#25 Men's Basketball Opens BIG EAST Play With Top-25 Showdown at #23 Seton Hall

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Game #13: #25 Creighton at #23 Seton Hall
Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017 • 5:31 p.m. CT
Prudential Center (10,353) • Newark, N.J.
Radio: KOZN (1620 AM), www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS1
Series History: Seton Hall leads, 11-5
Last Meeting: Seton Hall 87, Creighton 81 on Feb. 15, 2017 in Newark, N.J.

Next Game
No. 25 Creighton (10-2, 0-0 BIG EAST) opens its fifth season of BIG EAST play on Thursday, Dec. 28, with a road game at No. 23 Seton Hall (11-2, 0-0 BIG EAST).
   Tipoff at Prudential Center (10,353) in Newark, N.J., is set for 5:31 p.m. Central

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2017-18 season, while KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games.
   John Bishop and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Thursday's game will be televised nationally on FS1. The announcers for the game will be Brian Custer and Jim Spanarkel.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Thursday'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 #25 Creighton
Creighton is 10-2 this year, including five straight victories, to move into 23rd in the USA Today Coaches poll and 25th in the Associated Press poll.
   Creighton is a perfect 8-0 at home, with seven double-digit victories, outscoring foes 97.9 - 65.8 in those contests in Omaha.
   The Bluejays posted consecutive top-25 wins away from home over No. 20 Northwestern and No. 23 UCLA in November, and both losses have come against ranked teams away from home, as CU lost to No. 22 Baylor in Kansas City and No. 15 Gonzaga in Spokane.
   Senior guard Marcus Foster (19.5 ppg.) was a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST pick last season, when he scored 18.2 points per game. Foster led the BIG EAST in field goals made last winter and has earned Preseason All-BIG EAST acclaim this winter. He is the nation's active leader in field goals made and sixth in career points as well.
   Lockdown defender Khyri Thomas (15.3 ppg., 4.3 rpg.) was named an Honorable Mention Preseason All-BIG EAST choice in October. Thomas was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year last season and scored a career-high 24 points in the win at Northwestern.
   Sophomore big man Martin Krampelj has made a huge improvement from last year in the middle, averaging 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in his first year as a starter.
   CU's fourth- and fifth-leading scorers are both true freshmen, Mitch Ballock (9.2 ppg.) and Ty-Shon Alexander (7.6 ppg.), who have excelled in their rookie campaigns.
   Creighton is averaging 92.3 points per game this season, shooting 52.1 percent from the floor and 39.6 percent from three-point range. CU also owns a +7.6 rebound margin and a 240/131 assist/turnover ratio to date.

Scouting #23 Seton Hall
Seton Hall is 11-2 this season, and 8-0 at home. SHU's only losses have come against Rhode Island (75-74) and Rutgers (71-65).
   Desi Rodriguez (17.9 ppg., 5.3 ppg.) shoots 51.5 percent from the floor and leads the team in scoring, while preseason All-American center Angel Delgado (13.5 ppg., 11.3 rpg.) led the nation in rebounding last season, and owns 59 career double-doubles to lead the nation's active players.
   Myles Powell (14.4 ppg.) and Khadeen Carrington (13.1 ppg., 3.9 apg.) also average double-figures in scoring.
   The Pirates average 80.5 points per game while allowing just 67.2 per contest. SHU outrebounds foes by 6.6 rebounds per contest and shoots 48.4 percent from the floor, 36.0 percent from three-point range and 65.5 percent at the line.

The Series With Seton Hall
Seton Hall leads the all-time series with Creighton 11-5, including a 7-3 mark in New Jersey.
   The teams have alternated wins in Newark in the previous four years, inlcuding an 87-81 Seton Hall win in February behind 41 points from Khadeen Carrington.
   Three of the last eight meetings at all sites have been one-point contests.
   Greg McDermott is 4-5 against Seton Hall and coach Kevin Willard. Willard is 6-4 all-time against Creighton, leading his 2009-10 Iona team to a 63-55 win over the Bluejays at the Old Spice Classic near Orlando, Fla.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his eighth season as head coach at Creighton. He is 176-84 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 456-279 in his 24th season and is 325-215 in his 17th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Preston Murphy and Alan Huss.
   Kevin Willard (Pittsburgh, 1997) owns an 139-104 record in his eighth season at Seton Hall, which moves his career mark to 184-153 in 11 years as a college head coach. He came to Seton Hall after a three-year stint as Iona head coach. Willard is assisted by Shaheen Holloway, Fred Hill and Grant Billmeier.

Won By One
Creighton and Seton Hall have met nine times since becoming BIG EAST rivals. Three of those games were decided by a single-point.
    Creighton won a Feb. 3, 2014 meeting in Omaha by a 72-71 margin, then lost heartbreakers to the Pirates on Jan. 10, 2015 in Omaha (68-67) and 67-66 on Feb. 28, 2015 in Newark.
    Creighton is 79-73 all-time in games decided by a single point, including a 6-6 mark under Greg McDermott.

Incredible, But True
• Creighton has owned a lead of 25 points or more at some point in the first half of its last three games.
• In Creighton's last game all 12 Bluejays in uniform had at least two field goals made, one assist, and one three-point attempt.
• Khyri Thomas leads Creighton with 32 assists, but five other teammates have between 29-31 helpers.
• Creighton's 116 points vs. USC Upstate were third-most in program history, and the most in any game since 1964.
• Creighton has scored 90 points or more in 8-of-12 games this year. When Greg McDermott coached at UNI (2001-06) and Iowa State (2006-10), his teams reached 90+ points six times in nine seasons.

Making An Entrance
Ty-Shon Alexander, Mitch Ballock and Manny Suarez could each play in their first career BIG EAST game on Thursday.
   Below is a listing of the only 16 men in league history to debut in the BIG EAST with a game of 25 or more points. The most points by a Bluejay in their BIG EAST debut is 19 by Doug McDermott vs. Marquette on Dec. 31, 2013.
MOST POINTS - FIRST BIG EAST GAME
41   Steve Novak, Marquette vs. UConn, 1-3-06
32   Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. PC, 12-27-11
30   Troy Murphy, Notre Dame vs. PC, 12-8-98
   Allen Iverson, Georgetown vs. PC, 12-7-94
29   Caron Butler, Connecticut vs. BC, 1-3-01
   Khalid El-Amin, Connecticut vs. WVU, 12-3-97
   Tim Thomas, Villanova vs. PC, 12-4-96
28   Troy Bell, Boston College vs. PC, 1-8-00
   Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall vs. UConn, 1-3-08
26   Seldon Jefferson, WVU vs. Georgetown, 12-2-95
   Lawrence Moten, Syracuse vs. BC, 1-2-92
   Shamorie Ponds, St. John's vs. Butler, 12-29-16
25   Rodney Bullock, Providence at Butler, 12-31-15
   Craig Smith, Boston College vs. PC, 1-2-03
   Jerome Coleman, Rutgers vs. Syracuse, 1-2-02
   Steve Rich, Miami vs. Syracuse, 12-22-93

Conference Openers Have Gone Well
Creighton owns a 14-5 record in its last 19 conference openers, including an 89-75 win over Seton Hall last season (also on Dec. 28).
   Greg McDermott is 9-7 all-time in conference openers as a Division I head coach, including a 5-2 mark at Creighton (3-1 in the BIG EAST). He is 4-3 in CU's first conference home game of the season.

