transfer Rick Kreklow (11.5 ppg.) and redshirt freshman Toby Hegner (10.5 ppg.). In addition, senior guard Devin Brooks (9.0 ppg., 8.0 rpg., 5.5 apg.) leads the team in assists.
Creighton returns 11 lettermen and one starter (Austin Chatman) from last year's 27-8 team that reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season.
The Bluejays are trying to replace the most victorious senior class in program history, as Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat, Doug McDermott and Ethan Wragge combined for 107 wins as well as 5,934 points, 872 three-pointers, 1,062 assists and 2,250 rebounds at CU. All four men are now playing professionally, including McDermott in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls after he averaged 26.7 points per game and swept 14 National Player of the Year awards last winter.
Scouting Oklahoma
Ranked 18th nationally in this week's national polls, Oklahoma returns four starters and 11 lettermen from last year's team that went 23-10 and finished second in the Big 12.
Buddy Hield (25.0 ppg., 7.0 rpg.) made 90 three-pointers a year ago and got his junior season off to a rousing start with 7-for-7 marksmanship from three-point range in Sunday's 78-53 win over Southeastern Louisiana.
Also back are 2013-14 double-figure scorers Isaiah Cousins (14.0 ppg., 10.0 rpg.) and Jordan Woodard (7.0 ppg., 7.0 apg.).
The Sooners got a big boost late Saturday night when Houston transfer TaShawn Thomas (15.4 ppg., 8.1 rpg. last year) was ruled eligible immediately.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his fifth season as head coach at Creighton. He led CU to a 27-8 mark last year, and is 109-38 with the Bluejays. 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 owns a career mark of 389-233 in his 21st season and is 258-169 in his 14th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Patrick Sellers.
Lon Kruger (Kansas State, 1975) is in his fourth season at Oklahoma, where he owns a 59-38 record. The former head coach at Texas-Pan American (1982-86), Kansas State (1986-90), Florida (1990-1996), Illinois (1996-2000), UNLV (2004-11) owns a 515-332 record in 28 years as a college head coach. Kruger was also the head coach with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks from 2000-03. He is assisted by Steve Henson, Lew Hill and 1992 Nebraska-Omaha graduate Chris Crutchfield.
The Series With Oklahoma
Creighton is 1-2 all-time against Oklahoma, including a 1-1 mark in Omaha.
The Bluejays won the first meeting, 27-16, on Jan. 29, 1921. There was slightly more scoring in the last match-up, a 106-89 Oklahoma victory on Dec. 26, 1986, in Oklahoma City.
Greg McDermott is 1-4 in his career all-time against Oklahoma, with all five meetings coming when he was head coach at Iowa State, and being decided by an average of 7.8 points.
Surprisingly for two men who have combined for 49 years of head coaching experience at the college level (1,469 games), McDermott has never faced a Lon Kruger team.
Like Father, Like Son
Both Greg McDermott and Lon Kruger have had memorable seasons coaching their son at the college level.
McDermott coached his son Doug from 2010-14 at Creighton. Along the way, his son was a National Player of the Year, three-time league MVP, and graduated as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 career points. The Bluejays won 107 games in that time, including 23, 27, 28 and 29-win seasons and collecting three NCAA Tournament wins.
Kruger coached his son, Kevin, at UNLV during the 2006-07 season. Anchored by the play of third-team all-MWC son (13.5 ppg., 5.1 apg.), the Rebels would finish 30-7 and reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in their only year together.
Rank And File
Oklahoma comes into CenturyLink Center Omaha ranked 18th nationally in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches poll this week.
The Sooners are the highest-ranked non-conference team to ever face Creighton at CenturyLink Center Omaha, which opened in 2003.
Creighton's last non-conference opponent to come to Omaha while ranked that high was No. 17 Western Kentucky on Nov. 27, 2001. Creighton rallied from an early 37-19 deficit to win that game, 94-91, in double-overtime.
The previous highest-ranked non-conference foe to visit CenturyLink Center Omaha and play Creighton was No. 21 BYU on Dec. 1, 2010, and the previous highest-ranked non-conference foe to fall to the Jays at The Link was No. 24 Xavier on Dec. 9, 2006.
The last team ranked exactly 18th to play Creighton also hailed from the Sooner state, as Creighton topped Oklahoma State 66-60 on Dec. 20, 1998, also at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Against Ranked Teams
Creighton is 20-119 all-time against teams ranked in the Top 25 of the Associated Press poll, as No. 18 Oklahoma is this week. That includes a 12-31 record in Omaha and a 3-2 mark at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Since 1998-99, Creighton is 6-3 at home vs. ranked teams, including a 4-2 mark in non-conference home games against ranked competition.
Though it's been 28 years since Creighton and Oklahoma last met, the last time the teams squared off the Sooners were ranked sixth nationally and topped the Jays 106-89. That OU team featured a front line of Stacey King, Harvey Grant and Darryl “Choo” Kennedy, and was coached by Billy Tubbs.
Greg McDermott is 2-4 as a Creighton coach against ranked teams, with both victories coming against top-10 Villanova last season.
In his Division I coaching career, McDermott is 9-26 against ranked competition, though that improves to 7-10 in home games.
Eyes Of The Committee Upon Us
You can be sure that a high-profile game like Oklahoma/Creighton will attract the eyes of much of the 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee as they begin the task of trying to determine the nation's best at-large candidates for March.
Both Creighton and Oklahoma feature an Athletic Director on that elite committee, as Bruce Rasmussen and Joe Castiglione are part of the 10-person committee that selects the teams for and help administer the tournament.
McDermott, Tisdale Share Common Bond
Only three men in the last 30 years have been named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press in three consecutive seasons: Doug McDermott, Wayman Tisdale and Patrick Ewing.
McDermott graduated from Creighton in 2014 with 3,150 career points, while Tisdale wrapped up his outstanding three-year career in 1985 with 2,661 career points.
Ewing, who like Tisdale wrapped up his career in 1985, played at Creighton's new BIG EAST rival Georgetown.
The Bigger, The Better
Creighton has won 24 straight regular-season home games against teams from the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, BIG EAST, Pac-12 and SEC (at time of game) since the start of the 1996-97 season.
Those 24 wins have been by an average of 11.88 points, with 15 coming by double-digits, and just two decided by fewer than six points.
“Football 5” + BIG EAST Foes at CU, Last 17 Years*
Date Score
03/08/14 Creighton 88, Providence 73
02/23/14 Creighton 72, Seton Hall 71
02/16/14 Creighton 101, #6 Villanova 80
02/07/14 Creighton 78, DePaul 66
01/28/14 Creighton 63, St. John's 60
01/25/14 Creighton 79, Georgetown 66
01/14/14 Creighton 88, Butler 60
01/12/14 Creighton 95, Xavier 89
12/31/13 Creighton 67, Marquette 49
12/22/13 Creighton 68, California 54
12/08/13 Creighton 82, Nebraska 67
12/22/11 Creighton 87, Northwestern 79
12/04/11 Creighton 76, Nebraska 66
12/06/09 Creighton 67, Nebraska 61
11/24/07 Creighton 74, Nebraska 62
11/09/07 Creighton 74, DePaul 62
12/11/05 Creighton 70, Nebraska 44
12/10/03 Creighton 61, Nebraska 54
12/12/01 Creighton 76, Nebraska 70
12/09/99 Creighton 89, Nebraska 72
11/27/99 Creighton 85, #23 Iowa 76
12/20/98 Creighton 66, #18 Oklahoma State 60
12/02/98 Creighton 73, Baylor 59
12/10/97 Creighton 84, Nebraska 73
*regular-season games only
Sooner Or Later For Kreklow
Rick Kreklow began his college career in 2010-11 at Missouri. One of Mizzou's wins that year was an 84-61 victory on Feb. 12 that saw Kreklow make 3-of-4 shots and score seven points. He also had two rebounds and a steal in his 14 minutes of work.
Still Unbeaten
Through games of Monday, Nov. 17th, the BIG EAST was one of two leagues that was still unbeaten. The BIG EAST was off to a 14-0 start, while the Big 12 Conference was also undefeated after a 16-0 start to the winter.
Creighton is part of the BIG EAST, while Oklahoma hails from the Big 12.
Playing With The Lead
Scoring the first point in Wednesday's game could be crucial to victory, as neither Creighton nor Oklahoma have trailed in a regular-season game yet this season.
In 188 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 50 of those contests, a staggering 26.6 percent of the time, including seven wire-to-wire wins last season and two this year.
In Creighton's 20-game home winning streak, Creighton has never trailed in the second half, has led wire-to-wire in 10 of those wins, and trailed for just 36:24 of 800 minutes of action.
What A Difference A Year Makes
The star of Creighton's team last year, Doug McDermott, scored 3,150 points as a Bluejay.
The players on the 2014-15 Creighton team have scored a total of 2,003 career points in a Bluejay uniform entering Wednesday's game.
How Many?
