Wednesday, February 24
CenturyLink Center Omaha
7:05 PM
Creighton University
vs
Marquette
Toby Hegner
Photo by: Corey Solotorovsky
Men's Basketball Opens Final Homestand Wednesday vs. Marquette
2/22/2016 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Creighton and Marquette tangle in key match-up of 17-10 teams
Download Game Notes as a PDF
Game #28 • Marquette at Creighton • Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016 • 7:05 p.m.
CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, www.1620thezone.com
Television: CBS Sports Network
Series History: Marquette leads, 49-32
Last Meeting: Creighton 65, Marquette 62 on Feb. 13, 2016 in Milwaukee, Wis.
Next Game
The Creighton men's basketball team (17-10, 8-6 BIG EAST) opens its final homestand of the season when it hosts Marquette (17-10, 6-8 BIG EAST) on Wednesday night.
   Tip-off at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is scheduled for 7:05 pm.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 The Zone) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2015-16 season. John Bishop and Josh Dotzler will call the action.
   Prior to the game, Corey Lathrop and Heath Gunderson will host "Bluejay Shootaround", beginning at 6:00 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
Wednesday's game will air nationally on CBS Sports Network, which can be found in Omaha on Cox Cable channel 234 (1234 in HD).
   Carter Blackburn and Pete Gillen will announce.
Video Webcast Information
Wednesday's game will not be video webcast.
   GoCreighton.com/watch has a free video webcast of the postgame press conference following all home games.
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 17-10 on the season, including an 11-4 mark at home. Picked to finish ninth in the preseason, the Bluejays are 8-6 in league play, which puts them in fourth place with four games to play. CU has won its last three of its last four games, and will be playing at home for the first time since a 70-56 win over No. 5 Xavier on Feb. 9th
   The Bluejays are scoring 79.7 points per game (35th nationally), and are 13-0 when scoring 80 or more points this season.
   Boston University transfer Maurice Watson Jr. leads Creighton with 6.6 assists per contest and 15.2 points per game, while Geoffrey Groselle tops the club with 6.0 rebounds per game and is third with 10.6 points per game. He's shooting 67.5 percent from the field this year, fifth nationally among players with at least five attempts per game.
   Isaiah Zierden (10.9 ppg., 1.4 spg.) leads the BIG EAST with 87.1 percent marksmanship at the line, while also leading the Bluejays with 38 steals and 65 three-pointers made.
   Creighton is second in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (46.7 percent) and fourth in the league in three-point percentage (35.4 percent), but those numbers have fallen to a seventh-best 42.9 percent (overall) and 10th-best 31.1 percent (from deep) in league play.
Scouting Marquette
Marquette is 17-10 this season and 6-8 in BIG EAST play to stand in eighth place. The Golden Eagles are 6-4 away from home this season, including wins over LSU, Arizona State, Wisconsin and Providence.
   Forward Henry Ellenson has lived up to the hype as one of the nation's top freshmen, averaging a double-double (16.5 ppg., 10.0 rpg.) while also supplying 44 blocked shots.
   Ellenson is one of four MU players averaging in double-figures and is joined by Luke Fischer (12.4 ppg., 6.8 rpg.), Duane Wilson (11.9 ppg., 2.6 rpg.) and Haanif Cheatham (11.7 ppg.)
   The Golden Eagles score an average of 75.4 points per game and shoot 46.2 percent from the field, 34.4 percent from downtown and 70.8 percent from the free-throw stripe. MU is also +0.8 rebounds per game and allows 71.6 points per game.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his sixth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 138-67 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 418-262 in his 22nd season and is 287-198 in his 15th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
   Steve Wojciechowski (Duke, 1998) owns a 30-29 record in his second year at Marquette, which doubles as his career record. Wojciechowski came to Marquette after spending 15 seasons as an assistant coach at Duke and legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski. He is assisted by Chris Carrawell, Brett Nelson and Stan Johnson.
The Series With Marquette
Marquette leads the series with Creighton by a 49-32 margin, but the Bluejays lead the series 20-19 in Omaha.
   Creighton has won four of the five meetings since the schools became BIG EAST rivals, including a 65-62 win in Milwaukee on February 13th.
   Greg McDermott is 2-1 against Steve Wojciechowski as a head coach, and is 4-1 in his career against Marquette.
Watson Among An Elite Group
Maurice Watson Jr. leads Creighton in both scoring (15.2 ppg.) and assists per game (6.6 apg.), and is also grabbing 3.4 rebounds per game in his 31.4 minutes per contest.
   Nationally, Watson joins Michigan State's Denzel Valentine, BYU's Kyle Collinsworth and Providence's Kris Dunn as the only players to average at least 15 points, six assists and three rebounds per game in less than 34 minutes per game, as seen below:
Name, School   PPG   RPG   APG   MPG
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State   19.7   7.7   7.3   32.7
Kris Dunn, Providence   17.3   6.1   6.6   33.8
Kyle Collinsworth, BYUÂ Â Â 15.2Â Â Â 8.0Â Â Â 7.2Â Â Â 33.7
Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton   15.2   3.4   6.6   31.4
Accuracy, Thy Name Is Geoffrey
Geoffrey Groselle has made a league-best 67.5 percent of his field goal attempts from the field (108-160), and is nearing the minimum 300 attempts required to qualify for Creighton's career leaders in field goal percentage.