100 And Counting...
Creighton's 116 points against USC Upstate on Dec. 20th were its most since 1964, and the third-highest scoring game in program history.
   The 116 points were also a CenturyLink Center Omaha record, and third time this season that the Bluejays have scored 109 or more points.
Creighton's Highest Scoring Games, By Points
Date   Opponent   W   L   CU   Opp.
02/10/64   at Miami (Fla.)   W       124   94
12/21/62   Nevada   W       120   76
12/20/17   USC Upstate   W       116   62
01/19/85   Indiana State   W       115   80
02/02/66   Memphis   W       115   82
12/09/16   Longwood   W       113   58
11/20/16   vs. North Carolina State   W       112   94
03/11/08   Bradley (2OT)   W       111   110
12/05/17   North Dakota   W       111   68
12/17/07   Houston Baptist   W       110   73
12/16/67   Wisconsin-Milwaukee   W       109   81
11/12/17   Alcorn State   W       109   72

How Big?
Two of Creighton's last three games have seen the club win by 50 or more points to post some of the most lopsided victories in program history.
   Creighton's 87-36 win on Dec. 15 over Maryland Eastern Shore was tied for the seventh-largest margin of victory in program history at the time.
   Creighton then drubbed USC Upstate 116-62 on Dec. 20, tied for the fifth-largest win ever.
   CU's largest win ever was by 57 points after beating Midland on Dec. 12, 1925 by a 63-6 score.
   Creighton is 11-1 all-time in the game after a win by 50 points or more, with the only loss coming by one point in 1925.
Largest Victory Margin, Creighton History
Opponent   Margin   Score   Date
Midland   57   63-6   12/12/1925
UT Arlington   56   106-50   11/17/2002
Regis   55   93-38   11/30/1973
Longwood   55   113-58   12/09/2016
Morningside   54   105-51   02/17/1961
USC Upstate   54   116-62   12/20/2017
Drake   53   79-26   02/14/1933
Northern Colorado   51   105-54   12/02/1959
South Dakota State   51   67-16   01/11/1927
Maryland Eastern Shore   51   87-36   12/15/2017
Nebraska-Omaha   50   90-40   03/01/1952
Washburn   50   66-16   03/06/1937
Yankton   50   70-20   01/07/1922

WWWWWinning Streak
Creighton owns a season-best five-game winning streak after sweeping a long homestand prior to the holiday break.
   Including this winter, Creighton has had at least one streak of five or more wins in 20 of the last 22 seasons.
   Last season's team won 13 straight games to open the year, with the final victory in that stretch coming on Dec. 28 against Seton Hall.

Top 25 Jays
Creighton is ranked in the top 25 of both national polls this week, coming in at No. 25 in the Associated Press poll and No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
   Creighton is 111-41 all-time when playing as a ranked team in the AP poll.
   Creighton has now been ranked in the AP poll 87 times in program history, with 59 of those under the direction of eighth-year head coach Greg McDermott. Creighton has also been ranked in the USA Today Coaches poll in 68 weeks under McDermott.
   Creighton has been ranked in the top-10 in 10 different weeks in program history, with eight of those coming last season when the Jays reached an all-time best of seventh the week of January 16th.
   Below is a list of the best 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

Ranking News & Notes
Seton Hall is ranked 23rd in this week's AP poll, and Creighton 25th. Some notes of interest as it pertains to Creighton and ranked foes...
- Creighton is 29-137 all-time (2-2 this year) against nationally-ranked teams in the Associated Press poll. A win on Thursday would see the 2017-18 team join the 2016-17 club as the only ones to defeat three or more ranked teams in the same season.
- A win on Thursday would make Creighton the nation's first team with three wins over top-25 competition this season. Making it all the more impressive is that all three wins would be away from home.
- Creighton is 0-3 all-time against ranked Seton Hall teams.
- Creighton is 11-22 under Greg McDermott against nationally-ranked teams. He owns more top-25 wins than any coach in Creighton history, having passed Dana Altman (7) last season. Prior to McDermott's arrival, Creighton was 18-115 all-time against top-25 foes.
- Creighton entered the 2017 calendar year having never beaten multiple ranked teams in the month, but has done so twice in 2017 already. CU topped No. 12 Butler, No. 22 Xavier and No. 16 Butler in January, and then beat No. 20 Northwestern and No. 23 UCLA in November.
- Creighton has won six of its last eight games against top-25 teams not named Villanova.
- Creighton went 2-1 on the road last year against top-25 teams, topping No. 22 Xavier on Jan. 16 and No. 16 Butler on Jan. 31 before losing at Villanova on Feb. 25. Creighton had never before picked up multiple top-25 road wins in the same season before 2016-17, something it can duplicate with a win on Thursday after having already defeated No. 20 Northwestern on Nov. 15th at Allstate Arena.
- Creighton is 6-71 all-time in true road games against top-25 teams, but four of those wins have come in the past five seasons and under the direction of head coach Greg McDermott. The Jays are 4-8 under McDermott in true road games against top-25 foes after going 2-63 before his arrival.
- Creighton is 2-2 all-time against teams ranked exactly 23rd, including a 100-89 win over then-No. 23 UCLA on Nov. 20 in Kansas City.
- Creighton is 6-10 all-time as a ranked team when facing a ranked team, including an 0-1 record this year, a 4-2 mark last year and a 4-6 overall mark under Greg McDermott.

How They Rank?
Thursday will mark Creighton's fifth game of the season against a top-25 team, tied for the most nationally with Savannah State. All five of Creighton's top-25 games (including Thursday) have come away from home.
   CU has gone 2-2 against those clubs (entering Thursday), while the Tigers are 0-5 with all five losses coming by 30 or more points.
   In the four games against ranked foes, Creighton averaged 81.2 points per contest, won the rebound battle by +0.3 caroms per game, and had 65 assists against just 42 turnovers.
   Khyri Thomas (18.3), Marcus Foster (17.0) and Martin Krampelj (12.3) have each averaged in double-figures, with true freshmen Ty-Shon Alexander (9.8) and Mitch Ballock (8.3) not far behind.
   CU led for 121:56, trailed for 29:31 and were tied for 8:33 in those 200 minutes against top-25 foes.

Playing With A Lead
Creighton has done a good job of starting the game strong, and then holding that lead, this season.
   The Bluejays have led for 84.8 percent of the time this season while trailing a combined 11.3 percent of the time.
Opponent   Leading   Trailing   Tied
Yale   39:29   0:20   0:11
Alcorn State   36:22   2:45   0:53
#20 Northwestern   36:21   1:54   1:45
#23 UCLA   31:42   5:09   3:09
#22 Baylor   31:48   6:00   2:12
SIU Edwardsville   39:46   --   0:14
#15 Gonzaga   22:06   16:28   1:26
North Dakota   38:11   --   1:49
Nebraska   15:53   19:20   4:47
Maryland Eastern Shore   39:43   --   0:17
UT Arlington   37:18   1:22   1:20
USC Upstate   38:32   0:55   0:33
Total   407:11   54:13   18:36

Sharing The Sugar
Creighton distributed 32 assists on 42 field goals in last Wednesday's victory over USC Upstate.
   The 32 helpers exceeded the previous school record of 31 done twice previously, most recently in 1990 vs. Siena.
   All 12 Bluejays in uniform dished at least one assist.
   For the season, Creighton ranks third nationally with 20.00 assists per game, which also leads the BIG EAST.

Scoring In Bunches
Creighton has scored 1,108 points through 12 games, to rank fifth nationally with 92.3 points per contest.
   The 1,108 points are 30 more points than Creighton has EVER scored in its first 12 games of any season, as seen below:
Most Points Through 12 Games, Creighton History
   Points   Year   Final W-L (Postseason)
   1,108   2017-18   10-2 so far
   1,078   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
   1,034   1964-65   13-10
   1,034   2015-16   20-15 (NIT)
   1,016   1965-66   14-12
   1,012   2011-12   29-6 (NCAA)
   1,006   2002-03   29-5 (NCAA)

Win The Boards, Win The Game
The team to win the battle of the backboards has won all 12 Creighton games this season, and each of the team's last 14 games dating to last season.
   Creighton has outrebounded opponents by 7.6 rebounds per game this season, but Seton Hall won the rebound battle against CU in both games last season, including a 42-25 differential in Newark.
   Angel Delgado had 17 rebounds in last year's meeting in Newark, including nine offensive boards. Seven of those offensive rebounds came in the final eight minutes.
   Delgado owns 71 points and 71 rebounds in seven all-time games against the Bluejays, producing four double-doubles.

