Men's Basketball Starts 2019 Home Slate With No. 21 Marquette

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Game #16: #21 Marquette Golden Eagles at Creighton Bluejays
Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019 • 6:00 p.m.
CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZ 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com, 101.9 FM
Television: CBS Sports Network (Brent Stover, Bob Wenzel)
Series History: Marquette leads, 54-32
Last Meeting: Marquette 85, Creighton 81 on March 3, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wis.
LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO (cable authorization required)

Next Game
Creighton (10-5, 1-1 BIG EAST) will host its first BIG EAST Conference home game of the season when it welcomes No. 21 Marquette (12-3, 1-1 BIG EAST) in a Wednesday night contest on January 9.
   Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha, Neb., is set for 6:00 p.m.

Come One, Come All
Did you know that local area high school students can attend Creighton men's basketball home games during winter break at no charge?
   It's true.
   Tickets for Wednesday's game vs. Marquette are available for students, subject to availability, by presenting an active school ID on gameday.
   Tickets will be redeemed at the top of the escalators at the main west entrance of CHI Health Center Omaha starting 90 minutes prior to tip off.
   For more information, call the CU Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.

Television Broadcast Information
Wednesday's tilt will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network, with Brent Stover and Bob Wenzel on the call.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2018-19 season, while KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games. John Bishop and former Bluejay Taylor Stormberg will call the action.
   The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Video Webcast Information
Go to http://www.cbssports.com/watch/cbssportsnetwork and enter your provider for cable authorization to stream Wednesday's game on CBS Sports Network.
   It is available on mobile devices using the CBS Sports App with the same info.

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 10-5 overall and 1-1 in BIG EAST play. The Bluejays have already played 10 teams that won 21 games or more a year ago, and own impressive wins away from home at Providence and on a neutral floor over No. 16 Clemson thus far.
   Creighton ranks third nationally in three-point percentage (.436), fourth in field goal percentage (.516), fourth in three-pointers made per game (11.7) and sixth in total three-pointers (176).
   Creighton returns eight lettermen and two starters from last year's team that finished 21-12 and tied for third in the BIG EAST Conference with a 10-8 league record. The Bluejays advanced to its fifth NCAA Tournament in the past seven seasons, where it fell to eventual Elite Eight qualifier Kansas State.
   Creighton owns five men averaging 9.9 points per game or more, a quintet led by sophomores Ty-Shon Alexander (16.7 ppg.) and Mitch Ballock (10.9 ppg.). Alexander poured in a career-high 36 points in the win over Clemson in the Cayman Islands Classic title game, and the duo have combined for 91 three-pointers this winter.
   Coming on strong of late is junior forward Martin Krampelj (10.3 ppg., 5.6 rpg.). He's averaged 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in CU's last five games.
   Creighton leads the BIG EAST with 51.6 percent field goal percentage and 43.6 percent three-point marksmanship, and is second with 83.7 points per game.

Scouting #21 Marquette
Marquette has won eight of its last nine games to improve to 12-3 overall and 1-1 in BIG EAST play.
   Wooden Award candidate Markus Howard (24.0 ppg.) leads the BIG EAST in scoring and has already put up a pair of 45-point efforts. He also leads the Golden Eagles with 63 assists and 17 steals.
   Brothers Sam Hauser (13.5 ppg., 6.8 rpg.) and Joey Hauser (10.5 ppg., 6.1 rpg.) are MU's top two rebounders and also score in double-figures while combining to make 55 three-pointers.
   Theo John leads the BIG EAST with 27 blocked shots inside, and Nebraska transfer Ed Morrow has provided 6.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game as a reserve.
   The Golden Eagles average 78.5 points per game while allowing just 66.7 per game. MU shoots 45.5 percent from the floor, 37.8 percent from three-point range and 74.4 percent at the line while owning a league-best +8.2 rebound advantage per game.

The Series With Marquette
Marquette leads the series with Creighton by a 54-32 margin, and has a 22-20 lead in Omaha.
   Marquette leads the series 6-4 since the teams became BIG EAST rivals and has won the past five encounters.
   Each of the last eight meetings have been decided by eight points or less.
   Greg McDermott is 2-6 against Steve Wojciechowski as a head coach, and is 4-6 in his career against Marquette.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his ninth season as head coach at Creighton, where he is 197-99 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 477-294 in his 25th season and is 346-230 in his 18th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Preston Murphy, Alan Huss and Paul Lusk.

With A Win, Creighton Can...
- Improve 198-99 under Greg McDermott at Creighton.
- Win a fourth straight home game.
- Earn CU's first victory over the Golden Eagles since Feb. 14, 2015, snapping a five-game losing streak to Marquette.
- Earn Greg McDermott's 15th win over a ranked foe as Creighton coach, and improve the program to 33-143 all-time against top-25 competition.

Rare Home Skid To Golden Eagles
Creighton has lost at home to Marquette in each of the previous three seasons. Since moving into CHI Health Center Omaha, the only team to defeat the Bluejays in four straight seasons in Omaha has been Southern Illinois (2003-04 to 2006-07).

