Men's Basketball Meets DePaul For Sunday Showdown

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Game #19 • Creighton at DePaul • Sunday, Jan.17, 2016 • 12:01 p.m.
Allstate Arena (18,500) • Rosemont, Ill.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1
Series History: DePaul leads, 16-12
Last Meeting: Creighton 78, DePaul 63 on March 11, 2015 in New York City, N.Y.

Next Game
The Creighton men's basketball team (12-6, 3-2 BIG EAST) visits DePaul (16-11, 0-5 BIG EAST) on Sunday afternoon in Rosemont, Ill.
   The game will be held at Allstate Arena (18,500), with tip-off scheduled for 12:01 pm.

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 Heath Gunderson will host "Bluejay Shootaround", beginning at 10 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
Sunday's game will air live nationally on FS1, which can be found in Omaha on Cox Cable channel 78 (1078 in HD).
   Tim Brando and Stephen Bardo will announce.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Sunday'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 12-6 on the season, including an 8-3 mark at home and a 4-3 mark on road/neutral floors. The Bluejays are 3-2 in league play, including a pair of road wins, and all three BIG EAST victories have come by double-digits.
   Despite a season-low 48 points on Tuesday vs. Providence, the Bluejays are scoring an impressive 83.1 points per game and have four men averaging 10 or more points per game.
   Boston University transfer Maurice Watson Jr. leads Creighton with 6.5 assists per contest and 13.5 points per game, while Geoffrey Groselle tops the club with 6.2 rebounds per game and is second with 12.1 points per game. He's shooting a nation-leading (min. 5 FGA/game) 73.9 percent from the field this year.
   Also averaging in double-figures are Cole Huff (10.0 ppg.) and Isaiah Zierden (11.3 ppg., 1.7 spg.), who lead one of the nation's top shooting teams in three-pointers made, as well.
   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. Hegner averages 6.7 points per game, while the team's leading returning scorer (James Milliken) averages 7.7 points per contest.

Scouting DePaul
DePaul is 6-11 this season, including an 0-5 BIG EAST mark and a 3-4 mark at home. The Blue Demons have dropped eight of their last nine games, with the lone win in that time being a Dec. 22 victory over nationally-ranked George Washington.
   Billy Garrett Jr. leads the team in scoring (14.1 ppg.) and assists (3.9 apg.), while Myke Henry (13.8 ppg.) joins him in double-figures.
   Tommy Hamilton IV is third on the team in scoring (8.9 ppg.), but leads the club with 6.8 rebounds per outing.
   Each of DePaul's top five scorers have made 10 or more three-pointers, and 11 men average at least eight minutes per game.
   DePaul averages 69.4 points per game while allowing 72.5 per contest. The Blue Demons shoot 44.8 percent from the field, 35.8 percent from three-point range and 68.3 percent at the line while outrebounding foes by 2.4 caroms per contest.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his sixth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 133-63 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 413-258 in his 22nd season and is 282-194 in his 15th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
   Dave Leitao (Northeastern, 1983) is 149-140 in his 10th year as a college head coach. He was 58-34 as DePaul head coach from 2002-05, taking the Blue Demons to two NIT's and an NCAA Tournament. He then spent four years as Virginia head coach from 2005-09 (doing 63-60) before resigning. Leitao returned to DePaul in March, and is 6-11 in his second stint with the Blue Demons. Leitao is assisted by Rick Carter, Billy Garrett and Patrick Sellers.

The Series With DePaul
DePaul owns a 16-12 lead in the series, but the Bluejays have won seven of the last eight meetings.
   Creighton is 5-1 in the series since joining the BIG EAST, including a victory at last year's BIG EAST Tournament in the opening round.
   Greg McDermott is 5-1 against DePaul. He has never faced Dave Leitao. Leitao has never faced Creighton.