Rank And File
Creighton made some school history when it defeated top-25 teams in consecutive games for the first time last month with victories over No. 20 Northwestern and No. 23 UCLA.
   Through games of December 26th, Creighton is one of 12 teams nationally with a pair of top-25 wins this season, and is also one of 13 teams nationally with a top-25 true road win.
   Ranked Wins   School   Home   Road   Neutral
   2   Creighton   0   1   1
   2   Arizona State   0   1   1
   2   Duke   0   0   2
   2   Florida   0   0   2
   2   Michigan State   1   0   1
   2   Oklahoma   0   1   1
   2   Purdue   1   0   1
   2   Seton Hall   0   1   1
   2   Texas A&M   0   1   1
   2   Texas Tech   1   0   1
   2   Xavier   2   0   0
   1   Arizona   0   0   1
   1   Arkansas   1   0   0
   1   Ball State   0   1   0
   1   Boston College   1   0   0
   1   Clemson   0   0   1
   1   Florida State   0   1   0
   1   Georgia   0   0   1
   1   Gonzaga   1   0   0
   1   Indiana   0   0   1
   1   Kansas   0   0   1
   1   Loyola (Chicago)   0   1   0
   1   Miami (Fla.)   0   1   0
   1   Minnesota   0   0   1
   1   NC State   0   0   1
   1   Nebraska   1   0   0
   1   New Mexico State   0   0   1
   1   North Carolina   0   1   0
   1   Notre Dame   0   0   1
   1   Oklahoma State   0   0   1
   1   Rhode Island   0   0   1
   1   Rutgers   1   0   0
   1   San Diego State   1   0   0
   1   SMU   0   0   1
   1   TCU   0   0   1
   1   Tennessee   0   0   1
   1   UCF   0   1   0
   1   Villanova   0   0   1
   1   Washington   0   0   1
   1   Washington State   0   0   1
   1   West Virginia   1   0   0
   1   Western Kentucky   0   0   1
   1   Wichita State   0   1   0
   1   Wofford   0   1   0

More Top 25 News
Creighton owns six wins against the Top 25 since the start of last season, a figure that ranks tied for eighth-most nationally through games of December 26th. Thursday's foe, Seton Hall, owns five wins over ranked teams in the same period.
   Ranked Wins   School
   11   Duke
   11   North Carolina
   8   Villanova
   7   Kansas
   7   Gonzaga
   7   Purdue
   7   Florida State
   6   Creighton
   6   Arizona
   6   Baylor
   6   Butler
   6   Kentucky
   6   South Carolina
   6   West Virginia
   6   Xavier
   5   Florida
   5   Louisville
   5   Michigan
   5   Notre Dame
   5   Oregon
   5   Seton Hall
   5   Texas Tech
   5   UCLA

10 Wins Under The Christmas Tree
Creighton was 10-2 heading into the holiday break.
   This is just the sixth time in program history that CU picked up 10 or more wins by December 25th, and fourth time under Greg McDermott. Each of the previous five times it's been done, Creighton won at least 22 games that year, and all but one club also won a postseason contest.
Most Wins by December 25th
   W-L   Season   Final W-L   Postseason?
   10-1   1963-64   22-7   NCAA (1-2)
   10-2   2008-09   27-8   NIT (1-1)
   10-1   2011-12   29-6   NCAA (1-1)
   11-1   2012-13   28-8   NCAA (1-1)
   12-0   2016-17   25-10   NCAA (0-1)
   10-2   2017-18   ???

Jays Sweep Weekly BIG EAST Honors
The Creighton men's basketball program swept the BIG EAST Conference weekly awards on Tuesday, Dec. 26th, as Marcus Foster was named BIG EAST Player of the Week and Mitch Ballock tabbed as BIG EAST Freshman of the Week.
   It's the third honor this season for Ballock, joining his similar accolades on Nov. 27 and Dec. 11th. It's Foster's first recognition this season, though he was honored by the BIG EAST last season on both Nov. 28th and Dec. 26th.
   Foster averaged nearly a point a minute in leading Creighton to a pair of wins last week. In 25.0 minutes per game, Foster averaged 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals. He shot 66.7 percent (18-27) from the field, 58.3 percent (7-12) from downtown and also converted 83.3 percent (5-6) at the line.
   The Wichita Falls, Texas, native had a season-high 32 points in 35 minutes in a 90-81 win over Sun Belt Conference champion UT Arlington on Monday. Foster had 22 points in the first half, most by a Bluejay at intermission since Doug McDermott at the 2014 BIG EAST Tournament, as the Bluejays raced to a 52-32 halftime lead. Foster added six rebounds and two steals while matching his season-best with four assists.
   Foster capped his week with 16 points in just 15 minute of a lopsided win over USC Upstate. Foster made 6-of-7 shots, including 3-of-4 three-pointers, adding three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
   Ballock averaged 13.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists off the bench in two victories. The Eudora, Kan., native shot 7-of-13 (53.8%) from three-point range and 9-of-19 (47.4%) from the field while also draining both free throw attempts.
   Ballock opened his week with 14 points, two rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot in a 90-81 win over Sun Belt Conference champion UT Arlington. He then scored 13 points and added four rebounds and three assists in 20 minutes of a win over USC Upstate.

Oh My Darling, Clement Time
Senior guard Tyler Clement is coming off a career-high 10 points against USC Upstate, the first double-figure performance in his five years in the program.
   Clement is the 10th different Bluejay to score in double-figures this season. Among active Bluejays, only Jordan Scurry is still trying to reach 10 points in a game. Scurry scored seven points in seven minutes on 3-of-3 shooting against the Spartans.

Have A Half
Creighton has had a first half lead of 25 points or more in each of its last three games, and in two of those contests, led by 28 or more at the half.
   Below is a list of Creighton's largest halftime margins since 1990-91. Games with an * indicate contests held at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Creighton's Largest Halftime Leads, Since 1990-91
   Margin   Score   Opponent   Date
   38   54-16   Grambling State   12/06/99
   37   56-19   vs. IUPUI   11/25/02
   37   62-25   Longwood*   12/09/16
   34   58-24   USC Upstate*   12/20/17
   29   48-19   Towson   11/14/98
   29   53-24   Longwood*   11/20/12
   29   53-24   Butler*   01/14/14
   29   53-24   St. John's*   02/28/16
   28   54-26   Western Illinois   11/20/00
   28   39-11   Alcorn State*   11/15/04
   28   45-17   Maryland Eastern Shore*   12/15/17
   27   49-22   vs. Texas-San Antonio   11/30/90
   27   47-20   Nebraska*   11/24/07
   27   47-20   Saint Joseph's*   12/01/12
   26   52-26   Southern   12/20/97
   26   42-16   vs. Southern Illinois   03/10/03
   26   43-17   Presbyterian*   11/18/12
   26   51-25   Nebraska*   12/08/13
   25   57-32   Grambling State   11/29/01
   25   49-24   Bradley*   01/19/11

