By: Rob Anderson

Game #6:  San Diego State Aztecs (2-1) vs. #14 Creighton Bluejays (4-1)

Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024 • 1:00 p.m. CT • Las Vegas, Nev. • MGM Grand Arena

| LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES | SDSU NOTES |

Next Game

No. 14 Creighton (4-1) will play three games in five days at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, Nev., beginning with Tuesday afternoon’s 1 p.m. Central tilt vs. San Diego State (2-1).

    CU returns to the court 28 hours later when it meets No. 23 Texas A&M (4-1) at 5:30 p.m. Central.

    The tournament concludes on Saturday when CU will square off with either No. 8 Alabama, No. 7 Houston, Notre Dame or No. 24 Rutgers at a time to be determined based on results earlier in the week.

    MGM Grand Arena (17,000) in Las Vegas, Nev., will host the week’s action.

Radio Broadcast Information

KOZN (1620 AM) and KOOO (101.9 FM) will carry Creighton men’s basketball games during the 2024-25 season. John Bishop will call the action.  

    The audio is webcast at 1620thezone.com and can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 139 or 202 as well as https://sxm.app.link/SXM964.

Broadcast Information

Games at the Players Era Festival will be called by JB Long, Candace Parker and Lauren Jbara.

    Tuesday’s game will be televised on TBS,  CU’s 107th straight game to be televised. It will also be streamed on MAX at http://GoCreighton.com/MBB112624max.

    Wednesday game against Texas A&M will be streamed exclusively on MAX at http://GoCreighton.com/MBB112724max.

    MAX is a streaming service that carries all the HBO content and Warner Brothers movies, and also can be downloaded from the App store. There may be a monthly fee for it.

    More info about subscribing and viewing MAX can be found at https://help.max.com.

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.

    Stats to all home games can also be followed at www.gocreightonstats.com.

Scouting #14 Creighton

Creighton is 4-1 on the season after double-digit wins over UTRGV (99-86), FDU (96-70), Houston Christian (78-43) and Kansas City (79-56) that preceded a 74-63 home loss to Nebraska last Friday. The Bluejays return three starters from last year’s team that went 25-10 and reached the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years.

    CU had three men score over 600 points last season for the first time, but two of them (Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander) are now in the NBA.

    That leaves fifth-year senior Ryan Kalkbrenner (21.4 ppg., 9.0 rpg., 2.2 bpg., .872 FG%) with a lot of expectations on his broad shoulders, but the 7-foot-1 center is up to it. He was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and has been named a Preseason First Team All-American by CBS Sports, Fox Sports and Field of 68. In addition to being one of the most efficient shooters in NCAA history, Kalkbrenner is also a three-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year.  He was named BIG EAST and National Player of the Week on Nov. 11.

    Senior Steven Ashworth (16.0 ppg., 6.4 apg., 4.2 rpg.) is back to run the point guard spot, and junior Mason Miller (1.0 ppg.) returns on the wing after leading the BIG EAST with 45.4 percent marksmanship from three-point range.

    Supplementing that trio are Texas Tech transfer Pop Isaacs (13.5 ppg.) and Arizona State transfer Jamiya Neal (9.8 ppg., 5.8 rpg., 4.4 apg.), in addition to a Top 20 recruiting class, four men who redshirted last season, and key reserves Isaac Traudt (6.6 ppg.) Fredrick King (3.4 ppg.) and Jasen Green (1.8 ppg.).

Scouting San Diego State

San Diego State is 2-1 this season, beating UC San Diego (63-58) and Occidental (100-49) before losing to No. 3 Gonzaga (80-67).

    Nick Boyd (14.7 ppg.), BJ Davis (14.0 ppg.), Wayne McKinney III (10.7 ppg.) and Miles Byrd (10.0 ppg.;, 6.5 rpg.) give the Aztecs four double-digit scorers. Magoon Gwath has blocked 12 shots in 18.1 minutes per game to pace SDSU’s traditionally stout defense.

    SDSU averages 76.7 points per game while allowing just 62.3 per contest. The Aztecs shoot 43.9 percent from the floor, including 39.1 percent from three-point range, and hold foes to 34.7 percent shooting from the field.

The Series With San Diego State

Creighton is 5-4 all-time against San Diego State, but the Aztecs have won 3-of-4 battles on a neutral floor.

    Each of the last four match-ups have taken place on a neutral court, including a 2023 Elite Eight battle in Louisville that was decided on a free throw with 1.2 seconds left.

    The 2023 game came one year after Creighton erased a nine-point deficit in the final 2:30 of regulation to rally past the Aztecs in overtime in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.

    SDSU also won an 83-52 game in Las Vegas in 2019, but that game took place at The Orleans.

    Greg McDermott is 2-4 all-time against San Diego State, and 2-3 as Creighton head coach, as his first game as a Division I head coach came while with Northern Iowa and was against SDSU.  He is 1-2 against Brian Dutcher.

Scouting Texas A&M

Texas A&M has won four straight games, including a 78-64 win vs. Ohio State, since losing at UCF on the opening night of the season.

    Zhuric Phelps leads the Aggies with 16.0 points per game, with National Player of the Year candidate Wade Taylor IV (14.0 ppg., 4.8 apg.) not far behind. Taylor has made a team-high 15 three-pointers and converts them at a 42.9 percent clip.

    Henry Coleman III shoots 60 percent from the field and averages 11.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.

    Texas A&M averages 78.8 points per game and allows just 61.6 per contest.  The Aggies shoot 44.7 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from deep and 65.4 percent at the line while winning the rebound battle by 14.0 caroms per contest.

The Series With Texas A&M

Creighton defeated Texas A&M, 100-77, on Dec. 23, 1971 in Albuquerque, N.M., in the Lobo Classc in the only previous meeting between the schools.

    Ted Wuebben had 17 points and 15 rebounds while Ralph Bobik added 24 points and 11 assists to lead CU.

    Greg McDermott is 0-5 all-time against Texas A&M, with all those meetings coming when he was leading Iowa State from 2006-10.

    McDermott is 2-0 all-time against Buzz Williams, as his Creighton team defeated Williams’ Marquette’s squad twice in 2013-14.

The Creighton Coaches

Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 329-161 record in his 15th season with the Bluejays, as he passed Dana Altman (327-176) as the winningest coach in program history on Nov. 13, 2024. He owns a career mark of 609-356 in his 31st season, and is 478-292 in his 24th Division I campaign.

    McDermott led Creighton to its first BIG EAST regular-season title in 2019-20, taking a Bluejay team that was picked seventh in the league’s preseason poll and ending the year ranked seventh nationally. The Cascade, Iowa native has coached Creighton to a share of its first regular-season BIG EAST title in 2019-20 its first Sweet 16 since 1974 in 2020-21 and its first Elite Eight since 1941 in 2022-23.

    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 Ryan Miller, Derek Kellogg and Trey Zeigler.

With A Win…

– Creighton would improve to 6-4 all-time against San Diego State, as the teams will have alternated wins and losses a fourth straight meeting.

– Creighton would improve to 5-1 (or better) after six games for the 12th time in 15 seasons under Greg McDermott.

Milestone Watch

– Pop Isaacs has 877 career points (54 at Creighton) and is 23 shy of 900.

– Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 1,878 career points and is 22 away from 1,900.

– Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 888 career rebounds and is 12 short of 900.

Las Vegas Connections

– Creighton redshirt freshmen Shane Thomas and Sterling Knox are both from Las Vegas and attended Durango High School as well as Red Rock Academy.

– Creighton junior Pop Isaacs is from Las Vegas and attended Coronado High School.

– Isaac Traudt’s sister, Tia Traudt, has signed to play volleyball at UNLV beginning in the fall of 2025.

– Creighton assistant coach Ryan Miller was an assistant and associate head coach at UNLV from 2014-16.

Sin City Spectacular

Not counting last year’s road game against UNLV that was technically played in Henderson, Nevada (at the Dollar Loan Center, since Thomas & Mack Center was booked), this is Creighton’s ninth trip ever to Las Vegas, and fifth since 2012.