Familiar Face
New DePaul assistant coach Patrick Sellers should look familiar to fans of both programs, as Sellers spent 2013-14 and 2014-15 on the Creighton sideline as an assistant to Greg McDermott.
   Among those that Sellers helped recruit to Creighton was junior guard Maurice Watson Jr.

Chicago Bulls Farm Club?
The Chicago Bulls have benefited in recent years from two of Creighton's most acclaimed alums.
   Current Chicago Bulls forward Doug McDermott played at Creighton from 2010-14, where he was named National Player of the Year as a senior. His father, Greg, is the current Bluejays coach.
   Former Bulls swingman Kyle Korver played at Creighton from 1999-2003, and for the Bulls from 2010-2012.

Pink Out Auction Underway
As part of the nation-wide 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 Seton Hall Pirates on First National Bank Court at CenturyLink Center Omaha on Saturday, January 30 (7:01 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, January 24.
   For those looking to make a contribution to this year's event, click on this link: http://www.GoCreighton.com/PinkOut.
   The first 16,000 fans entering the venue on Saturday, Jan. 30 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.
   Complimentary "Pink Out" posters will be available to fans exiting the venue after the game on Saturday, Jan. 30.
   Last year's Creighton vs. Cancer jersey auction raised $16,384.03, and the past four seasons have seen $109,675.14 raised.

CenturyLink Center Omaha Dramatics
Providence's Kris Dunn hit a game-winning shot as time expired to beat Creighton on Jan. 12th. It was the first game-winning shot with no time left to ever to beat Creighton at CenturyLink Center Omaha, exceeding the previous low with 1.9 seconds left by Butler's Roosevelt Jones last year.
   Dunn's shot was the first to beat Creighton (at any site) with no time left on the clock since Anthony James drained a game-winning three-pointer for Northern Iowa in a 65-62 win on Feb. 4, 2012 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
   After allowing just two game-winning go-ahead scores in the last 10 seconds in the first 11 seasons at CenturyLink Center Omaha, Creighton has allowed that to happen four times in the past 13 months alone.
   Creighton is now 7-6 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds in the 13-year old facility.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
11/26/05   Dayton   W 91-90*   Funk FG   :5.7
01/28/06   Wichita St.   W 57-55   Tolliver FG   :0.0
11/25/06   George Mason   W 58-56   Watts FT   :7.5
03/18/08   Rhode Island   W 74-73   Witter 3FG   :3.2
01/13/10   Southern Illinois   W 71-69   Young FG   :1.3
02/18/12   Long Beach St.   W 81-79   Young FG   :0.3
01/28/14   St. John's   W 63-60   McDermott 3FG   :2.8
*double-overtime

Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
03/20/06   Miami (Fla.)   53-52   G. Diaz FT   :2.6
01/20/07   Southern Illinois   58-57   B. Mullins FG   :4.1
01/10/15   #19 Seton Hall   68-67   S. Gibbs 3FG   :2.2
02/16/15   #19 Butler   58-56   R. Jones FG   :1.9
03/07/15   Xavier   74-73   D. Davis FT's   :6.3
01/12/16   #12 Providence   50-48   K. Dunn FG   :0.0

Complete Game For Zierden
Isaiah Zierden played all 40 minutes for Creighton in Tuesday's game vs. No. 12 Providence.
   Since the start of the 2001-02 season, Zierden is just the second man to log a "complete game". Antoine Young had three such games in 2010-11 and before him no Bluejay had done it since Ryan Sears on March 15, 2001.

Success In Sixth League Game
Creighton has won the sixth game of its conference slate in 18 of the last 21 seasons.
   Sunday's game at DePaul will be Creighton's sixth BIG EAST contest this season.

