Men's Basketball Hosts No. 19 Seton Hall on Saturday
1/8/2015 11:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game #17
#19 Seton Hall at Creighton Men's Basketball
Saturday, January 10, 2015 • 1:15 p.m.
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FOX Sports 1
Series History: Seton Hall leads, 6-3
Last Time: Creighton 72, Seton Hall 71 on Feb. 23, 2014 in Omaha, Neb.
Next Game
Creighton (9-7, 0-3 BIG EAST) concludes a two-game homestand when it hosts No. 19 Seton Hall (12-3, 2-1 BIG EAST) on Saturday afternoon.
Tip-off at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 1:15 p.m.
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 center Brody Deren will call the action.
The pregame show “Bluejay Shootaround” is hosted by Josh Peterson and former Bluejay Josh Dotzler and will air from 11:00 am - 12:45 p.m.
The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Television Information
Saturday's game will be nationally televised by FOX Sports 1. Dick Stockton and Nick Bahe will announce.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Saturday'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 9-7 this season, and 0-3 in BIG EAST play after losing to Providence, Georgetown and DePaul in league action.
Guards Austin Chatman (13.1 ppg., 4.5 apg.) and Isaiah Zierden (11.1 ppg., 41 three-pointers) lead the team in scoring and minutes played, while fellow guard Devin Brooks (7.5 ppg., 5.0 rpg.) tops the club in rebounding.
Creighton is 7-2 this year at home, including a win over then-No. 18 Oklahoma, but 1-4 in true road games and only a win at Nebraska to its credit.
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 #19 Seton Hall
Seton Hall is 12-3 on the season and 2-1 in BIG EAST play. The Pirates moved into the Top-25 at No. 19 after wins last week over nationally-ranked St. John's and Villanova, then lost at Xavier on Wednesday.
Sterling Gibbs leads the Pirates with 16.0 points per game and 3.9 assists per contest. Gibbs has also made a team-high 35 three-point shots, and he makes a BIG EAST-best 47.3 percent of his attempts from behind the arc.
Brandon Mobley averages 10.1 points per game and teams with Angel Delgado (8.8 ppg., 8.7 rpg.) to form a powerful duo inside.
Also playing a big role in SHU's 12-3 start has been Preseason BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Isaiah Whitehead, who is averaging 11.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He's been sidelined since Christmas with a stress fracture in his foot that could sideline him for another week.
The Pirates have scored 70.8 points per game while allowing just 61.3 per contest. SHU holds teams to 39.0 percent shooting from the floor and 25.6 percent from three-point range.
Seton Hall is 8-0 at home and 3-0 at neutral sites this season, but 1-3 in true road games.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his fifth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 116-45 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 396-240 in his 21st season and is 265-176 in his 14th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Patrick Sellers.
Kevin Willard (Pittsburgh, 1997) owns a 78-69 record in his fifth season at Seton Hall, which moves his career mark to 123-120 in eight years as a college head coach. He came to Seton Hall after a three-year stint as Iona head coach. Willard is assisted by Shaheen Holloway, Fred Hill and Dwayne Morton.
The Series With Seton Hall
Seton Hall leads the all-time series with Creighton, 6-3, though Creighton won the only meeting ever in Omaha last February.
Before Creighton's season sweep last year, the teams had met just once in the last 62 years, a 1991 NCAA Tournament contest in Salt Lake City won by the Pirates.
Greg McDermott is 2-0 against Seton Hall and coach Kevin Willard. Willard is 1-2 all-time against Creighton, leading his 2009-10 Iona team to a 63-55 win over the Bluejays at the Old Spice Classic near Orlando, Fla.
Last Game
Creighton lost its fourth straight game, falling 70-60 on Wednesday to DePaul. The Blue Demons made six three-pointers in the first six minutes to bolt to a 20-5 lead, and never looked back. Five of those trifectas came from Forrest Robinson, who tallied career-highs in points (20) and rebounding (9). CU was led by Toby Hegner's 15 points.
