By: Rob Anderson

Game #3:  Houston Christian Huskies at #14 Creighton Bluejays

Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 • 8:00 p.m. • Omaha, Neb. • CHI Health Center Omaha

| LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES | HCU NOTES |

Next Game

No. 14 Creighton (2-0) continues its season-opening homestand on Wednesday, Nov. 13, when it hosts Houston Christian (1-1).

    Tip-off on First National Bank Court inside CHI Health Center Omaha (17,352) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 8 p.m.

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 and former Bluejay Tyler Clement will call the action.  

    The audio is webcast at 1620thezone.com and can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 84 as well as https://sxm.app.link/SXM84.

Telecast Information

Wednesday’s game will be called by Kevin Kugler and Nick Bahe and be televised on FS1.

    The game will also be video webcast on the FoxSports app or at http://foxsports.com/live. Cable authorization may be required.

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.

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 #14 Creighton

Creighton is 2-0 on the season after wins over UTRGV (99-86) and FDU (96-70) last week. 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 (36.5 ppg., 8.5 rpg., 3.0 bpg.) 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 after opening with 73 points in 58 minutes in the two victories.

    Senior Steven Ashworth (20.0 ppg., 8.0 apg., 6.0 rpg.) is back to run the point guard spot, and junior Mason Miller (1.5 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 (12.0 ppg.) and Arizona State transfer Jamiya Neal (9.5 ppg., 4.5 apg.), in addition to a Top 20 recruiting class, four men who redshirted last season, and key reserves Isaac Traudt (8.0 ppg.) Fredrick King (2.5 rpg.) and Jasen Green (3.0 ppg.).

Scouting Houston Christian

Houston Christian is 1-1 on the season, defeating NAIA Avila (86-59) last Monday before losing at No. 19 Texas (90-59) on Friday.

    Julian Mackey and Bryson Dawkins both average 15.5 points per game and are the only two HCU players averaging more than six points per game. Peyton Rogers owns a team-leading 10 rebounds.

    Houston Christian averages 72.5 points per game but surrenders 74.5 per contest. Twelve of the 13 men to see the court have attempted at least one three-pointer, but the Huskies have made just 29.2 percent from downtown thus far.

    

The Series With Houston Christian

Creighton is 3-0 all-time against Houston Christian, defeating the Huskies in 2007 (110-73), 2009 (83-56) and 2011 (97-62).

    Greg McDermott is 2-0 against Houston Christian, coaching in that 2011 match-up as well as picking up a 64-56 win in 2009 as Iowa State’s head coach. He has never faced Craig Doty.

The Creighton Coaches

Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 327-160 record in his 15th season with the Bluejays, tying him with Dana Altman as the winningest coach in program history. He owns a career mark of 607-355 in his 31st season, and is 476-291 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 3-0 on the season.

– Greg McDermott would surpass Dana Altman atop Creighton’s all-time wins list with his 328th victory on the Bluejay sideline.

– Greg McDermott would improve to 3-0 for the 12th time in the 15 seasons at Creighton, and fifth straight campaign.

– Creighton would improve to 102-17 all-time in home games as a ranked team.

McDermott Can Pass Altman On CU Wins List

Greg McDermott has 327 victories at Creighton, tied with his predecessor Dana Altman for the most in program history.

    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.    327-176    Dana Altman    1994-2010

    327-160    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

Most Wins, Creighton Athletics History (as of 11/10)

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    493*

Jim Flanery, Women’s Basketball    428*

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

Dana Altman, Men’s Basketball    327

Greg McDermott, Men’s Basketball    327*

*still active coaching at Creighton

#currently just the women’s tennis coach

Boarding Now

Creighton had 17 offensive rebounds on Sunday vs. FDU after just seven boards on the offensive end in its opener.

    The 17 offensive rebounds match CU’s most in any game since also having 17 on Nov. 17, 2023 vs. Florida A&M. CU hasn’t had more than 17 offensive rebounds in a contest since crashing the glass for 20 on Jan. 7, 2023 at No. 4 UConn.

    It’s quite early, but Creighton is averaging 12.0 offensive rebounds per game this season. That’s Creighton’s best mark since averaging 12.0 per game in 2001-02, a season where CU won the MVC regular-season and tournament titles and won a First Round NCAA Tournament game. CU’s best offensive rebound average over the course of an entire season under Greg McDermott is 10.5 per game in 2014-15.

    CU finished +21 on the glass overall against FDU, its best mark since also being +21 on Jan. 2, 2024 at Georgetown.

