Wednesday, December 9
CenturyLink Center Omaha
7:05 PM
Creighton University
vs
Nebraska
Maurice Watson Jr.
Photo by: Jim Rash
Men's Basketball Visits No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday
12/16/2015 3:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Sooners will mark Creighton's first top-3 opponent since 1981
Download Notes as a PDF
Game #11 • Creighton at #3 Oklahoma • Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015 • 1:00 p.m.
Creighton Bluejays at #3 Oklahoma Sooners
Lloyd Noble Center (11,562) • Norman, Okla.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: ESPNU
Series History: Series tied, 2-2
Last Meeting: Creighton 65, #18 Oklahoma 63 on Nov. 19, 2014 in Omaha, Neb.
Next Game
The Creighton men's basketball team (7-3) plays its final non-conference road game of the winter when it treks to Norman, Okla., to take on No. 3 Oklahoma (7-0) on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm.
The game will take place at Lloyd Noble Center (11,562).
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 Josh Dotzler will call the action.
Prior to the game, Corey Lathrop and Matt Dorwart will host "Bluejay Shootaround", beginning at 11 am.
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 ESPNU, which can be found in Omaha on Cox Cable channel 1220 in HD.
Ted Emrich and Bryndon Manzer will announce.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Saturday's game at Oklahoma will be available via the WatchESPN app, or on ESPN3.com with cable authorization.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton is 7-3 after picking up home wins last week over Nebraska (83-67) and IUPUI (90-65) in which the Bluejays never trailed.
The Bluejays are scoring an impressive 85.5 points per game, and have five men scoring in double-figures.
Boston University transfer Maurice Watson Jr. leads Creighton with 6.2 assists per contest and is second with 11.7 points per game, while Isaiah Zierden tops the club with 12.0 points and 1.9 steals per game.
Also in double-figures is promising freshman Khyri Thomas (10.8 ppg.), a guard who has made 16-of-19 field goals over the past three games and averaged team-bests of 14.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in that time.
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 No. 3 Oklahoma
Third-ranked Oklahoma is 7-0 this season, including a 5-0 mark in Norman. The Sooners have won six straight games by double-digits, including a 78-55 win over two-time defending BIG EAST champion Villanova on Dec. 7 and a 65-48 win over 2015 national runner-up Wisconsin on Nov. 29.
National Player of the Year candidate Buddy Hield leads OU with 22.1 points per game and is third with 5.0 rebounds per contest. Hield leads a team that shoots a nation-leading 48.7 percent from three-point range with 21 three-point baskets.
Also scoring in double-figures are Isaiah Cousins (14.3 ppg., 4.6 apg.), Jordan Woodard (13.0 ppg., 1.7 spg.) and Ryan Spangler (12.4 ppg., 9.3 rpg.).
OU averages 87.9 points per game and allows just 63.0 points per contest to rank fourth nationally in scoring margin (+24.9). The Sooners also win the rebound battle by 10.0 caroms per contest, and rank fourth nationally in field goal percentage defense (34.0 percent). OU also leads the nation in defensive rebounds per game (33.57) and is second in fewest fouls (115).
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his sixth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 128-60 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 408-255 in his 22nd season and is 277-191 in his 15th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
Lon Kruger (Kansas State, 1975) is in his fifth season at Oklahoma, where he owns an 89-49 record. The former head coach at Texas-Pan American (1982-86), Kansas State (1986-90), Florida (1990-1996), Illinois (1996-2000), UNLV (2004-11) owns a 561-353 record in 30 years as a college head coach. Kruger was also the head coach with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks from 2000-03. He is assisted by Steve Henson, Lew Hill and 1992 Nebraska-Omaha graduate Chris Crutchfield.
The Series With Oklahoma
Creighton is 2-2 all-time against Oklahoma, but Saturday will mark the first meeting in Norman.
The series began in 1921 with a 27-16 Creighton victory, and was most recently played last November when Creighton rallied from an 18-point deficit to win 65-63 in Omaha.
Greg McDermott is 2-4 in his career all-time against Oklahoma, and 1-0 as Creighton's caoch in the series. The six meetings have been decided by an average of 6.8 points.
