James Milliken
Photo by: Corey Solotorovsky
Men's Hoops Meets Georgetown in Battle For Second Place
1/25/2016 12:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Both teams have started 5-2 in league play
Download Notes as a PDF
Game #21 • Creighton at Georgetown • Tuesday, Jan.26, 2016 • 5:31 p.m. Central
Verizon Center (20,600) • Washington, D.C.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1
Series History: Georgetown leads, 4-3
Last Meeting: Creighton 79, Georgetown 66 on Jan. 5, 2016 in Omaha, Neb.
Next Game
The Creighton men's basketball team (14-6, 5-2 BIG EAST) looks to continue its strong start in BIG EAST play on Tuesday night when it heads to the nation's capital to take on Georgetown (12-8, 5-2 BIG EAST) in a battle for second place.
Tip-off at Verizon Center (20,600) is scheduled for 5:31 p.m. 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 Brody Deren will call the action.
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
Tuesday'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 Donny Marshall will announce.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Tuesday'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 14-6 on the season, including a 9-3 mark at home and a 5-3 mark on road/neutral floors. The Bluejays are 5-2 in league play, with three road wins, and all but one victory this season has come by double-digits.
The Bluejays are scoring a league-leading 82.9 points per game (18th nationally) and have four men averaging 9.9 or more points per game.
Boston University transfer Maurice Watson Jr. leads Creighton with 6.5 assists per contest and 14.0 points per game, while Geoffrey Groselle tops the club with 6.1 rebounds per game and is third with 11.6 points per game. He's shooting a nation-leading (min. 5 FGA/game) 72.6 percent from the field this year.
Isaiah Zierden (12.4 ppg., 1.7 spg.) drained eight three-pointers en route to a career-high 31 points in Creighton's last road game at DePaul (Jan. 17), and he's scoring 15.8 points per game in his last five contests.
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 6.5 points per game, while the team's leading returning scorer (James Milliken) averages 7.8 points per contest.
Scouting Georgetown
Georgetown is 12-8 this season and tied for second in the BIG EAST with a 5-2 league record. The Hoyas have alternated wins and losses in their last four games, including Saturday's 68-62 loss at Connecticut.
Preseason All-BIG EAST guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera leads the Hoyas with 16.2 points per game and 1.6 steals per game.
Also scoring at a double-figure clip is Isaac Copeland (10.2 ppg.), while Bradley Hayes (8.6 ppg., 6.8 rpg.) is having a breakthrough season and isn't far behind. One player to keep an eye on is talented freshman big man Jessie Govan, who has averaged 10.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per league game and scored 17 points in Omaha earlier this month.
The Hoyas average 73.5 points per game while shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 75.7 percent at the line. Georgetown has held teams to 38.7 percent shooting from the field and 68.5 points per contest.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his sixth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 135-63 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 415-258 in his 22nd season and is 284-194 in his 15th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
John Thompson III (Princeton, 1988) is 260-124 in his 12th season at Georgetown, moving his career mark to 328-166 in 16 seasons overall. He is the son of legendary Hoyas head coach John Thompson, and is assisted by Kevin Broadus, Tavaras Hardy and Kevin Sutton.
The Series With Georgetown
Creighton is 3-4 all-time against Georgetown, but winless in two previous trips to Washington, D.C., to meet the Hoyas The series began in 1970 in West Palm Beach, Fla., before resuming in 2014 in BIG EAST play.
Creighton snapped a four-game losing streak against Georgetown three weeks ago with a 79-66 win in Omaha.
Greg McDermott is 2-5 all-time (2-4 at Creighton) against Georgetown and coach John Thompson III. Thompson is 4-2 against Creighton.
Zierden Has Connection To Washington
Junior guard Isaiah Zierden is the son of Washington Wizards assistant coach Don Zierden. Zierden leads Creighton in three-point baskets (54) and steals (33) this season.
Isaiah Zierden poured in a career-high 31 points, including eight three-pointers, on Jan. 17 with his father in attendance at DePaul.
The Wizards will be out of town on Tuesday night playing at Toronto.
