No. 22 Men's Basketball Visits No. 16 Butler in Top 25 Showdown

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Game #23: #22 Creighton at #16 Butler • Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017 • 6:01 p.m. Central
Hinkle Fieldhouse (9,100) • Indianapolis, Ind.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1 (Justin Kutcher, Bill Raftery)
Series History: Creighton leads, 8-6
Last Meeting: #8 Creighton 75, #12 Butler 64 on Jan. 11, 2017 in Omaha, Neb.

Next Game
No. 22 Creighton (19-3, 6-3 BIG EAST) starts the second half of BIG EAST play on Tuesday when it heads to Indianapolis, Ind., to take on No. 16 Butler (18-4, 7-3 BIG EAST). Tip-off at Hinkle Fieldhouse (9,100) is set for 6:01 p.m. Central.
   The winner will be alone in second place of the BIG EAST standings.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2016-17 season, while KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
   John Bishop and former Bluejay Josh Dotzler will call the action.

Television Information
Tuesday's game will be televised nationally on FS1.
   Justin Kutcher and Bill Raftery will handle announcing duties.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Tuesday's game will be available via FOXSportsGO.com for desktop users, and via the FOX Sports GO app for mobile devices (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Window devices). A cable authorization may be required.
   The FOX Sports GO mobile app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store or the Windows Store, and the games are now available internationally.

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 is ranked 22nd in this week's Associated Press poll after a stellar start to the season that includes wins over No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 12 Butler, No. 22 Xavier, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, Buffalo, Akron, Nebraska, Arizona State, Seton Hall, St. John's, Providence and DePaul.
   Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster (18.2 ppg.) leads the Bluejays in scoring, and is averaging the most points by a Bluejay newcomer since Cyril Baptiste in 1969-70. He's scored 12 points or more in all but two games so far, and has already been named Paradise Jam MVP and a two-time BIG EAST Player of the Week in this young season.
   Two Omaha products in the starting line-up are also doing big things. Vastly improved Khyri Thomas averages 11.8 points per game, and is second on the team in blocks, assists and rebounding, in addition to being a defensive stopper. Redshirt freshman big man Justin Patton averages 14.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He's shooting 71.4 percent from the field (third nationally) and has 53 dunks already.
   Maurice Watson Jr. (12.9 ppg., 8.5 apg.) was a preseason All-BIG EAST selection who directed Creighton's potent offensive attack, but the nation's active leader with 801 career assists tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Jan. 16 at Xavier and has not played since.

Scouting No. 16 Butler
Butler is 18-4 this season, with impressive wins over Arizona, Cincinnati, Indiana and Villanova to its credit. The Bulldogs are 11-1 at home this season, but were upended by Georgetown on Saturday night at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.
   Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Kelan Martin (16.6 ppg., 5.5 rpg.) leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, with Andrew Chrabascz (11.4 ppg., 4.9 rpg.) also among the team leaders.
   Tyler Lewis (7.1 ppg.) owns a team-high 84 assists with just 25 turnovers.
   Butler scores 76.8 points per game and allows 67.2 points per contest. BU shoots 47.5 percent from the field, including 37.3 percent from three-point range, and holds foes to 31.5 percent shooting from long-range.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his seventh season as head coach at Creighton. He is 160-75 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 440-270 in his 23rd season and is 309-206 in his 16th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
   Chris Holtmann (Taylor, 1994) owns a 63-26 record in his third season as head coach at Butler after being promoted from an assistant's role at BU. He came to Butler after three seasons as head coach at Gardner-Webb, where he went 44-54 with the Runnin' Bulldogs. Holtmann is assisted by Mike Schrage, Terry Johnson and Ryan Pedon.

The Series With Butler
Creighton is 8-6 all-time vs. Butler in a series that dates to a 27-22 Bluejay win in 1933. The teams played twice each in 1933 and 1934, then took a 40-year break in the series.
   Creighton swept the Bulldogs in 2013-14, before losing games by two and three points in 2014-15. The home team won both games last season. Creighton won a top-12 battle on January 11th in Omaha, 75-64.
   Greg McDermott is 4-5 in his career vs. Butler, including a 4-3 mark on the Creighton sideline. He is 2-3 against Chris Holtmann.

Ranking News & Notes
Butler is ranked 16th in this week's AP poll, while Creighton is 22nd. Some notes of interest as it pertains to Creighton...
-Creighton is 26-133 all-time (3-1 this year) against nationally-ranked teams in the Associated Press poll, with victories this season against No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 12 Butler at No. 22 Xavier.
-Creighton has never beaten the same ranked team twice in the same season.
-Creighton had never beaten the same ranked school in consecutive seasons until beating ranked Butler and Xavier teams both last year and this year.
-Creighton has beaten two ranked teams in the same month for the first time in program history, having topped No. 12 Butler on Jan. 11 and No. 22 Xavier on Jan. 16. Creighton can close out the month with a win over No. 16 Butler.
-Creighton is 8-18 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams. He owns more top-25 wins than any coach in Creighton history, having passed Dana Altman (7) with the win at No. 22 Xavier on Jan. 16.
-This is the fourth time that Creighton has won two straight games against top-25 teams, having also done it in 2001-02, 2006 and 2014. The program has never won three straight against top-25 competition.
-Creighton is 4-8 all-time as a ranked team when playing another ranked team (3-1 this year).
-Creighton is 4-69 all-time in true road games against top-25 teams, but two of those wins have come in BIG EAST play in the last four seasons and under the direction of head coach Greg McDermott. The most recent win came on Jan. 16, 2017 at No. 22 Xavier.
-Creighton has never picked up multiple top-25 road wins in the same season, something it can accomplish with a victory on Tuesday.

More Top 25 Notes
Creighton has three wins over top-25 teams this season, more than any campaign in program history. Five previous teams had two top-25 victories in the same season.
Most Top-25 Wins, Season
   Wins   Season   Top-25 Victims
   3   2016-17   #9 Wisconsin, #12 Butler, #22 Xavier
   2   1973-74   #6 Marquette, #16 Louisville
   2   2001-02   #15 Florida, #17 Western Kentucky
   2   2006-07   #11 Southern Illinois, #24 Xavier
   2   2013-14   #4 Villanova, #6 Villanova
   2   2015-16   #5 Xavier, #18 Butler

Going For 20 Wins, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 16 of the previous 18 seasons (through the end of 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 (entering 2016-17): Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
   Kentucky , Florida, Texas and Syracuse have each done it in 17 of the last 18 seasons (entering 2016-17).
   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 (entering 2016-17).
   With a win on Tuesday, Creighton will have 20+ wins for the 17th time in 19 seasons, and 26th time overall in program history.
   A win on Tuesday would also match Creighton's victory total from all of last season in 35 games (20).