Against The BIG EAST
Since joining the BIG EAST on July 1, 2014, Creighton is 2-0 in road games at DePaul. It's the only league road trip that the Jays are unbeaten on.
Team   CU Home Games   CU Road Games
Butler   1-1   1-1
DePaul   1-1   2-0
Georgetown   2-1   0-2
Marquette   2-0   1-1
Providence   1-2   0-2
Seton Hall   1-1   2-1
St. John's   2-0   1-2
Villanova   1-2   1-1
Xavier   1-1   1-1
Total   12-9   9-11

Defense Delivering
Since allowing Villanova to shoot 68 percent on January 2nd, Creighton's defense has picked up.
   Bluejay opponents have shot just 39.8 percent (66-166) in the past three games, which includes wins over Georgetown and Seton Hall and a two-point loss to No. 12 Providence.
   In this stretch, Creighton opponents are also shooting 31.7 percent (19-60) from downtown and 59.3 percent (32-54) at the line en route to averaging 61.0 points per game.
   Creighton's defense ranks 70th nationally in "adjusted defensive efficiency" per KenPom.com.

Some People Call Him Maurice
Maurice Watson Jr. dished 14 assists in Creighton's win at Seton Hall last Saturday. While it was three shy of his collegiate high accomplished while he was at Boston University, the 14 helpers were his most in a Creighton uniform.
   Watson's 14 assists tie Providence's Kris Dunn (vs. Hartford on Dec. 2) for the most by any BIG EAST player this season, and were the most in a regular-season BIG EAST game since Dee Davis had 15 assists vs. Providence on Feb. 7, 2015.
   Watson's 14 assists are tied for third-most nationally in a game this season, trailing only the 16 by David Blanks (Texas Southern) and Jordan McLaughlin (USC).
   Watson's 14 assists were the most ever by a Creighton player in any conference game.
   Watson's 14 assists were the most by any Bluejay since Ralph Bobik tied his own school-record with 17 assist vs. Bradley on Jan. 22, 1974. Below is a list of the six occasions in CU history in which a player has had 13 or more assists.
   Ast.   Name, Opponent   Date
   17   Ralph Bobik at St. Francis (Pa.)   02/23/73
       Ralph Bobik vs. Bradley   01/22/74
   16   Ralph Bobik vs. BYU   12/17/73
   14   Maurice Watson Jr. at Seton Hall   01/09/16
   13   Latrell Wrightsell vs. Nebraska   12/07/91
       Jason Bey vs. Southern Illinois   02/27/95

Assists Are Elementary For Watson
Maurice Watson Jr. had his third game this season with 10 or more assists when he dished 14 dimes on Jan. 9th at Seton Hall. Watson had six such games at Boston University in his first two years as a collegian.
   Watson is the first Bluejay with three games of 10 or more assists in the same season since Grant Gibbs had three in 2011-12.
   The last Bluejay with more than three games of 10+ assists in the same season has been Duan Cole who had four such games in 1989-90.

Man Of Steal
Isaiah Zierden ranks second in the BIG EAST with 30 steals this season, trailing only Providence guard Kris Dunn's 46.
   Zierden owns seven games this season with three steals or more, and has at least three in each of CU's BIG EAST victories this winter.
   By comparison, Zierden had a total of three steals (in 28 games and 304 minutes) as a freshman, and 12 steals (in 20 games and 558 minutes) a year ago. Zierden owned just two steals in 23 career BIG EAST games entering the season.

Z For 3!
Isaiah Zierden is leading the BIG EAST Conference with 44 three-pointers made, three more than St. John's Federico Mussini.
   Last year through games of January 14th, Zierden was second in the BIG EAST in three-pointers made, as his 43 were two behind Seton Hall's Sterling Gibbs for the league-lead.
Strong League Start Projects To Postseason
Creighton started 3-1 or better in league play for the fifth time in Greg McDermott's six seasons at the helm.
   Three of the first four teams that started 3-1 or 4-0 not only reached the NCAA Tournament, but won a game in the Big Dance, while the other one won four postseason games in the 2011 CBI to reach the title series.
   Each of Creighton's 12 teams since 1980-81 to start 3-1 or 4-0 in league play have reached the postseason, a stretch that includes nine NCAA Tournaments, two NIT's and one CBI.

