Saturday, March 4
Milwaukee, Wis.
1:30 PM
Creighton University
at
Marquette
Ronnie Harrell Jr.
Photo by: A.J. Olnes
Third Place On The Line As Men's Basketball Visits Marquette In Regular-Season Finale
3/2/2017 1:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Creighton can clinch the third seed in the BIG EAST Tournament with a win
Download Notes as a PDF
Game #31: Creighton at Marquette • Saturday, March 4, 2017 • 1:30 p.m.
BMO Harris Bradley Center (18,600) • Milwaukee, Wis.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; www.1620thezone.com
Television: FS2 (Justin Kutcher, Nick Bahe)
Series History: Marquette leads, 51-32
Last Meeting: Marquette 102, #7 Creighton 94 on Jan. 21, 2017 in Omaha, Neb.
Next Game
Creighton (23-7, 10-7 BIG EAST) closes the regular-season on Saturday when it takes on Marquette (18-11, 9-8 BIG EAST). The winner will get at least a share of third place in the league.
   Tip-off at BMO Harris Bradley Center (18,600) in Milwaukee, Wis., is set for 1:30 p.m.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2016-17 season, while KOOO (101.9 FM) also broadcasted all the home games. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
   John Bishop and former Bluejay Brody Deren will call the action.
Television Information
Saturday's game will be televised nationally on FS2, which can be found on Cox Cable in Omaha on channel 216 (or 1216 in high definition).
   Justin Kutcher and Nick Bahe will announce.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video of Saturday'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 could also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton never trailed in an 82-68 win over St. John's on Tuesday to improve to 23-7 overall and 10-7 in the BIG EAST. The Bluejays own wins over No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 12 Butler, No. 16 Butler, No. 22 Xavier and have been ranked in the top-25 for all but one week this season.
   Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster (18.8 ppg.) leads the BIG EAST 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.
   Two Omaha products in the starting line-up are also doing big things. Vastly improved Khyri Thomas averages 12.1 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 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He's shooting 69.2 percent from the field (second nationally) and has 63 dunks already.
Scouting Marquette
Marquette is 18-11 this season, and 9-8 in BIG EAST play. The Golden Eagles are 13-3 at home, including a win over Villanova.
   Marquette boasts five men averaging in double-figures, a group led by freshman Markus Howard (13.0 ppg.). Howard also leads the nation in three-point percentage at 55.6 percent.
   Jajuan Johnson (11.8 ppg., 4.1 rpg.), Luke Fischer (11.1 ppg., 6.0 rpg.), Andrew Rowsey (11.3 ppg., 45.0% from 3) and Katin Reinhardt (10.8 ppg.) average in double-figures, with Haanif Cheatham (9.5 ppg.) and Sam Hauser (8.6 ppg.) not far behind.
   The Golden Eagles average 82.4 points per game, shoot 48.9 percent from the field, 78.0 percent at the free throw line and nation-leading 42.8 percent from three-point range.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his seventh season as head coach at Creighton. He is 164-79 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 444-274 in his 23rd season and is 313-210 in his 16th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Preston Murphy.
   Steve Wojciechowski (Duke, 1998) owns a 51-43 record in his third year at Marquette, which doubles as his career record. Wojciechowski came to Marquette after spending 15 seasons as an assistant coach at Duke and legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski. He is assisted by Chris Carrawell, Brett Nelson and Stan Johnson.
The Series With Marquette
Marquette leads the series with Creighton by a 51-32 margin, with a 30-12 lead in Milwaukee.
   Creighton has won four of the seven meetings since the schools became BIG EAST rivals, though the road team has won the last three meetings in the series.
   Each of the last five meetings have been decided by eight points or less, including Creighton's 65-62 victory in Milwaukee last season.
   Greg McDermott is 2-3 against Steve Wojciechowski as a head coach, and is 4-3 in his career against Marquette.
McDermott Could Earn Milestone Win
Greg McDermott currently has 164 victories at Creighton, good for third place on CU's all-time wins list. He's one win shy of tying Arthur A. Schabinger (1922-35) for second place on Creighton's all-time list.
   McDermott's .675 winning percentage is Creighton's best since Schabinger's .714 win rate.
   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.   164-79   Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.
4.   138-118   John J. "Red" McManus    1959-69
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-81
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go
The last time that Creighton and Marquette met up, the Golden Eagles left Omaha with a 102-94 victory.
   Marquette's output made it the first Creighton opponent to score 100 points against CU since Bradley scored 110 in a double-overtime game in 2008, and the first to score 100 or more in regulation against the Bluejays since Iowa State's 107 on December 1, 1993.
   Creighton's 94 points scored were its most in a home loss since 1988 (Southern Illinois, 102-98), and the most by a Greg McDermott-led team since his Wayne State (Neb.) club fell to Midland in 1997 by a 103-94 count.
   That the late January meeting between Creighton and Marquette was so high scoring shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. Creighton leads the BIG EAST in scoring offense for all games (83.5), while Marquette is tops in league games only (80.0). The teams are also 1-2 in league games in three-point percentage (MU is first) , assist/turnover ratio (CU is first) and assists per game (CU is first).
Juniors Can Fill It Up
Andrew Rowsey and Marcus Foster are a pair of high-scoring guards who transferred after two years at a previous stop, sat out last season, and now are excelling at Marquette and Creighton, respectively.
   The two men rank in the top 10 in the country among the nation's active juniors in career points, as seen in the chart below:
Most Career Points, Active Juniors (Through 3/1)
Rk.   Name, School   Points
1.   Melo Trimble, Maryland   1,609
2.   Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas   1,608
3.   Andrew Rowsey, Marquette   1,571
4.   Marcus Keene, Central Michigan   1,524
5.   Jonathan Stark, Murray State   1,498
6.   Josh Robinson, Austin Peay   1,494
7.   Justin Jackson, North Carolina   1,466
8.   Dillon Brooks, Oregon   1,454
9.   Marcus Foster, Creighton   1,439
10.   Evan Payne, Long Beach State   1,421
11.   Trevon Bluiett, Xavier   1,418
12.   Peyton Aldridge, Davidson   1,391
Foster At His Finest
Marcus Foster had 25 points and eight assists on last Saturday at Villanova, sinking 6-of-9 three-point tries.
