Men's Basketball Opens BIG EAST Play at Providence on New Year's Eve
12/29/2014 1:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game #14
Creighton Men's Basketball at Providence • Wednesday, December 31, 2014 • 6:31 p.m. CST Dunkin' Donuts Center (12,410) • Providence, R.I.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com, Westwood One
Television: FOX Sports 1
Series History: Providence leads 8-5
Last Time: Providence 65, Creighton 58 on March 15, 2014 in New York City, N.Y.
Next Game
Creighton (9-4) opens BIG EAST Conference play on the road with a New Year's Eve night contest at Providence (10-3).
Tip-off at the Dunkin' Donuts Center (12,410) in Providence, R.I., is scheduled for 6:31 pm Central.
The contest is a rematch of the 2014 BIG EAST Tournament title game won by Providence, 65-58, in New York City.
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 guard Nick Bahe will call the action.
The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Wednesday's game will also air nationally on Westwood One, with Scott Graham and Steve Lappas on the call.
Television Information
Wednesday's game will be televised by FOX Sports 1. Aaron Goldsmith and Tarik Turner will announce.
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.
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 9-4 on the young season, including wins over No. 18 Oklahoma, Nebraska and South Dakota after falling behind by double-figures. Wednesday's game will be CU's first since nearly overcoming 27-point deficit at North Texas on Dec. 21st.
CU is 7-1 at home, but 2-3 away from the friendly confines of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
The Bluejays have had six different leading scorers already, and five men are averaging at least 7.3 points per game.
Two of those men are scoring in double-figures, guards Austin Chatman (13.9 ppg., 4.6 apg., 4.3 rpg.) and Isaiah Zierden (12.2 ppg., 44.0 3FG%).
Doing a little bit of everything has been senior guard Devin Brooks (7.7 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 3.3 apg.), who leads the team in steals and is second in assists and rebounding while continuing to stuff the stat sheet.
Creighton returns 11 lettermen from last year's 27-8 team that reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season. Chatman is the only returning starter from that group.
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 5,964 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 Providence
Providence is 10-3 on the season, including a 7-1 record at home. The Friars own victories over the likes of Florida State, Notre Dame, Miami (Fla.) and Massachusetts, and own losses to Kentucky, Boston College and Brown.
BIG EAST scoring leader LaDontae Henton (20.0 ppg., 5.3 rpg.) leads the Friars in both scoring and rebounding, while Kris Dunn (13.3 ppg., 7.0 apg., 5.2 rpg.) has returned from injury and leads the BIG EAST with 84 assists and 35 steals.
Also scoring at a double-digit clip is Tyler Harris (12.2 ppg., 5.0 rpg.).
The Friars score 70.6 points per game and allow just 61.7 per contest. PC shoots 45.8 percent from the field and has held foes to 41.6 percent shooting, including a 28.8 percent mark from downtown.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his fifth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 116-42 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 396-237 in his 21st season and is 265-173 in his 14th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Patrick Sellers.
Ed Cooley (Stonehill, 1994) is 159-116 in his ninth year as a head coach, including a 67-47 mark in his fourth year at Providence. He was previously coach at Fairfield before replacing Keno Davis four years ago. Cooley is assisted by Andre LaFleur, Brian Blaney and Bob Simon.
The Series With Providence
Providence owns a 8-5 lead in a series that dates back to 1961, including a 5-1 mark in Rhode Island.
Last season the teams met three times. Providence handed CU its first BIG EAST loss ever on Jan. 18 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center before the Bluejays returned the favor on a memorable Senior Night in Omaha as Doug McDermott surpassed 3,000 career points. The Friars then won the rubber match in the BIG EAST Tournament final at Madison Square Garden.
Greg McDermott is 1-2 against Providence and Ed Cooley. Cooley is 2-2 against the Bluejays, as his Fairfield team fell on March 22, 2010 in a CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament game contested at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Last Game
Creighton fell behind 51-24 with 15:00 left at North Texas before a furious rally saw the Bluejays miss four three-point attempts in the final 35 seconds that could have tied it in an eventual 62-58 road loss. Toby Hegner had 13 points to lead CU, while Colin Voss had a game-high 16 points for UNT.
Marathon Coming Up
The BIG EAST Conference will ring in the New Year with a full day of BIG EAST Basketball for the second annual New Year's Eve Tip-Off Marathon on FOX Sports 1. From noon until midnight, fans can watch the debut of the 2014-15 conference slate.
Full schedule for the FS1 broadcast below (all times are Eastern):
• St. John's at Seton Hall Noon
• Butler at Villanova 2:30 p.m.
• Marquette at DePaul 5 p.m.
• Creighton at Providence 7:30 p.m.
• Georgetown at Xavier 10 p.m.
Conference Openers Have Gone Well
Creighton owns a 12-4 record in its last 16 conference openers, including a 67-49 win over Marquette last New Year's Eve in its only BIG EAST opener to date.
Greg McDermott is 7-6 all-time in conference openers as a Division I head coach, including a 3-1 mark at Creighton. He is 4-0 in CU's first conference road game of the season.
Providence has lost its first BIG EAST home game in five straight seasons.
Making An Entrance
Toby Hegner, Rick Kreklow, James Milliken, Leon Gilmore III, Gabriel Connealy and Tyler Clement could each be playing in their first career BIG EAST game on Wednesday night.
Below is a listing of the 14 men to debut in the BIG EAST with a game of 25 or more points.
MOST POINTS - FIRST BIG EAST GAME
41 Steve Novak, Marquette vs. UConn, 1-3-06
32 Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. PC, 12-27-11
30 Troy Murphy, Notre Dame vs. PC, 12-8-98
Allen Iverson, Georgetown vs. PC, 12-7-94
29 Caron Butler, Connecticut vs. BC, 1-3-01
Khalid El-Amin, Connecticut vs. WVU, 12-3-97
Tim Thomas, Villanova vs. PC, 12-4-96
28 Troy Bell, Boston College vs. PC, 1-8-00
Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall vs. UConn, 1-3-08
26 Seldon Jefferson, WVU vs. Georgetown, 12-2-95
Lawrence Moten, Syracuse vs. BC, 1-2-92
25 Craig Smith, Boston College vs. PC, 1-2-03
Jerome Coleman, Rutgers vs. Syracuse, 1-2-02
Steve Rich, Miami vs. Syracuse, 12-22-93
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.
Consistent Challengers
Last year's Creighton team finished second in the BIG EAST, the 17th straight season the Bluejays have finished in the top four of the league standings. 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
Eve of Destruction
Before celebrating the New Year, Creighton will first play at Providence at 7:30 pm Eastern on Dec. 31st.
Creighton lost seven straight New Year's Eve games from 1956 to 2005, but enters Wednesday having won three straight since, with wins on Dec. 31 in 2008 (at Indiana State), 2011 (at Wichita State) and 2013 (Marquette).
Greg McDermott is 6-0 as a Division I head coach on New Year's Eve, including a 2-0 record each at Northern Iowa, Iowa State and Creighton.
Opening On The Road
Wednesday marks just the fifth time in the last 20 seasons that Creighton will open league play away from home. The previous four games have seen the Bluejays produce a 3-1 record.
