By: Rob Anderson

Game #1:  UTRGV Vaqueros at #15 Creighton Bluejays

Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 • 8:00 p.m. • Omaha, Neb. • CHI Health Center Omaha

| LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES | UTRGV NOTES |

Next Game

No. 15 Creighton (0-0) opens its 107th season of basketball on Wednesday, Nov. 6, when it hosts UTRGV (0-0 prior to Monday’s game at Nebraska).

    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 all Creighton men’s basketball games during the 2024-25 season. John Bishop and former Bluejay Ross Ferrarini will call the action.  

    The audio is webcast at 1620thezone.com.

Telecast Information

Wednesday’s game will be called by Wayne Randazzo 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.

    Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability 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 #15 Creighton

Creighton returns 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 (17.3 ppg., 7.6 rpg., 3.1 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.

    Senior Steven Ashworth (11.1 ppg.) is back to run the point guard spot, and junior Mason Miller returns on the wing after leading the BIG EAST with 45.4 percent marksmanship from three-point range.

    Supplementing that trio are transfers Pop Isaacs (Texas Tech) and Jamiya Neal (Arizona State), in addition to a Top 20 recruiting class, four men who redshirted last season, and key reserves Isaac Traudt (2.9 ppg.), Fredrick King (2.6 ppg.) and Jasen Green (1.6 ppg.).

    Creighton defeated No. 14 Purdue 93-87 on Oct. 26 in a charity exhibition game in its final tune-up for the season.

    

Scouting UTRGV

UTRGV went 6-25 last season, including a 1-16 mark away from home. The Vaqueros had five men average in double-figures last season, with senior guard Hasan Abdul-Hakim (13.2 ppg., 5.2 rpg.) and sophomore guard J.J. Howard (10.0 ppg.) both returning.

    Last year’s UTRGV squad averaged 70.3 points per game and shot 41.9 percent from the field, 29.3 percent from three-point range and 70.5 percent at the line. UTRGV surrendered 79.8 points per contest and were outrebounded by 6.0 caroms per contest.

    This year’s team, under new head coach Kahil Fennell, is picked to finish eighth in the Southland Conference.

    Prior to playing at Creighton, the Vaqueros will open the season at Nebraska on Monday night.

 

The Series With UTRGV

Creighton is 2-0 all-time against UTRGV, winning 75-60 in 2014 and 89-58 in 2019, with both previous games in Omaha.

    Greg McDermott is 3-0 in his career against the Vaqueros, winning the two aforementioned games on the Creighton sideline while also defeating UTRGV 74-66 on Nov. 29, 2001 as the Northern Iowa head coach.

    McDermott has never coached against Kahil Fennell.

The Creighton Coaches

Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 325-160 record entering his 15th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 605-355 entering his 31st season, and is 474-291 entering 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 1-0 on the season.

– Greg McDermott would improve to 23-1 as a Division I head coach in season-openers, including 23 straight wins, and 15-0 at Creighton.

– Creighton would improve to 92-15 all-time in season-opening games, including a 27-1 mark in the past 28 lid-lifters.

– Creighton would win its 30th consecutive home opener, a streak that started in 1995.

– Creighton would improve to 100-17 all-time in home games as a ranked team.

– Creighton would improve to 3-0 all-time against UTRGV.

– Greg McDermott would improve to 7-0 against teams presently in the Southland Conference, and 4-0 against those teams as the coach at Creighton.

Exhibition Recap

Pop Isaacs had 24 points and six assists to help No. 15 Creighton to a 93-87 victory over No. 14 Purdue in a charity exhibition game on Oct. 26 in Omaha. The 26 points were the most by a Bluejay in a fall exhibition game since Doug McDermott had 26 points vs. Northern State on Nov. 1, 2013.

    Creighton led 48-43 at the half and led for all but 47 seconds of the final 37 minutes.

    The game raised $150,000 for the United Way of the Midlands Disaster Relief Fund, as parts of Omaha were hit by 12 tornados in late April.

