Men's Basketball Opens BIG EAST Play at St. John's on New Year's Eve

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Game #14 • Creighton at St. John's • Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015 • 1:15 p.m. CST
Carnesecca Arena (5,602) • Queens, N.Y.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1
Series History: St. John's leads, 7-4
Last Meeting: St. John's 84, Creighton 66 on Feb. 7, 2015 in New York City, N.Y.

Next Game
The Creighton men's basketball team (9-4, 0-0 BIG EAST) opens its third season of BIG EAST play when it visits St. John's (7-6, 0-0 BIG EAST) on Thursday afternoon for a New Year's Eve showdown.
   The game will be held on the St. John's campus in Queens, N.Y., inside Carnesecca Arena (5,602).
   Tip-off is scheduled for 1:15 pm Central.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 The Zone) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2015-16 season. John Bishop and former Bluejay Josh Dotzler will call the action.
   Prior to the game, Corey Lathrop and Matthew Dorwart will host "Bluejay Shootaround", beginning at 11 am.
   Following the game, Tim Krueger and Ravi Lulla will host "Overtime" for approximately one hour, while also taking calls from listeners.
   The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Monday's game will air live nationally on FS1, which can be found in Omaha on Cox Cable channel 78 (1078 in HD).
   Justin Kutcher and Donny Marshall will announce.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Monday'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, and the games are now available internationally.
   GoCreighton.com/watch also has a free video webcast of the postgame press conference following all home games.

Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.
   Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 9-4 on the season, including a 7-1 mark at home and a 2-0 mark on neutral floors. CU has not trailed at any point of its last four home games, double-figure victories over Nebraska (83-67), IUPUI (90-65), North Texas (105-82) and Coppin State (102-77).
   The Bluejays are scoring an impressive 87.4 points per game (seventh nationally), with all five starters averaging at least 9.8 in points per game.
   Boston University transfer Maurice Watson Jr. leads Creighton with 6.4 assists per contest and 12.5 points per game, while Geoffrey Groselle tops the club with 6.9 rebounds per game and is second with 12.2 points per contest. He's made 16-of-17 field goals in the past two games.
   Also at or near double-figures are remaining starters Cole Huff (11.5 ppg.), Isaiah Zierden (11.4 ppg., 1.5 spg.) and Khyri Thomas (9.8 ppg.).
   The Bluejays return nine lettermen and one starter (Toby Hegner) from last year's team that finished 14-19 and tied for ninth in the BIG EAST with a 4-14 league mark.
   The Bluejays got a head start on the season this summer with 10 practices in Omaha in July and three games in Italy in August.

Scouting St. John's
St. John's is 7-6 on the season, including a 6-2 mark at home (5-2 at Carnesecca Arena), but have lost three in a row (Incarnate Word, NJIT and South Carolina ) heading into league play since a win over Syracuse.
   Freshman Federico Mussini leads the Red Storm in scoring (14.0 ppg.), assists (2.7 apg.) and steals (1.3 spg.) per game, while also draining a team-high 30 three-point baskets and topping the club in free-throw percentage (.829).
   Durand Johnson, a graduate transfer from Pitt, is second on the team with 11.6 points per contest, 16 steals and 19 three-point baskets.
   Three others average in the neighborhood of eight points a game, Ron Mvouika (8.8 ppg.), Christian Jones (8.5 ppg.) and Yankuba Sima (8.4 ppg.). Sima is tied for the national lead with 46 blocked shots.
   SJU had all five starters depart from last year's NCAA Tournament team that finished 21-12.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his sixth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 130-61 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 410-256 in his 22nd season and is 279-192 in his 15th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
   Chris Mullin (St. John's, 1998) owns a 7-6 record in his first season at St. John's, which also doubles as his career mark. The three-time BIG EAST Player of the Year and NBA Hall of Famer, who led St. John's to the 1985 Final Four, returned to his alma mater in the spring in place of Steve Lavin. Mullin is assisted by Barry Rohrssen, Matt Abdelmassih and Greg St. Jean.

The Series With St. John's
St. John's leads the all-time series with Creighton by a 7-4 count, including a 6-0 mark in New York.
   The teams have traded wins and losses over the past seven meetings, and if the trend holds, Creighton will win on Thursday.
   Greg McDermott is 2-2 against St. John's and has never faced Chris Mullin.

Eve of Destruction
Before celebrating the New Year (in Omaha, after chartering home after Thursday's game), Creighton will first play at St. John's at 2:15 pm Eastern on Dec. 31st.
   Creighton lost seven straight New Year's Eve games from 1956 to 2005, but enters Thursday having won three of its last four since, with wins on Dec. 31 in 2008 (at Indiana State), 2011 (at Wichita State) and 2013 (home vs. Marquette) before last year's loss (at Providence).
   Greg McDermott is 6-1 as a Division I head coach on New Year's Eve, including a 2-0 record at both Northern Iowa and Iowa State and a 2-1 mark on New Year's Eve as Creighton coach.