Combine Wednesday's game at Providence with Saturday's game at Georgetown, and this season marks the first time since 1994-95 that Creighton will start league play with two road games.
When the schedule concludes in March, Creighton will end league play with consecutive home games for the first time since 1998-99.
Don't Give Up Hope
In its last game on Dec. 21, Creighton trailed North Texas 51-24 with 14:13 to play before nearly completing a comeback victory for the ages.
Creighton slowly chipped away at the deficit, cutting it to 14 (51-37) with 9:57 left and to eight (55-47) with 3:29 left.
Still down eight with 1:40 left, Toby Hegner hit a three-pointer, then got a steal on the press and fed an open Isaiah Zierden, who drilled a trey to get CU within two points.
After a free throw by T.J. Taylor pushed UNT's lead to three, Creighton would have four shots to tie it in the final 35 seconds, only to be off the mark each time, as the Mean Green closed out an eventual 62-58 win.
Creighton's largest comeback win under Greg McDermott is 18 (vs. Oklahoma on Nov. 19 after trailing 42-24), and its largest comeback win since 2000 is 19 (Jan. 28, 2006 vs. Wichita State after trailing 25-6).
The largest Division I deficit overcome to win a game was 32 (Duke vs. Tulane in 1950), while the largest second-half deficit in a victory ever is 31 (Duke vs. Tulane in 1950, and also Kentucky vs. LSU in 1994).
Rematch From March
Wednesday's game features a rematch of the 2014 BIG EAST Tournament title game, won by Providence 65-58 at Madison Square Garden.
Last season marked Creighton's 14th all-time appearance in a conference title game (and just its second defeat in those 14 games).
Wednesday, however, will mark just the second time that Creighton opens league play against the same foe. CU won the 2005 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament over Missouri State, then opened MVC play during the 2005-06 campaign with another win over the Bears.
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, through games of Dec. 30, 2014.
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
Butler 345 138
Creighton 344 140
Xavier 339 138
Marquette 322 155
Villanova 316 162
Georgetown 311 156
Providence 246 207
Seton Hall 238 211
St. John's 224 223
DePaul 187 258
Most Wins - Last 10 Years (2005-06 to Present)
Team W L
Butler 239 89
Creighton 225 98
Xavier 223 95
Villanova 222 95
Georgetown 216 94
Marquette 216 104
Seton Hall 160 139
Providence 158 141
St. John's 154 144
DePaul 108 187
Most Wins - Last 4 Years (2011-12 to Present)
Team W L
Creighton 93 26
Marquette 78 36
Georgetown 75 34
Villanova 74 38
Butler 71 44
Xavier 70 43
Providence 67 47
Seton Hall 63 50
St. John's 61 49
DePaul 41 68
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish ninth in its second 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.
Early Birds Get The Win
When Creighton's offense gets rolling under Greg McDermott, the results have been evident. Creighton has won 50 straight games under McDermott when scoring 40 or more points in the first half.
CU has also won 68 straight home games when scoring 40 or more points in the first half dating to a Feb. 3, 2002 loss to Southern Illinois, including a perfect 60-0 mark at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Groselle Makes The Leap To MBA
Redshirt junior center Geoffrey Groselle finished the requirements to earn his undergraduate degree in Financial Analysis in just 3.5 years on December 18th. One day later, he learned that he'd been accepted into Creighton's MBA program, then came out that night and grabbed a career-best six rebounds in 11 first half minutes.
Groselle continued his strong play on Dec. 21 at North Texas, scoring 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
Creighton outscored Texas-Pan American and North Texas by a combined 41 points in 30 minutes with Groselle on the floor last week, but was outscored by 30 points in the 50 minutes without him.
Milliken Reinstated
After being suspended indefinitely on Dec. 16th for an undisclosed violation of teams rules, junior guard James Milliken was reinstated to the team on Dec. 26th.
Milliken has played in 11 games as a reserve this season, averaging 5.7 points per outing. He had a season-high 23 points in Creighton's double-overtime victory over South Dakota on Dec. 9th.
Will The Thrill
Will Artino leads Creighton in both points per 40 minutes (17.3 ppg.) and rebounds per 40 minutes (11.5 rpg.) this season.
Among players to play 100 or more minutes in any season during Greg McDermott's tenure, Artino has consistently put up big numbers.
In those five seasons, a player has averaged at least 10.0 rebounds per 40 minutes nine times, with Artino accounting for four of those seasons.
Most Rebounds Per 40 Minutes, Since 2010-11
(Minimum 100 minutes, Season)
REB/40 Name Year
12.4 Will Artino 2012-13
12.2 Gregory Echenique 2011-12
11.9 Will Artino 2011-12
11.6 Gregory Echenique 2012-13
11.5 Will Artino 2014-15
11.3 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2010-11
10.3 Doug McDermott 2011-12
10.2 Gregory Echenique 2010-11
10.0 Will Artino 2013-14
Moving On Up
Austin Chatman moved into sixth in Creighton history on the career assist chart, and now owns 432 in his career. Only seven previous men in school history have reached 400 career assists as a Bluejay.
With three helpers at North Texas, Chatman passed Tyler McKinney (430) for sixth place. Chatman and McKinney are the only point guards in program history to go 4-0 against Nebraska in their career.
Most Career Assists (Since 1970-71)
Ast. Name Years
570 Ryan Sears 1997-01
549 Ralph Bobik 1971-74
505 Antoine Young 2008-12
498 Grant Gibbs 2011-14
458 Randy Eccker 1974-78
432 Austin Chatman 2011-Pres.
430 Tyler McKinney 2001-05
418 Vernon Moore 1981-85
388 Josh Dotzler 2005-09
382 Duan Cole 1987-92
Higher and Higher
Austin Chatman entered this month with a career-high of 19 points, but in six December contests he's averaged 18.3 points.
Chatman tied his career-high with 19 points in road games against both Tulsa and Nebraska, then upped the ante with 24 points in a Dec. 9 double-overtime win over South Dakota.
All 24 of his points against the Coyotes came in the final 16 minutes of regulation and the overtime sessions.
Of Creighton's 26 points during the overtime, Chatman made or assisted all six field goals, and also drained five of the team's 10 free throws.
He followed that up with another 19 point effort against Saint Mary's on Dec. 14, then threw in 20 more points vs. Texas-Pan American on Dec. 19.
Awesome Austin
Austin Chatman had identical stat lines in two games to start the month. In road games at Tulsa and Nebraska, Chatman had exactly 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists in both games.
Before Chatman, the last time a Creighton player had any game with at least 19/7/6 or more in each category was Ryan Sears at Southern Illinois on Jan. 8, 2000.
Before Chatman, Creighton's last player with two games of 19/7/6 in the same season was Rodney Buford, who did it in 1998-99.
Chatman also became the first Creighton player to own at least a share of the team in lead in points/rebounds/assists in consecutive games since Kyle Korver on Dec. 7 & 14, 2002.
Chatman was also stellar in the win over South Dakota on Dec. 9, finishing with 24 points and eight rebounds. In the process, he became the first Bluejay with 24 points and eight assists in the same game since Sears in the same Jan. 8, 2000 game listed above.
