Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann
No. 22 Men's Basketball Opens Exhibition Play Friday vs. Wayne State
11/2/2016 10:50:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Greg McDermott's team hosts the school that gave him his first head coaching job
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Exhibition Game #1: Wayne State at No. 22 Creighton • Friday, Nov. 4, 2016 • 7:01 p.m.
Wayne State Wildcats at No. 22 Creighton Bluejays
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, KOOO 101.9 FM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: None
Series History: Teams have never met in regular-season
Last Meeting: None
Next Game
No. 22 Creighton opens the 2016-17 season with an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 4 vs. Wayne State.
   Tip-off at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7:01 p.m.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 The Zone) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2016-17 season, including Friday's exhibition. John Bishop and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action.
   The pregame show "Bluejay Shootaround" will air from 6:00 - 6:30 pm.
   Following the game, KOZN will host "Overtime" for approximately one hour, while also taking calls from listeners.
   The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Video Webcast Available
Creighton Athletics will offer a free high-definition webcast of Friday's exhibition.
   To watch the webcast, visit Creighton's website at GoCreighton.com/watch.
Television Broadcast Information
Friday's exhibition will not be televised.
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 No. 22 Creighton
Creighton returns 11 lettermen and four starters from last year's team that finished 20-15 and sixth in the BIG EAST Conference with a 9-9 league record. The Bluejays won a pair of postseason games before falling in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament.
   Maurice Watson Jr. leads a talented group of returners after topping the Bluejays in both scoring (14.1 ppg.) and assists (6.5 apg.) last season. He's been voted on the Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team.
   Two other seniors that averaged in double-figures, Cole Huff (11.3 ppg.) and Isaiah Zierden (10.2 ppg.) have returned from off-season surgery to the Bluejay line-up.
   The fourth returning starter is sophomore wing Khyri Thomas (6.2 ppg., 3.7 rpg.), who regained his confidence during the team's postseason run.
   A strong crop of newcomers also figures to play a vital role. Marcus Foster averaged 14.1 points per game over two seasons at Kansas State, while Justin Patton was named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year list before ever playing a collegiate game. Both men redshirted at Creighton last year.
   Three true freshman guards are also in the mix for playing time, Davion Mintz, Kobe Paras and Jordan Scurry.
Scouting Wayne State
Wayne State went 5-24 last season, but returns four starters and picked up a 70-66 exhibition victory on Tuesday night against Midland in coach Jeff Kaminsky's debut on the Wildcat sidelines.
   Kendall Jacks led Wayne State with 20 points, while Vance Janssen (10 pts., 4 ast.) and Jordan Cornelius (10 pts., 8 reb.) also scored in double-figures. Cornelius led the Wildcats with 141 rebounds last season.
   Matt Thomas led WSC with 16.5 points and 3.0 assists per game last season, sinking a team-best 47 three-pointers.
   The Wildcats were picked to finish 15th in the 2016-17 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference preseason poll.
The Series With Wayne State
Creighton and Wayne State have never met.
   Greg McDermott is 2-0 all-time against Wayne State in games that count, with both victories coming when he was coaching at Northern Iowa.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) enters his seventh season as head coach at Creighton. He is 141-72 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 421-267 entering his 23rd season and is 290-203 entering his 16th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
   Jeff Kaminsky (Northern) was named 27th head coach in Wayne State history on June 15, 2016. He arrives in Wayne after 11 years at Valley City State University in North Dakota, where he led the Vikings to a share of the North Star Athletic Association regular-season championship and the second round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament. He went 183-144 at Valley City State, and owns 452 career wins in 29 years overall, including other stints at Wisconsin-Superior and Mid State Technical College. He is assisted by graduate assistant coach Jordan Holdsworth and volunteer assistant coach Tanner Cooke.
A Nod To Mac
In the June press release announcing his hiring at Wayne State, Jeff Kaminsky was quick to acknowledge those that had come before him, including current Creighton (and former Wayne State) coach Greg McDermott.