    The Bluejays are 9-5 all-time in Las Vegas, and 5-3 under Greg McDermott.

    Creighton’s only previous games inside MGM Grand Arena came in November of 2015 at the Men Who Speak Up Main Event, where the Bluejays beat Rutgers (85-75) and UMass (97-76) to win the title. That UMass team was coached by current Bluejay assistant coach Derek Kellogg.

    Below is a list of Creighton’s past trips to Sin City:

Date    Opponent    CU Result

01/04/67    at UNLV    W 71-70

01/02/69    at UNLV    L 99-109

12/21/87    vs. Alaska    W 85-84

12/23/87    at #15 UNLV    L 59-90

12/22/08    vs. Fresno State    W 84-65

12/23/08    vs. DePaul    W 83-75

11/23/12    vs. Wisconsin    W 84-74

11/24/12    vs. Arizona State    W 87-73

11/23/15    vs. Rutgers    W 85-75

11/25/15    vs. Massachusetts    W 97-76

11/28/19    vs. San Diego State    L 52-83

11/29/19    vs. #12 Texas Tech    W 83-76 (OT)

12/10/22    vs. BYU    L 83-80

12/12/22    vs. Arizona State    L 73-71

Players Era Festival Details

The Players Era Festival features two four-team groups. The Impact Group features Alabama, Houston and Notre Dame, Rutgers, while the Power Group includes Creighton, Oregon, San Diego State and Texas A&M.

    Following Wednesday’s games, each group will be ranked first through fourth, and after head-to-head record, seeding will be determined by total point differential in group games (capped at 20 points per game), then total points scored and fewest points allowed. The top seeds from each division will face off in the championship game, with the rest of the standings filling out the third, fifth and seventh-place matchups.

    Below is the schedule for the week.

Tuesday, November 26

San Diego State vs. Creighton – 1:00 PM (CST) | TBS, Max

Oregon vs. Texas A&M – 3:30 PM (CST) | TBS, Max

Houston vs. Alabama – 7:00 PM (CST) | TBS, Max

Rutgers vs. Notre Dame – 9:30 PM (CST) | TBS, Max

 

Wednesday, November 27

Oregon vs. San Diego State – 3:00 PM (CST) | Max

Texas A&M vs. Creighton – 5:30 PM (CST) | Max

Rutgers vs. Alabama – 9:00 PM (CST) | TBS, Max

Notre Dame vs. Houston – 11:30 PM (CST) | TBS, Max

 

Saturday, November 30

7th Place Game (TBD) – 12:00 PM (CST) | truTV, Max

5th Place Game (TBD) – 2:30 PM (CST) | truTV, Max

3rd Place Game (TBD) – 6:00 PM (CST) | TNT, Max

Championship Game (TBD) – 8:30 PM (CST) | TNT, Max

3 On The Way!

Creighton attempted a school-record 42 three-point shots in Friday’s game vs. Nebraska, breaking the previous school record of 40 done three times previously (at Nebraska in 2023, vs. Nebraska in 2022 and vs. Texas Southern in 2023).

    That means that CU, which attempted just 52 shots overall, launched 80.77 percent of its shots from three-point range.

    On a national level, it’s the second-highest three-point attempt rate by any Division I team over the last 15 seasons, trailing only North Florida (46/55; 83.6%) at Syracuse in 2019, per Jared Berson.

    Since Greg McDermott took over the CU program in 2010, the 80.77 percent launch rate was the highest by a Bluejay squad, far ahead of the previous high of 63.5 percent (40/63) vs. Texas Southern on Nov. 18, 2023.

    Eleven different Bluejays appeared in Friday’s game, including eight men who attempted a shot, but only Jamiya Neal and Pop Isaacs attempted a two-point try. CU’s previous low of players to attempt a two-point shot in a game since 2010-11 had been four, done three times.

Winners Meet on Tuesday

Only five schools in the country have won 22 or more games in each of the previous five seasons, and three of them are in the Players Era Festival.

    Creighton has done it in each of the last five seasons, as has Tuesday’s foe San Diego State.

    The other teams that have also done it include Baylor (5), Players Era Festival participant Houston (7) and Gonzaga (27).

In A Foul Mood

Creighton annually ranks among the national leaders in fewest fouls, which made it so unique last Friday when Nebraska attempted 30 free throws.

    It was just the 16th time in 490 games under Greg McDermott that CU allowed 30+ free throws, and first time it had happened in regulation since a 2017 loss to Seton Hall.

    It was just the third time in 244 home games under McDermott an opponent had attempted 30 or more free throws, and first time since North Texas attempted 32 shots from the charity stripe in 2015.

    Creighton has allowed 30 or more free throws on a neutral floor just four times under McDermott, most recently No. 23 UCLA on Nov. 20, 2017. The first time it happened against CU under McDermott was on Nov. 29, 2013 by Tuesday’s foe, San Diego State.

McDermott To Celebrate Birthday

Head coach Greg McDermott will have a birthday on Monday. He is 11-3 as Creighton coach on his birthday, or the first game after Nov. 25th.

We Meet Again

It’s hard to explain why it keeps happening, but Tuesday’s Player Era Festival match-up with San Diego State will be the sixth meeting between the schools since 2011, with all five encounters since 2013 taking place on a neutral floor.

    Creighton pulled out a thrilling win at Viejas Arena in San Diego in 2011, but Tuesday will be the fifth consecutive meeting since 2013 to take place on a neutral floor.

    The squads met in the Wooden Legacy (Fullerton, Calif.) in 2013, in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational in 2019 in Las Vegas, and in the NCAA Tournament in both 2022 (Fort Worth, Texas) and 2023 (Louisville, Ky.).

    With the exception of SDSU’s 29-point win in 2019, the other four match-ups since 2011 were decided by a combined 12 points.

The Avengers

Creighton will be out to erase the pain from the last time it met San Diego State, an excruciating 57-56 loss to the Aztecs in the Elite Eight in 2023.

    Down 56-54 with 34.2 seconds left in the game, CU’s Baylor Scheierman intercepted a San Diego State inbounds pass and put in a layup to tie the game at 56-56 with 32.4 seconds remaining.

    However, a Bluejay foul with 1.2 seconds left sent Darrion Trammell to the line for two free throws. Trammell missed the first one off the back iron before before sinking the second one. A baseball pass by Scheierman was deflected out of bounds as time expired, ending the Bluejay season with a 24-13 mark.

    Among current Bluejays to play that afternoon, Ryan Kalkbrenner had 17 points, six rebounds and two blocks in that game, while Mason Miller and Fredrick King were both scoreless in three minutes off the bench.

Tournament Success

Creighton has had some great success in tournament play in recent seasons, especially under Greg McDermott.

    In McDermott’s tenure, CU is 37-9 in regular-season tournament action with five titles in 13 completed events.

    Since 2002-03, Creighton is 50-13 (23-0 at home) with eight titles in 18 preseason tournaments, as seen below. Creighton last lost at home in a regular-season tournament in 1975.

    With three games on the docket this week, it’s worth noting that Creighton has had a .500 record or better in 12 of its 13 previous MTE’s under McDermott.

Preseason Tournament Performances, Since 2002-03

Year    Tourney (Site)    W-L (Home W-L)

2002-03    Guardians Classic (Omaha/KC)    4-0 (2-0)

2004-05    Guardians Classic (Omaha/KC)    4-0 (2-0)

2006-07    Rainbow Classic (Honolulu)    2-1

2008-09    Las Vegas Classic (Omaha/Las Vegas)    4-0 (2-0)

2009-10    Old Spice Classic (Orlando)    0-3

2010-11    Hy-Vee Challenge (Omaha/Des Moines)    3-1 (3-0)

2011-12    Dale Howard Classic (Omaha/Des Moines)    4-0 (3-0)

2012-13    Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas)    4-0 (2-0)

2013-14    Wooden Legacy (Fullerton/Anaheim)    1-2

2014-15    Emerald Coast Classic (Omaha/Niceville)    3-1 (2-0)

2015-16    MGM Grand Main Event (Omaha/Las Vegas)    4-0 (2-0)

2016-17    Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)    3-0

2017-18    Hall of Fame Classic (Omaha/Kansas City)    3-1 (2-0)

2018-19    Cayman Islands Classic (Omaha/Cayman Islands)    4-0 (1-0)

2019-20    Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas)    3-1 (2-0)

2021-22    Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)    2-1

2022-23    Maui Invitational (Maui)    2-1

2023-24    Hall of Fame Classic (Kansas City)    1-1

Tournament Trifectas

One reason for Creighton’s success in multi-team events over the years has been its proficiency with the three-ball.