Friend Or Froling?
Creighton freshman Samson Froling is the younger brother of former Marquette big man Harry Froling.
   Samson owns 73 points, 35 rebounds and seven blocked shots in 15 games (159 minutes) so far this year.
   Harry had 56 points, 60 rebounds and four blocked shots in 20 games (248 minutes) last season for Marquette after becoming eligible in January after transferring in from SMU. He now plays for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia.
   Samson and Harry aren't the only basketball players in the family. Parents Shane and Jenny Froling both played professionally in Australia. Sister Alicia Froling owns 1,388 points and an SMU record 1,044 carer rebounds, while Alicia's twin Keely Froling also played at SMU from 2014-16 and now plays professionally for the Canberra Capitals in Australia.

Ranking News & Notes
Marquette is ranked No. 21 in this week's AP poll. Some notes of interest as it pertains to Creighton and ranked foes...
- Creighton is 32-143 all-time (1-2 this year) against nationally-ranked teams in the Associated Press poll.
- The Bluejays are 19-40 all-time at home against ranked foes, including an 8-10 mark under Greg McDermott.
- The last time CU hosted a ranked BIG EAST team, the Jays defeated No. 3 Villanova, 89-83 (OT). It remains tied for the highest-ranked team that CU has ever beaten.
- Creighton has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the last six seasons (including 2018-19), and multiple ranked foes in each of the previous four years.
- Creighton is 14-28 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams. He owns twice as many top-25 wins as any other coach in Creighton history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 18-115 all-time against top-25 foes.
- Creighton is 9-11 since the start of the 2016-17 season against ranked teams. The nine wins over ranked teams in that time is tied for 12th nationally. Duke and Kansas (18 each) lead the way.
- Creighton is 0-5 all-time against teams ranked exactly 21st, with losses to Southern Illinois (2007), Xavier (2007), Dayton (2009), BYU (2010) and Georgetown (2015).

First To 100, Wins?
Each of the last four games between Creighton and Marquette have been high-scoring affairs, with MU winning by scores of 102-94, 91-83, 90-86 and 85-81.
   In those four meetings, Marquette and Creighton have combined to make 92 three-point attempts and shot a combined 51.9 percent of all shots (262-504) from the floor.
   Creighton has lost 11 straight games when allowing 90+ points, with three of those setbacks coming at the hands of the Golden Eagles.
   Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 81.01 points per home game (12,151 points in 150 home games). Creighton is 101-4 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points, with two of those losses coming in the previous two seasons to Marquette.
   McDermott is 58-3 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 52-3 mark on the Creighton sideline.

Offense Meets Defense
Wednesday's game will see Creighton pit one of the league's best offenses against a Marquette team that ranks among the best in the league on the defensive side of the ball.
   Creighton leads the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.516), three-point field goal percentage (.436) and three-point field goals made (176), while Marquette is first in field goal percentage defense (.392), three-point field goal percentage defense (.297) and three-pointers allowed (92). The Golden Eagles are coming off a performance on Sunday where they held Xavier to 51 points and season-lows of 31.5 percent shooting from the field and 1-for-14 three-point marksmanship (7.1 percent).
   Creighton has made seven or more three-pointers in every game this season and shot 43.3 percent or better from the field each contest.

Challenging Start To League Play
Creighton opened BIG EAST play with road games at Providence and Butler, but now returns home to host a pair of games this week against the two teams picked atop the league preseason poll. It's part of a challenging start to league play, as each of Creighton's first five games are against a team picked to finish in the upper division of the league, while the sixth is a road contest against a vastly improved Georgetown team that is currently 10-4.
   Creighton is the only school to start league play with five straight games against teams picked in the top five of the preseason poll.
   Creighton was the only team in the BIG EAST that has consecutive road games to start league play this season.
   In the previous 36 seasons, starting with 1982-83 Creighton had started with two straight road tilts just twice previously in that time (1994-95 and 2014-15).
   Creighton and Seton Hall are the only two schools in the BIG EAST with four of its first six league games on the road this season.

Triple That
Creighton has made 10 or more three-pointers in 10 of its last 12 games, shooting 147-for-341 (.431) from deep in that time.
   In this run, CU has shot better than 38.5 percent from deep in all but two of those games, and shot 43.8 percent from distance or better nine times.
   Creighton has made 10 or more three-pointers 120 times (second nationally since 2010-11) in 296 games under Greg McDermott, winning 94 of those (78.3 percent).

The "Three"-Placements
Coming into the season, many were left wondering how Creighton was going to replace three of its top four three-point shooters from a season ago (Marcus Foster, Khyri Thomas, Toby Hegner), among others, as the Bluejays were left trying to replace 229 of its 343 three-pointers from last year.
   The answer has been quite well, thank you.
   Creighton's newcomers this season have combined to shoot 48-for-101 (47.5 percent) from three-point range this season, as Connor Cashaw, Marcus Zegarowski and Damien Jefferson are all making 46 percent or better from long-range, and Samson Froling is 3-for-9 in limited attempts.