   "I have great respect for the tradition of the program and especially for what Coach McDermott was able to accomplish here. The city of Wayne and Wayne State College is appealing to me and my wife Cindy for a lot of reasons and we are looking forward to being a part of the community and WSC."      Â
From Wayne, America To The BIG EAST
Creighton's Greg McDermott got his head coaching start at Wayne State, where he inherited a team coming off back-to-back 7-20 seasons and led the Wildcats to a 116-53 record in six campaigns from 1994-2000.
   That run included back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 1999 and 2000, and four straight 20-win seasons.
   Wayne State has not won more than 17 games, nor returned to the NCAA Tournament, since McDermott's departure.
   To see just how impressive McDermott's work was at Wayne State, check out the stats below:
When?   Years   W-L   Pct.
16 years before McDermott   1978-94   187-298   .386
6 years with McDermott   1994-00   116-53   .686
16 years since McDermott   2000-16   186-261   .416
Ball Boys To NCAA Stars
Greg McDermott's final team at Wayne State in 1999-2000 tied for the league title, advanced to the Division II Sweet 16, and finished 26-6 overall.
   Nobody knew it at the time, but the most talented players would be the ones at the end of the bench serving water.
   Greg's son, Doug McDermott was 8 years old at the time. He went on to be a three-time First Team All-American, the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history, and an NBA Lottery pick who is in his third year with the Chicago Bulls.
   Helping out Doug distribute water and towels was future Iowa point guard Mike Gesell, then 6, whose older brother Tim Gesell was a freshman on that team. Gesell went on to start 130-of-134 games at Iowa and finished his collegiate career with 1,072 points and 557 assists. He now plays in Denmark.
Crowd Watch
Wayne State averaged 693 fans per home game last season, and played before a grand total of 17,342 total fans in 15 contests away from home last year. The Wildcats went 0-15 in those contests.
   Over the last four years, Creighton has averaged 16,966 fans per home game.
   Creighton's largest exhibition attendance in school history was 16,317 on Nov. 7, 2014 vs. Sioux Falls. Last year's exhibition win vs. Upper Iowa attracted 15,015 fans.
McDermott's Exhibition History
Greg McDermott is 23-0 in exhibition games as a Division I head coach, including a 10-0 mark at UNI, a 7-0 record at Iowa State, and a 6-0 mark at Creighton. All but one of his triumphs has been by double-digits.
   Below is a list of McDermott's exhibition games at the Division I level.
Greg McDermott's Division I Exhibition Scores
Date   McD School   Opponent   Result
2001-02   UNI   London Leopards   W 89-74
2001-02   UNI   Lake Superior St.   W 74-63
2002-03   UNI   Dominican Nat'l Team   W 73-56
2002-03   UNI   H.P. Minnesota   W 90-76
2003-04   UNI   H.P. Minnesota   W 89-79
2003-04   UNI   Australian Select Team   W 92-58
2004-05   UNI   Dubuque   W 93-34
2004-05   UNI   SW Minnesota St.   W 71-40
2005-06   UNI   Lewis   W 77-50
2005-06   UNI   Wayne State   W 74-57
11/03/06   Iowa State   EA Sports   W 58-57
11/06/06   Iowa State   Wayne State   W 55-41
11/01/07   Iowa State   Dubuque   W 66-38
11/04/07   Iowa State   EA Sports   W 74-63
11/08/08   Iowa State   Nebraska-Omaha   W 74-54
11/02/09   Iowa State   Black Hills State   W 96-47
11/06/09   Iowa State   UNC-Pembroke   W 106-54
11/04/10   Creighton   Northern State   W 79-67
11/06/11   Creighton   Rockhurst   W 81-42
11/02/12   Creighton   Mary   W 89-51
11/01/13   Creighton   Northern State   W 89-61
11/07/14   Creighton   Sioux Falls   W 91-72
11/06/15   Creighton   Upper Iowa   W 113-77
Recent Exhibition History
Creighton is 41-6 since 1987 in fall exhibition games thanks to 15 straight victories. The only team since 1994 to beat Creighton in an exhibition setting has been Global Sports, which eventually merged and changed their name to EA Sports.