The Road Less Travelled
Creighton is off to a strong start on the road in the BIG EAST, winning each of its first three games away from home thus far.
Since the BIG EAST was reformatted in the summer of 2013, the Bluejays are one of four teams to start 3-0 on the road in league play.
Villanova started 7-0 on the road in 2013-14 before losing at Creighton. Villanova is 4-0 on the road this year in league play, while both Creighton and Providence are 3-0 on the road in league play this season.
In the first two years of the restructured BIG EAST, teams with three or more BIG EAST road wins finished in the top-six of the league standings on 12 of 13 occasions, while teams with two or less league road wins finished in the top six on just one of seven occasions.
This season is Creighton's fifth team since the 1942-43 to start 3-0 on the road in league play. With a win on Tuesday at Georgetown, Creighton can start 4-0 on the road in league play for just the second time since the 1942-43 team did (CU started 5-0 on the road in the MVC in 2011-12).
New And Improved
Last season's rare down year saw Creighton finish 14-19 overall, and just 4-14 in the BIG EAST. This year's team is 14-6 overall and 5-2 in league play.
The win on Saturday vs. Butler matched CU's total of 14 wins from last year, and exceeded last year's total of four conference wins.
This is the earliest Creighton has ever matched its previous season's league win total. The previous mark 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.
Most Improved Big Men?
With the possible exception of Providence's Ben Bentil, few players around the BIG EAST have improved more than Creighton's Geoffrey Groselle and Georgetown's Bradley Hayes.
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 11.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and has 232 points and 121 rebounds in 20 starts.
Hayes had a total of 30 points and 42 rebounds in 42 career games during his first three years on the court for the Hoyas. This season Hayes averages 8.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, as he's amassed 171 points and 135 rebounds while starting all 20 contests.
Watson Dishes and Scores
Maurice Watson Jr. led Creighton in both scoring (20) and assists (6) in Saturday's win over Butler, extending his team lead in both categories.
Watson is on pace to become Creighton's sixth player since 1970-71 to lead the club in both points per game and assists per game, as seen below:
Creighton Leaders in PPG & APG, Since 1970-71
Name, Year PPG APG
Kevin McKenna, 1979-80 16.5 3.7
Matt Petty, 1992-93 17.2 3.1
Kyle Korver, 2001-02 15.1 3.3
Nate Funk, 2003-04 11.1 2.7
Nate Funk, 2006-07 17.7 3.0
Austin Chatman, 2014-15 11.5 3.7
Maurice Watson Jr., 2015-16 14.0 6.5
Mo' Points, Mo' Assists
Maurice Watson Jr. leads Creighton in both scoring and assists, and he's doing things at a rate that has never been approached in school history.
Since the program began tracking assists in 1970-71, Watson is one of four men to average at least 12 points and five assists per game. However, he's the only one in that quartet that's scored 12 points per game while also averaging six assists per contest.
12+ PPG & 5+ APG, Since 1970-71 at Creighton
Name, Year PPG APG
Ralph Bobik, 1971-72 14.1 5.2
James Farr, 1988-89 12.0 5.0
Antoine Young, 2010-11 13.1 5.0
Maurice Watson Jr., 2015-16 14.0 6.5
Strong League Start Projects To Postseason
Creighton has started 5-2 or better in league play for the fourth time in Greg McDermott's six seasons at the helm.
His first three teams that started 5-2 or better not only reached the NCAA Tournament, but won a game in the Big Dance.
Each of Creighton's 11 teams since 1988-89 to start 5-2, 6-1 or 7-0 in league play have reached the postseason, a stretch that includes seven NCAA Tournaments and four NIT's.
Against The BIG EAST
Since joining the BIG EAST on July 1, 2014, Creighton is 0-2 in road games at Georgetown. The trip to Washington, D.C., and the trip to Providence are the only places CU has not won yet in that time.
Team CU Home Games CU Road Games
Butler 2-1 1-1
DePaul 1-1 3-0
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 13-9 10-11
What's Your 20?
Including this season, Creighton has been .500 or better after 20 games in 20 of the last 21 seasons.
Even more impressive, Creighton has now won at least 13 of its first 20 games in 17 of the last 19 seasons.