Always Impressing
Since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in 2013, Creighton and Providence are the only teams to meet or exceed their poll prediction each season.
   Providence was picked to finish third this season, with Creighton slotted ninth.
   Under eight previous seasons under Greg McDermott, Creighton has exceeded its preseason poll placement on three occasions, matched its expectation four times, and in 2011-12 were picked first in the MVC but finished second.
Preseason Polls Under Greg McDermott
Year   League   Preseason Poll   Finish
2010-11   MVC   4th   T-4th
2011-12   MVC   1st   2nd
2012-13   MVC   1st   1st
2013-14   BIG EAST   3rd   2nd
2014-15   BIG EAST   9th   T-9th
2015-16   BIG EAST   9th   6th
2016-17   BIG EAST   3rd   T-3rd
2017-18   BIG EAST   5th   T-3rd
2018-19   BIG EAST   9th   TBD

60 Percent Club
Since Greg McDermott's hiring in 2010, the Bluejays have shot 60 percent or better from the field on 23 occasions, tied with Gonzaga for the most in the nation according to data listed at Basketball-Reference.com.
Most Games Shooting 60% Since 2010-11
   Rk.   60% Games   School
   1.   23   Creighton
       23   Gonzaga
   3.   21   Kansas
   4.   20   Michigan State
       20   Indiana

3 > 1
Creighton ranks as one of the highest scoring teams in the nation this year despite not making many trips to the foul line thus far.
   The Bluejays have made 176 three-pointers this season, compared to 171 free throws.

The Race To 75
Creighton has scored 75 or more points in each of its 10 victories this season, and in 15 straight wins dating to last winter.
   Creighton has scored 80 points or more in each of its last four meetings vs. Marquette.

Sophomores From Downtown
Ty-Shon Alexander was the first player in Creighton history to make multiple three-pointers in each of the first eight games of a season before he went 1-for-4 beyond the arc at Nebraska.
   Here's a look at Creighton's most three-pointers per game for a season (minimum 10 games).
Creighton's Most 3-Pointers Per Game, Season
   3FG/G   3FG   GP   Name   Year
   3.79   129   34   Kyle Korver   2002-03
   3.15   82   26   Tad Ackerman   1994-95
   3.14   110   35   Ethan Wragge   2013-14
   3.133   47   15   Ty-Shon Alexander   2018-19
   3.125   100   32   Kyle Korver   2001-02
   2.93   44   15   Mitch Ballock   2018-19
   2.88   95   33   Marcus Foster   2017-18

3-Pointers, By Average
Creighton has made 11.73 three-pointers per game so far this season, easily its most ever. The Jays had never averaged more than 8.76 triples in any season before Greg McDermott's arrival.
   Here's a look at the most three-pointers per game in Creighton history. Of note is that each of the six completed seasons on this list ended with 21 or more wins and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Creighton's Most 3-Pointers Per Game in a Season
   3FG/G   Season   3FG   GP   W-L (Postseason)
   11.73   2018-19    176   15   10-5 so far
   10.39   2017-18   343   33   21-12 (NCAA)
   10.17   2013-14   356   35   27-8 (NCAA)
   8.76   1999-00   289   33   23-10 (NCAA)
   8.69   2016-17   304   35   25-10 (NCAA)
   8.62   2004-05   293   34   23-11 (NCAA)
   8.53   2012-13   307   36   28-8 (NCAA)

Triple Trivia
During Creighton's current streak of 831 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 6,439 trifectas, an average of 7.75 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 130 times, more than any figure.
   Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 220 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
   Creighton has made five or more three-pointers in 51 straight games (since shooting 4-20 from deep vs. Providence on 3/9/17), and has made at least one three-pointer before halftime in 202 consecutive contests (since 0-7 at Drake on 1/23/13).
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:    4 times   2: 15 times   3: 30 times
4:    67 times   5:   94 times   6: 87 times
7:   130 times   8:   109 times   9: 75 times
10: 65 times   11: 47 times   12: 45 times
13: 35 times   14: 12 times   15:   6 times
16: 6 times   19: 1 time   20:   1 time
21: 1 time   22: 1 time

All The Three's
Creighton drilled a program-record 22 three-point shots in its Dec. 20 home game vs. Coe, one year to the day after it made 19 treys vs. USC Upstate which now ranks as the fourth-most in a game in program history.
   CU's recordbreaking three-pointer came with 31.4 seconds left by Marcus Zegarowski. One night earlier, Zegarowski's brother Michael Carter-Williams hit a trey with 30.3 seconds left as the Houston Rockets set the NBA single-game record with 26 three-pointers made.
   Here's a list of Creighton's all-time games with 16 or more treys.
Most 3FG in a Game, Creighton History
   Rank   3FG   Opponent   Date   Score
   1.   22   Coe   12/20/2018   W 110-60
   2.   21   at #4 Villanova   01/20/2014   W 96-68
   3.   20   Chattanooga   02/19/2005   W 100-69
   4.   19   USC Upstate   12/20/2017   W 116-62
   5.   16   Evansville   01/04/1999   L 79-84
       16   Drake   01/08/2013   W 91-61
       16   Chicago State   12/29/2013   W 90-58
       16   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/2016   W 86-77
       16   Alcorn State   11/12/2017   W 109-72
       16   at Georgetown   01/06/2018   W 90-66

