Men's Basketball Hosts IUPUI on Saturday

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2015-16 Creighton Men's Basketball
Game #10 • IUPUI at Creighton • Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015 • 4:01 p.m.
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1
Series History: Creighton leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Creighton 99, IUPUI 52 on Nov. 25, 2002 in Kansas City, Mo.

Next Game
The Creighton men's basketball team (6-3) looks to build on its 83-67 win over Nebraska when it hosts IUPUI (3-8) on Saturday afternoon.
   Tip-off at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 4:01 pm.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 The Zone) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2015-16 season. John Bishop and former Bluejay Brody Deren will call the action.
   Prior to the game, Corey Lathrop and Matt Dorwart will host "Bluejay Shootaround", beginning at 2 pm.
   Following the game, Tim Krueger and Ravi Lulla will host "Overtime" for approximately one hour, while also taking calls from listeners.
   The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Saturday's game will air live nationally on FS1, which can be found in Omaha on Cox Cable channel 78 or 1078 (in HD). Aaron Goldsmith and Nick Bahe will announce.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Saturday's game will be available via FOXSportsGO.com for desktop users, and via the FOX Sports GO app for mobile devices (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Window devices). A cable authorization may be required.
   The FOX Sports GO mobile app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store or the Windows Store, and the games are now available internationally.
   Unlike most home games, GoCreighton.com will NOT have a free webcast of the postgame press conference.

Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.
   Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 6-3 on the season after Wednesday's 83-67 win over in-state foe Nebraska in which the Bluejays never trailed.
   The Bluejays are scoring an impressive 85.0 points per game, and have five men scoring in double-figures.
   Boston University transfer Maurice Watson Jr. leads Creighton with 12.1 points and 5.8 assists per contest, while Isaiah Zierden, Cole Huff and Geoffrey Groselle all average 11.4 points per game. Also in double-figures is promising freshman Khyri Thomas (10.6 ppg.), who had seven points, seven assists and nine rebounds on Wednesday vs. Nebraska.
   The Bluejays return nine lettermen and one starter (Toby Hegner) from last year's team that finished 14-19 and tied for ninth in the BIG EAST with a 4-14 league mark.
   The Bluejays got a head start on the season this summer with 10 practices in Omaha in July and three games in Italy in August.

Scouting IUPUI
IUPUI owns a 3-8 overall record, including a 1-7 away mark, after blowing a nine-point halftime lead at Missouri State on Thursday. The Jaguars opened the season with a win at Indiana State and an overtime loss at Marquette, and have since picked up victories over Kentucky State and Miami (Ohio).
   Darell Combs leads IUPUI with 15.6 points per game, including a team-high 20 three-pointers and 46 free throws.
   Jordan Pickett claims 10.5 points per contest while Nick Osborne (8.4 ppg., 6.6 rpg.) is tops on the squad on the glass.
   The Jaguars average 68.3 points per game and have shot 40.6 percent from the field, 34.2 percent from 3-point range and 69.2 percent at the line while being outrebounded by 1.3 per game.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his sixth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 127-60 with the Bluejays. McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000). He owns a career mark of 407-255 in his 22nd season and is 276-191 in his 15th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
   Jason Gardner (Arizona, 2003) is 13-29 in two seasons at IUPUI, which doubles as his career mark. Gardner was a standout guard at Arizona, where he was a Second Team All-American in 2003 and had his number retired in 2005. He is assisted by Matt Crenshaw, Jon-Michael Nickerson and Scott Gillespie.

The Series With IUPUI
Creighton won the only previous meeting with IUPUI, 99-52, on Nov. 25, 2002 in Kansas City, Mo.
   The Bluejays had eight different men make a three-pointer in the first half, and sank 15-of-25 shots from downtown overall.
   Brody Deren had nine points and 11 rebounds, while, Kyle Korver scored a game-best 20 points in 21 minutes for CU. Creighton would win the Guardians Classic the following night with an 80-75 win over Notre Dame.

Creighton Connection With Jason Gardner
Jason Gardner and former Creighton great Kyle Korver were both voted Second Team All-Americans by the Associated Press in 2003.
   Additionally, both Gardner and Korver participated in ESPN's annual 3-Point Contest at the Final Four in New Orleans on April 1, 2003.
   Gardner and Korver were joined by Hollis Price, Tom Coverdale, Willie Deane, Matt Bonner, Kent Williams and Darnell Archey in the event. Archey, a Butler alum, won the men's title before falling to Xavier's Amy Waugh in the "Battle of the Sexes" shootout.
   Korver finished as a runner-up to Archey in the men's competition, while Gardner did not advance out of the first round.