Point Taken
The absence of Maurice Watson Jr. has changed the rotation around a little bit, but Creighton still boasts an offense with multiple weapons.
   Creighton has used three different men at point guard over the past three games since learning the severity of Watson's injury.
Player   PTS   REB   AST   TO   MIN
Mintz   25   7   11   6   60
Zierden   20   6   1   1   60
Clement   3   5   6   1   34

Secret Weapon
Tyler Clement had played a total of 12 minutes in Creighton's first eight BIG EAST games, accumulating no points, one rebound and one assist.
   On Saturday against DePaul, Clement was Creighton's first reserve off the bench and contributed three points, four rebounds and five assists in 23 minutes of action.

Bulldog Effort On Defense Slows Down Butler
Creighton has had some success in slowing down Butler's top scorers this season, Kelan Martin (16.6 ppg.) and Andrew Chrabascz (11.4 ppg.), in recent meetings.
   Earlier this year Martin missed his first eight shots in Omaha and scored a season-low seven points. Chrabascz has combined for two points in Creighton's last two victories over Butler, shooting 1-for-11 from the field.
Date   Result   Martin Pts (FG)   Chrabascz Pts (FG)
1/14/14   CU 88-60   --   6 (2-2)
2/13/14   CU 68-63   --   10 (3-7)
1/21/15   BU 64-61   7 (2-6)   13 (4-14)
2/16/15   BU 58-56   2 (1-1)   DNP
1/23/16   CU 72-64   22 (8-23)   2 (0-6)
2/16/16   BU 88-75   21 (6-18)   6 (2-6)
1/11/17   CU 75-64   7 (3-14)   2 (1-5)
TOTALS   CU 4-3   59 (20-52)   39 (12-40)

Patton On The Point Total
Freshman Justin Patton has scored nine or more points in every game this season, and landed in double-figures in each of his last 12 games.
   Patton's streak of 12 straight double-figure games is the longest by any Bluejay since Maurice Watson Jr. did it in 12 consecutive contests from Jan. 17 - Feb. 28, 2016. No Creighton player has done it in 13 (or more) straight games since Doug McDermott closed his career in 2014 with 28 consecutive games of 14 points or more.
   Patton's streak of 12 is the longest by any Bluejay newcomer since junior college transfer Booker Woodfox had a stretch of 14 straight games in double-figures from Jan. 26 - March 18, 2008.
   Patton's double-figure scoring streak of 12 is the longest by any Creighton freshman since Rodney Buford's stretch of 17 straight games from Jan. 3 - Feb. 21, 1996.

We're Jamming!
Justin Patton has 53 of CU's 100 dunks this season, with Marcus Foster (20), Khyri Thomas (13), Martin Krampelj (4), Ronnie Harrell Jr. (3), Toby Hegner (2), Zach Hanson (2), Cole Huff (1), Davion Mintz (1) and Kobe Paras (1) accounting for the others. Of Patton's dunks, 26 have been on lobs.
   The 100 dunks are far more than any previous season under Greg McDermott, easily eclipsing the mark of 58 dunks in 35 games last year, and exceeding the 87 dunks in 68 games over the previous two seasons combined.
   Here's a look at the Creighton student-athletes with 20 or more dunks in a season, and 19 or more dunks in a career, under McDermott:
Most Creighton Dunks, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Year
53   Justin Patton   2016-17
36   Gregory Echenique   2012-13
30   Gregory Echenique   2011-12
24   Gregory Echenique   2010-11
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11

Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Years
90   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
53   Justin Patton   2016-Pres.
38   Will Artino   2011-15
29   Zach Hanson   2013-Pres.
25   Geoffrey Groselle   2012-16
25   Khyri Thomas   2015-Pres.
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11
20   Marcus Foster   2016-Pres.
19   Doug McDermott   2010-14

Most Creighton Dunks, Team, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Year   Team W-L
100   2016-17   ? ? ?
58   2015-16   20-15 (NIT)
56   2010-11   23-16 (CBI)
54   2012-13   28-8 (NCAA)
42   2011-12   29-6 (NCAA)
35   2013-14   27-8 (NCAA)
29   2014-15   14-19

Over .500, Again
Creighton has been better than .500 at the midway point in league play in 20 of the last 21 seasons, including this year.
   Creighton has also gone 5-4 or better in the second half of league action in 18 of the last 20 seasons.
   Creighton has made the postseason each of the previous 18 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
2016-17   6-3   ? ? ?
2015-16   5-4   4-5
2014-15   1-8   3-6
2013-14   8-1   6-3
2012-13   7-2   6-3
2011-12   8-1   6-3
2010-11   5-4   5-4
2009-10   5-4   5-4
2008-09   5-4   9-0
2007-08   5-4   5-4
2006-07   6-3   7-2
2005-06   7-2   5-4
2004-05   5-4   6-3
2003-04   7-2   5-4
2002-03   8-1   7-2
2001-02   8-1   6-3
2000-01   5-4   9-0
1999-00   5-4   6-3
1998-99   6-3   5-4
1997-98   5-4   7-2
1996-97   5-4   5-4
1995-96   4-5   5-4
Total   126-72 (.636)   122-67 (.646)

Outright Awesome
Khyri Thomas led Creighton in points (18), rebounds (7), assists (6) and steals (2) in Creighton's win over DePaul last Saturday.
   To find the last Bluejay to own the outright lead in each of those four categories in the same game, you'd have to go back to Dec. 7, 2014, when Austin Chatman had a near-identical line. Chatman had 19 points, seven rebounds, six assists and one steal in a 65-55 win at Nebraska.