Surprisingly for two men who have now combined for 52 years of head coaching experience at the college level (1,584 games), last year's meeting was McDermott's first against Lon Kruger.
Against Ranked Teams, On The Road
Creighton is 21-127 all-time against ranked teams, including an 0-4 mark against teams ranked exactly third. Saturday will mark Creighton's first game against a top-three opponent since 1981.
The highest-ranked teams that Creighton has ever beaten are No. 4 Arizona State (12/13/1963) and No. 4 Villanova (1/20/2014), as CU is 0-9 against top-three foes all-time.
Greg McDermott is 3-12 all-time at Creighton against ranked teams, with wins over No. 4 Villanova (1/20/14), No. 6 Villanova (2/16/14) and No. 18 Oklahoma (11/19/14). With a win on Saturday, McDermott can become the first Creighton head coach to ever win multiple road games against top-25 teams.
Creighton is 3-66 all-time in true road games against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. Creighton lost its first 34 road games vs. ranked foes before a Feb. 9, 1974 win at No. 6 Marquette. Creighton also beat No. 13 Indiana State on Jan. 28, 1978 before losing its next 25 chances prior to the 96-68 win at No. 4 Villanova on Jan. 20, 2014.
Creighton has never beaten the same ranked school in consecutive seasons, something it will attempt to do on Saturday.
Heroics Against The Sooners
Several members of the Creighton program have been responsbile for some late-game heroics against Oklahoma in recent seasons.
Last year in Omaha, Zach Hanson had a tip-in with 51.4 seconds left to give Creighton the lead for good, and cap a comeback from 18 points down with 18:30 to play in an eventual 65-63 victory.
Marcus Foster, who is sitting out this season as a transfer to Creighton, also came through in the clutch in two different wins last year against the Sooners while a member of the Kansas State basketball program.
In the first meeting in Norman last year, Foster hit a floater with 5.3 seconds left to force overtime, then drained a three-pointer with 4.1 seconds left for his first game-winner since high school in the Wildcats' 66-63 triumph.
In the second meeting, Foster's three-pointer with 3.4 seconds left gave K-State the 59-56 win in Manhattan.
3D For the Win
Creighton's perimeter defense will have its hands full on Saturday when it plays the nation's top three-point shooting team, Oklahoma. The Sooners lead the nation in three-point percentage (48.7 percent), and six different men are making at least half their long-range shots.
In Creighton's last four victories, it has held teams to 26.8 percent (22-82) from three-point range. By comparison, in CU's last two losses, foes have made 15-of-37 three-point tries (40.5 percent).
Like Father, Like Son
Both Greg McDermott and Lon Kruger have had memorable seasons coaching their son at the college level.
McDermott coached his son Doug from 2010-14 at Creighton. Along the way, his son was a National Player of the Year, three-time league MVP, and graduated as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 career points. The Bluejays won 107 games in that time, including 23, 27, 28 and 29-win seasons and collecting three NCAA Tournament wins.
Kruger coached his son, Kevin, at UNLV during the 2006-07 season. Anchored by the play of third-team all-MWC son (13.5 ppg., 5.1 apg.), the Rebels would finish 30-7 and reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in their only year together.
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 in wins, as he now has 128 after the IUPUI win.
Up next is Tom Apke, who had 130 wins from 1974-81 to stand in fourth place.
McDermott's .681 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Arthur A. Schabinger's .714 win rate more 80 years ago.
Eyes Of The Committee Upon Us
You can be sure that a high-profile intra-conference game like Oklahoma/Creighton will attract the eyes of much of the 2016 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee as they begin the task of trying to determine the nation's best at-large candidates for March.
Both Creighton and Oklahoma feature an Athletic Director on that elite committee, as Bruce Rasmussen and Joe Castiglione are part of the 10-person committee that selects the teams for and help administer the tournament.
McDermott, Tisdale Share Common Bond
Only three men in the last 31 years have been named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press in three consecutive seasons: Doug McDermott, Wayman Tisdale and Patrick Ewing.
McDermott graduated from Creighton in 2014 with 3,150 career points, while Tisdale wrapped up his outstanding three-year career in 1985 with 2,661 career points.
Ewing, who like Tisdale wrapped up his career in 1985, played at Creighton's relatively new BIG EAST rival Georgetown.