   In the process, Foster became the first Bluejay with at least eight assists in a game with six or more three-pointers since Duan Cole on Jan. 8, 1991 against Iowa State.
   Foster has averaged 23.8 points, 4.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game in CU's last five contests. In that time, he's made 47.7 percent of his shots from the floor, 48.5 percent from three-point range, and 79.2 percent at the line. He's also been durable, playing an average of 36.0 minutes in those games.
In Case Of A Tie
Creighton can finish as high as third place in the BIG EAST standings, but could also drop as low as the sixth seed with a loss on Saturday.
   In the event of ties, here's how those will be broken according to the BIG EAST Tournament Manual tie-breaking procedures:
Two-Team Tie
1. Regular-season head-to-head results.
2. Each team's record vs. the team or group of tied teams occupying the highest position in the standings. If an advantage is not determined, proceed to the next team or group of tied teams in the standing for comparison. Continue down through the standings until one team gains an advantage.
3. Compare the Conference road record of the tied teams.
4. Compare all tied teams Conference-games only road record vs. the team(s) occupying the highest position in the final Conference regular-season standings, and then counting down through the standings until one team gains an advantage.
5. RPI ranking as published by RPIratings.com as of the last day of the regular season competition.
6. Coin flip.
Multiple-Team Tie (3 or More Teams)
1. Teams are viewed as a "mini-conference" when comparing head-to-head results. The team with the best record vs. the other teams in the mini-conference gains the advantage. The team with the worst record vs. the other teams in the mini-conference is seeded the lowest.
   a. If only two teams have the same best winning percentage in the mini-conference, the higher seed goes to the team winning the head-to-head series.
   b. If the two teams split their two games, then proceed to Step 2 under "Two-Team ties" (above). To seed the remaining team(s) in this mini-conference, proceed to (e) below.
   c. If three or more (but not all) teams have the same best winning percentage in the original mini-conference, then those tied teams create a new mini-conference and follow this same procedure beginning of Step 1 (Multiple Team Tie).
   d. If all teams in the mini-conference have the same mini-conference record, proceed to Step 2 below.
   e. After the top or bottom teams in a mini-conference are determined, the remaining teams are ranked by their record in the original mini-conference.
      i. If there are any remaining teams tied by their record in the mini-conference, then head-to-head results will determine the higher seed.
      ii. If the teams split two games, then proceed back to the two-way breaking procedure.
      iii. If there are at least three teams remaining tied by their record in the mini-conference, they would then form a new mini-conference and follow the procedure again at the beginning of Step 1 (Multiple-Team Tie).
2. Compare each team's record vs. the team or group of tied teams occupying the highest position in the standings. If an advantage is not determined, proceed to the next team or group of tied teams in the standings for comparison. Continue down through the standings until one or more teams gains an advantage. If two teams have the exact same advantage (i.e., having the same and better record against a compared team relative to their mini-conference), they are separated at that point by the two-way tiebreaker procedure. The next step would take you back to Step 1 (e) (Multiple-Team Tie).
3. If more than two teams are still tied, a comparison of the tied teams Conference game only road records.
4. If more than two teams are still tied, a comparison of the tied teams Conference-games only road records vs. the team(s) occupying the highest position in the final Conference regular-season standings, and then continuing down through the standings until one team gains an advantage.
   When arriving at another group of tied teams while comparing records, use each team's record against the collective tied teams as a group (prior to that group's own tie-breaking procedure), rather than the performance against individual tied teams.
   If at any point the multiple-teams tie is reduced to two teams, the two-team tie-breaking procedures above will be applied. Once a team is eliminated from a multi-team comparison, it is dropped from further comparisons.
5. Coin flip.
What's Even Possible?
There's 32 possible scenarios this weekend, and we're not going to break them all down here. What we do know, however, is that...
   With a win, Creighton is the three seed.
   With a loss, Creighton is the four, five or six seed.
   Creighton will play Providence if the Bluejays are the fourth or sixth seed.
   Creighton will play Seton Hall or Marquette if it is the third or fifth seed.
   The following seeds are set: Villanova (1), Butler (2), Xavier (7), St. John's (8), Georgetown (9) and DePaul (10).
23 Wins Before The League Tourney
Creighton enters Saturday's regular-season finale with a 23-7 record. In 99 seasons of Bluejay Basketball, this is the 14th team to earn 23 or more wins. This is just the eighth team to reach 23+ wins before the league tourney, and a win on Saturday would make this year's squad one of six in program history with 24+ wins before the league tourney.
   Since the start of postseason play,
Most Creighton MBB Wins, Season
      Pre   Pre-Post   Postseason
Year   Final W-L   Tourney   Season   Tournament
1921-22Â Â Â 23-5Â Â Â 23-5Â Â Â 23-5Â Â Â didn't exist
1973-74Â Â Â 23-7Â Â Â 21-7Â Â Â 21-7Â Â Â NCAA
1990-91Â Â Â 24-8Â Â Â 20-7Â Â Â 23-7Â Â Â NCAA
1999-00Â Â Â 23-10Â Â Â 20-9Â Â Â 23-9Â Â Â NCAA
2000-01Â Â Â 24-8Â Â Â 23-6Â Â Â 24-7Â Â Â NCAA
2001-02Â Â Â 23-9Â Â Â 19-8Â Â Â 22-8Â Â Â NCAA
2002-03Â Â Â 29-5Â Â Â 26-4Â Â Â 29-4Â Â Â NCAA
2004-05Â Â Â 23-11Â Â Â 20-10Â Â Â 23-10Â Â Â NCAA
2008-09Â Â Â 27-8Â Â Â 25-6Â Â Â 26-7Â Â Â NIT
2010-11Â Â Â 23-16Â Â Â 18-14Â Â Â 19-15Â Â Â CBI
2011-12Â Â Â 29-6Â Â Â 25-5Â Â Â 28-5Â Â Â NCAA
2012-13Â Â Â 28-8Â Â Â 24-7Â Â Â 27-7Â Â Â NCAA
2013-14Â Â Â 27-8Â Â Â 24-6Â Â Â 26-7Â Â Â NCAA
2016-17   23-7 so far   TBD   TBD   TBD
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, while DePaul is the only school where Creighton has not lost a road game.