Scoring In Bunches
Creighton has scored 1,255 points through 15 games to rank 24th nationally with 83.67 points per contest. That puts this year's team on pace to be CU's highest-scoring club in nearly 50 years (1970-71).
Most Points Per Game, Season
   Rk.   PPG   Season   Final W-L (Postseason)
   1.   88.23   1965-66   14-12 (None)
   2.   84.17   1963-64   22-7 (NCAA)
   3.   83.96   1970-71   14-11 (None)
   4.   83.67   2018-19   10-5 so far (TBD)
   5.   83.52   2017-18   21-12 (NCAA)
   6.   82.83   1964-65   13-10 (None)
   7.   82.00   1968-69   13-13 (None)
   8.   81.83   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
   9.   80.89   1976-77   21-7 (NIT)

Not Your Ordinary Freshman
Marcus Zegarowski had a season-high 20 points on Dec. 20 vs. Coe. His season average of 10.3 points per game ranks fourth among BIG EAST freshmen.
   Zegarowski is attempting to become one of six Creighton freshmen in the past 25 seasons to average at least 10 points per game.
   This is the fifth straight season that Creighton has had a freshman with a 20-point game.
Freshmen With 20+ Point Games, Last 25 Seasons
   20+ Point Games   Name   Season
   6   Rodney Buford   1995-96
   6   Doug McDermott   2010-11
   5   Justin Patton   2016-17
   4   P'Allen Stinnett   2007-08
   3   Kyle Korver   1999-00
   2   Terrell Taylor   1999-00
   1   Ryan Sears   1999-00
   1   Ben Walker   1999-00
   1   Ethan Wragge   2009-10
   1   Toby Hegner   2014-15
   1   Khyri Thomas   2015-16
   1   Mitch Ballock   2017-18
   1   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-19

Most Points Per Game, CU Freshmen, Since 1994-95
   PPG   Name   Season
   14.9   Doug McDermott   2010-11
   14.5   Rodney Buford   1995-96
   12.9   Justin Patton   2015-16
   12.6   P'Allen Stinnett   2007-08
   10.5   Ryan Sears   1997-98
   10.3   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-19

We're Jamming!
Creighton already has 42 dunks this season, with 26 of those coming by Martin Krampelj.
   Here's a look at the Creighton student-athletes with 20 or more dunks in a season, or 19 or more dunks in a career, under Greg McDermott (since 2010-11):
Most Creighton Dunks, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Year
72   Justin Patton   2016-17
36   Gregory Echenique   2012-13
33   Martin Krampelj   2017-18
30   Gregory Echenique   2011-12
29   Marcus Foster   2017-18
26   Martin Krampelj   2018-19
24   Gregory Echenique   2010-11
23   Marcus Foster   2016-17
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11
20   Khyri Thomas   2017-18

Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Years
90   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
73   Martin Krampelj   2015-Pres.
72   Justin Patton   2016-17
52   Marcus Foster   2016-18
51   Khyri Thomas   2015-18
38   Will Artino   2011-15
32   Zach Hanson   2013-17
25   Geoffrey Groselle   2012-16
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11
19   Doug McDermott   2010-14

Most Creighton Dunks, Team, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Year   Team W-L
144   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
107   2017-18   21-12 (NCAA)
58   2015-16   20-15 (NIT)
56   2010-11   23-16 (CBI)
54   2012-13   28-8 (NCAA)
42   2011-12   29-6 (NCAA)
42   2018-19   10-4 so far
35   2013-14   27-8 (NCAA)
29   2014-15   14-19

Double-Double Slovenian
Martin Krampelj entered the Dec. 18 tilt at Oklahoma with season-highs of 17 points, seven rebounds and five field goals, but the Slovenian big man surpassed each of those figures when he had 19 points, 10 rebounds and nine baskets against the Sooners.
   He made 9-of-9 shots from two-point range, including five dunks. Krampelj is the fourth player in the Greg McDermott era at Creighton to be perfect from 2-point range on eight or more attempts in a game, joining Doug McDermott (10-10 vs. Wichita State on 3/2/13), Geoffrey Groselle (8-8 vs. Coppin State on 12/28/15) and Justin Patton (8-8 vs. Loyola Maryland on 11/26/16).
   It was Krampelj's eighth double-double as a Bluejay, but the first by any Creighton player since Krampelj himself had 14 points and 14 rebounds vs. Butler on January 8, 2018.