   A complete listing of Creighton's exhibition games since 1987 can be found on page four of this release.
Closed Scrimmage A Success
Creighton played Missouri in a closed scrimmage last Sunday. The Bluejays and Tigers tied the first half, 41-41, before the score and fouls were reset. CU won the final 20 minutes, 45-31. Marcus Foster led Creighton with 23 points, while Maurice Watson Jr. added a team-best six assists.
   Greg McDermott was pleased with how the afternoon went. "It was great to be back on the floor against another team in a competition setting. We did some things well but still have plenty of room to improve. We've been banged up with injuries, but I was pleased we were able to get 12 men double-figure minutes on the afternoon."
Nationally Ranked, Again
Creighton is ranked No. 22 in the preseason Associated Press poll and No. 23 in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll.
   It's just the third time in program history the AP has voted CU to the top-25 in the preseason, joining 2006-07 (No. 19) and 2012-13 (No. 16).
   Creighton was last ranked the week of Nov. 24, 2014, when it was No. 23 in the country but dropped out after a 2-1 week. The No. 22 ranking is the best since Creighton was No. 16 on March 17, 2014.
   In program history, CU has now been ranked 69 weeks, with 41 of those under the direction of seventh-year head coach Greg McDermott.
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish third in its fourth 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 Xavier and Creighton round out the top three. Seton Hall and Georgetown tied for fourth place, while Butler, Marquette, St. John's, Providence and DePaul rounded out the bottom half.
   Creighton guard Maurice Watson Jr. was named Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team, while Marcus Foster was picked to be a Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable-Mention choice.
Newcomer Report
Seven players made their exhibition debut in a Creighton uniform last year in the win against Upper Iowa as Khyri Thomas, Cole Huff, Maurice Watson Jr., Justin Patton, Malik Albert, Martin Krampelj and Alex O'Neill combined for 61 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists in a combined 92 minutes of action in Creighton's 91-72 triumph. Three other newcomers (injured Drew Cayce & Marlon Stewart, redshirting Marcus Foster), did not see action in the game.
   This year's exhibition vs. Wayne State could mark the first action at Creighton for Marcus Foster, Davion Mintz, Kobe Paras and Jordan Scurry.
   Below is a look at the last five years and how Creighton's newcomers have produced in their exhibition debuts:
2015
Thomas/Huff/Watson Jr./Patton/Albert, Krampelj/O'Neill/Cayce/Stewart
61 pts., 16 reb., 14 ast., 92 min. (W 113-77)
2014
Kreklow/Gilmore III/Connealy/Harrell Jr.
10 pts., 9 reb., 5 ast., 34 min. (W 91-72)
2013
Ferrarini/Brooks/Clement/Harris/Burns
Milliken/Roberts/Hegner/Hanson
26 pts., 8 reb., 10 ast., 52 min. (W 89-61)
2012
Kelling/Yates/Zierden
8 pts., 11 reb., 4 ast., 39 min. (W 89-51)
2011
Gibbs/Chatman/Olsen/Dingman
Groselle/Johnson/Oginni
22 pts., 11 reb., 8 ast., 70 min. (W 81-42)
Freshman Starts Almost Unheard Of
Khyri Thomas made a little bit of history last year when he started the exhibition opener as a true freshman.
   Before Thomas had 10 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 2 rebounds in 17 minutes, to find the last Creighton true freshman to start the team's exhibition opener you'd have to go all the way back to Nov. 14, 1988. That's when Latrell Wrightsell had eight points, four rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes of a 75-66 win over Turkey.
   Ryan Sears, who started all 124 regular-season games of his illustrious career from 1997-2001, came off the bench for his exhibition debut before replacing Matt West in the second exhibition game of the 1997-98 campaign.
   Sears had remained the last CU true freshman to start a Creighton regular-season opener (1997-98), until Doug McDermott did so in 2010-11. McDermott started all 145 games of his career but also came off the bench in his first exhibition game. Thomas would also go on to start the season-opener as a true freshman last year, and remained in the starting five each of the first 24 games.