Through games of Sunday, Dec. 28th, Chatman was one of four players nationally, and the only senior with at least 181 points, 55 rebounds and 60 or more assists.
Careful Chatman
Austin Chatman owns a 60/20 assist/turnover ratio (3.00) early this season, a figure that ranks third in the BIG EAST and 27th nationally.
Last season Chatman finished third in the BIG EAST with a 2.6 assist/turnover ratio, good for 29th nationally.
For his career, Chatman owns 432 assists compared to 197 turnovers, good for a 2.19 ratio. The man considered by many to be Creighton's best point guard in recent history, Ryan Sears, finished his career with a 2.26 assist/turnover ratio.
Chatman Of The Boards
Creighton point guard Austin Chatman owned the team lead in rebounds just twice in his first three seasons (106 games) with the Bluejays.
Recently, however, the diminutive Chatman has led Creighton in rebounds in six of the last 11 games.
No other player has led CU in rebounds more than five times this year.
For the season, Chatman is second on the team with 46 defensive rebounds.
More Success At Home
Creighton has won 85 straight home games against teams that enter with a record of .500 or worse. The last team to upset the apple cart was Feb. 25, 2002, when Drake won at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Among The Leaders
A look at where Creighton ranks among the national leaders, through games of Dec. 28th:
-Austin Chatman ranks 48th in total minutes played, 27th in assist/turnover ratio and 43rd in total assists.
-Isaiah Zierden ranks 19th in three-pointers made and 35th in three-point percentage.
-As a team, Creighton ranks 10th in three-pointers made, 21st in free-throw percentage and 17th in three-pointers per game.
Senior Trio Joins Elite Group
Seniors Will Artino, Austin Chatman and Avery Dingman joined some elite company with Creighton's Dec. 7 win at Nebraska, as the trio became the rare Bluejay players to appear in four wins vs. Nebraska.
Creighton's only previous six men to play in four career wins over the Cornhuskers were Kyle Korver, Joe Dabbert, Mike Grimes, Michael Lindeman, Tyler McKinney and Ethan Wragge.
Of those six, only Korver and McKinney had never played in a loss against NU, something Dingman, Artino and Chatman can now claim.
Toughest Thing In Sports
Creighton is 25-14 in true road games the last four years, and 41-20 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.
Creighton is currently 1-2 in true road games this season, and 2-3 away from home when you factor in a pair of games in Niceville, Fla., during the Emerald Coast Classic.
Halftime Lead A Key
Creighton was 26-0 last year when leading at halftime, but just 1-8 when trailing at intermission.
This year's team is 6-1 when leading at half, 3-2 when trailing at halftime and 0-1 when tied at the break.
Creighton has won all but one of its last 40 games played when leading at the half, falling only vs. Ole Miss on Nov. 28, 2014.
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 194 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 12-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own an 168-26 (.866) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (10-0).
Creighton has outscored its opponents 14,751-12,464 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.79 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 52 different times, including seven times last season and four times already this year.
Creighton is also 25-15 all-time in the 40 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
Creighton is 71-8 (.899) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 40-3 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 187-26 (.878) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Creighton's 24-game home win streak that was snapped by Saint Mary's on Dec. 13th was 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
24 Feb. 19, 2013 - Dec. 9, 2014 Saint Mary's
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
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 14 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including three games this year, and seven such comebacks away from home.
On Nov. 19, Creighton trailed 42-24 to No. 18 Oklahoma with 18:30 to go before putting together a comeback for the ages. It was CU's largest comeback victory under Greg McDermott (see chart below), the second-largest since 2000 (see chart below), and the second-biggest in the history of CenturyLink Center Omaha (see chart, left column on page 2).
On the other hand, CU is 100-5 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 88 of the last 89 times.
Double-Digit Comebacks Under Greg McDermott
Deficit Opponent Date
18 #18 Oklahoma 11/19/14
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
10 at Nebraska 12/07/14
10 South Dakota 12/09/14
Largest Double-Digit Comebacks Since 2000
Deficit Opponent Date
19 (25-6) Wichita State 01/28/06
18 (37-19) #17 Western Kentucky 11/27/01
18 (42-24*) #18 Oklahoma 11/19/14
17 (34-17) Missouri State 02/12/03
17 (25-8) DePaul 11/09/07
17 (52-35*) Rhode Island 03/18/08
17 (31-14) at San Diego State 11/30/11
16 (53-37*) TCU 01/26/03
16 (43-28*) at Drake 02/04/06
16 (59-43*) New Mexico 11/16/08
16 (31-15) at Evansville 02/16/13
15 (54-39*) Wichita State 02/02/08
*second half
Come One, Come All
Creighton has thrived when playing in front of large crowds of late.
Creighton is 27-2 in its last 29 games played before 14,000 fans or more.
Since the start of last season, Creighton has seen an average crowd of 14,623 in its 36 victories, and an average crowd of 8,751 in 12 losses.
Winning With Defense...It's True
Creighton held Middle Tennessee to 15 first half points and 47 points overall in its Nov. 29 win over the Blue Raiders.
That defensive effort helped CU withstand a drought of more than 16 minutes without a field goal, and a 3-for-14 second half showing from the field.
Creighton's 57-47 win was its fewest points in a victory since a 57-56 home win over Wichita State on Jan. 16, 2010. CU had been 0-9 under Greg McDermott when scoring 57 or less before the victory, and lost 11 straight overall as a program in that situation.
The 15 points scored by MTSU were the fewest by any Bluejay opponent in a half since Savannah State scored 15 points in the first half on Dec. 16, 2009.
Zierden Earns Honor
Sophomore guard Isaiah Zierden was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Emerald Coast Classic. He led the Bluejays in scoring during three of the four games in the event, including both contests in Florida.
7-Foot Surprise
Redshirt junior center Geoffrey Groselle had the best game of his Bluejay career on Nov. 25th, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting in just 12 minutes of playing time. His play earned him a pair of standing ovations from the more than 17,400+ fans at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Groselle had owned just 44 career points in the first 36 games of his career before his outburst.
Groselle has made 33-of-47 career field goal attempts, good for 70.2 percent.
3-Headed Monster
Creighton has used three men who alternate playing time at the “5” position for most of this season, Will Artino, Zach Hanson and Geoffrey Groselle.
While none of them have stats that might jump off the page individually, as a collective group they're tough to beat, combining for 15.8 points and 9.8 rebounds in 39.8 minutes per game, all while shooting 59.2 percent from the floor.
Name MPG FG-FGA RPG PPG
Artino 16.9 38-71 4.8 7.3
Hanson 14.8 27-44 3.2 5.1
Groselle 8.8 19-27 1.8 3.7
Total 39.8 84-142 9.8 15.8
Quick Starts Key To Playing in Postseason
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 14 of the previous 16 seasons, and has done so once again this winter. Each of Creighton's last 15 3-0 starts have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Creighton also started 5-0 or better for the fourth straight year. The only previous time CU has started 5-0 in four straight years had come in a five-year stretch from 1916-17 to 1920-21.