Pink Out Auction Raises More Than $26,300
Creighton raised $26,361.64 for last Saturday's "Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out" Pink Out game on vs. DePaul.
   The past six seasons has seen $157,564.68 raised.
   Below is the final numbers for each jersey/item in the auction this year:
#0   $1875   #1   $1700   #2   $3300
#4   $627   #5   $510   #10   $2408
#11   $760   #13   $1530   #14   $590
#15   $620   #21   $1525   #23   $3850
#24   $610   #31   $426.65   #32   $1054.99
#40   $850      Basketballs: $910, $590, $585, $660
McDermott's Shoes: $1,025   McDermott's Tie: $355

Yearly Pink Out Totals
Creighton has raised $157,564.68 since the start of the 2011-12 season during its annual men's basketball Pink Out.
2011-12:   $20,600
2012-13:   $24,444
2013-14:   $48,247.11
2014-15:   $16,384.03
2015-16:   $16,527.90 (plus another $5,000 in donations)
2016-17:   $26,361.64
Six-Year Totals: $157,564.68

Quest For 18,000 A Success
Creighton has scored 18,026 points all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha, surpassing 18,000 points last Saturday vs. DePaul on a Zach Hanson lay-up.
    Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 18,026 to 15,189 at the 14-year old facility in 235 all-time games in the building that count.
    Creighton is 17-1 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone at CenturyLink Center Omaha, as seen below:
Date   Pts-Opp (CLCO Game #)   Who/How vs. Opp.
02/18/04   1,000-787 (14)   Lindeman FG vs. Indiana State
02/05/05   2,000-1,696 (28)   Funk FG vs. Missouri St.
01/18/06   3,000-2,504 (41)   Watts FT vs. Bradley
01/09/07   4,000-3,359 (56)   Tolliver FG vs. Drake
12/17/07   5,000-4,174 (69)   Ka. Korver 3FG vs. Hou. Baptist
11/16/08   6,000-5,048 (82)   Dotzler FG vs. New Mexico
02/11/09   7,000-5,870 (95)   Witter 3FG vs. Bradley
01/16/10   8,000-6,750 (109)   Young FG vs. Wichita State
12/20/10   9,000-7,645 (123)   Wragge FG vs. W. Illinois
03/23/11   10,000-8,500 (136)   Lawson FG vs. UCF
01/21/12   11,000-9,310 (148)   McDermott FG vs. Ind. St.
12/19/12   12,000-10,136 (161)   Echenique FG vs. Tulsa
11/23/13   13,000-10,922 (173)   Artino FG vs. Tulsa
02/23/14   14,000-11,711 (185)   Gibbs FG vs. Seton Hall
01/28/15   15,000-12,612 (198)   Hanson FT vs. St. John's
12/28/15   16,000-13,498 (211)   Huff FG vs. Coppin State
11/15/16   17,000-14,349 (224)   Patton FG vs. #9 Wisconsin
01/28/17   18,000-15,166 (235)   Hanson FG vs. DePaul

Hanson Hurt, But Heals
Senior center Zach Hanson was expected to miss 8-12 weeks after tearing a tendon and the ligaments in his left ankle during Creighton's win over Ole Miss on Nov. 21st. Hanson underwent surgery on Nov. 28th, and the senior played five minutes last Wednesday at Georgetown in his first action in nearly two months.
   Hanson then produced nine points and four rebounds in 10 minutes of work vs. DePaul, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor.
   A Pierre, S.D., native, Hanson is averaging 7.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 67.7 percent from the field in 11.6 minutes per game.
   Even though he wasn't on the court while injured, Hanson maintained a strong leadership role on the team as he mentored freshmen centers Justin Patton and Martin Krampelj.

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 79.43 points per home game (9,532 points in 120 home games).
   Since a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000, Creighton had been 127-0 at home (97-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more, and 107-0 at home (80-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to that same setback, before a January 21st, 102-94 loss to Marquette.

More Points = Better Results
Creighton has won 8-of-9 meetings with DePaul since the schools became league rivals in the BIG EAST four years ago.
   It's probably not a coincidence that Creighton's 79.8 points per game against the Blue Demons is its most against any BIG EAST foe in that span.
   Creighton has a 4-3 record against Butler as BIG EAST rivals while averaging 70.7 points per game versus the Bulldogs.
PPG   Opponent   CU W-L
79.8   DePaul   8-1
79.6   Xavier   5-3
76.6   St. John's   5-2
74.1   Seton Hall   4-4
74.0   Villanova   2-5
71.6   Marquette   4-3
70.7   Butler   4-3
65.5   Providence   2-6
62.3   Georgetown   2-6

Patton Up For Wayman Tisdale Award
Creighton center Justin Patton has been named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's midseason watch list for the Wayman Tisdale Award, given to the National Freshman of the Year.
   Patton ranks second on the Creighton team with 14.0 points per game, and leads the club with 6.4 rebounds per game and 35 blocked shots. Patton ranks third nationally in field goal percentage (71.4 percent) and owns 53 dunks through 22 career games.
   Balloting for the USBWA's All-America Team, All-District Teams and the association's individual awards will take place in March.

More Patton, Please
Justin Patton ranks third nationally with 71.4 percent shooting from the field this year.
   Incredibly, the freshman has shot better than 55 percent from the field in every game this season.
   Patton's 22 games shooting 50.1 percent or better from the field leads the nation, two more than UNCW's Devontae Cacock (20).
   Patton (22) and Leaf (18) are the only men to exceed 50 percent from the field with at least four field goals made in more than 17 contests this season.

Patton vs. Other Freshman Years
How does Justin Patton's freshman season compare to those of some other notable freshmen post players in recent seasons?
   Quite favorably, if you ask us, through 22 career games:
Through 22 Career Games
Player, Year   PPG   RPG   BPG   APG   FG%
Justin Patton, 2017   14.0   6.4   1.6   1.2   .714
Henry Ellenson, 2016   16.3   10.0   1.7   1.9   .428
Karl-Anthony Towns, 2015   8.5   6.1   2.3   1.0   .512
Myles Turner, 2015   11.2   6.6   2.8   0.7   .449
Jahlil Okafor, 2015   18.1   9.3   1.5   1.5   .652
Joel Embiid, 2014   10.9   7.6   2.6   1.3   .616
Jabari Parker, 2014   18.6   8.2   1.1   1.3   .460
Steven Adams, 2013   6.8   6.3   2.0   0.5   .591
Nerlens Noel, 2013   10.6   9.5   4.6   1.7   .591
Anthony Davis, 2012   13.3   10.3   4.6   0.9   .642
Tristan Thompson, 2011   12.8   7.5   2.2   1.2   .523
Doug McDermott, 2011   13.7   7.3   0.1   1.0   .517

Road Warriors
Creighton was a perfect 8-0 away from home this winter prior to last Wednesday's loss at Georgetown, with those wins coming by an average of 13.8 points per game. Creighton's victims in that time include Washington State, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Arizona State, St. John's, Providence and No. 22 Xavier.
   Creighton last won its first eight games away from home in 1942-43.
   This year also marked the first time that Creighton has won its first five true road games since the 1942-43 club won its first eight.
   Each of Creighton's last 11 NCAA Tournament teams have won 10 or more games away from home, and 10 of those teams had a winning record in true road contests.

