Men's Basketball Visits #7 Alabama to Close Non-Conference Slate

Game #11: Creighton Bluejays at #7 Alabama Crimson Tide
Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024 • 7:30 p.m. • Tuscaloosa, Ala. • Coleman Coliseum
| LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES |

Next Game
Creighton (7-3) closes non-conference play on Saturday night with a return trip to No. 7 Alabama (7-2).
    Tip-off at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala., is set for 7:30 p.m.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) and KOOO (101.9 FM) will carry Creighton men's basketball games during the 2024-25 season. John Bishop will call the action.
    The audio is webcast at 1620thezone.com and can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 160 or 201, as well as https://siriusxm.us/SXM963.

Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game will be televised on SEC Network with Tom Hart and Dane Bradshaw on the call.
    The game will be video webcast, for a fee, at
http://watchespn.com.

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.
    Stats to all home games can also be followed at www.gocreightonstats.com.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 7-3 this year after knocking off top-ranked Kansas (76-63) and UNLV (83-65) last week to run the Bluejay win streak to three.
    Senior Ryan Kalkbrenner (17.3 ppg., 8.4 rpg., 2.6 bpg., .738 FG%) was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and has been named a Preseason First Team All-American by CBS Sports, Fox Sports and Field of 68. In addition to being one of the most efficient shooters in NCAA history, Kalkbrenner is also a three-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. He was named BIG EAST and National Player of the Week on Nov. 11.
    Senior Steven Ashworth (15.9 ppg., 5.9 apg.) is back to run the point guard spot, and is joined on the wing by Arizona State transfer Jamiya Neal (10.5 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 4.7 apg.).
    Texas Tech transfer Pop Isaacs (16.3 ppg., 4.8 rpg.) had 27 points in the win vs. Kansas but is expected to miss the rest of the season with a hip injury.
    Creighton averages 78.0 points per game and shoots 47.2 percent from the field, 33.7 percent from three-point range and 79.2 percent at the line while outrebounding foes by 5.9 caroms per contest.

Scouting No. 7 Alabama
Alabama has started the season 7-2 and is ranked No. 7 in this week's Associated Press poll. The Crimson Tide have wins over Illinois, Houston, Rutgers and North Carolina and their only losses have come at Purdue and in Las Vegas vs. Oregon in the Players Era Festival.

The Series vs. Alabama
Creighton is 3-0 all-time against Alabama, having won a regular-season game in Omaha, an NIT game in Omaha and an NCAA Tournament contest.
    Creighton defeated the Crimson Tide 58-57 in a 2012 Second Round NCAA Tournament game played in Greensboro, N.C. The Bluejays trailed 48-41 with less than nine minutes to play before a 10-0 lead gave them the lead for good. Doug McDermott led Creighton with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
    The teams also met in the First Round of the 2016 National Invitation Tournament in Omaha, with Creighton winning 72-54.. Maurice Watson Jr. led all players with 20 points, while Geoffrey Groselle had a double-double with 12 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots. The Tide made just 28.3 percent of its field goal attempts.
    Last year Creighton won 85-82 in Omaha thanks to a combined 61 points from Trey Alexander (22), Baylor Scheierman (20) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (19). The Crimson Tide were paced by 19 points from Mark Sears, though Bama made just 4-of-22 three-pointers.
    Greg McDermott is 3-1 in his career against Alabama, including a 3-0 mark as Creighton coach. He is 2-0 against Nate Oats, having beaten him last year in addition to a 2016 win over Oats' Buffalo team (93-72) in Omaha.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 332-163 record in his 15th season with the Bluejays, as he passed Dana Altman (327-176) as the winningest coach in program history on Nov. 13, 2024. He owns a career mark of 612-358 in his 31st season, and is 481-294 in his 24th 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 has coached Creighton to a share of its first regular-season BIG EAST title in 2019-20 its first Sweet 16 since 1974 in 2020-21 and its first Elite Eight since 1941 in 2022-23.
    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 Ryan Miller, Derek Kellogg and Trey Zeigler.

With A Win...
- Creighton would improve to 4-0 all-time against Alabama.
- Creighton would tie its longest win streak of the season with its fourth consecutive triumph.

Milestone Watch
- Ryan Kalkbrenner has 1,927 points and 919 rebounds in his career as he approaches 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
- Jamiya Neal is 30 points from 700 and 22 rebounds shy of 400.
- Creighton would improve to 8-7 under Greg McDermott in its first true road game of the season.
- Greg McDermott would improve to 8-5 as Creighton coach against the current teams in the Southeastern Conference, including a 4-0 mark against Alabama.

Sweetness!
Creighton and Alabama are two of just five teams to have reached at least three of the last four Sweet 16s.
    Gonzaga and Houston have done it each of the last four seasons, while Alabama, UCLA and Creighton have done it three times each.
    This is the first time Creighton has been in the Sweet 16 in back-to-back tournaments.
Most Sweet 16's, Last Four Years
    #    Team    Years
    4    Gonzaga    2021    2022    2023    2024
    4    Houston    2021    2022    2023    2024
    3    Creighton    2021        -    2023    2024
    3    UCLA    2021    2022    2023         -
    3    Alabama    2021       -    2023    2024

Road Openers
Creighton is 7-7 under Greg McDermott in its first true road game of the season heading into Saturday.
    The road opener has been the barometer for Creighton's postseason plans in the previous 14 years. Creighton has made the NCAA Tournament all seven times it has won the road opener, and missed the NCAA Tournament four of the other six years where a postseason was contested.
    CU would have made the 2020 NCAA Tournament that was canceled even though it lost its road opener that year.
Creighton in Road Openers, Previous 14 Years
Year    Opponent    Score    CU in NCAA's?
2010-11    Northwestern    L 52-65    No (CBI)
2011-12    UAB    W 70-60    Yes
2012-13    Nebraska    W 64-42    Yes
2013-14    Saint Joseph's    W 83-79    Yes
2014-15    Tulsa    L 64-77    No
2015-16    #14 Indiana    L 65-86    No (NIT)
2016-17    Nebraska    W 77-62    Yes
2017-18    #20 Northwestern    W 92-88    Yes
2018-19    Nebraska    L 75-94    No (NIT)
2019-20    Michigan    L 69-79    No (Postseason CCD)
2020-21    #5 Kansas    L 72-73    Yes
2021-22    Nebraska    W 77-69    Yes
2022-23    #2 Texas    L 67-72    Yes
2023-24    Oklahoma State    W 79-65    Yes
2024-25    #7 Alabama    7:30 p.m.    TBD

Creighton & Alabama Connections
Latrell Wrightsell Jr. is from Omaha , where he attended Central High School. He is the son of former Creighton guard Latrell Wrightsell, who had 551 points and 188 rebounds in 114 games with the Bluejays from 1988-92. Wrightsell led Creighton with 5.4 assists per game and with a program-record 2.6 steals per game as a senior.
    Alabama assistant coach Preston Murphy served on Creighton's staff as an assistant coach for parts of five seasons from 2015-19

Combo #6
The season is just 10 games old, but Creighton has already used six different starting line-up combinations thanks to a variety of injuries and other circumstances.
    That's quite different than how Greg McDermott has typically run his program, when he finds a starting line-up and sticks with it.
    In McDermott's 15 years patrolling the Bluejay sideline, this year's six different line-ups are the most he's used in a season's first 10 games, and tied for second-most he's used over the course of an entire campaign.
    Different Starting Lineups Under Greg McDermott
Year    First 10 Games    Entire Season
2010-11    2    5
2011-12    1    1
2012-13    1    1
2013-14    2    3
2014-15    4    10
2015-16    1    6
2016-17    1    4
2017-18    3    5
2018-19    2    5
2019-20    2    3
2020-21    2    3
2021-22    1    4
2022-23    2    2
2023-24    2    2
2024-25    6    6 so far