When Three-Pointers Fall, Creighton Excels
Creighton is shooting 43.6 percent from three-point range this season, good for third-best nationally.
   In Greg McDermott's first eight seasons at Creighton, all five of his teams to shoot 37 percent or better from deep would go on to make the NCAA Tournament, and his lone team to shoot below 35 percent from downtown missed the postseason.
Creighton's National 3FG% Rank Under McDermott
Year   3FG% Rank   3FG%   W-L (Postseason)
2010-11   59th   .369   23-16 (CBI)
2011-12   3rd   .424   29-6 (NCAA)
2012-13   2nd   .414   28-8 (NCAA)
2013-14   1st   .414   27-8 (NCAA)
2014-15   165th   .345   14-19
2015-16   146th   .352   20-15 (NIT)
2016-17   17th   .396   25-10 (NCAA)
2017-18   75th   .372   21-12 (NCAA)
2018-19   3rd   .436   10-5 so far

Chairmen Of The Boards
After being outrebounded 392-370 in the first 11 games of the season, Creighton has turned the tables on the glass in the past four contests.
   The Bluejays have outrebounded Coe, UMKC and Providence by a combined 156-97 in the past four competitions, yielding just 24 offensive rebounds (compared to 117 in the first 11 games) in that span.
   Against Coe, Creighton outrebounded the Kohawks 46-14. The +32 on the glass was Creighton's best rebound differential since Nov. 30, 1990, when Creighton outrebounded Texas-San Antonio 53-21 in a 93-47 victory.
   Coe did not record an offensive rebound, the first Bluejay opponent without an offensive rebound since No. 16 Villanova on Jan. 2, 2016.
   The victory over UMKC saw Creighton win the board battle 39-16, marking the first time in the last 30 years that Creighton's won the rebound category by more than 20 in consecutive games.
   In CU's Dec. 31 win at Providence, the Bluejays won the rebound battle at Dunkin' Donuts Center for the first time, beating the Friars 37-35 on the glass.

Free Falling
Despite a team of star marksmen from behind the arc, Creighton ranks just 318th nationally this year at the free throw line with its 64.0 percent accuracy.
   The free throw woes have yet to cost the Bluejays too much, as CU has shot 75.8 percent (25-33) in the last five minutes from the stripe during its seven games decided by 12 points or less.
   This year's struggles would definitely seem like and aberration, as the Bluejays rank 49th nationally in free throw percentage at 72.2 percent since Greg McDermott took over in 2010.

Getting Streaky
Ty-Shon Alexander is one of four players in the BIG EAST to make a three-pointer in every team game this season. He's joined by Markus Howard (Marquette), Myles Powell (Seton Hall) and Phil Booth (Villanova). Powell owns a trey in a league-high 39 straight games, just ahead of Alexander (19), Howard (19) and Booth (15).

Offense Is Clicking
Creighton's offense has been even hotter than the weather in the Cayman Islands in the last 12 games.
   Creighton has averaged 86.8 points per game in that span, shooting 52.4 percent from the field, 43.1 percent from three-point range (making 147 three-pointers) and 64.4 percent at the line.
   Bluejay sophomores Ty-Shon Alexander, Damien Jefferson, Mitch Ballock and Jacob Epperson have combined to average 41.6 points per game in that time while shooting a collective 50.4 percent from the field and draining 43.7 percent of its 199 shots from three-point range.

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 20 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, none larger than the 18-point deficit the Bluejays overcame against then-No.18 Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014. Ten of those 20 comebacks have come away from home.
   Creighton owns 11 victories since 2000 in which it has won after overcoming a deficit of 15 points or more, as seen below:
Overcoming Double-Digit Deficits, Since 2000
Deficit   Opponent   Date
19   Wichita State   01/28/06
18   #17 Western Kentucky   11/27/01
18   #18 Oklahoma   11/19/14
17   Missouri State   02/12/03
17   DePaul   11/09/07
17   Rhode Island   03/18/08
17   at San Diego State   11/30/11
16   TCU   01/26/03
16   at Drake   02/04/06
16   New Mexico   11/16/08
16   at Evansville   02/16/13
15   Wichita State   02/02/08

Z For 3
Marcus Zegarowski made a three-pointer in each of Creighton's first eight games before an 0-for-3 display from deep at Nebraska. Since then, he's 15-for-28 from deep, including a career-high six treys vs. Coe on Dec. 20.
   Zegarowski's eight straight games with a three-pointer to open his career tied the Creighton record for a freshman, matching the mark first set by Ryan Sears, in 1997-98.
   Sears wrapped up his career with a school-record 245 three-pointers, which currently ranks fourth in program history.

More Z
Creighton guard Marcus Zegarowski was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week, the league office announced on Monday, Dec. 17th.
   Zegarowski had 13 points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal in Creighton's 86-65 win over Green Bay in his lone game of the week.
    The freshman floor general made 4-of-8 shots, including a career-high three three-pointers. His six rebounds also tied a career-high.
    After Green Bay pulled within five points in the first eight minutes of the second half, Zegarowski scored the first five points during CU's decisive 16-5 run. The 35.0 percent shooting and 65 points were also season lows by a Creighton opponent and came against a high-powered Phoenix offense that ranked in the top-10 nationally by averaging more than 87 points per game.

100,00 Fans, Again
With 136,400 fans to date, this season marks the 17th straight season of 100,000 or more home fans for the program. The streak that started in the final season (2002-03) of the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
   Creighton has led its conference in home attendance each of the last 15 completed seasons, and is once again leading the way in the BIG EAST in 2018-19.