Miles Apart
Wednesday's 83-67 win over Nebraska saw Greg McDermott improve to 12-0 all-time against Tim Miles in head-to-head meetings. That includes six straight double-digit wins, and nine double-figure victories overall.
Greg McDermott vs. Tim Miles, Head-to-Head
Year   McDermott's Team   Miles' Team
1997-98   Wayne State 79   SW Minnesota St. 65
1997-98   Wayne State 72   SW Minnesota St. 69
1998-99   Wayne State 84   SW Minnesota St. 67
1998-99   Wayne State 65   SW Minnesota St. 62
1999-00   Wayne State 77   SW Minnesota St. 53
1999-00   Wayne State 67   SW Minnesota St. 65
1999-00   Wayne State 84   SW Minnesota St. 72
2006-07   Iowa State 67   North Dakota St. 54
2012-13   Creighton 64   Nebraska 42
2013-14   Creighton 82   Nebraska 67
2014-15   Creighton 65   Nebraska 55
2015-16   Creighton 83   Nebraska 67

Khyri Lets It Fly
Khyri Thomas had the best scoring game of his young career on Dec. 5 when he poured in 22 points at Loyola (Chicago). Thomas sank 9-of-10 shots from the field, and was 4-for-4 from three-point range.
   Thomas' 22 points were the most by a Bluejay freshman in a game since Doug McDermott had 31 vs. Davidson on March 21, 2011, and the most points by a Creighton freshman in a true road game since Rodney Buford also scored 22 points at Wichita State on Feb. 3, 1996.
   Thomas' 90 percent marksmanship from the field was the second-best single-game showing by a Bluejay (minimum 8 FG) since 1994, trailing only an 11-for-11 outing from Anthony Tolliver vs. Illinois State on Jan. 1, 2007.
   Thomas' 4-for-4 showing from three-point range was the most makes without a miss from downtown since Devin Brooks also went 4-for-4 from deep on Nov. 28, 2013 vs. Arizona State.
   Creighton hasn't had a player go 5-for-5 (or better) from three-point range since Michael Lindeman was 5-for-5 vs. Bradley on Feb. 8, 2003.
   Thomas had made seven of his last eight three-point attempts and 10-of-15 overall to lead the BIG EAST in three-point percentage (66.7 percent).

Good Start vs. Nebraska
In 2013 Greg McDermott became the only coach in Creighton history to win three of his first four games against Nebraska, and with wins the past two years he has improved that mark to 5-1 on the Bluejay sideline vs. NU.
   McDermott and Dana Altman are the only Creighton men's basketball coaches to win five straight games over the Cornhuskers, as Altman led a five-game win streak from 1999-2003.

McDermott Moves Into Top Five
CU's Dec. 9 win over Nebraska was the 127th on the Creighton sideline for head coach Greg McDermott.
   The triumph helped McDermott pass Eddie Hickey for fifth in Creighton history with 127 victories with the Jays.
   Up next is Tom Apke, who had 130 wins from 1974-81 to stand in fourth place.
   McDermott's .679 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more 80 years ago.

Triple Threat
Khyri Thomas entered Wednesday's game vs. Nebraska with five total assists in Creighton's first eight games, but the freshman guard would match that total in the first 14 minutes, and tallied seven helpers overall.
   Thomas finished with seven points, seven assists and nine rebounds against the Cornhuskers. He is just the third Bluejay in Greg McDermott's six-year tenure to post at least seven points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the same game, joining Austin Chatman and Grant Gibbs. Both Chatman and Gibbs did it twice each.
   Creighton has never had a traditional point/rebound/assist triple-double.
7+ Point, 7+ Rebound, 7+ Assist Games, Since 2010-11
   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.   Name   Date
   12   10   7   Grant Gibbs   1/13/12
   12   7   9   Austin Chatman   11/11/13
   9   7   10   Grant Gibbs   12/19/11
   9   7   7   Austin Chatman   1/25/14
   7   9   7   Khyri Thomas   12/9/15

Playing With The Lead
In 208 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 55 of those contests, a staggering 26.4 percent of the time, including three times (UTSA, Western Illinois and Nebraska) this year.
   Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 77-16 and hasn't trailed in 30 of those games.

