Men's Basketball Heads to Sioux Falls For Neutral Site Game vs. #24 BYU

Game #10: #24 BYU Cougars vs. Creighton Bluejays
Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021 • 11 a.m.
Sanford Pentagon (3,250) • Sioux Falls, S.D.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, 1620thezone.com; XM 382; SiriusXM app 972
Broadcast: FS1 (Telly Hughes, Shon Morris)
Series History: BYU leads, 7-3
Last Meeting: BYU 88, Creighton 82 on March 22, 2016 in Provo, Utah
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF) | BYU NOTES (PDF)

Next Game
Creighton (7-2) plays a second straight ranked opponent when it returns to the court for a game against No. 24 BYU (8-1) on Saturday, Dec. 11.
   The Bluejays and Cougars will tip off at 11 a.m. at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2021-22 season. KOOO (101.9 FM) also broadcasts all home games.
   John Bishop and former Bluejay Tyler Clement will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com and can be heard on channel 972 of the Sirius/XM app or XM channel 382.

Broadcast Information
Saturday's game will be called by Telly Hughes and Shon Morris and be televised on FS1.
   The game will also be video webcast online at http://foxsports.com/live or the FoxSports app.

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 7-2 this season with wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kennesaw State, Nebraska, Brown, Southern Illinois, SIU Edwardsville and North Dakota State. CU's only losses came to Colorado State on a night in which the Rams drained a school-record 20 three-pointers and to No. 19 Iowa State when the Jays committed 21 turnovers.
   The Bluejays return seven lettermen but no starters from last year's team that finished 22-9 overall, runner-up in the BIG EAST, and reached the program's first Sweet 16 since 1974.
   Of CU's scholarship returners, only Ryan Kalkbrenner (12.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg., 2.4 bpg.), Alex O'Connell (10.9 ppg., 5.4 rpg.) and Shereef Mitchell (3.5 ppg.) are back after playing last season.
   The Bluejays brought in grad transfers KeyShawn Feazell (4.9 ppg., 4.2 rpg.) and Ryan Hawkins (13.3 ppg., 6.3 rpg.) to bolster the front line.
   Creighton also features the nation's No. 7 recruiting class, with Arthur Kaluma (9.4 ppg,. 4.6 rpg.) and three-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week Ryan Nembhard (12.7 ppg., 4.9 apg.) starting every game to date.
   Creighton averages 72.3 points per game on 49.6 percent shooting from the field and has outrebounded foes by 5.5 caroms per contest. The Bluejays have held foes to 39.6 percent shooting and 65.6 points per contest.

Scouting No. 24 BYU
BYU is off to an 8-1 start and ranked 24th in this week's Associated Press poll. The Cougars have impressive wins over San Diego State, Oregon, Utah and Utah State, with the lone loss coming at Utah Valley in overtime during a contest in which starting center Gavin Baxter suffered a season-ending knee injury.
   Alex Barcello (18.4 ppg., 1.3 spg.) shoots 42.2 percent from three-point range and is one of the top guards in the country. He owns 27 assists against just 10 turnovers thus far and shoots 89.1 percent from the line.
   Te'jon Lucas averages 12.1 points per game and paces BYU with 5.1 assists per game.
   The Cougars average 76.7 points per game and allow just 63.1 points per contest. BYU shoots 45.7 percent from the floor, 31.3 percent from deep and 72.9 percent at the line in addition to being +7.9 rebounds per game on the glass.

The Series vs. No. 24 BYU
BYU leads the all-time series against Creighton by a 7-3 count and won the only previous meeting on a neutral floor in Oklahoma City in 1964.
   The teams last met in Provo in the quarterfinals of the 2016 NIT and also met in Omaha during Greg McDermott's first season at Creighton.
   Greg McDermott is 0-2 all-time against BYU and has never coached against Mark Pope.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 260-127 record in his 12th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 540-322 in his 28th season, and is 409-258 in his 21st Division I campaign.
   McDermott led Creighton to its first BIG EAST regular-season title in 2019-20, taking a Bluejay team that was picked seventh in the league's preseason poll and ending the year ranked seventh nationally. The Cascade, Iowa native then coached Creighton to its first Sweet 16 since 1974 in 2020-21 and to a share of its first regular-season BIG EAST title in 2019-20.
   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 is assisted by Alan Huss, Ryan Miller and Jalen Courtney-Williams.

With A Win...
- Teams with Ryan Hawkins would improve to 167-10 at the college level, and 40-1 on neutral floors.
- Creighton would start 8-2 after 10 games for the ninth time in the last 11 seasons.
- Creighton would improve to 3-1 on neutral floors this season and 4-1 away from home this winter.
- Creighton would beat BYU for the first time since Dec. 7, 2002, when Kyle Korver had 19 points and 11 rebounds in a 74-64 Bluejay victory.
- Creighton would improve to 25-36 all-time vs. top-25 teams under Greg McDermott.
- Creighton would beat at least one ranked team for a ninth straight season.