   Creighton is 2-1 at Marquette heading into Saturday's game.
Team   CU Home Games   CU Road Games
Butler   3-1   2-2
DePaul   3-1   4-0
Georgetown   3-1   0-4
Marquette   2-2   2-1
Providence   1-3   1-3
Seton Hall   2-2   2-2
St. John's   4-0   2-2
Villanova   1-3   1-3
Xavier   2-2   2-2
Total   21-15   16-19
Record Watch
Creighton is chasing numerous records this season, many of which can be found on pages 40-44 of this notes packet. Among those that may be within reach...
   Marcus Foster set a CenturyLink Center Omaha record with 109 three-pointers attempted in a season, three more than the previous mark shared by Booker Woodfox and Doug McDermott.
   Justin Patton has made 69.2 percent of his overall field goal attempts , trailing only Geoffrey Groselle's .702 (146-208) in 2015-16, among CU players with 200 or more attempts in a single-season.
   Cole Huff has made 46.8 percent of his three-point attempts this season. That ranks 10th-best in school history, but is still within reach of Doug McDermott's 49.0 percent in 2012-13.
  Â
McDermott Earns 100th Home Win
Tuesday's win over St. John's marked Greg McDermott's 100th home victory at Creighton, as he moved to 100-24. All of those home games have come at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
   In Creighton history, only Dana Altman (199-46 at home) and Arthur A. Schabinger (108-30) at home) had previously reached 100 home wins.
   Schabinger coached at Creighton from 1922-35, when Creighton played its games at the Vinardi Center's "Old Gym" on campus.
   Altman was 102-28 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium and 97-18 at CenturyLink Center Omaha as CU head coach. Altman's Oregon team went 1-1 at CenturyLink Center Omaha in the 2015 NCAA Tournament was 0-1 in the 2011 CBI at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Senior Success
Creighton honored three senior players following its Feb. 28 game vs. St. John's, as Zach Hanson, Cole Huff and Isaiah Zierden were recognized. Hanson is in his fourth year with the program, Huff in his third, and Zierden his fifth campaign.
   During the past five years, Creighton has gone 112-57. The team has been to the NCAA Tournament two times, winning a game each trip, in addition to last year's run to the NIT quarterfinals. The 112 victories trail only Villanova among current BIG EAST schools.
   Creighton is 5-0 with five double-digit victories against in-state rival Nebraska since Zierden arrived on campus and 6-3 in conference tournament play. The trio have combined for 1,927 points, 769 rebounds and 203 assists in a collective 278 games and 104 starts in a Bluejay uniform.
Top 25 Success
Creighton has four 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
   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
Foster Takes Over BIG EAST Scoring Lead
Creighton guard Marcus Foster has scored in double-figures each of the last 13 games and now leads the BIG EAST Conference with 18.8 points per game.
   That puts him just ahead of Villanova's Josh Hart (18.6 ppg.) and Georgetown's Rodney Pryor (18.0 ppg.) for the league lead.
   In conference-only action, Foster's 18.5 ppg. rank just ahead of Hart (18.0) and St. John's Shamorie Ponds (17.3 ppg.). Foster owns 314 points in league play, compared to 306 for Hart, 294 for Ponds.
   Should Foster remain on top of the ledger, it'd be the fourth time in the last six seasons that a Creighton player has led his league in points per game (all games), as Doug McDermott did so in 2011-12 (MVC), 2012-13 (MVC) and 2013-14 (BIG EAST).
Non-Conference Unbeatens
Only six teams in the country went unbeaten in non-conference play this year. That list includes Creighton (13-0), Villanova (13-0), Baylor (13-0), Gonzaga (12-0), UCLA (13-0) and USC (13-0).
Road Warriors
Creighton is 10-3 away from home this winter (7-3 road, 3-0 neutral), outscoring foes by an average of 8.7 points per game. Creighton's victims in that time include Washington State, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Arizona State, St. John's, Providence, No. 22 Xavier, No. 16 Butler and DePaul.
   Prior to a Jan. 25 loss at Georgetown, Creighton had 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.
   Creighton is shooting 44.6 percent from three-point range in road/neutral games this season while holding foes to 29.3 percent marksmanship from deep. In these games, Creighton's senior class is shooting a combined 51.8 percent (71-137) from three-point territory in those games.
Shooting Stars
Creighton ranks third in the nation in field goal percentage, connecting at a 51.3 percent clip. Only UCLA (52.9 percent) and Gonzaga (51.6 percent) are over 51 percent through games of Wednesday.
   Creighton is also shooting the ball well in league play, draining 49.5 percent of its attempts. No team has shot 50 percent or better in leauge play since since Georgetown (50.5 percent) in 2006-07. No team has shot better than 50.6 percent since Syracuse (51.3%) in 1988-89.
A Special Winter
Creighton men's basketball (23) and Creighton women's basketball (22) each have surpassed 20 wins this season, the 11th time in school history that both teams have 20 or more wins in the same winter (also 1984-85. 1990-91, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14).
   Creighton was one of 12 schools with 22 or more wins in both men's and women's basketball this season, through games of Feb. 26. That elite group includes Baylor, Belmont, Bucknell, Creighton, Duke, FGCU, Florida State, Gonzaga, Louisville, Maryland, Notre Dame and UCLA.
   The 45 combined wins between the Creighton MBB and WBB programs is eighth-most in school history for one winter. That record is 53, set during the winters of 2002-03 and 2012-13.