A Win's A Win, By Any Margin
All 12 of Creighton's wins this season have come by double-digits. Nationally, only Saint Mary's (15), North Carolina (14), Purdue (14) and Villanova (13) have more double-figure conquests.
   Creighton is also one of 11 teams nationally that have picked up all its wins by double-figures. Of those teams, CU's 12 wins are second-most, trailing only Saint Mary's (15).
Every Win By Double-Figures (through 1/14)
   Wins   Team   Next Game
   14   Saint Mary's   1/21
   12   Creighton   1/17
   9   Lamar   1/16
   6   Louisiana-Monroe   1/16
   5   Northern Kentucky   1/16
   4   Southern Utah   1/16
   4   Texas Southern   1/16
   3   Northern Arizona   1/16
   2   Central Arkansas   1/19
   2   Illinois-Chicago   1/16
   1   Delaware State   1/16

Last Year Within Reach
Last season's rare down year saw Creighton finish 14-19 overall, and just 4-14 in the BIG EAST.
   Creighton owns 12 wins already this year and can earn its fourth victory in league play with a triumph over DePaul on Sunday.
   The earliest Creighton has ever matched its previous season's league win total was January 21st, when the 1994-95 squad earned its third MVC win to match the 3-15 total in league play done one year earlier.

Hall of Fame Jays
Two former Creighton men's basketball student-athletes will be inducted into the South Dakota High School Basketball Hall of Fame on April 2nd, it was announced recently.
   Sioux Falls native Steve Jansa, who played for Creighton from 1966-69, will join Huron native Conrad "Cornie" Collin (1931-34 at CU) into the Hall, which is located in Sioux Falls, S.D.
   Two former Creighton women's basketball players, Holly (Sivesind) Borchers and Amy (Allard) Carmody, also are being inducted.

Standard Five
Creighton has used the same starting line-up in every game this season. They're the only BIG EAST team that can say so.
   Last season Creighton used 10 different starting line-up combinations, its most in any season since using 11 pairings in 1994-95.
   Creighton used the same starting five combination for every game in 2011-12, and then again in 2012-13.

Magic Number is 79
Creighton has scored 79 points or more in all 12 wins thus far. Creighton averages 91.3 points per game in its 12 wins this winter, compared to 66.7 per game when it loses.
   DePaul allows 72.5 points per game (eighth in the BIG EAST) and is 0-3 when allowing 79 points or more this season. The Blue Demons have lost 23 conecutive games when allowing 79+ points.
   DePaul allows 66.7 points in its six wins this year, compared to 75.7 points allowed in its 11 losses.

Watson Reaches Milestones
Though he's still relatively new to Creighton, that hasn't kept Maurice Watson Jr. from reaching a couple big milestones at the collegiate level.
   Watson owns 243 points and 118 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 1,043 points and 528 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.
   Watson surpassed 1,000 career points on Jan. 5 vs. Georgetown in the 81st game of Watson's collegiate career. If you're curious to see how that stacks up with others in recent Creighton history to reach 1,000 career points, here's a list:
Games To 1,000 CU Points, Last 15 Bluejays
Name   Games to 1,000 pts.    Date
Austin Chatman   139   03/11/15
Ethan Wragge   132   01/18/14
Gregory Echenique   101   03/24/13
Doug McDermott   57   01/15/12
Antoine Young   115   12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr.   108   11/21/10
P'Allen Stinnett   86   01/16/10
Dane Watts   115   01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver   124   03/16/07
Johnny Mathies   91   03/03/06
Nate Funk   92   02/28/05
Kyle Korver   81   01/30/02
Ben Walker   105   01/06/01
Ryan Sears   97   12/01/00
Rodney Buford   59   03/01/97

Most Improved Groselle?
With the possible exception of Providence's Ben Bentil and Georgetown's Bradley Hayes, few players around the BIG EAST have improved more than Creighton's Geoffrey Groselle.
   Groselle entered his senior season averaging 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per contest, collecting 200 career points and 102 career rebounds in his first 63 games. This year Groselle owns 12.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and has 218 points and 111 rebounds in 18 starts.