Balanced Offense
Creighton owns five players who are averaging 7.3 points per game or more this season. Eight players have scored 12 or more points in a game this year, and CU has seen six different leading scorers.
Creighton also has 10 different players with five or more rebounds in a game this year. The Bluejays have had a different player with 10 or more rebounds in four games this season after only having three players with double-figure rebound totals (McDermott, Gibbs, Artino) all last season. Three of those men (Chatman, Milliken, Brooks) are guards.
Rank And File
Creighton jumped into the Associated Press Top 25 on Nov. 24th when the writers tabbed the Bluejays as the nation's 23rd-best team.
Creighton is 86-33 as a ranked team in the AP poll, with a 52-21 mark under Greg McDermott (28-4 at home; 12-10 road; 12-7 neutral).
Poll Position
Creighton is one of 21 teams that have been ranked in the Top 25 in each of the last four seasons.
That select group features Arizona, Baylor, Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, San Diego State, Syracuse, UCLA, UConn, Wichita State and Wisconsin.
Including this week's poll result, Creighton has been ranked 40 times in 86 weeks of AP polls under Greg McDermott, and ranked between 26th-to-28th in nine other AP polls. The 40 weeks in the top-25 under McDermott is more than all other coaches in Bluejay history combined.
Most Weeks in AP Top 25 at CU, By Coach
Greg McDermott, 2010-Pres. 40 (of 86)
Dana Altman, 1994-2010 18
Tom Apke, 1974-81 5
Eddie Sutton, 1969-74 5
Give Me Five
A win over Eastern Illinois on Nov. 25 was Creighton's fifth straight victory this season. The Bluejays have now had at least one five-game win streak in 17 of the last 18 seasons.
Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the NCAA's, NIT or CBI all 19 previous times they've had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the NCAA/NIT/CBI all seven times they haven't.
Including this year, Creighton has started 5-0 or better in 10 of the last 17 years, including four straight campaigns. The only previous time CU started 5-0 in four straight seasons came during a five-year stretch from 1916-17 to 1920-21.
Homestand To Start
Creighton opened the 2014-15 season with a five-game homestand in the friendly confines of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
The homestand matched 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.
Zierden Does It All From I to Z
Isaiah Zierden scored in double-figures just three times in 28 games as a freshman, but he opened his sophomore season with four straight games (and 6-of-7) of 10 or more points.
Creighton had just one player reach double-figures each of the first four games during the previous three seasons, Doug McDermott (2011-12 and 2013-14). McDermott would go on to earn First Team All-American accolades following each campaign.
Zierden is second on the Creighton team with 12.2 points per game and tops the BIG EAST with 2.85 three-pointers per contest.
Hanson Steps Up
Sophomore Zach Hanson had his best game as a Bluejay on Nov. 19 vs. Oklahoma, tying his career-high with nine points while sinking 4-of-4 shots from the floor and adding four rebounds and a steal in 18 minutes of work.
Hanson's basket with 51.4 seconds left and the score tied gave Creighton the lead for good.
Playing With The Lead
Creighton has not trailed in four of its eight home games this season.
In 194 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 52 of those contests, a staggering 26.8 percent of the time, including seven wire-to-wire wins last season and four this year.
During recently-ended Creighton's 24-game home winning streak, Creighton led wire-to-wire in 11 of those wins, and trailed for just 103:04 of 970 minutes of action. Only Oklahoma and South Dakota even led the Bluejays in the second half during that streak.
We Shall Overcome
Creighton trailed by 11 points at halftime in its Nov. 19 comeback win over Oklahoma.
It was the first time Creighton trailed at halftime at home since Feb. 2, 2013 against Bradley. The Jays trailed 30-27 at the break but would go on to win, 75-58.
The 11 point halftime deficit was the largest in a home victory since trailing by 15 in the 2008 NIT against Rhode Island.
Creighton improved to 7-3 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha in games in which it has TRAILED by 10 points or more at halftime.
Backcourt Boarders
Senior guard Austin Chatman had a career-high 11 rebounds in that Nov. 19 win over Oklahoma, three more than his previous career-high of eight.
Chatman became the first Bluejay player with a game of at least 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in the same game at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Link Notes
Creighton is 84-1 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha in games decided by 15 points or more.
Creighton's 71-67 overtime loss to Saint Mary's on Dec. 13 dropped the Bluejays to 34-11 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha in games decided by five points or less.
Creighton is also 14-2 in regular-season home games at CenturyLink Center Omaha decided by two points or less.
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 2,753 career points in a Bluejay uniform entering Wednesday's game.
Last year McDermott averaged 14.0 points in the first half of games. This year, the team's leading scorer (Austin Chatman) averages 14.3 points for an entire game.
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 on Nov. 14, 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 on Nov. 14 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 14 of its last 19 regular-season home games.
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 the season-opening 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.
The streak ended on Nov. 16 vs. Chicago State, but CU has still had a walk-on as a scoring leader for 17 of the past 29 games.
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Toby Hegner had 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots on Nov. 16 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.
Isaiah Zierden became the second player this season to do it when he made a four-point play vs. Middle Tennessee on Nov. 29.
In Greg McDermott's five years at Creighton, the only six men to convert a four-point play have been Milliken, Zierden, Kaleb Korver, Ethan Wragge, Doug McDermott and Avery Dingman.
Of that group, Zierden is the only one to do it twice.
Bluejay Debuts
Senior transfer Rick Kreklow and redshirt freshman Toby Hegner both started on Nov. 14 in the season-opener 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
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
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 (Detroit Pistons) 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 15th in NBA history with 1,594 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 42.90 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Dec. 29). 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 36-20 (.643) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 57-6 (.905) mark the last four years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 82-12 in the past four years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 11-14 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).
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
Creighton was a remarkable 84-22 during the previous three seasons. On a national basis, Creighton's 84 wins ranked 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.
This year's team is sixth nationally in attendance, through games of Dec. 28.
2014-15 Attendance Leaders (through 12/28)
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 22,994 1/6
2. Louisville 21,091 12/30
3. Syracuse 20,999 12/31
4. North Carolina 17,364 12/30
5. Wisconsin 17,279 12/31
6. Creighton 17,037 1/7
7. Kansas 16,565 12/30
8. BYU 16,244 12/29
9. Nebraska 15,630 12/31
10. Indiana 15,414 1/10
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
Avg. Att. School Year
17,896 Creighton 2013-14
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
17,037 Creighton 2014-15
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 669 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 693 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.
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 61 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 59-1 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 previous 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 44 of its last 46 games when leading with 5:00 to play.
Overall under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 107-6 when leading with 5:00 left. The Bluejays are also 3-0 under McDermott when tied with 5:00 to play.
CU is 6-36 under McDermott when trailing with 5:00 left, with the last such rally coming on Nov. 19, 2014 vs. No. 18 Oklahoma.
What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 116-42 on the Creighton sideline in his fifth year at the helm. The 116 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first five seasons.
How good are McDermott's 116 wins after four seasons (plus 13 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. 116-42 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 84-0 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
In other words, Creighton is a perfect 96-0 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 78.41 points per home game (6,194 points in 79 home games).
That's a vital number since Creighton is 108-0 at home (79-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more and 90-0 at home (63-0 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
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.