It Gets Earlier Every Year

Wednesday’s game will take place on November 6, tied for the second-earliest start date for a season-opener in Creighton basketball history.

    The only earlier start in program history came in 2019-20 (Nov. 5), while CU also debuted on Nov. 6 in 2018-19.

    By comparison, 32 years ago, Creighton’s season-opener in 1992-93 didn’t take place until Dec. 3rd.

Season Opener History

Creighton owns a sparkling 91-15 record (.856) on opening day, including 14 straight wins and victories in 26 of its last 27 lid-lifters after last year’s 105-54 win vs. Florida A&M.

    Creighton has won 14 of its last 24 season-openers by 20 or more points and 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).

    The Bluejays have outscored foes by an average of 85.33 to 61.29 in the last 24 openers.

Opening Statements

Including last year’s 105-54 victory vs. Florida A&M, Greg McDermott has won each of the last 22 season openers he’s coached in, and he is 22-1 at the Division I level in season-openers. That includes double-digit victories in 13 of his first 14 openers on the Creighton sideline.

    Overall as a head coach, McDermott is 27-3 in season-opening games. That includes an impressive 99-point win (137-38) in his first game on the sidelines when he was at Wayne State.

Date    School    Opponent    Result

1994-95    Wayne St.    York    W 137-38

1995-96    Wayne St.    Nebraska-Omaha    L 63-72

1996-97    Wayne St.    St. Francis    W 72-66

1997-98    Wayne St.    Nebraska-Omaha    W 78-76

1998-99    Wayne St.    Mount Marty    W 76-70

1999-00    Wayne St.    South Dakota    L 64-66

11/17/00    NDSU    Macalester    W 81-69

11/16/01    UNI    vs. San Diego State    L 57-71

11/22/02    UNI    at Montana    W 77-71

11/21/03    UNI    Chicago State    W 83-59

11/21/04    UNI    Wayne State    W 84-66

11/20/05    UNI    Western Carolina    W 68-46

11/10/06    Iowa State    UC Riverside    W 69-61

11/09/07    Iowa State    Winston-Salem St.    W 58-44

11/14/08    Iowa State    UC Davis    W 61-58

11/13/09    Iowa State    Idaho State    W 88-68

11/12/10    Creighton    Alabama State    W 71-57

11/11/11    Creighton    N. Carolina A&T    W 97-65

11/09/12    Creighton    North Texas    W 71-51

11/08/13    Creighton    Alcorn State    W 107-61

11/14/14    Creighton    Central Arkansas    W 104-77

11/14/15    Creighton    Texas Southern    W 93-70

11/11/16    Creighton    UMKC    W 89-82

11/10/17    Creighton    Yale    W 92-76

11/06/18    Creighton    Western Illinois    W 78-67

11/05/19    Creighton    Kennesaw State    W 81-55

11/29/20    Creighton    North Dakota State    W 69-58

11/09/21    Creighton    Arkansas-Pine Bluff    W 90-77

11/07/22    Creighton    St. Thomas    W 72-60

11/07/23    Creighton    Florida A&M    W 105-54

Making An Entrance

Since 1980, only three Bluejays have had a double-double in their Creighton debut, Baylor Scheierman (11 pts, 10 reb. in 2022), Ryan Hawkins (16 points, 11 rebounds in 2021) and Ryan Nembhard, (15 points, 10 assists in 2021).

     CU’s best opening-day effort in history would have to be the way Creighton Hall of Famer Bob Harstad began his senior season. Harstad went 13-for-13 from the floor and 12-for-13 at the line to score 38 points against Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 30, 1990.

    Below is a list of some of Creighton’s most famous players and how they performed in their regular-season debuts in a Bluejay uniform.