Creighton scored 104 points on Friday night. Of the 20 NBA teams in action last Friday, only five teams scored 104 or more points.
Additionally, of the same 10 NBA games on Friday night, Creighton had a larger attendance than all but four (Celtics, Knicks, Thunder, Lakers) of them.
Only the college level, only attendance giants Kentucky and Syracuse outdrew CU last Friday.
Well-Balanced Diet
Creighton placed six men in double-figures in Friday's win over Central Arkansas. It was the first time CU's had six men in double-figures since Feb. 1, 2012 (McDermott, Gibbs, Manigat, Artino, Echenique, Jones).
Senior Rick Kreklow scored a career-high 18 points, one more than his previous collegiate best while playing for Cal last year vs. Arkansas.
Sophomore Isaiah Zierden had a career-high with 16 points, three more than his previous best. Zierden then exceeded that on Sunday with 18 points.
Senior Will Artino tied a career-high with 14 points. Artino also exceeded his career-high with 20 points in Sunday's win over Chicago State.
Junior James Milliken had 13 points in his Division I debut last Friday.
Not having career-highs, but scoring well were Devin Brooks (12) and Austin Chatman (10). For Brooks, it tied his most points in a game since scoring 14 vs. Xavier on Jan. 12. For Chatman, it was the seventh time in CU's last eight games he's reached twin-figures dating to late last year.
Double-Double Opener
Creighton has won either a conference regular-season title or conference Tournament each of its last seven seasons it has had a player with a double-double in the opener (2012-13, 2001-02, 1999-00, 1998-99, 1990-91, 1989-90, 1988-89).
Each of Creighton's last two players to open the year with a double-double (Doug McDermott in 2012-13 and Kyle Korver in 2001-02) were named MVC Player of the Year and MVC Tournament MVP.
Why does this matter? Because Will Artino had 14 points and 10 rebounds vs. Central Arkansas in this year's opener.
Artino, who played just 17 minutes vs. Central Arkansas, also became the only Bluejay in the last 25 years to have a double-double in 17 minutes or less.
Big Margin Leads To Big Things
This year's Creighton team scored 104 points against Central Arkansas, a good omen for things to come.
Nine of Creighton's 19 all-time NCAA Tournament teams have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
Here's a look at Creighton's last seven teams to score 90 or more in a season-opener.
Final Post-
Score Opponent Date W-L Season
104-77 Central Arkansas 11/14/14 ? ? ? ? ? ?
107-61 Alcorn State 11/08/13 27-8 NCAA
97-65 N. Carolina A&T 11/11/11 29-6 NCAA
106-50 Texas-Arlington 11/17/02 29-5 NCAA
96-50 Western Illinois 11/20/00 24-8 NCAA
93-48 Towson State 11/14/98 22-9 NCAA
93-47 UT-San Antonio 11/30/90 24-8 NCAA
Crowd Control
Creighton's sellout crowd of 18,160 last Friday vs. Central Arkansas was its largest ever for a home-opener. It was also Creighton's largest home crowd for any November game, and the 12th-largest home crowd in program history at the time.
Creighton has sold out 12 of its last 13 regular-season home games.
November Reign
Creighton is a perfect 46-0 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th.
Creighton has won 47 of its 48 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012.
Overall, Creighton is 62-13 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
Creighton has also won 53 of its last 55 regular-season non-conference home games since falling to Drexel on Feb. 17, 2007.
Crowd Watch
Last year Creighton averaged 17,896 in 16 regular-season games at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Creighton's previous largest home opener attendance in school history was 17,740 last season vs. Alcorn State, but that figure was smashed by the 18,160 that turned out last Friday vs. Central Arkansas.
Oklahoma has lost 11 straight games played in front of 14,000 or more fans dating to a 2011 win at the Big 12 Tournament over Baylor. In addition, the Sooners have not won a true road game before more than 14,000 fans since a March 5, 2005 win at Texas Tech before 15,078 fans.
Creighton is 21-1 in its last 22 games played before 14,000 fans or more.
Quick Starts Key To Playing in Postseason
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 14 of the previous 16 seasons. Each of Creighton's last 15 3-0 starts have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Last season marked the third straight year Creighton has opened 4-0, something last done from 2002-03 to 2004-05. The only other time CU started 4-0 in three straight years had come in a five-year stretch from 1916-17 to 1920-21.
Ditto For Devin
Devin Brooks has near identical numbers this season as he did after two games last year. He had one more point last year (19/18), one more rebound this year (15/16) and one more assist this year (10/11).
Last season Brooks had 16 points in Creighton's third game of the season.
Game 1 Game 2
Stat 2013 2014 2013 2014
Points 15 12 4 6
Rebounds 6 6 9 10
Assists 5 5 5 6
Walk-On the Wild Side
For most programs, a walk-on might not see the court a whole lot. Creighton is not most programs.
In last Friday's win over Central Arkansas, Rick Kreklow led the Bluejays with 18 points.
Dating to last year, it marked the 17th straight game Creighton has been led in scoring by a walk-on.
Kreklow spurned several scholarship offers (including Butler, Nebraska and Missouri) to walk-on at Creighton this year.
Last year Doug McDermott led Creighton in scoring during the final 16 games. He, too, was a walk-on as a senior.
Scholarship senior Will Artino snapped that most unlikely streak on Sunday with a team-high 20 points.
Homestand To Start
Creighton opens the 2014-15 season with a five-game homestand in the friendly confines of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
The homestand matches Creighton's longest to start a season since 1982-83, when CU opened with seven in a row at home. The 2003-04 team also opened with five straight home games.
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Toby Hegner had 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots on Sunday in his second career game.
He's the first Bluejay with a 17-7-2 line since Gregory Echenique in the 2012 MVC Tournament vs. Evansville.
Hegner's predecessor at CU, National Player of the Year Doug McDermott, never had a game with 17-7-2 or better in his career.
Milliken Joins Quad Squad
James Milliken's second career shot was a three-pointer from the corner in which he was also fouled. He would go on to successfully complete the rare four-point play.
In Greg McDermott's five years at Creighton, the only six men to convert a four-point play have been Milliken, Kaleb Korver, Ethan Wragge, Doug McDermott, Avery Dingman and Isaiah Zierden.
Bluejay Debuts
Senior transfer Rick Kreklow and redshirt freshman Toby Hegner both started on Friday vs. Central Arkansas. The last player to start their first game at Creighton had been Grant Gibbs, who started the 2011-12 opener. Gibbs was on his fourth year of college at that point, after spending two years at Gonzaga and redshirting one season at Creighton.
Hegner's start was especially historic, as he became just the third freshman to start since 1992-93, joining Bluejay legends Doug McDermott (2010-11) and Ryan Sears (1997-98).
Hegner became the first freshman in CU history to redshirt his first season, then start the season opener the following year, since freshmen became eligible until 1972-73. McDermott remains the last true freshman to start his first game.
McDermott Sweeps Player of the Year
Doug McDermott swept all 14 National Player of the Year awards handed out by the media in 2013-14.
He was honored by the USBWA (Oscar Robertson Trophy), John R. Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, Adolph F. Rupp Trophy, Associated Press, NABC, CollegeInsider.com Lute Olson Award, Sporting News, Basketball Times, NBCSports.com, CBSSports.com, BleacherReport.com, USA Today and Dick Vitale.
In addition, he was also honored with the Senior CLASS Award that took into account his off-court contributions.
It was McDermott's second year with such lofty honor. As a sophomore, he was named CollegeInsider.com's Lute Olson Player of the Year.
McDermott finished his career last March ranking fifth in NCAA history with 3,150 career points.
NCAA Division I - Most Career Points All-Time
Rk. Name, School Years Points
1. Pete Maravich, LSU 1967-70 3,667
2. Freeman Williams, Portland State 1974-78 3,249
3. Lionel Simmons, La Salle 1986-90 3,217
4. Alphonso Ford, Miss. Valley State 1989-93 3,165
5. Doug McDermott, Creighton 2010-14 3,150
6. Harry Kelly, Texas Southern 1979-83 3,066
7. Keydren Clark, Saint Peter's 2002-07 3,058
8. Hersey Hawkins, Bradley 1984-88 3,008
9. Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati 1957-60 2,973
10. Danny Manning, Kansas 1984-88 2,951
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 188 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 12-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own an 163-25 (.867) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (9-0).
Creighton has outscored its opponents 14,313-12,084 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.86 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 50 different times, including seven times last season and twice already this year.
Creighton is also 23-15 all-time in the 38 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
Creighton is 66-7 (.904 at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 35-2 record vs. non-conference teams.