BIG EAST > "Football 5" ???
Creighton has knocked off teams from the Big Ten (Wisconsin and Nebraska), Pac-12 (Arizona State and Washington State), ACC (North Carolina State) and SEC (Ole Miss) this year, all by nine or more points.
   Those six non-conference wins over the "Football 5" leagues are the most of any other team in the nation.
   The BIG EAST owns 27 non-conference wins over "Football 5" leagues, second-most of any league in the nation.
   Both figures are through games of January 29.
MBB Non-Conference Wins Over
"Football 5" Leagues, By Team
   6   Creighton
   5   Butler
   5   Gonzaga
   5   UCLA
   5   Kansas
   4   Seton Hall
   4   Xavier
   4   Clemson
   4   Baylor

MBB Wins Over "Football 5" Leagues, By Conference
   31   Atlantic Coast
   27   BIG EAST
   21   Big 12
   18   Southeastern
   17   Big Ten
   12   Pac-12

Mintz Shows His Stuff
Freshman Davion Mintz showed what he was capable of on January 21 vs. Marquette in his first extensive playing time with the regular rotation.
   Mintz came off the bench and established or tied season-highs in virtually every category, including minutes (26), points (17), assists (8), rebounds (3), field goals (4), free throws (7) and blocks (1). Creighton outscored Marquette 69-63 with him on the floor.
   Mintz is one of seven BIG EAST players in the last seven years with a game of at least 17 points and eight assists against Marquette, joining star guards such as Ryan Arcidiacono, Bryce Cotton, Sterling Gibbs, Isaiah Whitehead, Trevon Bluiett and Maurice Watson Jr. Of that group, Mintz was the only one to do it in a reserve role.
   Among Creighton players, Mintz joins Austin Chatman (twice), Grant Gibbs (once), Maurice Watson Jr. (six times) and Antoine Young (once) as the only players with a game of 17 points and eight assists in the seven-year era of Greg McDermott.
   No other Bluejay has had a game of 17 points and eight assists off the bench in the last 35 seasons (going back to 1981-82).

Standard Five
Creighton used the same starting line-up in each of its first 19 games before finally making a change on Jan. 21 (in game 20) when Isaiah Zierden replaced Maurice Watson Jr. in the first five. The starting five changed again last Saturday when Davion Mintz started for Isaiah Zierden.
   Last year 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. The Bluejays ended up using six different combinations a year ago.
   In 2014-15, 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.

Against The BIG EAST
Since joining the BIG EAST in 2014, Creighton is unbeaten at home against St. John's, the only team it can say that for. Georgetown remains the only place it hasn't won a visiting game in BIG EAST play.
Team   CU Home Games   CU Road Games
Butler   3-1   1-2
DePaul   3-1   3-0
Georgetown   2-1   0-4
Marquette   2-2   2-1
Providence   1-2   1-3
Seton Hall   2-2   2-1
St. John's   3-0   2-2
Villanova   1-3   1-2
Xavier   2-1   2-2
Total   19-13   14-17

Watson Out With Torn ACL
Creighton University senior guard Maurice Watson Jr. tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Creighton's 72-67 win at No. 22 Xavier on Jan. 16, head coach Greg McDermott confirmed the following day.
   Watson was leading the nation with 162 overall assists and 8.5 assists per game at the time of his injury, also leads the nation's active players with 801 career assists. He is ranked ninth in Creighton history with 391 assists. The Philadelphia, Pa., native spent the first two years of his college career at Boston University.
   Watson was a Preseason All-BIG EAST selection and was one of 25 men on the Wooden Award Midseason List, as well as one of 30 men up for the Senior CLASS Award. Sites such as CBSSports.com and NBCSports.com had him among their top-10 in the National Player of the Year standings.
   "We are sorry to learn of the severity of Maurice's injury, but are thankful for his contributions since joining the Bluejay program three years ago," said McDermott. "Our team will regroup, and we have a lot of young men who are capable of stepping up to fill the void in Maurice's absence. Maurice's leadership role on our team will continue to be huge part of our success."
    "I'm going to fight to get back," said Watson. "And my teammates need to keep fighting through the year. The fact that these guys battled through yesterday's game gives me confidence and security that they'll be able to go on and do great things. I intend to finish my college career and have a great impact, even if it's not on the court."
   Watson is scheduled to undergo surgery on February 6 in his hometown of Philadelphia.

Tributes Come In
The injury to Maurice Watson Jr. brought in no shortage of tributes and mentions from national media and opposing teams over social media, including (but not limited to) Jay Bilas, Tim Brando, Butler Basketball, Evan Daniels, Rob Dauster, Seth Davis, Pat Forde, Jeff Goodman, Doug Gottlieb, Roosvelt Jones, Kara Lawson, Chris Mack, Jameer Nelson, Matt Norlander, Dana O'Neil, Jerry Palm, Gary Parrish, Jon Rothstein, Patrick Sellers, Scott Van Pelt, Isaiah Whitehead, Steve Wojciechowski and Jay Wright.

Paint It Blue
Creighton's offense is known for its proficiency from three-point range, but don't overlook the work done inside the paint, as well.
   Creighton has outscored opponents 902-666 in the paint this year, the program's best margin in that category since the school started tracking the stat in 2003-04.
   In fact, the only opponents all year to outscore CU in the paint have been Arizona State and Georgetown.

Quick Out Of The Gates
Creighton continues to race to the lead in the opening minutes on a regular basis this season.
   In fact, Creighton owned a double-digit lead at some point in each of its first 19 games this year, then never had a lead more than four in losses to Marquette and Georgetown in the last 10 days.
   Below is a list of some of Creighton's runs to start the game this season:
Opponent   Score   Time Left in 1st Half
UMKC   15-2   14:25
#9 Wisconsin   8-0   18:39
Washington State   12-4   17:27
Buffalo   15-6   13:18
Akron   12-3   15:20
Nebraska   14-2   15:17
Longwood   11-2   16:42
Oral Roberts   6-0   19:10
#1 Villanova   19-9   14:30
St. John's   7-0   16:25
Providence   10-0   16:31
#12 Butler   19-9   12:12
Truman State   17-3   13:56
#22 Xavier   11-4   15:16
DePaul   15-2   13:15

Follow The Leader
Creighton trailed for just 86:10 of a possible 733:05 minutes before Maurice Watson Jr. suffered his final knee injury (11.8 percent of the time).
   In the 146:55 of court time since then, the Bluejays have trailed for 69:08 (47.1 percent).
   The Oral Roberts and Xavier games are the only contests this season in which Creighton has had a lead change in the final five minutes of any game. There was one such lead change down the stretch in the ORU game and two in the Xavier game.