Ranking News & Notes
Saturday's contest at No. 7 Alabama is Creighton's third Top 25 opponent of the year, but it almost certainly won't be the last. A few notes about the Top 25.
- Creighton is 59-171 all-time against top 25 teams.
- Creighton is 39-54 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams, 32 more top 25 wins than any other coach in Creighton history. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 20-117 all-time against top 25 foes.
- Creighton's 39 top 25 wins since McDermott took over in 2010 are tied for 32nd-most nationally and more than schools like Arizona (37), Alabama (36), UCLA (33), Maryland (29), Arkansas (28), Auburn (25), Houston (23), Nebraska (20), Memphis (19), USC (14) and Saint Mary's (11) in that time.
- Creighton is 34-37 since the start of the 2016-17 season against ranked teams. The 34 wins over ranked teams in that time are tied for the 12th-most nationally. CU's 34 Top 25 wins trail only Villanova (38) among BIG EAST programs in that span.
- Creighton has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the last 12 seasons (including 2024-25). On a national basis, the only 15 teams with a top-25 win each of the previous 11 seasons (entering 2024-25) were Baylor, Creighton, Duke, Florida State, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas Tech, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
- Creighton has beaten multiple ranked foes in each of the previous nine seasons (entering 2024-25), something only Baylor, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan State, Purdue, Texas Tech and Villanova can also claim.
- Creighton owns at least one Top 10 win each of the last 10 seasons (including 2024-25). The only schools with at least one top-10 win every season from 2015-16 to 2023-24 have been Creighton, Kansas, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech.
- Creighton's 15 Top 25 wins since the start of the 2021-22 season are tied for 12th-most.

Top 10 Wins Under McDermott
Creighton went 14,588 days from Feb. 10, 1974 to Jan. 19, 2014 without a win over a Top 10 team.
    Since Jan. 20, 2014, it has 15 such wins, including at least one Top 10 win in each of the last 10 seasons.
    Here's a list of all 20 Top 10 wins in program history.
Creighton's Top 10 Wins All-Time
Date    Opponent    Score    Head Coach
12/13/63    #4 Arizona State    W 84-83    McManus
12/01/65    #10 Kansas State    W 83-75    McManus
01/29/70    #5 New Mexico State    W 72-68    Sutton
02/17/73    #7 Houston    W 78-77    Sutton
02/09/74    at #6 Marquette    W 75-69    Sutton
01/20/14    at #4 Villanova    W 96-68    McDermott
02/16/14    #6 Villanova    W 101-80    McDermott
02/09/16    #5 Xavier    W 70-56    McDermott
11/15/16    #9 Wisconsin    W 79-67    McDermott
02/24/18    #3 Villanova    W 89-83 (OT)    McDermott
03/03/19    at #10 Marquette    W 66-60    McDermott
02/01/20    at #8 Villanova    W 76-61    McDermott
02/12/20    at #10 Seton Hall    W 87-82    McDermott
03/07/20    #8 Seton Hall    W 77-60    McDermott
02/13/21    #5 Villanova    W 86-70    McDermott
12/17/21    #9 Villanova    W 79-59    McDermott
11/22/22    vs. #9 Arkansas    W 90-87    McDermott
02/20/24    #1 Connecticut    W 85-66    McDermott
03/02/24    #5 Marquette    W 89-75    McDermott
12/04/24    #1 Kansas    W 76-63    McDermott

Neal's Near Triple-Double
Jamiya Neal nearly had Creighton's second points/rebounds/assists triple-double in program history on Saturday when he turned in 19 points, nine rebounds and nine assists (along with a career-high four blocked shots).
    Neal's nine assists were a career-high and led directly to 22 points.
    Creighton's only points/rebounds/assists triple-double in program history came on Feb. 13, 2024 when Baylor Scheierman had a 15/11/11 line in a win over Georgetown.
    Nationally since 2005-06, the only other players with at least 19 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and four blocks in a regulation game have been Tulane's Kevin Cross (20/10/11/4 vs. Southern on Dec. 16, 2023), Missouri State's Gaige Prim (26/9/9/4 vs. Northwestern State on Dec .19, 2020) and Penn's AJ Brodeur (21/10/10/4 vs. Columbia on March 7, 2020).

Isaacs To Miss Remainder Of Season
Junior guard Pop Isaacs will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season as the Las Vegas native is scheduled to undergo hip surgery.
    Isaacs ranked second on the team with 16.3 points per game in eight appearances, including a season-high 27 points in CU's victory over No. 1 Kansas on Dec. 4 in his final game, which helped him earn BIG EAST Player of the Week honors.

Traudt Reeling Them In
Isaac Traudt made 5-of-7 three-point shots in last Saturday's victory over UNLV as he poured in 15 points and grabbed five rebounds in a career-high 27 minutes off the bench.
    Traudt is a career 40.9 percent three-point shooter, a number that climbs to 46.3 percent (31/67) at home.
    Since his arrival on The Hilltop, when Traudt plays Creighton is 16-2 when he scores and 14-9 when he's scoreless.

Reserves Get It Done
Creighton's bench combined for a season-high 33 points in last Saturday's win vs. UNLV, making 13-of-20 shots overall and 7-of-9 three-pointers.
    The 33 bench points were CU's most since scoring 47 on Dec. 9, 2023 vs. Central Michigan.
    Creighton has now won 41 straight games when scoring 17 bench points or more.

Three-For-All Coming?
Expect to see plenty of three-pointers on Saturday night.
    Alabama leads the nation with 1,856 three-pointers made and three-pointers attempted (5,407) since Nate Oats was hired six years ago. In that same span Creighton is seventh in three-pointers made (1,623) and eighth in three-point attempts (4,571).
    Since Oats was hired prior to the 2019-20 season, Alabama has won 76-of-97 games and Creighton 66-of-82 games when making 10 or more three-pointers. Alabama's 76 such wins lead the country, while CU's 66 such victories are tied with Liberty for second-most.
    Stretch it back to Greg McDermott's hiring prior to the the start of 2010-11 and Creighton ranks second nationally with 4,417 three-pointers made. Next Saturday's foe, Villanova, is third with 4,356 treys in that time.

Did You Know?
Ryan Kalkbrenner had 17 points and 10 rebounds vs. No. 1 Kansas on Dec. 4th, making him Creighton's first player ever with a double-double against a top-ranked team.
    Kalkbrenner's 10 rebounds also tied the most ever by a Bluejay against a No.1 squad, as George Morrow also had 10 boards vs. DePaul on Jan. 28, 1980.
    Pop Isaacs' 27 points tied a program-record for the most by any Bluejay against a top-ranked team, something Ty-Shon Alexander also did vs. Gonzaga on Dec. 1, 2018. Isaacs is also the first player since Marquette's Dwyane Wade (vs. Kentucky in 2003) with at least 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a win over the No. 1 ranked team.