Pink Out Auction Closes Sunday
As part of the nationwide American Cancer Society Coaches Vs. Cancer event, men's basketball fans are encouraged to wear pink to promote cancer awareness and participate in the “Creighton Vs. Cancer Pink Out” game when the Bluejays host the Providence Friars on First National Bank Court at CenturyLink Center Omaha on Saturday, January 17 (6:31 p.m., tip-off).
Bluejay players will wear pink shooting shirts and pink jerseys for the game and, like last year's event, fans have the opportunity to honor a friend or family member who has battled cancer or is currently battling cancer by purchasing the apparel via auction (the shooting shirt can be personalized – last name, nickname, etc.).
To participate in the auction, click on this link: http://www.cancer.org/ebay to place a bid. Bidding is now underway and will close at various times in 15-minute increments starting at 6:45 p.m., and ending at 8:30 p.m., on Sunday, Jan. 11th.
The first 16,000 fans entering the venue on January 17 will receive a complimentary pink t-shirt courtesy of CHI Health and Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center. “Pink Out” t-shirts are also available for purchase at the following Lawlor's Custom Sportswear locations: Westroads Mall and the Superstore located at 84th & J Streets.
Last year's Creighton vs. Cancer jersey auction raised more than $48,200, and the past three seasons have seen more than $93,000 raised.
Against Ranked Teams
Creighton is 21-120 all-time against teams that are nationally-ranked in the Associated Press poll, including a 1-1 record this season (beat #18 Oklahoma, lost to #Georgetown). Seton Hall is ranked 19th this week (complete list on page 29).
Greg McDermott is 3-5 at Creighton (2-1 at home) and 10-27 overall (8-10 at home) as a Division I head coach against teams in the AP's top-25.
From 1989-2013, Creighton hosted two ranked MVC teams (Greg McDermott's No. 25 Northern Iowa team in 2006 and No. 22 Drake in 2008). Saturday will mark the second ranked BIG EAST Creighton will host in the past 11 months.
Birds of Prey
Creighton has lost a total of 29 home games in the last 15 seasons, including Wednesday's game vs. DePaul. Following almost every setback, Creighton has taken out its frustration in its next regular-season home game.
Creighton has followed all but two of its previous 28 home losses with a win in its next home game by an average of 15.11 points, including 17 double-digit triumphs.
Since February of 2000, Creighton has suffered consecutive home losses just twice, as it fell to Kent State and Wyoming in 2004 and in 2011 it fell to Missouri State and Wichita State in consecutive home games.
Creighton's Home Losses, Last 15 Years
Home Loss Next Home Game
L 60-70, DePaul Saturday vs. #19 Seton Hall
L 67-71, (OT), St. Mary's W 75-60, Texas-Pan American
L 72-75, Illinois St. W 59-45, Southern Illinois
L 70-83, Boise St. W 80-51, Saint Joseph's
L 68-89, Wichita St. W 81-79, Long Beach State
L 65-77, Missouri St. W 76-59, Drake
L 54-68, Wichita St. W 81-68, Bradley
L 55-67, Missouri St. L 54-68, Wichita State
L 65-77, #21 BYU W 82-75. St. Joseph's
L 63-67, Illinois State W 78-58, Loyola Chicago
L 52-60, N. Iowa W 73-69, Drake
L 63-65, Kentucky W 78-53, Florida A&M
L 62-74, Drake W 73-62, Indiana State
L 66-69, N. Iowa W 73-72 (OT) vs. So. Illinois
L 60-68 (OT), #22 Drake W 65-63, Wichita State
L 67-80, Illinois St. W 77-59, Evansville
L 58-64, Drexel W 71-54, Wichita State
L 57-58, S. Illinois W 71-55, Indiana State
L 52-53, Miami (Fla.) W 78-42, Miss. Valley State
L 67-74, S. Illinois W 67-62, Fresno State
L 71-79, Missouri St. W 83-82, Northern Iowa
L 77-82, Illinois St. W 73-69, Wichita State
L 63-69, S. Illinois W 82-67, Drake
L 64-68, Wyoming W 71-62, Bradley
L 58-67, Kent State L 64-68, Wyoming
L 70-71, Nebraska W 74-40, Alcorn State
L 60-61, S. Illinois W 74-56, Bradley
L 73-75, Drake W 106-50, Texas-Arlington
L 77-79, S. Illinois W 83-56, Northern Iowa
L 65-72, Xavier W 90-65, Miss. Valley State
Been Here Before And Answered The Bell
Creighton doesn't have many four-game losing streaks, as this is the first four-game skid since the 1999-2000 season.