   Additionally, Creighton's .776 combined winning percentage (45-13) ranks as the second-best combined mark for one winter in program history, trailing only the .791 mark set in 2002-03 (42-11).
Among The Nation's Best Under McDermott
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the since Greg McDermott took over in 2010-11, per Basketball-Reference.com:
2010-11 to March 1, 2017
Category   Stat   NCAA Rank  Â
3FG Percentage   .389   4th
FG Percentage   .481   4th
3FG Made   2,041   6th
Assists   3,919   6th
FG Made   6,477   13th
Wins   164   29th
Winning Percentage   .675   36th
Foster Distributes, Too
Marcus Foster had a season-high eight assists in the Feb. 25 game at Villanova. He has now distributed 37 helpers in his last 10 games after dishing just 32 dimes in the first 20 games of the year.
   Against Seton Hall, Foster became the first Bluejay since 2000 to have at least 23 points, six rebounds and six assists in the same game. On that occasion, Ryan Sears had 25 points, eight rebounds and assists at Southern Illinois on January 8, 2000.
   The only other BIG EAST players with a game of at least 23 points, six rebounds and six assists this year have been Xavier's Edmond Sumner and St. John's Shamorie Ponds.
   Foster's game against Georgetown of 35 points, five rebounds and five assists. He's Creighton's first player with a 35/5/5 line since Benoit Benjamin had 45 points, 16 rebounds and five assists vs. Indiana State on January 19, 1985.
Foster Reaches 500
Marcus Foster has scored a team-high 564 points this season, including a career-high 35 points on Feb. 19 vs. Georgetown.
   Doug McDermott (581 as a freshman in 2010-11) and Paul Silas (551 in 1961-62 as a sophomore, back when freshmen were ineligible) had been the only previous players to score 500 points or more in their first season on the court for Creighton.
3-Ball Returns
Creighton was leading the nation in three-point percentage (45.3 percent) when it took the floor to open BIG EAST play vs. Seton Hall on December 28th.
   Creighton struggled in the first half of BIG EAST play, making just 54-of-180 (30.0 percent) of its attempts in the first nine league games.
   The Bluejays have regained their shooting stroke in the last six games, draining 82-of-179 three-point shots (45.8 percent). That stretch started not long after a dreadful 1-for-18 showing from long-range at Georgetown on January 25th.
   Creighton has made 13 or more trifectas seven times this winter, and 10 or more in 13 contests.
   Here's a look at the three-point shooting statistics of the 11 Bluejays who have attempted a trey in CU's last eight games:
Name   3FG-FGA   3FG%
Justin Patton   2-2   1.000
Martin Krampelj   1-1   1.000
Toby Hegner   9-17   .529
Davion Mintz   6-12   .500
Cole Huff   15-31   .484
Khyri Thomas   15-31   .484
Marcus Foster   21-49   .429
Isaiah Zierden   11-28   .393
Tyler Clement   2-6   .333
Jordan Scurry   0-1   .000
Ronnie Harrell Jr.   0-1   .000
Team Totals   82-179   .458
Patton Chasing History
Justin Patton has made 69.2 percent of his field goal attempts this season, good enough to lead the BIG EAST and rank second 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, while the best mark by a freshman in NCAA history is currently 67.8 percent by Hampton's Michael Freeman (162-239) in 2006-07.
   The top two field goal percentage marks in history by a "major conference" freshman (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC) are 66.5 percent by Arkansas' Sidney Moncrief in 1975-76 and 66.4 percent by Duke's Jahlil Okafor in 2014-15.
   That being said, Patton's marksmanship this season trails one other man who are also on pace to challenge the NCAA record for field goal percentage, as UNCW sophomore Devontae Cacok is at 78.7 percent this season.
   The chart below lists the top-15 single-season marks for field goal percentage in NCAA history entering 2016-17:
Best FG %, NCAA History
(minimum 5 FG/game)
Rk. Name, School   Year   FG-FGA   Pct.
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
6.   Adam Mark, Belmont   2001-02   150-212   .708
7.   Oliver Miller, Arkansas   1990-91   254-361   .704
8.   Alan Williams, Princeton   1986-87   163-232   .703
9.   Mark McNamara, California   1981-82   231-329   .702
10.   Warren Kidd, Middle Tenn.   1990-91   173-247   .700
11.   Pete Freeman, Akron   1990-91   175-250   .700
12.   Joe Senser, West Chester   1976-77   130-186   .699
13.   Lee Campbell, Missouri St.   1989-90   192-275   .698
14.   Stephen Scheffler, Purdue   1989-90   173-248   .698
15.   Brendan Haywood, N. Carolina   1999-00   191-274   .697
16.   Kenny George, UNC Asheville   2007-08   151-217   .696
17.   Mike Atkinson, Long Beach St.   1993-94   141-203   .695
18.   Taylor Smith, Stephen F. Austin   2012-13   211-304   .694
19.   Ricardo Ratliffe, Missouri   2011-12   210-303   .693
20.   Lester James, St. Francis NY   1990-91   149-215   .693
21.   Michael Bradley, Villanova   2000-01   254-367   .692
22.   Murray Brown, Florida State   1978-79   237-343   .691
23.   Evan Bradds, Belmont   2014-15   185-269   .688
24.   Joe Senser, West Chester   1977-78   135-197   .685
25.   Charles Outlaw, Houston   1991-92   156-228   .684
Double-Double Fun
Justin Patton had 11 points and a season-high 11 rebounds in a Feb. 11th at DePaul, the third double-double of the season for the Omaha native.
   Patton is just the third Creighton freshman since 1988-89 to post a double-double, joining Ronnie Harrell Jr. (1 in 2015-16) and Doug McDermott (9 in 2010-11).
   Patton (1) and McDermott (5) are the only two freshmen in that time to have a double-double in a league game, as well.