Factor in a 17-0 home mark at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 and two wins at the Civic in the 2010 CIT, and the Bluejays are 182-25 (.879) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
The streak is also the longest in facility history by Creighton. The school-record for longest home win streak is 28, done from 1917-1920 and again from 2002-04.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest home win streaks in the 12-year history of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Streak Dates Snapped By
20 Feb. 19, 2013 - Present ? ? ?
16 Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 31, 2006 Southern Illinois
16 Jan. 19, 2010 - Dec. 22, 2011 Missouri State
14 Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008 Northern Iowa
11 Nov. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004 Southern Illinois
Let's Go Streaking
Creighton has won 20 straight home games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, the nation's fifth-longest active home win streak. Here's the active top-seven:
Rk. Streak Team Next Home Game
1. Duke 35 Furman, 11/26
2. Gonzaga 27 Saint Joseph's, 11/19
3. N.C. Central 23 College of Faith, 11/18
Arizona 23 UC Irvine, 11/19
5. VCU 20 Toledo, 11/18
Creighton 20 #18 Oklahoma, 11/19
7. Wichita State 18 Newman, 11/23
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish ninth in its first season as BIG EAST Conference members according to a preseason poll of league coaches. Villanova was picked first with 81 points and nine first-place votes, while Georgetown (67, 1), St. John's (65), Xavier (52) and Providence (49) round out the top half. The predicted lower half was Seton Hall (43), Butler (28), Marquette (28), Creighton (25) and DePaul (12).
The ninth-place prognostication is the program's lowest mark since being tabbed 10th of 11 Missouri Valley Conference teams in 1995-96. That team tied for fifth in The Valley. It also snaps a streak of 14 straight years being picked fourth or higher in its preseason league poll.
Creighton did not have any honorees on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Teams, which was led by Preseason Player of the Year D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera from Georgetown.
This marks the first time since 2009-10 that Creighton has not had the Preseason Conference Player of the Year. It's also just the sixth time in the last 20 years that Creighton did not have a first team all-conference honoree in the preseason.
Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns just one regular starter (Austin Chatman) from last year's team that finished 27-8. Creighton's roster contains players who made 49 starts a year ago (also 7 by Will Artino and Avery Dingman last year), and entered the year owning a combined 85 career starts (Chatman 71, Artino 7, Dingman 7).
This year marks just the second time since 1986-87 that Creighton returns one starter or less (also 2007-08; Dane Watts).
Additionally, the 49 starts from a year ago ranks as the second-fewest in the same time span, as the 2007-08 team returned 44 starts prior to its 22-11 campaign.
Returning Returning Starts Final
Year Starters From Previous Year W-L
2014-15 1 49 ? ? ?
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
Consistent Challengers
Last year's Creighton team finished second in the BIG EAST. Including last year, 12 of Creighton's last 17 teams have finished either first or second the regular-season race of league play. Two of the five that didn't won the MVC Tournament.
The Bluejays won the MVC in 2000-01 and 2012-13, tied for the title in 2001-02 and 2008-09. CU was second in the MVC in 1997-98 and 2006-07 and second last year in the BIG EAST, 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, while the 2010-11 club tied for fourth place.
Creighton's League Finishes, Previous 17 Years
1st Place 2000-01, 2012-13 (won MVC Tourn.)
Tied for First 2001-02 (won MVC Tourn.), 2008-09
2nd Place 1997-98, 2002-03 (won MVC Tourn.),
2006-07 (won MVC Tourn.), 2011-12 (won MVC Tourn.), 2013-14
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
Tied for 4th Place 2010-11
NBA Representation
This year marks the first time since 1970 that Creighton has three NBA players at the same time, as Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks), Anthony Tolliver (Phoenix Suns) and Doug McDermott (Chicago Bulls) are all in the league.
Including 2014-15, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 31 of the last 32 years.
Korver ranks 19th in NBA history with 1,538 three-pointers and is also 10th in league history with 42.71 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Nov. 17). Last year he set an NBA record with 127 straight games with a three-pointer, and in 2009-10 he set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range.
Tolliver ranked 15th in the NBA in three-point percentage with the Charlotte Bobcats (41.3 percent) last season.
McDermott is a rookie who was the 11th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, then traded an hour later to the Chicago Bulls.
Key Number From 3-Point Range
Creighton's key number from three-point range seems to be 40 percent.
In the last four years under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 31-18 (.633) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 55-4 (.932) mark the previous three years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 76-9 in the previous three years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 10-13 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.
Last season, Creighton led the nation with 41.4 percent shooting from deep, a figure that ranked ahead of 43 teams overall field goal percentage nationally.
Three-Mendous Shooting
Creighton owned 356 three-pointers last season, most in school history. The 2012-13 club set the previous school standard with 307 in 36 games.
Creighton's 356 three-pointers ranked 11th-best in NCAA single-season history, and led the nation last year.
In addition, Creighton's 41.4 percent marksmanship from three-point range ranked tied for third-best in school history.
Last year's Creighton team owned 173 three-pointers in BIG EAST play alone, breaking a conference record (in league play) of 155 first set by the 2004-05 Notre Dame team.
Nation's Best Offense?
You can make a case that Creighton boasted the nation's best offensive production last year.
Creighton finished the 2013-14 season leading the nation with 41.4 percent marksmanship from three-point range, a 1.80 assist/turnover ratio and 356 three-point field goals.
The Bluejays were second in assists per game (17.5) and three-pointers per game (10.2), fourth in field goal percentage (.497) and total assists (614), 10th in fewest turnovers per game (9.8), 24th in both scoring average (78.7) and winning percentage and 29th in free throw percentage.
Below is where Creighton ranked nationally in the first four years of the Greg McDermott tenure:
Category Stat NCAA Rank
FG Percentage .4897 1st
3FG Percentage .4050 1st
Assists 2,407 1st
Assists/Game 16.60 2nd
3FG Made 1,230 2nd
Assist/Turnover Ratio 1.436 4th
3FG Made/Game 8.483 5th
FG Made 3,809 9th
Wins 107 15th
Winning Pct. .7379 22nd
Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 15 of the last 16 seasons, a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
Just five schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 16 years: Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse.
Along with Kentucky, Creighton is one of two schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 15 of the past 16 years.
That's better than traditional powers Arizona, Connecticut and Memphis (14 each) and also ahead of Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin (13 each).
10 Conference Wins x 18
Last season's Creighton team won 10 or more league games for a 18th consecutive season.
On a national basis, the only other current school with at least 18 straight years of 10 or more league wins is Kansas (20).
Each of the last 18 seasons has seen the team finish fourth place or better in the league standings as well, though all but one of those took place in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Postseason x 17
Creighton has made the postseason in 17 consecutive seasons. The only eight schools to make the postseason in each of the last 17 years are Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Syracuse.
Postseason Win Streak
Thanks to an NCAA Tournament win over Louisiana last spring, the Creighton men's basketball team has now won a postseason game in a school-record seven straight seasons. The previous mark was three in a row from 1962-64.
The following four programs are the only ones that have won a postseason game in seven straight seasons, including 2013-14: Creighton, Kansas, North Carolina and Syracuse.
Eight Out Of 16 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 16 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (12), Duke (10), Winthrop (9) and Creighton (8).
On A Roll
Since the start of 2011-12, Creighton is a remarkable 84-22. On a national basis, Creighton's 84 wins rank tied for 10th entering 2014-15, as seen below.
Most Wins, Since 2011-12
School '11-12 '12-13 '13-14 W-L
Louisville 30-10 35-5 31-6 96-21
Wichita State 27-6 30-9 35-1 92-17
Syracuse 34-3 30-10 28-6 92-19
Florida 26-11 29-8 36-3 91-22
Kansas 32-7 31-6 25-10 88-23
Kentucky 38-2 21-12 29-11 88-25
Gonzaga 26-7 32-3 29-7 87-17
Ohio State 31-8 29-8 25-10 85-26
Michigan State 29-8 27-9 29-9 85-26
Creighton 29-6 28-8 27-8 84-22
New Mexico 28-7 29-6 27-7 84-20
Full House
Last year's Creighton team averaged 17,896 in 16 home dates, good for fifth-nationally, and better than 16 NBA clubs.
It's the eighth straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the third straight season in the top-six nationally in attendance, as well.
2013-14 Attendance Leaders (Final)
Rk. School Average
1. Syracuse 26,253
2. Kentucky 22,964
3. Louisville 21,282
4. North Carolina 18,025
5. Creighton 17,896
6. Indiana 17,358
7. Wisconsin 17,104
8. Ohio State 16,474
9. Kansas 16,437
10. Memphis 16,121
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
Avg. Att. School Year
17,896 Creighton 2013-14
17,152 Creighton 2014-15
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
16,665 Creighton 2011-12
15,930 Creighton 2008-09
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception.
Creighton has one player from Iowa on this season's team (Waukee native Will Artino), continuing a long trend of relying on some of the Hawkeye State's top preps.
Past notable Iowa preps include Doug McDermott (Ames), Grant Gibbs (Marion), Kyle Korver (Pella), Ryan Sears (Ankeny), Brody Deren (Harlan), Tyler McKinney (Urbandale) and Nate Funk (Sioux City).
Creighton has played at least one Iowa prep in 658 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 682 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993.
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.
