Game #5: Nebraska Cornhuskers at #8 Creighton Bluejays
Friday, Dec. 11, 2020 • 6:00 p.m.
Omaha, Neb. (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: BTN (Kevin Kugler, Shon Morris)
Series History: Creighton leads, 27-26
Last Meeting: Creighton 95, Nebraska 76 on Dec. 7, 2019 in Omaha, Neb.
CU NOTES | NU NOTES | FLIPCARD
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO
Next Game
In-state bragging rights are on the line on Friday when No. 8 Creighton (3-1) hosts Nebraska (3-2) on Friday, Dec. 11.
Tip-off on First National Bank Court at CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb,. is set for 6 p.m.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2020-21 season. KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games that start after 5 p.m.
John Bishop will call the action with Nick Bahe. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Television Broadcast Information
Friday's game will be televised by BTN, with Kevin Kugler and Shon Morris on the call.
Of Creighton's last 135 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised. The Bluejays are 90-45 in those contests.
Creighton is 4-3 all-time on BTN.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at https://ift.tt/2TAQDKK.
Scouting No. 8 Creighton
Creighton is ranked eighth nationally in the AP poll after a 3-1 start that includes convincing wins vs. North Dakota State (69-58), Omaha (94-67) and Kennesaw State (93-58) before a narrow one-point loss at No. 5 Kansas on Tuesday (73-72).
The Bluejays return four starters and five of its top six scorers from last season's team that finished 24-7 and won a share of its first BIG EAST regular-season title. CU's 2019-20 team was ranked No. 7 in the year-end Associated Press poll, while this year's club was 11th in the preseason AP poll. Both are program bests for a preseason or postseason poll.
Point guard Marcus Zegarowski (13.3 ppg., 6.3 apg.) has been named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and is a Preseason All-American by nearly every outlet after averaging 16.1 points and 5.1 assists per game last season. He had a double-double vs. Omaha on Dec. 1 in which he had 11 points and a career-high 11 assists.
Junior forward Christian Bishop (15.0 ppg., 5.3 rpg.) led Creighton in scoring during each of the first two games. He is shooting 81.5 percent from the floor and 81.3 percent at the line.
Also averaging in double-figures are reigning BIG EAST Sixth Man of the Year Denzel Mahoney (13.3 ppg.) and senior forward Damien Jefferson (10.8 ppg.). Three others -- Antwann Jones (9.0 ppg.), Ryan Kalkbrenner (8.3 ppg.) and Mitch Ballock (8.0 ppg.) have also scored 10 or more in two games this season.
Creighton is shooting 51.0 percent from the field through three games, scoring 82.0 points per game and holding foes to 64.0 points per contest.
Scouting Nebraska
Nebraska is 3-2 after starting the season with five straight home games. The Cornhuskers own wins vs. McNeese State (102-55), North Dakota State (79-57) and South Dakota (76-69) but also own losses to Nevada (69-66) and Georgia Tech (75-64).
Boys Town product Teddy Allen leads NU with 17.2 points and 3.0 steals per game.
Versatile Western Kentucky transfer Dalano Banton averages 14.2 points per game and leads the Cornhuskers with 7.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
Also in double-figures are Western Illinois grad transfer Kobe Webster (12.2 ppg.) and Pitt transfer Trey McGowens.
Nebraska averages 77.4 points per game and yields just 65.0 points per contest. NU shoots 40.9 percent from the floor, 29.9 percent from three-point range and 67.7 percent at the line. NU holds foes to 38.4 percent shooting from the field and 28.8 percent accuracy from deep.
The Series vs. Nebraska
Creighton has won 17 of the past 21 regular-season match-ups, and leads the all-time series 27-26. Creighton has won seven of the last eight meetings, with each of those wins coming by double-digits.
Creighton won four of the first seven meetings in the history of the series before a 45-year break where the in-state rivals did not play each other. The series has been played at least once each season since 1977 and is CU's longest running non-conference series by a landslide.
Creighton has won 12 straight regular-season home games over Nebraska since a Dec. 6, 1995 loss in Omaha, and is 19-9 all-time at home against the Cornhuskers.
Greg McDermott is 14-4 all-time vs. Nebraska (8-2 as Creighton head coach) and 1-1 against Fred Hoiberg.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 234-117 record in his 11th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 514-312 in 27 seasons, and is 383-248 in his 20th Division I campaign.
McDermott led Creighton to its first BIG EAST regular-season title last season, taking a Bluejay team that was picked seventh in the league's preseason poll and ending the year ranked seventh nationally. For those efforts, he was recognized as the BIG EAST Coach of the Year as well as the USBWA District VI Coach of the Year, NABC District 5 Coach of the Year and Basketball Times Midlands District Coach of the Year.
McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000).
He is assisted by Alan Huss, Paul Lusk and Terrence Rencher.
With A Win...
- Creighton would improve to 4-1 on the season with its 11th straight home win.
- Creighton would take a 28-26 lead in the all-time series vs. Nebraska (20-9 in Omaha) with its 13th straight regular-season home win over the Cornhuskers.
- Creighton would take a two-game lead in the series against Nebraska for the first time, quite a turnaround from a 21-10 deficit it faced entering the 1999 encounter.
- Creighton would win its fifth straight contest in the game immediately following a loss.
- Creighton would improve to 124-47 all-time (90-35 under Greg McDermott) as a nationally-ranked team.
- Greg McDermott would improve to 15-4 all-time vs. Nebraska (9-2 as Creighton coach) and 2-1 in head-to-head meetings vs. Fred Hoiberg. The 15 wins would match his most against any school, as he already owns 15 wins vs. both DePaul and Drake).
On This Day
Creighton is 2-0 all-time on December 11th vs. Nebraska.
In a 2004 win in Lincoln, Kellen Miliner's basket with 0.7 seconds left lifted the Bluejays to a 50-48 victory.
One year later, Creighton handled the Huskers by a 70-44 count in Omaha. In that contest CU raced to a 31-11 halftime lead and were never threatened, forcing the Huskers into a program-record 31 turnovers. Johnny Mathies led CU with 29 points.
Omaha! Omaha!