    In 46 MTE games under Greg McDermott, the Bluejays have made 454-of-1,105 three-point attempts, connecting at a 41.1 percent clip while making 9.87 treys per contest.

    Creighton made a combined 20-for-49 from deep in two games at MGM Grand in 2015.

3FG Made In Preseason Tournaments Under Greg McDermott

Year    Tourney (Site)    3FG-3FGA (Games)

2010-11    Hy-Vee Challenge (Omaha/Des Moines)    45-95 (4)

2011-12    Dale Howard Classic (Omaha/Des Moines)    40-117 (4)

2012-13    Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas)    44-81 (4)

2013-14    Wooden Legacy (Fullerton/Anaheim)    45-112 (3)

2014-15    Emerald Coast Classic (Omaha/Niceville)    31-86 (4)

2015-16    MGM Grand Main Event (Omaha/Las Vegas)    32-77 (4)

2016-17    Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)    35-82 (3)

2017-18    Hall of Fame Classic (Omaha/Kansas City)    50-105 (4)

2018-19    Cayman Islands Classic (Omaha/Cayman Islands)    35-89 (4)

2019-20    Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas)    33-96 (4)

2021-22    Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)    18-50 (3)

2022-23    Maui Invitational (Maui)    26-59 (3)

2023-24    Hall of Fame Classic (Kansas City)    20-56 (2)

Poll Position

Creighton was ranked 14th in the Nov. 18 Associated Press Top 25 poll. It’s the 15th straight week the Bluejays have been ranked, the fourth-longest streak in program history and the nation’s 13th-longest active streak.

Most Consecutive Weeks in AP Poll, CU History

    Weeks    Dates

    24    Feb. 3, 2020-March 15, 2021

    17    Feb. 27, 2012-Feb. 4, 2013

    16    Oct. 31, 2016 – Feb. 20, 2017

    15    Jan. 8, 2024 – Present

Longest Active Streaks in the AP Poll

    Weeks    Team

    88    Houston

    67    Kansas

    62    Tennessee

    60    Arizona

    42    Connecticut

    41    Purdue

    34    Marquette

    33    Baylor

    26    Duke

    24    Kentucky

    24    North Carolina

    16    Auburn

    15    Creighton

    14    Iowa State

McDermott Passes Altman On CU Wins List

Greg McDermott has 329 victories at Creighton, passing his predecessor Dana Altman for the most in program history in CU’s Nov. 13 win vs. Houston Christian.

    McDermott’s .671 winning percentage is Creighton’s best since Arthur A. Schabinger’s .714 win rate more than 85 years ago.

    Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history, as well as the history of the Creighton Athletic Department.

Most Coaching Wins, Creighton MBB History

Rk.    W-L    Name    Years

1.    329-161    Greg McDermott    2010-Pres.

2.    327-176    Dana Altman    1994-2010

3.    165-66    Arthur A. Schabinger     1922-1935

4.    138-118    John J. “Red” McManus     1959-1969

5.    130-64    Tom Apke    1974-1981

Most Wins, Creighton Athletics History (after 11/22)

Coach, Sport    Victories

Brent Vigness, Softball    819

Ed Servais, Baseball    678*

Mary Higgins, Softball    564

Tom Lilly, Men’s & Women’s Tennis    542*#

Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Volleyball    496*

Jim Flanery, Women’s Basketball    429*

Ed Hubbs, Men’s & Women’s Tennis    347

Greg McDermott, Men’s Basketball    329*

Dana Altman, Men’s Basketball    327

*still active coaching at Creighton

#currently just the women’s tennis coach

Stability Is Key

One reason for Creighton’s extended run of success has been the continuity within its coaching staff. The Bluejays have had just two head coaches in the last 31 years, Dana Altman (1994-2010) and Greg McDermott (2010-Present).

    Here’s a list of major conference schools to have a coach with 300 wins at that school, and their predecessor also had 300 wins at the school:

School    Former Coach    Current Coach

Creighton    Dana Altman    Greg McDermott

Kansas    Roy Williams    Bill Self

Michigan State    Jud Heathcote    Tom Izzo

Purdue    Gene Keady    Matt Painter

Video Game Numbers

Ryan Kalkbrenner’s numbers defy logic. Take a look:

– In his career, Kalkbrenner owns 317 blocked shots, 248 dunks and just 231 career personal fouls in 139 games played. This year only, he’s got 11 blocks, 12 dunks and committed six fouls while being fouled 26 times.

    The only nine major conference men’s players in history besides Kalkbrenner (+86) to block 315 shots and own at least 85 more blocks than fouls are Jarvis Varnado (+220), Tim Duncan (+178), Emeka Okafor (+170), Calvin Booth (+165), Hasheem Thabeet (+159), Benoit Benjamin (+147), Jamarion Sharp (+141), Shaquille O’Neal (+125), Dikembe Mutombo (+120), Jeff Withey (+103) and Ralph Sampson (+93).

– This season, Kalkbrenner has missed six total shots from the field, but put back two of those misses. He has also made three three-pointers.

– Kalkbrenner has missed just once from the field in the second half this season. He’s 18-for-19 from the field (including 17-17 from 2-point range) and has 47 points in 63 minutes of action.

The Launch Pad

Basketball-Reference.com did the math, and Creighton owns 9,362 three-pointers in 1,232 games since the rule went national in 1986-87.

    That ranks second-most in the country in that span, trailing only Duke (9,743 through Nov. 25).

    Additionally, Creighton’s 7.60 three-pointers per game in that time lead the nation among programs who are currently in a major conference.

7-Foot-1 Of Awesome

A few notes about Ryan Kalkbrenner.

    There’s only two BIG EAST players to score 73+ points in 60 minutes or less in any two game span since 2005-06. Ryan Kalkbrenner (73 points in 58 minutes) in the opening week this season and UConn’s Kemba Walker (73 points in 60 minutes) in 2010.

    Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of three major conference players since 2005-06 to score 73 points and block six shots in any two game span, joining Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kansas State’s Michael Beasley.

    There’s been only four BIG EAST players to score 73+ points to score any two-game span since 2012: Marquette’s Markus Howard (7x), DePaul’s Max Strus, Creighton’s Doug McDermott and Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner.

    Kalkbrenner is the nation’s second player since 2005-06 to score 24+ points and shoot 90 percent (min. 10 FGA) in consecutive games, joining Belmont’s Evan Bradds from November of 2015.

    Evan Bradds (7x) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (6x) are the only men in the country with five or more career games of 90 percent shooting (min. 10 FGA) since 2005-06.

    And because you can never have enough notes about Evan Bradds, know that he finished his Belmont career in 2017 shooting 740-for-1109 from the field. Ryan Kalkbrenner is currently a near-identical 754-1127 from the field.

Bigger Than Life

Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner is shooting 87.2 percent from the field through five games (41-47). He made 20-of-22 on opening night vs. UTRGV, sank 9-of-10 shots vs. FDU, a perfect 6-for-6 vs. Houston Christian, was 6-for-8 vs. Kansas City, and missed his lone attempt vs. Nebraska.

    He is the nation’s only player since 2005-06 to shoot 90 percent or better on six attempts or more in three consecutive games.

    He’s also the nation’s only player since 2005-06 to shoot 90 percent or better in any three-game span with 30 or more field goal attempts.

Kalkbrenner In The Top Five

Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 1,878 career points, as he became the 45th men’s player in Creighton history to surpass 1,000 on Feb. 25, 2023 at Villanova.  

    The only player in Creighton history to enter a season with more career points than Kalkbrenner’s 1,771 were the 2,216 for Doug McDermott. A distant third were Rodney Buford and Bob Harstad, who each had 1,540 points entering their final campaign.