Groselle's Game Keeps Growing
Geoffrey Groselle had a night to remember on Nov. 25 against Massachusetts, finishing with then-career-highs in points (20) and rebounds (9) while tying his high in blocked shots (2).
   Groselle's big game came exactly one year to the day of his previous breakout game last year vs. Eastern Illinois, when he had 15 points in 12 minutes off the bench.
   That day, November 25th, also happens to be the birthday of his head coach, Greg McDermott.
   Groselle followed that with another strong game vs. Western Illinois, finishing with 17 points, tying his best with nine rebounds, and setting a career-high with three blocked shots.
   Groselle tied his career-high with nine rebounds for the third straight game on Dec. 2 vs. Arizona State, adding a team-best 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
   Groselle did it yet again last Saturday at Loyola (Chicago), finishing with 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting.
   Most recently, Groselle had 15 points, four rebounds, two blocks and two steals in a win over Nebraska on Dec. 9. Eleven of his points came in the second half as Creighton pulled away for the 16-point win.
   Over the course of his last five games, Groselle has averaged 16.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, sinking 71.1 percent of his field goals (32-45) and 66.7 percent at the line (18-27). Prior to this stretch, he had owned career highs of 15 points and eight rebounds in his first four years on campus.
   Groselle had 200 points, 102 rebounds and 22 blocks shots during 63 games over his first four years on campus. This year alone, Groselle owns 103 points, 70 rebounds and 15 blocks in nine games.

Full House
Wednesday's crowd of 17,766 was the program's 18th largest home crowd ever. 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.   18,797   #6 Villanova   02/16/14
   4.   18,742   Seton Hall   02/23/14
   5.   18,735   Wichita State   02/11/12
   6.   18,613   Wichita State   03/02/13
   7.   18,525   Marquette   12/31/13
   8.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   9.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   10.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   11.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   12.   18,160   Central Arkansas   11/14/14
   13.   18,111   Bradley   02/02/13
   14.   18,078   Tulsa   11/23/13
   15.   18,073   Drake   01/08/13
   16.   17,971   #19 Butler   02/16/15
   17.   17,954   Wichita State   12/28/08
   18.   17,766   Nebraska   12/09/15
   19.   17,740   Alcorn State   11/08/13
   20.   17,694   Indiana State   01/05/13

15 x 5
Geoffrey Groselle had a single-game high of 15 points during his first four years on campus but has exploded this season with five straight games of 15 or more points.
   Groselle is the first Bluejay with five straight games of 15+ points since Austin Chatman from Dec. 3-19, 2014.
   With another big game on Saturday, Groselle can become the first Bluejay with six straight games of 10+ points since Doug McDermott closed his National Player of the Year campaign in 2013-14 with 15 straight such contests.

Balance Is Key
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after nine games in recent seasons.
   Of note, Creighton has started 5-4 or better after nine games in 20 of the past 21 seasons.
   This year's team, with five double-figure scorers, is the first time since 1994-95 that Creighton has had more than three players scoring in double-figures after nine games. The 1994-95 club had four at this point.
   Creighton's 85.0 points per game clip is the team's second-highest mark after nine games in the last 20 years, trailing only the 2011-12 team.
   Creighton's 49.7 percent field goal percentage through nine games is the fourth-best mark in the last 20 years, trailing only the three winningest teams in program history.
   Creighton's 81 three-pointers through nine games are fifth-most in the last 20 years, as well.
Year   W-L   PPG   FG%   3FG   10+ PPG guys
2015-16   6-3   85.0   .497   81   5
2014-15   7-2   71.9   .438   74   2
2013-14   7-2   83.2   .491   103   2
2012-13   8-1   80.6   .524   80   3
2011-12   8-1   86.3   .508   87   1
2010-11   5-4   69.3   .421   66   3
2009-10   4-5   72.4   .451   74   2
2008-09   7-2   76.1   .447   82   3
2007-08   8-1   80.9   .483   78   2
2006-07   6-3   66.7   .417   55   2
2005-06   7-2   71.4   .400   62   3
2004-05   8-1   69.8   .451   73   2
2003-04   9-0   72.8   .470   56   1
2002-03   9-0   84.0   .522   91   2
2001-02   5-4   74.3   .434   58   3
2000-01   7-2   74.6   .434   74   3
1999-00   9-0   77.1   .472   78   3
1998-99   7-2   78.4   .454   71   2
1997-98   6-3   76.7   .471   65   2
1996-97   5-4   68.0   .422   52   3
1995-96   5-4   67.2   .397   49   3
1994-95   4-5   65.2   .407   61   4