   In 2014-15, Toby Hegner started Creighton's first exhibition game, but he did so as a redshirt freshman. Hegner would also start CU's first 21 regular-season games in that season.
Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns four regular starters (Maurice Watson Jr., Isaiah Zierden, Khyri Thomas and Cole Huff) from last year's team that finished 20-15. Creighton's roster contains players who made 130 starts a year ago (35 by Watson, 31 by Zierden, 28 by Thomas, 23 by Huff, 12 by Toby Hegner, 1 by Zach Hanson), and a combined 173 career starts as Bluejays. That doesn't factor in the 57 starts for Marcus Foster at Kansas State or the 30 starts at Syracuse for Kaleb Joseph.
   Each of Creighton's five teams since 1980-81 to return 130 or more starts from the previous season won 20 or more games and went on to reach the postseason.
   Returning   Returning Starts    Final
Year   Starters   From Previous Year   W-L
2016-17Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 130Â Â Â ? ? ?
2015-16Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 64Â Â Â 20-15
2014-15Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 49Â Â Â 14-19
2013-14Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 144Â Â Â 27-8
2012-13Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 140Â Â Â 28-8
2011-12Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 101Â Â Â 29-6
2010-11Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 123Â Â Â 23-16
2009-10Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 106Â Â Â 18-16
2008-09Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 27-8
2007-08Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 44Â Â Â 22-11
2006-07Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 120Â Â Â 22-11
2005-06Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 134Â Â Â 20-10
2004-05Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 58Â Â Â 23-11
2003-04Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 101Â Â Â 20-9
2002-03Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 159Â Â Â 29-5
2001-02Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 65Â Â Â 23-9
2000-01Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 90Â Â Â 24-8
1999-00Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 23-10
1998-99Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 84Â Â Â 22-9
1997-98Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 18-10
1996-97Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 126Â Â Â 15-15
1995-96Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 100Â Â Â 14-15
1994-95Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 52Â Â Â 7-19
1993-94Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 73Â Â Â 7-22
1992-93Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 64Â Â Â 8-18
1991-92Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 51Â Â Â 9-19
1990-91Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 132Â Â Â 24-8
1989-90Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 127Â Â Â 21-12
1988-89Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 123Â Â Â 20-11
1987-88Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 83Â Â Â 16-16
1986-87Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 65Â Â Â 9-19
1985-86Â Â Â 1Â Â Â 48Â Â Â 12-16
1984-85Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 124Â Â Â 20-12
1983-84Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 72Â Â Â 17-14
1982-83Â Â Â 3Â Â Â 77Â Â Â 8-19
1981-82Â Â Â 2Â Â Â 78Â Â Â 7-20
1980-81Â Â Â 4Â Â Â 112Â Â Â 21-9
Times, They Are A Changin'
Creighton made two changes to its schedule in late October.
   Creighton's home game vs. Longwood, originally set for Dec. 10th, was moved to 6:30 pm on December 9th. It will now air on FS1.
   Creighton's home game on January 21st vs. Marquette was moved up two hours to a 1:30 pm start. It will now air nationally on FOX.
Senior Review
Creighton had two seniors on last year's team. Here's an update of what they're up to nowadays:
   Geoffrey Groselle plays in Germany for Löwen Braunschweig. Through games of Monday, Groselle was averaging 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game.
   James Milliken went undrafted in Sunday's NBA D-League draft and is deciding between options in Italy and Ukraine.
NBA Representation
This year marks the third straight season that Creighton has three NBA players at the same time, as Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks), Anthony Tolliver (Sacramento Kings) and Doug McDermott (Chicago Bulls) are all in the league.
   Including 2016-17, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 33 of the last 34 years.
   Korver ranks eighth in NBA history with 1,896 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 43.0 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through November 1). 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 three times. He's currently averaging 12.3 points per game while making 60 percent of his three-point attempts this year.
   Tolliver is averaging 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game this season for the Kings, his 11th NBA organization.
   McDermott is in his third season with the Chicago Bulls, where he's averaging 13.3 points per game and shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 50.0 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.
