Huss Era Opens as Men's Basketball Hosts Kansas City

Monday, November 2

Omaha, Neb.

7:00 PM

Creighton University

Kansas City

Buy Tickets

10/29/2026 5:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Creighton Notes (PDF)

By: Rob Anderson

Next Game

Creighton Men's Basketball opens its 109th season of basketball on Monday, Nov. 2, with a home game against Kansas City.

Tip-off at CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7 p.m.

Promotional Schedule

Tip off the official beginning of the season with 'Opening Flight'. All fans are eligible to receive a 2026-27 schedule magnet.

The Creighton Dance Team will perform at half.

Broadcast Information

Monday's game will air on ESPN+, with Jon Schriner and Nick Bahe on the call. There's a link available at WatchESPN.com or on Creighton Men's Basketball schedule at GoCreighton.com.

It's worth noting that YouTube TV subscribers now have access to ESPN+ events via ESPN Unlimited at no additional charge.

Radio Broadcast Information

1620 The Zone (KOZN; 1620 AM) will carry all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2026-27 season. Monday's game will also air on Country One (KOPW, 106.9 FM). The game can also be heard on SiriusXM app channel 997 and at https://sxm.app.link/SXM997.

John Bishop and Taylor Stormberg will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Live Stats Information

All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats at http://Creighton.StatBroadcast.com.

Scouting Creighton

Creighton returns three starters and six lettermen from last season's team that finished 16-18 and ended the year in Las Vegas as semifinalists at the College Basketball Crown.

Josh Dix (13.2 ppg.) and Nik Graves (10.9) both graduated, leaving Austin Swartz (10.9 ppg.) and Jasen Green (10.5 ppg., 6.3 rpg.) as the leading returning scorers. Also back is Jackson McAndrew (6.8 ppg.), who missed all but four games a year ago due to injury after landing on the BIG EAST's All-Freshman Team in 2024-25.

CU's influx of newcomers includes transfers BJ Davis (San Diego State), Kayden "Bugg" Edwards (TCU), Wes Enis (South Florida), Oswin Erhunmwunse (Providence) and Wesly Rosa (Garden City CC).

Creighton was picked to finish seventh in the BIG EAST in a preseason poll of league coaches, with McAndrew and Erhunmwunse both earning Preseason Third Team All-BIG EAST accolades.

The Bluejays won both of their public exhibition games by three points each, winning at No. 18 Iowa State (83-80) before defeating Minnesota (89-86, 2OT). In those 90 minutes, CU trailed for just 3:06.

Scouting Kansas City

Kansas City went 4-27 last season, losing their last 15 games of the season after a Jan. 3 victory at Omaha. Three of Kansas City's four wins came against non-Division I foes in the final campaign under Marvin Menzies.

This year's Kansas City team features an entirely new roster and was picked to finish eighth of eight teams in the Summit League.

Seniors Jaylen Smith (9.1 ppg., at East Tennessee) and Sebastian Hartmann (7.0 ppg., 5.0 rpg. at Chattanooga) are expected to emerge as leaders on a team with nine freshmen and five transfers. Smith was named the Southern Conference Sixth Man of the Year last season and a Preseason All-Summit League Second Team pick. Hartmann played two years for Eastern Washington before spending last season at Chattanooga. Others to keep an eye on are Assane Diop (5.7 ppg., 5.2 rpg. at San Diego) and freshman Atuka Bakhtadze.

Smith led the Roos with 20 points and four assists in a 64-54 exhibition win over Montana State on Saturday. Diop owned a game-high 11 rebounds against the Bobcats.

The Series With Kansas City

Creighton is 11-3 all-time against Kansas City, including a perfect 9-0 mark in Omaha, in a series that dates back to 1988.

The Bluejays have won each of the past seven meetings by an average of 19.6 points, scoring 79 points or more in each contest.

Alan Huss has never faced Kansas City as a head coach, but was 2-0 against the Roos as a Creighton student-athlete.

Huss has never coached against Mark Turgeon, but as a player Huss' Creighton teams went 2-0 against Turgeon's Wichita State team in 2000-01.

Turgeon is 4-12 against Creighton, including an 0-7 mark against the Bluejays in Omaha.

The Creighton Coaches

Alan Huss (Creighton, 2002) is entering his first season as head coach at Creighton. Huss served as a Bluejay assistant from 2017-23, then returned in 2025-26 as associate head coach and head coach in waiting.

In between, Huss went 56-15 as head coach in two seasons at High Point, leading the Panthers to a pair of Big South Conference titles and the program's first NCAA Tournament bid.
Huss played at Creighton from 1997-2001, appearing in three NCAA Tournaments. The Kansas City, native is the program's first head coach to lead his alma mater since Tom Apke from 1974-81.

Huss is assisted by Derek Kellogg, Trey Zeigler, Mitch Ballock, Mike Nesbitt, Corey Edwards and Tom Ostrom.

Exhibition Season Recap

Creighton won a pair of exhibition games by three points each, defeating Iowa State 83-80 in Ames before posting an 89-86 double-overtime contest vs. Minnesota.

In both games Creighton built a substantial lead early in the second half before withstanding a missed three-pointer in the final seconds of its win.