Familar Faces

Houston Christian’s Demari Williams spent the 2021-22 season at Arizona State, where he was a teammate of Creighton’s Jamiya Neal. That ASU team defeated Creighton 58-57 on Dec. 14, 2021 inside CHI Health Center Omaha.

    Houston Christian’s Ajhany Lee made his collegiate debut inside CHI Health Center Omaha on Nov. 7, 2022 as a member of the University of St. Thomas. Lee had two points and two rebounds in 16 minutes, making 1-of-8 shots from the field. Creighton won, 72-60.

    Houston Christian’s Elijah Brooks started and played 27 minutes for North Dakota against Creighton on Nov. 10, 2022. Brooks had eight points, five rebounds and three assists as he made 4-of-7 shots from the field.

Conquest Of The Huskies

Creighton is 9-0 all-time in home games against teams with the nickname of Huskies, with six of those coming by double-figures. Seven of those games have come inside CHI Health Center Omaha.

    Score    Opponent    Date

    W 97-87    Northern Illinois    01/27/1969

    W 82-54    St. Cloud State    01/29/1974

    W 110-73    Houston Christian    12/17/2007

    W 83-56    Houston Christian    12/22/2009

    W 97-62    Houston Christian    12/17/2011

    W 74-66    #23 Connecticut    01/23/2020

    W 64-62    #18 Connecticut    03/02/2022

    W 56-53    #21 Connecticut    02/11/2023

    W 85-66    #1 Connecticut    02/20/2024

Freshmen Phenoms

Jackson McAndrew scored 13 points in 15 minutes against FDU. It’s just ninth time that Creighton has had a freshman score that many points in so few minutes since 2005-06 and McAndrew is just the fifth true freshman to do it.

CU Freshmen With 13+ Points in Under 15 Minutes

(since 2005-06)

    Min.    Pts.    Name vs. Opponent    Date

    12    18    #Isaac Traudt vs. Central Michigan    12/9/23

    13    15    #Kenny Lawson Jr. vs. Houston Christian    12/17/07

    8    14    Jacob Epperson vs. Marquette    2/17/08

    11    14    Avery Dingman vs. Iowa    11/20/11

    15    14    Ryan Kalkbrenner vs. Kennesaw State    12/4/20

    14    13    #Kenny Lawson Jr. vs. NC Central    12/20/07

    13    13    #Will Artino vs. NC A&T    11/11/11

    14    13    Ben Shtolzberg vs. Holy Cross    11/14/22

    15    13    Jackson McAndrew vs. FDU    11/10/24

#redshirt freshman

All-Around Ashworth

Steven Ashworth owns 40 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds through two games this season.

    The only other Bluejay with those figures in any two-game span since 2005-06 was Trey Alexander last November, who had 43 points, 17 assists and 18 rebounds in wins over Iowa and Texas Southern last November.

    Ashworth’s nine assists vs. FDU tied his career high, the fourth time he’s done so.

7-Foot-1 Of Awesome

A few notes about Ryan Kalkbrenner.

    There’s only two BIG EAST palyers to score 73+ points in 60 minutes or less in any two game span since 2005-06. Ryan Kalkbrenner (73 points in 58 minutes) last week 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 742-1112 from the field.

Bigger Than Life

Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner is shooting 90.6 percent from the field through two games. The only two other major conference players since 1996-97 to shoot 80 percent or better from the floor (min 25 FGA) through two games both went on to be named National Player of the Year, Iowa’s Luka Garza in 2020-21 (25/29; .862) and Duke’s Zion Williamson in 2018-19 (22-27; .815).

    Kalkbrenner’s 73 points are also the most among any major conference player through two games since 1996-97, just ahead of Iowa’s Luka Garza (67) in 2020-21 and Arkansas’ Rotnei Clarke (67) in 2009-10.

Among The Best…EVER!

Ryan Kalkbrenner has made 742 of 1,112 career shots, putting him at 66.7 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.

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

    .668 (742-1112)    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

Super Seniors

Fifth-year senior Ryan Kalkbrenner leads the nation in points per game and is 12th in blocks epr game, while classmate Steven Ashworth is tied for the NCAA lead in free throw percentage.

    Here’s a list of the categories that Creighton is in the Top 15 in, through games of Sunday, Nov. 10th.