Halftime Lead A Key
Creighton was 26-0 last year when leading at halftime, but just 1-8 when trailing at intermission.
Dating to 2012-13, Creighton has won 35 straight games when leading at the break.
Streak Week
Creighton ranked fourth nationally in field goal percentage last season, making 49.7 percent of its shots from the floor.
The Bluejays have won 59 straight games when shooting 50.0 percent or better from the field since a loss to Wichita State in 2011.
All-time under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 58-1 when shooting 50.01 percent or better.
Special Senior Class
Last year's senior class featured four men who have graduated and moved on to the professional level; Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat, Doug McDermott and Ethan Wragge.
During the past four years, the Jays went 107-38 while appearing in the postseason every season, claiming the 2012-13 MVC regular-season title, as well as the 2012 and 2013 MVC Tournament titles. The 29 wins in 2011-12 tied a school-record, as are the 57 wins from 2011-13 for a two-year span, the 84 wins from 2011-14 the mark for a three-year span and 107 wins are the most-ever in a four-year span at Creighton.
In those four years the team was 64-7 at home, including a 31-5 mark in league play at home, and that group was part of the first teams in school history to win NCAA Tournament games in consecutive seasons.
The quartet combined for 5,964 points, 2,250 rebounds and 1,062 assists while shooting a combined 872-2013 (43.3%) from three-point range at Creighton.
Most Wins, 3-Year Stretch
W-L Years
84 2011-14
80 2010-13
76 2000-03
72 2001-04
72 2002-05
Most Wins, 4-Year Stretch
W-L Years
107 2010-14
99 1999-03
98 2009-13
97 2008-12
96 2000-04
Closing Strong
Creighton has won 38 straight games when leading with 5:00 to play.
Overall under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 101-4 when leading with 5:00 left, including victories in 63 of the last 64 scenarios. The Bluejays are also 3-0 under McDermott when tied with 5:00 to play.
CU is 5-34 under McDermott when trailing with 5:00 left, with the last such rally coming on Feb. 25, 2011 at Indiana State.
Big Deficits, Big Deal
Creighton owns 11 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including six such comebacks away from home.
On the other hand, CU is 95-5 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 83 of the last 84 times.
Double-Digit Comebacks Under Greg McDermott
Deficit Opponent Date
17 at San Diego State 11/30/11
16 at Evansville 02/16/13
14 Evansville 02/21/12
13 at Saint Joseph's 11/16/13
13 Xavier 01/12/14
12 Saint Joseph's 12/11/10
11 at Wichita State 12/31/11
11 Northern Iowa 01/10/12
11 vs. Alabama 03/16/12
10 UAB 11/14/12
10 vs. Drake 03/02/12
Winning Formulas
Below are the records for each current BIG EAST school over the previous four, eight and 14 (since 2000-01) seasons, ranked by overall wins, entering the 2014-15 season.
The three relative newcomers to the league, Butler, Creighton and Xavier, are at the top of nearly each category.
Most Wins Since 2000-01
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 335 136 .711
Butler 335 135 .713
Xavier 330 135 .710
Marquette 314 151 .675
Villanova 304 162 .652
Georgetown 303 153 .664
Providence 236 204 .536
Seton Hall 228 209 .522
St. John's 213 221 .491
DePaul 181 251 .419
Most Wins - Last 8 Years
Team W L Pct.
Butler 209 73 .741
Creighton 196 84 .700
Xavier 193 81 .704
Marquette 188 89 .679
Georgetown 185 81 .695
Villanova 182 90 .669
Providence 136 123 .525
Seton Hall 132 125 .514
St. John's 131 128 .506
DePaul 90 165 .353
Most Wins - Last 4 Years
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 107 38 .738
Marquette 92 47 .662
Butler 91 51 .641
Georgetown 88 42 .677
Xavier 85 48 .639
Villanova 83 50 .624
Providence 72 61 .541
St. John's 71 60 .542
Seton Hall 66 66 .500
DePaul 42 85 .331
What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 109-38 on the Creighton sideline in his fifth year at the helm. The 109 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first five seasons.
How good are McDermott's 109 wins after four seasons (plus two games)? The only coach to start his Creighton career with more than 108 wins after SIX seasons was Tom Apke (109). Apke also owned the best mark after five seasons, going 93-43 to open his career on the Bluejay sideline.
Most Wins at CU, First Five Seasons
Coach Years W-L After 5 Yrs
Greg McDermott 2010-Pres. 109-38 so far
Tom Apke 1974-78 93-43
Eddie Sutton 1969-73 82-50
Tony Barone 1985-89 78-74
Red McManus 1959-63 78-53
Pizza Pie, Piled High = Wins
Thanks to a promotion with Omaha-based Godfather's Pizza, Creighton season ticket-holders can get a free mini pizza any time the Jays score 75 points at home.
History has proven that when the team earns the fans pizza, it often leads to a victory as well.
The first three years of CenturyLink Center Omaha (2003-06), Creighton needed 70 points to earn its fans free pizza, and the Jays went 27-3 when reaching that threshold, closing out that run with 12 straight wins.
Since upping the standard to 75 points prior to the 2006-07 campaign, Creighton is a perfect 81-0 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
In other words, Creighton is a perfect 93-0 in CenturyLink Center Omaha since Feb. 6, 2005 when scoring enough points to earn its fans some free pizza.
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over five years ago, Creighton is averaging 78.85 points per home game (5,756 points in 73 home games).
That's a vital number since Creighton is 107-0 at home (78-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more and 89-0 at home (62-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000.
Full House
Creighton attracted eight of its 20 largest home crowds in program history last season. 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. 18,797 #6 Villanova 02/16/14
4. 18,742 Seton Hall 02/23/14
5. 18,735 Wichita State 02/11/12
6. 18,613 Wichita State 03/02/13
7. 18,525 Marquette 12/31/13
8. 18,494 Illinois State 02/09/13
9. 18,458 Evansville 12/29/12
10. 18,436 Bradley 01/28/12
11. 18,323 DePaul 02/07/14
12. 18,160 Central Arkansas 11/14/14
13. 18,111 Bradley 02/02/13
14. 18,078 Tulsa 11/23/13
15. 18,073 Drake 01/08/13
16. 17,954 Wichita State 12/28/08
17. 17,740 Alcorn State 11/08/13
18. 17,694 Indiana State 01/05/13
19. 17,676 Northwestern 12/22/11
20. 17,665 Missouri State 12/28/11
Toughest Thing In Sports
Creighton is 24-12 in true road games the previous three years, and 39-17 when you also include neutral site games.
Last year's team was 7-4 in true road games and 4-4 at neutral sites. Each of Creighton's last 11 NCAA Tournament qualifiers have had 10 or more road/neutral wins.
Last Season Recap
Creighton went 27-8 and reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament last season. Creighton was ranked in the Associated Press top-25 in 11-of-20 weeks and finished 16th in the year-end poll.
Doug McDermott swept all 14 National Player of the Year awards after leading the team with 26.7 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per contest. He was also named BIG EAST Player of the Year and wrapped his career as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 points.
Ethan Wragge (10.4 ppg.) was named Honorable-Mention All-BIG EAST after finishing in the top-10 in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage.
The Bluejays led the nation in three-pointers made (356), three-point percentage (41.4) and assist/turnover ratio (1.80).
After earning the program's first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2001, Creighton topped Louisiana before falling to No. 24 Baylor in the third round.
Shuttle Service Provided Again
Chief Bus will provide complimentary shuttle service from the Creighton University campus to CenturyLink 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 CenturyLink 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 CenturyLink 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 2014-15 season went on sale on November 3rd at 10 am.
Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CenturyLink 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.
For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
#18/18 Oklahoma Sooners at Creighton Bluejays
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FOX Sports 1
Series History: Oklahoma leads series, 2-1
Last Time: Oklahoma 106, Creighton 89 on 12/26/86 in Oklahoma City, OK
Next Game
Creighton (2-0) continues its five-game homestand to open the 2014-15 season on Wednesday, Nov. 19 vs. No. 18/18 Oklahoma (1-0).
Tip-off at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7:01 pm Central.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 The Zone) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2014-15 season. John Bishop and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action.
The pregame show “Bluejay Shootaround” is hosted by Josh Peterson and former Bluejay Josh Dotzler, and will air from 6:00 - 6:30 pm.
Following the game, Tim Krueger and Heath Gunderson will host “Overtime” for approximately one hour, while also taking calls from listeners.
The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Wednesday's game will air live nationally on FOX Sports 1. Kevin Kugler and Bill Raftery will announce. It also will be repeated or tape-delayed at the following times and networks:
Nov. 19 11 pm FOX Sports 2
Nov. 19 11 pm FOX Sports Midwest
Nov. 19 11 pm FOX Sports West
Nov. 20 1 am MASN 2
Nov. 20 2 am Root Sports (Northwest Region)
Nov. 20 10 am FOX Sports 1
Nov. 20 2 pm FOX Sports North
Nov. 20 6 pm FOX Sports 2
Nov. 22 1 am FOX Sports Arizona
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Wednesday's game will be available via FOXSportsGO.com for desktop users, and via the FOX Sports GO app for mobile devices (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Window devices). A cable authorization may be required.