Conference Openers Have Gone Well
Creighton owns a 12-5 record in its last 17 conference openers, including a 67-49 win over Marquette on New Year's Eve in 2013 in its first BIG EAST game in program history.
   Greg McDermott is 7-7 all-time in conference openers as a Division I head coach, including a 3-2 mark at Creighton (1-1 in the BIG EAST). He is 4-1 in CU's first conference road game of the season.
   St. John's has lost its first BIG EAST game, as well as its first BIG EAST home game, in three straight seasons since a Dec. 27, 2011 win over Providence in Queens.
   Creighton is looking to avoid starting 0-1 in league play during consecutive seasons for the first time since 1993-94 and 1994-95.

Opening On The Road
Thursday marks just the sixth time in the last 21 seasons that Creighton will open league play away from home. The previous five games have seen the Bluejays produce a 3-2 record.
   Thursday will mark the first time that Creighton has played league openers on the road in back-to-back seasons since 1994-95 and 1995-96.

Making An Entrance
Marlon Stewart, Khyri Thomas, Ronnie Harrell Jr., Cole Huff, Malik Albert and Maurice Watson Jr. could each play in their first career BIG EAST game on Thursday.
   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

Looking For The First
Though Creighton's completed just two full BIG EAST seasons, there's only three road sites in the league that it has not yet picked up a conference road win.
   Creighton is winless in two trips to St. John's (both at Madison Square Garden), two trips to Providence, and two trips to Georgetown.
   Creighton is 2-0 at DePaul, and 1-1 at the other five league schools.
   Creighton is 0-6 all-time in road games against St. John's, including four games during the 1960's long before the BIG EAST was formed.

Standard Five
Creighton has used the same starting line-up in every game this season, and they're not the only BIG EAST team that can say so.
   Joining the Bluejays with a familiar starting five every game have been Butler, Georgetown and Xavier.

Century Mark Back-to-Back
Creighton scored 105 points on Dec. 21st against North Texas, then had 102 more on Monday vs. Coppin State.
   Creighton had not scored 100 points or more in consecutive games since Jan. 29 (104 at Idaho State) and Feb. 2 (115 vs. Memphis) during the 1965-66 season, and had not scored 100 points twice in the same month since February of 1990. Creighton has not scored 100+ points three times in the same month since January of 1966.
   Creighton has never scored 100 points in three straight games, and has not scored 100 or more points in a road game since Dec. 18, 1989 in a 106-86 win at UMKC.

Speaking of 100
Creighton has scored 100 points or more in three different games this season. It's the fourth different season in program history it's done that, and first time since 1989-90's squad did it three times.
   The 1965-66 team cracked the century mark seven times, while the 1971-72 club reached triple-digits five times.

The Fast And The Furious
Creighton has 165 fast break points already this winter. By comparison, last year Creighton had a total of 143 fast break points (4.3 per game), and never had more than 11 in any contest.
   Creighton had a whopping 30 fast break points in its Nov. 14 win over Texas Southern, added 24 more on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA.
   Creighton's 30 fast break points are believed to be its most since moving to CenturyLink Center Omaha in 2003, with the next highest mark on file (before Texas Southern on Nov. 14) was listed as 24 vs. Kennesaw State on Nov. 26, 2010.

Balance Is Key
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 13 games in recent seasons.
   Of note, Creighton has started 8-5 or better after 13 games in 18 of the past 19 seasons.
   This year's team, with four double-figure scorers, is the first time since 1994-95 that Creighton has had more than three players scoring in double-figures after 13 games.
   Creighton's 87.4 points per game clip is the team's highest mark after 13 games not just in 20 years, but in history. Creighton's single-season record is 88.2 points per game in 1965-66, though that team was averaging 85.5 points per game after 13 contests.
   Creighton's 50.6 percent field goal percentage through 13 games is the third-best mark in the last 20 years, trailing only the 2002-03 and 2012-13 teams that were led by Kyle Korver and Doug McDermott, respectively.
   Creighton's 121 three-pointers through 13 games are tied for its second-most in the last 20 years, as well.
Year   W-L   PPG   FG%   3FG   10+ PPG guys
2015-16   9-4   87.4   .506   121   4
2014-15   9-4   72.2   .431   116   2
2013-14   11-2   81.7   .485   149   2
2012-13   12-1   79.5   .508   119   2
2011-12   11-2   83.1   .501   119   2
2010-11   9-4   67.1   .431   89   3
2009-10   5-8   70.3   .441   101   2
2008-09   11-2   76.2   .446   112   3
2007-08   10-3   75.3   .460   104   2
2006-07   8-5   66.8   .429   73   2
2005-06   9-4   70.4   .424   98   3
2004-05   9-4   68.8   .431   103   2
2003-04   12-1   71.4   .465   81   1
2002-03   12-1   82.4   .510   121   1
2001-02   8-5   77.1   .451   78   3
2000-01   10-3   75.2   .441   100   3
1999-00   9-4   71.2   .453   103   2
1998-99   10-3   76.4   .465   106   2
1997-98   8-5   75.6   .468   91   2
1996-97   5-8   64.4   .397   70   2
1995-96   6-7   64.8   .391   71   2
1994-95   5-8   64.0   .389   84   4