Foster Fills It Up
Marcus Foster finished last season with 10 or more points in each of his final 18 games, and has started his senior season with 12 straight double-figure contests.
   His current 30-game double-figure streak is the longest by any Bluejay since Doug McDermott did so in 37 straight games from April 1, 2011 to Nov. 9, 2012.
   Foster scored seven points or more in all 35 games last season, finishing in double-figures in 33 of them.
   Earlier this fall Foster became the first Creighton player with 23 points in each of CU's first two games of a season since Cyril Baptiste in 1970-71.
   Per STATS Inc., here's the nation's longest active streaks of double-figure scoring games.
10+ Point Streak, Nation's Active Leaders (12/26)
   Rank   Streak   Name, School   Next Game
   1.   60   Chris Clemons, Campbell   12/30
   2.   57   Fletcher Magee, Wofford   12/30
   3.   48   Jon Elmore, Marshall   12/28
   4.   42   Rob Gray, Houston   12/28
   5.   40   Kevin Hervey, UT Arlington   12/29
   6.   37   Victor Sanders, Idaho   12/29
   7.   34   Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra   12/30
   8.   33   Matt Morgan, Cornell   12/28
       33   Justin Strings, Sacramento State   12/30
   10.   30   Marcus Foster, Creighton   12/28

Double-Digits x 12
Marcus Foster has scored in double-figures in each of Creighton's first 12 games of the season, the first Bluejay to start his senior season with 12 straight games of 10 or more points since Rodney Buford had 13 straight in 1998-99.
   Doug McDermott had been the last player with nine straight double-figure games to start any season, doing so in all 35 games of his 2011-12 sophomore season that ended with First Team All-America accolades.
   Below is a list of Creighton's longest double figure scoring streaks to start a season since 1979-80, where you can see that Foster (2016-17 and 2017-18) and McDermott (2010-11 and 2011-12) are the only men to start consecutive seasons with eight or more double-figure contests since 1979-80.
Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games
To Start Year, Since 1979-80
   Consec.   Name, Class   Year
   all 35   Doug McDermott, So.   2011-12
   all 32   Vernon Moore, Sr.   1984-85
   28   Benoit Benjamin, Jr.   1984-85
   27   Bob Harstad, Sr.   1990-91
   16   Rod Mason, Sr.   1987-88
   13   Rodney Buford, Sr.   1998-99
   12   Gary Swain, Sr.   1986-87
   12   Marcus Foster, Sr.   2017-18
   10   Chad Gallagher, Sr.   1990-91
   9   Rodney Buford, So.   1996-97
   8   Benoit Benjamin, Fr.   1982-83
   8   Gregory Brandon, Sr.    1983-84
   8   Doug McDermott, Fr.   2010-11
   8   Justin Patton, Fr.   2016-17
   8   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17

Marcus Foster, Bucket Getter
Marcus Foster ranks among the nation's best when it comes to putting the ball in the hole and scoring.
   Foster ranks first among the nation's active Division I players in field goals made, and sixth in scoring. Here's that list, through games of Dec. 26:
Most Career Field Goals, Nation's Active Leaders
   Rank   FG   Name, School   Next Game
   1.   625   Marcus Foster, Creighton   12/28
   2.   619   Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas   12/28
   3.   612   Peyton Aldridge, Davidson   12/30
   4.   596   Trevon Bluiett, Xavier   12/27
   5.   592   Jonathan Stark, Murray State   12/28

Most Career Points, Nation's Active Leaders
   Rank   Points   Name, School   Next Game
   1.   2,009   James Daniel III, Tennessee   12/30
   2.   1,967   Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas   12/28
   3.   1,863   Andrew Rowsey, Marquette   12/27
   4.   1,842   Trevon Bluiett, Xavier   12/27
   5.   1,760   Wesley Person, Troy   12/29
   6.   1,747   Marcus Foster, Creighton   12/28
   7.   1,740   Mike Daum, South Dakota St.   12/30

The 1 For Sports
Thursday's game will air nationally on FS1, a channel that has been quite kind to Creighton in recent seasons.
   Creighton is 3-0 on FS1 this winter, and last year went 12-1 on the network.
   Creighton is 50-22 when appearing on FS1 since the network formed in 2013. CU is also 12-1 when appearing on FS2 in program history.

They Can All Shoot
All 12 Creighton men to see the floor this season have made three or more three-pointers, and each of them have also attempted at least nine trifectas.
   All 12 Bluejays in uniform attempted at least one three-pointer on both Dec. 15 and Dec. 20.
   As a team, Creighton has made 134 treys this season (19th nationally), good for 11.2 per game (11th nationally).

Friendly Confines
Creighton has scored 103 points or more in four of their eight home games this season, and 75 points or more in all eight home contests.
   Creighton is averaging 97.9 points per home game this season, outrebounding foes by 11.2 caroms per contest, shooting 55.3 percent from the floor, and holding foes to 37.9 percent shooting.
   In the second half of home games this season, Creighton has outscored teams 410-279 (51.2-34.9) and shot 57.0 percent from the field. In the second half, Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas are a combined 18-for-32 from three-point range (56.3 percent), compared to CU's opponents who are 25-for-99 (25.3 percent) from downtown after the break
   Below is a list of seasons with the most 100+ point games in Creighton history
Most 100 Point Games in a Season, Creighton History
   Rank   Games   Year   Team W-L
   1.   7   1965-66   14-12
   2.   5   1971-72   15-11
       5   2017-18   10-2 so far
   4.   4   2015-16   20-15
       4   2016-17   25-10
   6.   3   1989-90   21-12

100 Grand Passed
Creighton has drawn 127,368 home fans this season, an average of 15,921 per contest.
   This season marks the 16th straight season of 100,000 or more home fans for the program, a streak that started in the final season (2002-03) of the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
   Creighton has led its conference in home attendance each of the last 14 completed seasons, and is once again leading the way in the BIG EAST in 2017-18.

McDermott Earns 175th Win at Creighton
With a Dec. 18 win over UT Arlington, Greg McDermott became the second coach in program history to record 175 wins on the Bluejay sideline, as only Dana Altman (327) has previously reached that milestone.
   McDermott reached the mark in his 259th game on the Bluejay sideline, whereas Altman didn't win his 175th game at CU until his 274th contest.
   McDermott needed 71 games at Creighton to win his 50th contest and 134 games to earn his 100th win.
McDermott's Milestone Wins at Creighton
W-L Milestone   Opponent   Date
25-16   Chicago State   11/13/11
50-21   vs. Evansville   03/03/12
75-29   at Bradley   02/27/13
100-34   at Butler   02/15/14
125-58   vs. Massachusetts   11/25/15
150-72   at Nebraska   12/07/16
175-84   UT Arlington   12/18/17

Quest For 19,000
Creighton has scored 19,124 points all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha, moving over 19,000 points on Dec. 18 vs. UT Arlington on a three-pointer by Marcus Foster with 5:12 to go to make it 82-67.
    Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 19,124 to 16,003 at the 15-year old facility in 247 all-time games in the building that count.
    Creighton is 18-1 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
12/18/17   19,000-15,927 (246)   Foster 3FG vs. UT Arlington

We Can Play Defense, Too
Creighton limited Maryland Eastern Shore to just 36 points and 23.6 percent shooting on Dec. 15.
   Creighton had not held an opponent under 40 points since Indiana State (38) on March 2, 2008, and the 36 were the fewest by a Bluejay opponent since Illinois State scored 35 on Jan. 13, 1986.
   Indiana State (10-43, 23.3%), in that same 2008 game, had also been the last CU foe to shoot 25 percent or less from the field.
   Both the points scored and the field goal percentage were the lowest marks in the 268 game history of Century Link Center Omaha, which includes 21 tournament games that did not involve Creighton.
   While Creighton's offense gets all the attention, the Bluejay defense has made huge strides in recent seasons, especially when you consider the move to the BIG EAST. Here's where CU has ranked in KenPom.com's adjusted defensive ratings under Greg McDermott.
Year   Adj. D   Adj. D Rating   Team W-L
2010-11   103.5   174th   23-16 (CBI)
2011-12   102.7   166th   29-6 (NCAA)
2012-13   96.5   66th   28-8 (NCAA)
2013-14   102.5   124th   27-8 (NCAA)
2014-15   102.6   138th   14-19
2015-16   97.6   49th   20-15 (NIT)
2016-17   96.5   46th   25-10 (NCAA)
2017-18   97.3   52nd   10-2 so far