   Groselle enters Wednesday's game having made 194-of-291 career shots from the field, good for 66.7 percent.
   Creighton's all-time leader in field goal percentage, Gregory Echenique, made 62.5 percent (374-598).
   In other words, even in the highly unlikely event that Groselle missed each of his next nine attempts from the floor, he'd still move into first place in that category.
   One player that could give eventually Groselle a run for his money is fellow center Zach Hanson. Hanson is 153-for-241 (63.5 percent) in his career and still has another year to go.
Field Goal Percentage, Career (min. 300 att.)
   Rank   Pct.   Name (Years)   FG-FGA
   1.   .625   Gregory Echenique (2010-13)   374-598
   2.   .615   Will Artino (2011-15)   256-416
   3.   .611   Mike Grimes (2000-04)   292-478
   4.   .585   Vernon Moore (1981-85)   649-1,109
   5.   .562   Benoit Benjamin (1982-85)   610-1,085
McDermott Ties McManus On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 138 victories, tying him with John J. "Red" McManus (1959-69) for third place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .673 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 MBB coaches in 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.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-69
   138-67   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-81
3D The Key
Creighton's defense has gained some acclaim of late, and been a key indicator of success in recent weeks.
   In Creighton's eight BIG EAST victories, Bluejay opponents are shooting just 30.6 percent from three-point range and only making 5.1 treys per game.
   In Creighton's six BIG EAST losses, Bluejay opponents are shooting 38.2 percent from downtown while sinking 8.7 trifectas per game.
Playing With The Lead
Creighton has not trailed in 8-of-15 home games this season, including both of its home games in February so far.
   All told, Creighton hasn't trailed in 60-of-218 overall games played at CenturyLink Center Omaha, including its 2013-14 win over Marquette. Last season in Omaha vs. Marquette Creighton trailed for 31 seconds total, falling behind 2-0 in the first minute, but never trailed again in a 77-70 Bluejay win.
Against The BIG EAST
Since joining the BIG EAST in 2014, Creighton is unbeaten at home against only Marquette and St. John's, the two teams it will host this week. Next week CU treks to Providence, one of two places it hasn't won (along with Georgetown).
Team   CU Home Games   CU Road Games
Butler   2-1   1-2
DePaul   2-1   3-0
Georgetown   2-1   0-3
Marquette   2-0   2-1
Providence   1-2   0-2
Seton Hall   1-2   2-1
St. John's   2-0   1-2
Villanova   1-2   1-2
Xavier   2-1   1-1
Total   15-10   11-14
Watson Named National Player of the Week
Creighton guard Maurice Watson Jr. was named National Player of the Week by CBSSports.com and NBCSports.com on Feb. 15th after leading the Bluejays to a pair of wins in the previous week. He was also the BIG EAST Player of the Week for the second time this season for his efforts.
   Watson averaged 25.0 points, 7.5 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals as Creighton defeated No. 5 Xavier (70-56) and won at Marquette (65-62). Watson made 54.5 percent of his shots from the field and 81.3 percent of his free throw attempts.
   The Philadelphia, Pa., native began his week with 32 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals in Creighton's victory over No. 5 Xavier. Watson scored 22 of his points after the intermission as Creighton picked up a win at home over a top-five team for the first time since 1970. Watson also became Creighton's first player since Benoit Benjamin (in 1985) with at least 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a game.
   Watson then had 18 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in a 65-62 win at Marquette. Watson tied the game with 2:32 left with a pair of free throws, and assisted on the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:05 left that helped CU move into sole possession of third place in the BIG EAST. The game was Watson's third double-double of the winter, and he became the first Bluejay since Duan Cole in 1989-90 with four games of 10+ assists in the same season.
   Watson was the first Creighton player named National Player of the Week by CBSSports.com since Doug McDermott was three times (Jan. 6, Jan. 13, Feb. 17) during a 2013-14 season that saw him sweep National Player of the Year honors. McDermott was also named NBCSports.com National Player of the Week on both Jan. 13 and Feb. 17 of that same season.
Late Game Treys
Toby Hegner made three three-pointers in the second half of the Feb. 13 win at Marquette, none bigger than one that tied the game with 3:26 left.
   Hegner improved to 10-for-15 from three-point range in the final five minutes of games this season, good for 66.7 percent. Hegner also leads the team with 21 rebounds, 10 more than any other teammate, in the last five minutes of games this season.
   On a related topic, James Milliken's go-ahead three-pointer with 1:05 left also was a key to victory. It was Creighton's first go-ahead three-point basket in the final 65 seconds of a game since Doug McDermott at Butler on Feb. 13, 2014, exactly two years earlier to the day. McDermott also drained a go-ahead trey to beat St. John's on Jan. 28, 2014, with 2.8 seconds left.
Ken Pom & RPI and Bracket Racket
With less than three weeks until Selection Sunday, it's that time of year when the computer rankings for contending teams start to get analyzed as more and more projected brackets are created.
   In the rankings by KenPom.com, Creighton is ranked 43rd overall. That website ranks Creighton with the nation's No. 46 adjusted defense, and No. 66 adjusted offense.