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton has averaged 87.4 points per game in its first 13 regular-season contests to date.
   St. John's is 1-6 when allowing 74 points or more this winter.
   Greg McDermott is 35-0 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 29-0 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   In fact, McDermott's team has already scored 90 or more points eight times (in 13 games) this season, compared to six total times in 280 games on the sideline in nine years at Northern Iowa and Iowa State.
   Creighton has won 73 straight games when scoring 90 or more points at all sites since a Jan. 11, 1988 loss to Southern Illinois.
   Creighton is 52-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 24 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas State.

The Link Turns Into The Dunk Tank
Creighton has put down 32 dunks in 13 regular-season games as a unit this year. By comparison, Creighton had 29 dunks in 33 games all last season.
   Seven different men have thrown down a dunk this winter, led by 10 each from Khyri Thomas and Geoffrey Groselle.

So Many Weapons
Creighton had seven players score in double-figures in Monday's win over Coppin State, as Geoffrey Groselle (16), Isaiah Zierden (16), Cole Huff (14), Malik Albert (13), Khyri Thomas (10), Maurice Watson Jr. (10) and Zach Hanson (10) all had 10 or more points.
   It was the first time since at least 1980-81 that Creighton has had seven men score 10 or more points in the same game.
   It's also the first time since Nov. 21, 2010 that all five Bluejay starters scored in double-figures in the same contest.
   Albert's 13 points were a season-high, and make him the 11th different Bluejay with score 10 or more points in a game this season.

Guarded Optimism
Creighton's starting backcourt of Maurice Watson Jr., Khyri Thomas and Isaiah Zierden combined for 17 assists and one turnover in the win over Coppin State. That trio also made 7-of-9 three-point baskets.
   For the season, Watson, Thomas and Zierden have combined for 33.7 points per game and are shooting a combined 53-for-116 from three-point range (45.7 percent) while owning a combined 145/61 (2.38) assist/turnover ratio.

Offensive-Minded
Creighton ranks seventh nationally in scoring offense, averaging 87.4 points per game. Five of the nation's top nine teams in scoring offense are also ranked in the top-15 in this week's AP poll.
National Scoring Offense Leaders (through 12/28)
   Rk.   Team   PPG   AP Rank
   1.   The Citadel   93.1   -
   2.   Butler   89.9   9th
   3.   Indiana   89.1   RV
   4.   Oakland   88.4   -
   5.   Kansas   88.0   2nd
   6.   Duke   87.8   15th
   7.   Creighton   87.4   --
   8.   North Carolina   87.1   7th
   9.   Oklahoma   87.0   3rd

Groselle Good As Gold
Geoffrey Groselle went 8-for-9 against North Texas, then followed it with an 8-for-8 showing from the floor vs. Coppin State.
   That moved his field goal percentage to 73.3 percent, best in the BIG EAST (teammate Zach Hanson is second at 67.2 percent).
   Among players with five field goal attempts per game, to have played in 75 percent of their team's games, Groselle's field goal percentage ranks second nationally.
FG Percentage Leaders (through 12/28)
   Rk.   Team       FG%
   1.   Tyler Davis, Texas A&M   .780
   2.   Geoffrey Groselle, Creighton   .733
   3.   Tacko Fall, UCF       .732
   4.   Thomas Bryant, Indiana   .720
   5.   Jakob Poetl, Utah       .712

Quest For 16,000, Completed
Creighton has scored 16,097 points all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha, surpassing the 16,000 mark last Monday vs. Coppin State.
    Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 16,097 to 13,572 at the 13-year old facility in 211 all-time games in the building that count.
    Creighton is 15-1 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone at CenturyLink Center Omaha, as seen below:
Date   Pts-Opp (CLCO Game #)   Who/How vs. Opp.
02/18/04   1,000-787 (14)   Lindeman FG vs. Indiana State
02/05/05   2,000-1,696 (28)   Funk FG vs. Missouri St.
01/18/06   3,000-2,504 (41)   Watts FT vs. Bradley
01/09/07   4,000-3,359 (56)   Tolliver FG vs. Drake
12/17/07   5,000-4,174 (69)   Ka. Korver 3FG vs. Hou. Baptist
11/16/08   6,000-5,048 (82)   Dotzler FG vs. New Mexico
02/11/09   7,000-5,870 (95)   Witter 3FG vs. Bradley
01/16/10   8,000-6,750 (109)   Young FG vs. Wichita State
12/20/10   9,000-7,645 (123)   Wragge FG vs. W. Illinois
03/23/11   10,000-8,500 (136)   Lawson FG vs. UCF
01/21/12   11,000-9,310 (148)   McDermott FG vs. Ind. St.
12/19/12   12,000-10,136 (161)   Echenique FG vs. Tulsa
11/23/13   13,000-10,922 (173)   Artino FG vs. Tulsa
02/23/14   14,000-11,711 (185)   Gibbs FG vs. Seton Hall
01/28/15   15,000-12,612 (198)   Hanson FT vs. St. John's
12/28/15   16,000-13,498 (211)   Huff FG vs. Coppin State