Challenging Schedule
Eight of Creighton's 13 non-conference opponents this season won 22 or more games last season, while a ninth foe (Oklahoma) reached the NCAA Tournament.
   East Tennessee State (25-9 last year), Ohio State (25-9), Boise State (23-9), Georgia State (24-11), Clemson (25-10), Montana (26-8), Gonzaga (32-5) and Nebraska (22-11) all won 22 or more times a year ago, and combined for a 202-72 record (.737) in 2017-18.

Sophomore Stars
Three of Creighton's top five scorers this season are sophomores, Ty-Shon Alexander (16.7 ppg.), Mitch Ballock (10.9 ppg.) and Damien Jefferson (9.9 ppg.).
   Of Creighton's 1,255 points this season, the sophomore class has scored 606 of them (48.3 percent).
   Creighton's freshmen have scored 20.6 percent, the juniors 23.5 percent and the seniors 7.6 percent.

Jefferson's Career High Keeps Movin' On Up
Sophomore Damien Jefferson posted career-high in scoring each of the first two games of the Cayman Islands Classic. He arrived in the Cayman Islands with a career-high of 14 points, done twice previously. He had 16 points against Boise State, then added 20 points a night later against Georgia State.
   Jefferson ranks fifth on the team with 9.9 points per game and leads the club with 5.7 rebounds per contest. He is shooting 56.6 percent (56-99) from the field this year.
   For the season, Jefferson has made 13-of-28 shots from downtown, good for 46.4 percent. That's not bad for a guy who sank just 9-of-42 three-pointers (21.7 percent) as a freshman at New Mexico before using much of his redshirt year to hone his shot.

Alexander The Great
Ty-Shon Alexander's performance against No. 16 Clemson on Nov. 21 was historic for a number of reasons.
- Alexander's 36 points were the most by any Bluejay in a game since Doug McDermott had 45 points on March 8, 2014 vs. Providence. Since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010, the only other Bluejay with a game of 36 points or more is Doug McDermott, who did it eight times.
- Alexander's 36 points were the most by a Bluejay sophomore since McDermott had 36 points vs. Long Beach State on Feb. 18, 2012.
- Alexander's 36 points were the most by a player against Clemson since North Carolina's Harrison Barnes had 40 points in the 2011 ACC Tournament against the Tigers. Barnes was a former high school teammate of McDermott.
- Alexander is the first Bluejay to shoot 100 percent from the free-throw line with 11 attempts or more since McDermott was 13-for-13 at the stripe on Dec. 17, 2013 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff. No player had done that against Clemson since South Carolina's Chuck Eidson on Feb. 12, 2003.
- Alexander's 36 points vs. Clemson required just 16 field goal attempts. That's the fewest number of shot attempts to score 36+ points by a Creighton player since Bob Harstad had 38 points on 13-of-13 shooting in a win over UTSA on Nov. 30, 1990.
- Alexander's seven three-point baskets were the most by a Bluejay in one game since Cole Huff had seven on March 10, 2016 vs. Seton Hall, and the most by any Clemson opponent since Charlotte's Ian Anderson on Nov. 22, 2008.

Mitchapalooza
Mitch Ballock had the best all-around night of his career on Nov. 20 vs. Georgia State, finishing with team-highs of 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists. His 23 points were a career-high, one more than the 22 he scored exactly one year earlier in a win over nationally-ranked UCLA.
   Ballock is the first Creighton player with at least 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the same game since Ryan Sears had a 25/8/8 line at Southern Illinois on Jan. 8, 2000.
   In the Nov. 19 win over Boise State, Ballock dished seven assists, one shy of his career-best. He leads CU with 52 assists against just 21 turnovers this winter despite seeing much of his playing time as the "3" man in Creighton's offense.

On The Rebound
Damien Jefferson had to sit out last year after transferring in from New Mexico, but he made up for lost time on the glass in the season-opener.
   Jefferson grabbed 12 rebounds in just 23 minutes of work, breaking his previous high by three.
   Jefferson's 12 rebounds were the most by any Creighton player in their debut since Cyril Baptiste snared 17 boards in 1969.
   In his second game at CU, Jefferson had 14 points and two blocked shots vs. East Tennessee State. The two blocks were a career-high, while the 14 points matched his previous best (at the time).

Playing With The Lead
In 265 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 74 of those contests, a staggering 27.9 percent of the time.
   Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 122-28 and hasn't trailed in 49 of those games.