    Kalkbrenner moved past Bob Portman on Nov. 22 and is now fifth on Creighton’s all-time scoring list.

    Here’s a list of Creighton’s top scorers ever.

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.    1,878    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2020-Pres.

    6.    1,876    Bob Portman     1966-69

    7.    1,801    Kyle Korver    1999-03

    8.    1,754    Nate Funk    2002-07

    9.    1,682    Rick Apke     1974-78

    10.    1,661    Paul Silas    1961-64

    Kalkbrenner also ranks second in program history in blocked shots with 317. Kalkbrenner had 107 swats last year and is now 94 blocks behind Benoit Benjamin.

Most Creighton Blocked Shots, Since 1979-80

    Blk.    Name    Years

    411    Benoit Benjamin    1982-85

    317    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2020-Pres.

    183    Chad Gallagher    1987-91

Among The Best…EVER!

Ryan Kalkbrenner has made 754 of 1,127 career shots, putting him at 66.9 percent overall. That places the senior center second in field goal percentage in NCAA history among players to make 700 or more field goals and at least four field goals per game.

    However, Kalkbrenner is first among all such players who have ever attempted 50 or more three-point field goal attempts….he’s taken 91.

Best Career FG%, NCAA History (min. 700 FG, 4FG/game)

    Pct. (FG-FGA)    Name, School    Years

    .678 (828-1222)    Steve Johnson, Oregon State    1976-81

    .669 (754-1127)    Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton    2020-Pres.

    .667 (740-1109)    Evan Bradds, Belmont    2013-17

    .664 (702-1058)    Todd MacCulloch, Washington    1995-99

    .651 (747-1147)    Bill Walton, UCLA    1971-74

Stat Leaders, Nationally

Here’s a list of the categories that Creighton is in the Top 20 in, through games of Friday, Nov. 22nd.

Category    Rank    Stat

Defensive Rebounds Per Game    1st    34.60

FT Pct. (Ashworth)    T-1st    1.000

Team Fouls Per Game    2nd    11.2

Field Goal Percentage (Kalkbrenner)    2nd    .872

Field Goal Percentage Defense    9th    .349

Rebounds Per Game    17th    44.00

Free Throw Percentage    19th    .800

Assists Per Game (Ashworth)    20th    6.4

    

He Shoots, He Scores

Ryan Kalkbrenner had a night for the ages on Nov. 6 in the season-opener vs. UTRGV, finishing with 49 points on 20-of-22 shooting from the floor and 7-of-8 free throws while adding 11 rebounds and three blocked shots.

    Kalkbrenner’s 49 points were the second-most in program history, two behind Bob Portman’s 51 on Dec. 16, 1967 vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Portman made 16-of-35 field goal attempts and 18-of-23 foul shots in his record-setting contest.

    Below is a list of the previous Bluejay performances of 40 points or more

Most Points, Creighton Game

    Pts.    Name, Opponent    Date    FG    FT

    51    Bob Portman vs. UW-Milwaukee    12/16/1967    16    19

    49    Ryan Kalkbrenner vs. UTRGV    11/06/2024    20*    7

    47    Eddie Cole vs. Morningside (OT)    11/29/1954    18    11

    46    Bob Portman vs. Weber State    12/23/1968    19    8

    45    Tim Powers at Idaho State    01/29/1966    17    11

    45    Benoit Benjamin vs. Indiana State    01/19/1985    18    9

    45    Doug McDermott vs. Providence    03/08/2014    17#    6

    44    Doug McDermott at Bradley    01/07/2012    18@    5

    43    Bob Portman at Kansas State    02/12/1968    16    11

    43    Benoit Benjamin vs. Southern Illinois    01/17/1985    18    7

    42    Bob Portman vs. LaSalle    01/30/1968    19    4

    42    Cavel Witter vs. Bradley (2OT)    03/01/2008    13%    12

    41    Doug McDermott vs. Wichita State    03/02/2013    15#    6

    40    Chad Gallager vs. Wichita State    02/17/1990    14    12

    40    Rodney Buford vs. Bradley    12/30/1998    13$    8

*includes 2 three-pointers

@includes 3 three-pointers

%includes 4 three-pointers

#includes 5 three-pointers

$includes 6 three-pointers

Honors Roll In For Kalkbrenner

Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner was named the first BIG EAST Player of the Week of the 2024-25 season, the conference announced on Nov. 11. He also picked up National Player of the Week acclaim from ESPN’s Dick Vitale, NCAA.com’s Andy Katz, the USBWA, Associated Press as well as the Lute Olson Award.

    The 7-foot-1 center averaged 36.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game as No. 15 Creighton posted a pair of double-digit victories to open the season. The three-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year shot 90.6 percent from the field (29-32), including 100 percent from three-point range (3-3), and also made 92.3 percent (12-13) of his free throw attempts.

    It was the first weekly honor from the BIG EAST of Kalkbrenner’s career, though he’s certainly no stranger to hardware. Kalkbrenner is one of three men to earn at least three BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was named First Team All-BIG EAST in 2022-23, Second Team All-BIG EAST in 2023-24 and Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST in 2021-22. Prior to this season, Kalkbrenner was named the league’s Preseason Player of the Year. He is also a four-time member of the BIG EAST’s All-Academic Team.

Consistency Is Key

Ryan Kalkbrenner has at least one blocked shot in 19 straight games, the third-longest streak by a Bluejay since 1994-95

    It’s also is the nation’s longest active streak:

Creighton’s Longest Streaks With A Block, Since 1994-95

    Streak    Name    Dates

    26    Ryan Kalkbrenner    11/16/21 – 2/26/22

    25    Ryan Kalkbrenner    11/14/22 – 3/1/23

    19    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2/2/24 – Present

    17    Brody Deren    2/4/03 – 12/6/03

    17    Gregory Echenique    2/16/11 – 11/25/11

    14    Brody Deren    2/4/02 – 11/17/02

    14    Kenny Lawson Jr.    12/10/08 – 1/24/09

    14    Ryan Kalkbrenner    11/30/23 – 1/23/24

    13    Justin Patton    11/29/16 – 1/16/17

Nation’s Longest Active Streaks With A Block

    Streak    Name, School    Next Game

    19    Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton    Nov. 26

    18    Amari Williams, Drexel/Kentucky    Nov. 26

Kalkbrenner Scoring Tidbits

Ryan Kalkbrenner’s 49 points vs. UTRGV on Nov. 6 bring up all sorts of notes.

– In the last 25 years, the only player nationally with more points in a season-opener than Kalkbrenner’s 49 was Arkansas’ Rotnei Clarke, who had 51 in 2009 against Alcorn State.

–    Kalkbrenner’s 49 points are the fourth-most ever in a season-opener by a player on a Top 25 team, trailing only LSU’s Bob Pettit (60 in 1953), UCLA’s Lew Alcindor (56 in 1966) and Jacksonville’s Artis Gilmore (50 in 1970). Those other three men are in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

– Kalkbrenner is the first Bluejay with 40+ points and 10+ rebounds in the same game since Chad Gallagher had 40 points and 11 rebounds vs. Wichita State on Feb. 17, 1990.

– Kalkbrenner’s 49 points were the fifth-most points in a game in BIG EAST history. Marquette’s Markus Howard had games of 53, 52 and 51, while Providence’s MarShon Brooks had a 52 point game as well.

– Kalkbrenner’s 49 points were the most in a double-double performance in BIG EAST history.

– Before Kalkbrenner’s 49 points and 11 rebounds, no other high major player has posted as many points and rebounds in any game over the past 30 years.

– Kalkbrenner is also the nation’s only player with 49+ points and 3+ blocks in the same game since at least 2005-06.

– Kalkbrenner scored Creighton’s first eight points and got better as the game went on. He had nine points in the first 10 minutes, then scored 11 in the final 10 minutes before half for the highest-scoring first half of his career.

    Kalkbrenner then scored 14 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half before closing his masterpiece with 15 points in the final 10 minutes.