Category    Rank    Stat

FG Made (Kalkbrenner)    1st    29

Points (Kalkbrenner)    1st    73

Points Per Game (Kalkbrener)    1st    36.5

Team Win Percentage    T-1st    1.000

FT Pct. (Ashworth)    T-1st    1.000

Team Free Throw Percentage    8th    .852

Team Fouls Per Game    11th    11.5

Blocks Per Game (Kalkbrener)    12th    3.00

    

The Best Since 1970

Ryan Kalkbrenner has opened his senior season with a 49 point effort vs. UTRGV, followed by 24 more against FDU.

    He’s the first Creighton player to open a season with 24 points or more in each of the first two games of a season since Cyril Baptiste in December of 1970. Baptiste had 27 points vs. St. Thomas, then owned 34 points against Iowa three days later.

    If you’re curious, Baptiste scored 12 points in his third game of the year against Idaho State.

    Trey Alexander is the last Creighton player to score 20 or more points in each of his first three games of a season, doing so last year in his first four contests.

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 Monday. He also picked up National Player of the Week aclaim from ESPN’s Dick Vitale, NCAA.com’s Andy Katz, 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.

    This is 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 scored 10 or more points in each of his last 24 games. It’s the longest streak of his career and tied for the fourth-longest stretch by any Bluejay since 1994-95. Kalkbrenner also owns at least one blocked shot in 16 straight games, the fifth-longest streak by a Bluejay since 1994-95

    Kalkbrenner’s streak of 16 straight games with at least 10 points and one block is the nation’s longest current active streak…no other active player has a streak as long as 10.

Creighton’s Longest Streaks, 10+ Points, Since 1994-95

    Streak    Name    Dates

    37    Doug McDermott    4/1/11 – 11/9/12

    33    Marcus Foster    1/14/17 – 1/3/18

    28    Doug McDermott    12/3/13 – 3/23/14

    24    Nate Funk    12/23/06 – 3/16/07

    24    Ryan Kalkbrenner    1/2/24 – Present

    21    Doug McDermott    11/18/12 – 2/2/13

    21    Ryan Kalkbrenner    1/11/23 – 3/26/23

    20    Baylor Scheierman    1/9/24 – 3/29/24

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

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

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

    16    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2/2/24 – Present

    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

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.

    Ashworth has now made 35 consecutive free throws, tied for the third-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), while Booker Woodfox made 36 in a row from Dec. 6, 2008 to Jan. 6, 2009. Ashworth’s 35 in a row is tied with Bob Portman for third.

    And speaking of streaks owned by Ashworth, the senior has buried a three-pointer in 21 games in a row. Among BIG EAST players, only Marquette’s Kam Jones (41 after Nov. 11) has a longer active streak at their current school.

Doing It All

Steven Ashworth was Creighton’s first player with at least 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the same game since Ryan Sears had 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists vs. Southern Illinois on Jan. 8, 1999.

    Ashworth’s 25 points marked the eighth time in his career he’s scored 25+ points, but just the second time in a Bluejay uniform he’s done it.

    Ashworth’s top scoring output at CU was on Feb. 2, 2024 vs. Butler, when he scored 26.

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.

That’s His Jam

Jamiya Neal had six assists in his Bluejay debut, with four of those baskets going to Ryan Kalkbrenner.

    Neal’s six helpers were the most by a Bluejay in a Creighton debut since Ryan Nembhard had 10 assists vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2021.

Jays Seek 28K at CHI

Creighton has outscored its opponents 27,997-23,386 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.95 points per game in 356 all-time games in the building that count.

    Creighton is 25-2 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

Offensive Display

Though it lost its top two scorers from last season’s team to the NBA, the Bluejay offense hasn’t skipped a beat.

    After scoring 93 points in a charity exhibition game vs. No. 14 Purdue, the Bluejays scored 99 against UTRGV in their regular-season opener and 96 more vs. FDU on Nov. 10th.

    The 99 points were its seventh-most ever in 107 season-openers played.

    This is just the second time that Creighton has scored 96 or more in each of its first two games, also doing so in 2013-14.

    The only time Creighton has ever scored 95 points or more in three consecutive games at any point of a season was from Dec. 21, 1965 to Jan. 3, 1966.

    The only time in the last 45 seasons that Creighton has scored 90 points or more in three straight games was November of 2017.

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.

    Creighton was the only team nationally that did not have a player foul out last season. Per Elias, Creighton’s streak of 55 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 and Alabama), 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 16 different halves.