Dakota Reunion
Creighton assistant coach Ryan Miller is from Mitchell, South Dakota and played his college ball at Northern State in Aberdeen, S.D. His brother, Mike Miller, is one of the greatest athletes to ever to come out of South Dakota. Mike Miller is the father of Creighton freshman Mason Miller, who intends to redshirt this season.
- Creighton was scheduled to play at Sanford Pentagon for last November's Crossover Classic, only to withdraw due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests to Tier I individuals within the program.
- Creighton has not played a game inside the state of South Dakota since beating South Dakota State in Brookings on Dec. 3, 1975.
- The last Creighton student-athlete from South Dakota to play for the Bluejay men's basketball program was Zach Hanson, a Pierre native who accumulated 525 points and 254 rebounds for the Bluejays in 109 games from 2013-17.

Put It In Neutral
Creighton generally plays a few neutral-site games each season, but those are typically associated with MTE's, a conference tournament or postseason play.
   Creighton has not played a neutral site game in the regular-season that wasn't affiliated with a tournament since facing North Carolina in Charlotte on Dec. 12, 1970 (51 years ago on Sunday).
   Creighton hasn't won a neutral site game in the regular-season that wasn't affiliated with a tournament since defeating Oklahoma State on Dec. 1, 1966 in Oklahoma City.
   Plans are in place for Creighton and BYU to meet on a neutral floor again next season in Las Vegas.

Wins On Wins on Wins
Creighton's Nov. 21 loss vs. Colorado State was the first time in the six-year college career of Ryan Hawkins that one of his teams lost on a neutral floor. The Northwest Missouri State transfer is now 39-1 on neutral sites when you include his 2-1 mark this year.
   He enters Saturday's game vs. BYU with a team record of 166-10 (.943) at all sites, and is looking to avoid losing consecutive games at the college level for the first time.

Turnover Bug A Rare Occasion
Creighton had 21 turnovers in last Saturday's game vs. Iowa State. Not only was it a season-high, but it was also the most in Creighton's 387 games under Greg McDermott. CU hadn't had 21 or more miscues in a contest since it had 24 turnovers at Nebraska on Nov. 29, 2008.
   Creighton's 15 turnovers before intermission were its most in any half since also having 15 in the first half vs. Drake on Jan. 11, 2004.
   Creighton also finished the Iowa State game with just five assists. It tied the fewest in a game by any Bluejay team under McDermott.
   Creighton currently has 128 assists and 131 turnovers. The only time since 1999-2000 that it has finished a season with more turnovers than assists was 2005-06 (398 assists, 400 turnovers).

Only One Name Needed
Alums Doug McDermott and Jimmer Fredette each are considered among the all-time greats in their respective program, and among the nation's best players in the last 15 years.
   Both men swept the National Player of the Year awards as seniors, appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and are among the NCAA's all-time scoring leaders (McDermott is sixth, Fredette 40th).
   McDermott and Fredette are among 19 different players in the last 30 years who have scored 900 points or more in a college season, a list that also includes the likes of Stephen Curry (twice), Kemba Walker, J.J. Redick, Allen Iverson, Glenn Robinson, Buddy Hield and Kevin Durant.
   Here's a closer look at their basketball stats:
Category   McDermott   Fredette
College Games   145   139
College Points   3,150   2,599
College Points/Game   21.7   18.7
College Rebounds   1,088   367
College Assists   194   515
College 3FG Made   274   296
College 3FG Percentage   .458   .394
NBA Draft   11th (2014)   10th (2011)
NBA Games   492   241
NBA Points   4,449   1,438
NBA Points/Game   9.0   6.0
NBA 3FG Made   650   193
NBA 3FG Percentage   .409   .372

Hawkins Scores 25
Ryan Hawkins scored 25 points vs. No. 19 Iowa State. It was the 96th time in his career that the Atlantic, Iowa native scored in double-figures, and 46th time he's scored 20 points or more in a game.
   Hawkins' 25 points were the most by a Bluejay in any game this season, and most by any CU player against a top-25 team since Marcus Zegarowski scored 25 points in an 86-70 win vs. No. 5 Villanova on Feb. 13, 2021.

Top 25 Success
Saturday's game against No. 24 BYU will be the second top-25 opponent that Creighton will face this season (with another likely coming next Friday when current No. 6 Villanova comes to Omaha).
   The Bluejays have beaten multiple top-25 foes in each of the previous six seasons, something only 11 teams (Baylor, Creighton, Florida State, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue, Texas Tech, Villanova and West Virginia.) can claim.

Ranking News & Notes
- Creighton is 24-36 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams, 17 more top-25 wins than any other coach in Creighton history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 18-115 all-time against top-25 foes.
- Creighton has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the previous eight seasons (entering 2021-22), and multiple ranked foes in each of the previous six years.
   On a national basis, the only 23 teams with a top-25 win each of the previous eight seasons (entering 2021-22) are Baylor, Clemson, Creighton, Duke, Florida State, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Syracuse, Texas Tech, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Xavier.
- Creighton is 19-19 since the start of the 2016-17 season against ranked teams. The 19 wins over ranked teams in that time are 17th-most nationally, and trails only Villanova (25) among BIG EAST clubs.
- Creighton is 1-4 all-time against teams ranked exactly No. 24, defeating Xavier 73-67 in Omaha on Dec. 9, 2016.
- Creighton is 0-2 all-time against ranked BYU teams, falling in 1971 and 2010.