Playing With The Lead
In 211 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 58 of those contests, a staggering 27.5 percent of the time, including six times (UTSA, Western Illinois, Nebraska, IUPUI, North Texas and Coppin State) this year.
   Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 80-16 and hasn't trailed in 33 of those games.
   Creighton has not trailed in either of its last four home games (wins over Nebraska, IUPUI, North Texas and Coppin State), hasn't trailed in 10 of its last 13 December home games, and hasn't trailed in 14 of 26 all-time December home games under Greg McDermott.

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 726 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the 23rd-longest active streak.
   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.
   Creighton's streak of games with at least 15 trey attempts stands at 89, which is second-longest nationally.
   Courtesy Stats Inc., below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks, through games of Dec. 28.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (thru 12/28)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   953   UNLV   12/30
   2.   950   Kentucky   1/2
   3.   942   Vanderbilt   12/30
   4.   923   Duke   12/30
   5.   884   Western Kentucky   1/3
   6.   880   Arkansas   12/30
   7.   870   East Tennessee State   12/30
   8.   868   Pacific   12/31
   9.   847   Oakland   12/30
   10.   836   Texas   12/29
   11.   825   Princeton   12/29
   12.   808   Florida   12/29
   13.   788   La Salle   12/31
       788   Marshall   1/3
   15.   777   Baylor   12/29
   16.   756   Cornell   1/2
   17.   755   LIU-Brooklyn   12/29
   18.   750   Gonzaga   12/31
   19.   736   Tennessee State   12/29
   20.   735   Mount St. Mary's   12/29
   21.   733   Samford   12/29
   22.   729   East Carolina   1/2
   23.   726   Creighton   12/31
   24.   690   Lafayette   12/30
   25.   688   DePaul   12/30
   26.   681   Davidson   1/2

Longest Active Streaks of 15+ 3FG Attempts
(Source: STATS Inc., thru Dec. 28)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   148   Coppin State   12/30
   2.   89   Creighton   12/31
   3.   80   Iona   1/2
   4.   78   San Jose State   12/30
   5.   70   Lipscomb   12/29

McDermott Moves Into Top Four
CU's Dec. 9 win over Nebraska was the 127th on the Creighton sideline for head coach Greg McDermott. The triumph helped McDermott pass Eddie Hickey for fifth in Creighton history in wins.
   Nineteen days later on Dec. 28, McDermott tied Tom Apke (1974-81), who had 130 wins for fourth place on the wins list.
   McDermott's .681 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more 80 years ago.
   McDermott reached 130 wins quicker than any coach except Schabinger, as well.
   Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton MBB coaches in history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk.   W-L   Name (games to 130 wins)   Years
1.   327-176   Dana Altman (220)   1994-2010
2.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger (182)   1922-35
3.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus (242)   1959-69
4.   130-64   Tom Apke (193)   1974-81
   130-61   Greg McDermott (191)   2010-Pres.
6.   126-71   Eddie Hickey   1935-43, '46-47

Watson Chasing Milestones
Though he's still relatively new to Creighton, that doesn't mean that Maurice Watson Jr. isn't close to reaching a couple big milestones at the collegiate level.
   Watson owns 162 points and 83 assists at Creighton this season, and when combined with his 800 points and 410 assists in two seasons at Boston University, now owns career collegiate totals of 962 points and 493 assists.
   Only two players have ever attained 1,000 points and 500 assists (all with CU) during their Creighton careers, Ryan Sears (1,309/570) and Antoine Young (1,342/505). Both Sears and Young got there as seniors.

Speaking Of Watson
Maurice Watson Jr. had 29 assists and 19 turnovers in Creighton's first five games, but he's taken better care of the ball since the team's return from Las Vegas in late November.
   Since then, Watson has 54 assists and 13 turnovers.
   Overall, Watson's 2.59 assist/turnover ratio this year ranks sixth in the BIG EAST (min. 2.5 assists per game), and his career ratio (including Boston) of 2.20 assists per turnover ranks sixth-best nationally among active players with 400 or more career assists.
   That ratio ranks better that such highly-touted point guards such as Marcus Paige (2.13), Nic Moore (2.11), Ryan Arcidiacono (2.04), Yogi Ferrell (2.02) and Kris Dunn (1.84).