Groselle Good As Gold
Geoffrey Groselle made his last five shots in an 8-for-9 against North Texas on Dec. 21, then followed it with an 8-for-8 showing from the floor vs. Coppin State one week later. On Dec. 31 at St. John's, Groselle made his first eight shots before finishing 9-of-10. Groselle was also perfect from the field vs. Villanova on Jan. 2nd, though he only attempted one shot.
   The streak of 21 straight field goals made was just five shy of the NCAA record set by Bowling Green's Torian Oglesby over seven games from Dec. 4, 2011-Jan. 1, 2012.
   The recent play has moved Groselle's field goal percentage to 73.9 percent, the best mark nationally (min 5 FGA/game) and tops in the BIG EAST (min. 3 FG/game).
   If you're curious, the NCAA record (min. 5 FG/game) was set in 1981 by Oregon State's Steve Johnson, who shot 74.6 percent, while the Creighton record (min. 200 attempts) is 67.4 percent set by Vernon Moore in 1984-85.
   Groselle's older brother, Mike Groselle, played at The Citadel from 2009-13 and ranks eighth in Southern Conference history with a 58.9 career field goal percentage and led the league in that category as a senior when he shot 57.4 percent from the floor.
FG Percentage Leaders (through 1/14)
Minimum 5 FGA/game
   Rk.   Team       FG%
   1.   Geoffrey Groselle, Creighton   .739
   2.   Thomas Bryant, Indiana   .721
   3.   James Thompson IV, Eastern Michigan   .716
   4.   Evan Bradds, Belmont       .709
   5.   Isaiah Hicks, North Carolina   .698

Watson Plays Distributor
Maurice Watson Jr. owns 66 assists in Creighton's last nine games against just 22 turnovers.
   He was Creighton's first player in more than 30 years with five straight games with seven or more assists, but that streak ended vs. Villanova on Jan. 2nd.
   Watson is currently averaging 6.56 assists per game. Creighton's last player to average 6.0 assists per game or more for an entire season is Randy Eccker's 7.3 assists per contest in 1976-77.
   Overall, Watson's 2.41 assist/turnover ratio this year ranks fifth in the BIG EAST (min. 3.0 assists per game), and his career ratio (including Boston) of 2.19 assists per turnover ranks seventh-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 (2.16), Kay Felder (2.11), Nic Moore (2.13), Ryan Arcidiacono (2.04), Yogi Ferrell (1.97) and Kris Dunn (1.80).

Not So Sweet Home
After going 61-10 in home non-conference games, BIG EAST teams are 11-12 at home thus far in league play.
   BIG EAST teams went 54-36 in league play at home last year after going 55-35 in 2013-14 in Creighton's first year as a league member.

Century Mark Back-to-Back
Creighton scored 105 points on Dec. 21st against North Texas, then had 102 more on Dec. 28th 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 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 Link Turns Into The Dunk Tank
Creighton has put down 37 dunks in 18 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 11 from Geoffrey Groselle and 10 from Khyri Thomas.

The Fast And The Furious
Creighton has 188 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.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton has averaged 83.1 points per game in its first 18 regular-season contests to date.
   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 seven times (in 18 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.

Pace Makers
Creighton ranks 21st nationally in scoring offense, averaging 83.1 points per game to date.
   This year's team has scored 79 points or more in all 12 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