The FOX Sports GO mobile app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store or the Windows Store.
GoCreighton.com will also have a free webcast of the postgame press conference.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit GoCreighton.com and click on the Live Stats icon near the top right of the page for a link to the exact URL.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 2-0 on the young season, never trailing in victories over Central Arkansas (104-77) and Chicago State (84-66).
Six players are averaging at least 9.0 points per game so far, led by Will Artino (17.0 ppg., 9.0 rpg.) and Isaiah Zierden (17.0 ppg.). Both Artino and Zierden have had career-highs point totals in each of CU's two games so far.
Not far behind is Cal transfer Rick Kreklow (11.5 ppg.) and redshirt freshman Toby Hegner (10.5 ppg.). In addition, senior guard Devin Brooks (9.0 ppg., 8.0 rpg., 5.5 apg.) leads the team in assists.
Creighton returns 11 lettermen and one starter (Austin Chatman) from last year's 27-8 team that reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season.
The Bluejays are trying to replace the most victorious senior class in program history, as Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat, Doug McDermott and Ethan Wragge combined for 107 wins as well as 5,934 points, 872 three-pointers, 1,062 assists and 2,250 rebounds at CU. All four men are now playing professionally, including McDermott in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls after he averaged 26.7 points per game and swept 14 National Player of the Year awards last winter.
Scouting Oklahoma
Ranked 18th nationally in this week's national polls, Oklahoma returns four starters and 11 lettermen from last year's team that went 23-10 and finished second in the Big 12.
Buddy Hield (25.0 ppg., 7.0 rpg.) made 90 three-pointers a year ago and got his junior season off to a rousing start with 7-for-7 marksmanship from three-point range in Sunday's 78-53 win over Southeastern Louisiana.
Also back are 2013-14 double-figure scorers Isaiah Cousins (14.0 ppg., 10.0 rpg.) and Jordan Woodard (7.0 ppg., 7.0 apg.).
The Sooners got a big boost late Saturday night when Houston transfer TaShawn Thomas (15.4 ppg., 8.1 rpg. last year) was ruled eligible immediately.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his fifth season as head coach at Creighton. He led CU to a 27-8 mark last year, and is 109-38 with the Bluejays. 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 owns a career mark of 389-233 in his 21st season and is 258-169 in his 14th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Patrick Sellers.
Lon Kruger (Kansas State, 1975) is in his fourth season at Oklahoma, where he owns a 59-38 record. The former head coach at Texas-Pan American (1982-86), Kansas State (1986-90), Florida (1990-1996), Illinois (1996-2000), UNLV (2004-11) owns a 515-332 record in 28 years as a college head coach. Kruger was also the head coach with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks from 2000-03. He is assisted by Steve Henson, Lew Hill and 1992 Nebraska-Omaha graduate Chris Crutchfield.
The Series With Oklahoma
Creighton is 1-2 all-time against Oklahoma, including a 1-1 mark in Omaha.
The Bluejays won the first meeting, 27-16, on Jan. 29, 1921. There was slightly more scoring in the last match-up, a 106-89 Oklahoma victory on Dec. 26, 1986, in Oklahoma City.
Greg McDermott is 1-4 in his career all-time against Oklahoma, with all five meetings coming when he was head coach at Iowa State, and being decided by an average of 7.8 points.
Surprisingly for two men who have combined for 49 years of head coaching experience at the college level (1,469 games), McDermott has never faced a Lon Kruger team.
Like Father, Like Son
Both Greg McDermott and Lon Kruger have had memorable seasons coaching their son at the college level.
McDermott coached his son Doug from 2010-14 at Creighton. Along the way, his son was a National Player of the Year, three-time league MVP, and graduated as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 career points. The Bluejays won 107 games in that time, including 23, 27, 28 and 29-win seasons and collecting three NCAA Tournament wins.
Kruger coached his son, Kevin, at UNLV during the 2006-07 season. Anchored by the play of third-team all-MWC son (13.5 ppg., 5.1 apg.), the Rebels would finish 30-7 and reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in their only year together.
Rank And File
Oklahoma comes into CenturyLink Center Omaha ranked 18th nationally in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches poll this week.
The Sooners are the highest-ranked non-conference team to ever face Creighton at CenturyLink Center Omaha, which opened in 2003.
Creighton's last non-conference opponent to come to Omaha while ranked that high was No. 17 Western Kentucky on Nov. 27, 2001. Creighton rallied from an early 37-19 deficit to win that game, 94-91, in double-overtime.
The previous highest-ranked non-conference foe to visit CenturyLink Center Omaha and play Creighton was No. 21 BYU on Dec. 1, 2010, and the previous highest-ranked non-conference foe to fall to the Jays at The Link was No. 24 Xavier on Dec. 9, 2006.
The last team ranked exactly 18th to play Creighton also hailed from the Sooner state, as Creighton topped Oklahoma State 66-60 on Dec. 20, 1998, also at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Against Ranked Teams
Creighton is 20-119 all-time against teams ranked in the Top 25 of the Associated Press poll, as No. 18 Oklahoma is this week. That includes a 12-31 record in Omaha and a 3-2 mark at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Since 1998-99, Creighton is 6-3 at home vs. ranked teams, including a 4-2 mark in non-conference home games against ranked competition.
Though it's been 28 years since Creighton and Oklahoma last met, the last time the teams squared off the Sooners were ranked sixth nationally and topped the Jays 106-89. That OU team featured a front line of Stacey King, Harvey Grant and Darryl “Choo” Kennedy, and was coached by Billy Tubbs.
Greg McDermott is 2-4 as a Creighton coach against ranked teams, with both victories coming against top-10 Villanova last season.
In his Division I coaching career, McDermott is 9-26 against ranked competition, though that improves to 7-10 in home games.
Eyes Of The Committee Upon Us
You can be sure that a high-profile game like Oklahoma/Creighton will attract the eyes of much of the 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee as they begin the task of trying to determine the nation's best at-large candidates for March.
Both Creighton and Oklahoma feature an Athletic Director on that elite committee, as Bruce Rasmussen and Joe Castiglione are part of the 10-person committee that selects the teams for and help administer the tournament.
McDermott, Tisdale Share Common Bond
Only three men in the last 30 years have been named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press in three consecutive seasons: Doug McDermott, Wayman Tisdale and Patrick Ewing.
McDermott graduated from Creighton in 2014 with 3,150 career points, while Tisdale wrapped up his outstanding three-year career in 1985 with 2,661 career points.
Ewing, who like Tisdale wrapped up his career in 1985, played at Creighton's new BIG EAST rival Georgetown.
The Bigger, The Better
Creighton has won 24 straight regular-season home games against teams from the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, BIG EAST, Pac-12 and SEC (at time of game) since the start of the 1996-97 season.
Those 24 wins have been by an average of 11.88 points, with 15 coming by double-digits, and just two decided by fewer than six points.
“Football 5” + BIG EAST Foes at CU, Last 17 Years*
Date Score
03/08/14 Creighton 88, Providence 73
02/23/14 Creighton 72, Seton Hall 71
02/16/14 Creighton 101, #6 Villanova 80
02/07/14 Creighton 78, DePaul 66
01/28/14 Creighton 63, St. John's 60
01/25/14 Creighton 79, Georgetown 66
01/14/14 Creighton 88, Butler 60
01/12/14 Creighton 95, Xavier 89
12/31/13 Creighton 67, Marquette 49
12/22/13 Creighton 68, California 54
12/08/13 Creighton 82, Nebraska 67
12/22/11 Creighton 87, Northwestern 79
12/04/11 Creighton 76, Nebraska 66
12/06/09 Creighton 67, Nebraska 61
11/24/07 Creighton 74, Nebraska 62
11/09/07 Creighton 74, DePaul 62
12/11/05 Creighton 70, Nebraska 44
12/10/03 Creighton 61, Nebraska 54
12/12/01 Creighton 76, Nebraska 70
12/09/99 Creighton 89, Nebraska 72
11/27/99 Creighton 85, #23 Iowa 76
12/20/98 Creighton 66, #18 Oklahoma State 60
12/02/98 Creighton 73, Baylor 59
12/10/97 Creighton 84, Nebraska 73
*regular-season games only
Sooner Or Later For Kreklow
Rick Kreklow began his college career in 2010-11 at Missouri. One of Mizzou's wins that year was an 84-61 victory on Feb. 12 that saw Kreklow make 3-of-4 shots and score seven points. He also had two rebounds and a steal in his 14 minutes of work.
Still Unbeaten
Through games of Monday, Nov. 17th, the BIG EAST was one of two leagues that was still unbeaten. The BIG EAST was off to a 14-0 start, while the Big 12 Conference was also undefeated after a 16-0 start to the winter.