– Kalkbrenner’s 49 points broke Doug McDermott’s record of 45 points by a Creighton player at CHI Health Center Omaha. The overall record is 53 by Marquette’s Markus Howard on Jan. 9, 2019.

    

Having A Field Day

Ryan Kalkbrenner’s 20 field goals made on Nov. 6 were a Creighton single-game record, eclipsing the previous mark of 19 done twice by Bob Portman in 1968.

    Kalkbrenner’s 20 field goals are the most in a season-opener by any player nationally in the last 15 seasons.

    Kalkbrenner is the only player in the BIG EAST in at least 30 years with 49+ points and 20+ field goals in a game.

    Kalkbrenner’s 20 field goals tied the single-game BIG EAST record held by Providence’s MarShon Brooks vs. Notre Dame in 2011.

    Kalkbrenner’s 20 field goals made were a CHI Health Center Omaha record, breaking the old mark of 17 done twice by Doug McDermott and once by Evansville’s Colt Ryan.

    Kalkbrenner’s 20 field goals made were the most by any player in a game against a Division I foe since Iowa State’s Melvin Ejim made 20 hoops vs. TCU on Feb. 8, 2014.

    Kalkbrenner’s 90.9 percent shooting from the field was the highest field goal percentage in a 45-point game by any Division I player in the past 25 seasons, and the highest by a player to attempt 20 or more shots in a game in the past 25 years.

– Kalkbrenner was the first player with 20 field goals on 90 percent shooting in a Division I game since UCLA’s Bill Walton made 21-of-22 shots vs. Memphis in the 1973 NCAA final.

– Kalkbrenner missed just three shots (2 FG, 1 FT). He’s the first Division I or NBA player to score 45+ points while missing no more than three shots (FG or FT) since Dirk Nowitzki did in the 2011 NBA playoffs.

– Kalkbrenner made his final three field goal attempts in the first half, then made 11-of-11 shots in the second half, giving him 14 buckets in a row. That’s two shy of the NCAA single-game record of 16 made field goals in a row set by Kent State’s Doug Grayson vs. North Carolina on Dec. 6, 1967.

 

Automatic Ashworth

Steven Ashworth set a Creighton single-game record on Nov. 6 vs. UTRGV when he was a perfect 17-for-17 at the free throw line. It’s the most attempts without a miss in a game in CU history.

    The last previous power conference player to make 17+ free throws without a miss was Tennessee’s Grant Williams vs. Vanderbilt on Jan. 23, 2019, who was 23-for-23.

    The 17 makes at the line were an arena record (two others had made 15), and tied for second-most in a game in CU history behind only Bob Portman’s 19 vs. UW-Milwaukee on Dec. 16, 1967.

    Ashworth’s 17 attempts are 10th-most in CU history, and the most by a Bluejay since Nate Funk shot 18 in a double-overtime win vs. Dayton on Nov. 26, 2005.

    Including four makes on Nov. 22nd vs. Nebraska, Ashworth has now made 41 consecutive free throws, the second-longest streak in program history according to available records. The longest streak belongs to Doug McDermott (45 from Dec. 1, 2013 to Jan. 4, 2014).

    And speaking of streaks owned by Ashworth, the senior has buried a three-pointer in 24 games in a row. That’s the longest active streak in the BIG EAST.

Dynamic Duo

Ryan Kalkbrenner (49) and Steven Ashworth (25) combined for 74 points on Nov. 6th. It was the most points by any BIG EAST duo since at least 1996-97.

    It’s the second-most points by any Creighton pair in the same game, one point shy of the mark set on Jan. 19, 1985 when Benoit Benjamin (45) and Vernon Moore (30) combined for 75.

    It’s the most points by any Creighton duo in 15 seasons under Greg McDermott. The previous high was 62, done on March 9, 2019 by Mitch Ballock (39) and Martin Krampelj (23) vs. DePaul. Ballock is now a graduate manager on the Bluejay staff.

     In addition to Ballock and Krampelj, Creighton’s only other duo to combine for 62+ points in a game since 1996-97 was Nate Funk (38) and Johnny Mathies (24), who did it in double-overtime on Nov. 26, 2005 vs. Dayton.

    The last Division I duo to combine for 74+ points in a non-overtime game was Austin Peay’s Terry Taylor and Jordyn Adams (both with 37) vs. Tennessee State on Jan. 23, 2020.

Jays Don’t Foul…Do You Follow?

Creighton led the nation with just 11.5 fouls per game last year, well ahead of runner-up Lipscomb’s 12.9 per contest, and are averaging an 11.2 fouls per game this season.

    Creighton was the only team nationally that did not have a player foul out last season. Per Elias, Creighton’s streak of 58 straight games without a foul out is the nation’s longest since at least 2005-06.

    Since the start of last season, only two teams (Nebraska twice and Alabama once), have gotten into the bonus in the first half against Creighton.

    Since the start of last year, Creighton has committed three fouls or less in 18 different halves.

    In 40 games since the start of last season, Creighton has allowed just 48 made free throws in a 1-and-1 situation, and just 16 made free throws in the double bonus (and 6 of those came in an overtime session). Only two of those free throws in a 1-and-1 situation came in the first half (vs. Alabama).

    Here’s a look at how many fouls Creighton was called for this season by half:

Creighton Fouls By Half

Opponent    First Half    Second Half

UTRGV    4    7

FDU    5    7

Houston Christian    2    6

Kansas City    2    4

Nebraska    7    12

Total    20    36

Jays Pass 28K at CHI

Creighton has outscored its opponents 28,217-23,559 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.97 points per game in 359 all-time games in the building that count.

    Creighton is 26-2 all-time in games where it moves over any 1,000 point milestone at CHI Health Center Omaha, as seen below:

Date    Pts-Opp (CLCO Game #)    Who/How vs. Opp.

02/18/04    1,000-787 (14)    Lindeman FG vs. Indiana State

02/05/05    2,000-1,696 (28)    Funk FG vs. Missouri St.

01/18/06    3,000-2,504 (41)    Watts FT vs. Bradley

01/09/07    4,000-3,359 (56)    Tolliver FG vs. Drake

12/17/07    5,000-4,174 (69)    Kaleb Korver 3FG vs. Hou. Baptist

11/16/08    6,000-5,048 (82)    Dotzler FG vs. New Mexico

02/11/09    7,000-5,870 (95)    Witter 3FG vs. Bradley

01/16/10    8,000-6,750 (109)    Young FG vs. Wichita State

12/20/10    9,000-7,645 (123)    Wragge FG vs. W. Illinois

03/23/11    10,000-8,500 (136)    Lawson FG vs. UCF

01/21/12    11,000-9,310 (148)    McDermott FG vs. Ind. St.

12/19/12    12,000-10,136 (161)    Echenique FG vs. Tulsa

11/23/13    13,000-10,922 (173)    Artino FG vs. Tulsa

02/23/14    14,000-11,711 (185)    Gibbs FG vs. Seton Hall

01/28/15    15,000-12,612 (198)    Hanson FT vs. St. John’s

12/28/15    16,000-13,498 (211)    Huff FG vs. Coppin State

11/15/16    17,000-14,349 (224)    Patton FG vs. #9 Wisconsin

01/28/17    18,000-15,166 (235)    Hanson FG vs. DePaul

12/18/17    19,000-15,927 (246)    Foster 3FG vs. UT Arlington

11/06/18    20,000-16,741 (258)    Ballock 3FG vs. W. Illinois

02/03/19    21,000-17,619 (270)    Zegarowski FG vs. Xavier

12/07/19    22,000-18,463 (282)    Ballock 3FG vs. Nebraska

03/07/20    23,000-19,280 (294)    Mahoney 3FG vs. #8 Seton Hall

02/13/21    24,000-20,103 (306)    Zegarowski FG vs. #5 Villanova

02/14/22    25,000-20,950 (320)    Hawkins 3FG vs. Georgetown

01/25/23    26,000-21,786 (333)    Nembhard 3FG vs. St. John’s

12/20/23    27,000-22,535 (345)    Kalkbrenner FG vs. Villanova

11/13/24    28,000-23,388 (357)    Isaacs 3FG vs. Hou. Christian

Nifty Fifty Leads To Postseason?