Creighton's top five scorers were all guards, with Wes Enis (17.5 ppg.), Austin Swartz (16.5 ppg.), Katrelle Harmon (11.0 ppg., 6.0 apg., 2.5 spg.), BJ Davis (11.0 ppg., 6.0 rpg.) and Hudson Greer (9.0 ppg.) accounting for 75.6 percent of the Bluejay offense.

Creighton made 24 three-pointers in the two games, held foes to 26.7 percent marksmanship from deep, and forced 30 turnovers. Of greater concern is that CU was outrebounded in both contests by a combined 22 boards (95-73) and allowed 31 offensive rebounds.

With A Win...

- Creighton would improve to 10-0 all-time at home against Kansas City.

- Alan Huss would improve to 3-0 as a Division I head coach in season-openers, and 1-0 at Creighton.

- Creighton would improve to 94-15 all-time in season-opening games, including a 29-1 mark in the past 30 lid-lifters.

- Creighton would win its 32nd consecutive home opener, a streak that started in 1995, the 11th-longest active streak nationally.

- Creighton would win its 17th straight season-opener, tied for the nation's 15th-longest active streak.

Milestone Watch

Creighton has a number of student-athletes approaching significant statistical milestones.

- Brody Robinson owns 993 career Division I points and 394 career Division I assists, putting him seven points and six assists shy of 1,000 and 400, respectively.

- Austin Swartz has 497 career points (327 at Creighton) and is three short of 500.

- Austin Swartz owns 98 career three-pointers (64 at Creighton) and is two away from 100.

- Isaac Traudt is 26 points away from 500 in his career.

Circle Of Life

In a strange set of coincidences, Creighton's first game with Alan Huss on the sideline as head coach is against the same team that Creighton faced in his first game as a student-athlete at Creighton 30 seasons ago.

That's right, Huss made his collegiate debut on Nov. 14, 1997 in an 81-59 victory over Kansas City. Huss played in four minutes off the bench, finishing with two points, two blocks and a steal while making his only field goal attempt.

Where is Alan Huss from? You guessed it...Kansas City.

Creighton Head Coaching Debuts

Alan Huss is the 17th head coach in Creighton men's basketball history, and he's seeking to become the 14th of those men to win his debut on the Bluejay sideline.

First Game as Head Coach at Creighton

Coach Score Date

Mills CU 30, Peru State 17 01/12/1917

Mulholland CU 48, Yankton 17 01/14/1921

Kearney CU 22, Des Moines 14 02/05/1921

Schabinger Kansas 29, CU 7 01/03/1923

Hickey CU 44, North Dakota 37 12/13/1935

Belford CU 48, Omaha 19 12/14/1945

Salerno CU 63, Buena Vista 39 11/29/1952

Thomsen CU 73, Buena Vista 36 12/02/1955

McManus CU 105, Northern Colorado 54 12/02/1959

Sutton CU 84, UW-Oshkosh 12/01/1969

Apke CU 74, North Dakota 68 12/03/1974

Reed UW-Stevens Point 57, CU 51 11/28/1981

Barone CU 61, Augustana 51 11/22/1985

Johnson Iowa State 92, CU 75 11/26/1991

Altman CU 68, Oral Roberts 61 11/26/1994

McDermott CU 71, Alabama State 57 11/12/2010

Elite Company

Alan Huss went 56-15 in two seasons at High Point. Those 56 wins are tied for third-most by any coach in NCAA history for a coach in his first two years at the Division I level. Many of the names surrounding him on that list went on to legendary careers.

Most Wins, First 2 Years as Division I Head Coach

W-L Name, School Years

61-11 Tommy Lloyd, Arizona 2021-23

58-14 Bill Guthridge, North Carolina 1997-99

56-10 Brad Stevens, Butler 2007-09

56-15 Alan Huss, High Point 2023-25

55-8 Everett Case, NC State 1946-48

55-21 Shaka Smart, VCU 2009-11

54-18 Jon Scheyer, Duke 2022-24

53-12 Todd Lickliter, Butler 2001-03

52-11 Ben Carnevale, North Carolina 1944-46

52-17 Dan Monson, Gonzaga 1997-99

52-16 Mark Few, Gonzaga 1999-01

52-13 Mark Fox, Nevada 2004-06

52-15 Anthony Grant, VCU 2006-08

52-17 Tony Bennett, Washington State 2006-08

52-12 Steve Prohm, Murray State 2011-13

52-18 Kevin Ollie, Connecticut 2012-14

52-21 Eric Musselman, Nevada 2015-17

Season Opener History

Creighton owns a sparkling 93-15 record (.860) on opening day, including 16 straight wins and victories in 28 of its last 29 lid-lifters after last year's 92-76 win vs. South Dakota.

Creighton has won 14 of its last 26 season-openers by 20 or more points and hasn't trailed in its home opener in 10 of the past 26 seasons (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2019-20).

The Bluejays have outscored foes by an average of 86.12 to 62.81 in the last 26 openers.

Creighton is 2-1 all-time when opening the season with Kansas City, losing 82-57 in 1993 but winning in 1997 (81-59) and 2016 (89-82).