Friday's meeting will mark the first time that Creighton has hosted Nebraska in consecutive seasons since December of 1986 and 1987.
It's also the first time CU will have hosted NU in consecutive meetings since a December 2003 match-up that was followed by a March 2004 NIT encounter.
Guarded Optimism
Among the floor leaders on this year's Creighton team are veteran leaders Damien Jefferson, Marcus Zegarowski and Mitch Ballock. Each man has played a starring role vs. the Huskers in recent seasons.
Last year Jefferson entered the game mired in a 1-for-15 slump to start the season from three-point range. He made a three-pointer on the opening possession, then added another three minutes later to make it 13-2. It would be his only contest all season with multiple trifectas. Creighton is 5-0 all-time when Jefferson makes multiple treys.
Zegarowski scored 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists vs. Nebraska last season, CU's only 30/9/6 game in the last 40 years. His nine rebounds remain a career-high.
Last season vs. NU Ballock scored 13 points and became Creighton's first player in 10 years with three blocked shots and three treys in the same game. As a sophomore in 2018 Ballock made his first six attempts from downtown and finished with 23 points vs. the Cornhuskers. He also scored 13 points against Nebraska as a freshman.
Home Front
Creighton has spent most of the last two decades in the lead when hosting Nebraska in the regular-season.
Creighton raced to a 31-11 lead in 2005, a 40-13 edge in 2007, a 19-9 start in 2009, a 38-8 margin in 2013, an 18-4 advantage in 2015 and a 37-7 bulge in 2019.
In the past 10 regular-season meetings in Omaha Creighton has led for a combined 336:38 compared to NU's total of 38:17.
Creighton has opened up a double-digit lead in each game, whereas Nebraska has not led by more than nine (that coming in 2003-04) in any of those contests.
Creighton vs Nebraska
Last 10 Regular-Season Meetings in Omaha
Date Time CU Led Biggest CU Lead Time NU Led
12/12/01 34:32 16 2:59
12/10/03 31:41 10 4:40
12/11/05 38:07 28 0:15
11/24/07 36:29 27 0:59
12/06/09 28:14 10 6:24
12/04/11 33:57 14 3:40
12/08/13 38:36 32 --
12/09/15 39:45 19 --
12/09/17 15:53 10 19:20
12/07/19 39:24 32 --
Good Start vs. Nebraska
As Creighton head coach, Greg McDermott owns an 8-2 record against Nebraska. He is the only Creighton men's basketball coach to win seven straight games over the Cornhuskers (2011-17), and his eight overall victories trail only Dana Altman (who was 10-7 against NU) among Bluejay head coaches all-time.
McDermott owns a 14-4 record in his career against the Cornhuskers. The only other teams he has beaten more as a head coach are DePaul (15-1) and Drake (15-7).
Big (Ten) Mac Attack
Creighton is 14-4 in its last 18 games against teams from the Big Ten. Creighton has outscored foes by an average of 6.94 points in those 18 games, which include 12 double-figure victories.
Greg McDermott is 27-16 in his career against teams that are currently in the Big Ten, including a 14-6 mark on the Creighton sideline.
Creighton is 7-1 under McDermott in home games against Big Ten programs.
Creighton's Last 18 Games vs. the Big Ten
Date Opponent Score
11/20/11 vs. Iowa (in Des Moines) W 82-59
12/04/11 Nebraska W 76-66
12/22/11 Northwestern W 87-79
11/23/12 vs. Wisconsin (in Las Vegas) W 84-74
12/06/12 at Nebraska W 64-42
12/08/13 Nebraska W 82-67
12/07/14 at Nebraska W 65-55
11/19/15 at #14 Indiana L 65-86
11/23/15 vs. Rutgers (in Las Vegas) W 85-75
12/09/15 Nebraska W 83-67
11/15/16 #9 Wisconsin W 79-67
12/07/16 at Nebraska W 77-62
11/15/17 at #20 Northwestern W 92-88
12/09/17 Nebraska W 75-65
11/15/18 Ohio State L 60-69
12/08/18 at #24 Nebraska L 75-94
11/12/19 at Michigan L 69-79
12/07/19 Nebraska W 95-76
I'll "Half" More Of That Please
Need one big reason why Creighton has won 17 of the past 21 regular-season meetings with Nebraska? Check out the quick starts the Bluejays have gotten off to on a consistent basis.
Creighton has led at halftime in 17 of the past 21 regular-season meetings (including 12 of the last 15 meetings), with eight double-digit leads at intermission in that span. Four of the five times that Creighton trailed it half, it came back to win the game anyway. Nebraska has led at halftime and beaten Creighton in the regular-season just once since Jan. 8, 1997, with that coming in December of 2018.
Also of note, Nebraska has scored more than 30 first half points in just two of the last 17 regular-season meetings at all sites.
Creighton is 196-36 all-time under Greg McDermott when leading at halftime, and is 3-0 when up at halftime this winter.
Creighton vs Nebraska, Last 21 Reg.-Season Meetings
Date City Half Score Final Score
12/09/99 Omaha CU 40-38 CU 89-72
01/02/01 Lincoln NU 24-22 CU 62-61
12/12/01 Omaha CU 30-23 CU 76-70
12/21/02 Lincoln CU 46-35 CU 81-73
12/10/03 Omaha CU 33-23 CU 61-54
12/11/04 Lincoln NU 22-18 CU 50-48
12/11/05 Omaha CU 31-11 CU 70-44
11/18/06 Lincoln CU 31-28 NU 73-61
11/24/07 Omaha CU 47-20 CU 74-62
11/29/08 Lincoln CU 31-18 NU 54-52
12/06/09 Omaha CU 32-27 CU 67-61
12/05/10 Lincoln CU 29-21 NU 59-54
12/04/11 Omaha CU 32-29 CU 76-66
12/06/12 Lincoln CU 28-17 CU 64-42
12/08/13 Omaha CU 51-25 CU 82-67
12/07/14 Lincoln NU 28-27 CU 65-55
12/09/15 Omaha CU 36-30 CU 83-67
12/07/16 Lincoln CU 31-30 CU 77-62
12/09/17 Omaha NU 33-28 CU 75-65
12/08/18 Lincoln NU 47-34 NU 94-75
12/07/19 Omaha CU 48-22 CU 95-76
One For The Record Books
Nebraska enters Friday with a 3-2 record, while Creighton will bring a 3-1 mark into Friday.