Something Special
Per OptaStats, Creighton became the first team to beat two different AP No. 1 teams by double digits in the same calendar year since Oklahoma did it in back-to-back games in February 1990 (beat Missouri & Kansas). In addition to the 76-63 win over Kansas on Dec. 4, CU also topped UConn 85-66 on Feb. 20th.
    Per ESPN, the Dec. 4 loss to Creighton was the third-largest margin in 105 all-time losses by a top-ranked Kansas team to an unranked foe, and the most since losing by 16 in 2011 to Kansas State.
    The only other unranked team in the last five seasons (2020-21 to 2024-25) to beat the No. 1 team by 13+ points was Nebraska vs. Purdue on Jan. 9, 2024.
    Elias Sports Bureau has confirmed that Creighton is the nation's third team in the last 20 seasons to beat a top-ranked program with a +13 advantage in both scoring and rebounding, joining No. 5 Kentucky vs. #1 Tennessee on Feb. 16, 2019 as well as No. 3 Baylor over No. 1 Gonzaga in the 2021 national title game.
    Creighton is just the fourth unranked BIG EAST school to beat the AP's No. 1 team by double-digits, joining Louisville over Syracuse (78-68 on March 10, 2006), UConn over Texas (88-74 on Jan. 23, 2010) and Villanova over Syracuse (93-74 on Jan. 6, 1990), which means CU is the second to do so in a regular-season non-conference game.

Down Goes #1
Creighton is one of just eight teams in the last 15 seasons to defeat a No. 1 team in the country in back-to-back seasons. Here's a list at the others to have done it:
Creighton    2023-24 (UConn) and 2024-25 (Kansas)
Northwestern    2022-23 (Purdue) and 2023-24 (Purdue)
Rutgers    2021-22 (Purdue) and 2022-23 (Purdue)
Kentucky    2018-19 (Tennessee) and 2019-20 (Michigan State)
Butler    2016-17 (Villanova) and 2017-18 (Villanova)
UCLA    2015-16 (Kentucky) and 2016-17 (Kentucky)
West Virginia    2015-16 (Kansas) and 2016-17 (Baylor)
Indiana    2011-12 (Kentucky) and 2012-13 (Michigan)

Unsung Heroes
Creighton has the luxury of bringing three veterans off the bench who can play a variety of positions and shoot it from deep in Mason Miller, Isaac Traudt and Jasen Green.
    The trio has scored 93 points in Creighton's seven wins, but have been held scoreless in CU's three losses to date.

A Good Start
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 10 games in recent seasons, which is where CU is at right now.
    Of note, Creighton has started 5-5 or better after 10 games in 29 of the past 30 seasons (including 2024-25).
Creighton Stats Through 10 Games, Since 1994-95
Year    W-L    PPG    FG%    3FG    10+ PPG guys
2024-25    7-3    78.0    .472    99    4
2023-24    8-2    84.5    .502    121    3
2022-23    6-4    78.7    .467    90    5
2021-22    8-2    73.4    .491    62    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

Denied!
Ryan Kalkbrenner has at least one blocked shot in 23 straight games played, the third-longest streak by a Bluejay since 1994-95. It also is the nation's longest active streak.
    It's Kalkbrenner's third career streak of 20 or more games with a swat. He's the nation's only player since 2005-06 with three such streaks.
    Kalkbrenner's five blocked shots on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26 were a season-high, and the 17th and 18th games of his career with five or more rejections. It's the fourth time in his career he's had five or more rejections in back-to-back games, and he's one of two players nationally this season with consecutive games of five or more blocks.
    All other Bluejay players since 2005-06 have combined for 16 such games (7 by Gregory Echenique, 4 by Anthony Tolliver, 2 by Kenny Lawson Jr. and 1 each by Fredrick King, Jacob Epperson and Justin Patton).
Creighton's Longest Streaks With A Block, Since 1994-95
    Streak    Name    Dates
    26    Ryan Kalkbrenner    11/16/21 - 2/26/22
    25    Ryan Kalkbrenner    11/14/22 - 3/1/23
    23    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2/2/24 - Present
    17    Brody Deren    2/4/03 - 12/6/03
    17    Gregory Echenique    2/16/11 - 11/25/11
    14    Brody Deren    2/4/02 - 11/17/02
    14    Kenny Lawson Jr.    12/10/08 - 1/24/09
    14    Ryan Kalkbrenner    11/30/23 - 1/23/24
    13    Justin Patton    11/29/16 - 1/16/17

Nation's Longest Active Streaks With A Block (12/9)
    Streak    Name, School    Next Game
    23    Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton    Dec. 14
    17    Ileri Ayo-Faleye Vermont    Dec. 15

Action Jackson
Jackson McAndrew had 12 points and 14 rebounds on Nov. 26 vs. San Diego State, then followed that up with a season-high 16 points vs. No. 20 Texas A&M a day later.
    McAndrew was the first Bluejay freshman with a double-double since Fredrick King had 16 points and 10 rebounds at Marquette on Dec. 16, 2022.
    McAndrew is the first Bluejay with a double-double in his first start at Creighton since South Dakota State transfer Baylor Scheierman had 11 points and 10 rebounds on Nov. 7, 2022 vs. Florida A&M.
    McAndrew is the first Bluejay freshman with a double-double in his first career start since Ryan Nembhard (15 points, 10 assists). No Bluejay freshman since at least 1987-88 had owned a points/rebounds double-double in his first career start.
    McAndrew is one of three freshmen in the BIG EAST this season to have a double-double in his first career start, joining UConn's Liam McNeeley (18 & 10 vs. Sacred Heart) and Georgetown's Thomas Sorber (20 & 13 vs. Lehigh).
    McAndrew's 14 rebounds were the third-most by any freshman in Greg McDermott's 15 years as Creighton head coach (491 games). Doug McDermott had 17 at Bradley on Feb. 1, 2011 and 16 at Akron on Feb. 19, 2011.
    McAndrew was the first Bluejay freshman since Fredrick King in December of 2022 to score 12+ points in consecutive games.

McDermott Passes Altman On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 332 victories at Creighton, passing his predecessor Dana Altman (327) for the most in program history in CU's Nov. 13 win vs. Houston Christian.
    McDermott's .671 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more than 85 years ago.
    Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history, as well as the history of the Creighton Athletic Department.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton MBB History
Rk.    W-L    Name    Years
1.    332-163    Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
2.    327-176    Dana Altman    1994-2010
3.    165-66    Arthur A. Schabinger     1922-1935
4.    138-118    John J. "Red" McManus     1959-1969
5.    130-64    Tom Apke    1974-1981

Most Wins, Creighton Athletics History (after 12/10)
Coach, Sport    Victories
Brent Vigness, Softball    819
Ed Servais, Baseball    678*
Mary Higgins, Softball    564
Tom Lilly, Men's & Women's Tennis    542*#
Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Volleyball    501*
Jim Flanery, Women's Basketball    434*
Ed Hubbs, Men's & Women's Tennis    347
Greg McDermott, Men's Basketball    332*
Dana Altman, Men's Basketball    327
*still active coaching at Creighton
#currently just the women's tennis coach

Stability Is Key
One reason for Creighton's extended run of success has been the continuity within its coaching staff. The Bluejays have had just two head coaches in the last 31 years, Dana Altman (1994-2010) and Greg McDermott (2010-Present).
    Here's a list of major conference schools to have a coach with 300 wins at that school, and their predecessor also had 300 wins at the school:
School    Former Coach    Current Coach
Creighton    Dana Altman    Greg McDermott
Kansas    Roy Williams    Bill Self
Michigan State    Jud Heathcote    Tom Izzo
Purdue    Gene Keady    Matt Painter

We Like Isaacs!
Pop Isaacs scored 27 points on Dec. 4 vs. Kansas, the third time this season he's scored 25 or more points.
    He's the first player since at least 1996-97 to scored 25 points or more at least three times in his first 10 games with Creighton.

Video Game Numbers
Ryan Kalkbrenner's numbers defy logic. Take a look:
    In his career, Kalkbrenner has been fouled 474 times, owns 329 blocked shots, 256 dunks and just 235 career personal fouls in 143 games played.
    This year only, he's been fouled 41 times and has 23 blocks, 20 dunks and committed 10 fouls.
    The only nine major conference men's players in history besides Kalkbrenner (+94) to block 315 shots and own at least 85 more blocks than fouls are Jarvis Varnado (+220), Tim Duncan (+178), Emeka Okafor (+170), Calvin Booth (+165), Hasheem Thabeet (+159), Benoit Benjamin (+147), Jamarion Sharp (+141), Shaquille O'Neal (+125), Dikembe Mutombo (+120), Jeff Withey (+103) and Ralph Sampson (+93).