Balance Is Key
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 10 games in recent seasons.
Of note, Creighton has started 5-5 or better after 10 games in 20 of the past 21 seasons.
This year's team, with five double-figure scorers, is the only time since 1994-95 that Creighton has had more than three players scoring in double-figures after 10 games.
Creighton's 85.5 points per game clip is the team's second-highest mark after 10 games in the last 20 years, trailing only the 2011-12 team.
Creighton's 50.6 percent field goal percentage through 10 games is the fourth-best mark in the last 20 years, trailing only the three winningest teams in program history.
Creighton's 93 three-pointers through 10 games are third-most in the last 20 years, as well.
Year W-L PPG FG% 3FG 10+ PPG guys
2015-16 7-3 85.5 .506 93 5
2014-15 8-2 73.8 .438 85 2
2013-14 8-2 83.7 .491 113 2
2012-13 9-1 80.2 .519 90 2
2011-12 9-1 86.0 .516 90 2
2010-11 6-4 69.0 .426 74 3
2009-10 4-6 71.3 .450 78 2
2008-09 8-2 75.6 .439 89 3
2007-08 9-1 80.8 .478 84 2
2006-07 6-4 66.0 .408 59 3
2005-06 7-3 69.3 .405 70 3
2004-05 8-2 69.2 .434 80 2
2003-04 10-0 72.1 .463 61 2
2002-03 10-0 84.9 .526 97 1
2001-02 6-4 75.9 .439 63 3
2000-01 8-2 76.0 .445 83 3
1999-00 9-1 74.7 .458 84 2
1998-99 8-2 78.4 .454 79 2
1997-98 7-3 77.3 .467 73 1
1996-97 5-5 65.7 .409 57 2
1995-96 5-5 66.7 .390 56 3
1994-95 4-6 65.1 .404 66 3
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton has averaged 85.5 points per game in its first 10 regular-season contests to date.
Greg McDermott is 33-0 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 27-0 mark on the Creighton sideline.
Creighton has won 71 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.
Give Them A Ten
A pair of newcomers are among Creighton's leading scorers through 10 games, as Cole Huff has 110 points and Maurice Watson Jr. has 117.
Since 1995-96, those figures trail only Doug McDermott's 128 points and Gregory Echenique's 111 points through 10 contests among newcomers.
McDermott would finish his career with 3,150 in 145 career games to rank fifth in NCAA history.
Khyri Thomas owns 108 points after 10 games. CU's only other freshmen to score 108 points or more since 1995-96 was McDermott.
Most Points, Newcomers First 10 Games Since 1995-96
Pts. Name, Class Year After 11
128 Doug McDermott, Fr. 2010-11 137
117 Maurice Watson Jr., Jr. 2015-16 TBD
111 Gregory Echenique, So. 2010-11 128
110 Cole Huff, Jr. 2015-16 TBD
108 Khyri Thomas, Fr. 2015-16 TBD
104 Rodney Buford, Fr. 1995-96 116
103 P'Allen Stinnett, Fr. 2007-08 125
101 Edward St. Fleur, Jr. 1995-96 110
101 Brody Deren, So. 2001-02 115
Pace Makers
Creighton ranks 21st nationally in scoring offense, averaging 85.5 points per game to date.
This year's team has scored 83 points or more in all seven 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 6 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
Assists Are Elmentary For Watson
Maurice Watson Jr. had his second game this season with 10 assists last Saturday against IUPUI. Watson had six such games at Boston University in his first two years as a colleigan.
Watson is the first Bluejay with two games of 10 or more assists in the same season since Austin Chatman had two in 2012-13.
Since 2001-02, the only Bluejay with more than two games of 10+ assists in the same year has been Grant Gibbs, who had three such games in 2011-12.
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).
Triple Threat
Khyri Thomas entered the Dec. 9 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 209 games at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 56 of those contests, a staggering 26.8 percent of the time, including four times (UTSA, Western Illinois, Nebraska and IUPUI) this year.
Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 78-16 and hasn't trailed in 31 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 on Dec. 2 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 five games from Nov. 25-Dec. 9, Groselle 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 107 points, 70 rebounds and 15 blocks in 10 games.