Creighton has finished with more wins than Nebraska in 21 of the last 22 seasons since the 1998-99 campaign.
Since the start of the 1998-99 season (including this winter), Creighton is 507-233, while Nebraska is 347-352 on the hardwood.
Year Nebraska Creighton
1998-99 20-13 22-9
1999-00 11-19 23-10
2000-01 14-16 24-8
2001-02 13-15 23-9
2002-03 11-19 29-5
2003-04 18-13 20-9
2004-05 14-14 23-1
2005-06 19-14 20-10
2006-07 17-14 22-11
2007-08 20-13 22-11
2008-09 18-13 27-8
2009-10 15-18 18-16
2010-11 19-13 23-16
2011-12 12-18 29-6
2012-13 15-18 28-8
2013-14 19-13 27-8
2014-15 13-18 14-18
2015-16 16-18 20-15
2016-17 12-19 25-10
2017-18 22-11 21-12
2018-19 19-17 20-15
2019-20 7-25 24-7
2020-21 3-2 so far 3-1 so far
Defense Steps Up
Creighton held Kansas to 73 points on Tuesday, well below its average of 80.6 ppg., entering the afternoon. Creighton has now allowed 64.0 points per game this season, on pace for its second-best showing since in the last 13 years, with only 2012-13 (63.2 ppg. allowed) better.
After 19 straight meetings (dating to 1999) without scoring 75 points against Creighton, Nebraska has scored more than 75 points against the Bluejays each of the past two years, and averaging 63.00 points in that span while winning just five of those 22 games.
Creighton has held Nebraska to 67 points or less in eight of its last nine home games against the Cornhuskers, allowing an average of 62.44 points.
In the last 22 meetings with Creighton, Nebraska has shot a collective 41.0 percent (507-1236) from the field (surpassing 50 percent just once since 2007) and 31.5 percent (134-426) from three-point range.
All In The Family
Though he'll be participating in it for the second time, sophomore guard Shereef Mitchell is no stranger to the Nebraska/Creighton rivalry.
The Omaha native is the son of Alvin Mitchell, who played at Nebraska in 1996-97. Alvin Mitchell started had seven points, eight rebounds and three steals in NU's win over Creighton in 1996.
McDermott/Hoiberg Connections
Greg McDermott was head coach at Iowa State from 2006-10 before leaving to take the Creighton job. His replacement in Ames was none other than Fred Hoiberg, the current Nebraska coach.
Hoiberg left Iowa State to take the head coaching job with the NBA's Chicago Bulls in the summer of 2015. With the Bulls, he would coach Greg's son Doug McDermott, who would average 9.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game under Hoiberg.
Both Hoiberg and Doug McDermott attended Ames High School and led the school to a state title.
Perfect 10
Creighton has won each of its last 10 home games. It's the program's ninth such streak in CHI Health Center Omaha history, which opened in 2003.
Most Consecutive Home Wins
CHI Health Center Omaha History
Wins Dates Snapped By
24 - Feb. 19, 2013 - Dec. 12, 2014 St. Mary's, 71-67 (OT)
16 - Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 31, 2006 Southern Illinois, 74-67
16 - Jan. 19. 2011 - Dec. 22, 2011 Missouri State, 77-65
15 - Feb. 23, 2019 - Jan. 1, 2020 #16 Villanova, 64-59
14 - Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008 Northern Iowa, 69-66
14 - Feb. 28, 2017 - Jan. 27, 2018 #5 Xavier, 72-71
11 - Feb 28, 2016 - Dec. 28, 2016 #1 Villanova, 80-70
11 - Sept. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004 Southern Illinois, 61-60
10 - Jan. 18, 2020 - Present
Double Jeopardy
Creighton has won each of its last nine home games by double-figures, a streak that started on January 26, 2020.
A win by 10+ points on Friday vs. Nebraska would tie it for the second-longest such streak in program history.
The Bluejays have beaten Nebraska by 10+ points in seven of the last eight meetings in Omaha.
Longest Streak of Consecutive 10+ Point Home Wins
Streak First Game of Streak Last Game of Streak
15 01/19/1918 01/27/1920
10 02/19/2013 12/31/2013
9 12/01/2012 02/02/2013
9 01/21/1998 12/05/1998
9 01/26/2020 Active Streak
8 11/17/2002 01/15/2003
8 02/17/1923 01/29/1924
Friday Night Lights
Creighton doesn't play many Friday home games, but judging by its success, it might not be a bad idea for the future, as CU has won 31 straight Friday home games.
Creighton has won every Friday home game it's played since Dec. 12, 1975, back when Greg McDermott was 11 years old, and more than 26 years before current Bluejay freshman Ryan Kalkbrenner was born.
The Nebraska contest is Creighton's second of two regular-season Friday home game this season. Creighton beat Kennesaw State, 93-58, last Friday.
One By One
Creighton came up one point short on Tuesday at No. 5 Kansas after missing a potential game-tying free throw with 1.1 seconds left in a 73-72 loss. Ironically, the last previous time Creighton faced Kansas (in the 1974 NCAA Tournament) the Bluejays also lost by one point (55-54).
Creighton is now 7-8 in one-point games under Greg McDermott and 80-76 in program history in one-point games.
Creighton had not played consecutive one-point games since Feb. 7, 2018 (won at DePaul, 76-75) and Feb. 10, 2018 (lost to #5 Xavier, 72-71).
Tuesday was Creighton's first game decided by a 73-72 score since Jan. 14, 2009, a win vs. Southern Illinois.
Creighton and Nebraska have faced off 53 times previously, with only a 2004 NIT contest being decided by a single point.
Top 10 Bluejays
After starting the year ranked 11th in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls, Creighton has ascended into the top 10.
Creighton's No. 8 ranking in the AP poll this week marks the 15th time the writer's have voted the Bluejays into the top-10. All but one of those times have occurred under Greg McDermott. Creighton's highest AP ranking ever has been No. 7 (Jan. 16, 2017; March 9, 2020; March 16, 2020).