Creighton -- First 20 Games, Last 21 Years
Year First 20 W-L Final W-L Postseason
2015-16 14-6 ??? ???
2014-15 9-11 14-19 --
2013-14 17-3 27-8 NCAA
2012-13 17-3 28-8 NCAA
2011-12 18-2 29-6 NCAA
2010-11 13-7 23-16 CBI
2009-10 10-10 18-16 CIT
2008-09 15-5 27-8 NIT
2007-08 14-6 22-11 NIT
2006-07 13-7 22-11 NCAA
2005-06 15-5 20-10 NIT
2004-05 13-7 23-11 NCAA
2003-04 17-3 20-9 NIT
2002-03 18-2 29-5 NCAA
2001-02 14-6 23-9 NCAA
2000-01 14-6 24-8 NCAA
1999-00 14-6 23-10 NCAA
1998-99 14-6 22-9 NCAA
1997-98 14-6 18-10 NIT
1996-97 10-10 15-15 ---
1995-96 11-9 14-15 ---
Following Up Big Wins, With Big Wins
Saturday's victory over No. 18 Butler was Greg McDermott's fourth win over a top-25 team as Creighton head coach. Only Dana Altman (7) and Eddie Sutton (5) have more top-25 triumphs.
Each of the previous three times that McDermott defeated a top-25 foe, the Bluejays followed it up with a double-digit win in its next game.
After Beating A Ranked Team Under Greg McDermott
Date First Win Next Game
Jan. 2014 #4 Villanova, 96-68 Georgetown, 76-63
Feb. 2014 #6 Villanova, 101-80 Marquette, 85-70
Nov. 2014 #18 Oklahoma, 65-63 NC Central, 65-45
Jan. 2016 #18 Butler, 72-64 ? ? ?
Creighton is also 4-0 this year in the game after playing a ranked team, winning all those games by double-digits and by an average of 14.3 points.
Dynamite Starts For Newcomers
A pair of newcomers are among Creighton's leading scorers through 20 games, as Maurice Watson Jr. has 280 and Cole Huff has 198 points.
Since 1995-96, Watson's figure is first among all Creighton newcomers through 20 games, nine ahead of Doug McDermott's 271 points.
McDermott would finish his career with 3,150 in 145 career games to rank fifth in NCAA history.
Most Points, CU Newcomers First 20 Games Since 1995-96
Pts. Name, Class Year After 21
280 Maurice Watson Jr., Jr. 2015-16 TBD
271 Doug McDermott, Fr. 2010-11 286
265 Rodney Buford, Fr. 1995-96 301
218 P'Allen Stinnett, Fr. 2007-08 228
215 Gregory Echenique, So. 2010-11 229
212 Ryan Sears, Fr. 1997-98 227
211 Doug Swenson, Jr. 1997-98 226
210 Brody Deren, So. 2001-02 217
198 Cole Huff, Jr. 2015-16 TBD
Zierden With Efficient Eight
Isaiah Zierden's eight three-pointers at DePaul (Jan. 17) are tied for third-most in Creighton history for a single-game, and one shy of the record set by Kyle Korver (1/15/03 vs. Evansville) and Ethan Wragge (1/20/14 at #4 Villanova).
Zierden is one of four men with exactly eight trifectas in a contest, joining Korver (12/31/02 at #19 Xavier), Tad Ackerman (1/23/95 at Drake) and Terrell Taylor (3/15/02 vs. #15 Florida).
Of the players to make eight or more three-pointers in a Creighton game, Zierden's 11 attempts are easily the fewest, two less than Ackerman and Korver (at Xavier). Both Korver (vs. Evansville) and Wragge needed 14 attempts, while Taylor set the school-record with 15 attempts against Florida.
Zierden's eight three-pointers vs. DePaul remain the most by any BIG EAST player in a game this season.
30 Point Efforts
Isaiah Zierden 31 point game at DePaul made him the third Creighton player to score 30 or more points in a game in Greg McDermott's six-year tenure on The Hilltop. Kenny Lawson Jr. did it first with 30 points on Dec. 11, 2010 vs. Saint Joseph's, and Doug McDermott did it 27 different times.