   In ESPN's "BPI" rankings, Creighton is 46th.
   In the NCAA's official RPI, Creighton is 82nd.
   On BracketMatrix.com, which compiles the picks of 100 bracketologists nationally, Creighton is currently in the field for just five of the projections.
Stat Sheet Stuffer
Maurice Watson Jr. did a little bit of everything in carrying Creighton to a 70-56 win over No. 5 Xavier on Feb. 9, finishing with 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the victory.
   Watson is Creighton's second player with at least 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the same game since the 1980-81 season, joining Benoit Benajamin's monstrous game of 45 points, 16 rebounds and five assists vs. Indiana State on January 19, 1985.
   Per Basketball-Reference.com, Watson is just the third BIG EAST player in the last six seasons with a 32/7/5 game, joining UConn's Kemba Walker (33/12/5) vs. Syracuse on March 11, 2011, and Villanova's Maalik Wayns (39/13/6) at Cincinnati on Jan. 14, 2012.
One Of The Best Wins
Creighton's Feb. 9th win over No. 5 Xavier was the program's eighth all-time victory over a team ranked in the top-10 of the Associated Press poll, and third in the last three seasons.
   Each of Creighton's last three wins against top-10 foes have come by 14 points or more.
   It was Greg McDermott's third win over a top-10 foe as Creighton coach, matching the three such wins by Eddie Sutton from 1969-74.
   The Feb. 13th win over Marquette improved Creighton to 7-1 in games following a victory against a top-10 foe.
Top-10 Wins, School History
Date   Opponent (Score)   Next Game
12/13/1963Â Â Â #4 Arizona State (84-83)Â Â Â Won
12/01/1965Â Â Â #10 Kansas State (83-75)Â Â Â Won
01/29/1970Â Â Â #5 New Mexico State (72-68)Â Â Â Lost
02/17/1973Â Â Â #7 Houston (78-77)Â Â Â Won
02/09/1974Â Â Â at #6 Marquette (75-69)Â Â Â Won
01/20/2014Â Â Â at #4 Villanova (96-68)Â Â Â Won
02/16/2014Â Â Â #6 Villanova (101-80)Â Â Â Won
02/09/2016Â Â Â #5 Xavier (70-56)Â Â Â Won
Defense Limits Xavier
Creighton held No. 5 Xavier to a season-low 56 points on Feb. 9th, well under the 80.8 points per game the Musketeers had been averaging.
   Keying that defensive effort was limiting Xavier from behind the three-point line, where the Musketeers where 1-for-21.
   That game marked the first Bluejay opponent to make just one three-pointer since Indiana State on March 9, 2013 (1-for-13), and it was the first team to shoot less than 7 percent from three-point range against the Jays since Illinois State was 0-for-8 on Dec. 12, 1999.
   Creighton has held BIG EAST foes to 30.6 percent marksmanship (90-142) from three-point range in its eight league wins, compared to 38.2 percent (52-136) in its five league setbacks.
Stuff On Huff
Cole Huff made his first seven shots and finished with a season-high 28 points vs. DePaul in Creighton's Feb. 6 win.
   Huff's 28 points were three shy of his career-high, set in 2014 in a double-overtime game vs. Fresno State while Huff played at the University of Nevada.
   Eighteen of Huff's points came in the final 5:14 of the first half, a span during which Creighton scored 20 points as a team. Huff made seven straight shots.
   Huff's 28 points came in just 22 minutes, as he drained 9-of-11 shots overall. Huff's the first Bluejay with at least 28 points in 22 minutes or less since Larry House had 28 points in 22 minutes in his final home game, a March 3, 2003 win over Wichita State.
   Huff's 28 points were the most by a Bluejay reserve since Cavel Witter scored 42 points in a double-overtime win over Bradley on March 1, 2008.
New And Improved
Last season's rare down year saw Creighton finish 14-19 overall, and just 4-14 in the BIG EAST. This year's team is 17-10 overall and 8-6 in league play.
   With two weeks left in the regular-season, the Bluejays have already greatly exceeded both win totals from a year ago.
More Points = Better Results
History has shown that the more Creighton scores, the better the team does.
   Creighton is 4-1 against Marquette since the two became BIG EAST rivals, averaging 69.2 points per game in those meetings.
PPG   Opponent   CU W-L
79.4   DePaul   7-1
77.0   Xavier   4-2
74.7   Villanova   2-4
71.8   Seton Hall   3-3
70.2   St. John's   3-2
70.0   Butler   3-3
69.2   Marquette   4-1
63.9   Georgetown   2-5
63.3   Providence   1-5
Bench Impressive
Creighton's bench contributed 51 points in its Feb. 6th victory over DePaul, with 28 of those points coming from Cole Huff.
   Creighton's 51 points by its reserves were the most since it scored 54 in a double-overtime win over South Dakota on Dec. 9, 2014 and its most in regulation since putting up 54 vs. Alcorn State on Nov. 8, 2013. Creighton last had 50+ points off the bench in a league game on March 1, 2008, when the reserves supplied 77 points in a double-overtime win over Bradley.
   The Bluejay bench has scored 748 points so far this season, an average of 27.70 points per contest. That's the program's best figure since the 2007-08 team averaged 36.91 points per game.
   Creighton's bench has contributed 30 double-figure performances this season.