The Launch Pad
Basketball-Reference.com did the math, and Creighton owns 9,414 three-pointers in 1,237 games since the rule went national in 1986-87.
    That ranks second-most in the country in that span, trailing only Duke (9,781 through Dec. 9).
    Additionally, Creighton's 7.61 three-pointers per game in that time lead the nation among programs who are currently in a major conference.

7-Foot-1 Of Awesome
A few notes about Ryan Kalkbrenner.
    There's only two BIG EAST players to score 73+ points in 60 minutes or less in any two game span since 2005-06. Ryan Kalkbrenner (73 points in 58 minutes) in the opening week this season and UConn's Kemba Walker (73 points in 60 minutes) in 2010.
    Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of three major conference players since 2005-06 to score 73 points and block six shots in any two game span, joining Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kansas State's Michael Beasley.
    There's been only four BIG EAST players to score 73+ points to score any two-game span since 2012: Marquette's Markus Howard (7x), DePaul's Max Strus, Creighton's Doug McDermott and Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner.
    Kalkbrenner is the nation's second player since 2005-06 to score 24+ points and shoot 90 percent (min. 10 FGA) in consecutive games, joining Belmont's Evan Bradds from November of 2015.
    Evan Bradds (7x) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (6x) are the only men in the country with five or more career games of 90 percent shooting (min. 10 FGA) since 2005-06.

Kalkbrenner In The Top Five
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 1,927 career points, as he became the 45th men's player in Creighton history to surpass 1,000 on Feb. 25, 2023 at Villanova.
    The only player in Creighton history to enter a season with more career points than Kalkbrenner's 1,771 were the 2,216 for Doug McDermott. A distant third were Rodney Buford and Bob Harstad, who each had 1,540 points entering their final campaign.
    Kalkbrenner moved past Bob Portman on Nov. 22 and is now fifth on Creighton's all-time scoring list.
    Here's a list of Creighton's top scorers ever.
Most Career Points, Creighton History
    Rank    Pts.    Name    Years
    1.    3,150    Doug McDermott    2010-14
    2.    2,116    Rodney Buford    1995-99
    3.    2,110    Bob Harstad     1987-91
    4.    1,983    Chad Gallagher     1987-91
    5.    1,927    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2020-Pres.
    6.    1,876    Bob Portman     1966-69
    7.    1,801    Kyle Korver    1999-03
    8.    1,754    Nate Funk    2002-07
    9.    1,682    Rick Apke     1974-78
    10.    1,661    Paul Silas    1961-64

    Kalkbrenner also ranks second in program history in blocked shots with 329. Kalkbrenner had 107 swats last year and is now 82 blocks behind Benoit Benjamin.
Most Creighton Blocked Shots, Since 1979-80
    Blk.    Name    Years
    411    Benoit Benjamin    1982-85
    329    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2020-Pres.
    183    Chad Gallagher    1987-91

Among The Best...EVER!
Ryan Kalkbrenner has made 772 of 1,160 career shots, putting him at 66.55 percent overall. That places the senior center third in field goal percentage in NCAA history among players to make 700 or more field goals and at least four field goals per game.
    However, Kalkbrenner is first among all such players who have ever attempted 50 or more three-point field goal attempts....he's taken 94.
Best Career FG%, NCAA History (min. 700 FG, 4FG/game)
    Pct. (FG-FGA)    Name, School    Years
    .678 (828-1222)    Steve Johnson, Oregon State    1976-81
    .667 (740-1109)    Evan Bradds, Belmont    2013-17
.666 (772-1160)    Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton    2020-Pres.
    .664 (702-1058)    Todd MacCulloch, Washington    1995-99
    .651 (747-1147)    Bill Walton, UCLA    1971-74

He Shoots, He Scores
Ryan Kalkbrenner had a night for the ages on Nov. 6 in the season-opener vs. UTRGV, finishing with 49 points on 20-of-22 shooting from the floor and 7-of-8 free throws while adding 11 rebounds and three blocked shots.
    Kalkbrenner's 49 points were the second-most in program history, two behind Bob Portman's 51 on Dec. 16, 1967 vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Portman made 16-of-35 field goal attempts and 18-of-23 foul shots in his record-setting contest.
    Below is a list of the previous Bluejay performances of 40 points or more

Most Points, Creighton Game
    Pts.    Name, Opponent    Date    FG    FT
    51    Bob Portman vs. UW-Milwaukee    12/16/1967    16    19
    49    Ryan Kalkbrenner vs. UTRGV    11/06/2024    20*    7
    47    Eddie Cole vs. Morningside (OT)    11/29/1954    18    11
    46    Bob Portman vs. Weber State    12/23/1968    19    8
    45    Tim Powers at Idaho State    01/29/1966    17    11
    45    Benoit Benjamin vs. Indiana State    01/19/1985    18    9
    45    Doug McDermott vs. Providence    03/08/2014    17#    6
    44    Doug McDermott at Bradley    01/07/2012    18@    5
    43    Bob Portman at Kansas State    02/12/1968    16    11
    43    Benoit Benjamin vs. Southern Illinois    01/17/1985    18    7
    42    Bob Portman vs. LaSalle    01/30/1968    19    4
    42    Cavel Witter vs. Bradley (2OT)    03/01/2008    13%    12
    41    Doug McDermott vs. Wichita State    03/02/2013    15#    6
    40    Chad Gallagher vs. Wichita State    02/17/1990    14    12
    40    Rodney Buford vs. Bradley    12/30/1998    13$    8
*includes 2 three-pointers
@includes 3 three-pointers
%includes 4 three-pointers
#includes 5 three-pointers
$includes 6 three-pointers

Honors Roll In For Kalkbrenner
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner was named the first BIG EAST Player of the Week of the 2024-25 season, the conference announced on Nov. 11. He also picked up National Player of the Week acclaim from ESPN's Dick Vitale, NCAA.com's Andy Katz, the USBWA, Associated Press as well as the Lute Olson Award.
    The 7-foot-1 center averaged 36.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game as No. 15 Creighton posted a pair of double-digit victories to open the season. The three-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year shot 90.6 percent from the field (29-32), including 100 percent from three-point range (3-3), and also made 92.3 percent (12-13) of his free throw attempts.
    It was the first weekly honor from the BIG EAST of Kalkbrenner's career, though he's certainly no stranger to hardware. Kalkbrenner is one of three men to earn at least three BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was named First Team All-BIG EAST in 2022-23, Second Team All-BIG EAST in 2023-24 and Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST in 2021-22. Prior to this season, Kalkbrenner was named the league's Preseason Player of the Year. He is also a four-time member of the BIG EAST's All-Academic Team.