In that same span, other Midwestern schools have had all sorts four-game losing streaks, including Nebraska-Lincoln (13), Iowa (12), Nebraska-Omaha (9), Missouri (4) and Wisconsin (2).
Saturday's foe, Seton Hall, has had 11 losing streaks of four or longer in the same time frame.
Academic Excellence
The Creighton Men's Basketball team owned a cumulative 3.14 GPA in the 2014 Fall semester. The mark is the program's highest figure in records dating back to 1999.
Two men's basketball players, Tyler Clement and Gabriel Connealy, have owned perfect 4.00 GPA's throughout their entire college career.
Overall, Creighton's student-athletes owned a 3.37 GPA in the fall, also a record. Of CU's 279 student-athletes, 126 of them (45.2 percent) made the Dean's List (3.50 or better).
The Best League Around
The BIG EAST Conference was the top-ranked league in the RPI ratings through games of January 7 through WarrenNolan.com, confirming the developing consensus that the league is once again powerful. Noted bracketologist Joe Lunardi has eight BIG EAST teams in his latest projection, more than any other conference.
According to CBS Sports, no league has had more NCAA Tournament bids in the last three seasons than the 21 earned by the BIG EAST.
Below is a list at the top 10:
Rk. Conference RPI
1. BIG EAST .5914
2. Big 12 .5913
3. Atlantic Coast .5722
4. Big Ten .5720
5. Southeastern .5703
6. Pacific 12 .5642
7. Atlantic 10 .5459
8. American Athletic .5287
9. West Coast .5212
10. Missouri Valley .5188
Crowds Keep Coming
Creighton ranks sixth nationally in average home attendance with an average of 16,936 fans per game.
The crowd showed its loyalty to the program on Wednesday night vs. DePaul. Despite a battle of the teams picked ninth and 10th in the preseason BIG EAST poll, a national television broadcast, a three-game losing streak, an 8:01 pm Central start and sub-zero temperatures that forced Omaha schools to close, more than 16,100 fans turned out.
Nobody Does It Like Toby
Toby Hegner led Creighton in scoring on Wednesday, finishing with 15 points. Hegner made a career-high five three-pointers while launching more three-point attempts (12) than any Creighton player at CenturyLink Center Omaha in the building's 195-game history.
Hegner's five three-pointers are tied for the most by any Bluejay this season, as Isaiah Zierden drained five treys vs. Ole Miss on Nov. 28.
Hegner is the first Bluejay freshman with five three-pointers in a game since Jahenns Manigat made 5-of-6 trifectas vs. San Jose State on March 15, 2011.
Similar Start, Similar Finish?
There's some similarities between what Creighton has done this season, and what it did in 1999-2000, when it experienced its last four-game losing streak.
Consider the following...
-Both teams lost their final two games of December and their first two games of January, including a 10-point loss in its second January game.
-Both teams were trying to replace the program's all-time leading scorer. In 1999-2000, that was Rodney Buford. This year, it's Doug McDermott, who finished more than 1,000 points past Buford's mark.
-Both teams were coming off a season where they finished second in league play, advanced to the conference tournament final, and won an NCAA Tournament contest.