Give Me Five
Creighton has had four or more players score 10+ points in all 11 of 12 games (all but UT Arlington) this season.
   In Creighton's last game on Dec. 20 vs. USC Upstate, six men scored in double-figures for the first time since on Dec. 20, 2016 at Arizona State.
   Creighton has had four men average in double-figures in each of the last two seasons.
   Last year, Marcus Foster (18.2), Justin Patton (12.9), Maurice Watson Jr. (12.9) and Khyri Thomas (12.3) all put up double-digits on a nightly basis.
   In 2015-16 it was Watson (14.1), Cole Huff (11.3), Geoffrey Groselle (11.2) and Isaiah Zierden (10.2).
   Before 2015-16, 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.

Ronnie On The Spot
Ronnie Harrell Jr. continues to provide a spark off the bench, with much of his best work coming on the glass.
   Harrell owned 10 or more rebounds in consecutive games against Nebraska and Maryland Eastern Shore, both in a reserve role. Harrell is the only Bluejay reserve with consecutive games of 10 or more rebounds in the last 25 years.
   Harrell is one of six Creighton players to have 10 or more rebounds off the bench in a game under Greg McDermott, and the only player to do it more than once in a season.
Most Rebounds Off The Bench Under McDermott
   Reb.   Min.   Player   Date
   10   25   Wayne Runnels   11/14/10
   10   22   Will Artino   02/13/14
   10   29   James Milliken   11/25/14
   10   23   Devin Brooks   01/21/15
   14   20   Will Artino   02/14/15
   11   25   Ronnie Harrell Jr.   12/21/15
   10   17   Toby Hegner   12/07/16
   11   30   Ronnie Harrell Jr.   12/09/17
   10   22   Ronnie Harrell Jr.   12/15/17

Overtime Optional
Creighton has played 100 games in program history that have gone to overtime, going 55-45 in those contests.
   However, the Bluejays have completed 91 straight games since last going to overtime, the longest stretch without an extra session for the program since 136 straight games from 1939-47.
   CU's last overtime contest came Feb. 4, 2015 at Xavier, a 79-72 win at Cintas Center.
   Creighton is 5-1 under Greg McDermott in overtime games, including a 4-0 mark in conference play.
   Twelve of Creighton's last 13 games have been won by the team to score first in the extra session.

Nationally Elite
Creighton ranks in the top 20 of 13 categories nationally, through games of Dec. 26.
   Perhaps the most impressive figure on the list is in defensive rebounds per game, where CU is second. with 31.30 per game. No team nationally has finished a season averaging more than 31.30 defensive rebounds per game in the last five seasons, and last year CU was 63rd with 26.69 per game.
Category   Rank   Stat
Defensive Rebounds/Game   2nd   31.83
Assist/Turnover Ratio   3rd   1.83
Assists Per Game   3rd   20.0
Scoring Offense   5th   92.3
FG Percentage   6th   .521
Fewest Fouls/Game   7th   14.7
Total Assists   9th   240
Scoring Margin   10th   +20.8
3FG Made/Game   11th   11.2
Fewest Fouls   13th   176
Fewest Turnovers/Game   16th   10.9
Total 3FG Made   19th   134
Fewest Turnovers   19th   131

My Favorite Martin
Martin Krampelj did not have a double-double in the first 44 games of his career, but turned in consecutive double-doubles on Dec. 5 (North Dakota) and Dec. 9 (Nebraska).
   Krampelj became the first Creighton player with point/rebound double-doubles in consecutive contests since Doug McDermott on March 1 and March 4, 2014.
   McDermott's performance on Feb. 9 and 13 of 2013 was also the last previous time a Bluejay had 11 or more rebounds in consecutive games.

Krampelj Replaces Patton
One of Creighton's biggest question marks entering the season was how the team would replace NBA First Round Draft pick Justin Patton. To date, Martin Krampelj has answered the questions.
   Here's a look at the stats for the two men:
Stat   Patton   Krameplj
Year   2016-17   2017-18
PPG   12.9   11.8
RPG   6.2   7.6
BPG   1.4   0.6
APG   1.2   1.4
FG%   .676   .674
FT%   .517   .629
Double-Doubles   3   2
Dunks/Game   2.06   1.58

Full House
Creighton is averaging 15,921 fans per home game this season, good for sixth-best nationally.
   Last season Creighton averaged 17,413 fans per home game, fifth-best in the country, and a figure that would have ranked 17th best in the NBA, ahead of 14 franchises.
   Last year was the 12th straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and the sixth straight season in the top-10 nationally in attendance, as well.
2017-18 Attendance Leaders (through 12/26)
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   20,771   12/29
   2.   Syracuse   18,920   12/27
   3.   Louisville   17,794   1/2
   4.   Wisconsin   17,287   12/27
   5.   Kansas   16,401   1/2
   6.   Creighton   15,921   12/31
   7.   North Carolina   15,840   12/30
   8.   Nebraska   15,210   12/29
   9.   Missouri   15,061   1/6
   10.   Tennesssee   14,976   1/2

2016-17 Attendance Leaders (FINAL)
   Rk.   School   Average
   1.   Kentucky   23,462
   2.   Syracuse   21,181
   3.   Louisville   20,846
   4.   North Carolina   18,067
   5.   Creighton   17,413
   6.   Wisconsin   17,286
   7.   Maryland   16,628
   8.   Kansas   16,395
   9.   Indiana   16,364
   10.   North Carolina State   15,907

Ty-Shon Time
Ty-Shon Alexander made his first career start on Dec. 9 against Nebraska, coming through with three asissts, one rebound and one steal in 19 minutes of a double-digit victory.
   Alexander is just the second true freshman point guard to start a game for Creighton in the last 10 seasons, joining Davion Mintz (12 starts in 2016-17).
   Like Alexander, Mintz also won his starting debut by double-figures (beating DePaul 83-66).
   Mintz returned to the starting line-up vs. Maryland Eastern Shore last Friday.

Ballock Can Ball
For the second time this season, Mitch Ballock was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Dec. 11th.
   Ballock averaged 9.5 points, 5.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game in a pair of double-digit wins for Creighton last week.
    The Eudora, Kan., native opened his week with six points, four rebounds and a team-best six assists in CU's 111-68 win over Big Sky Conference champion North Dakota.
    He then had 13 points, six rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes off the bench to key CU's 75-65 win over Nebraska. With CU trailing by five at the half, Ballock had 11 points, three assists and two rebounds in 18 minutes after the break, including a lay-up with 9:18 left that gave Creighton the lead for good.
   For the season, Ballock is averaging 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He was previously honored on Nov. 27, 2017.