Creighton Men's Basketball at Providence • Wednesday, December 31, 2014 • 6:31 p.m. CST Dunkin' Donuts Center (12,410) • Providence, R.I.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com, Westwood One
Television: FOX Sports 1
Series History: Providence leads 8-5
Last Time: Providence 65, Creighton 58 on March 15, 2014 in New York City, N.Y.
Next Game
Creighton (9-4) opens BIG EAST Conference play on the road with a New Year's Eve night contest at Providence (10-3).
Tip-off at the Dunkin' Donuts Center (12,410) in Providence, R.I., is scheduled for 6:31 pm Central.
The contest is a rematch of the 2014 BIG EAST Tournament title game won by Providence, 65-58, in New York City.
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 guard Nick Bahe will call the action.
The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Wednesday's game will also air nationally on Westwood One, with Scott Graham and Steve Lappas on the call.
Television Information
Wednesday's game will be televised by FOX Sports 1. Aaron Goldsmith and Tarik Turner will announce.
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.
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 9-4 on the young season, including wins over No. 18 Oklahoma, Nebraska and South Dakota after falling behind by double-figures. Wednesday's game will be CU's first since nearly overcoming 27-point deficit at North Texas on Dec. 21st.
CU is 7-1 at home, but 2-3 away from the friendly confines of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
The Bluejays have had six different leading scorers already, and five men are averaging at least 7.3 points per game.
Two of those men are scoring in double-figures, guards Austin Chatman (13.9 ppg., 4.6 apg., 4.3 rpg.) and Isaiah Zierden (12.2 ppg., 44.0 3FG%).
Doing a little bit of everything has been senior guard Devin Brooks (7.7 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 3.3 apg.), who leads the team in steals and is second in assists and rebounding while continuing to stuff the stat sheet.
Creighton returns 11 lettermen from last year's 27-8 team that reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season. Chatman is the only returning starter from that group.
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 5,964 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 Providence
Providence is 10-3 on the season, including a 7-1 record at home. The Friars own victories over the likes of Florida State, Notre Dame, Miami (Fla.) and Massachusetts, and own losses to Kentucky, Boston College and Brown.
BIG EAST scoring leader LaDontae Henton (20.0 ppg., 5.3 rpg.) leads the Friars in both scoring and rebounding, while Kris Dunn (13.3 ppg., 7.0 apg., 5.2 rpg.) has returned from injury and leads the BIG EAST with 84 assists and 35 steals.
Also scoring at a double-digit clip is Tyler Harris (12.2 ppg., 5.0 rpg.).
The Friars score 70.6 points per game and allow just 61.7 per contest. PC shoots 45.8 percent from the field and has held foes to 41.6 percent shooting, including a 28.8 percent mark from downtown.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his fifth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 116-42 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 396-237 in his 21st season and is 265-173 in his 14th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Patrick Sellers.
Ed Cooley (Stonehill, 1994) is 159-116 in his ninth year as a head coach, including a 67-47 mark in his fourth year at Providence. He was previously coach at Fairfield before replacing Keno Davis four years ago. Cooley is assisted by Andre LaFleur, Brian Blaney and Bob Simon.
The Series With Providence
Providence owns a 8-5 lead in a series that dates back to 1961, including a 5-1 mark in Rhode Island.
Last season the teams met three times. Providence handed CU its first BIG EAST loss ever on Jan. 18 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center before the Bluejays returned the favor on a memorable Senior Night in Omaha as Doug McDermott surpassed 3,000 career points. The Friars then won the rubber match in the BIG EAST Tournament final at Madison Square Garden.
Greg McDermott is 1-2 against Providence and Ed Cooley. Cooley is 2-2 against the Bluejays, as his Fairfield team fell on March 22, 2010 in a CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament game contested at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Last Game
Creighton fell behind 51-24 with 15:00 left at North Texas before a furious rally saw the Bluejays miss four three-point attempts in the final 35 seconds that could have tied it in an eventual 62-58 road loss. Toby Hegner had 13 points to lead CU, while Colin Voss had a game-high 16 points for UNT.
Marathon Coming Up
The BIG EAST Conference will ring in the New Year with a full day of BIG EAST Basketball for the second annual New Year's Eve Tip-Off Marathon on FOX Sports 1. From noon until midnight, fans can watch the debut of the 2014-15 conference slate.
Full schedule for the FS1 broadcast below (all times are Eastern):
• St. John's at Seton Hall Noon
• Butler at Villanova 2:30 p.m.
• Marquette at DePaul 5 p.m.
• Creighton at Providence 7:30 p.m.
• Georgetown at Xavier 10 p.m.
Conference Openers Have Gone Well
Creighton owns a 12-4 record in its last 16 conference openers, including a 67-49 win over Marquette last New Year's Eve in its only BIG EAST opener to date.
Greg McDermott is 7-6 all-time in conference openers as a Division I head coach, including a 3-1 mark at Creighton. He is 4-0 in CU's first conference road game of the season.
Providence has lost its first BIG EAST home game in five straight seasons.
Making An Entrance
Toby Hegner, Rick Kreklow, James Milliken, Leon Gilmore III, Gabriel Connealy and Tyler Clement could each be playing in their first career BIG EAST game on Wednesday night.
Below is a listing of the 14 men to debut in the BIG EAST with a game of 25 or more points.
MOST POINTS - FIRST BIG EAST GAME
41 Steve Novak, Marquette vs. UConn, 1-3-06
32 Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. PC, 12-27-11
30 Troy Murphy, Notre Dame vs. PC, 12-8-98
Allen Iverson, Georgetown vs. PC, 12-7-94
29 Caron Butler, Connecticut vs. BC, 1-3-01
Khalid El-Amin, Connecticut vs. WVU, 12-3-97
Tim Thomas, Villanova vs. PC, 12-4-96
28 Troy Bell, Boston College vs. PC, 1-8-00
Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall vs. UConn, 1-3-08
26 Seldon Jefferson, WVU vs. Georgetown, 12-2-95
Lawrence Moten, Syracuse vs. BC, 1-2-92
25 Craig Smith, Boston College vs. PC, 1-2-03
Jerome Coleman, Rutgers vs. Syracuse, 1-2-02
Steve Rich, Miami vs. Syracuse, 12-22-93
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.
Consistent Challengers
Last year's Creighton team finished second in the BIG EAST, the 17th straight season the Bluejays have finished in the top four of the league standings. 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
Eve of Destruction
Before celebrating the New Year, Creighton will first play at Providence at 7:30 pm Eastern on Dec. 31st.
Creighton lost seven straight New Year's Eve games from 1956 to 2005, but enters Wednesday having won three straight since, with wins on Dec. 31 in 2008 (at Indiana State), 2011 (at Wichita State) and 2013 (Marquette).
Greg McDermott is 6-0 as a Division I head coach on New Year's Eve, including a 2-0 record each at Northern Iowa, Iowa State and Creighton.
Opening On The Road
Wednesday marks just the fifth time in the last 20 seasons that Creighton will open league play away from home. The previous four games have seen the Bluejays produce a 3-1 record.