Double R's, Double L's, Double-Double Harrell
With Toby Hegner and Martin Krampelj out of the line-up, Ronnie Harrell Jr. took advantage of an opportunity to play extended minutes on Dec. 21 vs. North Texas.
   Harrell, who entered the game with 16 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and two steals in his first six career games, had career-highs with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two steals against the Mean Green.
   Harrell became the first Creighton freshman with a double-double since Doug McDermott had 31 points and 10 rebounds against Davidson in the 2011 CBI.
   Since Greg McDermott took over as coach six years ago, the only other Creighton player with at least 14 points, 11 rebounds and five or more assists was Austin Chatman. Chatman had 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in Creighton's 65-63 win over Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014.

Big Men In The Middle
Geoffrey Groselle and Zach Hanson were a big part of Creighton's 105-82 romp over North Texas on Dec. 21, as both men went for career-highs and combined for 40 points on 14-of-15 shooting from the floor, adding five blocked shots.
   Groselle's 27 points were seven more than his previous best and came on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor and 11-of-14 free throw marksmanship.
   Hanson's 13 points were two more than his previous best. He was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor and also 1-for-2 at the line.
   The duo continued their effectiveness on Monday vs. Coppin State. Groselle was a perfect 8-for-8 from the floor and added nine rebounds, while Hanson was 3-for-4 from the floor. Both men added two blocked shots.

Home Sweet Home
Creighton has averaged 93.8 points per game at home this season. CU has shot 50 percent or better in all eight games, and 54.6 percent overall.
   Creighton is also shooting 42.3 percent from three-point land at home, and has made 10 or more trifectas in six of the eight contests.
   Making the high-octane offense all the more impressive is that the team is doing it while averaging just 10.5 turnovers per game, slightly more than the team's 10.0 three-pointers per contest.

Dynamite Starts For Newcomers
A pair of newcomers are among Creighton's leading scorers through 13 games, as Cole Huff has 149 points and Maurice Watson Jr. has 162.
   Since 1995-96, Watson's figure leads all Creighton newcomers through 13 games, five more than Doug McDermott's 157 points.
   McDermott would finish his career with 3,150 in 145 career games to rank fifth in NCAA history.
   Khyri Thomas owns 128 points to date. CU's only other freshmen since 1995-96 to score 128 points or more after 13 games are McDermott, P'Allen Stinnett, Rodney Buford and Ryan Sears all of whom would go on to be named MVC Freshman of the Year.
Most Points, Newcomers First 13 Games Since 1995-96
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year   After 14
   162   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16   TBD
   157   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11   185
   149   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16   TBD
   148   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08   161
   145   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11   148
   145   Rodney Buford, Fr.   1995-96   157
   142   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02   146
   131   Ryan Sears, Fr.   1997-98   142
   128   Darryl Ashford, Jr.   2009-10   134
   128   Doug Swenson, Jr.   1997-98   138
   128   Khyri Thomas, Fr.   2015-16   TBD
   118   Nick Porter, Jr.   2005-06   128
   117   Edward St. Fleur, Jr.   1995-96   129

Pace Makers
Creighton ranks seventh nationally in scoring offense, averaging 87.4 points per game to date.
   This year's team has scored 83 points or more in all nine victories, significantly better than last year's team that reached 85 just twice all winter.
   Since 2000-01, Creighton owns 54 games of 85+ points in the eight seasons it has made the NCAA Tournament, compared to 19 such outbursts in the seven years it has missed the Big Dance.
Year   85+ Point Games   Postseason?
2015-16   8   TBD
2014-15   2   None
2013-14   12   NCAA
2012-13   7   NCAA
2011-12   13   NCAA
2010-11   3   CBI
2009-10   2   CIT
2008-09   3   NIT
2007-08   6   NIT
2006-07   0   NCAA
2005-06   2   NIT
2004-05   1   NCAA
2003-04   1   NIT
2002-03   11   NCAA
2001-02   6   NCAA
2000-01   4   NCAA

Assists Are Elementary For Watson
Maurice Watson Jr. had his second game this season with 10 assists on Dec. 12th against IUPUI. Watson had six such games at Boston University in his first two years as a collegian.
   Watson is the first Bluejay with two games of 10 or more assists in the same season since Austin Chatman had two in 2012-13.
   Since 2001-02, the only Bluejay with more than two games of 10+ assists in the same year has been Grant Gibbs, who had three such games in 2011-12.

Khyri Lets It Fly
Khyri Thomas had the best scoring game of his young career on Dec. 5 when he poured in 22 points at Loyola (Chicago). Thomas sank 9-of-10 shots from the field, and was 4-for-4 from three-point range.
   Thomas' 22 points were the most by a Bluejay freshman in a game since Doug McDermott had 31 vs. Davidson on March 21, 2011, and the most points by a Creighton freshman in a true road game since Rodney Buford also scored 22 points at Wichita State on Feb. 3, 1996.
   Thomas' 90 percent marksmanship from the field was the second-best single-game showing by a Bluejay (minimum 8 FG) since 1994, trailing only an 11-for-11 outing from Anthony Tolliver vs. Illinois State on Jan. 1, 2007.
   Thomas' 4-for-4 showing from three-point range was the most makes without a miss from downtown since Devin Brooks also went 4-for-4 from deep on Nov. 28, 2013 vs. Arizona State.
   Creighton hasn't had a player go 5-for-5 (or better) from three-point range since Michael Lindeman was 5-for-5 vs. Bradley on Feb. 8, 2003.
   Thomas had made 11 of his last 14 three-point attempts and 14-of-21 overall. He leads the BIG EAST in three-point percentage (66.7 percent).