Going Streaking, Part 1
Isaiah Zierden has made 23 straight free throws, a streak that started on Jan. 4 at St. John's. For the season, Zierden is 31-of-33 (93.9 percent) from the charity stripe overall on the year, and a career 87.0Â (134-154) percent shooter at the line.
   Below is a list of Creighton's longest streaks on record for consecutive free throws made:
Consecutive Free Throws Made, Since 1980
   FT   Name   Dates of Streak
   45   Doug McDermott   Dec. 1, 2013 - Jan. 4, 2014
   36   Booker Woodfox   Dec. 6, 2008-Jan. 6, 2009
   35   Bob Portman   1967-68
   32   Michael Lindeman   Jan. 23-Nov. 29, 2003
   28   Kyle Korver   Jan. 27-March 15, 2001
   28   Doug McDermott   March 10 - Nov. 8, 2013
   27   Matt West   Nov. 27, 1999-Jan. 15, 2000
   27   Kyle Korver   Jan. 29-Nov. 20, 2000
   27   Nate Funk   Dec. 30, 2006-Jan. 12, 2007
   24   Rick Apke   Jan. 22-Feb. 5, 1977
   24   Rod Mason   Jan. 28-Feb. 4, 1988
   24   Kyle Korver   Mar. 15-Dec. 4, 2001
   24   Ethan Wragge   Feb. 3, 2010 - Feb. 1, 2012
   23   Jahenns Manigat   Feb. 9, 2013 - Jan. 7, 2014
   23   Isaiah Zierden   Jan. 7, 2017 - Present
   22   Matt Petty   Jan. 4-Feb. 4, 1993
   22   Ryan Sears   Feb. 22-Nov. 22, 1999
   22   Nate Funk   Feb. 26-Mar. 17, 2005
   22   Cavel Witter   Nov. 9-Dec. 5, 2007
Going Streaking, Part 2
Marcus Foster has scored at least 10 points in each of his last 13 games. Other players in the BIG EAST with double-figure scoring streaks of 10 or longer include Villanova's Josh Hart (35), Georgetown's Rodney Pryor (14) and Seton Hall's Angel Delgado (11).
No Doubting This Thomas
Khyri Thomas has been on quite a roll of late. In the last nine games, the sophomore from Omaha has averaged 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, doing all that with a 42/18 assist/turnover ratio.
   For the season, Thomas leads Creighton in steals and is second on the team in rebounds, assists, and blocks.
Jays Were Ranked In 16th Straight Polls
The Creighton men's basketball team fell out of the top-25 for the first time all season when Monday's (Feb. 27) poll was released.
   That snaps a 16-week stretch of rankings that had been one shy of the school-record.
   The 16 weeks the Bluejays have been ranked this year tie a school-record for one season, first done in 2012-13.
   Earlier this year on Jan. 16 Creighton was ranked as high as seventh in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches poll
   Creighton has now been ranked in 84 weeks in program history, with 56 of those under the direction of seventh-year head coach Greg McDermott.
   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
Most Consecutive Weeks in AP Poll, Creighton History
   Weeks   Dates
   17   Feb. 27, 2012 - Feb. 4, 2013
   16   Nov. 11, 2016 - Feb. 20, 2017
   15   Dec. 14, 2002 - March 20, 2003
   8   Jan. 27, 2014 - March 17, 2014
   5   Feb. 12, 1974 - March 12, 1974
   5   Feb. 4, 1975 - March 4, 1975
   5   Jan. 9, 2012 - Feb. 6, 2012
Most Weeks in AP Poll, Same Season, Creighton History
   Weeks   Season   Final W-L   Postseason
   16   2012-13   28-8   NCAA (1-1)
   16   2016-17   23-7 so far   TBD
   15   2002-03   29-5   NCAA (0-1)
   12   2011-12   29-6   NCAA (1-1)
   11   2013-14   27-8   NCAA (1-1)
20 Wins, 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 previous 18 years (entering 2016-17): Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
   Kentucky , Florida, Texas and Syracuse have each done it in 17 of the previous 18 seasons (entering 2016-17).
   Along with Arizona, Xavier and Connecticut, Creighton was one of four schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 16 of the previous 18 years (entering 2016-17).
   This is the 28th time in program history that Creighton has won 20 or more games in a season.
   The win also matched Creighton's victory total (20) from all of last season in 35 games.
   Below is a list of the teams with at least 16 seasons (entering 2016-17) of 20 or more wins since 1998-99, with records through games of Feb. 26th.
20+ Wins - Each of Last 18 Seasons (entering 2016-17)
Team   2016-17 W-L   Next Game
Gonzaga   29-1   3/4
Kansas   27-3   3/4
Duke   23-7   3/4
20+ Wins - 17 of Last 18 Seasons (entering 2016-17)
Team   2016-17 W-L   Next Game
Kentucky   25-5   3/4
Florida   24-6   3/4
Syracuse   17-13   3/4
Texas   10-20   3/4
20+ Wins - 16 of Last 18 Seasons (entering 2016-17)
Team   2016-17 W-L   Next Game
Arizona   26-4   3/4
Creighton   23-7   3/4
Xavier   18-12   3/4
Connecticut   14-15   3/5
20 Wins Reached, Again
Creighton picked up its 20th win of the season on Tuesday, Jan. 31, with a victory at Butler.
   It's the second time in program history that Creighton has reached the 20-win milestone before the end of January.
   The 2011-12 team that tied a school-record with 29 victories improved to 20-2 with a win on January 28, 2012.
Clement Honored By CoSIDA
Creighton men's basketball guard Tyler Clement has been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 7 First Team. A junior from Shawnee, Kan., Clement owns a perfect 4.00 GPA in Creighton's Heider College of Business as a Financial Analysis and Marketing major.
   Clement is Creighton's first men's basketball student-athlete to receive Academic All-District acclaim since Anthony Tolliver in 2006-07. Tolliver would go on to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team honors.
   Clement averages 1.5 points, 1.4 assists and 1.0 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per game.