Kalkbrenner Scoring Tidbits
Ryan Kalkbrenner's 49 points vs. UTRGV on Nov. 6 bring up all sorts of notes.
- In the last 25 years, the only player nationally with more points in a season-opener than Kalkbrenner's 49 was Arkansas' Rotnei Clarke, who had 51 in 2009 against Alcorn State.
-    Kalkbrenner's 49 points are the fourth-most ever in a season-opener by a player on a Top 25 team, trailing only LSU's Bob Pettit (60 in 1953), UCLA's Lew Alcindor (56 in 1966) and Jacksonville's Artis Gilmore (50 in 1970). Those other three men are in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
- Kalkbrenner is the first Bluejay with 40+ points and 10+ rebounds in the same game since Chad Gallagher had 40 points and 11 rebounds vs. Wichita State on Feb. 17, 1990.
- Kalkbrenner's 49 points were the fifth-most points in a game in BIG EAST history. Marquette's Markus Howard had games of 53, 52 and 51, while Providence's MarShon Brooks had a 52 point game as well.
- Kalkbrenner's 49 points were the most in a double-double performance in BIG EAST history.
- Before Kalkbrenner's 49 points and 11 rebounds, no other high major player has posted as many points and rebounds in any game over the past 30 years.
- Kalkbrenner is also the nation's only player with 49+ points and 3+ blocks in the same game since at least 2005-06.
- Kalkbrenner scored Creighton's first eight points and got better as the game went on. He had nine points in the first 10 minutes, then scored 11 in the final 10 minutes before half for the highest-scoring first half of his career.
    Kalkbrenner then scored 14 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half before closing his masterpiece with 15 points in the final 10 minutes.
- Kalkbrenner's 49 points broke Doug McDermott's record of 45 points by a Creighton player at CHI Health Center Omaha. The overall record is 53 by Marquette's Markus Howard on Jan. 9, 2019.

Having A Field Day
Ryan Kalkbrenner's 20 field goals made on Nov. 6 were a Creighton single-game record, eclipsing the previous mark of 19 done twice by Bob Portman in 1968.
    Kalkbrenner's 20 field goals are the most in a season-opener by any player nationally in the last 15 seasons.
    Kalkbrenner is the only player in the BIG EAST in at least 30 years with 49+ points and 20+ field goals in a game.
    Kalkbrenner's 20 field goals tied the single-game BIG EAST record held by Providence's MarShon Brooks vs. Notre Dame in 2011.
    Kalkbrenner's 20 field goals made were a CHI Health Center Omaha record, breaking the old mark of 17 done twice by Doug McDermott and once by Evansville's Colt Ryan.
    Kalkbrenner's 20 field goals made were the most by any player in a game against a Division I foe since Iowa State's Melvin Ejim made 20 hoops vs. TCU on Feb. 8, 2014.
    Kalkbrenner's 90.9 percent shooting from the field was the highest field goal percentage in a 45-point game by any Division I player in the past 25 seasons, and the highest by a player to attempt 20 or more shots in a game in the past 25 years.
- Kalkbrenner was the first player with 20 field goals on 90 percent shooting in a Division I game since UCLA's Bill Walton made 21-of-22 shots vs. Memphis in the 1973 NCAA final.
- Kalkbrenner missed just three shots (2 FG, 1 FT). He's the first Division I or NBA player to score 45+ points while missing no more than three shots (FG or FT) since Dirk Nowitzki did in the 2011 NBA playoffs.
- Kalkbrenner made his final three field goal attempts in the first half, then made 11-of-11 shots in the second half, giving him 14 buckets in a row. That's two shy of the NCAA single-game record of 16 made field goals in a row set by Kent State's Doug Grayson vs. North Carolina on Dec. 6, 1967.

Stat Leaders, Nationally
Here's a list of the categories that Creighton is in the Top 20 in, through games of Dec. 8th.
Category    Rank    Stat
Team Fouls Per Game    1st    10.7
Field Goal Percentage (Kalkbrenner)    1st    .738
FT Pct. (Ashworth)    3rd    .972
Team Defensive Rebounds Per Game    3rd    32.00
Blocks Per Game (Kalkbrenner)    11th    2.56
Blocks (Kalkbrenner)    12th    23
Team FT Percentage    18th    79.2

Automatic Ashworth
Steven Ashworth set a Creighton single-game record on Nov. 6 vs. UTRGV when he was a perfect 17-for-17 at the free throw line. It's the most attempts without a miss in a game in CU history.
    The last previous power conference player to make 17+ free throws without a miss was Tennessee's Grant Williams vs. Vanderbilt on Jan. 23, 2019, who was 23-for-23.
    The 17 makes at the line were an arena record (two others had made 15), and tied for second-most in a game in CU history behind only Bob Portman's 19 vs. UW-Milwaukee on Dec. 16, 1967.
    Ashworth's 17 attempts are 10th-most in CU history, and the most by a Bluejay since Nate Funk shot 18 in a double-overtime win vs. Dayton on Nov. 26, 2005.
    Ashworth's streak of 41 consecutive made free throws was snapped on Nov. 27th vs. Texas A&M, four shy of the record set by Doug McDermott in 2013-14.
    And speaking of streaks owned by Ashworth, the senior has buried a three-pointer in 28 games in a row. That's the longest active streak in the BIG EAST.
Nation's Longest Active Streaks With A 3FG (12/8)
    Streak    Name, School    Next Game
    41    Kaden Metheny, Liberty    Dec. 14
    36    John Poulakidas, Yale    Dec. 20
    36    Terence Harcum, Murray State    Dec. 14
    32    Walter Clayton Jr., Florida    Dec. 14
    30    Kino Lilly Jr., Brown    Dec. 10
    29    Tariq Francis, NJIT    Dec. 11
    28    Steven Ashworth, Creighton    Dec. 14
    27    Jalen Terry, Eastern Michigan    Dec. 15
    27    Jason Edwards, Vanderbilt    Dec. 18

Speaking Of Steven
Steven Ashworth's 28 straight games with a three-pointer is tied for the fourth-longest streak in program history.
Consecutive Games With A 3-Pointer, Creighton History
    Streak    Name    Dates of Streak
    48    Baylor Scheierman    Nov. 7, 2022 - Dec. 16, 2023
    33    Ty-Shon Alexander    Feb. 27, 2018-March 6, 2019
    31    Booker Woodfox    Nov. 25, 2008-March 23, 2009
    28    Kyle Korver    Feb. 4, 2001-Feb. 6, 2002
    28    Steven Ashworth    Jan. 13, 2024 - Present
    27    Kyle Korver    Feb. 13, 2002-Jan. 20, 2003
    25    Rodney Buford    Jan. 25, 1997 - Jan. 10, 1998

Dynamic Duo
Ryan Kalkbrenner (49) and Steven Ashworth (25) combined for 74 points on Nov. 6th. It was the most points by any BIG EAST duo since at least 1996-97.
    It's the second-most points by any Creighton pair in the same game, one point shy of the mark set on Jan. 19, 1985 when Benoit Benjamin (45) and Vernon Moore (30) combined for 75.
    It's the most points by any Creighton duo in 15 seasons under Greg McDermott. The previous high was 62, done on March 9, 2019 by Mitch Ballock (39) and Martin Krampelj (23) vs. DePaul. Ballock is now a graduate manager on the Bluejay staff.
     In addition to Ballock and Krampelj, Creighton's only other duo to combine for 62+ points in a game since 1996-97 was Nate Funk (38) and Johnny Mathies (24), who did it in double-overtime on Nov. 26, 2005 vs. Dayton.
    The last Division I duo to combine for 74+ points in a non-overtime game was Austin Peay's Terry Taylor and Jordyn Adams (both with 37) vs. Tennessee State on Jan. 23, 2020.