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 265 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 16-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 219-46 (.826) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (15-0).
   Creighton's Nov. 25, 2017 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 20,645-17,258 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.78 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 74 different times, including 22 of its last 62 home games.
   Creighton is also 28-27 all-time in the 55 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-10 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 34-24 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 122-28 (.813) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 72-6 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 237-46 (.837) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the nine seasons since Greg McDermott took over in 2010-11, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 to January 6, 2019
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
FG Percentage   .483   3rd
3FG Percentage   .388   3rd
3FG Made   2,598   4th
Assists   4,822   4th
FG Made   8,074   10th
Wins   197   31st
Winning Percentage   .666   37th

Preseason BIG EAST Poll Picks CU Ninth
Creighton has been picked to finish ninth in a preseason poll of BIG EAST coaches.
   Villanova earned 8-of-9 possible first place votes and finished ahead of Marquette and Providence. St. John's and Butler rank fourth and fifth, while the bottom half consists of Xavier, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Creighton and DePaul.
   Creighton is one of two schools (Providence) to match or exceed its preseason prognostication every year since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST.
   St. John's junior guard Shamorie Ponds was tabbed Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, and Providence's David Duke and Villanova's Jahvon Quinerly shared Preseason Freshman of the Year laurels.
   Creighton's Martin Krampelj was a Preseason Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST pick.

#ProJays
For the first time ever, Creighton has five NBA players at the same time as Kyle Korver (Utah Jazz), Anthony Tolliver (Minnesota Timberwolves), Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers, Justin Patton (Philadelphia 76ers) and Khyri Thomas (Detroit Pistons) are all in the league.
   Including 2018-18, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 35 of the last 36 years.
   Korver ranks second among all active players (Stephen Curry) and ranks fifth in NBA history with 2,274 three-pointers. He's also second among active players (Stephen Curry, again) and sixth all-time in league history with 43.1 percent marksmanship from three-point range. He set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range in 2009-10, and is the only player in league history to lead the NBA in three-point percentage four times. He is shooting 42.4 percent from downtown and averaging 7.9 points per game this season.
   Tolliver is averaging 4.67 points and 2.0 rebounds per game on 40.0 percent shooting from deep this season for the Timberwolves.
   McDermott is in his fifth season in the NBA, and first with the Indiana Pacers. He's averaging 6.8 points per game on 40.7 percent three-point shooting this year.
   Patton was traded on Nov. 10 from Minnesota to Philadelphia, but currently rehabbing an injured foot. Patton redshirted in 2015-16 before turning pro and being the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He spent most of last year in the G-League, but did score two points in his lone NBA appearance last April.
   Creighton's newest NBA product is Khyri Thomas, who was the 38th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers before being traded minutes later to the Detroit Pistons. Thomas was a two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. He scored three points in his NBA debut on Nov. 9th and after seven games is averaging 3.1 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.

Full House
Creighton averaged 17,000 fans per home game last season, good for fifth-best nationally. This year Creighton is averaging 17,050 fans per game at home, good for a tie for fifth place.
   Last year was the 13th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the seventh straight season in the top-10 nationally in attendance, as well.
2018-19 Attendance Leaders (through 1/7)
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   North Carolina   20,808   1/12
   2.   Kentucky   20,224   1/8
   3.   Syracuse   20,054   1/9
   4.   Tennessee   17,499   1/15
   5.   Creighton   17,050   1/9
       Wisconsin   17,050   1/11
   7.   Kansas   16,179   1/9
   8.   Nebraska   15,503   1/10
   9.   Marquette   15,101   1/12
   10.   Michigan State   14,797   1/8

Some Loyal Fans
Creighton played in front of 306,000 home fans last season, surpassing the 200,000 mark for the 13th straight season.
   Creighton had never attracted more than 141,000 home fans in any season prior to the opening of CHI Health Center Omaha, and now has done it in the past 15 seasons.
   Creighton has led its conference in home attendance every year since moving into CHI Health Center Omaha, which is in its 16th season.
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,413   Creighton   2016-17
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,050 so far   Creighton   2018-19
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   17,000   Creighton   2017-18
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12

Creighton's Most Home Fans, Season
Rk.   Year   G   Attendance   Average
1.   2017-18   18   306,000   17,000
2.   2015-16   19   302,887   15,941
3.   2008-09   19   302,676   15,930
4.   2010-11   22   297,161   13,507
5.   2016-17   17   296,013   17,413

Going For 20
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 18 of the last 20 seasons (entering 2018-19), 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 20 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.    Kentucky and Florida have done it in 19 of the last 20 seasons.
   Creighton, Xavier, Syracuse and Arizona each are in the 18-of-20 seasons club.

Eight Out Of 20 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 20 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (16), Duke (11), Winthrop (10), Kentucky (10), Kansas (9), New Mexico State (9) and Creighton (8).

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 81.01 points per home game (12,151 points in 150 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.38 points in non-conference home games (6,660 points in 78 home games).
   Creighton is 101-4 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points and had won 90 straight non-conference home games since Dec. 7, 1991 when scoring 80+ points before falling 103-92 to Gonzaga on Dec. 1.