Watson Makes Cut On Wooden List
Creighton guard Maurice Watson Jr. is one of three BIG EAST players on the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's Midseason Top 25, it was announced on January 11. Watson joins Villanova's Josh Hart and Butler's Kelan Martin.
   Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts, the list comprises of 25 student-athletes who are front-runners for the sport's most prestigious honor, based on their performances during the first half of the 2016-17 season.
   The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2017 John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's. The leading candidates will be further pared to 20 top players in early February.
   Fifteen top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA will be submitted to voters on the Final Ballot prior to the NCAA Tournament.
   Every year, players have made the Final Ballot that were not on the preseason or midseason lists. Voters are permitted to take into consideration the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament when casting the ballot. The 10-man Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament.
   Watson is the first CU player named to the Midseason Top 25 list for the Wooden Award since 2013-14, when Doug McDermott went on to win the award.

It's Been 100 Years
January 12th marked the 100th anniversary of the first recorded game in Creighton men's basketball history, as Creighton topped Peru State 30-17 on January 12, 1917 in Omaha.
   Creighton went 17-3 in that first season despite never scoring more than 40 points in any game.
   Thomas E. Mills was the coach of that team.
   Omaha's population in 1920 was 191,601, while Creighton has hosted 226,113 fans this season in 13 home games.

Jays Ranked In 13th Straight Poll
The Creighton men's basketball team is ranked 22nd in the country in this week's Associated Press poll. That's down from the No. 7 spot that was in the best in program history two weeks ago on Jan. 16th.
   Creighton has now been ranked in all 13 AP polls this year and been ranked 81 weeks in program history, with 53 of those under the direction of seventh-year head coach Greg McDermott.
   The Bluejays are one of three BIG EAST teams in the top-25, as Villanova ranks fourth and Butler is 16th.
   Creighton is ranked 22nd in this week's USA Today Coaches Poll. On January 16th, the team was ranked seventh to mark the program's best in that poll, as well.
   Below is a list of the top weekly rankings in the AP poll in program history:
Best Weekly AP Rankings, Creighton History
7th - 1/16/17
8th - 1/9/17
9th - 3/1/14
9th - 12/19/16
10th - 1/20/03
10th - 11/28/16
10th - 12/5/16
10th - 12/12/16
10th - 12/26/16
10th - 1/2/17

Watson's Dimes
Maurice Watson Jr. owns 801 career assists to date, easily the most among the nation's active players.
   Watson also leads the nation with 8.5 assists per game and was topping the country with 162 overall helpers at the time of his injury.
   Watson's 162 assists this year were spread among nine different players, and led to 71 three-pointers, 46 lay-ups, 30 dunks and 15 other two-point jump shots.
   Including eight converted "and-1" free throw opportunities, Watson's 162 assists led to 403 points, an average of 21.2 points per game that he appeared in.

Watson Moves Into Creighton's Top 10
Just 54 games into his Bluejay career, Maurice Watson Jr. ranks ninth on Creighton's all-time assists chart with 391. No other player in the top-10 has appeared in fewer than 82 games.
   Watson's 162 assists this season rank tied for ninth on Creighton's all-time list.
Most Career Creighton Assists, Since 1970-71
   Ast.   GP   Name   Years
   570   124   Ryan Sears   1997-01
   549   82   Ralph Bobik   1971-74
   505   142   Antoine Young   2008-12
   498   100   Grant Gibbs   2011-14
   493   139   Austin Chatman   2011-15
   458   89   Randy Eccker   1974-78
   430   110   Tyler McKinney   2001-05
   418   115   Vernon Moore   1981-85
   391   54   Maurice Watson Jr.   2015-Pres.
   388   117   Josh Dotzler   2005-09

Most Single-Season Creighton Assists, Since 1970-71
   Ast.   GP   Name (Class)   Year
   252   30   Ralph Bobik (Sr.)   1973-74
   229   35   Maurice Watson Jr. (Jr.)   2015-16
   210   36   Grant Gibbs (Jr.)   2012-13
   205   28   Randy Eccker (Jr.)   1976-77
   195   39   Antoine Young (Jr.)   2010-11
   184   34   Tyler McKinney (Sr.)   2004-05
   176   35   Grant Gibbs (So.)   2011-12
   175   33   Ryan Sears (Jr.)   1999-00
   162   26   Ralph Bobik (Jr.)   1972-73
   162   19   Maurice Watson Jr. (Sr.)   2016-17
   159   32   Vernon Moore (Sr.)   1984-85

Terrific Start
Junior Marcus Foster's 400 points so far are the most by any Bluejay newcomer through 22 games since at least 1979-80. No Bluejay newcomer has averaged more than Foster's current mark of 18.2 points per game since Cyril Baptiste's 18.9 points per game in 1969-70.
   For comparison, Doug McDermott had 302 points through 22 games and 327 points after the 23rd career game of his freshman season. He would finish his career with 3,150 in 145 career games to rank fifth in NCAA history.
Most Points, CU Newcomers First 22 Games Since 1995-96
   Pts.   Name, Class   Year   After 23
   400   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17   ? ? ?
   322   Rodney Buford, Fr.   1995-96   339
   310   Maurice Watson Jr., Jr.   2015-16   326
   307   Justin Patton, Fr.   2016-17   ? ? ?
   302   Doug McDermott, Fr.    2010-11   327
   252   P'Allen Stinnett, Fr.   2007-08   266
   241   Ryan Sears, Fr.   1997-98   248
   235   Doug Swenson, Jr.   1997-98   249
   231   Gregory Echenique, So.   2010-11   226
   221   Brody Deren, So.   2001-02   236

On Pace For History?
Justin Patton has made 71.4 percent of his field goal attempts this season, good enough to lead the BIG EAST and rank third nationally in 2016-17.
   The best season-ending mark in NCAA history, with a minimum of 5 FG/game, is 74.6 percent in 1980-81 by Oregon State's Steve Johnson.
   That being said, Patton's marksmanship this season trails two other men who are also on pace to set the NCAA record for field goal percentage, as UNCW's Devontae Cacok is at 78.7 percent and UCF's Tacko Fall not far behind at 76.4 percent this season.
   The chart below lists the top-five single-season marks for field goal percentage in NCAA history entering 2016-17:
Best FG %, NCAA History
(minimum 5 FG/game)
1.   Steve Johnson, Oregon State   1980-81   235-315   .746
2.   Dwayne Davis, Florida   1988-89   179-248   .722
3.   Evan Bradds, Belmont   2015-16   210-294   .714
4.   Keith Walker, Utica   1984-85   154-216   .713
5.   Steve Johnson, Oregon State   1979-80   211-297   .710