Creighton is one of 10 teams that have been ranked in all nine AP polls since Feb. 3, 2020, joining Baylor, Duke, Florida State, Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa, Kansas, Tennessee and Villanova.
Creighton has been ranked in the top-10 of the USA Today Coaches poll in 13 different weeks in program history, and is seventh this week. All but one of those weeks have occurred under Greg McDermott. Creighton's best coaches poll ranking ever has been No. 7 (Jan. 16, 2017 and this week).
Target Practice
Christian Bishop has made 22-of-27 shots from the floor this season, good for a BIG EAST-best 81.5 percent.
Bishop made 6-of-7 shots vs. NDSU, 7-of-10 attempts vs. Omaha, was 4-for-4 vs. Kennesaw State and most recently went 5-for-6 at No. 5 Kansas. He's one of two players in the nation (along with Louisiana's Theo Akwuba) to shoot at least 80 percent from both the field and the charity stripe with 15 or more attempts from both areas.
In Greg McDermott's first 11 years at Creighton, 67 players have attempted 20 or more shots over the course of the first four games of any season. Bishop's 81.5 percent marksmanship trails only Gregory Echenique's 17-for-20 accuracy (85 percent) to open the 2012-13 campaign.
Bishop's 28.6 points per 40 minutes leads the Creighton team this year. That's far above his 18.2 average as a freshman and 16.0 average per 40 minutes last season.
Denzel A Leading Man
Creighton trailed 70-65 with 84 seconds left at Kansas before Denzel Mahoney embarked on a personal 5-0 run to tie the game just 21 seconds later.
Mahoney led Creighton with 19 points on Tuesday, Creighton's highest individual effort of the season, in yet another primetime performance against an elite foe.
In four games as a Bluejay against a top-10 opponent, Mahoney has averaged 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game to help CU to a 3-1 mark. Mahoney has made 53.1 percent (26-49) of his shots from the floor, 45.5 percent (10-22) from three-point range and 100 percent (12-12) at the charity stripe.
Four of his top six single-game scoring efforts at CU have come in those four games against top-10 competition.
Putting In Work
Ryan Kalkbrenner has been ultra-productive in the first four games of his young career. In 49:32 of playing time, Kalkbrenner has 33 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Nationally through games of Wednesday, Kalkbrenner was one of 115 players who had at least 33 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots in the first four games of the season. Kalkbrenner's 50 minutes played were seven fewer than any other player on that list.
On a pro-rated per 40 minutes basis, Kalkbrenner is averaging 26.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocked shots.
Kalkbrenner had blocked at least one shot in each of Creighton's first three games this season, making him the first Bluejay to do that as a true freshman since Benoit Benjamin in 1982-83. Benjamin had a swat in all 27 games of his freshman campaign and each of his first 61 college contests. He would finish his three-year career with an MVC-record 411 blocked shots.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest streaks with a blocked shot to start a season by all players since 1989-90:
Games With A Block To Start Season Since 1982-83
Streak Name Year
27 Benoit Benjamin 1982-83
23* Benoit Benjamin 1983-84
8 Doug Swenson 1998-99
6 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2008-09
6 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2009-10
5 Mike Amos 1992-93
5 Gregory Echenique 2011-12
4 Benoit Benjamin 1984-85
4 Brody Deren 2003-04
4 Anthony Tolliver 2006-07
4 Martin Krampelj 2017-18
3 Gregory Brandon 1982-83
3 Randall Crutcher 1995-96
3 Adam Reid 1996-97
3 Jeffrey Day 2004-05
3 Anthony Tolliver 2005-06
3 Toby Hegner 2014-15
3 Ty-Shon Alexander 2019-20
3 Ryan Kalkbrenner 2020-21
*Benjamin had a block in all 30 games played, but missed CU's 24th game in 1983-84
Number Eleven Goes Up To Eleven
Marcus Zegarowski had his first career double-double on Dec. 1 vs. Omaha when the junior guard who wears No. 11 finished with 11 points and 11 assists.
Zegarowski's 11 assists were a career-high and the most by a Bluejay since Maurice Watson Jr. had 14 assists at Providence on Jan. 7, 2017.
Zegarowski owns 25 assists through four games this season. Since 1997-98, the only Bluejay with more through four games was Watson with 32 in 2016-17. Austin Chatman also had 25 assists after four games in 2013-14.
Bishop Goes Big
Christian Bishop led Creighton in scoring during each of the first two games, and past history suggest he's in for a big season.
Bishop is the fifth Bluejay this century to lead CU in scoring each of the first two games. Each of the other four men would go on to earn First Team All-Conference accolades that season.
Those men include Ty-Shon Alexander (2019-20), Marcus Foster (2017-18), Doug McDermott (2013-14) and Kyle Korver (2002-03). Those four men combined to earn nine First Team All-Conference honors, and three of the four have signed NBA contracts.
Bishop has already made quite a statement in the race for the BIG EAST's Most Improved Player award. Here's his year-by-year numbers.
Year PPG RPG BPG FG% FT%
2018-19 4.1 2.1 0.5 .671 .432
2019-20 8.6 5.3 1.1 .592 .579
2020-21 14.5 6.3 1.0 .815 .813
On The Double
Creighton won its season-opener vs. North Dakota State 69-58, topped Omaha 94-67 and destroyed Kennesaw State 93-58. In each home game, the Bluejays led by 10 or more points the entire second half.
For the season (all games), Creighton has trailed for just 38:27 of 160 minutes of play (24.0%). At home, CU has trailed for just 12:22 of 120 minutes (10.3%).
McDermott's 350th Game at Creighton
Greg McDermott coached in his 350th game as Creighton head coach last Friday vs. Kennesaw State. He now owns a 234-117 record after Tuesday's setback.
Only one previous person in program history has served as head men's basketball coach for 350 games, with that being McDermott's predecessor Dana Altman.
Altman finished his CU career in 2010 with a 327-176 record, and owned a 226-124 mark after 350 games with the Bluejays.