   Clement is a three-time selection to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team and has also been named to the Creighton Dean's List after all seven semesters that he's been enrolled. Last season Clement was also named to the NABC Honors Court.
Talented Thomas
Best Defensive Player? Most Improved? Most Underrated? There's a lot of titles you could bestow on Khyri Thomas, who continues to fly under the radar as one of the BIG EAST's top players.
   The sophomore from Omaha leads the team in steals and is second on the squad in rebounding, assists and blocked shots.
   Thomas tied a career-high by sinking 4-of-5 three-point shots in Creighton's Jan. 31 win at Butler. Creighton is 15-2 this year, and 24-7 in his career, when he drains a trifecta.
   Since arriving on campus, Thomas has made 43-of-94 (45.7 percent) three-pointers in Creighton wins compared to 17-of-56 (30.4 percent) marksmanship from deep in Bluejay losses.
   Thomas has scored in double-figures in 12-of-17 BIG EAST games this winter after never doing that as a freshman.
   Thomas entered that Butler game 9-for-55 (16.4 percent) in his career against BIG EAST foes from three-point range, compared to 36-of-64 (56.3 percent) shooting from deep in games against all other clubs.
Foster A Naismith Trophy Candidate
Creighton guard Marcus Foster is one of 30 players in consideration for the 2017 Naismith Men's College Player of the Year.
   Foster leads the BIG EAST in scoring at 18.8 points per game, which puts him on pace for the highest scoring average by a Bluejay newcomer since 1969-70. He's been a two-time BIG EAST Player of the Week (Nov. 28, Dec. 26), and was also named MVP of the Paradise Jam in November. The Wichita Falls, Texas, native, has scored 12 points or more in 28-of-30 games to date, including a season-high 30 vs. Marquette on Jan. 21. Foster owns 564 points so far at Creighton after scoring 875 points in his first two years at Kansas State.
   Foster has started all 30 games this season for the Bluejays, who are off to a 23-7 start. He is one of three BIG EAST players on the list, joining the Villanova duo of Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson.
   The 10 semifinalists will be announced March 1, 2017. Foster is looking to become Creighton's second Naismith Men's College Player of the Year winner in the last four years, as Doug McDermott hauled in the honor following the 2013-14 season.
Foster Up For Jerry West Award
Creighton men's basketball guard Marcus Foster is one of 10 finalists for the 2017 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
   Named after Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor in its third year recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men's college basketball.
   The winner of the 2017 Jerry West Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show live from The Novo by Microsoft in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, April 7, 2017. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
   Previous winners of the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award include Buddy Hield, Oklahoma (2016) and D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State (2015).
Patton Up For Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award
Creighton's Justin Patton is one of 10 finalists for the 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today.
   Named after Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its third year recognizes the top centers in men's college basketball.
    Patton has burst onto the scene in a big way, leading the team with 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots per game, while ranking second with 13.1 points per contest. The electrifying 7-footer ranks second nationally in field goal percentage (.692), including 63 dunks.
   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played for legendary coach John Wooden at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1966-1969. He is a three-time NCAA Champion who earned numerous accolades including three-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player, three-time National College Player of the Year and three-time Consensus First-Team All-American (1967-1969). Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA Champion and a 1995 inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
   The winner of the 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented at ESPN's College Basketball Awards, presented by Wendy's, live from The Novo by Microsoft in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, April 7, 2017.
   Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016) and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).
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.
   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 second nationally with 69.2 percent shooting from the field this year.
   Incredibly, the freshman has shot better than 54 percent from the field in every game but one (Xavier) this season.
   Patton's 29 games shooting 50.1 percent or better from the field leads the nation, two more than UNCW's Devontae Cacock (27).
   Patton (28), UCLA's TJ Leaf (24) and USC Upstate's Michael Buchanan (24) are the only men to exceed 50 percent from the field with at least four field goals made in more than 23 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 30 career games:
Through 30 Career Games
Player, Year   PPG   RPG   BPG   APG   FG%
Justin Patton, 2017Â Â Â 13.1Â Â Â 6.3Â Â Â 1.5Â Â Â 1.3Â Â Â .692
Henry Ellenson, 2016Â Â Â 16.4Â Â Â 9.9Â Â Â 1.5Â Â Â 1.9Â Â Â .438
Karl-Anthony Towns, 2015Â Â Â 9.6Â Â Â 6.5Â Â Â 2.3Â Â Â 1.1Â Â Â .567
Myles Turner, 2015Â Â Â 11.0Â Â Â 6.6Â Â Â 2.8Â Â Â 0.6Â Â Â .466
Jahlil Okafor, 2015Â Â Â 17.6Â Â Â 9.2Â Â Â 1.4Â Â Â 1.5Â Â Â .668
Joel Embiid#, 2014Â Â Â 11.2Â Â Â 8.1Â Â Â 2.6Â Â Â 1.4Â Â Â .626
Jabari Parker, 2014Â Â Â 18.8Â Â Â 9.0Â Â Â 1.4Â Â Â 1.3Â Â Â .483
Steven Adams, 2013Â Â Â 7.1Â Â Â 6.2Â Â Â 2.1Â Â Â 0.6Â Â Â .578
Nerlens Noel*, 2013Â Â Â 10.5Â Â Â 9.5Â Â Â 4.4Â Â Â 1.6Â Â Â .590
Anthony Davis, 2012Â Â Â 14.1Â Â Â 9.8Â Â Â 4.7Â Â Â 0.9Â Â Â .661
Tristan Thompson, 2011Â Â Â 13.3Â Â Â 7.6Â Â Â 2.2Â Â Â 1.3Â Â Â .534
Doug McDermott, 2011Â Â Â 14.3Â Â Â 7.8Â Â Â 0.1Â Â Â 1.1Â Â Â .506
*Noel got hurt and only played 24 games as a freshman
#Embiid got hurt and only played 24 games as a freshman
We're Jamming!