Name, Yr.    Pts.    Reb.    Ast.    Stl.    Min.    Result

Scheierman, 2022    11    10    3    1    34    W 72-60

Trey Alexander, 2021    5    4    1    2    22    W 90-77

Kalkbrenner, 2020    8    2    1    0    11    W 69-58

Zegarowski, 2018    8    4    2    0    18    W 78-67

Foster, 2016    19    1    2    0    28    W 89-82

Patton, 2016    12    8    2    0    22    W 89-82

Thomas, 2015    18    3    0    2    26    W 93-70

McDermott, 2010    16    7    0    1    32    W 71-57

Stinnett, 2007    23    4    3    3    26    W 74-62

Kyle Korver, 1999    2    2    0    1    10    W 70-62

Buford, 1995    3    4    0    0    19    W 63-59

Harstad, 1987    4    5    1    1    21    L 49-70

Gallagher, 1987    10    3    0    0    37    L 49-70

Benjamin, 1982    14    4    1    0    22    W 98-54

McKenna, 1977    14    3    7    ?    ?    W 95-66

Harmon, 1971    21    7    ?    ?    ?    W 74-62

C. Baptiste, 1969    24    17    ?    ?    ?    W 84-62

Portman, 1966    9    ?    ?    ?    ?    W 78-76

Silas, 1961    22    29    ?    ?    ?    W 85-51

Gibson, 1954    19    ?    ?    ?    ?    W 66-51

Hello, World

Creighton has nine players who could make their regular-season Bluejay debuts on Wednesday vs. UTRGV; Ty Davis, Pop Isaacs, Larry Johnson, Sterling Knox, Jackson McAndrew, Jamiya Neal, Shane Thomas, Josh Townley-Thomas and Fedor Žugic.

    Below is a look at how Creighton’s current players have done in their regular-season and Creighton debuts in a Division I uniform.

Name    Pts.    Reb.    Ast.    Stl.    Min.

Ashworth (USU)    5    4    0    0    20

Ashworth (CU)•    17    3    4    0    18

Green    2    3    1    0    4

Isaacs (TTU)•    6    3    2    0    18

Kalkbrenner    8    2    1    1    11

King        5    2    0    0    9

Miller        8    3    0    0    12

Neal (ASU)    2    3    3    2    21

Osmani    0    0    0    0    1

Traudt    12    6    2    0    21

•indicates game started

A One And A Two…

Not only is Creighton a perfect 14-0 in season-openers under Greg McDermott, but the Bluejays have started 2-0 in all but one campaign (2019-20) under McDermott as well.

    That 2019-20 team, of course, went on to share the BIG EAST regular-season title.

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.

    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 eight of its last 12 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

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 to score 90 points in an opener, 12 would reach the NCAA Tournament.

    Here’s a look at Creighton’s last 11 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

Good Defense, A Good Sign

Each of the last nine times that Creighton has held its season-opening opponent to 50 points or less, the Bluejays have advanced to the postseason.  It hasn’t happened since 2006, however.

    That list is seen below:

Date    Opponent    Score    NCAA/NIT

11/30/73    Regis    W 93-38    NCAA

11/27/76    St. Thomas (MN)    W 79-39    NIT

11/30/90    UT San Antonio    W 93-47    NCAA

11/14/98    Towson State    W 93-48    NCAA

11/20/00    Western Illinois    W 96-50    NCAA

11/17/02    Texas-Arlington    W 106-50    NCAA

11/22/03    San Diego    W 76-44    NIT

11/15/04    Alcorn State    W 74-40    NCAA

11/13/06    Mississippi Valley St.    W 78-42    NCAA

November Reign

Creighton is a 75-1 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 82 of its 84 regular-season November home games since 1990, falling only to Boise State in 2012 and Ohio State in 2018.

    Overall, Creighton is 116-22 in regular-season November games at all sites since the start of the 1998-99 campaign.

Jays At Home Against Winless Teams

Creighton’s opponent on Wednesday, UTRGV, could be winless when it arrives if it cannot beat Nebraska on Monday. The Bluejays have won 46 straight home games against teams that are winless entering the night, winning those games by an average of 24.83 points. Seventeen of those wins came by 30 points or more, and only five were decided by single-digits.