Here's a look at Altman and McDermott per each 50 games at Creighton:
Game # at CU Altman W-L McDermott W-L
50 20-30 33-17
100 45-55 72-28
150 82-68 112-38
200 116-84 135-65
250 155-95 168-82
300 194-106 198-102
350 226-124 234-116
400 260-140 --
450 294-156 --
500 325-175 --
Playing With The Lead
In 296 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 84 of those contests, a staggering 28.4 percent of the time.
Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 148-33 and hasn't trailed in 59 of those games.
A One And A Two And A Three...
Creighton started 3-0 for the eighth time in 11 seasons under Greg McDermott.
All five of Greg McDermott's Creighton teams to reach the NCAA Tournament did so after winning its first three games of the season.
Preseason Acclaim
Junior guard Marcus Zegarowski was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year on Oct. 28th. In addition, senior guard Mitch Ballock was also voted as a Preseason Second Team All-BIG EAST performer in the annual survey of league coaches.
The Bluejays, along with Kansas, are one of six schools with a Watch List candidate for both the Bob Cousy and Jerry West Awards, joining Baylor (MaCio Teague & Jared Butler), Florida State (MJ Walker & Scottie Barnes), Gonzaga (Joel Ayayi & Jalen Suggs), Kansas (Ochai Agbaji & Marcus Garrett) and Villanova (Justin Moore & Collin Gillespie).
Zegarowski is Creighton's second player ever named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, joining Doug McDermott (2013-14). McDermott would go on to win BIG EAST Player of the Year honors, as well as 14 National Player of the Year accolades, at season's end.
In addition, both men have been recognized among the best in the nation at their position. Zegarowski is one of 20 players on the Preseason Watch List for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, and Ballock one of 20 players on the Preseason Watch List for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.
Torn ACL's End Two Seasons Early
Creighton will be without Rati Andronikashvili and Modestas Kancleris during the 2020-21 season after both men tore the anterior cruciate ligaments in their left knee three days apart during practices in early November.
Andronikashvili was injured on Nov. 1, with Kancleris three days last on Nov. 4. The two men, who are roommates, hail from the countries of Georgia and Lithuania, respectively.
On The Mend
When Creighton's 2020-21 season began on November 29th, it had been 716 days since Jacob Epperson's last appearance in a Division I game.
Epperson's last appearance came on Dec. 14, 2018 vs. Green Bay. He would earn a medical hardship for the rest of the 2018-19 season after undergoing knee surgery, then missed all of last year with a broken leg suffered in the preseason.
Epperson played seven minutes vs. North Dakota State, leading all players with two blocked shots.
He then had six points and tied a career-high with six rebounds vs. Omaha on Dec. 1, including a dunk for his first points since returning.
Epperson added four points and four rebounds vs. Kennesaw State in 10 minutes last Friday.
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 81.19 points per home game (14,777 points in 182 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.00 points in non-conference home games (7,820 points in 92 home games).
Creighton is 117-5 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.
In Search of 20
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 20 of the last 22 seasons (entering 2020-21), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
Just three schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the previous 22 years: Duke (22), Gonzaga (22) and Kansas (22).
Kentucky has done it 21 times. Creighton and Florida have done it 20 times.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 22 Years
Team 20-Win Seasons 2019-20 W-L
Gonzaga 22 31-2
Kansas 22 28-3
Duke 22 25-6
Kentucky 21 25-6
Creighton 20 24-7
Florida 20 19-12
Ballock Surpasses 1,000 Points (Again)
Mitch Ballock owns 1,028 career points after surpassing the 1,000 point mark on Nov. 29 vs. North Dakota State in CU's season-opener, which was also his 100th career game.
Ballock entered last season's BIG EAST Tournament with 996 points and scored nine points in the first half vs. St. John's on March 12th, but those points were erased when the game was abandoned at halftime.
Games To 1,000 Points, Last 18 Bluejays
Name CU Games to 1,000 pts. Date
Mitch Ballock 100 11/29/20
Ty-Shon Alexander 85 01/15/20
Khyri Thomas 94 02/10/18
Marcus Foster 54 01/17/18
Austin Chatman 138 03/11/15
Ethan Wragge 132 01/18/14
Gregory Echenique 101 03/24/13
Doug McDermott 57 01/15/12
Antoine Young 115 12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr. 108 11/21/10
P'Allen Stinnett 86 01/16/10
Dane Watts 115 01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver 124 03/16/07
Johnny Mathies 91 03/03/06
Nate Funk 92 02/28/05
Kyle Korver 81 01/30/02
Ben Walker 105 01/06/01
Ryan Sears 97 12/01/00
Rodney Buford 59 03/01/97
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. 1,876 Bob Portman 1966-69
6. 1,801 Kyle Korver 1999-03
7. 1,754 Nate Funk 2002-07
8. 1,682 Rick Apke 1974-78
9. 1,661 Paul Silas 1961-64
10. 1,654 Vernon Moore 1981-85
11. 1,575 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
12. 1,526 John C. Johnson 1975-79
13. 1,500 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
14. 1,437 Eddie Cole 1951-55
15. 1,369 Gene Harmon 1971-74
16. 1,361 Duan Cole 1987-92
17. 1,342 Antoine Young 2008-12
18. 1,313 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-11
19. 1,309 Ryan Sears 1997-01
20. 1,303 Elton Tuttle 1951-54
21. 1,292 Marcus Foster 2016-18
22. 1,272 Bob Gibson 1954-57
23. 1,267 Wally Anderzunas 1965-67, 1968-69
24. 1,254 Gary Swain 1983-87
25. 1,241 Ty-Shon Alexander 2017-20
25. 1,238 Ben Walker 1997-01
27. 1,196 Ray Yost 1951-54
28. 1,172 Dick Harvey 1956-59
29. 1,155 Ethan Wragge 2009-14
30. 1,152 Dane Watts 2004-08
31. 1,140 Khyri Thomas 2015-18
32. 1,116 Kenny Evans 1982-87
33. 1,115 Doug Brookins 1972-75
1,115 Daryl Stovall 1978-82
35. 1,093 Tim Powers 1964-67
36. 1,050 Reggie Morris 1982-86
37. 1,031 Johnny Mathies 2003-06
38. 1,028 Mitch Ballock 2017-Pres.