Not counting 2019-20, when there was no postseason, Creighton has made the postseason each of the previous 11 times in which it has made at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts to open the year.  That’s a good sign since CU shot 60 percent on Nov. 6, its best mark since at least 1993-94 in a lid-lifter.

    Nine of those postseason trips were NCAA Tournament berths. The last time that didn’t hold true was 1991-92, when CU shot 51.0 percent in the opener but finished just 9-19.

    Creighton has shot 50 percent or better in nine of its last 13 season-openers.

CU Season-Opener Field Goal Percentage 50+%

Since 1993-94

FG%    Year    Opponent    Postseason

.541    1997-98    UMKC    NIT

.524    1998-99    Towson State    NCAA

.569    2000-01    Western Illinois    NCAA

.594    2002-03    UT Arlington    NCAA

.500    2012-13    North Texas    NCAA

.556    2013-14    Alcorn State    NCAA

.528    2015-16    Texas Southern    NIT

.508    2016-17    UMKC    NCAA

.558    2017-18    Yale    NCAA

.524    2019-20    Kennesaw St.    Postseason Ccd.

.585    2021-22    Ark.-Pine Bluff    NCAA

.567    2023-24    Florida A&M    NCAA

.600    2024-25    UTRGV    ? ? ?

The Push For 90

Of Creighton’s 25 all-time NCAA Tournament teams, 12 have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener.

    Put another way…of CU’s 19 teams (before 2024-25)  to score 90 points in an opener, 12 would reach the NCAA Tournament.

    Here’s a look at Creighton’s last 12 teams to score 90 or more points in a season-opener:

                Final    Post-

    Score    Opponent    Date    W-L    Season

    93-47    UT-San Antonio    11/30/90    24-8    NCAA

    93-48    Towson State    11/14/98    22-9    NCAA

    96-50    Western Illinois    11/20/00    24-8    NCAA

    106-50    Texas-Arlington    11/17/02    29-5    NCAA

    97-65    North Carolina A&T    11/11/11    29-6    NCAA

    107-61    Alcorn State    11/08/13    27-8    NCAA

    104-77    Central Arkansas    11/14/14    14-19    —

    93-70    Texas Southern    11/14/15    20-15    NIT

    92-76    Yale    11/10/17    21-12    NCAA

    90-77    Arkansas-Pine Bluff    11/09/21    23-12    NCAA

    105-54    Florida A&M    11/07/23    25-10    NCAA

    99-86    UTRGV    11/06/24    ? ? ?    ? ? ?

One Of The Best

Senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner has been named one of 20 candidates on the NABC Division I Player of the Year Preseason Watch List, one of 50 players up for the John R. Wooden Award, and one of 50 candidates for the Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year Watch List.

    Kalkbrenner is four players named to the Naismith’s Preseason list each of the last three years (joining Hunter Dickinson, RJ Davis and Caleb Love). He’s also one of four players to make the NABC Preseason list each of the past two seasons, joining Dickinson, Oumar Ballo and Wade Taylor IV.

Kalkbrenner A Top Defender

Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in 2023-24 for the third straight season.

    Kalkbrenner is just the third player in league history to win the recognition three times or more, joining Georgetown greats Patrick Ewing (4x) and Alonzo Mourning (3x).

    Between Kalkbrenner and 2017 & 2018 winner Khyri Thomas, Creighton has now had a BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in five of the previous eight seasons.

Most BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Honors

    Honors    Name, School    Years (*ties)

    4    Patrick Ewing, Georgetown    1982, 83, 84, 85

    3    Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown    1989, 90*, 92

    3    Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton    2022, 23, ’24

    2    Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown    1990*, 91

    2    Allen Iverson, Georgetown    1995, 96

    2    Etan Thomas, Syracuse    1999, 00

    2    John Linehan, Providence    2001, 02

    2    Emeka Okafor, Connecticut    2003, 04

    2    Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut    2008, 09

    2    Kris Dunn, Providence    2015*, 16

    2    Khyri Thomas, Creighton    2017*, 18

Who’s Back?

With Creighton returning six of the 11 men who appeared in a game last season, it’s no surprise that a similar ratio of the production from 2023-24 is also gone. Below is a breakdown of what is back:

Stat    Returners    Departures

Blocks    119 (83.2%)    24 (16.8%)

Starts    105 (60.0%)    70 (40.0%)

Minutes    3684 (51.3%)    3491 (48.7%)

Rebounds    636 (51.1%)    608 (48.9%)

Points    1383 (49.1%)    1432 (50.9%)

3FG Made    171 (45.6%)    204 (54.4%)

Assists    226 (38.4%)    362 (61.6%)

Steals    42 (31.3%)    92 (68.7%)

Charges Taken    4 (30.8%)    9 (69.2%)

Preseason Top 15

The Creighton men’s basketball team was ranked 15th in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll, the third straight season the Bluejays have been ranked among the nation’s best in the preseason.

    This year’s announcement marks the seventh time in program history the writers have voted CU to the top-25 in the preseason, joining 2006-07 (No. 19), 2012-13 (No. 16) and 2016-17 (No. 22), 2020-21 (No. 11), 2022-23 (No. 9) and 2023-24 (No. 8). All six of those teams would end up in the NCAA Tournament, with the last three most recent squads making the Sweet 16.

    Creighton’s best ranking in program history is seventh, done five times (Jan. 16, 2017, March 10, 2020, March 18, 2020, Jan. 7, 2021 and Nov. 28, 2022).

    Including its Nov. 18 ranking, Creighton has now been ranked 145 times in program history, with 117 of those under the direction of McDermott. Creighton is 179-74 all-time as a ranked team, including a 145-62 mark under McDermott. Creighton has now been ranked at least one week in 11 of McDermott’s 15 seasons on The Hilltop after doing it just five different seasons in program history before his 2010 arrival.

    Creighton is one of 13 schools ranked in the Top 25 of the Preseason AP poll each of the last three years, joining Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Creighton, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Narrow that list to just the Preseason Top 15 the past three seasons and only seven schools can claim that, with Creighton joining Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, North Carolina and Tennessee.

    Creighton was one of three BIG EAST Conference schools in the preseason poll, joining No. 3 Connecticut and No. 18 Marquette. Two of Creighton’s December opponents, No. 1 Kansas (Dec. 4) and No. 2 Alabama (Dec. 14), are atop the poll. CU will also meet No. 13 Texas A&M on Nov. 27 in Las Vegas.

    Creighton was also 14th in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll, and is currently 13th (as of Nov. 18).

Preseason BIG EAST Poll

The Creighton men’s basketball team has been picked to finish second in the BIG EAST Conference in the annual survey of league coaches, which was unveiled as part of BIG EAST Media Day.

    It marks the second straight year CU has been picked second, and fourth time in the past five seasons the Bluejays have been tabbed for a top-two finish. CU’s 2020-21 squad and 2023-24 teams were also both picked second, and eventually finished in second place, while the 2022-23 squad that eventually reached the Elite Eight was picked first and finished in third place.

    Connecticut, the defending BIG EAST regular season and tournament champion and the reigning national champion, was chosen to finish first in the poll. The Huskies received all possible 10 first-place votes and 100 points from the league’s head coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own teams.

    Creighton will be led by Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is a Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST selection for the third time and also earned his first Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year accolade. Kalkbrenner remains the only player in program history to earn Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST honors multiple times. The only other Bluejays to be named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year have been Doug McDermott (2013-14) and Marcus Zegarowski (2020-21).

    Joining Kalkbrenner with Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST acclaim was Connecticut’s Alex Karaban, Marquette’s Kam Jones, Providence’s Bryce Hopkins, St. John’s Kadary Richmond and Villanova’s Eric Dixon.

    Creighton has matched or exceeded its preseason projection in all but one season since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14, the best showing in the league in that time. The Bluejays are seeking a ninth straight finish in the top four of the league standings. CU’s team three years ago was predicted to finish eighth in the BIG EAST, then ended up in fourth. Five years ago, a team picked seventh in the BIG EAST’s preseason poll went 13-5 in league play to share its first league title with Villanova and Seton Hall. That Bluejay team ended the year ranked seventh in the entire nation.