Triple Threat
Khyri Thomas entered the Dec. 9 game vs. Nebraska with five total assists in Creighton's first eight games, but the freshman guard would match that total in the first 14 minutes, and tallied seven helpers overall.
   Thomas finished with seven points, seven assists and nine rebounds against the Cornhuskers. He is just the third Bluejay in Greg McDermott's six-year tenure to post at least seven points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the same game, joining Austin Chatman and Grant Gibbs. Both Chatman and Gibbs did it twice each.
   Creighton has never had a traditional point/rebound/assist triple-double.
7+ Point, 7+ Rebound, 7+ Assist Games, Since 2010-11
   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Name   Date
   12   10   7   Grant Gibbs   1/13/12
   12   7   9   Austin Chatman   11/11/13
   9   7   10   Grant Gibbs   12/19/11
   9   7   7   Austin Chatman   1/25/14
   7   9   7   Khyri Thomas   12/9/15

Full House
Creighton's Dec. 9 crowd of 17,766 was the program's 18th largest home crowd ever. 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.   17,971   #19 Butler   02/16/15
   17.   17,954   Wichita State   12/28/08
   18.   17,766   Nebraska   12/09/15
   19.   17,740   Alcorn State   11/08/13
   20.   17,694   Indiana State   01/05/13

Huff Earns MVP Honor
Nevada transfer Cole Huff returned to the Silver State and picked up MVP honors of the 2015 Men Who Speak Up Main Event after averaging 19.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in the two wins.
   Huff made 13-of-25 field goal attempts, including 7-of-15 three-pointers. He scored 26 points in the victory over Rutgers before a 12-point effort over UMass in the title game.

What's Your Twenty?
Creighton has had five different players score 20 points or more this season, as Isaiah Zierden, Cole Huff, Maurice Watson Jr., Khyri Thomas and Geoffrey Groselle (twice) have all reached that mark.
   By comparison, last year Creighton had five players all year reach 20+ points (Austin Chatman, James Milliken, Toby Hegner, Will Artino and Zierden), and in the two previous years had only three players surpass 20 points in any game.

Thomas Makes History
Khyri Thomas opened his Creighton career with 18 points in a win over Texas Southern, which earned him BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors on Nov. 16th.
   Thomas is the first Bluejay in program history to be named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week.
   Creighton's last player to be named league Freshman/Newcomer of the Week following the first week of the season was Doug McDermott on Nov. 15, 2010, when CU was in the Missouri Valley Conference. McDermott would go on to be named First-Team All-MVC and, MVC Newcomer of the Year and MVC Freshman of the Year.

Among The Best
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, which coincides with Greg McDermott's arrival, Creighton has been the nation's third-most accurate team from three-point range.
   The Bluejays are 1614-4097 from deep in that time, shooting 39.4 percent from deep in that span.
Best 3FG%, Since 2010-11
Rk.   Pct.   Team   3FG   3FGA
1.   .3945   Weber State   1365   3460
2.   .3941   Indiana   1304   3309
3.   .3937   Creighton   1613   4097
4.   .3934   Northern Colorado   1141   2900
5.   .3894   UC Davis   1324   3400

Shooting Stars
Creighton has proven to be one of the nation's best shooting teams since the 2010-11 season, which coincides with when Greg McDermott arrived at Creighton.
   Check out the lists below that show various categories showcasing their dominance, through Dec. 28:
Most Games, 50% FG & 40% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   66   Creighton
2.   56   Kansas
   56   Gonzaga
4.   54   Denver
   54   Saint Mary's

Most Games, 50% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   44   Creighton
2.   39   Northern Colorado
3.   38   UCLA
   38   Northeastern
   38   Michigan State
   38   Weber State

Most Games, 40% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   100   Creighton
2.   95   Duke
3.   91   Indiana
4.   90   Weber State
5.   86   Saint Mary's

Most Games, 50% FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   91   Gonzaga
2.   86   Kansas
3.   83   Creighton
4.   82   Belmont
5.   78   Indiana

Most Games, 60% FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   16   Creighton
   16   Ohio State
3.   15   Utah
4.   14   Kansas
   14   Gonzaga

Most Games, 25+ Assists
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   17   Michigan State
2.   16   North Carolina
3.   15   Iona
4.   14   Creighton
   14   Sam Houston State

A 60 Point Half!
Creighton scored 61 points in the first half on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA, tying a CenturyLink Center Omaha record first done in the second half vs. Houston Baptist on Dec. 12, 2007.
   It was also the most points in any first half since scoring 61 vs. Drake on Feb. 3, 1990.
   Creighton had not scored 60 points in any half since doing so in the first half on Nov. 25, 2011 vs. Campbell, and the 61 were tied for its second-most point in any half since 1996-97, trailing only a 63-point outburst in the second half of the 2002-03 opener vs. Texas-Arlington.
   Creighton scored 60 points in a half for the second time this year when it did so in the second half of a 97-76 win over Massachusetts on Nov. 25th.