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 830 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 17th-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.
   Below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (through 1/7)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,053   UNLV   1/8
   2.   1,044   Vanderbilt   1/9
   3.   1,033   Duke   1/8
   4.   988   Arkansas   1/9
       988   Western Kentucky   1/12
   6.   976   East Tennessee State   1/10
   7.   966   Pacific   1/10
   8.   954   Oakland   1/10
   9.   942   Texas   1/8
   10.   917   Princeton   1/12
   11.   894   Marshall   1/12
   12.   881   Baylor   1/8
   13.   865   Gonzaga   1/10
   14.   859   LIU-Brooklyn   1/10
   15.   844   Cornell   1/9
   16.   840   Mount St. Mary's   1/10
   17.   831   Creighton   1/9
   18.   829   Tennessee State   1/10
   19.   825   East Carolina   1/10

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 197 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .666 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more 80 years ago.
   Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk.   W-L   Name   Years
1.   327-176   Dana Altman   1994-2010
2.   197-99   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
3.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger    1922-35
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-69
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-81

Scoring In Bunches
Creighton scored 2,756 points and ranked 12th nationally with 83.5 points per contest last season.
   The 2,756 points rank tied for fourth-most in program history for one season, and were 128 behind the 2,864 points that the 2016-17 team scored to establish the record.
   This year's team has averaged 83.67 points per game to date.
   Greg McDermott is 58-3 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 52-3 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   Creighton is 63-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 36 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas State.

CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 7-8 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at
CHI Health Center Omaha, 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
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
03/20/06   Miami (Fla.)   L 53-52   G. Diaz FT   :2.6
01/20/07   Southern Illinois   L 58-57   B. Mullins FG   :4.1
01/10/15   #19 Seton Hall   L 68-67   S. Gibbs 3FG   :2.2
02/16/15   #19 Butler   L 58-56   R. Jones FG   :1.9
03/07/15   Xavier   L 74-73   D. Davis FT's   :6.3
01/12/16   #12 Providence   L 50-48   K. Dunn FG   :0.0
02/22/17   Providence   L 68-66   K. Cartwright 3FG   :2.4
02/10/18   #5 Xavier   L 71-72   Q. Goodin FT's   :0.3

Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time, which features five games from last year. This season's Gonzaga game ranks fifth on that list, and was the best-attended non-conference home game in program history.
      Rank   Att.   Opponent   Date
   1.   18,868   Providence   03/08/14
   2.   18,859   Georgetown   01/25/14
   3.   18,831   #1 Villanova   12/31/16
   4.   18,797   #6 Villanova   02/16/14
   5.   18,759   #1 Gonzaga   12/01/18
   6.   18,742   Seton Hall   02/23/14
   7.   18,735   Wichita State   02/11/12
   8.   18,613   Wichita State   03/02/13
   9.   18,525   Marquette   12/31/13
   10.   18,518   Georgetown   01/27/18
   11.   18,495   Marquette   02/17/18
   12.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   13.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   14.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   15.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   16.   18,321   #3 Villanova   02/24/18
   17.   18,257   #5 Xavier   02/10/18
   18.   18,191   DePaul   02/27/18
   19.   18,160   Central Arkansas   11/14/14
   20.   18,145   Marquette   01/21/17

BIG EAST Playing Big
Though the BIG EAST may not be considered of the traditional "Football 5" Conferences due to its lack of big time football, the performance of the league has been big time for a long time.
   The league has owned a top-five RPI in the NCAA RPI rankings in every season since 2000-01, as seen below:
BIG EAST in Conference RPI Rankings
2018-19   3rd
2017-18:   2nd
2016-17:   3rd
2015-16:   4th
2014-15:   3rd
2013-14:   4th
2012-13:   2nd
2011-12:   2nd
2010-11:   1st
2009-10:   3rd
2008-19:   4th
2007-08:   5th
2006-07:   5th
2005-06:   3rd
2004-05:   2nd
2003-04:   4th
2002-03:   5th
2001-02:   3rd
2000-01:   3rd

Clear Bag Policy Now In Place
CHI Health Center Omaha has adopted new clear bag regulations for all arena events, including Creighton University men's home basketball games. Bags permitted under the policy include clear plastic, vinyl or PVC totes.
   Additionally, small clutch-sized bags will also be allowed inside the arena after a proper security inspection. However, oversized bags or purses will no longer be allowed inside the premises.
   After observing the success and ease of transition with arenas and venues across the state, MECA and Creighton University believe the updated policy to be the best safety practice for the thousands of fans who loyally attend each basketball game, and countless concert-goers who walk through the doors at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Here are the main bullet-points of the new bag policy.
•   Clear plastic bags, measuring 12 inches tall, 12 inches long, and 6 inches wide.
•   Small or clutch-sized purses or wallets, not exceeding 4.5 inches tall by 6.5 inches long.
•   One-gallon, clear plastic freezer bags are permitted (Ziploc bag or similar).
•   No large purses, bags, backpacks or fanny-packs will be allowed inside.
•   MECA staff members are not allowed to hold bags during an event.
•   Exceptions will be made for bags with medical necessity after appropriate inspection.

Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2018-19 season went on sale on October 16th.
   Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CHI Health Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com, and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any regular-season game.
   For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.

Men's Basketball Starts 2019 Home Slate With No. 21 Marquette

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Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Mitch Ballock

Connor Cashaw

Jacob Epperson

Marcus Foster

Samson Froling

Toby Hegner

Damien Jefferson

Martin Krampelj

Khyri Thomas

Marcus Zegarowski