Creighton is one of 17 schools with an active streak of 16 or more straight season-opening wins, as seen below per research provided by Elias.

Consecutive Season-Opener Wins

(Longest Active Streaks)

Wins School 2026 Opener

36 Xavier 11/2 vs. Mount St. Mary's

26 Texas Tech 11/2 vs. Jackson State

26 East Carolina 11/2 vs. USC Upstate

26 Duke 11/2 vs. Army

23 New Mexico 11/2 vs. Utah Tech

23 Michigan 11/2 vs. Oakland

22 Gonzaga 11/2 vs. Purdue in Las Vegas

22 Ohio State 11/2 vs. BYU in Salt Lake City

21 North Carolina 11/2 vs. Western Carolina

21 Dayton 11/2 vs. NJIT

19 Arizona 11/2 vs. UCLA in Las Vegas

18 Colorado State 11/2 vs. Montana State

17 Houston 11/2 vs. La Salle

17 Providence 11/2 vs. Maine

16 Creighton 11/2 vs. Kansas City

16 Stanford 11/2 vs. Eastern Washington

16 Utah 11/2 vs. Long Beach State

Home Openers

Creighton has won each of its last 31 home openers since dropping a 1994 game to SMU in Dana Altman's home debut.

Overall, Creighton is 97-11 in home openers and 74-6 in the previous 80 seasons.

Per Elias, here's a list of schools with the longest active win streaks in a home opener.

Consecutive Home Opener Wins

(Longest Active Streaks)

Wins School 2026 Opener

58 Villanova 11/6 vs. Holy Cross

53 Kansas 11/2 vs. Fordham

52 Arkansas 11/3 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

45 Colorado State 11/2 vs. Montana State

44 Duke 11/2 vs. Army

39 LSU 11/3 vs. LSU-New Orleans

37 Minnesota 11/2 vs. North Dakota

37 Gonzaga 11/7 vs. New Mexico State

36 Xavier 11/2 vs. Mount St. Mary's

35 Florida 11/5 vs. Jacksonville

31 Creighton 11/2 vs. Kansas City

Opening Statements

Alan Huss has won both season openers he's coached in as a college head coach by 40 points or more.

Alan Huss in Season-Openers as Head Coach

Date Huss School Opponent Result

11/06/23 High Point St. Andrews W 105-51

11/06/24 High Point Coppin State W 93-51

It Gets Earlier Every Year

Monday's game will take place on November 2, the earliest start date for a season-opener in Creighton basketball history.

The previous earliest start was on Nov. 5 in both 2019 (beat Kennesaw State 81-55) and in 2025 (beat South Dakota 92-76).

By comparison, 34 years ago, Creighton's season-opener in 1992-93 didn't take place until Dec. 3rd. Go back to Alan Huss' senior season in 2000-01 and the opener came on Nov. 20th.

Making An Entrance

Since 1980, only three Bluejays have had a double-double in their Creighton debut, Baylor Scheierman (11 points, 10 rebounds in 2022), Ryan Hawkins (16 points, 11 rebounds in 2021) and Ryan Nembhard, (15 points, 10 assists in 2021), with Nembhard the only freshman in that group.

Two opening-day efforts stand out in Bluejay history. Bob Harstad began his senior season shooting 13-for-13 from the floor and 12-for-13 at the line to score 38 points against Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 30, 1990. On Nov. 6, 2024, Ryan Kalkbrenner made 20-of-22 shots from the field and finished with 49 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots in a 99-86 win over UTRGV.

Below is a list of some of Creighton's most famous players and how they performed in their regular-season debuts in a Bluejay uniform.

Name, Yr. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Min. Result

Scheierman, 2022 11 10 3 1 34 W 72-60

Trey Alexander, 2021 5 4 1 2 22 W 90-77

Kalkbrenner, 2020 8 2 1 0 11 W 69-58

Zegarowski, 2018 8 4 2 0 18 W 78-67

Foster, 2016 19 1 2 0 28 W 89-82

Patton, 2016 12 8 2 0 22 W 89-82

Thomas, 2015 18 3 0 2 26 W 93-70

McDermott, 2010 16 7 0 1 32 W 71-57

Stinnett, 2007 23 4 3 3 26 W 74-62

Kyle Korver, 1999 2 2 0 1 10 W 70-62

Buford, 1995 3 4 0 0 19 W 63-59

Harstad, 1987 4 5 1 1 21 L 49-70

Gallagher, 1987 10 3 0 0 37 L 49-70

Benjamin, 1982 14 4 1 0 22 W 98-54

McKenna, 1977 14 3 7 ? ? W 95-66

Harmon, 1971 21 7 ? ? ? W 74-62

C. Baptiste, 1969 24 17 ? ? ? W 84-62

Portman, 1966 9 ? ? ? ? W 78-76

Silas, 1961 22 29 ? ? ? W 85-51

Gibson, 1954 19 ? ? ? ? W 66-51

Hello, World

Creighton has eight players who could make their Bluejay regular-season debut on Monday in Wes Enis, Katrelle Harmon, Kayden "Bugg" Edwards, Trevon Carter-Givens, BJ Davis, Wesly Rosa, Oswin Erhunmwunse and if he gets eligible by then, Brody Robinson.