Combine Wednesday's game at Providence with Saturday's game at Georgetown, and this season marks the first time since 1994-95 that Creighton will start league play with two road games.
When the schedule concludes in March, Creighton will end league play with consecutive home games for the first time since 1998-99.
Don't Give Up Hope
In its last game on Dec. 21, Creighton trailed North Texas 51-24 with 14:13 to play before nearly completing a comeback victory for the ages.
Creighton slowly chipped away at the deficit, cutting it to 14 (51-37) with 9:57 left and to eight (55-47) with 3:29 left.
Still down eight with 1:40 left, Toby Hegner hit a three-pointer, then got a steal on the press and fed an open Isaiah Zierden, who drilled a trey to get CU within two points.
After a free throw by T.J. Taylor pushed UNT's lead to three, Creighton would have four shots to tie it in the final 35 seconds, only to be off the mark each time, as the Mean Green closed out an eventual 62-58 win.
Creighton's largest comeback win under Greg McDermott is 18 (vs. Oklahoma on Nov. 19 after trailing 42-24), and its largest comeback win since 2000 is 19 (Jan. 28, 2006 vs. Wichita State after trailing 25-6).
The largest Division I deficit overcome to win a game was 32 (Duke vs. Tulane in 1950), while the largest second-half deficit in a victory ever is 31 (Duke vs. Tulane in 1950, and also Kentucky vs. LSU in 1994).
Rematch From March
Wednesday's game features a rematch of the 2014 BIG EAST Tournament title game, won by Providence 65-58 at Madison Square Garden.
Last season marked Creighton's 14th all-time appearance in a conference title game (and just its second defeat in those 14 games).
Wednesday, however, will mark just the second time that Creighton opens league play against the same foe. CU won the 2005 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament over Missouri State, then opened MVC play during the 2005-06 campaign with another win over the Bears.
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, through games of Dec. 30, 2014.
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
Butler 345 138
Creighton 344 140
Xavier 339 138
Marquette 322 155
Villanova 316 162
Georgetown 311 156
Providence 246 207
Seton Hall 238 211
St. John's 224 223
DePaul 187 258
Most Wins - Last 10 Years (2005-06 to Present)
Team W L
Butler 239 89
Creighton 225 98
Xavier 223 95
Villanova 222 95
Georgetown 216 94
Marquette 216 104
Seton Hall 160 139
Providence 158 141
St. John's 154 144
DePaul 108 187
Most Wins - Last 4 Years (2011-12 to Present)
Team W L
Creighton 93 26
Marquette 78 36
Georgetown 75 34
Villanova 74 38
Butler 71 44
Xavier 70 43
Providence 67 47
Seton Hall 63 50
St. John's 61 49
DePaul 41 68
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish ninth in its second 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.
Early Birds Get The Win
When Creighton's offense gets rolling under Greg McDermott, the results have been evident. Creighton has won 50 straight games under McDermott when scoring 40 or more points in the first half.
CU has also won 68 straight home games when scoring 40 or more points in the first half dating to a Feb. 3, 2002 loss to Southern Illinois, including a perfect 60-0 mark at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Groselle Makes The Leap To MBA
Redshirt junior center Geoffrey Groselle finished the requirements to earn his undergraduate degree in Financial Analysis in just 3.5 years on December 18th. One day later, he learned that he'd been accepted into Creighton's MBA program, then came out that night and grabbed a career-best six rebounds in 11 first half minutes.
Groselle continued his strong play on Dec. 21 at North Texas, scoring 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
Creighton outscored Texas-Pan American and North Texas by a combined 41 points in 30 minutes with Groselle on the floor last week, but was outscored by 30 points in the 50 minutes without him.
Milliken Reinstated
After being suspended indefinitely on Dec. 16th for an undisclosed violation of teams rules, junior guard James Milliken was reinstated to the team on Dec. 26th.
Milliken has played in 11 games as a reserve this season, averaging 5.7 points per outing. He had a season-high 23 points in Creighton's double-overtime victory over South Dakota on Dec. 9th.
Will The Thrill
Will Artino leads Creighton in both points per 40 minutes (17.3 ppg.) and rebounds per 40 minutes (11.5 rpg.) this season.
Among players to play 100 or more minutes in any season during Greg McDermott's tenure, Artino has consistently put up big numbers.
In those five seasons, a player has averaged at least 10.0 rebounds per 40 minutes nine times, with Artino accounting for four of those seasons.
Most Rebounds Per 40 Minutes, Since 2010-11
(Minimum 100 minutes, Season)
REB/40 Name Year
12.4 Will Artino 2012-13
12.2 Gregory Echenique 2011-12
11.9 Will Artino 2011-12
11.6 Gregory Echenique 2012-13
11.5 Will Artino 2014-15
11.3 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2010-11
10.3 Doug McDermott 2011-12
10.2 Gregory Echenique 2010-11
10.0 Will Artino 2013-14
Moving On Up
Austin Chatman moved into sixth in Creighton history on the career assist chart, and now owns 432 in his career. Only seven previous men in school history have reached 400 career assists as a Bluejay.
With three helpers at North Texas, Chatman passed Tyler McKinney (430) for sixth place. Chatman and McKinney are the only point guards in program history to go 4-0 against Nebraska in their career.
Most Career Assists (Since 1970-71)
Ast. Name Years
570 Ryan Sears 1997-01
549 Ralph Bobik 1971-74
505 Antoine Young 2008-12
498 Grant Gibbs 2011-14
458 Randy Eccker 1974-78
432 Austin Chatman 2011-Pres.
430 Tyler McKinney 2001-05
418 Vernon Moore 1981-85
388 Josh Dotzler 2005-09
382 Duan Cole 1987-92
Higher and Higher
Austin Chatman entered this month with a career-high of 19 points, but in six December contests he's averaged 18.3 points.
Chatman tied his career-high with 19 points in road games against both Tulsa and Nebraska, then upped the ante with 24 points in a Dec. 9 double-overtime win over South Dakota.
All 24 of his points against the Coyotes came in the final 16 minutes of regulation and the overtime sessions.
Of Creighton's 26 points during the overtime, Chatman made or assisted all six field goals, and also drained five of the team's 10 free throws.
He followed that up with another 19 point effort against Saint Mary's on Dec. 14, then threw in 20 more points vs. Texas-Pan American on Dec. 19.
Awesome Austin
Austin Chatman had identical stat lines in two games to start the month. In road games at Tulsa and Nebraska, Chatman had exactly 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists in both games.
Before Chatman, the last time a Creighton player had any game with at least 19/7/6 or more in each category was Ryan Sears at Southern Illinois on Jan. 8, 2000.
Before Chatman, Creighton's last player with two games of 19/7/6 in the same season was Rodney Buford, who did it in 1998-99.
Chatman also became the first Creighton player to own at least a share of the team in lead in points/rebounds/assists in consecutive games since Kyle Korver on Dec. 7 & 14, 2002.
Chatman was also stellar in the win over South Dakota on Dec. 9, finishing with 24 points and eight rebounds. In the process, he became the first Bluejay with 24 points and eight assists in the same game since Sears in the same Jan. 8, 2000 game listed above.