Jays Don't Foul...Do You Follow?
Creighton led the nation with just 11.5 fouls per game last year, well ahead of runner-up Lipscomb's 12.9 per contest, and are averaging an 10.7 fouls per game this season to lead the country.
    Creighton's streak of 60 straight games without a foul out was snapped on Nov. 30 vs. Notre Dame. Per Elias, that streak had been the nation's longest since at least 2005-06.
    Since the start of last year, Creighton has committed three fouls or less in 20 different halves.
    In 44 games since the start of last season, Creighton has allowed just 51 made free throws in a 1-and-1 situation, and just 16 made free throws in the double bonus (and 6 of those came in an overtime session). Only four of those free throws in a 1-and-1 situation came in the first half (2 each vs. Alabama and San Diego State).
    Here's a look at how many fouls Creighton was called for this season by half:
Creighton Fouls By Half
Opponent    First Half    Second Half
UTRGV    4    7
FDU    5    7
Houston Christian    2    6
Kansas City    2    4
Nebraska    7    12
San Diego State    1    5
Texas A&M    9    8
Notre Dame    5    8
#1 Kansas    3    4
UNLV    4    4
Total    42    65

Jays Pass 28K at CHI
Creighton has outscored its opponents 28,376-23,687 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.99 points per game in 361 all-time games in the building that count.
    Creighton is 26-2 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone at CHI Health Center Omaha, as seen below:
Date    Pts-Opp (CLCO Game #)    Who/How vs. Opp.
02/18/04    1,000-787 (14)    Lindeman FG vs. Indiana State
02/05/05    2,000-1,696 (28)    Funk FG vs. Missouri St.
01/18/06    3,000-2,504 (41)    Watts FT vs. Bradley
01/09/07    4,000-3,359 (56)    Tolliver FG vs. Drake
12/17/07    5,000-4,174 (69)    Kaleb Korver 3FG vs. Hou. Baptist
11/16/08    6,000-5,048 (82)    Dotzler FG vs. New Mexico
02/11/09    7,000-5,870 (95)    Witter 3FG vs. Bradley
01/16/10    8,000-6,750 (109)    Young FG vs. Wichita State
12/20/10    9,000-7,645 (123)    Wragge FG vs. W. Illinois
03/23/11    10,000-8,500 (136)    Lawson FG vs. UCF
01/21/12    11,000-9,310 (148)    McDermott FG vs. Ind. St.
12/19/12    12,000-10,136 (161)    Echenique FG vs. Tulsa
11/23/13    13,000-10,922 (173)    Artino FG vs. Tulsa
02/23/14    14,000-11,711 (185)    Gibbs FG vs. Seton Hall
01/28/15    15,000-12,612 (198)    Hanson FT vs. St. John's
12/28/15    16,000-13,498 (211)    Huff FG vs. Coppin State
11/15/16    17,000-14,349 (224)    Patton FG vs. #9 Wisconsin
01/28/17    18,000-15,166 (235)    Hanson FG vs. DePaul
12/18/17    19,000-15,927 (246)    Foster 3FG vs. UT Arlington
11/06/18    20,000-16,741 (258)    Ballock 3FG vs. W. Illinois
02/03/19    21,000-17,619 (270)    Zegarowski FG vs. Xavier
12/07/19    22,000-18,463 (282)    Ballock 3FG vs. Nebraska
03/07/20    23,000-19,280 (294)    Mahoney 3FG vs. #8 Seton Hall
02/13/21    24,000-20,103 (306)    Zegarowski FG vs. #5 Villanova
02/14/22    25,000-20,950 (320)    Hawkins 3FG vs. Georgetown
01/25/23    26,000-21,786 (333)    Nembhard 3FG vs. St. John's
12/20/23    27,000-22,535 (345)    Kalkbrenner FG vs. Villanova
11/13/24    28,000-23,388 (357)    Isaacs 3FG vs. Hou. Christian

Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Not counting 2019-20, when there was no postseason, Creighton has made the postseason each of the previous 11 times in which it has made at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts to open the year. That's a good sign since CU shot 60 percent on Nov. 6, its best mark since at least 1993-94 in a lid-lifter.
    Nine of those postseason trips were NCAA Tournament berths. The last time that didn't hold true was 1991-92, when CU shot 51.0 percent in the opener but finished just 9-19.
    Creighton has shot 50 percent or better in nine of its last 13 season-openers.
CU Season-Opener Field Goal Percentage 50+%
Since 1993-94
FG%    Year    Opponent    Postseason
.541    1997-98    UMKC    NIT
.524    1998-99    Towson State    NCAA
.569    2000-01    Western Illinois    NCAA
.594    2002-03    UT Arlington    NCAA
.500    2012-13    North Texas    NCAA
.556    2013-14    Alcorn State    NCAA
.528    2015-16    Texas Southern    NIT
.508    2016-17    UMKC    NCAA
.558    2017-18    Yale    NCAA
.524    2019-20    Kennesaw St.    Postseason Ccd.
.585    2021-22    Ark.-Pine Bluff    NCAA
.567    2023-24    Florida A&M    NCAA
.600    2024-25    UTRGV    ? ? ?

The Push For 90
Of Creighton's 25 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, 12 have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
    Put another way...of CU's 19 teams (before 2024-25) to score 90 points in an opener, 12 would reach the NCAA Tournament.
    Here's a look at Creighton's last 12 teams to score 90 or more points in a season-opener:
                Final    Post-
    Score    Opponent    Date    W-L    Season
    93-47    UT-San Antonio    11/30/90    24-8    NCAA
    93-48    Towson State    11/14/98    22-9    NCAA
    96-50    Western Illinois    11/20/00    24-8    NCAA
    106-50    Texas-Arlington    11/17/02    29-5    NCAA
    97-65    North Carolina A&T    11/11/11    29-6    NCAA
    107-61    Alcorn State    11/08/13    27-8    NCAA
    104-77    Central Arkansas    11/14/14    14-19    --
    93-70    Texas Southern    11/14/15    20-15    NIT
    92-76    Yale    11/10/17    21-12    NCAA
    90-77    Arkansas-Pine Bluff    11/09/21    23-12    NCAA
    105-54    Florida A&M    11/07/23    25-10    NCAA
    99-86    UTRGV    11/06/24    ? ? ?    ? ? ?

One Of The Best
Senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner has been named one of 20 candidates on the NABC Division I Player of the Year Preseason Watch List, one of 50 players up for the John R. Wooden Award, and one of 50 candidates for the Naismith Trophy Men's Player of the Year Watch List.
    Kalkbrenner is four players named to the Naismith's Preseason list each of the last three years (joining Hunter Dickinson, RJ Davis and Caleb Love). He's also one of four players to make the NABC Preseason list each of the past two seasons, joining Dickinson, Oumar Ballo and Wade Taylor IV.

Kalkbrenner A Top Defender
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in 2023-24 for the third straight season.
    Kalkbrenner is just the third player in league history to win the recognition three times or more, joining Georgetown greats Patrick Ewing (4x) and Alonzo Mourning (3x).
    Between Kalkbrenner and 2017 & 2018 winner Khyri Thomas, Creighton has now had a BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in five of the previous eight seasons.
Most BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Honors
    Honors    Name, School    Years (*ties)
    4    Patrick Ewing, Georgetown    1982, 83, 84, 85
    3    Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown    1989, 90*, 92
    3    Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton    2022, 23, '24
    2    Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown    1990*, 91
    2    Allen Iverson, Georgetown    1995, 96
    2    Etan Thomas, Syracuse    1999, 00
    2    John Linehan, Providence    2001, 02
    2    Emeka Okafor, Connecticut    2003, 04
    2    Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut    2008, 09
    2    Kris Dunn, Providence    2015*, 16
    2    Khyri Thomas, Creighton    2017*, 18

Who's Back?
With Creighton returning six of the 11 men who appeared in a game last season, it's no surprise that a similar ratio of the production from 2023-24 is also gone. Below is a breakdown of what is back:
Stat    Returners    Departures
Blocks    119 (83.2%)    24 (16.8%)
Starts    105 (60.0%)    70 (40.0%)
Minutes    3684 (51.3%)    3491 (48.7%)
Rebounds    636 (51.1%)    608 (48.9%)
Points    1383 (49.1%)    1432 (50.9%)
3FG Made    171 (45.6%)    204 (54.4%)
Assists    226 (38.4%)    362 (61.6%)
Steals    42 (31.3%)    92 (68.7%)
Charges Taken    4 (30.8%)    9 (69.2%)