39. 1,024 P'Allen Stinnett 2007-10
40. 1,023 Rod Mason 1986-88
Jays Mourn Loss Of Two Greats
Two prominent members of the Creighton Basketball family passed away in the off-season, as Eddie Sutton died on May 23rd and Bob Gibson lost his battle with pancreatic cancer a few months later on October 2nd. Both men were 84.
Sutton went 82-50 as Creighton's head coach and athletic director between 1969-74. His 806-329 overall mark in 37 years of coaching ranks 11th on the all-time Division I wins list. In April he was announced as part of the Class of 2020 that will be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame -- part of a group that also contains Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant. However, COVID-19 has pushed that induction ceremony back to 2021.
Gibson starred in both baseball and basketball with the Bluejays from 1954-57, finishing his college career third with 1,272 career points (he's currently 22nd). He remains in the top-five in CU history in free throws made (418), free throw attempts (575) and scoring average (20.19 ppg.), and his No. 45 basketball jersey is retired. He would play a year with the Harlem Globetrotters before joining the St. Louis Cardinals organization full-time. Gibson is a member of the Hall of Fame's for Creighton Athletics (1968 induction), Missouri Valley Conference (2005) and St. Louis Cardinals (2014), and was honored with a spot on Major League Baseball's All-Century Team in 1999. Gibson was named the best athlete in state history by the Omaha World-Herald in both 2005 and 2015, one spot ahead of Gale Sayers. Tragically, Sayers died nine days before Gibson.
Firing On All Cylinders
Last season Creighton led the BIG EAST with 78.3 points per game, 47.1 percent shooting from the field, 38.6 percent shooting from three-point territory, +8.6 scoring margin, 1.45 assist/turnover ratio and 15.77 assists per game.
It's early, but this year's team leads the BIG EAST in assist/turnover ratio (2.00), field goal percentage (.510) and scoring margin (+18.0).
In the final KenPom.com ratings, Creighton had the nation's third-best offense.
It was the fourth different time in the last nine seasons that Creighton has had a top-10 offense per KenPom.
Creighton's current No. 42 defensive rating is the program's best mark in that category since 2006-07 (35th).
Year Off. Rating Def. Rating Team W-L
2010-11 66 174 23-16
2011-12 5 166 29-6
2012-13 5 66 28-8
2013-14 2 124 27-8
2014-15 59 138 14-19
2015-16 43 76 20-15
2016-17 32 46 25-10
2017-18 25 58 21-12
2018-19 47 83 20-15
2019-20 3 78 24-7
2020-21 7 42 3-1 so far
What Does #11 Mean?
Creighton was ranked 11th in the preseason Associated Press poll. Below is a listing of how teams ranked 11th in the preseason have done since 1999-2000.
Year School Year-End Rank* NCAA's (Wins)
2019-20: Virginia 16 Tourney Canceled
2018-19: Kansas State 15 Yes (0)
2017-18: West Virginia 14 Yes (2)
2016-17: Indiana NR No (0)
2015-16: Gonzaga 21 Yes (2)
2014-15: Wichita State 14 Yes (2)
2013-14: Ohio State 22 Yes (0)
2012-13: North Carolina NR Yes (1)
2011-12: Memphis NR Yes (0)
2010-11: Kentucky 11 Yes (4)
2009-10: Butler 11 Yes (5)
2008-09: Purdue 17 Yes (2)
2007-08: Marquette 25 Yes (1)
2006-07: Alabama NR No (0)
2005-06: Boston College 7 Yes (2)
2004-05: Duke 3 Yes (2)
2003-04: Kentucky 2 Yes (1)
2002-03: Oregon NR Yes (0)
2001-02: Virginia NR No (0)
2000-01: Florida 8 Yes (1)
1999-00: Kansas NR Yes (1)
*based on final poll before NCAA Tournament
Getting Votes A Good Sign
Creighton was ranked 11th in the Associated Press preseason poll.
It's the sixth time that Creighton has picked up votes in the preseason poll under Greg McDermott. Each of the first four times that happened, the Bluejays would finish top three in the league, reach the finals of the conference tournament, and play in the NCAA Tournament. Last year's team shared the BIG EAST title before the Conference and NCAA Tournaments were canceled.
Preseason Poll Votes Under Greg McDermott
Year Preseason Rank League Finish NCAA's?
2011-12 34th 2nd, MVC Yes
2012-13 16th 1st, MVC Yes
2013-14 27th 2nd, BIG EAST Yes
2016-17 22nd T-3rd, BIG EAST Yes
2019-20 40th T-1st; BIG EAST No Tourney
2020-21 11th TBD TBD
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked second in the preseason BIG EAST Conference poll that was selected via a vote of league coaches.
Villanova earned 9-of-11 first place votes to top the poll with 99 points, just ahead of Creighton's two first place votes and 91 overall points. Third in the poll was Providence (79), who was just ahead of UConn (69), Seton Hall (67) and Marquette (50).
Rounding out the bottom half of the poll were Xavier (47) in seventh place, Butler (37), St. John's (33), DePaul (20) and Georgetown (13).
Seton Hall edged Villanova by one point to be named league favorites for the first time since 1992-93, as both the Pirates and Wildcats garnered five first place votes.
Xavier was third, with Marquette and Providence tying for fourth place. Georgetown was tabbed sixth, just ahead of Creighton, while Butler, St. John's and DePaul round out the poll.
Creighton's Marcus Zegarowski was tabbed Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, and was joined on the Preseason All-BIG EAST team by Charlie Moore (DePaul), David Duke (Providence), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Seton Hall), Collin Gillespie (Villanova) and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (Villanova).
Creighton has met or exceeded its preseason BIG EAST prognostication every year since joining the league, as seen below:
Creighton's BIG EAST Preseason Poll History
Year Preseason Actual Preseason All-BIG EAST
2013-14 3rd 2nd Doug McDermott (1st)
2014-15 9th T-9th -
2015-16 9th 6th -
2016-17 3rd T-3rd Maurice Watson Jr. (1st); Marcus Foster (HM)
2017-18 5th T-3rd Marcus Foster (1st); Khyri Thomas (HM)
2018-19 9th T-3rd Martin Krampelj (HM)
2019-20 7th T-1st Ty-Shon Alexander (1st)
2020-21 2nd TBD Marcus Zegarowski (1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd)
Long Range Marksman
With 93 three-pointers last season, Mitch Ballock broke the previous program record for three-pointers made by a junior of 82 by Tad Ackerman in 1994-95.