Creighton is part of the BIG EAST, while Oklahoma hails from the Big 12.
Playing With The Lead
Scoring the first point in Wednesday's game could be crucial to victory, as neither Creighton nor Oklahoma have trailed in a regular-season game yet this season.
In 188 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 50 of those contests, a staggering 26.6 percent of the time, including seven wire-to-wire wins last season and two this year.
In Creighton's 20-game home winning streak, Creighton has never trailed in the second half, has led wire-to-wire in 10 of those wins, and trailed for just 36:24 of 800 minutes of action.
What A Difference A Year Makes
The star of Creighton's team last year, Doug McDermott, scored 3,150 points as a Bluejay.
The players on the 2014-15 Creighton team have scored a total of 2,003 career points in a Bluejay uniform entering Wednesday's game.
How Many?
Creighton scored 104 points on Friday night. Of the 20 NBA teams in action last Friday, only five teams scored 104 or more points.
Additionally, of the same 10 NBA games on Friday night, Creighton had a larger attendance than all but four (Celtics, Knicks, Thunder, Lakers) of them.
Only the college level, only attendance giants Kentucky and Syracuse outdrew CU last Friday.
Well-Balanced Diet
Creighton placed six men in double-figures in Friday's win over Central Arkansas. It was the first time CU's had six men in double-figures since Feb. 1, 2012 (McDermott, Gibbs, Manigat, Artino, Echenique, Jones).
Senior Rick Kreklow scored a career-high 18 points, one more than his previous collegiate best while playing for Cal last year vs. Arkansas.
Sophomore Isaiah Zierden had a career-high with 16 points, three more than his previous best. Zierden then exceeded that on Sunday with 18 points.
Senior Will Artino tied a career-high with 14 points. Artino also exceeded his career-high with 20 points in Sunday's win over Chicago State.
Junior James Milliken had 13 points in his Division I debut last Friday.
Not having career-highs, but scoring well were Devin Brooks (12) and Austin Chatman (10). For Brooks, it tied his most points in a game since scoring 14 vs. Xavier on Jan. 12. For Chatman, it was the seventh time in CU's last eight games he's reached twin-figures dating to late last year.
Double-Double Opener
Creighton has won either a conference regular-season title or conference Tournament each of its last seven seasons it has had a player with a double-double in the opener (2012-13, 2001-02, 1999-00, 1998-99, 1990-91, 1989-90, 1988-89).
Each of Creighton's last two players to open the year with a double-double (Doug McDermott in 2012-13 and Kyle Korver in 2001-02) were named MVC Player of the Year and MVC Tournament MVP.
Why does this matter? Because Will Artino had 14 points and 10 rebounds vs. Central Arkansas in this year's opener.
Artino, who played just 17 minutes vs. Central Arkansas, also became the only Bluejay in the last 25 years to have a double-double in 17 minutes or less.
Big Margin Leads To Big Things
This year's Creighton team scored 104 points against Central Arkansas, a good omen for things to come.
Nine of Creighton's 19 all-time NCAA Tournament teams have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
Here's a look at Creighton's last seven teams to score 90 or more in a season-opener.
Final Post-
Score Opponent Date W-L Season
104-77 Central Arkansas 11/14/14 ? ? ? ? ? ?
107-61 Alcorn State 11/08/13 27-8 NCAA
97-65 N. Carolina A&T 11/11/11 29-6 NCAA
106-50 Texas-Arlington 11/17/02 29-5 NCAA
96-50 Western Illinois 11/20/00 24-8 NCAA
93-48 Towson State 11/14/98 22-9 NCAA
93-47 UT-San Antonio 11/30/90 24-8 NCAA
Crowd Control
Creighton's sellout crowd of 18,160 last Friday vs. Central Arkansas was its largest ever for a home-opener. It was also Creighton's largest home crowd for any November game, and the 12th-largest home crowd in program history at the time.
Creighton has sold out 12 of its last 13 regular-season home games.
November Reign
Creighton is a perfect 46-0 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th.
Creighton has won 47 of its 48 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012.
Overall, Creighton is 62-13 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.
Creighton has also won 53 of its last 55 regular-season non-conference home games since falling to Drexel on Feb. 17, 2007.
Crowd Watch
Last year Creighton averaged 17,896 in 16 regular-season games at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Creighton's previous largest home opener attendance in school history was 17,740 last season vs. Alcorn State, but that figure was smashed by the 18,160 that turned out last Friday vs. Central Arkansas.
Oklahoma has lost 11 straight games played in front of 14,000 or more fans dating to a 2011 win at the Big 12 Tournament over Baylor. In addition, the Sooners have not won a true road game before more than 14,000 fans since a March 5, 2005 win at Texas Tech before 15,078 fans.
Creighton is 21-1 in its last 22 games played before 14,000 fans or more.
Quick Starts Key To Playing in Postseason
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 14 of the previous 16 seasons. Each of Creighton's last 15 3-0 starts have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Last season marked the third straight year Creighton has opened 4-0, something last done from 2002-03 to 2004-05. The only other time CU started 4-0 in three straight years had come in a five-year stretch from 1916-17 to 1920-21.
Ditto For Devin
Devin Brooks has near identical numbers this season as he did after two games last year. He had one more point last year (19/18), one more rebound this year (15/16) and one more assist this year (10/11).
Last season Brooks had 16 points in Creighton's third game of the season.
Game 1 Game 2
Stat 2013 2014 2013 2014
Points 15 12 4 6
Rebounds 6 6 9 10
Assists 5 5 5 6
Walk-On the Wild Side
For most programs, a walk-on might not see the court a whole lot. Creighton is not most programs.
In last Friday's win over Central Arkansas, Rick Kreklow led the Bluejays with 18 points.
Dating to last year, it marked the 17th straight game Creighton has been led in scoring by a walk-on.
Kreklow spurned several scholarship offers (including Butler, Nebraska and Missouri) to walk-on at Creighton this year.
Last year Doug McDermott led Creighton in scoring during the final 16 games. He, too, was a walk-on as a senior.
Scholarship senior Will Artino snapped that most unlikely streak on Sunday with a team-high 20 points.
Homestand To Start
Creighton opens the 2014-15 season with a five-game homestand in the friendly confines of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
The homestand matches Creighton's longest to start a season since 1982-83, when CU opened with seven in a row at home. The 2003-04 team also opened with five straight home games.
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Toby Hegner had 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots on Sunday in his second career game.
He's the first Bluejay with a 17-7-2 line since Gregory Echenique in the 2012 MVC Tournament vs. Evansville.
Hegner's predecessor at CU, National Player of the Year Doug McDermott, never had a game with 17-7-2 or better in his career.
Milliken Joins Quad Squad
James Milliken's second career shot was a three-pointer from the corner in which he was also fouled. He would go on to successfully complete the rare four-point play.
In Greg McDermott's five years at Creighton, the only six men to convert a four-point play have been Milliken, Kaleb Korver, Ethan Wragge, Doug McDermott, Avery Dingman and Isaiah Zierden.
Bluejay Debuts
Senior transfer Rick Kreklow and redshirt freshman Toby Hegner both started on Friday vs. Central Arkansas. The last player to start their first game at Creighton had been Grant Gibbs, who started the 2011-12 opener. Gibbs was on his fourth year of college at that point, after spending two years at Gonzaga and redshirting one season at Creighton.
Hegner's start was especially historic, as he became just the third freshman to start since 1992-93, joining Bluejay legends Doug McDermott (2010-11) and Ryan Sears (1997-98).
Hegner became the first freshman in CU history to redshirt his first season, then start the season opener the following year, since freshmen became eligible until 1972-73. McDermott remains the last true freshman to start his first game.
McDermott Sweeps Player of the Year
Doug McDermott swept all 14 National Player of the Year awards handed out by the media in 2013-14.
He was honored by the USBWA (Oscar Robertson Trophy), John R. Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, Adolph F. Rupp Trophy, Associated Press, NABC, CollegeInsider.com Lute Olson Award, Sporting News, Basketball Times, NBCSports.com, CBSSports.com, BleacherReport.com, USA Today and Dick Vitale.
In addition, he was also honored with the Senior CLASS Award that took into account his off-court contributions.
It was McDermott's second year with such lofty honor. As a sophomore, he was named CollegeInsider.com's Lute Olson Player of the Year.
McDermott finished his career last March ranking fifth in NCAA history with 3,150 career points.
NCAA Division I - Most Career Points All-Time
Rk. Name, School Years Points
1. Pete Maravich, LSU 1967-70 3,667
2. Freeman Williams, Portland State 1974-78 3,249
3. Lionel Simmons, La Salle 1986-90 3,217
4. Alphonso Ford, Miss. Valley State 1989-93 3,165
5. Doug McDermott, Creighton 2010-14 3,150
6. Harry Kelly, Texas Southern 1979-83 3,066
7. Keydren Clark, Saint Peter's 2002-07 3,058
8. Hersey Hawkins, Bradley 1984-88 3,008
9. Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati 1957-60 2,973
10. Danny Manning, Kansas 1984-88 2,951
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 188 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 12-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own an 163-25 (.867) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (9-0).