Justin Patton has 63 of CU's 126 dunks this season, with Marcus Foster (22), Khyri Thomas (17), Martin Krampelj (9), Ronnie Harrell Jr. (3), Toby Hegner (2), Zach Hanson (5), Cole Huff (3), Davion Mintz (1) and Kobe Paras (1) accounting for the others. Of Patton's dunks, 30 have been on lobs.
   The 126 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
63   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
22   Marcus Foster   2016-17
Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Years
90   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
63   Justin Patton   2016-Pres.
38   Will Artino   2011-15
32   Zach Hanson   2013-Pres.
29   Khyri Thomas   2015-Pres.
25   Geoffrey Groselle   2012-16
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11
22   Marcus Foster   2016-Pres.
19   Doug McDermott   2010-14
Most Creighton Dunks, Team, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Year   Team W-L
126Â Â Â 2016-17Â Â Â ? ? ?
58Â Â Â 2015-16Â Â Â 20-15 (NIT)
56Â Â Â 2010-11Â Â Â 23-16 (CBI)
54Â Â Â 2012-13Â Â Â 28-8 (NCAA)
42Â Â Â 2011-12Â Â Â 29-6 (NCAA)
35Â Â Â 2013-14Â Â Â 27-8 (NCAA)
29Â Â Â 2014-15Â Â Â 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
2016-17Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 4-4 so far
2015-16Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 4-5
2014-15Â Â Â 1-8Â Â Â 3-6
2013-14Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 6-3
2012-13Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 6-3
2011-12Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 6-3
2010-11Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4
2009-10Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4
2008-09Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 9-0Â Â Â
2007-08Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4
2006-07Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 7-2
2005-06Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 5-4
2004-05Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 6-3
2003-04Â Â Â 7-2Â Â Â 5-4
2002-03Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 7-2
2001-02Â Â Â 8-1Â Â Â 6-3
2000-01Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 9-0
1999-00Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 6-3
1998-99Â Â Â 6-3Â Â Â 5-4
1997-98Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 7-2
1996-97Â Â Â 5-4Â Â Â 5-4
1995-96Â Â Â 4-5Â Â Â 5-4
Total   126-72 (.636)   126-71 (.640)
Quest For 18,000 A Success
Creighton has scored 18,341 points all-time at CenturyLink Center Omaha, surpassing 18,000 points on January 28 vs. DePaul on a Zach Hanson lay-up.
   Creighton has currently outscored the opposition 18,341 to 15,477 at the 14-year old facility in 239 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.
02/18/04Â Â Â 1,000-787 (14)Â Â Â Lindeman FG vs. Indiana State
02/05/05Â Â Â 2,000-1,696 (28)Â Â Â Funk FG vs. Missouri St.
01/18/06Â Â Â 3,000-2,504 (41)Â Â Â Watts FT vs. Bradley
01/09/07Â Â Â 4,000-3,359 (56)Â Â Â Tolliver FG vs. Drake
12/17/07Â Â Â 5,000-4,174 (69)Â Â Â Ka. Korver 3FG vs. Hou. Baptist
11/16/08Â Â Â 6,000-5,048 (82)Â Â Â Dotzler FG vs. New Mexico
02/11/09Â Â Â 7,000-5,870 (95)Â Â Â Witter 3FG vs. Bradley
01/16/10Â Â Â 8,000-6,750 (109)Â Â Â Young FG vs. Wichita State
12/20/10Â Â Â 9,000-7,645 (123)Â Â Â Wragge FG vs. W. Illinois
03/23/11Â Â Â 10,000-8,500 (136)Â Â Â Lawson FG vs. UCF
01/21/12Â Â Â 11,000-9,310 (148)Â Â Â McDermott FG vs. Ind. St.
12/19/12Â Â Â 12,000-10,136 (161)Â Â Â Echenique FG vs. Tulsa
11/23/13Â Â Â 13,000-10,922 (173)Â Â Â Artino FG vs. Tulsa
02/23/14Â Â Â 14,000-11,711 (185)Â Â Â Gibbs FG vs. Seton Hall
01/28/15Â Â Â 15,000-12,612 (198)Â Â Â Hanson FT vs. St. John's
12/28/15Â Â Â 16,000-13,498 (211)Â Â Â Huff FG vs. Coppin State
11/15/16Â Â Â 17,000-14,349 (224)Â Â Â Patton FG vs. #9 Wisconsin
01/28/17Â Â Â 18,000-15,166 (235)Â Â Â 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 at Georgetown on Jan. 28 in his first action in nearly two months.
   Hanson has made 25-of-41 shots since he's returned, contributing 56 points and 21 rebounds in 102 minutes of work.
   A Pierre, S.D., native, Hanson is averaging 6.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 63.6 percent from the field in 11.2 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 79.41 points per home game (9,847 points in 124 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. Creighton also lost on Feb. 4 vs. Xavier, 82-80.
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 February 26.
MBB Non-Conference Wins Over
 "Football 5" Leagues, By Team
   6   Creighton
   5   Butler
   5   Gonzaga
   5   UCLA
   5   Kansas
   4   Xavier
   4   Seton Hall
   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).
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 1,142-906 in the paint this year, the program's best margin in that category since the school started tracking the stat in 2003-04.
   Only five opponents all year have outscored CU in the paint this season over the course of a game.
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, and all but three games overall (Marquette; at Georgetown; at Seton Hall, at Villanova) this season.
   Below is a list of some of Creighton's runs to start the game this season:
Opponent   Score   Time Left in 1st Half
UMKCÂ Â Â 15-2Â Â Â 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
Georgetown   11-4   16:34
St. John's   11-0   15:35
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 296,013 fans this season in 17 home games.
Three-Point Options
Toby Hegner's fourth and final trey at Arizona State was the 100th trifecta of his career. He now owns 116, and is the fourth active Bluejay with 100 or more three-pointers, joining Marcus Foster (204, with 66 at CU), Isaiah Zierden (167) and Cole Huff (181, with 114 at CU).
   Zierden stands in 10th place in Creighton history with 167 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
   167   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   ? ? ?