-Both teams started 5-0, including a double-digit win over Nebraska and a close win over a Big 12 team (this year it was Oklahoma, in 1999-2000 it was Baylor).
It's worth noting that the 1999-2000 team snapped its losing skid with a win over Southern Illinois and would regroup to win 14 of its 18 games after January 14th to finish 23-10 overall and reach the NCAA Tournament.
The Bigger, The Better
Before falling to DePaul on Wednesday, Creighton had won 25 straight regular-season home games against teams from the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, BIG EAST, Pac-12 and SEC (at time of game) since the start of the 1996-97 season.
Those 25 wins were by an average of 11.48 points, with 15 coming by double-digits, and just three decided by fewer than six points.
“Football 5” + BIG EAST Foes at CU, Last 17 Years*
Date Score
01/07/15 DePaul 70, Creighton 60
11/19/14 Creighton 65, #18 Oklahoma 63
03/08/14 Creighton 88, Providence 73
02/23/14 Creighton 72, Seton Hall 71
02/16/14 Creighton 101, #6 Villanova 80
02/07/14 Creighton 78, DePaul 66
01/28/14 Creighton 63, St. John's 60
01/25/14 Creighton 79, Georgetown 66
01/14/14 Creighton 88, Butler 60
01/12/14 Creighton 95, Xavier 89
12/31/13 Creighton 67, Marquette 49
12/22/13 Creighton 68, California 54
12/08/13 Creighton 82, Nebraska 67
12/22/11 Creighton 87, Northwestern 79
12/04/11 Creighton 76, Nebraska 66
12/06/09 Creighton 67, Nebraska 61
11/24/07 Creighton 74, Nebraska 62
11/09/07 Creighton 74, DePaul 62
12/11/05 Creighton 70, Nebraska 44
12/10/03 Creighton 61, Nebraska 54
12/12/01 Creighton 76, Nebraska 70
12/09/99 Creighton 89, Nebraska 72
11/27/99 Creighton 85, #23 Iowa 76
12/20/98 Creighton 66, #18 Oklahoma State 60
12/02/98 Creighton 73, Baylor 59
12/10/97 Creighton 84, Nebraska 73
*regular-season games only
Keys To Victory...Normally
Greg McDermott noted after last Saturday's game at Georgetown that he would have expected a win if you had told him pregame that Creighton would win the rebound battle by nine (33-24), shoot 29 free throws (making 24), hold Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera to a season-low five points and have behemoth Georgetown center Joshua Smith limited to six points and no rebounds while picking up three fouls in 10 first half minutes.
It was the first time that Creighton had lost a game with a +9 rebound differential since falling to Illinois State on Feb. 9, 2013.
Creighton had not lost a game in which it made 24 or more free throws since Feb. 13, 2010, also to Illinois State. The Bluejays have won 22 straight games when making 25 or more free throws, dating to a Jan. 20, 2007 loss to Southern Illinois.
The Need To Finish
One common theme in Creighton's seven losses this season has been an inability to close the first half and start the second half in strong fashion.
Creighton is 6-0 when it outscores opponents in the last four minutes of the first half, 2-1 when scoring the same number of points, and 1-6 when getting outscored in the final four minutes of the first frame.
In the nine wins, CU owns a 68-39 advantage, but the Jays have been outscored 62-30 in the last four minutes of the first half during its seven losses.
Last 4:00 First 4:00
Opponent End 1st Half Start 2nd half
Central Arkansas UCA 11-9 CU 10-2
Chicago State CU 8-6 CSU 10-3
Oklahoma Tied 4-4 Tied 9-9
NCCU CU 6-2 CU 5-4
EIU CU 7-0 CU 11-6
Ole Miss Tied 7-7 Ole Miss 10-5
MTSU CU 10-2 MTSU 9-4
Tulsa Tulsa 11-0 CU 11-4
Nebraska CU 11-4 NU 6-2
South Dakota CU 7-4 CU 7-6
Saint Mary's SMC 8-4 CU 5-2
Texas-Pan American Tied 6-6 CU 5-4
North Texas UNT 10-6 UNT 11-6
Providence PC 8-4 PC 10-2
Georgetown GU 11-6 GU 8-5
DePaul DPU 7-3 CU 10-8
Trey Troubles
Creighton has uncharacteristically struggled from three-point range during its four-game losing streak, shooting a collective 30-for-113 (26.5 percent) in that span.
