Game #16: #17 Creighton Bluejays at Seton Hall Pirates
Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 • 6:00 p.m. CST
Prudential Center • Newark, N.J.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; www.1620thezone.com; Westwood One
SiriusXM: Sirius 132; XM 201; App 964
Television: FS1 (Kevin Burkhardt, Casey Jacobsen)
Series History: Seton Hall leads, 14-9
Last Meeting: #7 Creighton 89, Seton Hall 53 on 1/6/21 in Omaha, Neb.
CREIGHTON NOTES | SETON HALL NOTES | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS
Next Game
No. 17 Creighton (11-4, 7-3 BIG EAST) will play four of its next five games on the road, and that difficult stretch begins on Wednesday with a road test against fellow defending BIG EAST co-champ Seton Hall (9-6, 6-3 BIG EAST).
Tip-off at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., is set for 6 p.m. Central.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men’s basketball games during the 2020-21 season. KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games that start after 5 p.m. The game can also be heard on Sirius channel 132 or XM 201 or channel 964 on the SiriusXM app.
John Bishop will call the action with Taylor Stormberg. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.
Scott Graham and Donny Marshall will also broadcast the game nationally on Westwood One.
Television Broadcast Information
Wednesday’s game will be televised nationally by FS1, with Kevin Burkhardt and Casey Jacobsen on the call. Of Creighton’s last 146 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised. CU is 98-48 in those contests.
Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video will be available via FOXSportsGO.com for desktop users, and via the FOX Sports GO app for mobile devices (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Window devices). A cable authorization may be required.
The FOX Sports GO mobile app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store or the Windows Store, and the games are now available internationally.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton’s games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting No. 17 Creighton
Creighton is ranked 17th nationally in the AP poll after an 11-4 start that includes victories vs. Nebraska (98-74), St. John’s (94-76), UConn (76-74, OT), No. 22 Xavier (66-61), Providence (67-65), Seton Hall (89-53), St. John’s (97-79) and No. 23 UConn (74-66). CU’s only four losses have come by a combined 14 points, with each coming by five points or less.
The Bluejays return four starters and five of its top six scorers from last season’s team that finished 24-7 and won a share of its first BIG EAST regular-season title. CU’s 2019-20 team was ranked No. 7 in the year-end Associated Press poll, while this year’s club was 11th in the preseason AP poll. Both were program bests for a preseason or postseason poll.
Senior wing Denzel Mahoney (15.4 ppg.) won the BIG EAST’s Sixth Man Award last season, while junior forward Christian Bishop (11.3 ppg., 5.2 rpg.) has shot 68.7 percent from the field to lead the league.
Point guard Marcus Zegarowski (14.4 ppg., 4.6 apg.) was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and is a Preseason All-American by nearly every outlet after averaging 16.1 points and 5.1 assists per game last season. He surpassed 1,000 career points last Wednesday vs. Providence.
CU’s most consistent player in recent weeks has been Damien Jefferson (13.0 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 2.6 apg.), who forced overtime with a jumper in the final second of regulation at UConn. He has scored in double-figures in 13 of the last 14 games.
Creighton leads the BIG EAST with 80.6 points per game and is also tops in field goal percentage (.491) and field goal percentage defense (.397).
Scouting Seton Hall
Seton Hall is 9-6 on the season, and 6-3 in BIG EAST play. The Pirates are 5-1 at home, but have not played at Prudential Center since January 2nd.
Sandro Mamukelashvili (18.4 ppg., 7.0 rpg., 3.3 apg.) was a Preseason all-BIG EAST team selection, while Jared Rhoden (15.8 ppg., 6.9 rpg.) continues to develop and provides a consistent impact.
Myles Cale leads SHU with 25 three-pointers made, Shavar Reynolds is tops with 67 assists and Ike Obiagu ranks tied for eighth nationally with 42 blocked shots.
As a team, Seton Hall averages 74.9 points per game and holds foes to 71.3 points per contest. The Pirates shoot 46.4 percent from the floor, 33.5 percent from downtown and 73.7 percent at the line.
The Series With Seton Hall
Seton Hall leads the all-time series with Creighton 14-9, including a 9-4 advantage in Newark.
Three of the last 15 meetings at all sites have been one-point contests, including the 2014 and 2015 match-ups in Omaha. The first match-up between the schools earlier this month was anything but close, as Creighton led by as much as 42 in an eventual 89-53 win in Omaha.
Greg McDermott is 8-8 against Seton Hall and coach Kevin Willard. Willard is 9-8 all-time against Creighton, having also led his 2009-10 Iona team to a 63-55 win over the Bluejays at the Old Spice Classic near Orlando, Fla.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 242-120 record in his 11th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 522-315 in 27 seasons, and is 391-251 in his 20th Division I campaign.
McDermott led Creighton to its first BIG EAST regular-season title last season, taking a Bluejay team that was picked seventh in the league’s preseason poll and ending the year ranked seventh nationally. For those efforts, he was recognized as the BIG EAST Coach of the Year as well as the USBWA District VI Coach of the Year, NABC District 5 Coach of the Year and Basketball Times Midlands District Coach of the Year.
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 is assisted by Alan Huss, Paul Lusk and Terrence Rencher.
With A Win…
– Creighton would improve to 12-4 on the season.
– Creighton would defeat Seton Hall for the fourth straight time, extending its longest win streak ever vs. the Pirates.
– Creighton would improve to 132-50 all-time (98-38 under McDermott) as a nationally-ranked team.
– Creighton would improve to 6-4 all-time when ranked exactly 17th.
– Creighton would start 8-3 or better in league play for the first time since the 2013-14 team opened its first BIG EAST season with a 9-2 start in conference action after 11 games.
– Creighton would improve to 4-1 in BIG EAST road games this season.
– Creighton would sweep its third BIG EAST opponent this season (Seton Hall, St. John’s, UConn).
Big Wins In The BIG EAST
Creighton never trailed in its 89-53 win over Seton Hall on Jan. 6th. The 36-point win was Creighton’s second-largest ever in BIG EAST action.