Fine After Nine
A pair of newcomers are leading Creighton in scoring through nine games, as Cole Huff has 103 points and Maurice Watson Jr. has 109.
   Since 1995-96, those figures trail only Doug McDermott's 116 points through nine contests among newcomers.
   McDermott had 116 points after his ninth career game, and would finish his career with 3,150 in 145 career games to rank fifth in NCAA history.
   Khyri Thomas owns 95 points after nine games. CU's only other freshmen to score 95 points or more since 1995-96 would all go on to be named MVC Freshman of the Year (McDermott, Sears).
Most Points, Newcomers First 9 Games Since 1995-96
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year   After 10
   116   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11   128
   109   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16   TBD
   103   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16   TBD
   102   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11   111
   97   Edward St. Fleur, Jr.   1995-96   101
   95   Khyri Thomas, Fr.   2015-16   TBD
   93   Ryan Sears, Fr.   1997-98   99
   93   Terrell Taylor, Fr.   1999-00   98
   92   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08   103
   91   Rodney Buford, Fr.   1995-96   104
   90   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02   101
   88   Doug Swenson, Jr.   1997-98   96

Pace Makers
Creighton ranks 25th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 85.0 points per game to date.
   This year's team has scored 83 points or more in all six victories, significantly better than last year's team that reached 85 just twice all winter.
   Since 2000-01, Creighton owns 54 games of 85+ points in the eight seasons it has made the NCAA Tournament, compared to 19 such outbursts in the seven years it has missed the Big Dance.
Year   85+ Point Games   Postseason?
2015-16   5   TBD
2014-15   2   None
2013-14   12   NCAA
2012-13   7   NCAA
2011-12   13   NCAA
2010-11   3   CBI
2009-10   2   CIT
2008-09   3   NIT
2007-08   6   NIT
2006-07   0   NCAA
2005-06   2   NIT
2004-05   1   NCAA
2003-04   1   NIT
2002-03   11   NCAA
2001-02   6   NCAA
2000-01   4   NCAA

Ball Control Offense
Despite Creighton's rapid pace of play, the Bluejays have done a relatively good job taking care of the ball.
   In its Nov. 28 outing vs. Western Illinois, Creighton had 97 points and just four turnovers. Per Basketball-Reference.com data, Creighton is the only school in the nation to do that this season.
   Creighton scored on 42-of-66 possessions on Saturday vs. Western Illinois, averaging 1.470 points per possession. The stat is even more remarkable when you consider that the Leathernecks entered the game ninth nationally in scoring defense.

Huff Earns MVP Honor
Nevada transfer Cole Huff returned to the Silver State and picked up MVP honors of the 2015 Men Who Speak Up Main Event after averaging 19.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in the two wins.
   Huff made 13-of-25 field goal attempts, including 7-of-15 three-pointers. He scored 26 points in the victory over Rutgers before a 12-point effort over UMass in the title game.

What's Your Twenty?
Creighton has had five different players score 20 points or more this season, as Isaiah Zierden, Cole Huff, Maurice Watson Jr., Khyri Thomas and Geoffrey Groselle have all reached that mark.
   By comparison, last year Creighton had five players all year reach 20+ points (Austin Chatman, James Milliken, Toby Hegner, Will Artino and Zierden), and in the two previous years had only three players surpass 20 points in any game.

Thomas Makes History
Khyri Thomas opened his Creighton career with 18 points in a win over Texas Southern, which earned him BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors on Nov. 16th.
   Thomas is the first Bluejay in program history to be named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week.
   Creighton's last player to be named league Freshman/Newcomer of the Week following the first week of the season was Doug McDermott on Nov. 15, 2010, when CU was in the Missouri Valley Conference. McDermott would go on to be named First-Team All-MVC and, MVC Newcomer of the Year and MVC Freshman of the Year.

Double-Digits x 5
Maurice Watson Jr. scored in double-figures during each of Creighton's first five games this season before scoring seven on Nov. 28 vs. Western Illinois.
   Watson joined Doug McDermott as the only Bluejays to open his career in double-figures during CU's first five games in the last 20 years. McDermott opened his 2010-11 campaign with eight straight games in double-figures.
   The last Bluejay transfer to start his career with 10 or more points in each of CU's first five games was Wabash Valley JC transfer Tad Ackerman. Ackerman did it in six straight contests to open the 1994-95 season.

Among The Best
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, which coincides with Greg McDermott's arrival, Creighton has been the nation's third-most accurate team from three-point range.
   The Bluejays are 1573-4010 from deep in that time, shooting 39.2 percent from deep in that span.
Best 3FG%, Since 2010-11
Rk.   Pct.   Team   3FG   3FGA
1.   .393   Weber State   1318   3351
   .393   Northern Colorado   1114   2837
3.   .392   Creighton   1573   4010
   .392   UC Davis   1303   3328
   .392   Indiana   1270   3242