   Creighton's bench has outscored the bench of its opponents 748-542 this season, and 4,558-3,504 in Greg McDermott's six years on the Bluejay sideline.
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.
Triple Threat For Zierden
Junior guard Isaiah Zierden is third in the BIG EAST Conference with 65 three-pointers made, one behind Kellen Dunham (Butler) and two behind D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera (Georgetown).
   In Creighton's first year in the BIG EAST in 2013-14, Ethan Wragge led the league with 110 trifectas, while Doug McDermott was second with 96.
   Zierden has made at least one three-pointer in 14 of his last 15 games, with the Feb. 13 game at Marquette the only exception.
Zierden With Efficient Eight vs. DePaul
Isaiah Zierden's eight three-pointers at DePaul (Jan. 17) are tied for third-most in Creighton history for a single-game, and one shy of the record set by Kyle Korver (1/15/03 vs. Evansville) and Ethan Wragge (1/20/14 at #4 Villanova).
   Zierden is one of four men with exactly eight trifectas in a contest, joining Korver (12/31/02 at #19 Xavier), Tad Ackerman (1/23/95 at Drake) and Terrell Taylor (3/15/02 vs. #15 Florida).
   Of the players to make eight or more three-pointers in a Creighton game, Zierden's 11 attempts are easily the fewest, two less than Ackerman and Korver (at Xavier). Both Korver (vs. Evansville) and Wragge needed 14 attempts, while Taylor set the school-record with 15 attempts against Florida.
   Zierden's eight three-pointers vs. DePaul remain the most by any BIG EAST player in a game this season.
30 Point Efforts
In Greg McDermott's first five years at Creighton, only Kenny Lawson Jr. (once) and Doug McDermott (27 times) ever scored 30 or more points in a game.
   In the last six weeks alone, guards Maurice Watson Jr. (32 vs. No. 5 Xavier on Feb. 9) and Isaiah Zierden (31 points at DePaul on Jan. 17) have each surpassed 30 points in a game.
   This is the first time since 2010-11 that Creighton has had multiple players reach 30 points in the same season (Lawson/D. McDermott).
   Watson's 32 points are the most by any Bluejay since Doug McDermott also scored 32 in a win over Xavier on March 14, 2014.
   Creighton has won 29 straight games in which an individual has scored 31 points or more. In addition to one such game from Zierden and Watson, that streak includes 31 point (or more) games from Doug McDermott (21 times), Nate Funk (3), Kyle Korver (1), Johnny Mathies (1) and Cavel Witter (1). The last time a Bluejay scored 31 or more in a loss came on Dec. 31, 2002, when Korver compiled 32 points in a two-point loss at No. 19 Xavier.
Dynamite Start For Watson
Maurice Watson Jr. has 410 points in his first 27 games as a Creighton Bluejay.
   Since 1995-96, Watson's figure is the most among all Creighton newcomers through 27 games, 18 more than Rodney Buford and 25 more than Doug McDermott's 385 points.
   McDermott would finish his career with 3,150 in 145 career games to rank fifth in NCAA history, while Buford finished with 2,016 career points as a Bluejay.
Most Points, CU Newcomers First 27 Games Since 1995-96
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year   After 28
   410   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16   TBD
   392   Rodney Buford, Fr.   1995-96   412
   385   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11   403
   331   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08   340
   297   Doug Swenson, Jr.   1997-98   317
   284   Ryan Sears, Fr.   1997-98   295
   279   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11   294
   276   Cole Huff, Jr.   2015-16   TBD
   273   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02   290
Go Mo Go
Creighton's Maurice Watson Jr. is one of four players nationally with at least 175 assists, 130 two-point baskets and 25 steals or more, and he's one of two men to do so with fewer than 90 turnovers. Joining him are some of the top point guards in the nation, as seen below:
130 2FG's, 175 Assists & 25 Steals (thru 2/21)
Name, School   2FG   AST   STL   TO
Kay Felder, Oakland   164   276   62   101
Kyle Collinsworth, BYUÂ Â Â 155Â Â Â 208Â Â Â 60Â Â Â 96
Dallas Moore, North Florida   169   183   29   50
Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton   133   178   28   86
What's Your Twenty?
James Milliken had a season-high 21 points on Jan. 30 vs. Seton Hall, becoming Creighton's sixth different player to score 20 points or more this season. In addition to Milliken, Isaiah Zierden (2x), Cole Huff (2x), Maurice Watson Jr. (5x), Khyri Thomas and Geoffrey Groselle (4x) have all reached that mark.
   By comparison, last year Creighton had five players all year reach 20+ points (Austin Chatman, Toby Hegner, Will Artino, Milliken and Zierden), and in the two previous years had only three players surpass 20 points in any game.
   The last previous time that Creighton had six men have 20 or more points in a game during the same season was 1972-73, when Gene Harmon, Al Lewis, Ted Wuebben, Doug Brookins, Ralph Bobik and Gene Ellefson all did it.
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, through games of Feb. 21.