Big Mac On The Attack
Greg McDermott's teams have consistently battled some of the best teams in the country.
   The chart below shows how his teams have consistently outpaced those of his predecessors against top-25 foes.
Category   Pre-McDermott   Under McDermott
vs. Top 25 Teams   18-115   24-36
vs. Top 10 Teams   5-31   10-17
vs. Top 10 on Road   1-28   4-9
vs. Top 25 on Road   2-63   8-16

Youth Is Served
Creighton has just seven non-freshmen on this year's roster, and is playing multiple freshmen on a consistent basis this season. Creighton has had at least one freshman on the floor for every second of every game this season, and actually had a late stretch of 1:28 vs. Colorado State when all five of its players on the floor were freshmen.
   Creighton has outscored teams by 93 when it two freshmen or less on the court, but have been outscored by 32 when it has three or more freshmen on the floor.
   All told, 811:54 of Creighton's 1,800 total minutes (45.11 percent) have been played by freshmen this season.
   By comparison, last season Creighton had a freshman on the floor just 32.4 percent of the time and had multiple freshmen on the floor just 17 minutes (of 1,250) all season (1.4 percent).
Freshmen   Time   Score   Margin
0 freshmen:   Never   --   --
1 freshmen:   33:45   54-49   +5
2 freshmen:   211:42   436-348   +88
3 freshmen:   84:12   132-164   (-32)
4 freshmen:   18:53   24-27   (-3)
5 freshmen:   1:28   5-2   +3

Elite Freshmen
Ryan Nembhard is averaging 12.7 points, 4.9 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 48.3 percent from the field this season.
   Since 2010-11, Nembhard is one of just 14 freshmen in the nation to average at least 12.5 points, 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game, a list that includes Trae Young, R.J. Cole, Markelle Fultz, Sharife Cooper, Dennis Smith, Lonzo Ball, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, McKinley Wright IV, Ja Morant and Nembhard.
   Of the 14 freshmen to average 12.5 points, 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game since 2010-11, Nembhard, Ball and Gilgeous-Alexander are the only men to do so while shooting better than 48 percent from the field.

The Ryan Express
Creighton has started three players with the first name of Ryan in each game this winter, as Ryan Nembhard, Ryan Hawkins and Ryan Kalkbrenner are all entrenched as starters. Those three men are also CU's top three scorers.
   In the Nov. 16 win at Nebraska, Nembhard, Hawkins and Kalkbrenner combined for 49 points, 24 rebounds, 11 assists and five blocked shots.
    For the season, the "Ryan Express" has contributed 59.6 percent of Creighton's blocked shots, 52.8 percent of its points, 47.7 percent of its assists, 44.6 percent of its rebounds grabbed and 40.9 percent of its steals.
   Creighton had not started multiple players with the same first name in the same regular-season game since Nov. 18, 2006, when both Nick Porter and Nick Bahe started against Nebraska.
   Creighton has not had a season in which three players with the same first name all started at least once in the regular-season since at least 1980.
   With so many men named Ryan (not to mention assistant coach Ryan Miller), the Bluejay staff has gone to referring to Hawkins as "Hawk", the 7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner as "Big Ryan" and Nembhard as "R2", in honor of his uniform number, as well as "Coach Miller".

A Good Start
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 10 games in recent seasons, which CU will reach after Saturday's contest.
   Notably, this could be the third time that CU has five had double-figure scorers after 10 games since 1994-95 (also 2015-16 and 2020-21).
    Of note, Creighton has started 5-5 or better after 10 games in 27 of the past 28 seasons (including 2021-22). This will be the 11th straight season of a 7-3 start or better.
Creighton Stats Through 10 Games, Since 1994-95
Year   W-L   PPG   FG%   3FG   10+ PPG guys
'21-22so far 7-2   72.3   .496   54   4
2020-21   8-2   81.3   .482   101   5
2019-20   8-2   78.5   .478   98   3
2018-19   7-3   83.8   .510   117   3
2017-18   8-2   90.2   .516   102   3
2016-17   10-0   91.6   .544   99   4
2015-16   7-3   85.5   .506   93   5
2014-15   8-2   73.8   .438   85   2
2013-14   8-2   83.7   .491   113   2
2012-13   9-1   80.2   .519   90   2
2011-12   9-1   86.0   .516   90   2
2010-11   6-4   69.0   .426   74   3
2009-10   4-6   71.3   .450   78   2
2008-09   8-2   75.6   .439   89   3
2007-08   9-1   80.8   .478   84   2
2006-07   6-4   66.0   .408   59   3
2005-06   7-3   69.3   .405   70   3
2004-05   8-2   69.2   .434   80   2
2003-04   10-0   72.1   .463   61   2
2002-03   10-0   84.9   .526   97   1
2001-02   6-4   75.9   .439   63   3
2000-01   8-2   76.0   .445   83   3
1999-00   9-1   74.7   .458   84   2
1998-99   8-2   78.4   .454   79   2
1997-98   7-3   77.3   .467   73   1
1996-97   5-5   65.7   .409   57   2
1995-96   5-5   66.7   .390   56   3
1994-95   4-6   65.1   .404   66   3