Through games of Sunday, Dec. 28th, Chatman was one of four players nationally, and the only senior with at least 181 points, 55 rebounds and 60 or more assists.
Careful Chatman
Austin Chatman owns a 60/20 assist/turnover ratio (3.00) early this season, a figure that ranks third in the BIG EAST and 27th nationally.
Last season Chatman finished third in the BIG EAST with a 2.6 assist/turnover ratio, good for 29th nationally.
For his career, Chatman owns 432 assists compared to 197 turnovers, good for a 2.19 ratio. The man considered by many to be Creighton's best point guard in recent history, Ryan Sears, finished his career with a 2.26 assist/turnover ratio.
Chatman Of The Boards
Creighton point guard Austin Chatman owned the team lead in rebounds just twice in his first three seasons (106 games) with the Bluejays.
Recently, however, the diminutive Chatman has led Creighton in rebounds in six of the last 11 games.
No other player has led CU in rebounds more than five times this year.
For the season, Chatman is second on the team with 46 defensive rebounds.
More Success At Home
Creighton has won 85 straight home games against teams that enter with a record of .500 or worse. The last team to upset the apple cart was Feb. 25, 2002, when Drake won at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Among The Leaders
A look at where Creighton ranks among the national leaders, through games of Dec. 28th:
-Austin Chatman ranks 48th in total minutes played, 27th in assist/turnover ratio and 43rd in total assists.
-Isaiah Zierden ranks 19th in three-pointers made and 35th in three-point percentage.
-As a team, Creighton ranks 10th in three-pointers made, 21st in free-throw percentage and 17th in three-pointers per game.
Senior Trio Joins Elite Group
Seniors Will Artino, Austin Chatman and Avery Dingman joined some elite company with Creighton's Dec. 7 win at Nebraska, as the trio became the rare Bluejay players to appear in four wins vs. Nebraska.
Creighton's only previous six men to play in four career wins over the Cornhuskers were Kyle Korver, Joe Dabbert, Mike Grimes, Michael Lindeman, Tyler McKinney and Ethan Wragge.
Of those six, only Korver and McKinney had never played in a loss against NU, something Dingman, Artino and Chatman can now claim.
Toughest Thing In Sports
Creighton is 25-14 in true road games the last four years, and 41-20 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.
Creighton is currently 1-2 in true road games this season, and 2-3 away from home when you factor in a pair of games in Niceville, Fla., during the Emerald Coast Classic.
Halftime Lead A Key
Creighton was 26-0 last year when leading at halftime, but just 1-8 when trailing at intermission.
This year's team is 6-1 when leading at half, 3-2 when trailing at halftime and 0-1 when tied at the break.
Creighton has won all but one of its last 40 games played when leading at the half, falling only vs. Ole Miss on Nov. 28, 2014.
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 194 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 12-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own an 168-26 (.866) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (10-0).
Creighton has outscored its opponents 14,751-12,464 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.79 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 52 different times, including seven times last season and four times already this year.
Creighton is also 25-15 all-time in the 40 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
Creighton is 71-8 (.899) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 40-3 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 187-26 (.878) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Creighton's 24-game home win streak that was snapped by Saint Mary's on Dec. 13th was 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
24 Feb. 19, 2013 - Dec. 9, 2014 Saint Mary's
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
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 14 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including three games this year, and seven such comebacks away from home.
On Nov. 19, Creighton trailed 42-24 to No. 18 Oklahoma with 18:30 to go before putting together a comeback for the ages. It was CU's largest comeback victory under Greg McDermott (see chart below), the second-largest since 2000 (see chart below), and the second-biggest in the history of CenturyLink Center Omaha (see chart, left column on page 2).
On the other hand, CU is 100-5 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 88 of the last 89 times.
Double-Digit Comebacks Under Greg McDermott
Deficit Opponent Date
18 #18 Oklahoma 11/19/14
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
10 at Nebraska 12/07/14
10 South Dakota 12/09/14
Largest Double-Digit Comebacks Since 2000
Deficit Opponent Date
19 (25-6) Wichita State 01/28/06
18 (37-19) #17 Western Kentucky 11/27/01
18 (42-24*) #18 Oklahoma 11/19/14
17 (34-17) Missouri State 02/12/03
17 (25-8) DePaul 11/09/07
17 (52-35*) Rhode Island 03/18/08
17 (31-14) at San Diego State 11/30/11
16 (53-37*) TCU 01/26/03
16 (43-28*) at Drake 02/04/06
16 (59-43*) New Mexico 11/16/08
16 (31-15) at Evansville 02/16/13
15 (54-39*) Wichita State 02/02/08
*second half
Come One, Come All
Creighton has thrived when playing in front of large crowds of late.
Creighton is 27-2 in its last 29 games played before 14,000 fans or more.
Since the start of last season, Creighton has seen an average crowd of 14,623 in its 36 victories, and an average crowd of 8,751 in 12 losses.
Winning With Defense...It's True
Creighton held Middle Tennessee to 15 first half points and 47 points overall in its Nov. 29 win over the Blue Raiders.
That defensive effort helped CU withstand a drought of more than 16 minutes without a field goal, and a 3-for-14 second half showing from the field.
Creighton's 57-47 win was its fewest points in a victory since a 57-56 home win over Wichita State on Jan. 16, 2010. CU had been 0-9 under Greg McDermott when scoring 57 or less before the victory, and lost 11 straight overall as a program in that situation.
The 15 points scored by MTSU were the fewest by any Bluejay opponent in a half since Savannah State scored 15 points in the first half on Dec. 16, 2009.
Zierden Earns Honor
Sophomore guard Isaiah Zierden was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Emerald Coast Classic. He led the Bluejays in scoring during three of the four games in the event, including both contests in Florida.
7-Foot Surprise
Redshirt junior center Geoffrey Groselle had the best game of his Bluejay career on Nov. 25th, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting in just 12 minutes of playing time. His play earned him a pair of standing ovations from the more than 17,400+ fans at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Groselle had owned just 44 career points in the first 36 games of his career before his outburst.
Groselle has made 33-of-47 career field goal attempts, good for 70.2 percent.
3-Headed Monster
Creighton has used three men who alternate playing time at the “5” position for most of this season, Will Artino, Zach Hanson and Geoffrey Groselle.
While none of them have stats that might jump off the page individually, as a collective group they're tough to beat, combining for 15.8 points and 9.8 rebounds in 39.8 minutes per game, all while shooting 59.2 percent from the floor.
Name MPG FG-FGA RPG PPG
Artino 16.9 38-71 4.8 7.3
Hanson 14.8 27-44 3.2 5.1
Groselle 8.8 19-27 1.8 3.7
Total 39.8 84-142 9.8 15.8
Quick Starts Key To Playing in Postseason
Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 14 of the previous 16 seasons, and has done so once again this winter. Each of Creighton's last 15 3-0 starts have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
Creighton also started 5-0 or better for the fourth straight year. The only previous time CU has started 5-0 in four straight years had come in a five-year stretch from 1916-17 to 1920-21.
Balanced Offense
Creighton owns five players who are averaging 7.3 points per game or more this season. Eight players have scored 12 or more points in a game this year, and CU has seen six different leading scorers.