Below is a look at how Creighton's current players have done in their regular-season debuts in a Division I uniform at Creighton and elsewhere.

Name Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Min.

Enis (USF)• 22 2 2 2 31

King (MSU)• 13 6 1 1 14

Traudt 12 6 2 0 21

King 5 2 0 0 9

Erhunmwunse (PC)• 4 5 0 0 12

Swartz (CU) 3 2 2 3 18

Swartz (Miami) 2 0 1 2 12

Thomas 2 0 0 0 5

Green 2 3 1 0 4

Greer 1 7 4 0 13

Davis (SDSU) 0 0 0 0 13

McAndrew 0 3 0 0 8

Robinson (CHAT) 0 1 1 0 8

Edwards (TCU) 0 0 0 0 4

•indicates game started

Freshman Starts Almost Unheard Of

Since 1992-93, only six true freshmen have started Creighton's regular-season opener.

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 spent last year with the Sacramento Kings.

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 later spent parts three seasons in the NBA.

Shereef Mitchell joined this elite group in 2019-20 when he got the starting nod against Kennesaw State.

In 2021-22, both Ryan Nembhard and Arthur Kaluma started the opener vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, marking the first time Creighton started two true freshmen in a regular-season opener since 1991-92 (Eric Dantzler and Mike Amos). Both men ended up on the BIG EAST's All-Freshman Team, with Nembhard being named Freshman of the Year.

The last time Creighton started three true freshmen in a regular-season opener was 1987-88 (Chris Rodgers, Bob Harstad, Chad Gallagher).

What A Haul

Jasen Green opens 2026-27 having grabbed seven or more rebounds in nine straight games.

In the last 30 seasons, the only Creighton players with longer streaks are Ryan Kalkbrenner, Doug McDermott and Baylor Scheierman, all of whom earned All-America honors and have played multiple seasons in the NBA.

Longest Streaks of 7+ Rebounds, Since 1996-97

Streak Name Dates

19 Ryan Kalkbrenner 12/31/24 - 3/13/25

14 Doug McDermott 01/01/11 - 02/13/11

12 Ryan Kalkbrenner 02/17/22 - 11/10/22

10 Baylor Scheierman 11/21/22 - 12/25/22

9 Jasen Green 02/14/26 - Present

9 Ryan Kalkbrenner 01/02/24 - 02/02/24

Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?

Not counting 2019-20, when there was no postseason, Creighton has made the postseason each of the 13 most recent times in which it has made at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts to open the year.

Ten 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 10 of its last 14 season-openers, including 50 percent (37-for-74) last season vs. South Dakota.

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 NCAA

.500 2025-26 South Dakota Crown

The Push For 90

Of Creighton's 26 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, 13 have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.

Put another way...of CU's 21 teams (before 2026-27) to score 90 points in an opener, 13 would reach the NCAA Tournament.

Here's a look at Creighton's 13 most recent teams (entering 2026-27) 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 25-11 NCAA

92-76 South Dakota 11/05/25 16-18 Crown

Good Defense, A Good Sign

Each of the last nine times that Creighton has held its season-opening opponent to 50 points or less, the Bluejays have advanced to the postseason. It hasn't happened since 2006, however.

That list is seen below:

Date Opponent Score NCAA/NIT

11/30/73 Regis W 93-38 NCAA

11/27/76 St. Thomas (MN) W 79-39 NIT

11/30/90 UT San Antonio W 93-47 NCAA

11/14/98 Towson State W 93-48 NCAA

11/20/00 Western Illinois W 96-50 NCAA

11/17/02 Texas-Arlington W 106-50 NCAA

11/22/03 San Diego W 76-44 NIT

11/15/04 Alcorn State W 74-40 NCAA

11/13/06 Mississippi Valley St. W 78-42 NCAA

Tough Place To Play

Mark Turgeon will be coaching his first game on the Kansas City sideline on Monday, but it won't be his first time on the visiting sideline against Creighton in Omaha.

Turgeon went 4-12 as Wichita State coach from 2000-07 against Creighton, including an 0-7 mark in games played in Omaha and an 0-4 record inside CHI Health Center Omaha.

Mark Turgeon Teams Playing at Creighton

Result Date

Creighton 74, Wichita State 64 12/16/00

Creighton 69, Wichita State 67 02/17/02

Creighton 86, Wichita State 60 03/03/03

Creighton 75, Wichita State 61 # 03/01/04

Creighton 73, Wichita State 69 # 02/01/05

Creighton 57, Wichita State 55 # 01/28/06

Creighton 71, Wichita State 54 # 02/24/07

# CHI Health Center Omaha

Recent Exhibition History

Creighton is 59-6 since 1981 in fall exhibition games thanks to 27 straight victories. The only team since 1994 to beat Creighton in an exhibition setting has been Global Sports, which eventually merged and changed their name to EA Sports and had three victories.

Among the teams that Creighton has defeated in recent exhibitions include Minnesota and No 18 Iowa State this year, No. 16 Iowa State last year and No. 14 Purdue in 2024.

A complete listing of Creighton's exhibition games since the 1981-82 season can be found on page four of this release.