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:Â Â Â 3rd (per WarrenNolan.com)
2015-16:Â Â Â 4th
2014-15:Â Â Â 3rd
2013-14:Â Â Â 4th
2012-13:Â Â Â 2nd
2011-12:Â Â Â 2nd
2010-11:Â Â Â 1st
2009-10:Â Â Â 3rd
2008-19:Â Â Â 4th
2007-08:Â Â Â 5th
2006-07:Â Â Â 5th
2005-06:Â Â Â 3rd
2004-05:Â Â Â 2nd
2003-04:Â Â Â 4th
2002-03:Â Â Â 5th
2001-02:Â Â Â 3rd
2000-01:Â Â Â 3rd
Top 25 RPI
According to WarrenNolan.com on Thursday morning, Creighton ranked No. 25 nationally in the RPI.
   Villanova was first and Butler 10th, which has helped the BIG EAST to No. 3 in WarrenNolan.com's conference RPI rankings.
   Creighton owns a 2-2 mark against top-10 RPI teams and a 5-4 record against top-50 RPI clubs this season.
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
.600Â Â Â vs. IUPUIÂ Â Â 15-25Â Â Â 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
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 (Oklahoma City Thunder) are all in the league.
   Including 2016-17, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 33 of the last 34 years.
   Korver ranks fifth in NBA history with 2,018 three-pointers and is also seventh in league history with 43.1 percent marksmanship from three-point range (through March 1st). 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 10.3 points per game while making 45.2 percent (2nd in the NBA) of his three-point attempts this year.
   Tolliver is averaging 7.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game this season for the Kings, his 11th NBA organization.
   McDermott was traded last Thursday by the Chicago Bulls to the Oklahoma City. He is averaging 10.1 points per game and shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 38.0 percent from three-point range.
Full House
Creighton is averaging 17,413 fans per home game this season, fifth-best nationally. That figure would rank 18th best in the NBA, ahead of 13 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 (3/1)
   Rk.   School   Average   Next Home
   1.   Kentucky   23,462   TBD
   2.   Syracuse   22,251   3/4
   3.   Louisville   20,736   3/4
   4.   North Carolina   17,822   3/4
   5.   Creighton   17,413   TBD
   6.   Wisconsin   17,286   3/2
   7.   Maryland   16,550   3/4
   8.   Kansas   16,395   TBD
   9.   Indiana   16,364   TBD
   10.   North Carolina State   15,907   TBD
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
Some Loyal Fans
Creighton has surpassed 200,000 home fans for the 12th straight season in 2016-17, and its 296,013 fans rank fourth-most in program history. 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.   2016-17   17   296,013   17,413
5.   2012-13   17   291,643   17,155
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 778 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 March 1.
   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 (3/1)
   Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
   1.   1,005   Kentucky   3/4
   2.   1,004   UNLV   3/4
   3.   994   Vanderbilt   3/4
   4.   977   Duke   3/4
   5.   934   Western Kentucky   3/2
   6.   931   Arkansas   3/4
   7.   923   East Tennessee State   3/4
   8.   915   Pacific   3/3
   9.   897   Oakland   3/4
   10.   890   Texas   3/4
   11.   869   Princeton   3/3
   12.   838   La Salle   3/4
   13.   837   Marshall   3/2
   14.   830   Baylor   3/4
   15.   808   LIU-Brooklyn   TBD
   16.   803   Gonzaga   3/4
   17.   799   Cornell   3/3
   18.   788   Mount St. Mary's   3/4
   19.   785   Tennessee State   TBD
   20.   779   East Carolina   3/5
   21.   778   Creighton   3/4
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 9.0 ppg.
Très Bien
Since 2011-12, Creighton is 61-48 (.560) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 79-14 (.849) 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 122-35 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 143-12 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 131 of the last 139 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
10Â Â Â UABÂ Â Â 11/14/12
10   vs. Drake   03/02/12
10   at Nebraska   12/07/14
10   South Dakota   12/09/14
CenturyLink Center Omaha Dramatics
Providence's Kris Dunn hit a game-winning shot as time expired to beat Creighton last Jan. 12th. It was the first game-winning shot with no time left to ever to beat Creighton at CenturyLink Center Omaha, exceeding the previous low with 1.9 seconds left by Butler's Roosevelt Jones in 2014-15.
   Dunn's shot was the first to beat Creighton (at any site) with no time left on the clock since Anthony James drained a game-winning three-pointer for Northern Iowa in a 65-62 win on Feb. 4, 2012 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
   Creighton is 7-7 in games with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds in the 14-year old facility.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at CLCO, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
11/26/05   Dayton   W 91-90*   Funk FG   :5.7
01/28/06   Wichita St.   W 57-55   Tolliver FG   :0.0
11/25/06   George Mason   W 58-56   Watts FT   :7.5
03/18/08   Rhode Island   W 74-73   Witter 3FG   :3.2
01/13/10   Southern Illinois   W 71-69   Young FG   :1.3
02/18/12   Long Beach St.   W 81-79   Young FG   :0.3
01/28/14   St. John's   W 63-60   McDermott 3FG   :2.8
*double-overtime
Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses at CLCO, Last 10 Seconds
Date   Opponent   Score   Player/Score   Time
03/20/06Â Â Â Miami (Fla.)Â Â Â L 53-52Â Â Â G. Diaz FTÂ Â Â :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
What A Start!
Greg McDermott is 164-79 on the Creighton sideline in his seventh year at the helm. The 164 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.   164-79 so far
Tom Apke   1974-80   130-64
Dana Altman   1994-00   123-86
Red McManus   1959-65   105-75
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 239 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in the 14-year-old facility.
   The Bluejays own a 197-42 (.824) 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 18,341-15,477 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.98 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 67 different times, including 15 of its last 36 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 100-24 (.806) 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 83.47 points per game in 2016-17.
   Greg McDermott is 44-2 as a Division I head coach when his teams score 90 or more points, including a 38-2 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.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballMeet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Ty Davis
Friday, August 15