Patton Wins Third Freshman of the Week Honor
Creighton's Justin Patton was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for the third time this season on January 9th. This week's recognition comes after the 7-footer led Creighton to a 2-0 week on the road with team-high averages of 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game.
   The Omaha native made 20-of-27 shots from the field (74.1%), including his only three-point attempt, and also drained 4-of-7 free throw attempts (57.1%).
    Patton's week started with a season-high 25 points to go with nine rebounds, a season-high four assists, a block and a steal in a road win at St. John's. Patton sank 11-of-14 shot attempts, including five dunks, as Creighton never trailed.
    On Saturday at Providence, Patton delivered 20 points and six rebounds while matching his career-high with three blocked shots. Patton converted 9-of-13 shots from the floor, including three more dunks, and was 2-of-3 at the charity stripe.

Wire-To-Wire Road Wins
Creighton never trailed in its Jan. 4th win at St. John's, throwing a lob to Marcus Foster in the opening seconds en route to a 7-0 lead out of the gates of a 85-72 victory.
   The Bluejays also didn't trail in its 78-64 win at Providence on Saturday, Jan. 7th.
   It was just the second and third times in Creighton's 29 all-time BIG EAST road games that the Bluejays never trailed.
   The first time came on January 20, 2014, in a 96-68 win at No. 4 Villanova. In that contest, Creighton made a three-pointer on its first nine possessions and finished with a league-record 21 trifectas overall.

Watson A Senior CLASS Candidate
Creighton men's basketball point guard Maurice Watson Jr. is one of 30 NCAA men's basketball student-athletes who excel both on and off the court that were selected as candidates for the 2016-17 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate basketball.
   To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.
   An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
   Each of the 30 candidate classes will be narrowed to fields of 10 finalists in February, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
   Watson is the seventh Creighton Men's Basketball student-athlete to make the Senior CLASS cut in recent seasons, joining Kyle Korver (2002-03), Anthony Tolliver (2006-07), Dane Watts (2007-08), Josh Dotzler (2008-09), Kenny Lawson Jr. (2010-11), Doug McDermott (2013-14). Former Creighton men's soccer goalkeeper Brian Holt won the 2011 Senior CLASS Award on the pitch, while McDermott won the 2014 Senior CLASS Award on the hardwood.
   The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four® and NCAA Women's Final Four® this spring.

Three-Point Options
Toby Hegner's fourth and final trey at Arizona State was the 100th trifecta of his career. He now owns 106, and is the fourth active Bluejay with 100 or more three-pointers, joining Marcus Foster (183, with 45 at CU), Isaiah Zierden (156) and Cole Huff (166, with 99 at CU).
   Zierden stands in 10th place in Creighton history with 156 career three-pointers.
   3FG   Name   Years
   371   Kyle Korver   1999-03
   334   Ethan Wragge   2009-14
   274   Doug McDermott   2010-14
   245   Ryan Sears   1997-01
   212   Rodney Buford   1995-99
   206   Jahenns Manigat   2010-14
   200   Nate Funk   2002-07
   185   Matt Roggenburk   1986-90
   177   Duan Cole   1987-92
   156   Isaiah Zierden   2013-17
   147   Booker Woodfox   2007-09

About That 13-0 Start
Creighton started this season 13-0 for the first time since the 1942-43 team started 16-0. Below is a list of Creighton's most successful starts without a loss, all-time:
Best Starts Without A Loss, Creighton History
Start   Year       Final W-L   First Loss
16-0   1942-43   *   16-1   Washington & Jefferson
13-0   2016-17       ? ? ?   #1 Villanova
12-0   2003-04   #   20-9   Northern Iowa
*Reached NCAA Tournament; #Reached NIT
!No postseason tournaments existed yet

#Winning
Creighton reeled off 13 straight wins to start the 2016-17 season. It was Creighton's longest win streak under Greg McDermott, as seen below.
Longest Win Streaks Under Greg McDermott at CU
   W's   Dates   Snapped By
   13   Nov. 11, 2016 - Present   #1 Villanova
   11   Dec. 1, 2012 - Jan. 15, 2013   at Wichita State
   11   Dec. 31, 2011 - Feb. 1, 2012   at Northern Iowa
   10   Dec. 3, 2013 - Jan. 14, 2014   at Providence

Win Streak History
Creighton's 13-0 start was its sixth streak of 13 straight wins or more all-time, and Creighton's longest winning streak since Tom Apke's 1974-75 club won 14 straight.
   The school-record streak is 38 straight wins, set over the course of CU's first four seasons of organized basketball nearly 100 years ago.
Creighton's Longest Win Streaks, All-Time
   W's   Dates   Coach   NCAA/NIT
   38   Feb. 22, 1917 - Feb. 11, 1920   Mills   Didn't exist
   17   Mar. 25, 1942 - Mar. 4, 1943   Hickey   NIT
   16   Jan. 31, 1928 - Jan. 23, 1929   Schabinger   Didn't exist
   14   Jan. 3 - Feb. 21, 1925   Schabinger   Didn't exist
   14   Jan. 2 - Feb. 22, 1975   Apke   NCAA
   13   Nov. 11 - Dec. 28, 2016    McDermott   ? ? ?

Scoring In Bunches
Creighton has scored 1,876 points through 22 games, to rank 12th nationally with 85.3 points per contest.
   The 1,876 points are the fourth-most points than Creighton has ever scored in its first 22 games of any season, as seen below:
Most Points Through 22 Games, Creighton History
   Points   Year   Final W-L (Postseason)
   1,967   1965-66   14-12
   1,880   1970-71   14-11
   1,878   1963-64   22-7 (NCAA)
   1,876   2016-17   ? ? ?

100!
Creighton is 106-36 all-time when ranked in the Associated Press poll, picking up its 100th win as a top-25 team on Dec. 28th when it hosted and beat Seton Hall.
   That includes a 72-24 mark under Greg McDermott when ranked.

Foster Named BIG EAST Player of the Week
Marcus Foster was named BIG EAST Player of the Week for the second time this season on Dec. 26th.
   The honor comes after Foster had a season-high 29 points in Creighton's 96-85 win at Arizona State on Dec. 20th. Foster made 10-of-18 shots from the floor and 6-of-8 shots at the line while adding four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
   Foster had 17 points after the break, including the team's final four points from the free throw line to hold off ASU's upset bid.
   He was previously honored on Nov. 28th.