Huss Becomes Head Coach

Alan Huss was introduced as the 17th head coach in the Creighton men's basketball history on March 25, 2026 and officially took over roughly two weeks later on April 7, 2026.

Huss, who served six years as assistant coach (2017-23) before returning last April as associate head coach and head coach in waiting, took over after the retirement of Greg McDermott following Creighton's postseason run at the College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas.

A 2002 Creighton graduate, Huss becomes the first alum to take the reins of the men's basketball program since Tom Apke patrolled the Bluejay sideline from 1974-81.

Huss compiled a head coaching record of 56-15 during his two years at High Point University from 2023-25, highlighting his ability to build and lead teams to success. High Point achieved historic milestones, including the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in Division I history and a then-program-record 29 Division I wins during the 2024-2025 season, showcasing his capacity to elevate a program to new heights. Huss was named the Big South Conference Coach of the Year in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

In seven seasons assistant coach under McDermott (2017-23, 2025-26), Huss has helped CU to 150 victories, eight wins in four NCAA Tournament appearances and its first BIG EAST title in 2019-20. He worked closely with Creighton's big men, the Bluejay offense and recruiting.

Huss was a four-year member of the Creighton men's basketball team from 1997-2001, where he played under head coach Dana Altman and alongside future NBA sharpshooter Kyle Korver. During his collegiate career with the Bluejays, Huss was part of three NCAA Tournament teams (1999, 2000, 2001), two Missouri Valley Conference Tournament titles (1999, 2000) and one MVC regular-season title (2001).

All Aboard The Huss Bus

When Alan Huss was named head coach at High Point in 2023, he took over a program that had won 59 games in the previous five seasons, with all but one of those seasons being led by legendary head coach (and High Point alum) Tubby Smith.

Huss wasted no time making an impact, leading High Point to a 27-9 record in his first season and a 29-6 mark his second campaign. Huss led both teams to Big South Conference titles, including the program's first Division I NCAA Tournament bid, while bringing home back-to-back Big South Coach of the Year recognition.

Last year's High Point team, which upset Wisconsin, featured three returners from Huss' final squad as well as three players that Huss and his staff recruited before he was hired back at Creighton in April of 2025.

High Point, Previous 10 Seasons

Year Head Coach W-L

2016-17 Scott Cherry 15-16

2017-18 Scott Cherry 14-16

2018-19 Tubby Smith 16-15

2019-20 Tubby Smith 16-15

2020-21 Tubby Smith 9-15

2021-22 Tubby Smith 11-15

G.G. Smith 3-3

2022-23 G.G. Smith 14-17

2023-24 Alan Huss 27-9

2024-25 Alan Huss 29-6

2025-26 Flynn Clayman 31-5

Huss Among New Hires

Alan Huss is one of 57 new head coaching hires at the Division I level this season, and just one of 15 from a Power 5 Conference. The new Power 5 head coaches are listed below:

School New Coach

Arizona State Randy Bennett

Boston College Luke Murray

Butler Ronald Nored

Cincinnati Jerrod Calhoun

Creighton Alan Huss

Georgia Tech Scott Cross

Kansas State Casey Alexander

LSU Will Wade

Michigan Mike Boynton

North Carolina Michael Malone

NC State Justin Gainey

Oregon Tony Stubblefield

Providence Bryan Hodgson

Syracuse Gerry McNamara

Big Shoes To Fill

Over 16 seasons from 2010-26, Greg McDermott transformed Creighton from a strong mid-major to a BIG EAST power. Huss assisted McDermott for seven of those seasons, during which time the Bluejays went 150-86 (.636).

Here's some of McDermott's biggest accomplishments....

- 366 wins (CU MBB record)

- 147 BIG EAST wins (CU MBB record; 6th league history)

- 10 NCAA Tournament trips (CU MBB record)

- 12-10 NCAA Tournament record (CU MBB record)

- 3 Sweet 16's (2020-21, 2022-23, 2023-24)

- 1 Elite Eight (2022-23)

- 121 weeks in AP poll (CU MBB record)

- 43 Top 25 wins (CU MBB record)

- 17 Top 10 wins (CU MBB record)

- 14 seasons of 20+ wins (CU MBB record)

- 14 Postseason trips (CU MBB record)

- 21 Postseason wins (CU MBB record)

- 6 NBA Draft Picks (3 First Round, 3 Second Round)

- 2 MVC Tournament titles (2011-12, 2012-13)

- 1 MVC regular-season title (2012-13)

- 1 BIG EAST regular-season title (2019-20)

- 1 National Player of the Year (Doug McDermott)

- Over $1 million raised for Hope Lodge

Merfeld Gets Hall Call

Longtime Creighton men's basketball staffer Steve Merfeld was part of the 2026 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame induction class in late September.

Merfeld is a Wisconsin native who graduated from Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1984 and then got his coaching start at St. John's Military Academy in 1984. He served as an assistant coach at Bowling Green (1986-96) and Hampton (1996-97) before serving as head coach at Hampton from 1997-2002.

Merfeld then went on to be head coach at Evansville from 2002-07 and an assistant coach at Bradley before joining the Greg McDermott's original Creighton staff as an assistant coach in 2010. He has been the Bluejays' assistant to the head coach since 2013.