The 36-point loss tied for Seton Hall’s third-largest ever in league play for the charter member of the BIG EAST, and was its largest league setback since falling 99-57 vs. UConn on Feb. 11, 2006.
Creighton’s Largest BIG EAST Winning Margins
Margin Score Date
41 at Creighton 100, St. John’s 59 02/28/16
36 at Creighton 89, Seton Hall 53 01/06/21
35 Creighton 93, at DePaul 58 02/11/17
29 at Creighton 93, DePaul 64 02/15/20
28 at Creighton 88, Butler 60 01/14/14
28 Creighton 68, at #4 Villanova 68 01/20/14
25 at Creighton 82, DePaul 57 02/27/18
No. 17 Bluejays
After starting the year ranked 11th in both the AP and Coaches polls, Creighton ascended into the top 10 for three weeks in the AP edition. CU is currently 17th in the AP poll and 14th in the Coaches poll.
The No. 17 AP ranking is 10 spots behind the best mark in program history, which was done on Jan. 16, 2017, March 9, 2020, March 16, 2020 and Jan. 4, 2021.
Creighton is one of eight teams that have been ranked in all 17 AP polls since Feb. 3, 2020, joining Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa, Kansas, Tennessee and Villanova. The 17 straight weeks in the rankings is tied for the longest stretch in program history, first done from Feb. 27, 2012 – Feb. 4, 2013.
After being ranked 30th in the inaugural NET rankings that were released on Jan. 4th, Creighton was 27th in Monday morning’s (Jan. 25th) latest update.
Establish The Run Game
Creighton has embarked on some scintillating runs against Seton Hall in the past two meetings.
Last March in Omaha, Creighton made 12 of its final 13 shots to end a 77-60 win on a 30-10 run.
Earlier this month, also in Omaha, Creighton converted its first seven shots and raced to a 17-4 run that Seton Hall never recovered from. In the second half of the same game, a 28-5 run helped Creighton turn a 54-37 lead into an 82-42 romp.
Year 11 Progress Report
There were 53 head coaches hired nationwide prior to the 2010-11 season, including Creighton’s Greg McDermott and Seton Hall’s Kevin Willard. Only 16 of those men still remain in their current role.
Here’s the record of those 16 men, through games of January 24th. Among the remaining coaches, McDermott is second on that list in NCAA trips, and second on that list in wins. He trails only his predecessor at Creighton, Dana Altman.
W-L Name, School (NCAA Trips)
268-106 Dana Altman, Oregon (6)
242-120 Greg McDermott, Creighton (5)
222-138 Tad Boyle, Colorado (4)
217-143 Russell Turner, UC Irvine (2)
211-129 Leon Rice, Boise State (2)
209-143 Jason Hooten, Sam Houston State
206-146 Fran McCaffrey, Iowa (4)
199-143 Kevin Willard, Seton Hall (4)
199-147 Bob Marlin, Louisiana-Lafayette (1)
197-148 Tod Kowalczyk, Toledo
194-146 Brad Brownell, Clemson (2)
191-161 Andy Toole, Robert Morris (1)
172-161 Greg Lansing, Indiana State (1)
151-184 John Gallagher, Hartford
149-173 Glenn Braica, St. Francis (NY)
125-204 Keith Richard, Louisiana-Monroe
Two Of The Best Last Season
Seton Hall and Creighton boasted two of the best resumes in all of college basketball last season.
Here’s where they ranked in some of the most important metrics.
Category Creighton Seton Hall
NET Ranking 11th 15th
Quad 1 Road Wins 5 (T-5th) 7 (T-1st)
Quad 1 Wins 9 (T-7th) 10 (T-3rd)
Quad 1 Games Played 16 (T-4th) 17 (3rd)
2021 Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out Information
When Creighton hosts Georgetown on Feb. 3rd in its 10th Annual Pink Out game, Bluejay players will wear pink shooting shirts and pink jerseys for the game. Fans have the opportunity to honor a friend or family member who has battled cancer or is currently battling cancer by purchasing the apparel via auction (the shooting shirt can be personalized – last name, nickname, etc.) as well as bid on once in a lifetime rounds of golf.
All funds raised go to benefit Hope Lodge Omaha. The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Nebraska provides a free home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers who must travel to Omaha to receive their lifesaving treatment. More than just a roof over their heads, it’s a nurturing community that helps patients access the care they need. The annual Creighton University Men’s Basketball Pink Out game has raised over $262,000 benefiting the Hope Lodge facility here in Omaha and the guests it serves.
This year pink out t-shirts will be available for purchase at metro area Hy-Vee’s for $10 in the week leading up to the game. Complimentary “Pink Out” posters will be available to fans at area Hy-Vee stores. All funds raised from shirts sold will continue to benefit the Hope Lodge Nebraska.
To participate in the 2021 Pink Out auction, visit http://www.gocreighton.com/pinkoutauction.
“Hall” of Fame Mahoney
Denzel Mahoney has played at a high level each of the previous three times he’s been on the floor against Seton Hall.
In those three appearances, Mahoney has averaged 16.0 points, scoring 18, 16 and 14 points. He’s shot 50 percent from the field, 53.3 percent from three-point range and has been perfect in eight free throw attempts.
Last year in Newark, Mahoney hit a dagger three-pointer with 1:07 left to give Creighton a 78-74 lead.
In the rematch in Omaha, Creighton led 61-57 with 4:45 left before a Mahoney scored eight points in a game-ending 16-3 run that clinched CU a share of the BIG EAST title.
In the first meeting this year vs. The Hall, Mahoney had nine points in the first seven minutes of the second half to help CU build a 19-point edge that would eventually reach as large as 42.
Zegarowski On Bob Cousy Watch List
Creighton’s Marcus Zegarowski was one of 10 candidates announced on Monday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for the 2021 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. Named after Class of 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor now in its 18th year recognizes the top point guards in Division I men’s college basketball.
A national committee of college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in November, which has now been narrowed to 10.