Elite Company For Hawkins
In 1991 when Creighton was in the Missouri Valley Conference, former Bluejay Bob Harstad (along with Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird and Xavier McDaniel) was one the answers to the trivia question of "Who are the only four players in MVC history with 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds"?
   Years later, Doug McDermott finished his career with 3,150 points and 1,088 rebounds, though not all those rebounds came while playing within The Valley.
   So what's the point, you're asking? Creighton senior Ryan Hawkins owns 2,218 career points and 1,005 career rebounds, though the majority of his totals were accumulated at the Division II level at Northwest Missouri State.
   Entering this season, only 117 players in NCAA history have achieved 2,000 points and 1,000 points at the Division I level.

Nembhard A Consistent Threat
Ryan Nembhard scored in double-figures each of Creighton's first six games and has had nine points or more in all nine outings this winter.
   In the last 27 years, the only other newcomers to score in double-figures during CU's first six games had been true freshman Doug McDermott (8 straight in 2010-11), redshirt freshman Justin Patton (8 in 2016-17) and Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster (8 in 2016-17), who was a junior.
   Nembhard's 114 points through nine games are the most by any Bluejay freshman since Doug McDermott had 116 points at that point in 2010-11 CU's other two freshmen since 1994-95 to score 96 or more points through nine games (Patton and McDermott) all went on to be named Conference Freshman of the Year.
Most Points, Newcomers First 9 Games Since 1995-96
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year   After 10
   162   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17   178
   120   Ryan Hawkins, Sr.   2021-22   ? ? ?
   116   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11   128
   114   Ryan Nembhard, Fr.   2021-22   ? ? ?
   111   Justin Patton, Fr.   2016-17   120
   109   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16   117
   109   Damien Jefferson, So.   2018-19   116
   103   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16   110
   102   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11   111
   97   Edward St. Fleur, Jr.   1995-96   101
   95   Khyri Thomas, Fr.   2015-16   108
   93   Ryan Sears, Fr.   1997-98   99
   93   Terrell Taylor, Fr.   1999-00   98
   92   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08   103
   91   Rodney Buford, Fr.   1995-96   104
   90   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02   101

You've Been Blocked!
Ryan Kalkbrenner had five blocked shots on both Nov. 22 vs. Southern Illinois and Nov. 27 vs. SIUE. Just how rare is that? In Greg McDermott's 12 years on the Creighton sideline, the only Bluejay with multiple games of 5+ blocks in the same season had been Gregory Echenique, who did it in 2010-11 (2x) as well as 2012-13 (4x).
   He's the first Bluejay with five swats in consecutive games since Benoit Benjamin did it in six straight games from Jan. 27-Feb. 14, 1985. Benjamin had a streak of 7, 12, 6, 5, 5 and 6 rejections during that stretch.
   Benjamin set MVC records that still stand with 411 career blocks and 162 rejections in 1984-85.

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 25 victories since the start of the 2010-11 season after trailing by double-figures at some point, including two this season. Twelve of those 25 comebacks have come away from home.
   Creighton's comeback from 16 points down vs. SIUE on Nov. 27 was its biggest since rallying from 16 points down at Seton Hall on Jan. 27th.
   If you're curious, CU's largest comeback win since 2000 came on Jan. 28, 2006, when the Jays trailed 25-6 early before rallying to beat Wichita State on a buzzer-beater by Anthony Tolliver.
CU's Double-Digit Comebacks Since 2010-11
Deficit   Opponent   Date
18   #18 Oklahoma   11/19/14
17   at San Diego State   11/30/11
16   at Evansville   02/16/13
16   at Seton Hall   01/27/21
16   SIU Edwardsville   11/27/21
15   Arkansas-Pine Bluff   11/09/21
14   Evansville   02/21/12
13   at Saint Joseph's   11/16/13
13   Xavier   01/12/14
13   #22 Xavier   12/23/20
12   Saint Joseph's   12/11/10
12   at DePaul   01/17/16
12   East Tennessee State   11/11/18
11   at Wichita State   12/31/11
11   Northern Iowa   01/10/12
11   vs. Alabama   03/16/12
11   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/16
11   vs. Connecticut   03/12/21
10   UAB   11/14/12
10   vs. Drake   03/02/12
10   at Nebraska   12/07/14
10   South Dakota   12/09/14
10   St. John's   01/03/18
10   at DePaul   02/07/18
10   Bemidji State   02/13/18

Defense Cranks Up A Notch at Home
Creighton has led at halftime in just one of its five home games this season, but still recovered to go 4-1 overall at home.
   After being outscored an average of 3.0 points in the first half at home, CU outscores foes by an average of 11.38 points per game in the second half this season at home.
   CU is shooting 54.4 percent (74-136) in the second half at home this season while holding foes to 29.7 percent (46-155) marksmanship after the break.
   The difference is even more significant behind the arc, where CU shoots 32.5 percent (13-40) from downtown after halftime compared to its opponents' 22.2 percent (12-54).