Defense Pitches A Late Shutout
Creighton's offense gets all the attention, but the defense stepped up when it was needed most on Dec. 17 against Oral Roberts.
   Creighton found itself trailing 65-60 with 6:08 left after ORU's Albert Owens banked in a three-pointer to stun the crowd. The Golden Eagles would go scoreless in their final 10 possessions the rest of the way.
   Creighton would steadily come back, getting two hoops from Justin Patton before a Marcus Foster drive with 3:21 to play gave CU a 66-65 lead.
   Neither team would score in the final 3:21 of the contest.
   That contest marked the first time since December 22, 2010, that Creighton held an opponent scoreless over the final 6:08 of regulation. That came when CU held Samford scoreless in the final 6:48 of a 58-40 victory.
   Those are the only two contests in the 434 games since the start of 2004-05 campaign that the Bluejays have held an opponent scoreless in the final 6:08 of any game.

A Good Start
Here's a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 22 games in recent seasons.
   Of note, Creighton has started 15-7 or better after 22 games in 15 of the past 20 seasons.
   Creighton's 85.3 points per game clip is the team's fourth-highest mark after 22 games in program history, and most since 1970-71.
   Creighton's 52.2 percent field goal percentage through 22 games is the best mark in the last 23 years, a good trend since the next three spots are owned by the three winningest teams in program history.
Year   W-L   PPG   FG%   3FG   10+ PPG guys
2016-17   19-3   85.3   .522   184   4
2015-16   14-8   81.7   .475   183   3
2014-15   10-12   67.5   .416   180   1
2013-14   19-3   81.2   .492   237   2
2012-13   19-3   79.1   .521   214   2
2011-12   20-2   80.9   .514   189   2
2010-11   13-9   66.9   .448   153   4
2009-10   11-11   69.5   .434   159   1
2008-09   16-6   73.7   .437   188   2
2007-08   16-6   72.1   .459   189   2
2006-07   15-7   67.5   .444   138   2
2005-06   17-5   68.0   .426   163   3
2004-05   14-8   69.8   .447   181   3
2003-04   18-4   69.7   .468   129   3
2002-03   20-2   82.8   .518   190   2
2001-02   16-6   74.8   .455   139   3
2000-01   16-6   73.1   .436   158   3
1999-00   15-7   72.8   .473   185   3
1998-99   15-7   77.8   .465   175   2
1997-98   16-6   76.4   .467   166   3
1996-97   12-10   66.5   .424   113   3
1995-96   12-10   66.6   .401   136   1
1994-95   6-16   61.5   .379   144   2

1,000 x 3
Cole Huff became the third member of the current Creighton team to surpass 1,000 career points when he reached the mark at Nebraska on Dec. 7. Huff entered the game with 999 points (including 527) at Nevada, then added 13 points in the win on 4-of-5 shooting from long-range.
   Marcus Foster surpassed the 1,000 point mark during the Nov. 29 win over Buffalo. Foster owns 400 points this season, after scoring 875 points during his first two seasons at Kansas State. It took Foster 69 games total to reach the mark.
   Last year Maurice Watson Jr. surpassed 1,000 career points (including Boston), and he now owns 1,537 career points.
   Creighton has never previously had three players with 1,000 career points on the roster at the same time.

BIG EAST Playing Big
Though the BIG EAST may not be considered of the traditional "Football 5" Conferences due to its lack of big time football, the performance of the league has been big time for a long time.
   The league has owned a top-five RPI in the NCAA RPI rankings in every season since 2000-01, as seen below:
BIG EAST in Conference RPI Rankings
2016-17:   3rd (per WarrenNolan.com)
2015-16:   4th
2014-15:   3rd
2013-14:   4th
2012-13:   2nd
2011-12:   2nd
2010-11:   1st
2009-10:   3rd
2008-19:   4th
2007-08:   5th
2006-07:   5th
2005-06:   3rd
2004-05:   2nd
2003-04:   4th
2002-03:   5th
2001-02:   3rd
2000-01:   3rd

Top Five RPI
According to NCAA.com on Monday morning, Creighton ranked No. 15 nationally in the RPI.
   Villanova was second, Xavier was 16th and Butler sixth, which has helped the BIG EAST to No. 3 in WarrenNolan.com's conference RPI rankings.

15 Treys & 50 Percent?
Creighton shot made 44-of-81 three-point attempts in three games at the Paradise Jam, good for 54.3 percent, in its only three previous games outside Omaha.
   The Bluejays shot 15-of-28 (53.6%) against Washington State, 13-of-27 (48.1%) against North Carolina State and 16-of-26 (61.5%) in the title tilt vs. Ole Miss.
   In program history, Creighton owns 11 all-time games in which it has made 15 or more three-pointers and shot 50 percent or better, as seen below. Two of those were in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Best 3FG%, Minimum 15 3FG Made
3FG%   Opponent   3FG-3FGA   Date
.667   Chattanooga   20-30   02/19/05
.640   Chicago State   16-25   12/29/13
.625   at Indiana State   15-24   12/31/08
.615   vs. Ole Miss   16-26   11/21/16
.600   at #4 Villanova   21-35   01/24/14
.600   Texas-Arlington   15-25   11/17/02
.600   vs. IUPUI   15-25   11/25/02
.593   Drake   16-27   01/08/13
.536   Missouri State   15-28   01/30/13
.536   vs. Washington State   15-28   11/18/16
.533   Evansville   16-30   01/04/99

First Half Blitz
Creighton led 62-25 at halftime on Dec. 9 vs. Longwood. The 62 points were a CenturyLink Center Omaha record for points in a half, and the most by the Bluejays in any half since scoring 63 in the second half of a 106-50 win over Texas-Arlington on Nov. 17, 2002.
   Creighton's 55-point win was also its largest since that same 106-50 win over Texas-Arlington on Nov. 17, 2002.
   Creighton has won 73 straight games in which it has scored 42 or more points in the first half, and 58 straight when scoring 44 or more in the first half.

Watson Still The Assist Leader
Despite the torn ACL he suffered on Jan. 16 at Xavier, Maurice Watson Jr. remains the nation's active leader in assists with 801.
   At the time of his injury he was also fifth in steals (187), 11th in field goals made (590), 12th in assist/turnover ratio (2.12) and 31st in points scored (1,537).
   Below is a look at the national active leaders in assists, through Jan. 29.
Active Leaders in Career Assists
1.   Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton   801
2.   Monte Morris, Iowa State   666
3.   Alec Wintering, Portland   568
4.   Marquis Wright, Siena   542
5.   Siyani Chambers, Harvard   541

Omaha's Team
Creighton has started Omaha natives Justin Patton and Khyri Thomas in each of its games so far.
   It's the first time Creighton has started two Omaha products in the same game since March 16, 2000 vs. Auburn, when Matt West (Omaha Westside) and Donnie Johnson (Omaha Central) earned a nod.
   Johnson, coincidentally, coached Thomas at Omaha Benson High School.