Among The Nation's Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the since Greg McDermott took over in 2010-11, per Basketball-Reference.com:
2010-11 to 2015-16
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank  Â
FG Percentage   .476   4th
3FG Made   1,775   4th
3FG Percentage   .386   5th  Â
Assists   3392   7th
FG Made   5,534   18th
Wins   141   31st
Winning Percentage   .662   47th
Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 16 of the last 18 seasons (including 2015-16), 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 18 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
   Kentucky , Florida, Texas and Syracuse have each done it in 17 of the last 18 seasons.
   Along with Arizona, Xavier and Connecticut, Creighton is one of four schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 16 of the past 18 years.
Eight Out Of 18 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 18 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (14), Duke (10), Winthrop (9), Creighton (8), Kansas (8) and Kentucky (8).
Full House
Creighton's 2015-16 team averaged 15,941 fans per game, which ranked 10th nationally, and was even ahead of five NBA franchises (Milwaukee, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Minnesota and Denver). Creighton would have been eighth with 17,065 fans per game without two home NIT crowds that lowered the final average.
   It's the 11th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the fifth straight season in the top-10 nationally in attendance, as well.
2015-16 Attendance Leaders
   Rk.   School   Average  Â
   1.   Kentucky   23,362  Â
   2.   Syracuse   21,592  Â
   3.   Louisville   20,860  Â
   4.   North Carolina   18,326  Â
   5.   Maryland   17,863  Â
   6.   Wisconsin   17,287  Â
   7.   Indiana   17,106  Â
   8.   North Carolina State   16,758  Â
   9.   Kansas   16,436  Â
   10.   Creighton   15,941  Â
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
   15,941   Creighton   2015-16
Some Loyal Fans
Creighton attracted 302,887 fans at home in 2015-16, surpassing 200,000 fans for the 11th straight season. The 302,887 home fans this season ranked as the most in school history.
   Creighton had never attracted more than 141,000 home fans in any season prior to the opening of CenturyLink Center Omaha, and now has done it in the past 13 seasons.
   Creighton has led its conference in home attendance every year since moving into CenturyLink Center Omaha, which is opening its 14th season.
Creighton's Most Home Fans, Season
Rk.   Year   G   Attendance   Average
1.   2015-16   19   302,887   15,941
2.   2008-09   19   302,676   15,930
3.   2010-11   22   297,161   13,507
4.   2012-13   17   291,643   17,155
5.   2014-15   17   289,808   17,048
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 748 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is tied for the nation's 21st-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
   Rk.   Streak   School  Â
   1.   974   Kentucky  Â
   2.   973   UNLV  Â
   3.   964   Vanderbilt  Â
   4.   947   Duke  Â
   5.   905   Western Kentucky  Â
   6.   901   Arkansas  Â
   7.   892   East Tennessee State  Â
   8.   885   Pacific  Â
   9.   867   Oakland  Â
   10.   858   Texas  Â
   11.   844   Princeton  Â
   12.   833   Florida  Â
   13.   810   La Salle  Â
   14.   808   Marshall  Â
   15.   800   Baylor  Â
   16.   776   LIU-Brooklyn  Â
   17.   773   Gonzaga  Â
   18.   772   Cornell  Â
   19.   756   Mount St. Mary's  Â
   20.   755   Tennessee State  Â
   21.   748   Creighton  Â
      748   East Carolina  Â
Making A Jump
Creighton went from 14-19 in 2014-15 to 20-15 last season. In the last 50 seasons of Creighton basketball, there has been only six seasons where the team has grown its win total by six or more victories from one year to the next, with two of those gains under the direction of Greg McDermott:
Biggest Win Improvements, Last 50 Years
Jump   Year   W-L   Year   W-L
+8Â Â Â 1972-73Â Â Â 15-11Â Â Â 1973-74Â Â Â 23-7
+7Â Â Â 1986-87Â Â Â 9-19Â Â Â 1987-88Â Â Â 16-16
+7Â Â Â 1994-95Â Â Â 7-19Â Â Â 1995-96Â Â Â 14-15
+6Â Â Â 2001-02Â Â Â 23-9Â Â Â 2002-03Â Â Â 29-5
+6Â Â Â 2010-11Â Â Â 23-16Â Â Â 2011-12Â Â Â 29-6
+6Â Â Â 2014-15Â Â Â 14-19Â Â Â 2015-16Â Â Â 20-15
Multiple Choices
Creighton had four men average in double-figures in 2015-16, Maurice Watson Jr. (14.1), Cole Huff (11.3), Geoffrey Groselle (11.2) and Isaiah Zierden (10.2).