Full House
Creighton's Dec. 9 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
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 most accurate team from three-point range.
The Bluejays are 1585-4031 from deep in that time, shooting 39.3 percent from deep in that span.
Best 3FG%, Since 2010-11
Rk. Pct. Team 3FG 3FGA
1. .393 Creighton 1585 4031
.393 Northern Colorado 1122 2855
3. .392 Weber State 1323 3371
.392 Indiana 1283 3270
5. .391 UC Davis 1307 3339
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. 15:
Most Games, 50% FG & 40% 3FG
Rk. Occasions Team
1. 65 Creighton
2. 55 Kansas
3. 54 Denver
54 Gonzaga
5. 53 Belmont
Most Games, 50% 3FG
Rk. Occasions Team
1. 43 Creighton
2. 38 Northern Colorado
38 UCLA
38 Northeastern
5. 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. 89 Gonzaga
2. 85 Kansas
3. 81 Creighton
81 Belmont
5. 77 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. 14 Sam Houston State
5. 13 Creighton
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 127 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 21 dunks in 10 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
Debut News
Creighton started three players on Nov. 14 who 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 1,775 three-pointers and is also sixth in league history with 43.1 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Dec. 14). 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 4.4 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 9.2 points per game and is ninth in the NBA by shooting 44.0 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 16,678 fans per game after six home dates, which ranks seventh nationally through Dec. 14.
2015-16 Attendance Leaders
Rk. School Average Next Home
1. Kentucky 22,577 12/26
2. Syracuse 20,551 12/19
3. Louisville 19,969 12/16
4. Maryland 17,839 12/19
5. Indiana 17,472 12/22
6. Wisconsin 17,287 12/23
7. Creighton 16,678 12/21
8. Kansas 16,300 12/19
9. North Carolina State 15,973 12/16
10. Nebraska 15,515 12/20
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
Avg. Att. School Year
17,896 Creighton 2013-14
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
17,048 Creighton 2014-15
16,678 so far Creighton 2015-16
16,665 Creighton 2011-12
Long-Distance Streak Surpasses 700
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 723 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 86, 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. 15.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (thru 12/15)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 950 UNLV 12/16
2. 948 Kentucky 12/19
3. 940 Vanderbilt 12/19
4. 921 Duke 12/19
5. 880 Western Kentucky 12/16
6. 878 Arkansas 12/19
7. 868 East Tennessee State 12/18
8. 866 Pacific 12/21
9. 844 Oakland 12/19
10. 835 Texas 12/19
11. 822 Princeton 12/17
12. 806 Florida 12/19
13. 787 La Salle 12/22
14. 784 Marshall 12/17
15. 774 Baylor 12/16
16. 753 Cornell 12/19
17. 753 LIU-Brooklyn 12/18
18. 747 Gonzaga 12/19
19. 733 Mount St. Mary's 12/19
733 Tennessee State 12/17
21. 731 Samford 12/18
22. 726 East Carolina 12/16
23. 723 Creighton 12/19
24. 689 Lafayette 12/23
25. 686 DePaul 12/19
26. 678 Davidson 12/20
Longest Active Streaks of 15+ 3FG Attempts
(Source: STATS Inc., thru Dec. 15)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 144 Coppin State 12/18
2. 86 Creighton 12/19
3. 76 San Jose State 12/20
4. 75 Iona 12/16
5. 68 Lipscomb 12/17
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 65-9 (.878) 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 94-23 in the last five years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 11-20 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.
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 209 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 13-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 175-34 (.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 15,890-13,413 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.85 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 56 different times, including four times this year (UTSA, Western Illinois, Nebraska and IUPUI).
Creighton is also 25-19 all-time in the 44 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
Creighton is 78-16 (.830) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 45-4 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 194-34 (.851) 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 112-6 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 100 of the last 102 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 128-60 on the Creighton sideline early in his sixth year at the helm. The 128 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. 128-60 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 91-1 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is 103-1 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 77.91 points per home game (7,324 points in 94 home games).
Since a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000, Creighton is 113-0 at home (84-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more, and 95-0 at home (68-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to
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.
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/ Men's BasketballMeet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
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Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
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Meet the Jays - MBB Ty Davis
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