Creighton has outscored its opponents 14,313-12,084 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.86 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 50 different times, including seven times last season and twice already this year.
Creighton is also 23-15 all-time in the 38 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
Creighton is 66-7 (.904 at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 35-2 record vs. non-conference teams.
Factor in a 17-0 home mark at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 and two wins at the Civic in the 2010 CIT, and the Bluejays are 182-25 (.879) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
The streak is also the longest in facility history by Creighton. The school-record for longest home win streak is 28, done from 1917-1920 and again from 2002-04.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest home win streaks in the 12-year history of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Streak Dates Snapped By
20 Feb. 19, 2013 - Present ? ? ?
16 Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 31, 2006 Southern Illinois
16 Jan. 19, 2010 - Dec. 22, 2011 Missouri State
14 Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008 Northern Iowa
11 Nov. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004 Southern Illinois
Let's Go Streaking
Creighton has won 20 straight home games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, the nation's fifth-longest active home win streak. Here's the active top-seven:
Rk. Streak Team Next Home Game
1. Duke 35 Furman, 11/26
2. Gonzaga 27 Saint Joseph's, 11/19
3. N.C. Central 23 College of Faith, 11/18
Arizona 23 UC Irvine, 11/19
5. VCU 20 Toledo, 11/18
Creighton 20 #18 Oklahoma, 11/19
7. Wichita State 18 Newman, 11/23
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish ninth in its first season as BIG EAST Conference members according to a preseason poll of league coaches. Villanova was picked first with 81 points and nine first-place votes, while Georgetown (67, 1), St. John's (65), Xavier (52) and Providence (49) round out the top half. The predicted lower half was Seton Hall (43), Butler (28), Marquette (28), Creighton (25) and DePaul (12).
The ninth-place prognostication is the program's lowest mark since being tabbed 10th of 11 Missouri Valley Conference teams in 1995-96. That team tied for fifth in The Valley. It also snaps a streak of 14 straight years being picked fourth or higher in its preseason league poll.
Creighton did not have any honorees on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Teams, which was led by Preseason Player of the Year D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera from Georgetown.
This marks the first time since 2009-10 that Creighton has not had the Preseason Conference Player of the Year. It's also just the sixth time in the last 20 years that Creighton did not have a first team all-conference honoree in the preseason.
Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns just one regular starter (Austin Chatman) from last year's team that finished 27-8. Creighton's roster contains players who made 49 starts a year ago (also 7 by Will Artino and Avery Dingman last year), and entered the year owning a combined 85 career starts (Chatman 71, Artino 7, Dingman 7).
This year marks just the second time since 1986-87 that Creighton returns one starter or less (also 2007-08; Dane Watts).
Additionally, the 49 starts from a year ago ranks as the second-fewest in the same time span, as the 2007-08 team returned 44 starts prior to its 22-11 campaign.
Returning Returning Starts Final
Year Starters From Previous Year W-L
2014-15 1 49 ? ? ?
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
Consistent Challengers
Last year's Creighton team finished second in the BIG EAST. Including last year, 12 of Creighton's last 17 teams have finished either first or second the regular-season race of league play. Two of the five that didn't won the MVC Tournament.
The Bluejays won the MVC in 2000-01 and 2012-13, tied for the title in 2001-02 and 2008-09. CU was second in the MVC in 1997-98 and 2006-07 and second last year in the BIG EAST, 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, while the 2010-11 club tied for fourth place.
Creighton's League Finishes, Previous 17 Years
1st Place 2000-01, 2012-13 (won MVC Tourn.)
Tied for First 2001-02 (won MVC Tourn.), 2008-09
2nd Place 1997-98, 2002-03 (won MVC Tourn.),
2006-07 (won MVC Tourn.), 2011-12 (won MVC Tourn.), 2013-14
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
Tied for 4th Place 2010-11
NBA Representation
This year marks the first time since 1970 that Creighton has three NBA players at the same time, as Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks), Anthony Tolliver (Phoenix Suns) and Doug McDermott (Chicago Bulls) are all in the league.
Including 2014-15, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 31 of the last 32 years.
Korver ranks 19th in NBA history with 1,538 three-pointers and is also 10th in league history with 42.71 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Nov. 17). Last year he set an NBA record with 127 straight games with a three-pointer, and in 2009-10 he set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range.
Tolliver ranked 15th in the NBA in three-point percentage with the Charlotte Bobcats (41.3 percent) last season.
McDermott is a rookie who was the 11th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, then traded an hour later to the Chicago Bulls.
Key Number From 3-Point Range
Creighton's key number from three-point range seems to be 40 percent.
In the last four years under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 31-18 (.633) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 55-4 (.932) mark the previous three years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 76-9 in the previous three years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 10-13 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.
Last season, Creighton led the nation with 41.4 percent shooting from deep, a figure that ranked ahead of 43 teams overall field goal percentage nationally.
Three-Mendous Shooting
Creighton owned 356 three-pointers last season, most in school history. The 2012-13 club set the previous school standard with 307 in 36 games.
Creighton's 356 three-pointers ranked 11th-best in NCAA single-season history, and led the nation last year.
In addition, Creighton's 41.4 percent marksmanship from three-point range ranked tied for third-best in school history.
Last year's Creighton team owned 173 three-pointers in BIG EAST play alone, breaking a conference record (in league play) of 155 first set by the 2004-05 Notre Dame team.
Nation's Best Offense?
You can make a case that Creighton boasted the nation's best offensive production last year.
Creighton finished the 2013-14 season leading the nation with 41.4 percent marksmanship from three-point range, a 1.80 assist/turnover ratio and 356 three-point field goals.
The Bluejays were second in assists per game (17.5) and three-pointers per game (10.2), fourth in field goal percentage (.497) and total assists (614), 10th in fewest turnovers per game (9.8), 24th in both scoring average (78.7) and winning percentage and 29th in free throw percentage.
Below is where Creighton ranked nationally in the first four years of the Greg McDermott tenure:
Category Stat NCAA Rank
FG Percentage .4897 1st
3FG Percentage .4050 1st
Assists 2,407 1st
Assists/Game 16.60 2nd
3FG Made 1,230 2nd
Assist/Turnover Ratio 1.436 4th
3FG Made/Game 8.483 5th
FG Made 3,809 9th
Wins 107 15th
Winning Pct. .7379 22nd
Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 15 of the last 16 seasons, a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
Just five schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 16 years: Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse.
Along with Kentucky, Creighton is one of two schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 15 of the past 16 years.
That's better than traditional powers Arizona, Connecticut and Memphis (14 each) and also ahead of Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin (13 each).
10 Conference Wins x 18
Last season's Creighton team won 10 or more league games for a 18th consecutive season.
On a national basis, the only other current school with at least 18 straight years of 10 or more league wins is Kansas (20).
Each of the last 18 seasons has seen the team finish fourth place or better in the league standings as well, though all but one of those took place in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Postseason x 17
Creighton has made the postseason in 17 consecutive seasons. The only eight schools to make the postseason in each of the last 17 years are Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Syracuse.
Postseason Win Streak
Thanks to an NCAA Tournament win over Louisiana last spring, the Creighton men's basketball team has now won a postseason game in a school-record seven straight seasons. The previous mark was three in a row from 1962-64.
The following four programs are the only ones that have won a postseason game in seven straight seasons, including 2013-14: Creighton, Kansas, North Carolina and Syracuse.
Eight Out Of 16 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 16 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (12), Duke (10), Winthrop (9) and Creighton (8).
On A Roll
Since the start of 2011-12, Creighton is a remarkable 84-22. On a national basis, Creighton's 84 wins rank tied for 10th entering 2014-15, as seen below.
Most Wins, Since 2011-12
School '11-12 '12-13 '13-14 W-L
Louisville 30-10 35-5 31-6 96-21
Wichita State 27-6 30-9 35-1 92-17
Syracuse 34-3 30-10 28-6 92-19
Florida 26-11 29-8 36-3 91-22
Kansas 32-7 31-6 25-10 88-23
Kentucky 38-2 21-12 29-11 88-25
Gonzaga 26-7 32-3 29-7 87-17
Ohio State 31-8 29-8 25-10 85-26
Michigan State 29-8 27-9 29-9 85-26
Creighton 29-6 28-8 27-8 84-22
New Mexico 28-7 29-6 27-7 84-20
Full House
Last year's Creighton team averaged 17,896 in 16 home dates, good for fifth-nationally, and better than 16 NBA clubs.
It's the eighth straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the third straight season in the top-six nationally in attendance, as well.