    Since the start of last season, Creighton allowed just 45 made free throws in a 1-and-1 situations, and just 12 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

Total    9    14

Consistency Is Key

Ryan Kalkbrenner has scored eight points or more in 60 straight games, easily the nation’s longest active streak. North Carolina’s RJ Davis has done it in 45 straight games (through Nov. 10), while Alabama’s Mark Sears and Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. are next at 41 in a row.

    Kalkbrenner’s streak of 60 straight is the longest by a Creighton player since 2005-06, two more than a streak of 58 in a row by Marcus Foster that ended in 2018, and Baylor Scheierman did it in 41 consecutive games before ending his career. And if you’re reading this far, you’re surely curious about Doug McDermott, who closed his career with an NCAA-record 135 games in double-figures. McDermott’s longest streak of eight points or more was 40 from Nov. 18, 2012 – Nov. 29, 2013.

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    ? ? ?    ? ? ?

November Reign

Creighton is a 77-1 all-time in regular-season home games that take place on or before Nov. 26th. The lone loss came in 2018 when it lost to Ohio State.

    Creighton has won 84 of its 86 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012 and Ohio State in 2018.

    Overall, Creighton is 118-22 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.

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

Kalkbrenner In The Top 10

Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 1,844 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 Kyle Korver on Nov. 6 and is now sixth on Creighton’s all-time scoring list. He enters Nov. 13th just 32 points behind Bob Portman.

    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.    1,876    Bob Portman     1966-69

    6.    1,844    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2020-Pres.

    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 312. Kalkbrenner had 107 swats last year and is now 99 blocks behind Benoit Benjamin.

Most Creighton Blocked Shots, Since 1979-80

    Blk.    Name    Years

    411    Benoit Benjamin    1982-85

    312    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2020-Pres.

    183    Chad Gallagher    1987-91

    174    Gregory Echenique    2010-13

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. 11 ranking, Creighton has now been ranked 144 times in program history, with 116 of those under the direction of McDermott. Creighton is 177-73 all-time as a ranked team, including a 143-61 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.

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. 10, 2024

Category    CU Stat    CU Rank

3FG Made    4,335    2nd

2FG Percentage    .550    3rd

FG Percentage    .477    4th

Assists    7,791    5th

3FG Percentage    .374    6th

FG Made    13,336    7th

Points    37,290    9th

Wins    327    23rd

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 1,022 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 11/10)

    Rk.    Streak    School    Next Game

    1.    1,230    UNLV    11/14

    2.    1,227    Duke    11/12

    3.    1,160    East Tennessee State    11/13

    4.    1,135    Oakland    11/13

    5.    1,131    Pacific    11/11

    6.    1,129    Texas    11/12

    7.    1,070    Marshall    11/16

    8.    1,060    Gonzaga    11/15

    9.    1,053    Princeton    11/15

    10.    1,022    Creighton    11/13

    11.    1,016    Long Island    11/15

    12.    1,008    Mount St. Mary’s    11/13

Triple Trouble

During Creighton’s current streak of 1,022 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 8,177 trifectas, an average of 8.00 treys per game.

    Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 304 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 84-20 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 33-30 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:   150 times    8:   127 times    9:  94 times

10:  86 times    11:  59 times    12:  60 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. Creighton’s all-time largest crowd ever in a home opener came in the 2014-15 campaign, when 18,160 fans saw the Jays defeat Central Arkansas.

      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.    18,458    Evansville    12/29/12

    17.    18,436    Bradley    01/28/12

    18.    18,323    DePaul    02/07/14

    19.    18,321    #3 Villanova    02/24/18

    20.    18,294    #19 Iowa State    12/04/21

CHI Health Center Omaha Success

Creighton has played 356 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the now 22-year-old facility.

    The Bluejays own a 294-62 (.826) record all-time at the facility, and is 22-1 there on Friday’s.

    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 27,997-23,386 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.95 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 91 different times.

    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 32-36 all-time in the 68 games at the arena in which it’s fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 8-11 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 41-29 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.

    Creighton is 197-44 (.817) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn’t trailed in 65 of those games. In that same span, CU owns a 103-9 home record (.920) 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 313-62 (.835) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

 

Home Run

Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.93 points per home game (19,503 points in 241 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.60 points in non-conference home games (9,476 points in 112 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    8    59    18

McDermott’s Coaching Tree

Greg McDermott‘s coaching tree owns eight men who are currently a head coach at the Division I level. Here’s a list:

Darian DeVries – West Virginia

Eric Henderson – South Dakota State

Ben Jacobson – Northern Iowa

Steve Lutz – Oklahoma State

TJ Otzelberger – Iowa State

David Richman – North Dakota 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.