For the season, Creighton is shooting 33.4 percent from three-point land, way down from last year's 41.4 percent marksmanship that led the nation.
In the last four years under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 36-23 (.610) 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 82-13 in the past four years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 11-16 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.
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
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 Jan. 9, 2015.
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 346 140
Creighton 344 143
Xavier 341 139
Marquette 323 157
Villanova 318 163
Georgetown 313 157
Providence 248 208
Seton Hall 240 212
St. John's 224 226
DePaul 190 258
Most Wins - Last 10 Years (2005-06 to Present)
Team W L
Butler 240 91
Xavier 225 96
Creighton 225 101
Villanova 224 96
Georgetown 218 95
Marquette 217 106
Seton Hall 162 140
Providence 160 142
St. John's 154 147
DePaul 111 187
Most Wins - Last 4 Years (2011-12 to Present)
Team W L
Creighton 93 29
Marquette 79 38
Georgetown 77 35
Villanova 76 39
Xavier 72 44
Butler 72 46
Providence 69 48
Seton Hall 65 51
St. John's 61 52
DePaul 44 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.
He led Creighton with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the league opener at Providence, playing a career-high 22 minutes. Groselle made his first career start in Saturday's game at Georgetown.
In the last five games, Groselle has averaged 5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in just 69 total minutes, making 11-of-15 field goals (73.3 percent).
Creighton has outscored Texas-Pan American, North Texas, Providence and Georgetown by a combined 25 points in 69 minutes with Groselle on the floor the last five games, but has been outscored by 51 points in the 131 minutes without him.
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 15.5 points and 9.2 rebounds in 39.7 minutes per game, all while shooting 59.6 percent from the floor.
Name MPG FG-FGA RPG PPG
Artino 15.9 43-80 4.6 6.6
Hanson 14.1 34-55 3.0 5.2
Groselle 9.6 25-36 1.7 4.0
Total 39.7 102-171 9.2 15.5
Five Year Plan A Rousing Success
Not only is coach Greg McDermott in his fifth year at Creighton, but so are the two head coaches on the schedule this week: Oliver Purnell (DePaul) and Kevin Willard (Seton Hall).
There were 54 Division I coaches that were hired prior to the 2010-11 season, and of that group, 37 remain at the helm of that same program.
McDermott leads that group with 116 victories to easily lead that group. It's eight more than the man he replaced at Creighton, current Oregon coach Dana Altman and 15 more than the coaches with the third-most wins, through games of Jan. 7.
Head Coaches Hired Prior to 2010-11, Sorted By Wins
School Coach Total W Total L
Creighton Greg McDermott 116 45
Oregon Dana Altman 108 49
Iowa State Fred Hoiberg 101 49
Iona Tim Cluess 101 50
Colorado Tad Boyle 100 56
Robert Morris Andy Toole 95 58
UTEP Tim Floyd 89 54
Boise State Leon Rice 87 59
Indiana State Greg Lansing 85 63
Wright State Billy Donlon 85 67
Iowa Fran McCaffery 85 67
UCF Donnie Jones 84 57
Green Bay Brian Wardle 83 58
Sam Houston State Jason Hooten 82 63
Clemson Brad Brownell 82 64
St. Johns Steve Lavin 82 64
East Carolina Jeff Lebo 80 70
Seton Hall Kevin Willard 78 69
Tulane Ed Conroy 76 69
UC Irvine Russell Turner 76 74
Louisiana-Lafayette Bob Marlin 75 68
Toledo Tod Kowalczyk 72 69
Columbia Kyle Smith 70 63
St. Francis (NY) Glenn Braica 68 69
Northern Colorado B.J. Hill 67 69
Charlotte Alan Major 67 69
Hartford John Gallagher 62 79
Holy Cross Milan Brown 60 75
DePaul Oliver Purnell 51 92
Cornell Bill Courtney 43 86
Illinois-Chicago Howard Moore 43 97
Fordham Tom Pecora 39 92
Howard Kevin Nickelberry 38 102
Chicago State Tracy Dildy 38 106
Dartmouth Paul Cormier 37 89
Citadel Chuck Driesell 37 102
Louisiana-Monroe Keith Richard 31 96
Toughest Thing In Sports
Creighton is 25-16 in true road games the last four years, and 41-22 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 1-4 in true road games this season, and 2-5 away from home when you factor in a pair of games in Niceville, Fla., during the Emerald Coast Classic.