Balance Is Key
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 18 games in recent seasons.
   Of note, Creighton has started 12-6 or better after 18 games in 17 of the past 19 seasons.
   This year's team, with four double-figure scorers, joins the 2010-11 club as the only other squad since 1994-95 that Creighton has had more than three players scoring in double-figures after 18 games.
   Creighton's 83.11 points per game clip is the team's fourth-highest mark after 18 games in history, and most since the 1970-71 club was averaging 85.78 points at this point. Creighton's single-season record is 88.2 points per game in 1965-66, and that team was averaging 88.83 points per game after 18 contests. In third place with 83.44 points per game was the 1963-64 team.
   Creighton's 48.2 percent field goal percentage through 18 games is the fifth-best mark in the last 20 years, trailing only the 2002-03, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 teams that were led by Kyle Korver and Doug McDermott, respectively.
   Creighton's 154 three-pointers through 18 games are its sixth-most in the last 20 years, as well.
Year   W-L   PPG   FG%   3FG   10+ PPG guys
2015-16   12-6   83.1   .482   154   4
2014-15   9-9   68.4   .417   149   2
2013-14   15-3   81.8   .491   195   2
2012-13   17-1   79.8   .524   174   2
2011-12   16-2   82.7   .516   158   2
2010-11   12-6   66.7   .436   122   4
2009-10   9-9   69.2   .434   126   1
2008-09   14-4   74.8   .442   154   3
2007-08   14-4   74.3   .459   156   2
2006-07   12-6   67.1   .447   117   2
2005-06   13-5   69.1   .430   131   3
2004-05   12-6   68.8   .447   142   2
2003-04   16-2   70.5   .475   110   3
2002-03   16-2   82.6   .511   161   1
2001-02   13-5   74.5   .449   108   3
2000-01   13-5   73.6   .433   136   3
1999-00   12-6   71.2   .471   151   3
1998-99   13-5   76.4   .467   141   2
1997-98   12-6   75.7   .462   127   3
1996-97   9-9   65.2   .411   89   3
1995-96   9-9   65.5   .389   106   1
1994-95   6-12   63.1   .383   123   2

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 731 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 94, which is second-longest nationally.
   Courtesy Stats Inc., below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (thru 1/14)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   957   UNLV   1/16
   2.   954   Kentucky   1/16
   3.   947   Vanderbilt   1/16
   4.   928   Duke   1/16
   5.   888   Western Kentucky   1/16
   6.   885   Arkansas   1/16
   7.   876   East Tennessee State   1/16
   8.   873   Pacific   1/16
   9.   852   Oakland   1/16
   10.   841   Texas   1/16
   11.   829   Princeton   1/24
   12.   813   Florida   1/16
   13.   793   La Salle   1/16
   14.   792   Marshall   1/16
   15.   782   Baylor   1/16
   16.   761   LIU-Brooklyn   1/16
   17.   758   Cornell   1/16
   18.   754   Gonzaga   1/16
   19.   741   Tennessee State   1/16
       741   Mount St. Mary's   1/16
   21.   739   Samford   1/16
   22.   733   East Carolina   1/16
   23.   731   Creighton   1/17
   24.   695   Lafayette   1/16
   25.   693   DePaul   1/17
   26.   685   Davidson   1/16

Longest Active Streaks of 15+ 3FG Attempts
(Source: STATS Inc., thru Jan. 14)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   150   Coppin State   1/16
   2.   94   Creighton   1/17
   3.   84   Iona   1/15
   4.   83   San Jose State   1/16
   5.   74   Lipscomb   1/16

So Many Weapons
Creighton had seven players score in double-figures in its Dec. 28 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 32.8 points per game and are shooting a combined 70-for-166 from three-point range (42.2 percent) while owning a combined 199/88 (2.26) assist/turnover ratio.

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. He currently has 133 victories to own sole possession of fourth place.
   McDermott's .679 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.   133-63   Greg McDermott (191)   2010-Pres.
5.   130-64   Tom Apke (193)   1974-81

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 Dec. 28 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.

Dynamite Starts For Newcomers
A pair of newcomers are among Creighton's leading scorers through 18 games, as Maurice Watson Jr. has 243 and Cole Huff has 180 points.
   Since 1995-96, Watson's figure is first among all Creighton newcomers through 18 games, seven ahead of Doug McDermott's 236 points.
   McDermott would finish his career with 3,150 in 145 career games to rank fifth in NCAA history.
Most Points, CU Newcomers First 18 Games Since 1995-96
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year   After 19
   243   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16   TBD
   236   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11   254
   218   Rodney Buford, Fr.   1995-96   243
   197   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08   203
   196   Doug Swenson, Jr.   1997-98   203
   199   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02   204
   197   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11   203
   185   Ryan Sears, Fr.   1997-98   203
   180   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16   TBD

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.