Speaking of Defense
Creighton had nine blocked shots on Nov. 27 vs. SIUE, tying its most in any game in Greg McDermott's 12 seasons. CU also had nine rejections on Feb. 13, 2018 vs. Division II Bemidji State. The nine swats were CU's most against a Division I foe since also posting nine at Evansville on Jan. 3, 2010.
   Of Creighton's nine blocks, eight came in the second half. Seven of those came in the final 15 minutes, when SIUE went just 2-of-16 from the floor.
   Also noteworthy was CU's defense beyond the arc. SIUE made just 1-of-15 three-point tries, tying the fewest trifectas made by a Bluejay opponent under McDermott. It was the fifth time it had happened, and first occasion since No. 5 Xavier shot 1-of-21 on Feb. 9, 2016.

At The Buzzer!
Ryan Nembhard drove the length of the court in the final 5.2 seconds to sink a floater as time expired to give Creighton a 66-64 win vs. Southern Illinois on Nov. 22 in the third-place game of the Paradise Jam.
   Ironically enough, the game-ending play was installed several years ago by former Bluejay assistant Paul Lusk, himself a Southern Illinois grad.
   The basket was Creighton's first go-ahead shot as time expired since Booker Woodfox beat Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinals on March 6, 2009.
   Prior to Woodfox, Creighton's last previous buzzer-beater had also come against Wichita State, as Anthony Tolliver's shot from the right baseline beat Wichita State on Jan. 28, 2006.
   Nate Funk also hit a buzzer-beater to beat Greg McDermott's Northern Iowa team on Jan. 15, 2005 in Cedar Falls.
   Shots by those four men remain the only game-winning buzzer-beaters by Creighton since the start of the 1999-2000 season.

Kalkbrenner Playing Big
In his last seven games, sophomore center Ryan Kalkbrenner has set career-highs in rebounds (10 vs. Iowa State), points (19 vs. Brown) and blocked (5 vs. Southern Illinois and then SIU Edwardsville).
   Kalkbrenner has had 10 or more points in seven of the past eight contests, compared to seven total double-figure outings in his 2020-21 freshman campaign that spanned 31 contests.

Putting The Jam In Paradise Jam
Creighton had 17 dunks in three games at the Paradise Jam, including eight against Colorado State on Nov. 21. The Bluejays now own 41 dunks through nine games this season.
   CU's 41 dunks are its most through nine games during any of Greg McDermott's 12 seasons as Creighton head coach, surpassing the 37 through nine games by the 2016-17 team.
   Ryan Kalkbrenner leads CU with 20 of those slams after he threw down 29 dunks all of last season in 31 games played. The sophomore's 20 slams to date trail only Justin Patton's 21 dunks through nine games in the McDermott era.
   CU's 2016-17 team finished with 144 dunks in 35 games, with Patton owning 72 of those slams.

Glass Cleaners
Creighton is outrebounding teams by 5.6 caroms per contest this season. How good is that rebounding margin? Creighton's only team to finish +6 or better on the boards since 1980 was the 1983-84 club that finished +6.7.
   The commitment to rebounding has been a team effort. All seven Bluejays to appear in all seven games this winter are averaging at least 3.0 rebounds per game, led by Ryan Hawkins (6.3 rpg.). Hawkins enters Saturday's contest with 1,005 career rebounds when you include his Division II stats.

Five Threats To Score
All five Creighton starters are averaging at least 9.4 points per game this season, a fact made all the more impressive when you consider that these men owned a total of ZERO career starts as a Bluejay entering this winter.
   Creighton has won 22 straight games when five or more players have 10 points or more.

Nembhard's Big Day
Playing his first collegiate road game, freshman point guard Ryan Nembhard thrived in a hostile environment in Lincoln. The Canadian native had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists.
   Since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010, the only other Bluejays with a 20/5/5 game were Mitch Ballock (1), Marcus Foster (3), Grant Gibbs (1), Doug McDermott (2), Khyri Thomas (2), Maurice Watson Jr. (2) and Marcus Zegarowski (3).
   Nembhard is CU's first freshman with a 20/5/5 line since at least 1981-82.
   Nembhard's 22 points were the most by a Bluejay of any year in their first game vs. Nebraska since at least 1980.

Nembhard Earns All-Tourney Honors
Ryan Nembhard earned All-Tournament Team honors at the Paradise Jam after averaging 12.3 points, 4.7 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals in three games.
   Nembhard shot 55.6 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 60 percent from the line and made a shot at the buzzer vs. Southern Illinois in the third-place game.
   He is CU's first true freshman to pick up All-Tournament Team honors at any event since Doug McDermott was named to the Global Sports Hy-Vee Challenge All-Tournament Team in 2010.

Hawk Talk
Ryan Hawkins finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on Nov. 16 at Nebraska. It was just the fourth 15/10/5 game in Greg McDermott's 12 seasons at Creighton, and first since Khyri Thomas had 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a Nov. 15, 2017 Gavitt Tipoff Games win at Northwestern.
   The only others with a 15/10/5 game under McDermott were Austin Chatman (17 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists vs. Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014) and Doug McDermott (30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists at Seton Hall on Jan. 4, 2014).
   Hawkins's performance was CU's first 15/10/5 line without a turnover since at least 1980-81.