Tough At Home
Creighton has won 22 straight non-conference home games dating to a Dec. 2, 2015 loss to Arizona State.
   On a national basis, that ranks as the 13th-longest streak, per recent research from the NCAA
Non-Conference Home Win Streaks (Through 12/27)
   Rank   Streak   School   Next Home N-C Game
   1.   139   Duke   Next Season
   2.   47   Arizona   Next Season
   3.   43   Butler   Next Season
   4.   38   Texas Tech   Next Season
   5.   35   Villanova   Next Season
   6.   32   SMU   Next Season
   7.   29   Evansville   Next Season
   8.   28   Seton Hall   Next Season
   9.   26   South Dakota State   12/30
       26   Florida State   Next Season
   11.   23   William & Mary   Next Season
       23   West Virginia   1/27
   13.   22   Creighton   2/13
   14.   20   IPFW   12/28
   15.   18   Marshall   Next Season

On The Rebound
Martin Krampelj (7.6) and Ronnie Harrell Jr. (7.4) are each putting together some of better Creighton rebounding figures in recent memory.
   Harrell had 15 rebounds against UCLA on Nov. 20th, while Krampelj snared 14 caroms on Dec. 5 vs. North Dakota. Both men finished with 11 rebounds vs. Nebraska on Dec. 9th.
   Since the start of the 1994-95 season, only one Bluejay player has averaged more than 7.4 rebounds per game over the course of a season. That player, Doug McDermott, did it twice.
   Here's Creighton's single-season rebounds per game leaders since 1994-95.
   Rank   RPG   Name   Season
   1.   8.2   Doug McDermott   2011-12
   2.   7.7   Doug McDermott   2012-13
   3.   7.6   Martin Krampelj   2017-18
   4.   7.4   Ronnie Harrell Jr.   2017-18
   5.   7.3   Rodney Buford   1997-98
       7.3   Gregory Echenique   2011-12

Shooters Shoot
Since Greg McDermott was hired eight years ago at Creighton, the Bluejays have shot 50 percent or better from the field in 117 games. That ranks third nationally, trailing only Gonzaga (131) and Kansas (123), Saint Mary's (112) and Kentucky (108) round out the top five.
   In those eight years, Gonzaga has shot 49.5 percent from the field, just ahead of Kansas (48.5%) and Creighton (48.2%). Belmont (48.1%) and Saint Mary's (47.9%) round out the top five.

Dunk You Very Much
Creighton ranked fifth nationally last year with 144 dunks, with half of those coming from future NBA First Round Draft pick Justin Patton. Of Patton's 72 dunks last year, 32 came on alley-oops.
   This year's Bluejay squad owns 40 dunks through 12 games this season, including nine against SIU Edwardsville. Five of the dunks against SIUE came from Martin Krampelj, who leads this year's club with 19 slams.

Putting Up The Points
Creighton scored 116 points on Dec. 20th vs. USC Upstate, third-most in school history, and the-most ever recorded by the Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
   Creighton has now scored 116 points or more four times in the last 13 months (113 vs. Longwood; 112 vs. North Carolina State, 111 vs. North Dakota and 116 vs. USC Upstate), after not doing it a single time from 2008-09 to 2015-16.
   The school record for points in a game by Creighton is 124, done on Feb. 10, 1964 at Miami (Fla.) in a 30-point win.
   Per Basketball-Reference.com, Creighton's 20 games of 100+ points since 2010-11 (when Greg McDermott was hired) are third-most in the nation, as seen below.
Most 100+ Point Games Since 2010-11 (thru 12/26/17)
   Rank   100 Pt. Games   Team
   1.   28   VMI
   2.   23   North Carolina
   3.   20   Creighton
   4.   19   Indiana
       19   Charleston Southern

Top 25 Success
Creighton had four wins over top-25 teams last season, twice as many as any previous campaign in program history. Six other Bluejay teams had two top-25 victories in the same season, including this year's club.
   This year's team is 2-2 against ranked teams, beating No. 20 Northwestern on Nov. 15th and No. 23 UCLA on Nov. 20th. The victories over the Wildcats and Bruins marked the first time in program history that CU has ever beaten top-25 foes in consecutive games.
Most Top-25 Wins, Season
   Wins   Season   Top-25 Victims
   4   2016-17   #9 Wisconsin, #12 Butler,
           #16 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
   2   2017-18   #20 Northwestern, #23 UCLA

Mitch-A-Palooza Makes A Stop in Kansas City
Freshman Mitch Ballock had 22 points on Nov. 20 vs. No. 23 UCLA, after scoring 26 points combined in his first three games as a Bluejay. The game was especially meaningful as the Eudora, Kan., native was playing just 35 miles from his hometown.
   Ballock's 22 points were the most by a Creighton freshman since Justin Patton had 25 points at St. John's on Jan. 4, 2017 in the eventual BIG EAST Freshman of the Year's breakout game on a national level.

Silas Enters College Hoops Hall of Fame
Creighton alum Paul Silas was enshrined into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City on Sunday, November 19th.
   In addition to Silas, the elite class included Gonzaga's John Stockton, Wake Forest's Tim Duncan, Winston-Salem State's Cleo Hill, Indiana's Scott May, Purdue's Rick Mount, and Duke's Jay Williams join former Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Wisconsin-Platteville coach Bo Ryan to form the Class of 2017.
   Silas remains one of the most dominant rebounders in college basketball history. Following a season with the freshman team, Silas pulled down 1,751 rebounds for Creighton from 1961 to 1964 – a number that currently ranks sixth in Division I history and first among three-year players.
   He's also third all-time at Creighton with a career average of 20.5 points per game, and earned various All-America accolades in each of his three varsity seasons, including Academic All-America recognition from CoSIDA. The Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Famer won three NBA titles as a player in the 1970s, and later coached four different NBA franchises.
   Silas' No. 35 jersey was retired by Creighton, and he joins Bill Russell, Julius Erving, Kermit Washington and Artis Gilmore as one of five players in NCAA history to average at least 20 points (20.5) and 20 rebounds (21.6) during his college career.
   Silas owns the top 22 single-game rebounding totals in Creighton history, with a high of 38 vs. Centenary on Feb. 19, 1962.
   Silas owns more rebounds (1,751) than any player in the last 55 years (by comparison, Lehigh's Tim Kempton led all active rebounders at the end of 2016-17 with 1,095 career rebounds).
   Last year, across all of Division I, there were only 36 games where an individual grabbed 20+ rebounds. Purdue's Caleb Swanigan led all of college hoops with four games of 20+ boards.

Silas Not The First
Paul Silas is the fifth person with Creighton connections to enter the College Basketball Hall of Fame. He joined the following...
   Eddie Hickey, a 2006 inductee into the coaches wing, won 126 games as head coach at Creighton from 1935-43 and 1946-47.
   Willis Reed, a 2006 inductee as a player (at Grambling State), won 52 games as head coach at Creighton from 1981-85.
   Arthur A. Schabinger, a 2006 inductee as a contributor, won 165 games as head coach at Creighton from 1922-35.
   Eddie Sutton, a 2011 inductee into the coaches wing, won 82 games as head coach at Creighton from 1969-74.

All The Three's
Creighton drilled 19 three-point shots in its Dec. 20 home game vs. USC Upstate, third-most in a game in program history.
   Here's a list of the games with 15 or more treys.
Most 3FG in a Game, Creighton History
   Rank   3FG   Opponent   Date   Score
   1.   21   at #4 Villanova   1/20/2014   W 96-68
   2.   20   Chattanooga   2/19/2005   W 100-69
   3.   19   USC Upstate   12/20/2017   W 116-62
   4.   16   Evansville   1/4/1999   L 79-84
       16   Drake   1/8/2013   W 91-61
       16   Chicago State   12/29/2013   W 90-58
       16   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/2016   W 86-77
       16   Alcorn State   11/12/2017   W 109-72
   9.   15   Six times

Road Openers
Creighton improved to 5-3 under Greg McDermott in its first true road game of the season with this year's win at Northwestern, and 14-10 in the last 24 years in the initial road game.
   The road opener has been the barometer for Creighton's postseason plans in the previous nine years. Creighton has made the NCAA Tournament the four times it has won the road opener, and missed the tournament the other five seasons.
Creighton in Road Openers, Last 9 Years
Year   Opponent   Score   CU in NCAA's?
2008-09   Ark.-Little Rock   L 69-71   No (NIT)
2009-10   #21 Dayton   L 80-90   No (CIT)
2010-11   Northwestern   L 52-65   No (CBI)
2011-12   UAB   W 70-60   Yes
2012-13   Nebraska   W 64-42   Yes
2013-14   Saint Joseph's   W 83-79   Yes
2014-15   Tulsa   L 64-77   No
2015-16   #14 Indiana   L 65-86   No (NIT)
2016-17   Nebraska   W 77-62   Yes
2017-18   #20 Northwestern   W 92-88   ? ? ?