Zegarowski directs the top-scoring offense in the BIG EAST and has helped Creighton to an 11-4 overall record and a league-leading seven BIG EAST victories. He leads CU with 4.5 assists per game and is second on the team with 14.4 points per contest. His 36 three-pointers are one shy of the BIG EAST lead. Zegarowski came into the season with a target on his back after being named Preseason All-American by multiple outlets in addition to being voted the Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year.
Below is a list of Creighton in Zegarowski’s first 13 games played this year, compared to his first two years on The Hilltop.
Year CU W-L PPG APG SPG MPG 3FG
2020-21 11-2 14.4 4.5 1.2 32.9 36
2019-20 11-2 18.5 4.8 0.9 34.4 34
2018-19 9-4 10.3 2.7 0.7 21.7 24
Up, Up, And Away
Since Feb. 19, 2019, Creighton owns a 25-8 mark in regular-season BIG EAST games. That’s four more wins than anyone else in the league in that time.
Not only that, but Creighton owned the most wins to close the 2018-19 season after Feb. 19th, tied for the most wins in 2019-20, and has the most wins in 2020-21 as well.
Conference Records Since Feb. 19, 2019
Team After 2/19/19 ’19-20 ’20-21 Total
Creighton 5-0 13-5 7-3 25-8
Seton Hall 2-3 13-5 6-3 21-11
Villanova 2-3 13-5 5-0 20-8
Providence 3-2 12-6 4-5 19-13
UConn 2-4# 10-8# 4-3 16-15
Xavier 4-1 8-10 3-2 15-13
Butler 1-4 10-8 4-5 15-17
Marquette 2-4 8-10 4-5 14-19
Georgetown 4-2 5-13 1-5 10-20
St. John’s 1-4 5-13 3-6 9-23
DePaul 2-3 3-15 1-5 6-23
#includes 2018-19 and 2019-20 in the AAC
Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton continues to be highly regarded by KenPom.com, and is currently 14th. That includes the nation’s No. 10 offense, and No. 36 defense.
Creighton has not finished with a top-35 defense since 2006-07, and has not finished better than 30th since 2001-02.
Last season was the fourth different time in Greg McDermott‘s first 10 seasons that Creighton has had a top-10 offense per KenPom.
Year Off. Rating Def. Rating Team W-L
2010-11 66 174 23-16
011-12 5 166 29-6
2012-13 5 66 28-8
2013-14 2 124 27-8
2014-15 59 138 14-19
2015-16 43 76 20-15
2016-17 32 46 25-10
2017-18 25 58 21-12
2018-19 47 83 20-15
2019-20 3 78 24-7
2020-21 10 36 11-4 so far
Major Success
Among teams in the leagues considered the “Power Five”, plus the BIG EAST, Creighton has enjoyed almost more success than anyone else recently.
Creighton’s 35 victories since the start of the 2019-20 season trail only Kansas and Baylor.
Best Records Since 2019-20 (through 1/24)
(Power 5 Conferences + BIG EAST)
Team 2019-20 2020-21 Total
Baylor 26-4 14-0 40-4
Kansas 28-3 10-5 38-8
Creighton 24-7 11-4 35-11
Florida State 26-5 9-2 35-7
Villanova 24-7 10-1 34-8
Louisville 24-7 10-3 34-10
USC 22-9 12-3 34-12
Auburn 25-6 9-7 34-13
Ballock Over 1,100; Zegarowski Over 1,000
Mitch Ballock owns 1,132 career points after surpassing the 1,000 point mark on Nov. 29 vs. North Dakota State in CU’s season-opener, which was also his 100th career game.
Ballock entered last season’s BIG EAST Tournament with 996 points and scored nine points in the first half vs. St. John’s on March 12th, but those points were erased when the game was abandoned at halftime.
Marcus Zegarowski became the 44th Bluejay in school history to surpass 1,000 career points on Jan. 20 vs. Providence when he scored 17 points. Zegarowski needed 75 games to reach the milestone.
Games To 1,000 Points, Last 19 Bluejays
Name CU Games to 1,000 pts. Date
Marcus Zegarowski 75 01/20/21
Mitch Ballock 100 11/29/20
Ty-Shon Alexander 85 01/15/20
Khyri Thomas 94 02/10/18
Marcus Foster 54 01/17/18
Austin Chatman 138 03/11/15
Ethan Wragge 132 01/18/14
Gregory Echenique 101 03/24/13
Doug McDermott 57 01/15/12
Antoine Young 115 12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr. 108 11/21/10
P’Allen Stinnett 86 01/16/10
Dane Watts 115 01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver 124 03/16/07
Johnny Mathies 91 03/03/06
Nate Funk 92 02/28/05
Kyle Korver 81 01/30/02
Ben Walker 105 01/06/01
Ryan Sears 97 12/01/00
Rodney Buford 59 03/01/97
Most Career Points, Creighton History
Rank Pts. Name Years
1. 3,150 Doug McDermott 2010-14
2. 2,116 Rodney Buford 1995-99
3. 2,110 Bob Harstad 1987-91
4. 1,983 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
5. 1,876 Bob Portman 1966-69
6. 1,801 Kyle Korver 1999-03
7. 1,754 Nate Funk 2002-07
8. 1,682 Rick Apke 1974-78
9. 1,661 Paul Silas 1961-64
10. 1,654 Vernon Moore 1981-85
11. 1,575 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
12. 1,526 John C. Johnson 1975-79
13. 1,500 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
14. 1,437 Eddie Cole 1951-55
15. 1,369 Gene Harmon 1971-74
16. 1,361 Duan Cole 1987-92
17. 1,342 Antoine Young 2008-12
18. 1,313 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-11
19. 1,309 Ryan Sears 1997-01
20. 1,303 Elton Tuttle 1951-54
21. 1,292 Marcus Foster 2016-18
22. 1,272 Bob Gibson 1954-57
23. 1,267 Wally Anderzunas 1965-67, 1968-69
24. 1,254 Gary Swain 1983-87
25. 1,241 Ty-Shon Alexander 2017-20
25. 1,238 Ben Walker 1997-01
27. 1,196 Ray Yost 1951-54
28. 1,172 Dick Harvey 1956-59
29. 1,155 Ethan Wragge 2009-14
30. 1,152 Dane Watts 2004-08
31. 1,140 Khyri Thomas 2015-18
32. 1,132 Mitch Ballock 2017-Pres.