Most Wins - Last 4 Years (2012-13 - Present)
Team   W   L
Villanova   106   25  Â
Creighton   86   45  Â
Xavier   85   44  Â
Providence   83   47
Butler   82   46
Georgetown   79   47  Â
Marquette   73   53  Â
Seton Hall   67   57  Â
St. John's   66   61  Â
DePaul   43   80
Most Wins - Last 10 Years (2006-07 - Present)
Team   W   L
Butler   250   93
Xavier   240   98
Villanova   239   96
Creighton   227   113
Georgetown   221   106
Marquette   218   118
Providence   177   143
Seton Hall   167   147
St. John's   160   160
DePaul   110   203
Most Wins Since 2000-01
Team   W   L
Xavier   377   152
Butler   376   155
Creighton   366   165
Villanova   361   168  Â
Marquette   344   180
Georgetown   339   178  Â
Providence   277   224  Â
Seton Hall   263   231
St. John's   242   254  Â
DePaul   201   289  Â
Pink Out Auction Raises More Than $21,000
Creighton raised more than $21,000 during its "Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out" game vs. Seton Hall on Jan. 30th.
   Bluejay players wore pink shooting shirts and pink jerseys for the game and, like last year's event, fans had the opportunity to honor a friend or family member who has battled cancer or is currently battling cancer by purchasing the apparel via auction (the shooting shirt could be personalized – last name, nickname, etc.).
   The first 16,000 fans entering the venue received a complimentary pink t-shirt courtesy of CHI Health and Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center.
   Complimentary "Pink Out" posters were also available to fans exiting the venue after the game.
   This year's Creighton vs. Cancer jersey auction raised $16,527.90 and donations brought in an additional $5,000. The past five seasons has seen $126,203.04 raised in the jersey auction.
   Below is the final numbers for each item in the auction this year:
#0Â Â Â $710Â Â Â #1Â Â Â $532.40Â Â Â #2Â Â Â $1125
#4Â Â Â $1035Â Â Â #5Â Â Â $455Â Â Â #10Â Â Â $1397
#11Â Â Â $910Â Â Â #12Â Â Â $620Â Â Â #13Â Â Â $1009
#15Â Â Â $610Â Â Â #20Â Â Â $485Â Â Â #21Â Â Â $1280
#22Â Â Â $960Â Â Â #23Â Â Â $860Â Â Â #32Â Â Â $1125
#40Â Â Â $1025Â Â Â #41Â Â Â $1275Â Â Â
Basketballs: $242.50, $230.50, $227.50, $210.50, $203.50
Some People Call Him Maurice
Maurice Watson Jr. dished 14 assists in Creighton's win at Seton Hall on Jan. 9. While it was three shy of his collegiate high accomplished while he was at Boston University, the 14 helpers were his most in a Creighton uniform.
   Watson's 14 assists tie Providence's Kris Dunn (twice) for the most by any BIG EAST player this season, and were the most in a regular-season BIG EAST game since Dee Davis had 15 assists vs. Providence on Feb. 7, 2015.
   Watson's 14 assists are tied for fifth-most nationally in a game this season, and directly led to 37 points by the Bluejays in that game.
   Watson's 14 assists were the most ever by a Creighton player in any conference game.
   Watson's 14 assists were the most by any Bluejay since Ralph Bobik tied his own school-record with 17 assist vs. Bradley on Jan. 22, 1974. Below is a list of the six occasions in CU history in which a player has had 13 or more assists.
   Ast.   Name, Opponent   Date
   17   Ralph Bobik at St. Francis (Pa.)   02/23/73
      Ralph Bobik vs. Bradley   01/22/74
   16   Ralph Bobik vs. BYU   12/17/73
   14   Maurice Watson Jr. at Seton Hall   01/09/16
   13   Latrell Wrightsell vs. Nebraska   12/07/91
      Jason Bey vs. Southern Illinois   02/27/95
Some Loyal Fans
Creighton has attracted 255,348 fans at home this season, surpassing 200,000 fans on Jan. 23 for the 11th straight season.
   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 13 straight seasons.
   Creighton has led its conference in home attendance every year since moving into CenturyLink Center Omaha, which is now in its 13th season.
Over .500, Again
Creighton has been better than .500 at the midway point in league play in 19 of the last 20 seasons, including this year.
   Creighton has also gone 5-4 or better in the second half of league action in 18 of the last 19 seasons.
   Creighton has made the postseason each of the previous 17 times it's been 5-4 or better at the midway point, and missed it the only time they weren't in that span.
   Here's how Creighton's teams have fared in the various halves of the MVC/BIG EAST season since 1995-96.
Year   1st Half   2nd Half
2015-16Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 3-2 so far
2014-15Â Â Â 1-8Â Â Â 3-6
2013-14Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 6-3
2012-13Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 6-3
2011-12Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 6-3
2010-11Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4
2009-10Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4
2008-09Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â
2007-08Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4
2006-07Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 7-2
2005-06Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 5-4
2004-05Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 6-3
2003-04Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 5-4
2002-03Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 7-2
2001-02Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 6-3
2000-01Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 9-0
1999-00Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 6-3
1998-99Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 5-4
1997-98Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 7-2
1996-97Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4
1995-96Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â 5-4
Total   120-69 (.635)   121-64 (.654)
Most Improved Big Men?
With the possible exception of Providence's Ben Bentil, few players around the BIG EAST have improved more than Creighton's Geoffrey Groselle.