Will The Thrill
Will Artino leads Creighton in rebounds per 40 minutes (11.5 rpg.) and is second in points per 40 minutes (16.5 ppg.) 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
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 14 games as a reserve this season, averaging 5.8 points per outing. He had a season-high 23 points in Creighton's double-overtime victory over South Dakota on Dec. 9th.
Moving On Up
Austin Chatman has moved into sixth in Creighton history on the career assist chart, and now owns 443 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
443 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 December with a career-high of 19 points, but in seven December contests he averaged 17.3 points, including five games of 19 or more.
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 of December. 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 January 7th, Chatman was one of seven players nationally, and one of two seniors (Utah's Delon Wright) with at least 209 points, 64 rebounds and 71 or more assists.
Careful Chatman
Austin Chatman owns a 71/27 assist/turnover ratio (2.63) early this season, a figure that ranks third in the BIG EAST and 44th 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 443 assists compared to 204 turnovers, good for a 2.17 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.
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 Jan. 7th:
-Austin Chatman ranks 27th in total minutes played, 44th in assist/turnover ratio and 48th in total assists.
-Isaiah Zierden ranks 31st in three-pointers made and 57th in three-point percentage.
-As a team, Creighton ranks 10th in three-pointers made, 10th in free-throw percentage and 24th 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.
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, 3-5 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, and is 94-11 overall under Greg McDermott when up after 20 minutes.
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 195 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 12-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own an 168-27 (.862) 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 14,811-12,534 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.68 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 25-16 all-time in the 41 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
Creighton is 71-9 (.888) 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 187-27 (.874) 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 five).
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 27-3 in its last 30 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 9,417 in 15 losses.
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 39-of-56 career field goal attempts, good for 69.6 percent.
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 seven players who are averaging 5.2 points per game or more this season. Ten players have scored 11 or more points in a game this year, and CU has seen eight 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.
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 in 40 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
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.
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 11.1 points per game and tops the BIG EAST with 2.56 three-pointers per contest.
Playing With The Lead
Creighton has not trailed in four of its nine home games this season.
In 195 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 52 of those contests, a staggering 26.7 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 7-4 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, with one of those wins coming in last year's 72-71 victory over Seton Hall.
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 2,927 career points in a Bluejay uniform entering Saturday'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 13.1 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
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
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 1,611 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 42.95 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Jan. 7). 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.
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).
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 Jan. 7.
2014-15 Attendance Leaders (through 1/7)
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 23,111 1/13
2. Syracuse 20,809 1/11
3. Louisville 20,886 1/13
4. North Carolina 18,211 1/10
5. Wisconsin 17,279 1/15
6. Creighton 16,936 1/10
7. Kansas 16,490 1/10
8. BYU 16,378 1/8
9. Nebraska 15,549 1/8
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
16,936 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 672 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 696 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 6-39 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 116-45 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 in his fifth season? 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. 116-45 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 78.18 points per home game (6,254 points in 80 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.