Happy Birthday, Old Man(ny)
Manny Suarez turned 24 on November 12th. He's nearly 14 months older than his next-closest teammate, Tyler Clement (Dec. 25, 1994).
   Per a list compiled by Northwestern State SID Doug Ireland, Suarez is the nation's 14th-oldest active player, with six men above him having served a church mission while in school.
NCAA's Oldest Players (as of 11/12/17)
Age (Yrs-Days)   Name, Current School   Key
   25-309   Josh Boutte, Sam Houston State
   25-275   Gibson Johnson, Hawai'i   C
   25-145   Zach Nelson, Utah Valley   C
   24-354   Isaac Neilson, Utah Valley   C
   24-347   Kyle Brown, Cornell   C
   24-298   Ron Patterson, IUPUI
   24-284   Dusty Baker, Weber State   C
   24-228   Ronald Delph, Florida Atlantic
   24-215   Jalan West, Northwestern State
   24-175   David Collette, Utah   C
   24-132   Kevin Mickle, Ohio
   24-27   Isaiah Brock, Oakland
   24-5   Peter Ryckbosch, DePaul
   24-0   Manny Suarez, Creighton
   23-346   Quinn Taylor, Utah State   C
KEY: C = served church mission

Foster Up For Naismith & Wooden Awards
Creighton men's basketball senior Marcus Foster has been named one of 50 candidates for the Citizen Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced. A list of 30 midseason candidates will be released on Feb. 14, 2018 before the 50th presentation of the award April 1, 2018.
   A senior from Wichita Falls, Texas, Foster was a unanimous All-BIG EAST selection last year after leading Creighton with 18.2 points per game a year ago. He ranked among the league leaders in scoring after posting the highest scoring average for a Bluejay newcomer since 1970. Foster's 638 points were the 10th-most in CU history and the most ever by a Bluejay newcomer in their debut season on the court.
   Foster is also one of 50 preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award.
   Creighton has had one previous winner of the Naismith Trophy and the Wooden Award, as Doug McDermott collected the hardware for both following the 2013-14 campaign.

Foster Up For Jerry West Award
Creighton men's basketball guard Marcus Foster is one of 20 preseason candidates for the 2018 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, which is bestowed by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
   Last year Foster was one of five finalists for the award.
   Named after Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor in its fourth year recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men's college basketball.
   Previous winners of the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award include Malik Monk, Kentucky (2017) Buddy Hield, Oklahoma (2016) and D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State (2015).

CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 247 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 15-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 205-42 (.830) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (14-0).
   Creighton's Nov. 25 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program's 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU's 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
   Creighton has outscored its opponents 19,124-16,003 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.64 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 70 different times, including 18 of its last 44 home games.
   Creighton is also 25-24 all-time in the 49 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 32-22 when trailing at halftime at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
   Creighton is 108-24 (.818) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including a 65-4 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 225-42 (.843) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Heeeeeeerrrrrreeeeee's Ronnie
Ronnie Harrell Jr.'s 15 rebounds vs. No. 23 UCLA on Nov. 20th were three more than his previous career-high, and the most by a Bluejay in any game since Doug McDermott had 15 boards vs. Tulsa on Nov. 23, 2013.
   Harrell's 14 defensive rebounds were the most by any Bluejay since Kenny Lawson Jr. had 18 rebounds (14 defensive) vs. Saint Joseph's on Dec. 11, 2010.

Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?
Creighton shot 58.8 percent from the floor on November 10th, the program's best mark in a season-opener since blistering UT Arlington 106-50 on 59.4 percent shooting to open the 2002-03 season.
   Creighton has made the postseason all eight times in the previous 25 seasons in which it has made at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts to open the year. The last time that didn't hold true was 1991-92, when CU shot 51.0 percent in the opener but finished just 9-19.
CU Season-Opener Field Goal Percentage Over 50%
Since 1992-93
FG%   Year   Opponent   Postseason
.541   1997-98   UMKC   NIT
.524   1998-99   Towson State   NCAA
.569   2000-01   Western Illinois   NCAA
.594   2002-03   UT Arlington   NCAA
.500   2012-13   North Texas   NCAA
.556   2013-14   Alcorn State   NCAA
.528   2015-16   Texas Southern   NIT
.508   2016-17   UMKC   NCAA
.558   2017-18   Yale   TBD

Big Margin Can Lead To Big Things
Creighton beat Yale, 92-76, in the season-opener.
   Of Creighton's 20 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, nine 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.
               Final   Post-
   Score   Opponent   Date   W-L   Season
   92-76   Yale   11/10/17   TBD   TBD
   93-70   Texas Southern   11/14/15   20-15   NIT
   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

Two Of The Best
A pair of Creighton players were recently ranked among the best in college basketball in some preseason rankings of top-100 players.
   CBSSports.com lists Marcus Foster as the nation's 31st-best player and Khyri Thomas as 70th-best.
   NBCSports.com listed Foster as the No. 21 player, and Thomas as 67th-best nationally.
   ESPN.com did a list of the nation's top 50 players, and Foster finished 30th in that voting.

#ProJays
For the first time since 1969-70, Creighton has four NBA players at the same time as Kyle Korver (Cleveland Cavaliers), Anthony Tolliver (Detroit Pistons), Doug McDermott (New York Knicks) and Justin Patton (Minnesota Timberwolves) are all in the league.
   Including 2017-18, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 34 of the last 35 years.
   Korver ranks fifth in NBA history with 2,132 three-pointers and is sixth in league history with 43.16 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through December 25). 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 four times. Korver is averaging 10.3 points per game this year and shooting 44.6 percent from downtown.
   Tolliver is averaging 7.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game this season for the Pistons, his 11th NBA organization.
   McDermott is in his fourth season in the NBA, and first with the New York Knicks. He was traded to the Knicks with Enes Kanter in exchange for All-Star Carmelo Anthony. McDermott is averaging 8.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game this season.
   Creighton's newest NBA product is Justin Patton, who is now with the Minnesota Timberwolves but currently injured. Patton redshirted in 2015-16 before turning pro and being the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. Patton was then part of the Jimmy Butler trade to end up in Minneapolis, and on December 24th was recalled to the Timberwolves from the G-League affiliate in Des Moines.
   Patton will become the 14th different player in history with Creighton ties to play in the NBA.
   This is the first time since 1969-70 that Creighton has had four NBA players at the same time.