2013-14 Attendance Leaders (Final)
Rk. School Average
1. Syracuse 26,253
2. Kentucky 22,964
3. Louisville 21,282
4. North Carolina 18,025
5. Creighton 17,896
6. Indiana 17,358
7. Wisconsin 17,104
8. Ohio State 16,474
9. Kansas 16,437
10. Memphis 16,121
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
Avg. Att. School Year
17,896 Creighton 2013-14
17,152 Creighton 2014-15
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
16,665 Creighton 2011-12
15,930 Creighton 2008-09
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception.
Creighton has one player from Iowa on this season's team (Waukee native Will Artino), continuing a long trend of relying on some of the Hawkeye State's top preps.
Past notable Iowa preps include Doug McDermott (Ames), Grant Gibbs (Marion), Kyle Korver (Pella), Ryan Sears (Ankeny), Brody Deren (Harlan), Tyler McKinney (Urbandale) and Nate Funk (Sioux City).
Creighton has played at least one Iowa prep in 658 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 682 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993.
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.
Halftime Lead A Key
Creighton was 26-0 last year when leading at halftime, but just 1-8 when trailing at intermission.
Dating to 2012-13, Creighton has won 35 straight games when leading at the break.
Streak Week
Creighton ranked fourth nationally in field goal percentage last season, making 49.7 percent of its shots from the floor.
The Bluejays have won 59 straight games when shooting 50.0 percent or better from the field since a loss to Wichita State in 2011.
All-time under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 58-1 when shooting 50.01 percent or better.
Special Senior Class
Last year's senior class featured four men who have graduated and moved on to the professional level; Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat, Doug McDermott and Ethan Wragge.
During the past four years, the Jays went 107-38 while appearing in the postseason every season, claiming the 2012-13 MVC regular-season title, as well as the 2012 and 2013 MVC Tournament titles. The 29 wins in 2011-12 tied a school-record, as are the 57 wins from 2011-13 for a two-year span, the 84 wins from 2011-14 the mark for a three-year span and 107 wins are the most-ever in a four-year span at Creighton.
In those four years the team was 64-7 at home, including a 31-5 mark in league play at home, and that group was part of the first teams in school history to win NCAA Tournament games in consecutive seasons.
The quartet combined for 5,964 points, 2,250 rebounds and 1,062 assists while shooting a combined 872-2013 (43.3%) from three-point range at Creighton.
Most Wins, 3-Year Stretch
W-L Years
84 2011-14
80 2010-13
76 2000-03
72 2001-04
72 2002-05
Most Wins, 4-Year Stretch
W-L Years
107 2010-14
99 1999-03
98 2009-13
97 2008-12
96 2000-04
Closing Strong
Creighton has won 38 straight games when leading with 5:00 to play.
Overall under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 101-4 when leading with 5:00 left, including victories in 63 of the last 64 scenarios. The Bluejays are also 3-0 under McDermott when tied with 5:00 to play.
CU is 5-34 under McDermott when trailing with 5:00 left, with the last such rally coming on Feb. 25, 2011 at Indiana State.
Big Deficits, Big Deal
Creighton owns 11 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including six such comebacks away from home.
On the other hand, CU is 95-5 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 83 of the last 84 times.
Double-Digit Comebacks Under Greg McDermott
Deficit Opponent Date
17 at San Diego State 11/30/11
16 at Evansville 02/16/13
14 Evansville 02/21/12
13 at Saint Joseph's 11/16/13
13 Xavier 01/12/14
12 Saint Joseph's 12/11/10
11 at Wichita State 12/31/11
11 Northern Iowa 01/10/12
11 vs. Alabama 03/16/12
10 UAB 11/14/12
10 vs. Drake 03/02/12
Winning Formulas
Below are the records for each current BIG EAST school over the previous four, eight and 14 (since 2000-01) seasons, ranked by overall wins, entering the 2014-15 season.
The three relative newcomers to the league, Butler, Creighton and Xavier, are at the top of nearly each category.
Most Wins Since 2000-01
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 335 136 .711
Butler 335 135 .713
Xavier 330 135 .710
Marquette 314 151 .675
Villanova 304 162 .652
Georgetown 303 153 .664
Providence 236 204 .536
Seton Hall 228 209 .522
St. John's 213 221 .491
DePaul 181 251 .419
Most Wins - Last 8 Years
Team W L Pct.
Butler 209 73 .741
Creighton 196 84 .700
Xavier 193 81 .704
Marquette 188 89 .679
Georgetown 185 81 .695
Villanova 182 90 .669
Providence 136 123 .525
Seton Hall 132 125 .514
St. John's 131 128 .506
DePaul 90 165 .353
Most Wins - Last 4 Years
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 107 38 .738
Marquette 92 47 .662
Butler 91 51 .641
Georgetown 88 42 .677
Xavier 85 48 .639
Villanova 83 50 .624
Providence 72 61 .541
St. John's 71 60 .542
Seton Hall 66 66 .500
DePaul 42 85 .331
What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 109-38 on the Creighton sideline in his fifth year at the helm. The 109 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first five seasons.
How good are McDermott's 109 wins after four seasons (plus two games)? The only coach to start his Creighton career with more than 108 wins after SIX seasons was Tom Apke (109). Apke also owned the best mark after five seasons, going 93-43 to open his career on the Bluejay sideline.
Most Wins at CU, First Five Seasons
Coach Years W-L After 5 Yrs
Greg McDermott 2010-Pres. 109-38 so far
Tom Apke 1974-78 93-43
Eddie Sutton 1969-73 82-50
Tony Barone 1985-89 78-74
Red McManus 1959-63 78-53
Pizza Pie, Piled High = Wins
Thanks to a promotion with Omaha-based Godfather's Pizza, Creighton season ticket-holders can get a free mini pizza any time the Jays score 75 points at home.
History has proven that when the team earns the fans pizza, it often leads to a victory as well.
The first three years of CenturyLink Center Omaha (2003-06), Creighton needed 70 points to earn its fans free pizza, and the Jays went 27-3 when reaching that threshold, closing out that run with 12 straight wins.
Since upping the standard to 75 points prior to the 2006-07 campaign, Creighton is a perfect 81-0 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
In other words, Creighton is a perfect 93-0 in CenturyLink Center Omaha since Feb. 6, 2005 when scoring enough points to earn its fans some free pizza.
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over five years ago, Creighton is averaging 78.85 points per home game (5,756 points in 73 home games).
That's a vital number since Creighton is 107-0 at home (78-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more and 89-0 at home (62-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000.
Full House
Creighton attracted eight of its 20 largest home crowds in program history last season. 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. 18,797 #6 Villanova 02/16/14
4. 18,742 Seton Hall 02/23/14
5. 18,735 Wichita State 02/11/12
6. 18,613 Wichita State 03/02/13
7. 18,525 Marquette 12/31/13
8. 18,494 Illinois State 02/09/13
9. 18,458 Evansville 12/29/12
10. 18,436 Bradley 01/28/12
11. 18,323 DePaul 02/07/14
12. 18,160 Central Arkansas 11/14/14
13. 18,111 Bradley 02/02/13
14. 18,078 Tulsa 11/23/13
15. 18,073 Drake 01/08/13
16. 17,954 Wichita State 12/28/08
17. 17,740 Alcorn State 11/08/13
18. 17,694 Indiana State 01/05/13
19. 17,676 Northwestern 12/22/11
20. 17,665 Missouri State 12/28/11
Toughest Thing In Sports
Creighton is 24-12 in true road games the previous three years, and 39-17 when you also include neutral site games.
Last year's team was 7-4 in true road games and 4-4 at neutral sites. Each of Creighton's last 11 NCAA Tournament qualifiers have had 10 or more road/neutral wins.
Last Season Recap
Creighton went 27-8 and reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament last season. Creighton was ranked in the Associated Press top-25 in 11-of-20 weeks and finished 16th in the year-end poll.
Doug McDermott swept all 14 National Player of the Year awards after leading the team with 26.7 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per contest. He was also named BIG EAST Player of the Year and wrapped his career as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 points.
Ethan Wragge (10.4 ppg.) was named Honorable-Mention All-BIG EAST after finishing in the top-10 in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage.
The Bluejays led the nation in three-pointers made (356), three-point percentage (41.4) and assist/turnover ratio (1.80).
After earning the program's first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2001, Creighton topped Louisiana before falling to No. 24 Baylor in the third round.
Shuttle Service Provided Again
Chief Bus will provide complimentary shuttle service from the Creighton University campus to CenturyLink 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 CenturyLink 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 CenturyLink 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 2014-15 season went on sale on November 3rd at 10 am.
Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CenturyLink 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.
For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
Players Mentioned
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballCreighton Men's Basketball vs. Utah Tech Press Conference - 12/22/25
Friday, December 19
Creighton Men's Basketball vs. Marquette Press Conference - 12/20/25
Friday, December 19
Greg McDermot Interview After Xavier Win - 12/17/25
Thursday, December 18
Creighton Men's Basketball Highlights vs. Kansas State - 12/13/25
Saturday, December 13