   Groselle entered his senior season averaging 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per contest, collecting 200 career points and 102 career rebounds in his first 63 games. This year Groselle owns 10.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and has 285 points and 162 rebounds in 28 games (27 starts).
Watson Dishes and Scores
Maurice Watson Jr. continues to extend his team lead in both scoring and assists. In fact, in Creighton's last 18 games Watson has owned the outright team lead in assists 17 times and tied for the team lead on the other occasion.
   Watson is on pace to become 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 15.2Â Â Â 6.6
Mo' Points, Mo' Assists
Maurice Watson Jr. leads Creighton in both scoring and assists, and he's doing things at a rate that has never been approached in school history.
   Since the program began tracking assists in 1970-71, Watson is one of four men to average at least 12 points and five assists per game. However, he's the only one in that quartet that's scored 12 points per game while also averaging six assists per contest.
12+ PPG & 5+ APG, Since 1970-71 at Creighton
Name, Year   PPG   APG
Ralph Bobik, 1971-72Â Â Â 14.1Â Â Â 5.2
James Farr, 1988-89Â Â Â 12.0Â Â Â 5.0
Antoine Young, 2010-11Â Â Â 13.1Â Â Â 5.0
Maurice Watson Jr., 2015-16Â Â Â 15.2Â Â Â 6.6
Standard Five
Creighton used the same starting line-up in each of its first 18 games this season before finally making a change on Jan. 17 (in game 19) when Toby Hegner replaced Cole Huff in the first five.
   Creighton tried a third combination on Feb. 3 at Villanova, as Zach Hanson replaced a gimpy Geoffrey Groselle.
   Creighton utilized a fourth combo on Feb. 9 vs. No. 5 Xavier when James Milliken started for Khyri Thomas.
   Last season Creighton used 10 different starting line-up combinations, its most in any season since using 11 pairings in 1994-95.
   Creighton used the same starting five combination for every game in 2011-12, and then again in 2012-13.
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), 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 five).
   On the other hand, CU is 121-8 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 109 of the last 113 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 on 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 last year.
   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.
   After allowing just two game-winning go-ahead scores in the last 10 seconds in the first 11 seasons at CenturyLink Center Omaha, Creighton has allowed that to happen four times in the past 13 months alone.
   Creighton is now 7-6 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds in the 13-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
Assists Are Elementary For Watson
Maurice Watson Jr. had his fourth game this season with 10 or more assists when he dished 10 dimes on Feb. 13th at Marquette. Watson had six such games at Boston University in his first two years as a collegian.
   Watson is the first Bluejay with four games of 10 or more assists in the same season since Duan Cole, who had four such games in 1989-90.
Magic Number is 79
Creighton has scored 79 points or more in 14 of its 17 wins thus far. Creighton averages 87.2 points per game in its 17 wins this winter, compared to 67.1 per game when it loses.
   Marquette allows 71.6 points per game (seventh in the BIG EAST) and is 2-7 when allowing 79 points or more this season.
   Marquette has allowed 67.6 points in its 17 wins this year, compared to 78.3 points allowed in its 10 losses.
Watson Reaches Milestones
Though he's still relatively new to Creighton, that hasn't kept Maurice Watson Jr. from reaching a couple big milestones at the collegiate level.
   Watson owns 410 points and 178 assists at Creighton this season, and when combined with his 800 points and 410 assists in two seasons at Boston University, now owns career collegiate totals of 1,210 points and 588 assists.
   Only two players have ever attained 1,000 points and 500 assists (all with CU) during their Creighton careers, Ryan Sears (1,309/570) and Antoine Young (1,342/505). Both Sears and Young got there as seniors.
   Watson is currently averaging 6.59 assists per game. Creighton's last player to average 6.0 assists per game or more for an entire season is Randy Eccker's 7.3 assists per contest in 1976-77.
   Overall, Watson's 2.07 assist/turnover ratio this year ranks sixth in the BIG EAST (min. 3.0 assists per game), and his career ratio (including Boston) of 2.12 assists per turnover ranks 13th-best nationally among active players with 400 or more career assists.
   That ratio ranks better that such highly-touted men such as Ryan Arcidiacono (2.03), Yogi Ferrell (2.00), Denzel Valentine (1.93) and Kris Dunn (1.76).
   Watson surpassed 1,000 career points on Jan. 5 vs. Georgetown in the 81st game of Watson's collegiate career. If you're curious to see how that stacks up with others in recent Creighton history to reach 1,000 career points, here's a list:
Games To 1,000 CU Points, Last 15 Bluejays
Name   Games to 1,000 pts.    Date
Austin Chatman   139   03/11/15
Ethan Wragge   132   01/18/14
Gregory Echenique   101   03/24/13
Doug McDermott   57   01/15/12
Antoine Young   115   12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr.   108   11/21/10
P'Allen Stinnett   86   01/16/10
Dane Watts   115   01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver   124   03/16/07
Johnny Mathies   91   03/03/06
Nate Funk   92   02/28/05
Kyle Korver   81   01/30/02
Ben Walker   105   01/06/01
Ryan Sears   97   12/01/00
Rodney Buford   59   03/01/97
Groselle Good As Gold
Geoffrey Groselle made his last five shots in an 8-for-9 against North Texas on Dec. 21, then followed it with an 8-for-8 showing from the floor vs. Coppin State one week later. On Dec. 31 at St. John's, Groselle made his first eight shots before finishing 9-of-10. Groselle was also perfect from the field vs. Villanova on Jan. 2nd, though he only attempted one shot.