Malik's Magic
Junior guard Malik Albert got extended run on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA with Maurice Watson Jr. saddled to the bench with two personal fouls. The Detroit native responded in a big way, finishing with 10 assists in 20 minutes of work. The 10 assists led to 28 points from his Bluejay teammates.
   In the process, Albert became the nation's third reserve with 10 or more assists in 20 minutes or less in a win against a Division I team since 2010-11. He joins Kansas's Naadir Tharpe (12 assists in 20 minutes vs. American on Dec. 29, 2012) and Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Smith (10 assists in 20 minutes on Nov. 20, 2013 vs. Central Arkansas).
   Per STATS Inc., Albert became the second BIG EAST reserve since 2004-05 with 10+ assists in 20 minutes or less against a Division I team, joining Marquette's Maurice Acker (12/28/08 vs. Presbyterian).
   Albert is Creighton's only player in the last 30 years to have a game of 10 or more assists as a reserve.

Big Margin Can Lead To Big Things
Creighton's 104-77 win last year vs. Central Arkansas was the second straight season the team has cracked triple-digits in a season-opener.
   The 2015-16 season saw Creighton reach 90 points in each of its first two games this season, just the fourth time that's happened. Each of the previous three times (1973-74, 2011-12, 2013-14), the Bluejays would reach the NCAA Tournament and then win at last one game in the Big Dance.
   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 eight teams to score 90 or more in a season-opener, which shows that six of the previous seven to do so reached the NCAA Tournament.
               Final   Post-
   Score   Opponent   Date   W-L   Season
   93-70   Texas Southern   11/14/15   ? ? ?   ? ? ?
   104-77   Central Arkansas   11/14/14   14-19   --
   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

Debut News
Creighton started three players on Nov. 14 who were making their Bluejay debut, as transfers Cole Huff and Maurice Watson Jr. joined true freshman Khyri Thomas in the first five.
   Thomas' start was especially historic, as he became just the third true freshman to start since 1992-93, joining Bluejay legends Doug McDermott (2010-11) and Ryan Sears (1997-98). Both McDermott (145 games) and Sears (124) started every contest of their four-year Creighton careers.

Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish ninth in its third 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 (70, 1), Butler (67), Xavier (55) and Providence (45) round out the top half. The predicted lower half was Marquette (44), Seton Hall (27), DePaul (25), Creighton (23) and St. John's (13).
   Creighton did not have any honorees on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Teams, which was led by Preseason Player of the Year Kris Dunn from Providence.

Zierden Returns From Second Knee Injury
Isaiah Zierden had 15 points on Nov. 14 after missing the second half of last season after suffering a season-ending injury to his right knee for the second straight campaign.
   Zierden was carried off the floor with 4:05 left in the first half on Jan. 21, 2015 at Butler and did not return.
   An MRI two days later determined that Zierden partially tore the MCL in his knee, while also suffering an injury to his patella.
   Unlike his first injury, Zierden elected to have surgery this time around, as he underwent a medical procedure in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 13, 2015.
   The uncommon injury is very similar to one he suffered the previous March at Xavier, which caused him to miss CU's last seven games.
   Zierden's 15 points and four assists vs. Texas Southern were both second-most on the team.
   He did even better on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA, scoring a career-high 24 points in 23 minutes.

NBA Representation
This year marks the second time since 1970 (joining last season) 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 2015-16, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 32 of the last 33 years.
   Korver ranks ninth in NBA history with 1,788 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 43.1 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Dec. 28). He owns NBA records with 127 straight games with a three-pointer, and also set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range. Last season he was named an All-Star and led the league in three-point percentage for the third time.
   Tolliver is averaging 4.6 points per game this season for the Pistons, his 10th NBA organization.
   McDermott is in his second season with the Chicago Bulls, where he's averaging 8.8 points per game and shoots 42.4 percent from three-point range for fellow Ames High alum Fred Hoiberg. Hoiberg, ironically, is the same man who replaced Greg McDermott as Iowa State's head coach in 2010.

Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 15 of the last 17 seasons (including 2014-15), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
   Just three schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 17 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
   Kentucky , Florida, Texas and Syracuse have each done it in 16 of the last 17 seasons.
   Along with Arizona, Xavier, Kent State and Connecticut, Creighton is one of five schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 15 of the past 17 years.