   Creighton had not previously had four men finish the year scoring in double-figures since 1979-80, when Kevin McKenna, Jim Honz, George Morrow and Daryl Stovall did so.
Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time.
    Rank   Att.   Opponent   Date
   1.   18,868   Providence   03/08/14
   2.   18,859   Georgetown   01/25/14
   3.   18,797   #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.   17,924   Seton Hall   01/30/16
   19.   17,766   Nebraska   12/09/15
   20.   17,740   Alcorn State   11/08/13
Très Bien
Since 2011-12, Creighton is 48-45 (.516) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 70-10 (.875) mark the last six years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
   Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 103-30 in the last six years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 15-25 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 15 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, including DePaul (down 12) on January 17th. Eight of those comebacks came 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), and the second-biggest in the history of CenturyLink Center Omaha (see chart, left column on page four).
   On the other hand, CU is 124-9 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 112 of the last 117 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
12   at DePaul   01/17/16
11   at Wichita State   12/31/11
11   Northern Iowa   01/10/12
11   vs. Alabama   03/16/12
10Â Â Â UABÂ Â Â 11/14/12
10   vs. Drake   03/02/12
10   at Nebraska   12/07/14
10   South Dakota   12/09/14
CenturyLink Center Omaha Dramatics
Providence's Kris Dunn hit a game-winning shot as time expired to beat Creighton last Jan. 12th. It was the first game-winning shot with no time left to ever to beat Creighton at CenturyLink Center Omaha, exceeding the previous low with 1.9 seconds left by Butler's Roosevelt Jones in 2014-15.
   Dunn's shot was the first to beat Creighton (at any site) with no time left on the clock since Anthony James drained a game-winning three-pointer for Northern Iowa in a 65-62 win on Feb. 4, 2012 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
   Creighton is 7-6 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds in the 14-year old facility.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at CLCO, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
11/26/05   Dayton   W 91-90*   Funk FG   :5.7
01/28/06   Wichita St.   W 57-55   Tolliver FG   :0.0
11/25/06   George Mason   W 58-56   Watts FT   :7.5
03/18/08   Rhode Island   W 74-73   Witter 3FG   :3.2
01/13/10   Southern Illinois   W 71-69   Young FG   :1.3
02/18/12   Long Beach St.   W 81-79   Young FG   :0.3
01/28/14   St. John's   W 63-60   McDermott 3FG   :2.8
*double-overtime
Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses at CLCO, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
03/20/06Â Â Â Miami (Fla.)Â Â Â 53-52Â Â Â G. Diaz FTÂ Â Â :2.6
01/20/07   Southern Illinois   58-57   B. Mullins FG   :4.1
01/10/15   #19 Seton Hall   68-67   S. Gibbs 3FG   :2.2
02/16/15   #19 Butler   58-56   R. Jones FG   :1.9
03/07/15   Xavier   74-73   D. Davis FT's   :6.3
01/12/16   #12 Providence   50-48   K. Dunn FG   :0.0
Winning Formulas
Below are the records for each current BIG EAST school over the last four, 10 and 16 (since 2000-01) seasons, ranked by overall wins.