    The streak dates to a 77-70 loss versus an 0-2 SMU team on Dec. 3, 1994. That game was Dana Altman’s home debut at Creighton.

    Since the start of the 2002-03 season Creighton has won 135 of its last 137 home games against teams that enter the night with a record of .500 or worse.

Creighton at Home vs. Winless Teams, Since 12/3/1994

Opp. W-L     Opponent    CU Result    Date

    0-4    UMKC    W 75-61    12/17/94

    0-1    UMKC    W 70-68    11/25/96

    0-0    UMKC    W 81-59    11/14/97

    0-0    Towson    W 93-48    11/14/98

    0-1    Western Illinois    W 96-50    11/20/00

    0-1    North Carolina A&T    W 72-51    11/18/01

    0-0    Texas-Arlington    W 106-50    11/17/02

    0-3    San Diego    W 79-44    11/22/03

    0-1    Bethune-Cookman    W 69-49    12/03/03

    0-0    Alcorn State    W 74-40    11/15/04

    0-0    Arkansas-Pine Bluff    W 83-58    11/20/04

    0-0    Arkansas-Pine Bluff    W 87-55    11/19/05

    0-1    Miss. Valley State    W 78-42    11/13/06

    0-4    Arkansas-Pine Bluff    W 74-39    11/29/06

    0-0    DePaul    W 74-62    11/09/07

    0-2    Miss. Valley State    W 76-46    11/17/07

    0-2    Arkansas-Pine Bluff    W 82-50    11/20/08

    0-9    Miss. Valley State    W 82-58    12/02/08

    0-7    Southern    W 71-60    12/15/08

    0-1    Florida A&M    W 78-53    11/17/09

    0-0    Alabama State    W 71-57    11/12/10

    0-1    Northern Arizona    W 74-70    11/14/10

    0-0    N. Carolina A&T    W 97-65    11/11/11

    0-1    Chicago State    W 95-61    11/13/11

    0-0    North Texas    W 71-51    11/09/12

    0-2    Presbyterian    W 87-58    11/18/12

    0-4    Longwood    W 105-57    11/20/12

    0-0    Alcorn State    W 107-61    11/08/13

    0-1    UMKC    W 96-70    11/11/13

    0-3    Tulsa    W 82-72    11/23/13

    0-0    Central Arkansas    W 104-77    11/14/14

    0-1    Chicago State    W 84-66    11/16/14

    0-1    Texas Southern    W 93-70    11/14/15

    0-2    UTSA    W 103-78    11/17/15

    0-0    UMKC    W 89-82    11/11/16

    0-0    Yale    W 92-76    11/10/17

    0-1    Alcorn State    W 109-72    11/12/17

    0-0    Western Illinois    W 78-67    11/06/18

    0-0    East Tennessee State    W 75-69    11/11/18

    0-0    Kennesaw State    W 81-55    11/05/19

    0-2    North Dakota State    W 69-58    11/29/20

    0-0    Ark.-Pine Bluff    W 90-77    11/09/21

    0-1    Kennesaw State    W 51-44    11/11/21

    0-0    St. Thomas    W 72-60    11/07/22

    0-0    Florida A&M    W 105-54    11/07/23

    0-3    Texas Southern    W 82-50    11/18/23

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

One Of The Best

Senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner has been named one 20 candidates on the NABC Division I Player of the Year Preseason Watch List 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.

Consistency Is Key

Ryan Kalkbrenner has scored 10 or more points in each of his last 22 games. Not only is that the longest streak of his career, but it’s the fifth-longest stretch by any Bluejay since 2005-06.

    Kalkbrenner also owns at least one blocked shot in 14 straight games, tied for the fourth-longest streak by a Bluejay since 2005-06

Creighton’s Longest Streaks, 10+ Points, Since 2005-06

    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

    22    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 2005-06

    Streak    Name    Dates

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

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

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

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

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

    14    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2/2/24 – Present

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

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 1,771 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.