Zierden was the first player with 30 or more points since Doug McDermott's 30 vs. Louisiana on March 21, 2014, and the first player with 31 or more since Doug McDermott's 32 vs. Xavier on March 14, 2014.
Creighton has won 28 straight games in which an individual has scored 31 points or more. In addition to one such game from Zierden, that streak includes 31 point (or more) games from Doug McDermott (21 times), Nate Funk (3), Kyle Korver (1), Johnny Mathies (1) and Cavel Witter (1). The last time a Bluejay scored 31 or more in a loss came on Dec. 31, 2002, when Korver compiled 32 points in a two-point loss at No. 19 Xavier.
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 Monday, January 25.
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.
Some Loyal Fans
Creighton has attracted 203,274 fans at home this season, surpassing 200,000 fans on Saturday for the 11th straight season.
Creighton had never attracted more than 141,000 home fans in any season prior to the opening of CenturyLink Center Omaha, and now has done it in 13 straight seasons.
Creighton has led its conference in home attendance every year since moving into CenturyLink Center Omaha, which is now in its 13th season.
Saturday Was 100th Home Game For McDermott
Saturday marked the 100th home game on the Creighton sideline for Greg McDermott. He's currently 82-18 on CenturyLink Center Omaha's south sideline.
McDermott became the fourth man in Creighton history to coach at least 100 home games, and he has more home wins in those games (82) than anyone else at that point.
Red McManus and Arthur A. Schabinger both were 78-22 after 100 home games, while Dana Altman was 75-25 after 100 home games at Creighton.
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 15 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including DePaul (down 12) on January 17th. Eight of those comebacks came 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 118-7 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 106 of the last 109 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
12 at DePaul 01/17/16
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
Complete Games For Zierden
Isaiah Zierden played all 40 minutes for Creighton in its Jan. 12 game vs. No. 12 Providence, then again on Jan. 23 vs. No. 18 Butler.
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.
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 at CLCO, 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 at CLCO, 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
Defense Delivering
Since allowing Villanova to shoot 68 percent on January 2nd, Creighton's defense has picked up.
Bluejay opponents have shot just 41.1 percent (118-287) in the past five games, which includes wins over Georgetown, Seton Hall, DePaul and No. 18 Butler, and a two-point loss to No. 12 Providence.
In this stretch, Creighton opponents are also shooting 33.7 percent (32-95) from downtown and 66.3 percent (59-89) at the line en route to averaging 65.4 points per game.
Creighton's defense ranks 64th 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 on Jan. 9. 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 (twice) 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 fourth-most nationally in a game this season.
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.
A Win's A Win, By Any Margin
Thirteen of Creighton's wins this season have come by double-digits. Nationally, only North Carolina (16), Saint Mary's (16), Purdue (16), North Florida (15) and Miami of Florida (14) have more double-figure conquests.
Last season Creighton had nine total victories by double-figures.
Z For 3!
Isaiah Zierden is leading the BIG EAST Conference with 54 three-pointers made, six more than Kellen Dunham (Butler) and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera (Georgetown).
In Creighton's first year in the BIG EAST in 2013-14, Ethan Wragge led the league with 110 trifectas, while Doug McDermott was second with 96.
Man Of Steal
Isaiah Zierden ranks tied for second in the BIG EAST with 33 steals this season, trailing only Providence guard Kris Dunn's 53.
Zierden owns eight games this season with three steals or more, and had at least three in each of CU's first four 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.
Standard Five
Creighton used the same starting line-up in each of its first 18 games this season before finally making a change on Jan. 17 (in game 19) when Toby Hegner replaced Cole Huff in the first five.
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 13 of its 14 wins thus far. Creighton averages 89.9 points per game in its 14 wins this winter, compared to 66.7 per game when it loses.
Georgetown allows 68.5 points per game (fifth in the BIG EAST) and is 1-5 when allowing 79 points or more this season.