   The streak of 21 straight field goals made was just nine shy of the NCAA record set this season by Yale's Brandon Sherrod.
   The recent play has moved Groselle's field goal percentage to 67.5 percent, the fifth-best mark nationally (min 5 FGA/game) and best in the BIG EAST (min. 3 FG/game).
   If you're curious, the NCAA record (min. 5 FG/game) was set in 1981 by Oregon State's Steve Johnson, who shot 74.6 percent, while the Creighton record (min. 200 attempts) is 67.4 percent set by Vernon Moore in 1984-85.
   Groselle's older brother, Mike Groselle, played at The Citadel from 2009-13 and ranks eighth in Southern Conference history with a 58.9 career field goal percentage and led the league in that category as a senior when he shot 57.4 percent from the floor.
FG Percentage Leaders (through 2/21)
Minimum 5 FGA/game
   Rk.   Team      FG%
   1.   Evan Bradds, Belmont      .704
   2.   Venky Jois, Eastern Washington   .697
   3.   Thomas Bryant, Indiana   .689
   4.   Derek Griffin, Texas Southern   .675
   5.   Geoffrey Groselle, Creighton   .675
Not So Sweet Home
After going 61-10 in home non-conference games, BIG EAST teams are 36-36 at home thus far in league play.
   BIG EAST teams went 54-36 in league play at home last year after going 55-35 in 2013-14 in Creighton's first year as a league member.
Century Mark Back-to-Back
Creighton scored 105 points on Dec. 21st against North Texas, then had 102 more on Dec. 28th vs. Coppin State.
   Creighton had not scored 100 points or more in consecutive games since Jan. 29 (104 at Idaho State) and Feb. 2 (115 vs. Memphis) during the 1965-66 season, and had not scored 100 points twice in the same month since February of 1990.
   Creighton has scored 100 points or more in three different games this season. It's the fourth different season in program history it's done that, and first time since 1989-90's squad did it three times.
   The 1965-66 team cracked the century mark seven times, while the 1971-72 club reached triple-digits five times.
The Link Turns Into The Dunk Tank
Creighton has put down 45 dunks in 27 regular-season games as a unit this year. By comparison, Creighton had 29 dunks in 33 games all last season.
   Seven different men have thrown down a dunk this winter, led by 13 from Geoffrey Groselle, 11 from Zach Hanson and 10 by Khyri Thomas.
The Fast And The Furious
Creighton has 272 fast break points already this winter, including 22 in the first meeting with Marquette. 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.
   Creighton had a whopping 30 fast break points in its Nov. 14 win over Texas Southern, then 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.
Pace Makers
Creighton ranks 35th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 79.74 points per game to date.
   This year's team has scored 79 points or more in 14 of its 17 victories, significantly better than last year's team that reached 85 points 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?
2015-16Â Â Â 10Â Â Â TBDÂ Â Â
2014-15   2   None  Â
2013-14Â Â Â 12Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â
2012-13Â Â Â 7Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â
2011-12Â Â Â 13Â Â Â NCAAÂ Â Â
2010-11Â Â Â 3Â Â Â CBI
2009-10Â Â Â 2Â Â Â CIT
2008-09Â Â Â 3Â Â Â NIT
2007-08Â Â Â 6Â Â Â NIT
2006-07Â Â Â 0Â Â Â NCAA
2005-06Â Â Â 2Â Â Â NIT
2004-05Â Â Â 1Â Â Â NCAA
2003-04Â Â Â 1Â Â Â NIT
2002-03Â Â Â 11Â Â Â NCAA
2001-02Â Â Â 6Â Â Â NCAA
2000-01Â Â Â 4Â Â Â NCAA
Man Of Steal
Isaiah Zierden ranks fifth in the BIG EAST with 38 steals this season. He owns eight games this season with three steals or more, and had at least three in each of CU's first four BIG EAST victories this winter.
   By comparison, Zierden had a total of three steals (in 28 games and 304 minutes) as a freshman, and 12 steals (in 20 games and 558 minutes) a year ago. Zierden owned just two steals in 23 career BIG EAST games entering the season.
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 740 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 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 103, which is second-longest nationally.
   Courtesy Stats Inc., below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (thru 2/21)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   968   UNLV   2/23
   2.   966   Kentucky   2/23
   3.   958   Vanderbilt   2/23
   4.   938   Duke   2/25
   5.   898   Western Kentucky   2/25
   6.   896   Arkansas   2/23
   7.   887   East Tennessee State   2/25
   8.   883   Pacific   2/25
   9.   865   Oakland   2/26
   10.   852   Texas   2/22
   11.   838   Princeton   2/26
   12.   824   Florida   2/23
   13.   804   La Salle   2/24
   14.   802   Marshall   2/25
   15.   793   Baylor   2/23
   16.   772   LIU-Brooklyn   2/25
   17.   768   Cornell   2/26
   18.   765   Gonzaga   2/25
   19.   752   Mount St. Mary's   2/25
   20.   751   Tennessee State   2/25
      751   Samford   2/27
   22.   743   East Carolina   2/24
   23.   740   Creighton   2/24
   24.   706   Lafayette   2/24
   25.   702   DePaul   2/25
   26.   695   Davidson   2/23
Longest Active Streaks of 15+ 3FG Attempts
(Source: STATS Inc., thru Feb. 21)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   160   Coppin State   2/22
   2.   103   Creighton   2/24
   3.   95   Iona   2/22
   4.   93   San Jose State   2/27
   5.   85   Lipscomb   2/25
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton has averaged 79.74 points per game in its first 27 regular-season contests to date.