33. 1,116 Kenny Evans 1982-87
34. 1,115 Doug Brookins 1972-75
1,115 Daryl Stovall 1978-82
36. 1,093 Tim Powers 1964-67
37. 1,050 Reggie Morris 1982-86
38. 1,031 Johnny Mathies 2003-06
39. 1,024 P’Allen Stinnett 2007-10
40. 1,023 Rod Mason 1986-88
41. 1,021 Marcus Zegarowski 2018-Pres.
42. 1,013 Austin Chatman 2011-15
Are You Experienced?
Year after year, one common theme to success in college basketball is to have veteran players. This year’s Creighton team is full of experienced players.
CU’s starting five features two juniors and three seniors who have combined for 20 years of college experience. They’ve combined for 3,811 career points at Creighton, and 5,055 career points if you add in Mahoney and Jefferson’s points at their previous stops.
Off the bench, Alex O’Connell and Jacob Epperson are in their fourth college campaign, Antwann Jones in his third year and Shereef Mitchell in his second season. Of the regular Bluejay rotation, only Ryan Kalkbrenner is a freshman.
On January 27th, Creighton’s potential starting five (Mitch Ballock, Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Denzel Mahoney and Marcus Zegarowski) will be a collective 40,876 days old. By comparison, the starting line-up used by the Chicago Bulls in its first four games this season (Wendell Carter Jr., Zach Lavine, Lauri Markkanen, Coby White and Patrick Williams) will be a combined 40,827 days old on January 27th.
Creighton has gotten 47.8 percent of its scoring from its four seniors (Mahoney, Jefferson, Ballock and Alex O’Connell).
Category Points Pct. of Team’s Pts.
Freshmen 109 9.0%
Sophomores 147 12.2%
Juniors 370 30.6%
Seniors 583 48.2%
A Good Start
Here’s a look at how Creighton has done statistically after 15 games under Greg McDermott. Notably, Creighton has started 9-6 or better after 15 games in all 11 seasons.
Creighton Stats Through 15 Games, Since 2010-11
Year W-L FG% 3FG% FT% PPG Opp PPG
2020-21 11-4 .491 .364 .658 80.6 69.1
2019-20 12-3 .469 .364 .707 78.3 68.6
2018-19 10-5 .516 .436 .640 83.7 74.6
2017-18 12-3 .515 .383 .739 90.2 72.3
2016-17 14-1 .535 .422 .678 88.1 72.5
2015-16 10-5 .500 .384 .682 85.8 75.5
2014-15 9-6 .420 .332 .754 70.1 66.3
2013-14 13-2 .483 .431 .757 81.5 63.7
2012-13 14-1 .512 .437 .757 79.5 62.4
2011-12 13-2 .513 .454 .707 83.2 69.3
2010-11 10-5 .430 .315 .762 66.7 62.2
Moving On Up
Last year Damien Jefferson scored in double-figures in just 13-of-30 contests, and he finished the season averaging 9.4 points per game.
This year, the senior forward has scored in double-figures in 13-of-15 games and he’s upped his average to 13.0 points per contest. He’s been even better in the past six games, averaging 16.5 points per game on 60.0 percent shooting from the field, which includes 34-for-48 marksmanship (70.8 percent) from two-point range.
Jefferson pumped in a career-high 26 points last Wednesday vs. PC, six more than his previous best.
They Scored How Many?
Creighton put up 56 points in the first half on Jan. 9 vs. St. John’s, its highest output before intermission in a league game since joining the BIG EAST.
After a total of eight halves of 52 points or more in its first seven years in the league, Creighton has already scored 52 points or more in three different halves this BIG EAST season.
Creighton’s Highest Scoring BIG EAST Halves
Points Opponent (Half) Date
56 Xavier (2nd) 01/12/14
56 St. John’s (1st) 01/09/21
54 at #4 Villanova (1st) 01/20/14
54 Marquette (2nd) 01/21/17
54 at DePaul (2nd) 02/11/17
53 Butler (1st) 01/14/14
53 St. John’s (1st) 02/28/16
53 #23 Seton Hall (1st) 12/28/17
53 Marquette (1st) 02/17/18
53 at St. John’s (2nd) 12/17/20
52 Seton Hall (2nd) 01/09/21
51 #6 Villanova (1st) 02/16/14
51 DePaul (2nd) 02/15/20
50 #6 Villanova (1st) 02/16/14
50 Seton Hall (1st) 12/28/16
50 at Georgetown (2nd) 01/21/19
50 DePaul (2nd) 03/09/19
Top 25 Success
Creighton had six wins over top-25 teams last season, breaking the school-record of four set in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
This year’s team owns top-25 wins vs. No. 22 Xavier and No. 23 UConn. It marks the 10th Bluejay team in history with multiple top-25 victories, and sixth straight year that’s happened.
On a national basis, the only eight teams that have posted multiple top-25 wins in each of the last six seasons (including 2020-21) are Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue and Villanova.
The following schools have had multiple top-25 wins each year from 2015-16 to 2019-20, but aren’t yet there in 2020-21: Duke, Florida State, Kentucky, Oregon, Penn State, Seton Hall, Texas Tech, Virginia and West Virginia.
Most Top-25 Wins, Season
Wins Season Top-25 Victims
6 2019-20 #8 Villanova, #10 Seton Hall,
#12 Texas Tech, #19 Marquette,
#21 Butler, #8 Seton Hall
4 2016-17 #9 Wisconsin, #12 Butler,
#16 Butler, #22 Xavier
4 2017-18 #3 Villanova, #19 Seton Hall,
#20 Northwestern, #23 UCLA
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 2018-19 #10 Marquette, #16 Clemson
2 2020-21 #22 Xavier, #23 UConn
Jefferson Swipes Six
Damien Jefferson had six steals in Creighton’s win at Providence on Jan. 2nd, matching the most by any Bluejay under Greg McDermott. He then had four more thefts on Jan. 6 vs. Seton Hall.