Shooting Stars
Creighton has proven to be one of the nation's best shooting teams since the 2010-11 season, which coincides with when Greg McDermott arrived at Creighton.
   Check out the lists below that show various categories showcasing their dominance, through Dec. 9:
Most Games, 50% FG & 40% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   64   Creighton
2.   54   Kansas
3.   53   Denver
   53   Gonzaga
   53   Belmont

Most Games, 50% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   42   Creighton
2.   38   Northern Colorado
3.   37   UCLA
   37   Northeastern
   37   Michigan State

Most Games, 40% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   97   Creighton
2.   93   Duke
3.   88   Weber State
   88   Indiana
5.   82   Denver
   82   UC Davis
   82   South Dakota State

Most Games, 50% FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   88   Gonzaga
2.   84   Kansas
3.   80   Creighton
   80   Belmont
5.   76   Indiana

Most Games, 60% FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   16   Ohio State
2.   15   Creighton
3.   14   Kansas
4.   13   Gonzaga
   13   North Dakota State
   13   Valparaiso

Most Games, 25+ Assists
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   17   Michigan State
2.   15   North Carolina
   15   Iona
4.   13   Creighton
   13   Sam Houston State

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton has averaged 85.0 points per game in its first nine regular-season contests to date.
   Greg McDermott is 32-0 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 26-0 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   Creighton has won 70 straight games when scoring 90 or more points at all sites since a Jan. 11, 1988 loss to Southern Illinois.
   Creighton is 50-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 22 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas State.

A 60 Point Half!
Creighton scored 61 points in the first half on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA, tying a CenturyLink Center Omaha record first done in the second half vs. Houston Baptist on Dec. 12, 2007.
   It was also the most points in any first half since scoring 61 vs. Drake on Feb. 3, 1990.
   Creighton had not scored 60 points in any half since doing so in the first half on Nov. 25, 2011 vs. Campbell, and the 61 were tied for its second-most point in any half since 1996-97, trailing only a 63-point outburst in the second half of the 2002-03 opener vs. Texas-Arlington.
   Creighton scored 60 points in a half for the second time this year when it did so in the second half of a 97-76 win over Massachusetts on Nov. 25th.

Malik's Magic
Junior guard Malik Albert got extended run on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA with Maurice Watson Jr. saddled to the bench with two personal fouls. The Detroit native responded in a big way, finishing with 10 assists in 20 minutes of work. The 10 assists led to 28 points from his Bluejay teammates.
   In the process, Albert became the nation's third reserve with 10 or more assists in 20 minutes or less in a win against a Division I team since 2010-11. He joins Kansas's Naadir Tharpe (12 assists in 20 minutes vs. American on Dec. 29, 2012) and Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Smith (10 assists in 20 minutes on Nov. 20, 2013 vs. Central Arkansas).
   Per STATS Inc., Albert became the second BIG EAST reserve since 2004-05 with 10+ assists in 20 minutes or less against a Division I team, joining Marquette's Maurice Acker (12/28/08 vs. Presbyterian).
   Albert is Creighton's only player in the last 30 years to have a game of 10 or more assists as a reserve.

The Fast And The Furious
Creighton had a whopping 30 fast break points in its Nov. 14 win over Texas Southern, added 24 more on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA.
   Creighton's 30 fast break points are believed to be its most since moving to CenturyLink Center Omaha in 2003, with the next highest mark on file (before Texas Southern on Nov. 14) was listed as 24 vs. Kennesaw State on Nov. 26, 2010.
   In all, Creighton has 111 fast break points already this winter. By comparison, last year Creighton had a total of 143 fast break points (4.3 per game), and never had more than 11 in any contest.

The Link Turns Into The Dunk Tank
Creighton put down seven dunks in its Nov. 14 opener vs. Texas Southern, as Khyri Thomas (3), Martin Krampelj (2), Geoffrey Groselle (1) and Malik Albert (1) all got into the act above the rim.
   Creighton has put down 20 dunks in nine regular-season games as a unit this year.
   By comparison, Creighton had 29 dunks in 33 regular-season games all of last season.

Big Margin Can Lead To Big Things
Creighton's 104-77 win last year vs. Central Arkansas was the second straight season the team has cracked triple-digits in a season-opener.
   The 2015-16 season has seen Creighton reach 90 points in each of its first two games this season, just the fourth time that's happened. Each of the previous three times (1973-74, 2011-12, 2013-14), the Bluejays would reach the NCAA Tournament and then win at last one game in the Big Dance.
   Nine of Creighton's 19 all-time NCAA Tournament teams have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.
   Here's a look at Creighton's last eight teams to score 90 or more in a season-opener, which shows that six of the previous seven to do so reached the NCAA Tournament.
               Final   Post-
   Score   Opponent   Date   W-L   Season
   93-70   Texas Southern   11/14/15   ? ? ?   ? ? ?
   104-77   Central Arkansas   11/14/14   14-19   --
   107-61   Alcorn State   11/08/13   27-8   NCAA
   97-65   N. Carolina A&T   11/11/11   29-6   NCAA
   106-50   Texas-Arlington   11/17/02   29-5   NCAA
   96-50   Western Illinois   11/20/00   24-8   NCAA
   93-48   Towson State   11/14/98   22-9   NCAA
   93-47   UT-San Antonio   11/30/90   24-8   NCAA