Like A Hawk
Ryan Hawkins had 10 or more rebounds in each of CU's first three games. He's the first Bluejay to do that to start a season since Benoit Benjamin's streak of 27 consecutive double-figure rebounding games to open his junior campaign in 1984-85.
   Hawkins owns 38 games with 10 or more rebounds in his college career.

Winning With Defense
Creighton's made its reputation on the offensive side with its "Let It Fly" philosophy, but the Bluejays have won thanks in large part to their defense so far this season.
   Creighton held each of its first four opponents under 40 percent from the field for the first time since at least 1980-81.
   Creighton is holding teams to 39.6 percent shooting this season, which would also be the program's best mark in more than 40 years.

Playing With The Lead
In 313 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 85 of those contests, a staggering 27.2 percent of the time.
     Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is
161-37 and hasn't trailed in 60 of those games. He owns an 91-7 record vs. non-conference teams at CHI Health Center Omaha.

Assists 'R' Us
Ryan Nembhard's 10 assists in CU's season-opener were the most by a Bluejay freshman in any game since Marcus Zegarowski had 10 on March 9, 2018 vs. DePaul. He was the nation's ONLY freshman with 10+ assists on the opening night of the college basketball season.
   Prior to Nembhard, no Bluejay (of any year) had dished 10 or more assists in a season-opener since Edward St. Fleur on Nov. 22, 1996 at Wyoming.

Making An Entrance
Arthur Kaluma (15) and Ryan Nembhard (15) became CU's first true freshmen to debut with 10 points or more since Khyri Thomas had 18 points vs. Texas Southern in 2015.
   Nembhard (15 pts., 10 ast.) and Ryan Hawkins (16 pts., 11 reb.) were the first Bluejays since at least 1980 with double-doubles in the season-opener of their debut campaign. No CU player (of any year) had started the season with a double-double since Will Artino (14 pts., 10 reb.) in 2014-15 vs. Central Arkansas.
   Kaluma's eight rebounds were the most by a true freshman in the regular-season opener since Martin Krampelj in 2015 and the most by any Bluejay freshman since redshirt freshman Justin Patton snared eight rebounds in his 2016 debut.
   Kaluma had four blocked shots on Nov. 9 vs. UAPB. The last previous Bluejay newcomer with multiple blocked shots in a season-opener? That'd be Artino on Nov. 11, 2011 vs. North Carolina A&T. Kaluma's four swats were the most by any Bluejay (of any year) on Opening Day since Jeffrey Day had five swats vs. Alcorn State to open the 2004-05 campaign..
   Kaluma (15 & 8) became Creighton's second freshman since at least 1973 to debut with 15+ points and 5+ rebounds, joining Doug McDermott (16 & 7) in 2010.
   Ryan Hawkins grabbed 11 rebounds vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the most by a Bluejay since Damien Jefferson had 12 in 2018. Other than Jefferson, no one's had more than 11 rebounds in their CU debut since Cyril Baptiste snared 17 caroms in 1969. When Hawkins followed with 10 rebounds vs. Kennesaw State, he became CU's first player (of any year) with 10+ rebounds in CU's first two games since Doug Swenson in 1998-99.

Freshman Starts Almost Unheard Of
Between 1992-93 and 2020-21, only four true freshmen started Creighton's regular-season opener. Then on Nov. 9 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, both Ryan Nembhard and Arthur Kaluma got the nod on opening night. Nembhard had 15 points and 10 assists while Kaluma owned 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
   This season marked the first time Creighton started two true freshmen in a regular-season opener since 1991-92 (Eric Dantzler and Mike Amos).
   About the other true freshmen to start...
   Ryan Sears did so in 1997-98. The point guard would go on to start all 124 games of his CU career and remains the program's all-time career assist (570) and steals (283) leader.
   Doug McDermott did so in 2010-11, and he went on to start all 145 games of his career. He would graduate as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 career points and is the only three-time First Team All-American since 1986. He now plays for the San Antonio Spurs.
   Khyri Thomas got a start in 2015-16 and remained in CU's starting five each of his first 24 games, and 96-of-102 career contests with the Jays. He has spent parts of the past three seasons in the NBA.
   Shereef Mitchell joined this elite group in 2019-20 when he got the starting nod against Kennesaw State. Mitchell finished with eight points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals in 28 minutes of work.