He was the first Bluejay with 10 steals over a two-game stretch since Josh Dotzler also had 10 from Dec. 13-Dec. 15, 2008.
Jefferson joined Ty-Shon Alexander (Jan. 1, 2020 vs. Marquette) and Davion Mintz (March 3, 2019 at. Marquette) in that elite group. CU hasn’t had a player with seven steals in a game since 2008.
After tying for sixth on the team with 19 steals in 30 games last season, Jefferson paces Creighton with 22 steals so far this winter. His 1.90 steals per league games is third in the BIG EAST, and his 19 steals are one outside of the lead.
Jefferson was the first Bluejay with four or more steals in consecutive games since two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Khyri Thomas had a three game streak from Feb. 27-March 8, 2018.
Numbers Never Lie (Unless they Do)
Need some other random figures to watch?
Creighton is 14-1 all-time when Marcus Zegarowski has 19 or more points, 7-0 when he has eight or more assists and 23-5 when he makes three or more three-pointers.
Creighton is 13-2 all-time when Mitch Ballock scores 17 or more points, 10-0 when he has six or more assists and 12-0 when he makes three or more free throws.
Creighton is 14-3 all-time when Christian Bishop has seven or more rebounds.
Finally, Creighton is also 18-2 when Shereef Mitchell grabs two or more rebounds, and also 17-2 when he dishes multiple assists.
Balance Is Big
All five Creighton starters are averaging 9.1 points or more this season, and the Bluejays have had at least five men score in double-digits in 6-of-15 contests overall.
Creighton has won 19 games in a row when five or more players score 10 or more points.
Nine different players have scored 10 or more points in a game this season, a list that doesn’t include Jacob Epperson. Epperson’s done it four times as a Bluejay in 2017-18 or 2018-19.
In the last 5:01 of play at UConn, Creighton had 12 points, with each starter scoring either two or three points.
In league play, all five Bluejay starters are averaging 9.8 points per game or more.
Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 21 victories under Greg McDermott after trailing by double-figures at some point, none larger than the 18-point deficit the Bluejays overcame against then-No.18 Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014. Ten of those 21 comebacks have come away from home.
Creighton’s comeback on Dec. 23rd was its largest since trailing by 18 vs. No. 18 Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2014. That same rally vs. the Sooners was also the last time CU had rallied from 13 points or more down against a ranked team.
If you’re curious, CU’s largest comeback win since 2000 came on Jan. 28, 2006, when the Jays trailed 25-6 early before rallying to beat Wichita State.
CU’s Double-Digit Comebacks Under 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
13 #22 Xavier 12/23/20
12 Saint Joseph’s 12/11/10
12 at DePaul 01/17/16
12 East Tennessee State 11/11/18
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
10 St. John’s 01/03/18
10 at DePaul 02/07/18
10 Bemidji State 02/13/18
High-Powered Offense
Creighton leads the BIG EAST and ranks 36th nationally with 80.6 points per game.
The Bluejays have pumped in 93 or more points in five games this season, one of nine teams in the country (with Iowa, Gonzaga, Baylor, Bryant, The Citadel, Eastern Kentucky, Sam Houston State and McNeese State) who can say that. Last year’s BIG EAST champion squad only cracked the 93-point barrier three times all season.
Creighton is 47-3 in 11 seasons under Greg McDermott when scoring 93 points or more. The nation’s only teams to score 93+ more than 50 times since 2010-11 are North Carolina (67) and Gonzaga (67).
By comparison, McDermott’s teams scored 93+ points just once in his four seasons at Iowa State (96 on 11/22/09 vs. Mississippi Valley State), and also just once in five years at Northern Iowa (99 on 12/1/04 vs. Iowa State).
Limited Fan Attendance Allowed at Home
Creighton University has begun allowing a number of fans to attend men’s basketball home games at CHI Health Center Omaha – currently up to 10% of maximum capacity – starting with the Xavier game on Dec. 23, under a plan approved by the Douglas County Health Department and the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA).
Limited tickets will be offered to season-ticket holders on a rotating basis utilizing the Creighton Athletics Priority Seating Point System and will be made available (subject to availability) on a game-by-game basis.
At this time, only select seats and suites (in limited capacity) have been approved for usage. All tickets will be sold digitally on a single-game basis with seat locations that allow for physical distancing.
CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 304 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 18-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 251-53 (.826) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (21-0).
Creighton’s Nov. 25, 2017 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 23,849-19,962 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.79 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 85 different times.
Creighton is also 29-32 all-time in the 61 games at the arena in which it’s fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 7-11 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 35-26 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
Creighton is 154-35 (.815) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott, including an 87-6 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 270-53 (.836) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Big Ryan’s Big Night
Freshman center Ryan Kalkbrenner had a season-high 15 points in just 16 minutes of work on Dec. 17 at St. John’s, including four baskets in a three-minute span during the decisive 22-4 second half run.
For the season, Kalkbrenner has averaged 7.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots while playing just 14.2 minutes per game. Kalkbrenner ranks fifth nationally among freshmen with 24 blocked shots, and first in the BIG EAST among classmates.
Kalkbrenner became CU’s first true freshman since Benoit Benjamin (1982-83) to have a blocked shot in each of CU’s first three games of the season.
Creighton is 11-2 this year when he makes a field goal, and 0-2 when he does not. The Bluejays are also 9-2 when he blocks a shot, and 2-2 when he does not.
Dame Time
Damien Jefferson came two assists shy of producing Creighton’s first traditional triple-double when he posted 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists on Thursday at St. John’s.
His performance made him the only Creighton player in the last 34 seasons with at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight or more assists in the same game.
Creighton has had only three triple-doubles in program history, but all three were of the points/rebounds/blocks variety by Benoit Benjamin.
Jefferson is just the second Bluejay player with a game of at least eight points, rebounds and assists in 11 seasons under Greg McDermott. Khyri Thomas had 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists vs. DePaul on Feb. 27, 2018.
Here’s a list of Creighton players with at least 7+ points, 7+ rebounds and 7+ assists in the same game since 1987-88.