Ballock (along with Ty-Shon Alexander) is one of two Bluejays in school history to make 80 or more three-pointers in consecutive seasons, and one of three Bluejays (along with Alexander and Kyle Korver) with multiple campaigns of 80 or more three-pointers.
Ballock and Korver are also the only Bluejays with multiple seasons of 90 or more three-pointers.
Most 3-Pointers Made In A Season, Creighton History
3FG-FGA 3FG% Name Year
129-269 .480 Kyle Korver* 2002-03
110-234 .471 Ethan Wragge 2013-14
100-221 .452 Kyle Korver 2000-01
96-214 .449 Doug McDermott* 2013-14
97-266 .365 Ty-Shon Alexander 2018-19
95-230 .413 Marcus Foster 2017-18
95-227 .419 Mitch Ballock 2018-19
93-214 .435 Mitch Ballock 2019-20
91-191 .476 Booker Woodfox* 2008-09
*Conference Player of the Year
Most 3-Pointers Made by a Creighton Junior
3FG-FGA 3FG% Name Year
93-214 .435 Mitch Ballock 2019-20
82-210 .390 Tad Ackerman 1994-95
81-203 .399 Ty-Shon Alexander 2019-20
79-184 .429 Kyle Korver 2001-02
78-175 .446 Ethan Wragge 2012-13
77-157 .490 Doug McDermott 2012-13
73-214 .341 Marcus Foster 2016-17
67-194 .345 Ryan Sears 1999-00
67-176 .381 Terrell Taylor 2001-02
67-143 .469 Nate Funk 2004-05
Ballock Well Over 200 Treys
Mitch Ballock owns 239 three-pointers in his Bluejay career. That puts him in fifth place in program history in that category, and six behind Ryan Sears for fourth place.
His 232 career treys entering the year were third-most in school history after a junior season, trailing only Kyle Korver (242) and Ethan Wragge (234).
Ballock ranked 19th nationally with 93 three-pointers made and 11th in three-point percentage (.435) last season.
Most Career 3FG, Creighton History
Rank 3FG Name Years
1. 371 Kyle Korver 1999-03
2. 334 Ethan Wragge 2009-14
3. 274 Doug McDermott 2010-14
4. 245 Ryan Sears 1997-01
5. 239 Mitch Ballock 2017-Pres.
6. 212 Rodney Buford 1995-99
7. 210 Ty-Shon Alexander 2017-20
8. 206 Jahenns Manigat 2010-14
9. 200 Nate Funk 2002-07
10. 185 Matt Roggenburk 1986-90
Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 through Dec. 9, 2020
Category CU Stat CU Rank
3FG Percentage .385 2nd
3FG Made 3,131 2nd
Assists 5,703 3rd
FG Percentage .481 3rd
FG Made 9,561 9th
Wins 234 30th
Winning Percentage .667 34th
Guess Who's Back? Back Again
Creighton brings back nearly 70-80 percent of last year's statistical contributions in virtually every category:
Category Last Year Returning Pct. Back
Dunks 60 52 86.7%
Assists 489 400 81.8%
Starts 155 124 80.0%
Points Per Game 78.3 62 79.2%
Minutes 6,225 4,687 75.3%
Field Goals Made 866 646 74.6%
Points 2,428 1,768 72.8%
Rebounds 1,004 729 72.6%
Blocked Shots 79 57 72.2%
Steals 203 143 70.4%
3-Point Field Goals Made 302 212 70.2%
Free Throws Made 394 264 67.0%
Charges Taken 39 19 48.7%
#ProJays
Creighton had five NBA players in 2019-20, as Kyle Korver (Milwaukee Bucks), Anthony Tolliver (Memphis Grizzlies), Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers, Justin Patton (Detroit Pistons) and Khyri Thomas (Detroit Pistons) were all in the league. A sixth potential player, Ty-Shon Alexander, played for Creighton last season and recently signed a two-way deal with the Phoenix Suns.
Including 2019-20, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 36 of the last 37 years.
Korver ranks fourth in NBA history with 2,450 three-pointers and is 10th in league history with 42.87 percent marksmanship from three-point range. He set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range in 2009-10, and is the only player in league history to lead the NBA in three-point percentage four times. Korver averaged 6.7 points per game last season for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Tolliver played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies last year, averaging 3.6 points in his 12th NBA season. He owns 4,434 career points, including 861 three-pointers, in the NBA.
McDermott completed his sixth season in the NBA, and second with the Indiana Pacers, in 2019-20. He averaged a career-high 10.3 points per game last season and is the only player in the NBA to rank in the top-20 in three-point percentage each of the past three seasons.
Patton is on his fifth organization since being the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He appeared in five games last season with Oklahoma City, and is now with the Los Angeles Clippers organization.
Thomas was the 38th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers before being traded minutes later to the Detroit Pistons. Thomas was a two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and has played in 34 career NBA games, contributing 78 points and 21 rebounds.
Go Big Or Go Home
Creighton owned four regular-season non-conference wins last winter from teams that are in the Big Ten, BIG EAST, Atlantic Coast, Southeastern, Big 12 or Pac-12 Conferences.
It was the third time since CU dropped its independent status in 1977 that the Bluejays have picked up four such wins in the same winter. The 2016-17 club had six such wins, while the 2012-13 squad also had four.
After going 22-12 in such games under Dana Altman from 1994-2010, Creighton is 28-13 under Greg McDermott.