Preseason Top 15
The Creighton men's basketball team was ranked 15th in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll, the third straight season the Bluejays have been ranked among the nation's best in the preseason.
    This year's announcement marks the seventh time in program history the writers have voted CU to the top-25 in the preseason, joining 2006-07 (No. 19), 2012-13 (No. 16) and 2016-17 (No. 22), 2020-21 (No. 11), 2022-23 (No. 9) and 2023-24 (No. 8). All six of those teams would end up in the NCAA Tournament, with the last three most recent squads making the Sweet 16.
    Creighton's best ranking in program history is seventh, done five times (Jan. 16, 2017, March 10, 2020, March 18, 2020, Jan. 7, 2021 and Nov. 28, 2022).
    Creighton has been ranked 146 times in program history, with 118 of those under the direction of McDermott. Creighton is 180-76 all-time as a ranked team, including a 146-64 mark under McDermott. Creighton has now been ranked at least one week in 11 of McDermott's 15 seasons on The Hilltop after doing it just five different seasons in program history before his 2010 arrival.
    Creighton is one of 13 schools ranked in the Top 25 of the Preseason AP poll each of the last three years, joining Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Creighton, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Narrow that list to just the Preseason Top 15 the past three seasons and only seven schools can claim that, with Creighton joining Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, North Carolina and Tennessee.
    Creighton was one of three BIG EAST Conference schools in the preseason poll, joining No. 3 Connecticut and No. 18 Marquette. Two of Creighton's December opponents, No. 1 Kansas (Dec. 4) and No. 2 Alabama (Dec. 14), are atop the poll. CU will met preseason No. 13 Texas A&M on Nov. 27 in Las Vegas.
    Creighton was also 14th in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll.
    CU dropped out of both polls on Monday, Dec. 9.

Preseason BIG EAST Poll
The Creighton men's basketball team has been picked to finish second in the BIG EAST Conference in the annual survey of league coaches, which was unveiled as part of BIG EAST Media Day.
    It marks the second straight year CU has been picked second, and fourth time in the past five seasons the Bluejays have been tabbed for a top-two finish. CU's 2020-21 squad and 2023-24 teams were also both picked second, and eventually finished in second place, while the 2022-23 squad that eventually reached the Elite Eight was picked first and finished in third place.
    Connecticut, the defending BIG EAST regular season and tournament champion and the reigning national champion, was chosen to finish first in the poll. The Huskies received all possible 10 first-place votes and 100 points from the league's head coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
    Creighton will be led by Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is a Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST selection for the third time and also earned his first Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year accolade. Kalkbrenner remains the only player in program history to earn Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST honors multiple times. The only other Bluejays to be named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year have been Doug McDermott (2013-14) and Marcus Zegarowski (2020-21).
    Joining Kalkbrenner with Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST acclaim was Connecticut's Alex Karaban, Marquette's Kam Jones, Providence's Bryce Hopkins, St. John's Kadary Richmond and Villanova's Eric Dixon.
    Creighton has matched or exceeded its preseason projection in all but one season since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14, the best showing in the league in that time. The Bluejays are seeking a ninth straight finish in the top four of the league standings. CU's team three years ago was predicted to finish eighth in the BIG EAST, then ended up in fourth. Five years ago, a team picked seventh in the BIG EAST's preseason poll went 13-5 in league play to share its first league title with Villanova and Seton Hall. That Bluejay team ended the year ranked seventh in the entire nation.
Creighton's BIG EAST Preseason Poll History
Year     Preseason     Actual     Preseason All-BIG EAST
2013-14     3rd     2nd     Doug McDermott (POY, 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 (POY, 1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd)
2021-22    8th    4th    -
2022-23    1st    3rd    Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Arthur Kaluma (2nd)
            Ryan Nembhard (2nd); Baylor Scheierman (HM)
2023-24    2nd    ??    Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Trey Alexander (1st)
            Baylor Scheierman (2nd)
2024-25    2nd    ??    Ryan Kalkbrenner (POY, 1st); Steven Ashworth (3rd)

Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since the start of the 2010-11 season among teams to have played 100 or more Division I games, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 to Dec. 7, 2024
Category    CU Stat    CU Rank
3FG Made    4,417    2nd
2FG Percentage    .550    3rd
FG Percentage    .477    4th
Assists    7,926    5th
3FG Percentage    .374    5th
FG Made    13,540    7th
Points    37,875    9th
Wins    332    23rd
Winning Percentage    .671    31st

Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns 105 starts from last year's team, the fifth time in the past six seasons its returned at least 100 starts.
    Creighton has won 20 or more games each of the previous nine times (and 13 of the last 14 times) it has returned 100 or more starts.
    Returning    Returning Starts     Final
Year    Starters    From Previous Year    W-L
2024-25    3    105    ? ? ?
2023-24    3    111    25-10
2022-23    3    104    24-13
2021-22    0    2    23-12
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

#ProJays
Creighton has three alums in the NBA this season.
    Former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott is with the Sacramento Kings as he begins his 11th year in the NBA.
    Baylor Scheierman was a First Round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by the NBA champion Boston Celtics.
    Trey Alexander went undrafted, but was signed on a two-way contract by the Denver Nuggets.
    These men give Creighton at least one NBA player for the 41st time in the last 42 seasons.
    Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver, Benoit Benjamin and Anthony Tolliver.

Let's Go On A Run
Creighton has won at least one NCAA Tournament game in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. That makes CU one of five teams in the country to have a win in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments, joining Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston and Kansas.
    This is the first time that Creighton has won an NCAA Tournament game in four straight years.

Ain't Too Proud To Brag
Creighton (9 straight seasons) is one of six schools with 20 or more wins in each of the previous nine seasons joining Kansas (35), Gonzaga (27), Belmont (14), Oregon (9) and Houston (9).
    Creighton (5 straight seasons) is also one of five teams to post 22 or more wins in each of the previous five seasons, joining Gonzaga (27), Houston (7), San Diego State (5) and Baylor (5).
    Creighton was one of six teams in the nation with 25 or more wins in both men's basketball and women's basketball last season. That list consists of Creighton, Gonzaga, NC State, South Carolina, UConn and Vermont.
    Creighton is one of four schools to have men's and women's basketball programs to both own 22 wins or more each of the previous three seasons, a list that included Creighton, Gonzaga, Princeton and UConn.