More Debut News
Some more facts of interest about players making their Bluejay debut.
   Creighton started three players on Nov. 14 were making their Bluejay debut, as transfers Cole Huff and Maurice Watson Jr. joined true freshman Khyri Thomas in the first five.
   Thomas' start was especially historic, as he became just the third true freshman to start since 1992-93, joining Bluejay legends Doug McDermott (2010-11) and Ryan Sears (1997-98). Both McDermott (145 games) and Sears (124) started every contest of their four-year Creighton careers.

Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish ninth in its third season as BIG EAST Conference members according to a preseason poll of league coaches. Villanova was picked first with 81 points and nine first-place votes, while Georgetown (70, 1), Butler (67), Xavier (55) and Providence (45) round out the top half. The predicted lower half was Marquette (44), Seton Hall (27), DePaul (25), Creighton (23) and St. John's (13).
   Creighton did not have any honorees on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Teams, which was led by Preseason Player of the Year Kris Dunn from Providence.

Zierden Returns From Second Knee Injury
Isaiah Zierden had 15 points on Nov. 14 after missing the second half of last season after suffering a season-ending injury to his right knee for the second straight campaign.
   Zierden was carried off the floor with 4:05 left in the first half on Jan. 21, 2015 at Butler and did not return.
   An MRI two days later determined that Zierden partially tore the MCL in his knee, while also suffering an injury to his patella.
   Unlike his first injury, Zierden elected to have surgery this time around, as he underwent a medical procedure in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 13, 2015.
   The uncommon injury is very similar to one he suffered the previous March at Xavier, which caused him to miss CU's last seven games.
   Zierden's 15 points and four assists vs. Texas Southern were both second-most on the team.
   He did even better on Nov. 17 vs. UTSA, scoring a career-high 24 points in 23 minutes.

NBA Representation
This year marks the second time since 1970 (joining last season) that Creighton has three NBA players at the same time, as Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks), Anthony Tolliver (Detroit Pistons) and Doug McDermott (Chicago Bulls) are all in the league.
   Including 2015-16, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 32 of the last 33 years.
   Korver ranks 10th in NBA history with 1,769 three-pointers and is also sixth in league history with 43.2 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Dec. 9). He owns NBA records with 127 straight games with a three-pointer, and also set a single-season NBA mark that still stands with his 53.6 percent shooting from three-point range. Last season he was named an All-Star and led the league in three-point percentage for the third time.
   Tolliver is averaging 4.5 points per game this season for the Pistons, his 10th NBA organization.
   McDermott is in his second season with the Chicago Bulls, where he's averaging 9.4 points per game and is second in the NBA by shooting 47.6 percent from three-point range for fellow Ames High alum Fred Hoiberg. Hoiberg, ironically, is the same man who replaced Greg McDermott as Iowa State's head coach in 2010.

Productive Offense?
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the first five years since Greg McDermott took over in 2010-11:
2010-11 to 2014-15
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
3FG Percentage   .3930   2nd
Assists   2,856   3rd
FG Percentage   .4768   4th
3FG Made   1,492   4th
Assists/Game   16.045   5th
Assist/Turnover Ratio   1.382   5th
3FG Made/Game   8.382   9th
FG Made   4,555   22nd
Wins   121   T-25th
Winning Percentage   .6798   T-34th

Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 15 of the last 17 seasons (including 2014-15), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
   Just three schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 17 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
   Kentucky , Florida, Texas and Syracuse have each done it in 16 of the last 17 seasons.
   Along with Arizona, Xavier, Kent State and Connecticut, Creighton is one of five schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 15 of the past 17 years.