Here's a list of Creighton's yearly regular-season non-conference records in the past 25 seasons against teams from those top leagues:
Year W-L "Major" Conference Victories
1994-95 0-2 -
1995-96 0-1 -
1996-97 1-3 Florida
1997-98 1-1 Nebraska
1998-99 3-1 Iowa, Baylor, Oklahoma State
1999-00 3-0 Iowa, Baylor, Nebraska
2000-01 2-0 Providence, Nebraska
2001-02 1-0 Nebraska
2002-03 2-0 Notre Dame, Nebraska
2003-04 1-0 Nebraska
2004-05 3-0 Missouri, Ohio State, Nebraska
2005-06 1-1 Nebraska
2006-07 0-1 -
2007-08 2-0 DePaul, Nebraska
2008-09 1-1 DePaul
2009-10 1-1 Nebraska
2010-11 0-3 -
2011-12 3-0 Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern
2012-13 4-0 Wisconsin, Arizona State, Nebraska, Cal
2013-14 3-0 Arizona State, Nebraska, Cal
2014-15 2-1 Oklahoma, Nebraska
2015-16 2-3 Rutgers, Nebraska
2016-17 6-0 Wisconsin, Washington St., NC St., Ole Miss, Nebraska, Arizona St.
2017-18 3-1 Northwestern, UCLA, Nebraska
2018-19 1-3 Clemson
2019-20 4-1 Texas Tech, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arizona St.
2020-21 0-1 -
Full House
Creighton averaged 17,314 fans per home game last season, good for fifth place nationally.
It marked the 15th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the ninth straight season in the top-10.
Creighton has led its conference in average home attendance every year since moving into CHI Health Center Omaha, which is in its 18th season.
2019-20 Average Home Attendance Leaders
Rk. School Average
1. Syracuse 21,704
2. Kentucky 20,160
3. North Carolina 20,103
4. Tennessee 18,990
5. Creighton 17,314
6. Wisconsin 16,912
7. Louisville 16,658
8. Kansas 16,388
9. Memphis 16,312
10. Indiana 16,300
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 234 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
McDermott's .667 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more 80 years ago.
Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk. W-L Name Years
1. 327-176 Dana Altman 1994-2010
2. 234-117 Greg McDermott 2010-Pres.
3. 165-66 Arthur A. Schabinger 1922-1935
4. 138-118 John J. "Red" McManus 1959-1969
5. 130-64 Tom Apke 1974-1981
Triple Trouble
During Creighton's current streak of 886 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 6,963 trifectas, an average of 7.87 treys per game.
That's not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 135 times, more than any figure.
Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 246 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
Creighton has also made at least one three-pointer before halftime in 256 consecutive contests (since 0-7 at Drake on 1/23/13).
Since the start of the 2020-21 season, the Bluejays are 25-1 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 2-6 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton's 3-Point Streak
1: 4 times 2: 15 times 3: 31 times
4: 70 times 5: 95 times 6: 90 times
7: 135 times 8: 114 times 9: 85 times
10: 72 times 11: 51 times 12: 47 times
13: 41 times 14: 16 times 15: 7 times
16: 6 times 17: 2 times 19: 1 time
20: 1 time 21: 1 time 22: 1 time
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 886 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 15th-longest active streak.
Creighton's last win without making a three-point basket came on March 3, 1991 when the Jays went 0-for-2 from three-point range in a 71-66 win over Southern Illinois in the championship game of the MVC Tournament.
Below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (12/9)
Rk. Streak School Next
1. 1,107 UNLV 12/14
2. 1,094 Duke 12/12
3. 1,048 Arkansas 12/12
4. 1,040 Western Kentucky 12/13
5. 1,030 East Tennessee State 12/12
6. 1,016 Pacific 12/12
7. 1,007 Oakland 12/13
8. 1,002 Texas 12/13
9. 958 Princeton Season Canceled
10. 950 Marshall 12/13
11. 936 Baylor 12/13
12. 921 Gonzaga 12/19
13. 908 Long Island 12/16
14. 893 Mount St. Mary's 12/11
15. 886 Creighton 12/11
16. 885 Cornell Season Canceled
17. 877 Tennessee State 12/12
18. 874 East Carolina 12/10
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 20 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, none larger than the 18-point deficit the Bluejays overcame against then-No.18 Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014. Ten of those 20 comebacks have come away from home.
Creighton owns 11 victories since 2000 in which it has won after overcoming a deficit of 15 points or more, as seen below:
Overcoming Double-Digit Deficits, CU Since 2000
Deficit Opponent Date
19 Wichita State 01/28/06
18 #17 Western Kentucky 11/27/01
18 #18 Oklahoma 11/19/14
17 Missouri State 02/12/03
17 DePaul 11/09/07
17 Rhode Island 03/18/08
17 at San Diego State 11/30/11
16 TCU 01/26/03
16 at Drake 02/04/06
16 New Mexico 11/16/08
16 at Evansville 02/16/13
15 Wichita State 02/02/08
CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 297 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 18-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 246-51 (.828) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (20-0).
Creighton's Nov. 25, 2017 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 23,271-19,466 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.81 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 84 different times.
Creighton is also 28-30 all-time in the 58 games at the arena in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-11 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 35-25 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
Creighton is 149-33 (.819) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including an 86-6 record vs. non-conference teams.
Factor in a 17-0 home mark at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 and two wins at the Civic in the 2010 CIT, and the Bluejays are 265-51 (.839) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
BIG EAST Playing Big
Though the BIG EAST may not be considered of the traditional "Football 5" Conferences due to its lack of big time football, the performance of the league has been big time for a long time.
The league has owned a top-five RPI in the NCAA RPI rankings (per WarrenNolan.com) in every season since 2000-01, as seen below:
BIG EAST in Conference RPI Rankings
2000-01: 3rd
2001-02: 3rd
2002-03: 5th
2003-04: 4th
2004-05: 2nd
2005-06: 3rd
2006-07: 5th
2007-08: 5th
2008-09: 4th
2009-10: 3rd
2010-11: 1st
2011-12: 2nd
2012-13: 2nd
2013-14: 4th
2014-15: 3rd
2015-16: 4th
2016-17: 3rd
2017-18: 2nd
2018-19 5th
2019-20: 1st
"8" - Google News
December 11, 2020 at 12:19AM
https://ift.tt/344bTg6
#8 Men's Basketball To Host Nebraska on Friday - GoCreighton.com
"8" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2z1PBPz
https://ift.tt/3c1rzCJ
No comments:
Post a Comment