Racking Up The Victories
In 99 previous seasons of Bluejay Basketball, last season was the sixth team to earn 25 or more wins.
   Of Creighton's six seasons in history with 25 or more wins, Greg McDermott has coached four of those in the previous six years.
Most Creighton MBB Wins, Season
       Pre   Pre-Post   Postseason
Year   Final W-L   Tourney   Season   Tournament
2002-03   29-5   26-4   29-4   NCAA
2011-12   29-6   25-5   28-5   NCAA
2012-13   28-8   24-7   27-7   NCAA
2008-09   27-8   25-6   26-7   NIT
2013-14   27-8   24-6   26-7   NCAA
2016-17   25-10   23-8   25-9   NCAA
1990-91   24-8   20-7   23-7   NCAA
2000-01   24-8   23-6   24-7   NCAA
1921-22   23-5   23-5   23-5   didn't exist
1973-74   23-7   21-7   21-7   NCAA
2001-02   23-9   19-8   22-8   NCAA
1999-00   23-10   20-9   23-9   NCAA
2004-05   23-11   20-10   23-10   NCAA
2010-11   23-16   18-14   19-15   CBI
*Bold italics indicates Greg McDermott teams

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, through games of December 26th.
2010-11 to Present
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank
FG Percentage   .482   3rd
3FG Percentage   .388   3rd
3FG Made   2,213   4th
Assists   4,231   5th
FG Made   7,015   12th
Wins   176   30th
Winning Percentage   .677   35th

All-Tourney Duo
Creighton's Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas were both named to the 2017 Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team in November.
   Foster averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals in two games in Kansas City, while Thomas averaged 15.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the championship rounds.
   Foster has now played in three tournaments since coming to Creighton, and been named All-Tournament in each one, as he was recognized last season in the Paradise Jam (MVP) as well as the BIG EAST Tournament.

Going For 20, Again
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 17 of the last 19 seasons (including 2016-17), 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 19 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
   Kentucky and Florida have each done it in 18 of the last 19 seasons.
   Along with Arizona, Syracuse and Xavier, Creighton is one of four schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 17 of the past 19 years.

Some Loyal Fans
Creighton attracted 296.013 fans at home in 2016-17, surpassing 200,000 fans for the 12th straight season. CU's average of 17,413 was second-most in program history, while the 296,013 fans were the fourth-most ever.
   Creighton had never attracted more than 141,000 home fans in any season prior to the opening of CenturyLink Center Omaha, and now has done it in the past 14 seasons.
   Creighton has led its conference in home attendance every year since moving into CenturyLink Center Omaha, which is in its 15th season.
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
   Avg. Att.   School   Year
   17,896   Creighton   2013-14
   17,413   Creighton   2016-17
   17,155   Creighton   2012-13
   17,048   Creighton   2014-15
   16,665   Creighton   2011-12

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.   2016-17   17   296,013   17413
5.   2012-13   17   291,643   17,155

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
Creighton averaged 81.83 points per game in 2016-17, and its 2,864 points a year ago were a school-record. This year's team is averaging 92.3 points per game.
   Greg McDermott is 52-2 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 46-2 mark on the Creighton sideline.
   Creighton is 62-2 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, including 35 straight wins since a 1977 loss to North Texas State.

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 795 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation's 19th-longest active streak.
   Creighton's last win without making a three-point basket came on March 3, 1991 when the Jays went 0-for-2 from three-point range in a 71-66 win over Southern Illinois in the championship game of the MVC Tournament.
   Below is a list of the nation's longest active three-point streaks, through December 26.
Longest Active 3-Point Streak, Through 12/26
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next
   1.   1,024   Kentucky   12/29
   2.   1,020   UNLV   12/30
   3.   1,011   Vanderbilt   12/30
   4.   998   Duke   12/30
   5.   949   Western Kentucky   12/28
   6.   948   Arkansas   12/27
   7.   938   East Tennessee State   12/28
   8.   930   Pacific   12/28
   9.   917   Oakland   12/28
   10.   906   Texas   12/29
   11.   888   Princeton   1/5
   12.   856   Marshall   12/28
   13.   847   Baylor   12/29
   14.   826   Gonzaga   12/28
   15.   822   LIU-Brooklyn   12/29
   16.   811   Cornell   12/28
   17.   805   Mount St. Mary's   12/29
   18.   796   Tennessee State   12/28
   19.   795   Creighton   12/28
   20.   793   East Carolina   12/28

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 16 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point. Nine of those comebacks have come away from home.
   On the other hand, CU is 154-13 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 142 of the last 151 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

Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked to finish fifth in the BIG EAST Conference according to a preseason poll of league coaches. Villanova was picked first with 80 points and eight first-place votes, while Seton Hall and Xavier, Providence round out the top four. After Creighton, St. John's, Marquette, Butler, Georgetown and DePaul rounded out the bottom half.
   Creighton guard Marcus Foster was named Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team, while Khyri Thomas was picked to be a Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention choice.
   Since the reconfiguration of the BIG EAST in 2013, Creighton, Providence and Villanova are the only teams to meet or exceed their poll prediction each season.

CenturyLink Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 7-7 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CenturyLink Center Omaha, which opened in the fall of 2003.
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.)   L 53-52   G. Diaz FT   :2.6
01/20/07   Southern Illinois   L 58-57   B. Mullins FG   :4.1
01/10/15   #19 Seton Hall   L 68-67   S. Gibbs 3FG   :2.2
02/16/15   #19 Butler   L 58-56   R. Jones FG   :1.9
03/07/15   Xavier   L 74-73   D. Davis FT's   :6.3
01/12/16   #12 Providence   L 50-48   K. Dunn FG   :0.0
02/22/17   Providence   L 68-66   K. Cartwright 3FG   :2.4

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 176 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU's all-time wins list.
   McDermott's .677 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.   176-84   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
3.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger    1922-35
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-69
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-81

Top-20 Crowds
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time.
      Rank   Att.   Opponent   Date
   1.   18,868   Providence   03/08/14
   2.   18,859   Georgetown   01/25/14
   3.   18,831   #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

Très Bien
Since 2011-12, Creighton is 66-52 (.559) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 85-15 (.850) mark the last seven years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
   Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 132-37 in the last seven years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 20-31 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.

Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 80.30 points per home game (10,519 points in 131 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.19 points in non-conference home games (5,878 points in 69 home games).
   Creighton is 90-2 all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points and has won 88 straight non-conference home games when scoring 80 or more points, dating to a 90-85 loss to Nebraska on Dec. 7, 1991.

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 (after 12/25)
2017-18:   2nd (via WarrenNolan.com)
2016-17:   3rd
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

Eight Out Of 19 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 19 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (15), Duke (11), Winthrop (10), Kentucky (9), Creighton (8), Kansas (8) and New Mexico State (8).

Clear Bag Policy Comes to CenturyLink on 12/31
Starting December 31, 2017, CenturyLink Center Omaha will adopt new clear bag regulations for all arena events including Creighton University men's home basketball games. Bags permitted under the policy include clear plastic, vinyl or PVC totes.
   Additionally, small clutch-sized bags will also be allowed inside the arena after a proper security inspection. However, oversized bags or purses will no longer be allowed inside the premises.
   After observing the success and ease of transition with arenas and venues across the state, MECA and Creighton University believe the updated policy to be the best safety practice for the thousands of fans who loyally attend each basketball game, and countless concert-goers who walk through the doors at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
   Here are the main bullet-points of the new bag policy, effective on December 31 when the Bluejays host Providence (1:30 p.m., tip-off):
•   Clear plastic bags, measuring 12 inches tall, 12 inches long, and 6 inches wide
•   Small or clutch-sized purses or wallets, not exceeding 4.5 inches tall by 6.5 inches long
•   One-gallon, clear plastic freezer bags are permitted (Ziploc bag or similar)
•   No large purses, bags, backpacks or fanny-packs will be allowed inside
•   MECA staff members are not allowed to hold bags during an event
•   Exceptions will be made for bags with medical necessity after appropriate inspection

Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2017-18 season went on sale on October 18th.
   Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CenturyLink Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com, and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any regular-season game.
   For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.

#25 Men's Basketball Opens BIG EAST Play With Top-25 Showdown at #23 Seton Hall

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ty-Shon Alexander

Mitch Ballock

Tyler Clement

Marcus Foster

Ronnie Harrell Jr.

Toby Hegner

Martin Krampelj

Davion Mintz

Jordan Scurry

Manny Suarez

Khyri Thomas