7+ Point, 7+ Rebound, 7+ Assist Games, Since 1987-88
Pts. Reb. Ast. Name Date
16 9 7 Mike Amos 1/30/1993
24 11 7 Rodney Buford 11/18/1998
25 8 8 Ryan Sears 1/8/2000
9 7 10 Grant Gibbs 12/19/2011
12 10 7 Grant Gibbs 1/13/2012
12 7 9 Austin Chatman 11/11/2013
9 7 7 Austin Chatman 1/25/2014
7 9 7 Khyri Thomas 12/9/2015
16 8 7 Maurice Watson Jr. 1/26/2016
14 12 7 Khyri Thomas 2/28/2017
16 8 8 Khyri Thomas 2/27/2018
10 10 8 Damien Jefferson 12/17/2020
Denzel A Leading Man
Creighton trailed 70-65 with 84 seconds left at Kansas before Denzel Mahoney embarked on a personal 5-0 run to tie the game just 21 seconds later.
Mahoney led Creighton with 19 points at Kansas. He upped that to 20 points on Dec. 11 vs. Nebraska before matching his Bluejay best with 21 points vs. Marquette last Dec. 14. He pumped in 16 more at St. John’s in a win on Dec. 17.
In four career games as a Bluejay against a top-10 opponent, Mahoney has averaged 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game to help CU to a 3-1 mark. Mahoney has made 53.1 percent (26-49) of his shots from the floor, 45.5 percent (10-22) from three-point range and 100 percent (12-12) at the charity stripe.
Four of his top 13 single-game scoring efforts at CU have come in those four games against top-10 competition.
Denzel Mahoney’s Top Scoring Games at Creighton
Points Opponent Date
29 at Butler 01/16/21
24 St. John’s 01/09/21
21 at #8 Villanova 02/01/20
21 Marquette 12/14/20
20 Nebraska 12/11/20
20 #23 Connecticut 01/23/21
19 at Georgetown 01/15/20
19 at #5 Kansas 12/08/20
18 St. John’s 02/08/20
18 at #10 Seton Hall 02/12/20
17 Nebraska-Omaha 12/01/20
16 #8 Seton Hall 03/08/20
16 at St. John’s 12/17/20
Don’t Forget DJ
Damien Jefferson had scored in double-figures in a career-long seven straight games, averaging 12.1 ppg., in that period, before scoring five in the Dec. 23 win vs. Xavier.
His biggest basket as a Bluejay came on Dec. 20th, when he connected on a jumper with 0.2 seconds left in regulation to force overtime at UConn.
Jefferson owns 39 assists compared to 30 turnovers this year after owning 64 assists and 61 turnovers his first two years as a Bluejay.
Ballock Surpasses 250 Treys
Mitch Ballock owns 267 three-pointers in his Bluejay career, including a season-high eight on Dec. 14 vs. Marquette. That puts him in fourth place in program history in that category, nine behind Doug McDermott (274) for third place.
His 232 career treys entering the year were third-most in school history after a junior season, trailing only Kyle Korver (242) and Ethan Wragge (234).
Ballock ranked 19th nationally with 93 three-pointers made and 11th in three-point percentage (.435) last season.
Most Career 3FG, Creighton History
Rank 3FG Name Years
1. 371 Kyle Korver 1999-03
2. 334 Ethan Wragge 2009-14
3. 274 Doug McDermott 2010-14
4. 267 Mitch Ballock 2017-Pres.
5. 245 Ryan Sears 1997-01
6. 212 Rodney Buford 1995-99
7. 210 Ty-Shon Alexander 2017-20
8. 206 Jahenns Manigat 2010-14
9. 200 Nate Funk 2002-07
10. 185 Matt Roggenburk 1986-90
11. 177 Duan Cole 1987-92
12. 171 Isaiah Zierden 2013-17
171 Marcus Zegarowski 2018-Pres.
14. 168 Marcus Foster 2016-18
The Great Eight
Mitch Ballock made nine three-pointers in Creighton’s first five games of the season before erupting on Dec. 14 vs. Marquette. The senior guard from Eudora, Kan., made 8-of-14 three-pointers en route to a season-high 26 points.
His eight trifectas were tied for fourth-most in a game in Bluejay history, but three behind his record 11 vs. DePaul on March 9, 2019.
Ballock joined Kyle Korver as the only players in school history with multiple games of eight or more triples.
In addition, Ballock’s 14 three-point attempts were also tied for fourth-most in program history and one behind the program record.
Ballock owns 149 career three-pointers in BIG EAST play, which ranks tied for 19th all-time.
Ballock’s 26 points were the most by a Bluejay in any conference opener since 2012, when Doug McDermott scored 29 points vs. Evansville. That came when CU belonged to the Missouri Valley Conference.
3-Pointers Made, Game, Creighton History
3FG Name, Opponent Date
11 Mitch Ballock vs. DePaul 03/09/19
9 Kyle Korver vs. Evansville 01/15/03
Ethan Wragge at Villanova 01/20/14
8 Tad Ackerman at Drake 01/23/95
Kyle Korver at Xavier 12/31/02
Terrell Taylor vs. Florida 03/15/02
Isaiah Zierden at DePaul 01/17/16
Mitch Ballock vs. Marquette 12/14/20
Most Career 3FG Made, BIG EAST Games Only
Rank 3FG Name, School
1. 245 Markus Howard, Marquette
2. 201 Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
3. 189 Colin Falls, Notre Dame
4. 183 Gerry McNamara, Syracuse
5. 180 Myles Powell, Seton Hall
6. 178 Steve Edwards, Miami (Fla.)
7. 172 Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati
8. 168 Allan Ray, Villanova
9. 167 Gary Buchanan, Villanova
10. 166 Kerry Kittles, Villanova
166 Terry Dehere, Seton Hall
12. 165 Troy Bell, Boston College
13. 159 Matt Carroll, Notre Dame
159 Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
15. 156 Bryce Cotton, Providence
16. 155 Darius Lane, Seton Hall
17. 154 Geoff Billett, Rutgers
18. 153 D’Angelo Harrison, St. John’s
19. 149 Chris Thomas, Notre Dame
149 Kris Jenkins, Villanova
149 Mitch Ballock, Creighton
Win The Turnover Battle
Creighton forced Nebraska into 25 turnovers on Dec. 11, picking up 16 steals in the process.