Creighton’s BIG EAST Preseason Poll History

Year     Preseason     Actual     Preseason All-BIG EAST

2013-14     3rd     2nd     Doug McDermott (POY, 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     2nd    Marcus Zegarowski (POY, 1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd)

2021-22    8th    4th    –

2022-23    1st    3rd    Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Arthur Kaluma (2nd)

            Ryan Nembhard (2nd); Baylor Scheierman (HM)

2023-24    2nd    ??    Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Trey Alexander (1st)

            Baylor Scheierman (2nd)

2024-25    2nd    ??    Ryan Kalkbrenner (POY, 1st); Steven Ashworth (3rd)

Among The Nation’s Best

Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since the start of the 2010-11 season among teams to have played 100 or more Division I games, per Basketball-Reference.com.

2010-11 to Nov. 22, 2024

Category    CU Stat    CU Rank

3FG Made    4,365    2nd

2FG Percentage    .550    3rd

FG Percentage    .477    4th

Assists    7,842    5th

3FG Percentage    .374    5th

FG Made    13,412    7th

Points    37,510    9th

Wins    329    24th

Winning Percentage    .671    30th

New Court Debuts

Creighton is playing home games on a new basketball court designed to tell the story of Creighton University and the program’s proud history.

    The court was designed by GLGR out of Beaverton, Ore., and produced by Ledford Sports Floors out of Jenks, Okla.

    The court includes multiple intricate features that merit up-close inspection to gain a full appreciation for the attention to detail in the new Creighton-centric design.

• Six numbers will appear on the west sideline, three in front of each bench, to recognize the retired jersey numbers for No. 3 (Doug McDermott), No. 25 (Kyle Korver), No. 30 (Bob Harstad), No. 33 (Bob Portman), No. 35 (Paul Silas) and No. 45 (Bob Gibson).

• Within the eye of the Bluejay logo at midcourt will be the number 1916, a nod to Creighton’s first recognized year of intercollegiate basketball.

• Just inside the three-point line on the South end will be text of seven core Jesuit values, such as “Women and Men For and With Others”. It is believed that Creighton will be the nation’s first Division I team with its school motto included inside its basketball court.

• Also inside the three-point line on the North side of the court are Heritage logos to honor Creighton’s history.

• The new color scheme also features an updated courtside gradient, in addition to a feather pattern inside the three-point line, a nod to Creighton’s Bluejay nickname.

Who Are These Guys?

Creighton returns 105 starts from last year’s team, the fifth time in the past six seasons its returned at least 100 starts.

    Creighton has won 20 or more games each of the previous nine times (and 13 of the last 14 times) it has returned 100 or more starts.

    Returning    Returning Starts     Final

Year    Starters    From Previous Year    W-L

2024-25    3    105    ? ? ?

2023-24    3    111    25-10

2022-23    3    104    24-13

2021-22    0    2    23-12

2020-21    5    124    22-9

2019-20    4    136    24-7

2018-19    2    57    20-15

2017-18    2    72    21-12

2016-17    4    130    25-10

2015-16    1    64    20-15

2014-15    1    49    14-19

2013-14    4    144    27-8

2012-13    4    140    28-8

2011-12    3    101    29-6

2010-11    4    123    23-16

2009-10    3    106    18-16

2008-09    3    83    27-8

2007-08    1    44    22-11

2006-07    4    120    22-11

2005-06    4    134    20-10

2004-05    2    58    23-11

2003-04    3    101    20-9

2002-03    5    159    29-5

2001-02    2    65    23-9

2000-01    3    90    24-8

1999-00    3    84    23-10

1998-99    3    84    22-9

1997-98    4    72    18-10

1996-97    4    126    15-15

1995-96    4    100    14-15

1994-95    2    52    7-19

1993-94    3    73    7-22

1992-93    2    64    8-18

1991-92    2    51    9-19

1990-91    4    132    24-8

1989-90    4    127    21-12

1988-89    4    123    20-11

1987-88    3    83    16-16

1986-87    2    65    9-19

1985-86    1    48    12-16

1984-85    4    124    20-12

1983-84    3    72    17-14

1982-83    3    77    8-19

1981-82    2    78    7-20

1980-81    4    112    21-9

#ProJays

Creighton has three alums in the NBA this season.

    Former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott is with the Sacramento Kings as he begins his 11th year in the NBA.

    Baylor Scheierman was a First Round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by the NBA champion Boston Celtics.

    Trey Alexander went undrafted, but was signed on a two-way contract by the Denver Nuggets.

    These men give Creighton at least one NBA player for the 41st time in the last 42 seasons.

    Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver, Benoit Benjamin and Anthony Tolliver.

Let’s Go On A Run

Creighton has won at least one NCAA Tournament game in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. That makes CU one of five teams in the country to have a win in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments, joining Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston and Kansas.

    This is the first time that Creighton has won an NCAA Tournament game in four straight years.

Ain’t Too Proud To Brag

Creighton (9 straight seasons) is one of six schools with 20 or more wins in each of the previous nine seasons joining Kansas (35), Gonzaga (27), Belmont (14), Oregon (9) and Houston (9).

    Creighton (5 straight seasons) is also one of five teams to post 22 or more wins in each of the previous five seasons, joining Gonzaga (27), Houston (7), San Diego State (5) and Baylor (5).

    Creighton was one of six teams in the nation with 25 or more wins in both men’s basketball and women’s basketball last season. That list consists of Creighton, Gonzaga, NC State, South Carolina,  UConn and Vermont.

    Creighton is one of four schools to have men’s and women’s basketball programs to both own 22 wins or more each of the previous three seasons, a list that included Creighton, Gonzaga, Princeton and UConn.

24 of 26 Seasons With 20 Wins

Creighton has won 20 or more games in 24 of the previous 26 seasons (1998-99 to 2023-24), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.

    Just two schools have had 20 or more wins each of the last 26 years: Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 25 times, Creighton and Kentucky 24 times each.

Most 20-Win Seasons, Previous 26 Seasons

Team                 20-Win Seasons    

Gonzaga    26        

Kansas    26    

Duke    25    

Creighton    24    

Kentucky    24    

Arizona    22    

Florida    22    

Ohio State    22    

Michigan State    22    

BYU    21    

Memphis    21        

North Carolina    21    

Wisconsin    21        

Most Consecutive 22-Win Seasons

Team                 Consec. 22-Win Years

Gonzaga    27

Houston    7

Creighton    5

San Diego State    5

Baylor    5    

Sweetness!

Creighton is one of just five teams to have reached at least three of the last four Sweet 16s.

    Gonzaga and Houston have done it each of the last four seasons, while Alabama, UCLA and Creighton have done it three times each.

    This is the first time Creighton has been in the Sweet 16 in back-to-back tournaments.

Most Sweet 16’s, Last Four Years

    #    Team    Years

    4    Gonzaga    2021    2022    2023    2024

    4    Houston    2021    2022    2023    2024

    3    Creighton    2021        –    2023    2024

    3    UCLA    2021    2022    2023         –

    3    Alabama    2021       –    2023    2024

Top 25 Men & Women

Creighton is one of 12 schools with a preseason top-25 squad on both the men’s and women’s side in 2024-25, joining Alabama, Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Texas and UCLA.

    The only five schools to be ranked in the preseason men’s and women’s basketball Top 25 of the AP Poll each of the last three seasons are Baylor, Creighton, North Carolina and Texas.

    Creighton is one of eight schools to make the NCAA Tournament in both men’s and women’s basketball each of the previous three seasons, a list that consists of Arizona, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Tennessee, Texas and UConn.

    Creighton is one of 14 schools that won an NCAA Tournament game last season in both men’s and women’s basketball: Alabama, Arizona, Baylor, Colorado, Creighton, Duke, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas, North Carolina, NC State, Tennessee, Texas, and UConn.

A Dozen Will Do

Creighton has owned a .500 mark or better in league play 28 times in the previous 29 seasons, one of seven schools nationally that can say that.