Perhaps the crowning achievement of Merfeld's career was a 2001 NCAA Tournament win over Iowa State when he was head coach at Hampton. As the final buzzer sounded, Hampton forward David Johnson grabbed and lifted a jubilant Merfeld into the air, creating one of the most famous images in March Madness history and an enduring highlight still seen on CBS' March Madness coverage.

Who's Back?

With Creighton returning only six of the 15 men who appeared in a game last season -- including its top two scorers -- much of the production is gone.

Below is a breakdown of what is back:

Stat Returners Departures

3FG Made 169 (51.4%) 160 (48.6%)

Blocks 42 (43.8%) 54 (56.3%)

Starts 71 (41.8%) 99 (58.2%)

Rebounds 453 (41.7%) 633 (58.3%)

Points 1,039 (40.6%) 1,517 (59.4%)

Minutes 2,672 (39.2%) 4,153 (60.8%)

Steals 69 (35.8%) 124 (64.2%)

Charges Taken 4 (30.8%) 9 (69.2%)

Assists 152 (29.0%) 372 (71.0%)

Court Report

Fifth-year seniors Jasen Green and Isaac Traudt are both eligible, as both men redshirted their initial college season in 2022-23.

Fifth-year senior Fredrick King is eligible (as of Oct. 20), but Brody Robinson is not yet eligible. Robinson is part of the lawsuit in Tennessee to get eligible, while King is part of the lawsuit in Kentucky.

Neither King nor Robinson suited up for the Oct. 18 exhibition game in Ames, but King contributed three points, one rebound and one blocked shot in six minutes vs. Minnesota last Friday.

Have We Met?

Of the 165 players listed on BIG EAST rosters just five years ago (2022-23), only two of those men are still playing for the same school without transferring. Those men are Creighton's Jasen Green and former Xavier walk-on Michael Wolf.

Here's a list of who remains from 2022-23:

Team 2022-23 Roster Size Who's Still There?

Butler 13 -

Connecticut 16 -

Creighton 16 Jasen Green

DePaul 15 -

Georgetown 14 -

Marquette 18 -

Providence 14 -

Seton Hall 16 -

St. John's 15 -

Villanova 12 -

Xavier 16 Michael Wolf

Newcomer Report

Six players (Trevon Carter-Givens, BJ Davis, Kayden Edwards, Wes Enis, Oswin Erhunmwunse, Katrelle Harmon) made their fall exhibition debut in a Creighton uniform against Iowa State.

In his first go-round with Creighton, Fredrick King had 10 points, six rebounds, two blocks and an assists vs. Drury in his exhibition debut on October of 2022.

Below is a look at how Creighton's newcomers have produced in their exhibition debuts since 2018:

2026

Carter-Givens/Davis/Edwards

Enis/Erhunmwunse/Harmon

41 pts., 18 reb., 11 ast., 112 min. (W 83-80)

2025

Dimitrijevic/Dix/Graves/Greer/Harper

Konan/McChesney/Swartz

46 pts., 20 reb., 7 ast., 111 min. (W 71-58)

2024

Davis/Isaacs/McAndrew/Neal

36 pts., 9 reb., 10 ast., 76 min. (W 93-87)

2023

Ashworth/Lawson/Knox/Thomas

Vice/Dotzler/Townley-Thomas/Traudt

44 pts., 23 reb., 15 ast., 84 min. (W 109-57)

2022

Scheierman/Farabello/King

Shtolzberg/Green/Young

44 pts., 23 reb., 15 ast., 84 min. (W 109-57)

2021

Alexander/Andronikashvili/Christofilis

Feazell/Hawkins/Kaluma/Kancleris

Miller/Nembhard/Yates

56 pts., 37 reb., 15 ast., 155 min. (W 76-61)

2019

Mitchell/Windham/Zeil/Jones

25 pts., 18 reb., 0 ast., 68 min. (W 95-63)

2018

Bishop/Canfield/Cashaw/

Froling/Jefferson/Zegarowski

40 pts., 20 reb., 9 ast., 96 min. (W 101-57)

No Jitters Here

Freshman Katrelle Harmon didn't look like a true freshman in his exhibition debut on Oct. 18 at Iowa State.

The guard from Seattle, Wash., led CU with 16 points and six assists while also sharing the team-lead with two blocked shots and two steals.

The only time last year the same Bluejay led CU in points, assists, blocks and steals of a game that counted was Dec. 30 against Butler, when Jasen Green did it

In Creighton's last 30 seasons, no Bluejay player has had at least 16 points, six assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots in a game that counted.

Among BIG EAST players, the only 16/6/3/2/2 game last year came by eventual BIG EAST Player of the Year St. John's Zuby Ejiofor against UConn (21/10/7/2/3). No BIG EAST freshman has had a 16/6/3/2/2 line since Rutgers' Dane Miller vs. Villanova on Jan. 20, 2010.

Foul Play

With an emphasis on being more disruptive defensively, Alan Huss has joked that this year's Creighton team won't lead the country in fewest fouls per game, as CU's 2023-24 (11.5) and 2024-25 (11.1) teams did.