Georgetown has allowed 63.6 points in its 12 wins this year, compared to 75.9 points allowed in its eight 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 280 points and 130 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 1,080 points and 540 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
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 72.6 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 1/24)
Minimum 5 FGA/game
Rk. Team FG%
1. Geoffrey Groselle, Creighton .726
2. Thomas Bryant, Indiana .722
3. Evan Bradds, Belmont .714
4. James Thompson IV, Eastern Michigan .704
5. Sterling Brown, SMU .683
Watson Plays Distributor
Maurice Watson Jr. owns 78 assists in Creighton's last 11 games against just 29 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 6.50 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 2.32 assist/turnover ratio this year ranks fourth in the BIG EAST (min. 3.0 assists per game), and his career ratio (including Boston) of 2.18 assists per turnover ranks eighth-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 (2.18), Kay Felder (2.11), Nic Moore (2.12), Ryan Arcidiacono (2.03), Yogi Ferrell (2.01) and Kris Dunn (1.80).
Not So Sweet Home
After going 61-10 in home non-conference games, BIG EAST teams are 15-21 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 39 dunks in 20 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 both Zach Hanson and Khyri Thomas.
The Fast And The Furious
Creighton has 204 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 82.95 points per game in its first 20 regular-season contests to date.
Greg McDermott is 36-0 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 30-0 mark on the Creighton sideline.
In fact, McDermott's team has already scored 90 or more points eight times (in 20 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 74 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 18th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 82.95 points per game to date.
This year's team has scored 79 points or more in 13 of its 14 victories, significantly better than last year's team that reached 85 points 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 9 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 20 games in recent seasons.
Of note, Creighton has started 13-7 or better after 20 games in 17 of the past 19 seasons.
Creighton's 82.95 points per game clip is the team's fourth-highest mark after 20 games in history, and most since the 1970-71 club was averaging 86.25 points at this point. Creighton's single-season record is 88.2 points per game in 1965-66, and that team was averaging 88.65 points per game after 20 contests. Third on the list is the 1963-64 team, which averaged 83.4 points in its first 20 games.
Creighton's 48.1 percent field goal percentage through 20 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 173 three-pointers through 20 games are its fifth-most in the last 20 years, as well.
Year W-L PPG FG% 3FG 10+ PPG guys
2015-16 14-6 82.9 .481 173 3
2014-15 9-11 67.8 .417 163 1
2013-14 17-3 82.2 .493 223 2
2012-13 17-3 78.4 .515 187 2
2011-12 18-2 81.4 .514 174 2
2010-11 13-7 67.0 .443 141 4
2009-10 10-10 69.2 .434 136 1
2008-09 15-5 74.3 .443 170 3
2007-08 14-6 72.3 .453 172 2
2006-07 13-7 66.6 .444 123 2
2005-06 15-5 68.2 .428 145 3
2004-05 13-7 69.5 .449 164 2
2003-04 17-3 69.3 .471 116 2
2002-03 18-2 82.4 .511 177 2
2001-02 14-6 74.9 .453 124 3
2000-01 14-6 72.7 .430 145 3
1999-00 14-6 72.3 .473 167 3
1998-99 14-6 77.4 .465 157 2
1997-98 14-6 75.5 .462 148 3
1996-97 10-10 65.8 .411 103 3
1995-96 11-9 66.3 .396 123 1
1994-95 6-14 62.2 .382 132 1
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 733 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 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 96, 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 1/24)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 960 UNLV 1/27
2. 957 Kentucky 1/27
3. 950 Vanderbilt 1/26
4. 931 Duke 1/25
5. 891 Western Kentucky 1/28
6. 888 Arkansas 1/27
7. 879 East Tennessee State 1/28
8. 876 Pacific 1/30
9. 855 Oakland 1/25
10. 844 Texas 1/26
11. 830 Princeton 1/29
12. 816 Florida 1/26
13. 796 La Salle 1/26
14. 795 Marshall 1/28
15. 785 Baylor 1/27
16. 764 LIU-Brooklyn 1/27
17. 760 Cornell 1/29
18. 757 Gonzaga 1/28
19. 744 Mount St. Mary's 1/28
20. 743 Tennessee State 1/28
21. 742 Samford 1/30
22. 736 East Carolina 1/27
23. 733 Creighton 1/26
24. 697 Lafayette 1/25
25. 695 DePaul 1/27
26. 687 Davidson 1/25
Longest Active Streaks of 15+ 3FG Attempts
(Source: STATS Inc., thru Jan. 24)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 152 Coppin State 1/27
2. 96 Creighton 1/26
3. 88 Iona 1/29
4. 86 San Jose State 1/27
5. 77 Lipscomb 1/27
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 made 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 33.8 points per game and are shooting a combined 81-for-190 from three-point range (42.6 percent) while owning a combined 214/98 (2.18) 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 135 victories to own sole possession of fourth place.