    The only BIG EAST teams to finish .500 or better in league play each of the previous nine seasons are Creighton, Villanova and Seton Hall.

    Among the other “Power 5”  Conference schools, only Virginia (7 straight years) also has an active streak of five years or longer with 12 or more league wins.

Most Seasons .500 or Better League Record

Previous 29 Seasons

    Seasons    Team    

    29    Duke    

    29    Kansas    

    29    Gonzaga    

    28    Kentucky    

    28    Michigan State    

    28    Creighton    

    28    Murray State    

Consecutive Seasons .500 or Better League Record

Power 5 Schools

    Seasons    Team    

    35    Kansas    

    29    Duke    

    13    Virginia    

    13    Oregon    

    12    Villanova    

    9    Creighton    

    9    Houston    

    9    Seton Hall    

    9    Florida    

Consecutive Seasons 12+ League Wins

Power 5 Schools

    Seasons    Team    

    7    Virginia    

    5    Creighton

Big Deficits, No Big Deal

Creighton owns 27 victories since the start of the 2010-11 season after trailing by double-figures at some point. Thirteen of those 27 comebacks have come away from home.

    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 on a buzzer-beater by Anthony Tolliver.

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

16    at Seton Hall    01/27/21

16    SIU Edwardsville    11/27/21

15    Arkansas-Pine Bluff    11/09/21

14    Evansville    02/21/12

14    vs. San Diego State    03/17/22

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

11    vs. Connecticut    03/12/21

11    DePaul    01/22/22

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

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat

Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 1,025 straight games. That ranks as the nation’s 10th-longest active streak.

    Creighton’s last game without a three-pointer came at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993, when the Jays were 0-for-5. 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 (through 11/23)

    Rk.    Streak    School    Next Game

    1.    1,233    UNLV    11/28

    2.    1,230    Duke    11/26

    3.    1,163    East Tennessee State    11/24

    4.    1,138    Oakland    11/30

    5.    1,135    Pacific    11/27

    6.    1,133    Texas    11/29

    7.    1,072    Marshall    11/27

    8.    1,063    Gonzaga    11/27

    9.    1,057    Princeton    11/24

    10.    1,025    Creighton    11/26

    11.    1,019    Long Island    11/25

    12.    1,012    Mount St. Mary’s    11/30

Triple Trouble

During Creighton’s current streak of 1,025 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 8,207 trifectas, an average of 8.01 treys per game.

    Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 306 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.

    Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 85-21 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 34-30 mark when making seven treys or fewer.

Team 3FG Made During Creighton’s 3-Point Streak

1:    5 times    2:  19 times    3:  36 times

4:    75 times    5:   104 times    6:  107 times

7:   151 times    8:   127 times    9:  94 times

10:  86 times    11:  60 times    12:  61 times

13:  49 times    14: 24 times    15:  9 times

16:  8 times    17: 4 times    18: 1 time

19:  2 times    20: 1 time    21:  1 time    22:  1 time

CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics

Creighton is 8-8 in contests with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened in 2003.

    The last time such a game happened was in 2020 when Creighton’s Marcus Zegarowski hit a shot with 3.2 seconds left to beat Providence.

Creighton’s Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at

CHI Health Center Omaha, 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

01/18/20    Providence    W 78-74    Zegarowski 3FG    :3.2

*double-overtime

Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses at

CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds

Date    Opponent    Score    Player/Score    Time

03/20/06    Miami (Fla.)    L 53-52    G. Diaz FT    :2.6

01/20/07    Southern Illinois    L 58-57    B. Mullins FG    :4.1

01/10/15    #19 Seton Hall    L 68-67    S. Gibbs 3FG    :2.2

02/16/15    #19 Butler    L 58-56    R. Jones FG    :1.9

03/07/15    Xavier    L 74-73    D. Davis FT’s    :6.3

01/12/16    #12 Providence    L 50-48    K. Dunn FG    :0.0

02/22/17    Providence    L 68-66    K. Cartwright 3FG    :2.4

02/10/18    #5 Xavier    L 71-72    Q. Goodin FT’s    :0.3

Top-20 Crowds

Here’s a look at Creighton’s top-20 home crowds all-time.

      Rank    Att.    Opponent    Date

    1.    18,868    Providence    03/08/14

    2.    18,859    Georgetown    01/25/14

    3.    18,831    #1 Villanova    12/31/16

    4.    18,797    #6 Villanova    02/16/14

    5.    18,759    #1 Gonzaga    12/01/18

    6.    18,742    Seton Hall    02/23/14

    7.    18,735    Wichita State    02/11/12

    8.    18,613    Wichita State    03/02/13

    9.    18,571    DePaul    01/22/24

    10.    18,525    Marquette    12/31/13

    11.    18,519    #8 Seton Hall    03/07/20

    12.    18,518    Georgetown    01/27/18

    13.    18,509    Villanova    02/04/23

    14.    18,495    Marquette    02/17/18

    15.    18,494    Illinois State    02/09/13

    16.    18,475    Nebraska    11/22/24

    17.    18,458    Evansville    12/29/12

    18.    18,436    Bradley    01/28/12

    19.    18,323    DePaul    02/07/14

    20.    18,321    #3 Villanova    02/24/18

CHI Health Center Omaha Success

Creighton has played 359 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the now 22-year-old facility.

    The Bluejays own a 296-63 (.825) record all-time at the facility.

    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 28,217-23,559 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.97 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 92 different times, including once this year (Kansas City).

    Incredibly, Creighton hasn’t trailed in its home opener in 10 of the past 24 seasons (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2019-20).

    Creighton is also 32-37 all-time in the 68 games at the arena in which it’s fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 8-12 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 41-30 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.

    Creighton is 199-45 (.816) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn’t trailed in 66 of those games. In that same span, CU owns a 105-10 home record (.913) 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 315-63 (.833) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

 

Home Run

Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.83 points per home game (19,723 points in 244 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.31 points in non-conference home games (9,696 points in 115 home games).

    Creighton is 149-7 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.

Nine Is Divine

Greg McDermott has guided his team to the NCAA Tournament nine times at Creighton. That put him in the company of some of the greatest coaches in CU Athletics history, and most among basketball coaches.

    McDermott is one of three head coaches in Creighton history to lead eight or more NCAA Tournament teams.

Name    Sport    NCAA’s @CU

Kirsten Bernthal Booth    Volleyball    13

Bob Warming    Men’s Soccer    11

Greg McDermott    Men’s Basketball    9

Dana Altman    Men’s Basketball    7

Brent Vigness    Softball    7

Jim Flanery    Women’s Basketball    7

Firing On All Cylinders

Creighton finished the 2023-24 season ranked 11th overall by KenPom.com. That included the nation’s No. 9 offense, and No. 24 defense.

    Creighton has finished with a top-25 offense per KenPom eight times and a top-25 defense three times in 14 completed seasons under Greg McDermott.

Year    Off. Rating    Def. Rating    Overall Rank

2010-11    66    174    98

2011-12    5    166    28

2012-13    5    66    15

2013-14    2    124    17

2014-15    59    138    79

2015-16    43    76    40

2016-17    32    46    28

2017-18    25    58    30

2018-19    47    83    55

2019-20    3    78    12

2020-21    25    32    22

2021-22    112    19    50

2022-23    23    14    12

2023-24    9    24    11

2024-25    31    45    33

McDermott’s Coaching Tree

Greg McDermott‘s coaching tree owns 10 men who are currently a head coach at the Division I level. Seven of the 10 won 20+ games last season. Here’s a list:

Darian DeVries – West Virginia

Eric Henderson – South Dakota State

Alan Huss – High Point

Ben Jacobson – Northern Iowa

Steve Lutz – Oklahoma State

TJ Otzelberger – Iowa State

David Richman – North Dakota State

Daniyal Robinson – Cleveland State

Paul Sather – North Dakota

Patrick Sellers – Central Connecticut State

Ticket Information

Single-game tickets for the 2024-25 season went on sale on October 16th.

    Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CHI Health Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com, and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000.

    For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.