On Oct. 18 at Iowa State, Creighton was whistled for 24 personal fouls, and senior guards Wes Enis and BJ Davis both fouled out.

Creighton hasn't had multiple players foul out of the same game that counted since Feb. 3, 2021 (Marcus Zegarowski and Damien Jefferson vs. Georgetown).

Creighton last had 24 fouls in a game that counted on Dec. 20, 2020 in an overtime win at UConn, and last had 24 or more fouls in regulation on March 9, 2017 vs. Providence in a BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinal victory.

Hudson Takes On The Big 12

Hudson Greer played in three games against the Big 12 Conference last season, and it turned out to be the three highest-scoring games of his freshman campaign.

Against Iowa State on Oct. 18 in an exhibition game, he again scored in double-figures.

Creighton's next game against a Big 12 foe is Nov. 10 at Kansas State.

Opponent FG-FGA 3FG-FGA REB PTS

Baylor 7-8 2-2 3 16

Iowa State 4-7 3-4 5 12

West Virginia 4-6 3-4 1 15

Iowa State (Exh.) 2-6 2-5 6 11

vs. Big 12 Teams* 17-27 (.714) 10-15 (.667) 15 (3.8) 54 (13.5)

All Other Games 22-62 (.355) 11-37 (.297) 36 (1.9) 60 (3.2)

*includes 2026 exhibition vs. Iowa State

Preseason All-BIG EAST Votes Revealed

The Creighton men's basketball team was picked to finish seventh in the BIG EAST Conference in the annual survey of league coaches, which was unveiled as part of 2026 BIG EAST Media Day on October 1.

It's not the first time that Creighton has been picked to finish seventh by BIG EAST coaches. It also happened in 2019-20, when the Bluejays won their only BIG EAST title and finished the year ranked seventh nationally. This year's prediction snapped a four-year streak of being tabbed for a top-three finish.

Creighton has matched or exceeded its preseason projection in all but two seasons since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14, the best showing in the league in that time.

Both Jackson McAndrew and Oswin Erhunmwunse were chosen as Third Team Preseason All-BIG EAST selections.

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 T-2nd Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Trey Alexander (1st)
Baylor Scheierman (2nd)

2024-25 2nd 2nd Ryan Kalkbrenner (POY, 1st); Steven Ashworth (3rd)

2025-26 3rd 5th Owen Freeman (1st); Josh Dix (2nd)
Jackson McAndrew (3rd); Nik Graves (3rd)

2026-27 7th ??? Jackson McAndrew (3rd); Oswin Erhunmwunse (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 End of 2025-26

Category CU Stat CU Rank

3FG Made 4,991 2nd

2FG Percentage .552 3rd

FG Percentage .475 5th

Assists 8,888 5th

FG Made 15,141 8th

Points 42,368 8th

3FG Percentage .370 9th

Wins 366 26th

Winning Percentage .655 37th

Who Are These Guys?

Creighton returns 71 starts from last year's team (30 by Jasen Green, 23 by Isaac Traudt, 14 by Austin Swartz, 4 by Jackson McAndrew).

All 20 of Creighton's teams since 1997-98 to have returned 71 or more starts have played in the postseason other than the 2019-20 club that was ranked No. 7 nationally when COVID-19 cancelled the postseason.

Returning Returning Starts Final
Year Starters From Previous Year W-L

2026-27 3 71 ? ? ?

2025-26 2 61 16-18

2024-25 3 105 25-11

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

25 of 28 Seasons With 20 Wins

Creighton has won 20 or more games in 25 of the last 28 seasons, a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.

Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 28 Seasons

Team 20-Win Seasons

Gonzaga 28

Kansas 28

Duke 27

Kentucky 26

Creighton 25

Arizona 24

Florida 24

Michigan State 24

BYU 23

North Carolina 23

Ohio State 23

Wisconsin 23

Among The Best

Creighton owns more BIG EAST wins (91) than any other school since the 2019-20 season started, five more than Connecticut's 86.

Since the league's 2013 realignment, Villanova has 176 league wins to lead the BIG EAST by a wide margin, but Creighton's 147 league victories are second-most.

Most Men's Basketball BIG EAST Wins

(2019-20 to 2025-26)

Team W L Pct.

Creighton 91 46 .664

UConn 86 30 .741

Villanova 86 47 .647

Marquette 78 58 .574

St. John's 77 59 .566

Providence 71 63 .530

Seton Hall 69 67 .507

Xavier 65 65 .500

Butler 52 86 .377

Georgetown 30 103 .226

DePaul 26 107 .195

Most Men's Basketball BIG EAST Wins

(2013-14 to 2025-26)

Team W L Pct.

Villanova 176 65 .730

Creighton 147 98 .600

Xavier 131 107 .550

Providence 129 113 .533

Marquette 130 114 .533

Seton Hall 122 122 .500

St. John's 117 127 .480

Butler 106 140 .431

UConn 86 30 .741

Georgetown 77 165 .318

DePaul 51 191 .211

Postseason Regulars

Not counting the 2019-20 season when the postseason was canceled due to COVID-19 (Creighton was ranked No. 7 nationally in the final poll), Creighton is one of 11 schools to have made the postseason each of the last 10 seasons.