McDermott's .682 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. 135-63 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.
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
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 (2x), Cole Huff, Maurice Watson Jr. (3x), Khyri Thomas and Geoffrey Groselle (4x) 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 1665-4253 from deep in that time, shooting 39.1 percent.
Best 3FG%, Since 2010-11
Rk. Pct. Team 3FG 3FGA
1. .396 Indiana 1381 3487
2. .393 Northern Colorado 1191 3034
3. .392 Weber State 1412 3599
4. .391 Creighton 1665 4253
5. .388 UC Davis 1350 3481
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. 24:
Most Games, 50% FG & 40% 3FG
Rk. Occasions Team
1. 67 Creighton
2. 59 Gonzaga
3. 58 Saint Mary's
4. 57 Kansas
5. 56 Denver
Most Games, 50% 3FG
Rk. Occasions Team
1. 45 Creighton
2. 41 Northern Colorado
41 UCLA
4. 40 Michigan State
5. 39 Weber State
39 Northeastern
Most Games, 40% 3FG
Rk. Occasions Team
1. 103 Creighton
2. 99 Duke
3. 96 Indiana
4. 92 Weber State
5. 90 Saint Mary's
Most Games, 50% FG
Rk. Occasions Team
1. 95 Gonzaga
2. 87 Kansas
3. 85 Belmont
4. 84 Creighton
5. 81 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.
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 1,809 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 42.9 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Jan. 24). 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 5.3 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 7.6 points per game and ranks 10th in the NBA, shooting 43.3 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 16,940 fans per game, which ranks eighth nationally through Jan. 25.
2015-16 Attendance Leaders
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 23,066 1/27
2. Louisville 20,273 1/30
3. Syracuse 19,970 1/28
4. Maryland 17,816 1/28
5. North Carolina 17,308 1/30
6. Wisconsin 17,287 1/26
7. Indiana 16,954 1/30
8. Creighton 16,940 1/30
9. North Carolina State 16,528 1/27
10. Kansas 16,510 1/30
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
Avg. Att. School Year
17,896 Creighton 2013-14
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
17,048 Creighton 2014-15
16,940 so far Creighton 2015-16
16,665 Creighton 2011-12
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
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 43-36 (.544) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 69-10 (.873) 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 99-24 in the last five years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 13-22 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 215 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 13-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 179-36 (.833) 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 16,367-13,837 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.77 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 82-18 (.820) 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 198-36 (.846) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
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. 25.
Most Wins Since 2000-01
Team W L
Butler 371 152
Xavier 370 151
Creighton 363 161
Villanova 354 168
Marquette 340 177
Georgetown 337 172
Providence 275 219
Seton Hall 257 230
St. John's 241 247
DePaul 200 283
Most Wins - Last 10 Years (2006-07 - Present)
Team W L
Butler 245 90
Xavier 233 97
Villanova 232 96
Creighton 224 109
Georgetown 219 100
Marquette 214 115
Providence 175 138
Seton Hall 161 146
St. John's 159 153
DePaul 109 197
Most Wins - Last 4 Years (2012-13 - Present)
Team W L
Villanova 99 25
Creighton 83 41
Providence 81 42
Xavier 78 43
Georgetown 77 41
Butler 77 43
Marquette 69 50
St. John's 65 54
Seton Hall 61 56
DePaul 42 74
What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 135-63 on the Creighton sideline midway through his sixth year at the helm. The 135 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. 135-63 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 78.73 points per home game (7,873 points in 100 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.
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