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. (twice), Khyri Thomas and Geoffrey Groselle (four times) 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 fourth-most accurate team from three-point range.
   The Bluejays are 1646-4203 from deep in that time, shooting 39.16 percent.
Best 3FG%, Since 2010-11
Rk.   Pct.   Team   3FG   3FGA
1.   .3946   Indiana   1341   3398
2.   .39232   Weber State   1390   3543
3.   .39231   Northern Colorado   1173   2990
4.   .3916   Creighton   1646   4203
5.   .3880   UC Davis   1342   3459

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 Jan. 14:
Most Games, 50% FG & 40% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   66   Creighton
2.   57   Gonzaga
   57   Kansas
   57   Saint Mary's
5.   56   Denver

Most Games, 50% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   44   Creighton
2.   40   Northern Colorado
   40   UCLA
4.   39   Michigan State
5.   38   Northeastern
   38   Weber State

Most Games, 40% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   102   Creighton
2.   97   Duke
3.   94   Indiana
4.   91   Weber State
5.   89   Saint Mary's

Most Games, 50% FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   93   Gonzaga
2.   87   Kansas
3.   84   Belmont
4.   83   Creighton
5.   79   Indiana

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

Most Games, 25+ Assists
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   18   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 1,798 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 42.9 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Jan. 14). 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 5.4 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 8.2 points per game and shoots 43.2 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.

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 16,872 fans per game after eight home dates, which ranks sixth nationally through Jan. 14.
2015-16 Attendance Leaders
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   23,075   1/23
   2.   Louisville   20,184   1/20
   3.   Syracuse   19,970   1/28
   4.   Maryland   17,876   1/16
   5.   Wisconsin   17,287   1/17
   6.   Creighton   16,872   1/23
   7.   Indiana   16,850   1/19
   8.   North Carolina   16,620   1/16
   9.   Kansas   16,557   1/16
   10.   North Carolina State   16,258   1/23

Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   16,872 so far   Creighton   2015-16
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12

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.

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 42-36 (.538) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 68-10 (.872) 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 98-24 in the last five years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 12-22 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 214 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 13-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 178-36 (.832) 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 16,295-13,773 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.79 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 25-20 all-time in the 45 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
   Creighton is 81-18 (.818) 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 197-36 (.845) 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 117-7 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 105 of the last 108 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 Jan. 15.
Most Wins Since 2000-01
Team   W   L
Butler   370   150
Xavier   368   150
Creighton   361   161
Villanova   352   167
Marquette   339   175
Georgetown   336   170
Providence   273   218
Seton Hall   256   228
St. John's   241   245
DePaul   199   282

Most Wins - Last 10 Years (2006-07 - Present)
Team   W   L
Butler   244   88
Xavier   231   96
Villanova   230   95
Creighton   222   109
Georgetown   218   98
Marquette   213   113
Providence   173   137
Seton Hall   160   144
St. John's   159   151
DePaul   108   196

Most Wins - Last 4 Years (2012-13 - Present)
Team   W   L
Villanova   97   24
Creighton   81   41
Providence   79   41
Butler   76   41
Xavier   76   42
Georgetown   76   39
Marquette   68   48
St. John's   65   52
Seton Hall   60   54
DePaul   41   73

What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 133-63 on the Creighton sideline midway through his sixth year at the helm. The 133 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.   133-63 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 94-1 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is 106-1 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 78.80 points per home game (7,801 points in 99 home games).
   Since a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000, Creighton is 116-0 at home (87-0 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.

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

Khyri Thomas

Maurice Watson Jr.

Isaiah Zierden