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.

NBA Representation
This year marks the third straight season that Creighton has three NBA players at the same time, as Kyle Korver (Cleveland Cavaliers), 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 1,973 three-pointers and is also eighth in league history with 42.8 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through January 29). 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 9.2 points per game while making 40.8 percent of his three-point attempts this year.
   Tolliver is averaging 6.9 points and 3.5 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 10.0 points per game and shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 37.2 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
Creighton is averaging 17,393 fans per home game this season, fourth-best nationally. That figure would rank 17th best in the NBA, ahead of 14 franchises.
   Last year was 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.
2016-17 Attendance Leaders (1/29)
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   23,210   1/31
   2.   Syracuse   21,155   2/4
   3.   Louisville   20,488   2/11
   4.   Creighton   17,393   2/4
   5.   Wisconsin   17,286   2/5
   6.   North Carolina   17,165   1/31
   7.   Kansas   16,438   2/1
   8.   Maryland   16,192   2/4
   9.   Indiana   16,119   2/1
   10.   North Carolina State   15,353   2/1

Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,393 so far   Creighton   2016-17
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12

Some Loyal Fans
Creighton has surpassed 200,000 home fans for the 12th straight season in 2016-17. The 302,887 home fans last 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 last 14 seasons (including this year).
   Creighton has led its conference in home attendance every year since moving into CenturyLink Center Omaha, which is in 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 770 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 21st-longest active streak through games of January 29.
   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 (1/29)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   995   UNLV   2/1
       995   Kentucky   1/31
   3.   985   Vanderbilt   1/31
   4.   968   Duke   1/30
   5.   927   Western Kentucky   2/2
   6.   922   Arkansas   2/1
   7.   914   East Tennessee State   2/2
   8.   907   Pacific   2/2
   9.   889   Oakland   2/2
   10.   881   Texas   2/1
   11.   860   Princeton   2/3
   12.   830   Marshall   2/2
   13.   829   La Salle   2/1
   14.   821   Baylor   2/1
   15.   799   LIU-Brooklyn   2/2
   16.   795   Gonzaga   2/2
   17.   791   Cornell   2/3
   18.   779   Mount St. Mary's   2/2
   19.   777   Tennessee State   2/2
   20.   771   East Carolina   2/1
   21.   770   Creighton   1/31

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
+8   1972-73   15-11   1973-74   23-7
+7   1986-87   9-19   1987-88   16-16
+7   1994-95   7-19   1995-96   14-15
+6   2001-02   23-9   2002-03   29-5
+6   2010-11   23-16   2011-12   29-6
+6   2014-15   14-19   2015-16   20-15

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
FG Percentage   .476   4th
3FG Made   1,775   4th
3FG Percentage   .386   5th
Assists   3392   7th
FG Made   5,534   18th
Wins   141   31st
Winning Percentage   .662   47th

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).

Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time. The Villanova crowd of 18,831 Dec. 31 was third-most in school history.
      Rank   Att.   Opponent   Date
   1.   18,868   Providence   03/08/14
   2.   18,859   Georgetown   01/25/14
   3.   18,831   #1 Villanova   12/31/16
   4.   18,797   #6 Villanova   02/16/14
   5.   18,742   Seton Hall   02/23/14
   6.   18,735   Wichita State   02/11/12
   7.   18,613   Wichita State   03/02/13
   8.   18,525   Marquette   12/31/13
   9.   18,494   Illinois State   02/09/13
   10.   18,458   Evansville   12/29/12
   11.   18,436   Bradley   01/28/12
   12.   18,323   DePaul   02/07/14
   13.   18,160   Central Arkansas   11/14/14
   14.   18,145   Marquette   01/21/17
   15.   18,111   Bradley   02/02/13
   16.   18,084   Seton Hall   12/28/16
   17.   18,078   Tulsa   11/23/13
   18.   18,073   Drake   01/08/13
   19.   18,032   #12 Butler   01/11/17
   20.   17,971   #19 Butler   02/16/15

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.
   This year's team also has four men scoring at a double-figure clip, with Huff not far behind at 8.9 ppg.

Très Bien
Since 2011-12, Creighton is 60-47 (.561) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 76-11 (.874) 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 118-31 in the last six years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 18-28 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 16 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point. Nine of those comebacks came away from home, including the win over Ole Miss in the Virgin Islands on Nov. 21st.
   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 139-10 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 127 of the last 133 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
11   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/16
10   UAB   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
03/20/06   Miami (Fla.)   53-52   G. Diaz FT   :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

What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 160-75 on the Creighton sideline in his seventh year at the helm. The 160 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first seven seasons, way more than Tom Apke's 130.
Most Wins at CU, First Seven Seasons
Coach   Years   W-L After 7 Yrs
Greg McDermott   2010-Pres.   160-75 so far
Tom Apke   1974-80   130-64
Dana Altman   1994-00   123-86
Red McManus   1959-65   105-75

McDermott Passes McManus On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 160 victories at Creighton, good for third place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .681 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.   160-75   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-69
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-81

CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 235 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 14-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 195-40 (.830) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (12-0).
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 18,026-15,189 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.07 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 65 different times, including 13 of its last 32 home games.
   Creighton is also 25-24 all-time in the 47 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-9 when down by 10+ points at halftime at The Link, and 31-22 when trailing at halftime at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 98-21 (.824) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 57-4 record vs. non-conference teams.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton averaged 79.63 points per game in 2015-16, and is scoring 85.27 points per game in 2016-17.
   Greg McDermott is 43-2 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 37-2 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 5, 2016 loss at Xavier by a 98-93 score.
   Creighton is 57-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 29 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas.

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 106-2 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is 118-2 in CenturyLink Center Omaha since Feb. 6, 2005 when scoring enough points to earn its fans some free pizza. A 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.

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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Players Mentioned

Tyler Clement

Marcus Foster

Geoffrey Groselle

Zach Hanson

Ronnie Harrell Jr.

Toby Hegner

Cole Huff

Martin Krampelj

Davion Mintz

Kobe Paras

Justin Patton

Khyri Thomas

Maurice Watson Jr.

Isaiah Zierden