The 25 turnovers tied the most in any of Greg McDermott‘s 351 games on the Creighton sideline along with a 2012 game vs. Tulsa.
Creighton’s 38 points off Nebraska’s 25 turnovers included 11 points in transition.
The team’s 38 points off turnovers were the most since Creighton began tracking points off turnovers for every game starting in 2004-05.
3’s Are Falling
Creighton is tied for fifth in the country with five different games of 13 three-pointers this year. Among power conference teams, no one has done it more.
Creighton has three of the four players in the BIG EAST with 35 or more three-pointers made, with Denzel Mahoney and Marcus Zegarowski leading the league with 36, and Mitch Ballock (35) not far behind.
Playing With The Lead
For the season (all games), Creighton has trailed for just 162:08 of 610 minutes of play (26.6%). At home, CU had trailed for just 44:49 of 320 minutes (14.0%) prior to playing from behind for 39:44 of 40:00 minutes (99.33 percent) last Wednesday vs. Providence.
In 304 games at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time, Creighton has not trailed in 85 of those contests, a staggering 28.0 percent of the time.
Under Greg McDermott at home, Creighton is 154-35 and hasn’t trailed in 60 of those games.
O’Connell Makes Creighton Debut
A vote by the NCAA Division I Council on Dec. 16 made Alex O’Connell immediately eligible. He made his debut one day later at St. John’s with six points, two rebounds a steal, and an assist in 12 minutes of action.
A senior guard from Roswell, Ga., O’Connell had not played in Creighton’s first six games this season while sitting out after an off-season transfer from Duke University. He had been awaiting a ruling on a waiver that Creighton had filed on his behalf with the NCAA.
While at Duke, O’Connell appeared in 101 games, including 14 starts. He contributed 431 points and 182 rebounds for the Blue Devils with single-game highs of 20 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
Though a senior, O’Connell will also be eligible to return to Creighton for the 2021-22 season as a result of a previous NCAA decision that indicated winter sport student-athletes who compete during 2020-21 in Division I will receive both an additional season of competition and an additional year in which to complete it.
Creighton is 7-2 since O’Connell became eligible.
Preseason Acclaim
Junior guard Marcus Zegarowski was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year on Oct. 28th. In addition, senior guard Mitch Ballock was also voted as a Preseason Second Team All-BIG EAST performer in the annual survey of league coaches.
The Bluejays, along with Kansas, are one of six schools with a Watch List candidate for both the Bob Cousy and Jerry West Awards, joining Baylor (MaCio Teague & Jared Butler), Florida State (MJ Walker & Scottie Barnes), Gonzaga (Joel Ayayi & Jalen Suggs), Kansas (Ochai Agbaji & Marcus Garrett) and Villanova (Justin Moore & Collin Gillespie).
Zegarowski is Creighton’s second player ever named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, joining Doug McDermott (2013-14). McDermott would go on to win BIG EAST Player of the Year honors, as well as 14 National Player of the Year accolades, at season’s end.
In addition, both men have been recognized among the best in the nation at their position. Zegarowski is one of 20 players on the Preseason Watch List for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, and Ballock one of 20 players on the Preseason Watch List for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.
Home Run
Since Greg McDermott took over in 2010, Creighton is averaging 81.24 points per home game (15,355 points in 189 home games), a figure that climbs to 85.14 points in non-conference home games (7,918 points in 93 home games).
Creighton is 120-6 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.
Torn ACL’s End Two Seasons Early
Creighton will be without Rati Andronikashvili and Modestas Kancleris during the 2020-21 season after both men tore the anterior cruciate ligaments in their left knee three days apart during practices in early November.
Andronikashvili was injured on Nov. 1, with Kancleris three days last on Nov. 4. The two men, who are roommates, hail from the countries of Georgia and Lithuania, respectively.
Jays Mourn Loss Of Two Greats
Two prominent members of the Creighton Basketball family passed away in the off-season, as Eddie Sutton died on May 23rd and Bob Gibson lost his battle with pancreatic cancer a few months later on October 2nd. Both men were 84.
Sutton went 82-50 as Creighton’s head coach and athletic director between 1969-74. His 806-329 overall mark in 37 years of coaching ranks 11th on the all-time Division I wins list. In April he was announced as part of the Class of 2020 that will be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — part of a group that also contains Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant. However, COVID-19 has pushed that induction ceremony back to 2021.
Gibson starred in both baseball and basketball with the Bluejays from 1954-57, finishing his college career third with 1,272 career points (he’s currently 22nd). He remains in the top-five in CU history in free throws made (418), free throw attempts (575) and scoring average (20.19 ppg.), and his No. 45 basketball jersey is retired. He would play a year with the Harlem Globetrotters before joining the St. Louis Cardinals organization full-time. Gibson is a member of the Hall of Fame’s for Creighton Athletics (1968 induction), Missouri Valley Conference (2005) and St. Louis Cardinals (2014), and was honored with a spot on Major League Baseball’s All-Century Team in 1999. Gibson was named the best athlete in state history by the Omaha World-Herald in both 2005 and 2015, one spot ahead of Gale Sayers. Tragically, Sayers died nine days before Gibson.
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton was picked second in the preseason BIG EAST Conference poll that was selected via a vote of league coaches.
Villanova earned 9-of-11 first place votes to top the poll with 99 points, just ahead of Creighton’s two first place votes and 91 overall points. Third in the poll was Providence (79), who was just ahead of UConn (69), Seton Hall (67) and Marquette (50).
Rounding out the bottom half of the poll were Xavier (47) in seventh place, Butler (37), St. John’s (33), DePaul (20) and Georgetown (13).
Seton Hall edged Villanova by one point to be named league favorites for the first time since 1992-93, as both the Pirates and Wildcats garnered five first place votes.
Xavier was third, with Marquette and Providence tying for fourth place. Georgetown was tabbed sixth, just ahead of Creighton, while Butler, St. John’s and DePaul round out the poll.