Top-10 Class
Creighton signed four top-100 players en route to inking the No. 7 recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports. That also ranks as the best class in the BIG EAST Conference.
   Here's how the nation's top-10 classes shake out:
1.   Memphis
2.   Michigan
3.   Gonzaga
4.   Tennessee
5.   Duke
6.   LSU
7.   Creighton
8.   Florida State
9.   Connecticut
10.   Kentucky

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 922 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,275 trifectas, an average of 7.89 treys per game.
   That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 139 times, more than any figure.
   Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 261 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
   Creighton has also made a trifecta in the first half of 293 straight games (since going 0-7 vs. Drake on Jan. 23, 2013). That streak was in serious jeopardy on Opening Day this season as CU missed its first 14 three-point tries before a man named Trey (Alexander) extended the streak.
   Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 37-6 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 14-11 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:    5 times   2: 15 times   3: 31 times
4:    71 times   5:   98 times   6: 99 times
7:   139 times   8:   115 times   9: 88 times
10: 77 times   11: 52 times   12: 49 times
13: 44 times   14: 18 times   15: 7 times
16: 7 times   17: 3 times   19: 1 time
20: 1 time   21: 1 time   22: 1 time

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 922 straight games. The streak is the nation's 14th-longest active streak.
   Creighton's last game without a three-pointer came at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993, when the Jays were 0-for-5. 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 (12/8)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,139   UNLV   12/11
   2.   1,121   Duke   12/14
   3.   1,084   Arkansas   12/11
   4.   1,071   Western Kentucky   12/11
   5.   1,060   East Tennessee State   12/11
   6.   1,040   Oakland   12/21
   7.   1,039   Pacific   12/11
   8.   1,030   Texas   12/9
   9.   978   Marshall   12/11
   10.   970   Baylor   12/12
   11.   967   Princeton   12/11
   12.   959   Gonzaga   12/9
   13.   933   Long Island   12/9
   14.   922   Creighton   12/11
   15.   921   Mount St. Mary's   12/11
   16.   905   Tennessee State   12/10

My Name Is...
Only five men who played for Creighton last season are back this winter, and none of them averaged more than 15 minutes per game.
   Per research by TCU, Creighton's 18.0 percent of minutes returning ranks third-lowest among all teams nationally, and is the least among all teams from the BIG EAST or a Power 5 Conference.
Lowest Percentage of Minutes Returning
School   Pct. of Minutes Returning
Tennessee-Martin      0.0
Portland      8.5
Creighton   18.0
Missouri   19.7
Duquesne   23.2
Iowa State   25.1
Robert Morris   26.3
Boston College   27.6
South Alabama   28.6
TCU   29.2

Who's Back?
With Creighton returning only five of the 15 men who appeared in a game last season, it's no surprise that much of the production from 2020-21 is also gone. Below is a breakdown of what is back:
Stat   Returners   Departures
Starts   2 (1.3%)   153 (98.7%)
3FG Made   25 (8.5%)   268 (91.5%)
Assists   68 (14.0%)   417 (86.0%)
Points   371 (15.8%)   1,984 (84.2%)
Minutes   1,124 (18.0%)   5,126 (82.0%)
Steals   39 (18.1%)   177 (81.9%)
Rebounds   207 (20.7%)   794 (79.3%)
Charges Taken   5 (29.4%)   12 (70.6%)
Blocks   39 (37.9%)   64 (62.1%)

Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked eighth in the preseason BIG EAST Conference poll that was selected via a vote of league coaches.
   Villanova was a unanimous selection to win the league, with Connecticut and Xavier finishing second and third, respectively. St. John's is fourth, followed by Seton Hall, Butler, Providence and Creighton. Rounding out the poll are Marquette, Georgetown and DePaul.
   Villanova standout Collin Gillespie was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, and was joined on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team by Nate Watson (Providence), Julian Champagnie (St. John's), Jared Rhoden (Seton Hall), Paul Scruggs (Xavier) and Zach Freemantle (Xavier).
   Creighton is the only school in the league that has met or exceeded its preseason BIG EAST prognostication every year since joining the league, as seen below:
Creighton's BIG EAST Preseason Poll History
Year    Preseason    Actual    Preseason All-BIG EAST
2013-14    3rd    2nd    Doug McDermott (1st)
2014-15    9th    T-9th    -
2015-16    9th    6th    -
2016-17    3rd    T-3rd    Maurice Watson Jr. (1st); Marcus Foster (HM)
2017-18    5th    T-3rd    Marcus Foster (1st); Khyri Thomas (HM)
2018-19    9th    T-3rd    Martin Krampelj (HM)
2019-20    7th    T-1st   Ty-Shon Alexander (1st)
2020-21    2nd    2nd   Marcus Zegarowski (1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd)

Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since the start of the 2010-11 season, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 through Dec. 8, 2021
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Made   3,443   2nd
3FG Percentage   .382   3rd
FG Percentage   .480   3rd
Assists   6,242   5th
FG Made   10,598   8th
Points   29,681   9th
Wins   260   27th
Winning Percentage   .672   31st

#ProJays
Former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott is a starter for the San Antonio Spurs, giving Creighton at least one NBA player in 38 of the last 39 seasons.
   Last year five Bluejays appeared in an NBA game, as McDermott was joined by Ty-Shon Alexander, Justin Patton, Khyri Thomas and Anthony Tolliver.
   McDermott is in his eighth season in the NBA. Last year he with Indiana he averaged a career-high 13.6 points per game.
   Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver, Benoit Benjamin and Anthony Tolliver.