Creighton also has 10 different players with five or more rebounds in a game this year. The Bluejays have had a different player with 10 or more rebounds in four games this season after only having three players with double-figure rebound totals (McDermott, Gibbs, Artino) all last season. Three of those men (Chatman, Milliken, Brooks) are guards.
Rank And File
Creighton jumped into the Associated Press Top 25 on Nov. 24th when the writers tabbed the Bluejays as the nation's 23rd-best team.
Creighton is 86-33 as a ranked team in the AP poll, with a 52-21 mark under Greg McDermott (28-4 at home; 12-10 road; 12-7 neutral).
Poll Position
Creighton is one of 21 teams that have been ranked in the Top 25 in each of the last four seasons.
That select group features Arizona, Baylor, Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, San Diego State, Syracuse, UCLA, UConn, Wichita State and Wisconsin.
Including this week's poll result, Creighton has been ranked 40 times in 86 weeks of AP polls under Greg McDermott, and ranked between 26th-to-28th in nine other AP polls. The 40 weeks in the top-25 under McDermott is more than all other coaches in Bluejay history combined.
Most Weeks in AP Top 25 at CU, By Coach
Greg McDermott, 2010-Pres. 40 (of 86)
Dana Altman, 1994-2010 18
Tom Apke, 1974-81 5
Eddie Sutton, 1969-74 5
Give Me Five
A win over Eastern Illinois on Nov. 25 was Creighton's fifth straight victory this season. The Bluejays have now had at least one five-game win streak in 17 of the last 18 seasons.
Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the NCAA's, NIT or CBI all 19 previous times they've had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the NCAA/NIT/CBI all seven times they haven't.
Including this year, Creighton has started 5-0 or better in 10 of the last 17 years, including four straight campaigns. The only previous time CU started 5-0 in four straight seasons came during a five-year stretch from 1916-17 to 1920-21.
Homestand To Start
Creighton opened the 2014-15 season with a five-game homestand in the friendly confines of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
The homestand matched 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.
Zierden Does It All From I to Z
Isaiah Zierden scored in double-figures just three times in 28 games as a freshman, but he opened his sophomore season with four straight games (and 6-of-7) of 10 or more points.
Creighton had just one player reach double-figures each of the first four games during the previous three seasons, Doug McDermott (2011-12 and 2013-14). McDermott would go on to earn First Team All-American accolades following each campaign.
Zierden is second on the Creighton team with 12.2 points per game and tops the BIG EAST with 2.85 three-pointers per contest.
Hanson Steps Up
Sophomore Zach Hanson had his best game as a Bluejay on Nov. 19 vs. Oklahoma, tying his career-high with nine points while sinking 4-of-4 shots from the floor and adding four rebounds and a steal in 18 minutes of work.
Hanson's basket with 51.4 seconds left and the score tied gave Creighton the lead for good.
Playing With The Lead
Creighton has not trailed in four of its eight home games this season.
In 194 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 52 of those contests, a staggering 26.8 percent of the time, including seven wire-to-wire wins last season and four this year.
During recently-ended Creighton's 24-game home winning streak, Creighton led wire-to-wire in 11 of those wins, and trailed for just 103:04 of 970 minutes of action. Only Oklahoma and South Dakota even led the Bluejays in the second half during that streak.
We Shall Overcome
Creighton trailed by 11 points at halftime in its Nov. 19 comeback win over Oklahoma.
It was the first time Creighton trailed at halftime at home since Feb. 2, 2013 against Bradley. The Jays trailed 30-27 at the break but would go on to win, 75-58.
The 11 point halftime deficit was the largest in a home victory since trailing by 15 in the 2008 NIT against Rhode Island.
Creighton improved to 7-3 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha in games in which it has TRAILED by 10 points or more at halftime.
Backcourt Boarders
Senior guard Austin Chatman had a career-high 11 rebounds in that Nov. 19 win over Oklahoma, three more than his previous career-high of eight.
Chatman became the first Bluejay player with a game of at least 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in the same game at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Link Notes
Creighton is 84-1 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha in games decided by 15 points or more.
Creighton's 71-67 overtime loss to Saint Mary's on Dec. 13 dropped the Bluejays to 34-11 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha in games decided by five points or less.
Creighton is also 14-2 in regular-season home games at CenturyLink Center Omaha decided by two points or less.
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 2,753 career points in a Bluejay uniform entering Wednesday's game.
Last year McDermott averaged 14.0 points in the first half of games. This year, the team's leading scorer (Austin Chatman) averages 14.3 points for an entire game.
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 on Nov. 14, 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 on Nov. 14 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 14 of its last 19 regular-season home games.
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 the season-opening 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.
The streak ended on Nov. 16 vs. Chicago State, but CU has still had a walk-on as a scoring leader for 17 of the past 29 games.
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Toby Hegner had 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots on Nov. 16 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.
Isaiah Zierden became the second player this season to do it when he made a four-point play vs. Middle Tennessee on Nov. 29.
In Greg McDermott's five years at Creighton, the only six men to convert a four-point play have been Milliken, Zierden, Kaleb Korver, Ethan Wragge, Doug McDermott and Avery Dingman.
Of that group, Zierden is the only one to do it twice.
Bluejay Debuts
Senior transfer Rick Kreklow and redshirt freshman Toby Hegner both started on Nov. 14 in the season-opener 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
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
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 (Detroit Pistons) 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 15th in NBA history with 1,594 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 42.90 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Dec. 29). 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 36-20 (.643) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 57-6 (.905) mark the last four years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 82-12 in the past four years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 11-14 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).
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
Creighton was a remarkable 84-22 during the previous three seasons. On a national basis, Creighton's 84 wins ranked 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.
This year's team is sixth nationally in attendance, through games of Dec. 28.
2014-15 Attendance Leaders (through 12/28)
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 22,994 1/6
2. Louisville 21,091 12/30
3. Syracuse 20,999 12/31
4. North Carolina 17,364 12/30
5. Wisconsin 17,279 12/31
6. Creighton 17,037 1/7
7. Kansas 16,565 12/30
8. BYU 16,244 12/29
9. Nebraska 15,630 12/31
10. Indiana 15,414 1/10
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
Avg. Att. School Year
17,896 Creighton 2013-14
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
17,037 Creighton 2014-15
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 669 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 693 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.
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 61 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 59-1 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 previous 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 44 of its last 46 games when leading with 5:00 to play.
Overall under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 107-6 when leading with 5:00 left. The Bluejays are also 3-0 under McDermott when tied with 5:00 to play.
CU is 6-36 under McDermott when trailing with 5:00 left, with the last such rally coming on Nov. 19, 2014 vs. No. 18 Oklahoma.
What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 116-42 on the Creighton sideline in his fifth year at the helm. The 116 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first five seasons.
How good are McDermott's 116 wins after four seasons (plus 13 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. 116-42 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 84-0 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
In other words, Creighton is a perfect 96-0 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 78.41 points per home game (6,194 points in 79 home games).
That's a vital number since Creighton is 108-0 at home (79-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more and 90-0 at home (63-0 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
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.
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/ Men's BasketballMeet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
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