Full House
Last year's Creighton team averaged 17,048 fans in 17 home dates, good for sixth-nationally, and better than 11 NBA franchises.
   It's the 10th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the fourth straight season in the top-six nationally in attendance, as well.
   Last year Creighton was the nation's first team to average 17,000+ fans, despite a losing record, since Louisville in 2000-01.
   This year's team is averaging 16,657 fans per game after five home dates, which ranks seventh nationally through Dec. 11.
2015-16 Attendance Leaders
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   22,396   12/12
   2.   Syracuse   20,551   12/19
   3.   Louisville   19,832   12/12
   4.   Maryland   17,816   12/12
   5.   Indiana   17,472   12/12
   6.   Wisconsin   17,287   12/12
   7.   Creighton   16,657   12/21
   8.   Kansas   16,300   12/19
   9.   North Carolina State   15,973   12/16
   10.   Nebraska   15,518   12/13

Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12
   16,657 so far   Creighton   2015-16
   15,930   Creighton   2008-09

Long-Distance Streak Surpasses 700
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 722 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the 23rd-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.
   Creighton's streak of games with at least 15 trey attempts stands at 85, which is second-longest nationally.
   Courtesy Stats Inc., below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks, through games of Dec. 9.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (thru 12/9)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   949   UNLV   12/12
   2.   947   Kentucky   12/12
   3.   940   Vanderbilt   12/19
   4.   920   Duke   12/15
   5.   879   Western Kentucky   12/13
   6.   877   Arkansas   12/12
   7.   866   East Tennessee State   12/10
   8.   864   Pacific   12/12
   9.   843   Oakland   12/12
   10.   833   Texas   12/12
   11.   821   Princeton   12/12
   12.   805   Florida   12/12
   13.   786   La Salle   12/13
   14.   782   Marshall   12/12
   15.   774   Baylor   12/16
   16.   753   Cornell   12/19
   17.   752   LIU-Brooklyn   12/12
   18.   745   Gonzaga   12/12
   19.   732   Mount St. Mary's   12/12
   20.   731   Tennessee State   12/12
   21.   730   Samford   12/12
   22.   725   East Carolina   12/13
   23.   722   Creighton   12/12
   24.   688   Lafayette   12/12
   25.   684   DePaul   12/12
   26.   677   Davidson   12/12

Longest Active Streaks of 15+ 3FG Attempts
(Source: STATS Inc., thru Dec. 9)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   143   Coppin State   12/13
   2.   85   Creighton   12/12
   3.   75   Iona   12/16
       75   San Jose State   12/13
   5.   67   Lipscomb   12/10

Très Bien
Creighton made 39-of-91 three-pointers (42.9 percent) in its BIG EAST victories last season, but just 93-for-299 (31.1 percent) from deep in its league losses.
   For the season Creighton shot 34.5 percent from three-point land.
   Since 2011-12, Creighton is 40-34 (.541) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 64-9 (.877) mark the last five years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
   Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 93-23 in the last five years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 11-20 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.

Early Birds Get The Win
When Creighton's offense gets rolling under Greg McDermott, the results have been evident.
   Prior to its Dec. 2 loss to Arizona State, Creighton had won 54 straight games under McDermott when scoring 40 or more points in the first half.
   CU had also won 71 straight home games when scoring 40 or more points in the first half dating to a Feb. 3, 2002 loss to Southern Illinois, including a perfect 61-1 mark at CenturyLink Center Omaha.

NCAA Success
Creighton is one of 18 schools to have won an NCAA Tournament game in at least three of the last four seasons.
   Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State and North Carolina are the only five teams to have won at least one game all four seasons.
   The list of teams with an NCAA win in three of the last four campaigns consists of Arizona, Creighton, Florida, Iowa State, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oregon, Saint Louis, San Diego State, Syracuse, Wichita State and Wisconsin.

CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 208 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 13-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 174-34 (.837) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (10-0).
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 15,800-13,348 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.79 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 55 different times, including three times this year (UTSA, Western Illinois and Nebraska).
   Creighton is also 25-19 all-time in the 44 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
   Creighton is 77-16 (.828) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 44-4 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 193-34 (.850) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 14 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including three games last year, and seven such comebacks away from home.
   On Nov. 19, 2014, Creighton trailed 42-24 to No. 18 Oklahoma with 18:30 to go before putting together a comeback for the ages. It was CU's largest comeback victory under Greg McDermott (see chart below), the second-largest since 2000 (see chart below), and the second-biggest in the history of CenturyLink Center Omaha (see chart, left column on page two).
   On the other hand, CU is 111-6 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 99 of the last 101 times.
Double-Digit Comebacks Under Greg McDermott
Deficit   Opponent   Date
18   #18 Oklahoma   11/19/14
17   at San Diego State   11/30/11
16   at Evansville   02/16/13
14   Evansville   02/21/12
13   at Saint Joseph's   11/16/13
13   Xavier   01/12/14
12   Saint Joseph's   12/11/10
11   at Wichita State   12/31/11
11   Northern Iowa   01/10/12
11   vs. Alabama   03/16/12
10   UAB   11/14/12
10   vs. Drake   03/02/12
10   at Nebraska   12/07/14
10   South Dakota   12/09/14