Who Are These Guys?
For the first time since at least 1980-81, Creighton will not return any of its five starters as Mitch Ballock, Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Denzel Mahoney and Marcus Zegarowski are all gone after combining to make 152-of-155 possible starts last season.
   In fact, there's only been four previous times in the last 40 years that just one starter has returned. Those four occurrences came in 1985-86 (went 12-16), 2007-08 (22-11), 2014-15 (14-19) and
2015-16 (20-15).
   Shereef Mitchell started two games last season when Zegarowski was injured, and no other active Bluejay had ever started a game for CU prior to CU's Nov. 9 season-opener. In the previous 40 seasons, Creighton's always returned players who combined for at least 40 starts in the previous season.
   Returning   Returning Starts    Final
Year   Starters   From Previous Year   W-L
2021-22   0   2   ? ? ?
2020-21   5   124   22-9
2019-20   4   136   24-7
2018-19   2   57   20-15
2017-18   2   72   21-12
2016-17   4   130   25-10
2015-16   1   64   20-15
2014-15   1   49   14-19
2013-14   4   144   27-8
2012-13   4   140   28-8
2011-12   3   101   29-6
2010-11   4   123   23-16
2009-10   3   106   18-16
2008-09   3   83   27-8
2007-08   1   44   22-11
2006-07   4   120   22-11
2005-06   4   134   20-10
2004-05   2   58   23-11
2003-04   3   101   20-9
2002-03   5   159   29-5
2001-02   2   65   23-9
2000-01   3   90   24-8
1999-00   3   84   23-10
1998-99   3   84   22-9
1997-98   4   72   18-10
1996-97   4   126   15-15
1995-96   4   100   14-15
1994-95   2   52   7-19
1993-94   3   73   7-22
1992-93   2   64   8-18
1991-92   2   51   9-19
1990-91   4   132   24-8
1989-90   4   127   21-12
1988-89   4   123   20-11
1987-88   3   83   16-16
1986-87   2   65   9-19
1985-86   1   48   12-16
1984-85   4   124   20-12
1983-84   3   72   17-14
1982-83   3   77   8-19
1981-82   2   78   7-20
1980-81   4   112   21-9

21 of 23 Seasons With 20 Wins
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 21 of the last 23 seasons (entering 2021-22), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
   Just two schools have had 20 or more wins each of the last 23 years: Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 22 times, Creighton and Kentucky 21 times.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Previous 23 Seasons
Team   20-Win Seasons   2020-21 W-L
Gonzaga   23   31-1
Kansas   23   21-9
Duke   22   13-11
Creighton   21   22-9
Kentucky   21   9-16

In Search Of 20 Wins, Again
Creighton had 22 wins last season, its sixth consecutive campaign with 20 or more victories.
   Only six teams have won 20 games or more in each of the previous six seasons: Belmont, Creighton, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Oregon.

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 260 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .672 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.   260-127   Greg McDermott   2010-Pres.
3.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger    1922-1935
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-1969
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-1981

CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 8-8 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
01/18/20   Providence   W 78-74   Zegarowski 3FG   :3.2
*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.
      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.   18,519   #8 Seton Hall   03/07/20
   11.   18,518   Georgetown   01/27/18
   12.   18,495   Marquette   02/17/18
   13.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   14.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   15.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   16.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   17.   18,321   #3 Villanova   02/24/18
   18.   18,294   #19 Iowa State   12/04/21
   19.   18,257   #5 Xavier   02/10/18
   20.   18,191   DePaul   02/27/18

Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton continued to be highly regarded by KenPom.com, and finished last season 22nd. That includes the nation's No. 25 offense, and No. 32 defense.
   Creighton had not finished with a top-35 defense since 2006-07, and has not finished better than 30th since 2001-02.
   Last season was the sixth different time in the last 10 seasons that Creighton has had a top-25 offense per KenPom.
Year   Off. Rating   Def. Rating   Team W-L
2010-11   66   174   23-16
2011-12   5   166   29-6
2012-13   5   66   28-8
2013-14   2   124   27-8
2014-15   59   138   14-19
2015-16   43   76   20-15
2016-17   32   46   25-10
2017-18   25   58   21-12
2018-19   47   83   20-15
2019-20   3   78   24-7
2020-21   25   32   22-9
2021-22   75   80   7-2 so far

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 313 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 19-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 258-55 (.827) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (21-0).
   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 24,533-20,549 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.73 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 85 different times.
   Creighton is also 31-33 all-time in the 63 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 8-11 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 38-27 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 161-37 (.813) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn't trailed in 60 of those games. In that same span, CU owns an 91-7 home 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 277-55 (.834) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Home Run
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, Creighton is averaging 81.01 points per home game (16,039 points in 198 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.36 points in non-conference home games (8,267 points in 98 home games).
   Creighton is 124-6 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.

Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2021-22 season went on sale on October 18th.
   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.
   For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.

Men's Basketball Heads to Sioux Falls For Neutral Site Game vs. #24 BYU

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

KeyShawn Feazell

Ryan Hawkins

Damien Jefferson

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Arthur Kaluma

Denzel Mahoney

Mason Miller

Shereef Mitchell

Ryan Nembhard

Alex O'Connell

Marcus Zegarowski