   Greg McDermott is 36-0 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 30-0 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   In fact, McDermott's team has already scored 90 or more points eight times (in 27 games) this season, compared to six total times in 280 games on the sideline in nine years at Northern Iowa and Iowa State.
   Creighton has won 74 straight games when scoring 90 or more points at all sites since a Jan. 11, 1988 loss to Southern Illinois.
   Creighton is 52-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 24 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas State.
So Many Weapons
Creighton had seven players score in double-figures in its Dec. 28 win over Coppin State, as Geoffrey Groselle (16), Isaiah Zierden (16), Cole Huff (14), Malik Albert (13), Khyri Thomas (10), Maurice Watson Jr. (10) and Zach Hanson (10) all had 10 or more points.
   It was the first time since at least 1980-81 that Creighton has had seven men score 10 or more points in the same game.
   It's also the first time since Nov. 21, 2010 that all five Bluejay starters scored in double-figures in the same contest.
   Albert's 13 points were a season-high, and made him the 11th different Bluejay with score 10 or more points in a game this season.
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.
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. Maurice Watson Jr. has also done it once since then (Jan. 26 at Georgetown).
   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
   16   8   7   Maurice Watson Jr.   1/26/16
  Â
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.
Among The Best
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, which coincides with Greg McDermott's arrival, Creighton has been the nation's fourth-most accurate team from three-point range.
   The Bluejays are 1715-4425 from deep in that time, shooting 38.8 percent.
Best 3FG%, Since 2010-11
Rk.   Pct.   Team   3FG   3FGA
1.   .394   Indiana   1450   3682
2.   .391   Weber State   1477   3775
3.   .390   Northern Colorado   1225   3143
4.   .388   Creighton   1715   4425
5.   .387   Denver   1429   3695
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 Feb. 21:
Most Games, 50% FG & 40% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   67   Creighton
2.   61   Gonzaga
3.   59   Saint Mary's
   59   Denver
   59   Kansas
Most Games, 50% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   45   Creighton
2.   43   Michigan State
3.   42   UCLA
4.   41   Northern Colorado
   40   Northeastern
   40   Weber State
Most Games, 40% 3FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   103   Creighton
   103   Duke
3.   99   Indiana
4.   97   Weber State
5.   93   Saint Mary's
Most Games, 50% FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   98   Gonzaga
2.   93   Kansas
3.   90   Belmont
4.   85   Creighton
5.   84   Kentucky
Most Games, 60% FG
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   17   Utah
2.   16   Creighton
   16   Ohio State
4.   14   Kansas
   14   Gonzaga
   14   North Dakota State
Most Games, 25+ Assists
Rk.   Occasions   Team
1.   20   Michigan State
2.   17   North Carolina
3.   16   Sam Houston State
4.   15   Iona
5.   14   Creighton
   14   BYU
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.
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. Â Â Â
   The 2015-16 season saw 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.
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.
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.
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 eighth in NBA history with 1,838 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 43.0 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through Feb. 21). 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 5.4 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 8.7 points per game and ranks sixth in the NBA, shooting 43.6 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.
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 17,023 fans per game, which ranks eighth nationally through Feb. 21.
2015-16 Attendance Leaders
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   23,231   2/23
   2.   Syracuse   20,759   2/27
   3.   Louisville   20,794   3/1
   4.   North Carolina   18,167   2/29
   5.   Maryland   17,858   3/3
   6.   Wisconsin   17,287   2/28
   7.   Indiana   17,084   3/6
   8.   Creighton   17,023   2/24
   9.   North Carolina State   16,687   2/24
   10.   Kansas   16,454   2/27
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   17,023 so far   Creighton   2015-16
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12
Full House
Creighton's Jan. 30 crowd of 17,924 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.   17,924   Seton Hall   01/30/16
   19.   17,766   Nebraska   12/09/15
   20.   17,740   Alcorn State   11/08/13
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 46-40 (.535) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 69-10 (.873) 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 100-26 in the last five years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 15-24 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 218 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 13-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 181-37 (.830) 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 16,590-14,034 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.72 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 60 different times, including eight times this year (UTSA, Western Illinois, Nebraska, IUPUI, North Texas, Coppin State, DePaul and No. 5 Xavier).
   Creighton is also 25-21 all-time in the 46 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
   Creighton is 83-19 (.812) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 47-4 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 200-37 (.844) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 138-67 on the Creighton sideline midway through his sixth year at the helm. The 138 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.   138-67 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 95-1 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is 107-1 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 78.60 points per home game (8,096 points in 103 home games).
   Since a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000, Creighton is 117-0 at home (88-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more, and 98-0 at home (71-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to that same setback.
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
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Ty Davis
Friday, August 15