Full House
Last year's Creighton team averaged 17,048 fans in 17 home dates, good for sixth-nationally, and better than 11 NBA franchises.
   It's the 10th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the fourth straight season in the top-six nationally in attendance, as well.
   Last year Creighton was the nation's first team to average 17,000+ fans, despite a losing record, since Louisville in 2000-01.
   This year's team is averaging 16,840 fans per game after seven home dates, which ranks seventh nationally through Dec. 28.
2015-16 Attendance Leaders
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   22,806   1/2
   2.   Louisville   19,927   1/3
   3.   Syracuse   19,982   1/5
   4.   Maryland   17,855   12/30
   5.   Wisconsin   17,287   12/29
   6.   Indiana   17,253   1/5
   7.   Creighton   16,840   1/2
   8.   Kansas   16,685   12/29
   9.   North Carolina   16,432   12/30
   10.   North Carolina State   15,894   12/29

Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   16,840 so far   Creighton   2015-16
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12

Très Bien
Creighton made 39-of-91 three-pointers (42.9 percent) in its BIG EAST victories last season, but just 93-for-299 (31.1 percent) from deep in its league losses.
   For the season Creighton shot 34.5 percent from three-point land.
   Since 2011-12, Creighton is 41-34 (.547) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 66-10 (.868) mark the last five years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
   Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 95-24 in the last five years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 12-20 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.

NCAA Success
Creighton is one of 18 schools to have won an NCAA Tournament game in at least three of the last four seasons.
   Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State and North Carolina are the only five teams to have won at least one game all four seasons.
   The list of teams with an NCAA win in three of the last four campaigns consists of Arizona, Creighton, Florida, Iowa State, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oregon, Saint Louis, San Diego State, Syracuse, Wichita State and Wisconsin.

CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 211 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 13-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 177-34 (.839) 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 16,097-13,572 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.97 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 58 different times, including six times this year (UTSA, Western Illinois, Nebraska, IUPUI, North Texas and Coppin State).
   Creighton is also 25-19 all-time in the 44 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
   Creighton is 80-16 (.833) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 47-4 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 196-34 (.852) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 14 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including three games last year, and seven such comebacks away from home.
   On Nov. 19, 2014, 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 114-6 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 102 of the last 104 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

Winning Formulas
Below are the records for each current BIG EAST school over the last four, 10 and 16 (since 2000-01) seasons, ranked by overall wins, through games of Dec. 28th.
Most Wins Since 2000-01 (thru 12/28)
Team   W   L
Butler   369   147
Xavier   365   149
Creighton   358   159
Villanova   347   167
Marquette   337   172
Georgetown   332   169
Providence   270   217
Seton Hall   254   226
St. John's   241   240
DePaul   199   277

Most Wins - Last 10 Years (2006-07 thru 12/28)
Team   W   L
Butler   243   85
Xavier   228   95
Villanova   225   95
Creighton   219   107
Georgetown   214   97
Marquette   211   110
Providence   170   136
St. John's   159   146
Seton Hall   158   142
DePaul   108   191

Most Wins - Last 4 Years (2012-13 thru 12/28)
Team   W   L
Villanova   92   24
Creighton   78   39
Providence   76   40
Butler   75   38
Xavier   73   41
Georgetown   72   38
Marquette   66   45
St. John's   65   47
Seton Hall   58   52
DePaul   41   68

What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 130-61 on the Creighton sideline early in his sixth year at the helm. The 130 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first six seasons, way more than Tom Apke's 109.
Most Wins at CU, First Six Seasons
Coach   Years   W-L After 6 Yrs
Greg McDermott   2010-Pres.   130-61 so far
Tom Apke   1974-80   109-55
Tony Barone   1985-91   102-82
Dana Altman   1994-00   99-78
Red McManus   1959-65   91-63

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 93-1 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is 105-1 in CenturyLink Center Omaha since Feb. 6, 2005 when scoring enough points to earn its fans some free pizza. The perfect streak of 101-0 was snapped on Dec. 2, 2015 when Arizona State scored three points in the final 15 seconds to sneak away with a 79-77 victory.

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 78.45 points per home game (7,531 points in 96 home games).
   Since a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000, Creighton is 115-0 at home (86-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more, and 97-0 at home (70-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to that same setback.

Last Season Recap
Creighton went 14-19 last season, finishing 4-14 to tie for ninth place in the BIG EAST Conference.
   The Bluejays started the season 5-0, including a win over No. 18 Oklahoma, before losing eight remaining games in the final minute.
   Senior point guard Austin Chatman led Creighton in scoring (11.5 ppg.) and assists (3.7 apg.), while fellow senior Devin Brooks paced the team in rebounds (5.0 ppg.) and steals (1.0 spg.).
   Despite the struggles on the court, Creighton still ranked sixth nationally with 17,048 fans per home game.

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 2015-16 season went on sale on October 29th.
   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.

Men's Basketball Opens BIG EAST Play at St. John's on New Year's Eve

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Malik Albert

Will Artino

Devin Brooks

Austin Chatman

Geoffrey Groselle

Zach Hanson

Ronnie Harrell Jr.

Toby Hegner

Cole Huff

Martin Krampelj

James Milliken

Marlon Stewart

Khyri Thomas

Maurice Watson Jr.

Isaiah Zierden