Here's that list, which doesn't count 2019-20 (COVID-19), nor any postseason trips that were later vacated.

Most Consecutive Postseasons, Active Streaks

(includes 2025-26, but not 2019-20 due to COVID-19)

Streak Team NCAA NIT Crown

37 Michigan State 33 4 -

36 Kansas 36 - -

28 Gonzaga 27 1 -

17 Saint Mary's 11 6 -

14 Baylor 11 2 1

13 Villanova 10 2 1

11 Alabama 7 4 -

11 Purdue 11 - -

10 Creighton 7 2 1

10 Houston 8 2 -

10 Florida 7 3 -

Top Five Finish

Despite a 9-11 league record last winter, Creighton finished fifth in the BIG EAST. It was the 10th straight season CU has finished in the top-five or better, good for the league's longest streak in more than three decades.

It's the longest active streak in the BIG EAST, and third-longest in league history. Georgetown finished in the top-five in the first 11 seasons of the BIG EAST from 1979-80 to 1989-90, and Syracuse did it in 15 years in a row from 1981-82 to 1995-96.

Creighton's BIG EAST Finish History

Year Finish Final League W-L

2013-14 2nd 14-4

2014-15 T-9th 4-14

2015-16 6th 9-9

2016-17 T-3rd 10-8

2017-18 T-3rd 10-8

2018-19 T-3rd 9-9

2019-20 T-1st 13-5

2020-21 2nd 14-4

2021-22 4th 12-7

2022-23 3rd 13-7

2023-24 T-2nd 14-6

2024-25 2nd 15-5

2025-26 5th 9-11

Longest BIG EAST Streaks, 5th Place or Better

Streak Team Streak Started Streak Ended

15 Syracuse 1981-82 1995-96

11 Georgetown 1979-80 1989-90

10 Creighton 2016-17 Present

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat

Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 1,090 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 Entering 2026-27

Rk. Streak School Next Game

1. 1,302 Duke 11/2

2. 1,295 UNLV 11/3

3. 1,225 East Tennessee State 11/2

4. 1,198 Oakland 11/2

1,198 Texas 11/2

6. 1,194 Pacific 11/3

7. 1,131 Marshall 11/2

8. 1,129 Gonzaga 11/2

9. 1,109 Princeton 11/2

10. 1,090 Creighton 11/2

11. 1,082 Long Island 11/2

12. 1,072 Mount St. Mary's 11/2

Triple Trouble

During Creighton's current streak of 1,090 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 8,833 trifectas, an average of 8.10 treys per game.

Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 341 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 117-38 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 39-41 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: 106 times 6: 116 times

7: 156 times 8: 139 times 9: 97 times

10: 97 times 11: 67 times 12: 65 times

13: 55 times 14: 27 times 15: 9 times

16: 10 times 17: 5 times 18: 1 time

19: 2 times 20: 1 time 21: 1 time 22: 1 time

Three's Company

Creighton has made five or more three-pointers in 105 straight games that count, the nation's second-longest active streak.

It's the longest streak by a BIG EAST team in at least 20 years, and almost certainly ever.

Longest Active Streaks of 5+ 3FG Made

Rk. Streak School Next Reg-Season Game

1. 129 North Florida 11/3

2. 103 Creighton 11/2

3. 99 Wofford 11/3

CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics

Creighton is 10-8 in contests with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened in 2003.

Last year Austin Swartz hit a shot with 0.6 seconds left to beat Xavier on January 21st, CU's first game-winner in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha since 2020. With Swartz out of the line-up on Feb. 7th, Nik Graves buried a game-winning three-pointer with 2.5 seconds left to stun Seton Hall.

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

01/21/26 Xavier W 94-93 Swartz FG :0.6

02/07/26 Seton Hall W 69-68 Graves 3FG :2.5

*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

Let's Go On A Run

Creighton unleashed a 23-0 run on Iowa State during its exhibition meeting last season, turning an early 8-4 deficit into a 27-8 lead over a span of just under seven minutes (6:57).

Dating back to the start of the 2021-22 season, it was Creighton's largest run in any game, including exhibitions. Below is that list.

Longest Creighton Runs Since 2021-22

Run Opponent (Score change) Date

23-0* #16 Iowa State (4-8 to 27-8) 10/17/25

21-0* Upper Iowa (32-29 to 53-29) 10//30/21

20-0 Texas Southern (61-44 to 81-44) 11/18/23

19-0 vs. #11 Providence (37-27 to 56-27) 03/11/22

19-0 Georgetown (0-0 to 19-0) 03/01/23

18-0 Houston Christian (19-9 to 37-9) 11/13/24

*exhibition game

CHI Health Center Omaha Success

Creighton has played 387 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the now 24-year-old facility.

The Bluejays own a 317-70 (.819) 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 30,437-25,559 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.60 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 95 different times.

Incredibly, Creighton hasn't trailed in its home opener in 10 of the past 25 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 36-41 all-time in the 77 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 8-16 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 43-35 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.

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 335-69 (.829) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

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. 18,650 #2 Connecticut 01/31/26

9. 18,613 Wichita State 03/02/13