Winning Formulas
Below are the records for each current BIG EAST school over the previous four, eight and 14 (since 2000-01) seasons, ranked by overall wins, through games of the end of the 2014-15 campaign.
Most Wins Since 2000-01 (to end 2014-15)
Team   W   L
Butler   358   146
Xavier   353   149
Creighton   349   155
Villanova   337   165
Marquette   327   170
Georgetown   325   164
Providence   258   216
Seton Hall   244   224
St. John's   234   234
DePaul   193   271

Most Wins - Last 10 Years (2005-06 to end 2014-15)
Team   W   L
Butler   252   97
Villanova   243   98
Xavier   237   106
Georgetown   230   102
Creighton   230   113
Marquette   221   119
Providence   170   150
Seton Hall   166   152
St. John's   164   155
DePaul   114   200

Most Wins - Last 4 Years (2011-12 to end 2014-15)
Team   W   L
Creighton   98   41
Villanova   95   41
Georgetown   89   42
Butler   86   52
Xavier   84   54
Marquette   83   51
Providence   79   56
St. John's   71   60
Seton Hall   69   63
DePaul   47   81

What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 127-60 on the Creighton sideline early in his sixth year at the helm. The 127 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first six seasons, way more than Tom Apke's 109.
Most Wins at CU, First Six Seasons
Coach   Years   W-L After 6 Yrs
Greg McDermott   2010-Pres.   127-60 so far
Tom Apke   1974-80   109-55
Tony Barone   1985-91   102-82
Dana Altman   1994-00   99-78
Red McManus   1959-65   91-63

Pizza Pie, Piled High = Wins
Thanks to a promotion with Omaha-based Godfather's Pizza, Creighton season ticket-holders can get a free mini pizza any time the Jays score 75 points at home.
   History has proven that when the team earns the fans pizza, it often leads to a victory as well.
   The first three years of CenturyLink Center Omaha (2003-06), Creighton needed 70 points to earn its fans free pizza, and the Jays went 27-3 when reaching that threshold, closing out that run with 12 straight wins.
   Since upping the standard to 75 points prior to the 2006-07 campaign, Creighton is 90-1 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is 102-1 in CenturyLink Center Omaha since Feb. 6, 2005 when scoring enough points to earn its fans some free pizza. The perfect streak of 101-0 was snapped on Dec. 2, 2015 when Arizona State scored three points in the final 15 seconds to sneak away with a 79-77 victory.

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 77.78 points per home game (7,234 points in 93 home games).
   That's a vital number since Creighton is 112-0 at home (83-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more, and 94-0 at home (67-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000.

Last Season Recap
Creighton went 14-19 last season, finishing 4-14 to tie for ninth place in the BIG EAST Conference.
   The Bluejays started the season 5-0, including a win over No. 18 Oklahoma, before losing eight remaining games in the final minute.
   Senior point guard Austin Chatman led Creighton in scoring (11.5 ppg.) and assists (3.7 apg.), while fellow senior Devin Brooks paced the team in rebounds (5.0 ppg.) and steals (1.0 spg.).
   Despite the struggles on the court, Creighton still ranked sixth nationally with 17,048 fans per home game.

Shuttle Service Provided Again
Chief Bus will provide complimentary shuttle service from the Creighton University campus to CenturyLink Center Omaha for all men's basketball home games this season. The service is available to all fans, not just Creighton students.
   The shuttle will start 75 minutes before tip-off and shuttles will continue to operate the route during the game. The three designated stops for pick-up around the CU campus are: 24th & California (nearside/southbound); 20th & Cass (nearside/eastbound) and at Billy Blues Alumni Grill (outside the Mike & Josie Harper Center in the turnaround which is on the east side of the building).
   The shuttle will then go eastbound on Capitol Avenue and then go north up 10th Street for drop-off at the CenturyLink Center Omaha convention center entrance. The route is designed for each shuttle driver to make a roundtrip every 15 minutes.
   Following the game's conclusion, the shuttle will start at the CenturyLink Center Omaha convention center entrance on 10th Street and loop the original route with the first of three stops at 24th & California Streets.

Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2015-16 season went on sale on October 29th.
   Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CenturyLink Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any game.
   For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.

Players Mentioned

Malik Albert

Will Artino

Devin Brooks

Austin Chatman

Geoffrey Groselle

Toby Hegner

Cole Huff

Martin Krampelj

James Milliken

Khyri Thomas

Maurice Watson Jr.

Isaiah Zierden

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