Most Wins - Last 4 Years (2012-13 - Present)
Team   W   L   Next
Villanova   117   27
Creighton   89   50
Xavier   89   47
Providence   88   50
Butler   86   48
Georgetown   80   51  Â
Marquette   76   56  Â
Seton Hall   73   59  Â
St. John's   66   65  Â
DePaul   44   84
Most Wins - Last 10 Years (2006-07 - Present)
Team   W   L
Butler   254   95
Villanova   250   98    Â
Xavier   244   101
Creighton   230   118
Georgetown   222   110
Marquette   221   121
Providence   182   146
Seton Hall   173   149
St. John's   160   164
DePaul   111   208
Most Wins Since 2000-01
Team   W   L
Xavier   381   155
Butler   380   157
Villanova   372   170     Â
Creighton   369   170
Marquette   347   183
Georgetown   340   182  Â
Providence   282   227  Â
Seton Hall   269   233
St. John's   242   258  Â
DePaul   202   293  Â
McDermott Passes McManus On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 141 victories at Creighton, good for third place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .662 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.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger    1922-35
3.   141-72   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-69
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-81
Playing With The Lead At Home
Creighton did not trail in 9-of-19 home games last season, and hasn't trailed in 61-of-222 overall (non-exhibition) games played at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time.
Watson Dishes and Scores
Maurice Watson Jr. led the team lead in both scoring and assists last season. In fact, Watson had owned or shared the team lead in assists in 23 straight games before that streak was snapped in the NIT vs. Alabama on March 15th.
   Watson became Creighton's sixth player since 1970-71 to lead the club in both points per game and assists per game, as seen below:
Creighton Leaders in PPG & APG, Since 1970-71
Name, Year   PPG   APG
Kevin McKenna, 1979-80Â Â Â 16.5Â Â Â 3.7
Matt Petty, 1992-93Â Â Â 17.2Â Â Â 3.1
Kyle Korver, 2001-02Â Â Â 15.1Â Â Â 3.3
Nate Funk, 2003-04Â Â Â 11.1Â Â Â 2.7
Nate Funk, 2006-07Â Â Â 17.7Â Â Â 3.0
Austin Chatman, 2014-15Â Â Â 11.5Â Â Â 3.7
Maurice Watson Jr., 2015-16Â Â Â 14.1Â Â Â 6.5
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 222 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 14-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 184-38 (.829) 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 16,910-14,267 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.91 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 61 different times, including nine times last year (UTSA, Western Illinois, Nebraska, IUPUI, North Texas, Coppin State, DePaul, No. 5 Xavier and St. John's).
   Creighton is also 25-22 all-time in the 47 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
   Creighton is 87-20 (.813) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 49-4 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 204-38 (.843) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 141-72 on the Creighton sideline after his sixth year at the helm. The 141 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.   141-72
Tom Apke   1974-80   109-55
Tony Barone   1985-91   102-82
Dana Altman   1994-00   99-78
Red McManus   1959-65   91-63
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton averaged 79.63 points per game in 2015-16.
   Greg McDermott is 37-1 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 31-1 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   In fact, McDermott's team scored 90 or more points 10 times (in 35 games) last season, compared to six total times in 280 games on the sideline in nine years at Northern Iowa and Iowa State.
   Creighton had won 75 straight games when scoring 90 or more points at all sites since a Jan. 11, 1988 loss to Southern Illinois, before a March 5th 98-93 loss at Xavier.
   Creighton is 53-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 25 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas State.
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 96-1 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is 108-1 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 78.65 points per home game (8,416 points in 107 home games).
   Since a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000, Creighton is 119-0 at home (90-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more, and 100-0 at home (73-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to that same setback.
Last Season Recap
Creighton went 20-15 last season and reached the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament before being eliminated at BYU. Maurice Watson Jr. (14.1 ppg., 6.5 apg.) led the Bluejays in both scoring and assists, while senior Geoffrey Groselle (6.1 rpg.) led the team in rebounding and set a Creighton record by shooting 70.2 percent from the field.
   Creighton's best victories last season included a 70-56 win over No. 5 Xavier, and a pair of wins to claim the title at the Men Who Speak Up Main Event in Las Vegas.
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 Harper Dining Center (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 2016-17 season went on sale on October 24th.
   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 BasketballCreighton Men's Basketball Availability - 9/24/25
Wednesday, September 24
Meet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
Friday, August 15