24 of 26 Seasons With 20 Wins
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 24 of the previous 26 seasons (1998-99 to 2023-24), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
    Just two schools have had 20 or more wins each of the last 26 years: Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 25 times, Creighton and Kentucky 24 times each.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Previous 26 Seasons
Team                 20-Win Seasons
Gonzaga    26
Kansas    26
Duke    25
Creighton    24
Kentucky    24
Arizona    22
Florida    22
Ohio State    22
Michigan State    22
BYU    21
Memphis    21
North Carolina    21
Wisconsin    21

Most Consecutive 22-Win Seasons
Team                 Consec. 22-Win Years
Gonzaga    27
Houston    7
Creighton    5
San Diego State    5
Baylor    5

A Dozen Will Do
Creighton has owned a .500 mark or better in league play 28 times in the previous 29 seasons, one of seven schools nationally that can say that.
    The only BIG EAST teams to finish .500 or better in league play each of the previous nine seasons are Creighton, Villanova and Seton Hall.
    Among the other "Power 5" Conference schools, only Virginia (7 straight years) also has an active streak of five years or longer with 12 or more league wins.
Most Seasons .500 or Better League Record
Previous 29 Seasons
    Seasons    Team
    29    Duke
    29    Kansas
    29    Gonzaga
    28    Kentucky
    28    Michigan State
    28    Creighton
    28    Murray State

Consecutive Seasons .500 or Better League Record
Power 5 Schools
    Seasons    Team
    35    Kansas
    29    Duke
    13    Virginia
    13    Oregon
    12    Villanova
    9    Creighton
    9    Houston
    9    Seton Hall
    9    Florida

Consecutive Seasons 12+ League Wins
Power 5 Schools
    Seasons    Team
    7    Virginia
    5    Creighton

Top 25 Men & Women
Creighton is one of 12 schools with a preseason top-25 squad on both the men's and women's side in 2024-25, joining Alabama, Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Texas and UCLA.
    The only five schools to be ranked in the preseason men's and women's basketball Top 25 of the AP Poll each of the last three seasons are Baylor, Creighton, North Carolina and Texas.
    Creighton is one of eight schools to make the NCAA Tournament in both men's and women's basketball each of the previous three seasons, a list that consists of Arizona, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Tennessee, Texas and UConn.
    Creighton is one of 14 schools that won an NCAA Tournament game last season in both men's and women's basketball: Alabama, Arizona, Baylor, Colorado, Creighton, Duke, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas, North Carolina, NC State, Tennessee, Texas, and UConn.

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 27 victories since the start of the 2010-11 season after trailing by double-figures at some point. Thirteen of those 27 comebacks have come away from home.
    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 Under McDermott
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
14    vs. San Diego State    03/17/22
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
11    DePaul    01/22/22
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

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 1,030 straight games. That ranks as the nation's 10th-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 (through 12/9)
    Rk.    Streak    School    Next Game
    1.    1,235    UNLV    12/14
    2.    1,234    Duke    12/ 10
    3.    1,168    East Tennessee State    12/14
    4.    1,141    Oakland    12/17
    5.    1,139    Pacific    12/14
    6.    1,136    Texas    12/12
    7.    1,075    Marshall    12/11
    8.    1,068    Gonzaga    12/14
    9.    1,061    Princeton    12/10
    10.    1,030    Creighton    12/14
    11.    1,025    Long Island    12/11
    12.    1,014    Mount St. Mary's    12/14

Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 1,030 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 8,259 trifectas, an average of 8.02 treys per game.
    Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 310 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
    Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 88-22 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 34-31 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1:    5 times    2: 19 times    3: 36 times
4:    75 times    5:   104 times    6: 108 times
7:   151 times    8:   127 times    9: 94 times
10: 87 times    11: 61 times    12: 62 times
13: 50 times    14: 24 times    15: 9 times
16: 8 times    17: 4 times    18: 1 time
19: 2 times    20: 1 time    21: 1 time    22: 1 time

CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 8-8 in contests with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened in 2003.
    The last time such a game happened was in 2020 when Creighton's Marcus Zegarowski hit a shot with 3.2 seconds left to beat Providence.
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.    18,571    DePaul    01/22/24
    10.    18,525    Marquette    12/31/13
    11.    18,519    #8 Seton Hall    03/07/20
    12.    18,518    Georgetown    01/27/18
    13.    18,509    Villanova    02/04/23
    14.    18,495    Marquette    02/17/18
    15.    18,494    Illinois State    02/09/13
    16.    18,475    Nebraska    11/22/24
    17.    18,458    Evansville    12/29/12
    18.    18,436    Bradley    01/28/12
    19.    18,323    DePaul    02/07/14
    20.    18,321    #3 Villanova    02/24/18

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 361 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the now 22-year-old facility.
    The Bluejays own a 298-63 (.825) record all-time at the facility.
    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 28,293-23,622 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.98 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 93 different times, including twice this year (Kansas City, #1 Kansas).
    Incredibly, Creighton hasn't trailed in its home opener in 10 of the past 24 seasons (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2019-20).
    Creighton is also 32-37 all-time in the 69 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 8-12 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 41-30 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
    Creighton is 201-45 (.816) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn't trailed in 66 of those games. In that same span, CU owns a 106-10 home record (.914) 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 317-63 (.834) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Home Run
Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.82 points per home game (19,882 points in 246 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.23 points in non-conference home games (9,855 points in 117 home games).
    Creighton is 150-7 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.

Nine Is Divine
Greg McDermott has guided his team to the NCAA Tournament nine times at Creighton. That put him in the company of some of the greatest coaches in CU Athletics history, and most among basketball coaches.
    McDermott is one of three head coaches in Creighton history to lead eight or more NCAA Tournament teams.
Name    Sport    NCAA's @CU
Kirsten Bernthal Booth    Volleyball    14
Bob Warming    Men's Soccer    11
Greg McDermott    Men's Basketball    9
Dana Altman    Men's Basketball    7
Brent Vigness    Softball    7
Jim Flanery    Women's Basketball    7

Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton finished the 2023-24 season ranked 11th overall by KenPom.com. That included the nation's No. 9 offense, and No. 24 defense.
    Creighton has finished with a top-25 offense per KenPom eight times and a top-25 defense three times in 14 completed seasons under Greg McDermott.
Year    Off. Rating    Def. Rating    Overall Rank
2010-11    66    174    98
2011-12    5    166    28
2012-13    5    66    15
2013-14    2    124    17
2014-15    59    138    79
2015-16    43    76    40
2016-17    32    46    28
2017-18    25    58    30
2018-19    47    83    55
2019-20    3    78    12
2020-21    25    32    22
2021-22    112    19    50
2022-23    23    14    12
2023-24    9    24    11
2024-25    49    38    41

New Court Debuts
Creighton is playing home games on a new basketball court designed to tell the story of Creighton University and the program's proud history.
    The court was designed by GLGR out of Beaverton, Ore., and produced by Ledford Sports Floors out of Jenks, Okla.
    The court includes multiple intricate features that merit up-close inspection to gain a full appreciation for the attention to detail in the new Creighton-centric design.
• Six numbers will appear on the west sideline, three in front of each bench, to recognize the retired jersey numbers for No. 3 (Doug McDermott), No. 25 (Kyle Korver), No. 30 (Bob Harstad), No. 33 (Bob Portman), No. 35 (Paul Silas) and No. 45 (Bob Gibson).
• Within the eye of the Bluejay logo at midcourt will be the number 1916, a nod to Creighton's first recognized year of intercollegiate basketball.
• Just inside the three-point line on the South end will be text of seven core Jesuit values, such as "Women and Men For and With Others". It is believed that Creighton will be the nation's first Division I team with its school motto included inside its basketball court.
• Also inside the three-point line on the North side of the court are Heritage logos to honor Creighton's history.
• The new color scheme also features an updated courtside gradient, in addition to a feather pattern inside the three-point line, a nod to Creighton's Bluejay nickname.

McDermott's Coaching Tree
Greg McDermott's coaching tree owns 10 men who are currently a head coach at the Division I level. Seven of the 10 won 20+ games last season. Here's a list:
Darian DeVries - West Virginia
Eric Henderson - South Dakota State
Alan Huss - High Point
Ben Jacobson - Northern Iowa
Steve Lutz - Oklahoma State
TJ Otzelberger - Iowa State
David Richman - North Dakota State
Daniyal Robinson - Cleveland State
Paul Sather - North Dakota
Patrick Sellers - Central Connecticut State

Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2024-25 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.
    For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.

Men's Basketball Visits #7 Alabama to Close Non-Conference Slate

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Trey Alexander

Steven Ashworth

Jasen Green

Pop Isaacs

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Fredrick King

Jackson McAndrew

Mason Miller

Jamiya Neal

Baylor Scheierman

Isaac Traudt