Creighton’s Marcus Zegarowski was tabbed Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, and was joined on the Preseason All-BIG EAST team by Charlie Moore (DePaul), David Duke (Providence), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Seton Hall), Collin Gillespie (Villanova) and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (Villanova).
Creighton has met or exceeded its preseason BIG EAST prognostication every year since joining the league, as seen below:
Creighton’s BIG EAST Preseason Poll History
Year Preseason Actual Preseason All-BIG EAST
2013-14 3rd 2nd Doug McDermott (1st)
2014-15 9th T-9th –
2015-16 9th 6th –
2016-17 3rd T-3rd Maurice Watson Jr. (1st); Marcus Foster (HM)
2017-18 5th T-3rd Marcus Foster (1st); Khyri Thomas (HM)
2018-19 9th T-3rd Martin Krampelj (HM)
2019-20 7th T-1st Ty-Shon Alexander (1st)
2020-21 2nd TBD Marcus Zegarowski (1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd)
In Search of 20
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 20 of the last 22 seasons (entering 2020-21), 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 22 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas.
Kentucky has done it 21 times. Creighton and Florida have done it 20 times.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 22 Years
Team 20-Win Seasons 2019-20 W-L
Gonzaga 22 31-2
Kansas 22 28-3
Duke 22 25-6
Kentucky 21 25-6
Creighton 20 24-7
Florida 20 19-12
Guess Who’s Back? Back Again
Creighton brings back nearly 70-80 percent of last year’s statistical contributions in virtually every category:
Category Last Year Returning Pct. Back
Dunks 60 52 86.7%
Assists 489 400 81.8%
Starts 155 124 80.0%
Points Per Game 78.3 62 79.2%
Minutes 6,225 4,687 75.3%
Field Goals Made 866 646 74.6%
Points 2,428 1,768 72.8%
Rebounds 1,004 729 72.6%
Blocked Shots 79 57 72.2%
Steals 203 143 70.4%
3-Point Field Goals Made 302 212 70.2%
Free Throws Made 394 264 67.0%
Charges Taken 39 19 48.7%
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott currently has 242 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU’s all-time wins list.
McDermott’s .669 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. 242-120 Greg McDermott 2010-Pres.
3. 165-66 Arthur A. Schabinger 1922-1935
4. 138-118 John J. “Red” McManus 1959-1969
5. 130-64 Tom Apke 1974-1981
#ProJays
Creighton has two players in the NBA this season, Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers) and Ty-Shon Alexander (Phoenix Suns).
Including 2020-21, Creighton has now had an NBA player in 37 of the last 38 years.
McDermott is in his seventh season in the NBA, and third with the Indiana Pacers. He averaged a career-high 10.3 points per game last season and is the only player in the NBA to rank in the top-20 in three-point percentage each of the previous three seasons. This year he’s averaging 12.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Alexander bypassed his senior season to turn pro. After going undrafted, he signed a two-way contract with the Phoenix Suns. He made his NBA debut on December 27th.
In addition, four other Bluejays played in the NBA last season but are currently without teams…Kyle Korver, Anthony Tolliver, Khyri Thomas and Justin Patton.
Triple Trouble
During Creighton’s current streak of 897 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,074 trifectas, an average of 7.89 treys per game.
That’s not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly 7 three-pointers 136 times, more than any figure.
Only four times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 253 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
Creighton has also made at least one three-pointer before halftime in 268 consecutive contests (since 0-7 at Drake on 1/23/13).
Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 31-3 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 4-8 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton’s 3-Point Streak
1: 4 times 2: 15 times 3: 31 times
4: 71 times 5: 95 times 6: 92 times
7: 136 times 8: 115 times 9: 85 times
10: 73 times 11: 51 times 12: 47 times
13: 43 times 14: 18 times 15: 7 times
16: 7 times 17: 2 times 19: 1 time
20: 1 time 21: 1 time 22: 1 time
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 897 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993. The streak is the nation’s 15th-longest active streak.
Creighton’s last win without making a three-point basket came on March 3, 1991 when the Jays went 0-for-2 from three-point range in a 71-66 win over Southern Illinois in the championship game of the MVC Tournament.
Below is a list of the nation’s longest active three-point streaks.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (1/24)
Rk. Streak School Next
1. 1,113 UNLV 1/25
2. 1,099 Duke 1/26
3. 1,059 Arkansas 1/27
4. 1,050 Western Kentucky 1/29
5. 1,041 East Tennessee State 1/27
6. 1,021 Pacific 1/28
7. 1,020 Oakland 1/29
8. 1,009 Texas 1/26
9. 960 Marshall 1/29
10. 958 Princeton Season Canceled
11. 946 Baylor 1/27
12. 933 Gonzaga 1/28
13. 914 Long Island 1/26
14. 899 Mount St. Mary’s 1/26
15. 897 Creighton 1/26
16. 888 Tennessee State 1/28
17. 885 Cornell Season Canceled
18. 881 East Carolina 1/27
Among The Nation’s Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 through Jan. 24, 2021
Category CU Stat CU Rank
3FG Percentage .384 2nd
3FG Made 3,242 2nd
Assists 5,871 4th
FG Percentage .481 3rd
FG Made 9,912 8th
Wins 242 29th
Winning Percentage .669 33rd
Getting Votes A Good Sign
Creighton was ranked 11th in the Associated Press preseason poll.
It’s the sixth time that Creighton has picked up votes in the preseason poll under Greg McDermott. Each of the first four times that happened, the Bluejays would finish top three in the league, reach the finals of the conference tournament, and play in the NCAA Tournament. Last year’s team shared the BIG EAST title before the Conference and NCAA Tournaments were canceled.
Preseason Poll Votes Under Greg McDermott
Year Preseason Rank League Finish NCAA’s?
2011-12 34th 2nd, MVC Yes
2012-13 16th 1st, MVC Yes
2013-14 27th 2nd, BIG EAST Yes
2016-17 22nd T-3rd, BIG EAST Yes
2019-20 40th T-1st; BIG EAST No Tourney
2020-21 11th TBD TBD
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