    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.    1,801    Kyle Korver    1999-03

    7.    1,771    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2020-Pres.

    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 306. Kalkbrenner had 107 swats last year and enters this year 105 behind Benoit Benjamin.

Most Creighton Blocked Shots, Since 1979-80

    Blk.    Name    Years

    411    Benoit Benjamin    1982-85

    306    Ryan Kalkbrenner    2020-Pres.

    183    Chad Gallagher    1987-91

    174    Gregory Echenique    2010-13

Among The Best…EVER!

Ryan Kalkbrenner has made 713 of 1,080 career shots, putting him at 66.0 percent overall. That places the senior center fourth 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

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

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

    .660 (713-1080)    Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton    2020-Pres.

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 this year’s preseason ranking, Creighton has now been ranked 143 times in program history, with 115 of those under the direction of McDermott. Creighton is 175-73 all-time as a ranked team, including a 141-61 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 is one of three BIG EAST Conference schools in the 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 and No. 14 Purdue on Saturday.

    Creighton is also 14th in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll, one spot behind Purdue.

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 2023-24

Category    CU Stat    CU Rank

3FG Made    4,318    2nd

2FG Percentage    .549    3rd

FG Percentage    .477    4th

Assists    7,749    5th

3FG Percentage    .375    5th

FG Made    13,270    7th

Points    37,095    9th

Wins    325    24th

Winning Percentage    .670    30th

New Court Debuts

When Creighton plays its UTRGV, it’ll do so while playing on the first regular-season game 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.

Freshman Starts Almost Unheard Of

Since Latrell Wrightsell in 1988, only four true freshmen have started Creighton’s first exhibition game. The first was Khyri Thomas in 2015-16, while in 2018-19 Samson Froling got the starting nod. In 2021-22 both Ryan Nembhard and Arthur Kaluma started the first exhibition game.

    Since 1992-93, only six true freshmen have started Creighton’s regular-season opener.

    Ryan Sears did so in 1997-98. The point guard would go on to start all 124 games of his CU career and remains the program’s all-time career assist (570) and steals (283) leader.

    Doug McDermott did so in 2010-11, and he went on to start all 145 games of his career. He would graduate as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,150 career points and is the only three-time First Team All-American since 1986. He now plays for the Sacramento Kings.

    Khyri Thomas got a start in 2015-16 and remained in CU’s starting five each of his first 24 games, and 96-of-102 career contests with the Jays. He later spent parts three seasons in the NBA.

    Shereef Mitchell joined this elite group in 2019-20 when he got the starting nod against Kennesaw State.

    In 2021-22, both Ryan Nembhard and Arthur Kaluma started the opener vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, marking the first time Creighton started two true freshmen in a regular-season opener since 1991-92 (Eric Dantzler and Mike Amos). Both men ended up on the BIG EAST’s All-Freshman Team, with Nembhard being named Freshman of the Year.

    The last time Creighton started three true freshmen in a regular-season opener was 1987-88 (Chris Rodgers, Bob Harstad, Chad Gallagher).

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 1,020 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 After 2023-24

    Rk.    Streak    School    Next Game

    1.    1,228    UNLV    11/4

    2.    1,225    Duke    11/4

    3.    1,158    East Tennessee State    11/4

    4.    1,133    Oakland    11/4

    5.    1,128    Pacific    11/4

    6.    1,127    Texas    11/4

    7.    1,067    Marshall    11/4

    8.    1,058    Gonzaga    11/4

    9.    1,050    Princeton    11/4

    10.    1,020    Creighton    11/6

    11.    1,013    Long Island    11/4

    12.    1,006    Mount St. Mary’s    11/4

Triple Trouble

During Creighton’s current streak of 1,020 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 8,160 trifectas, an average of 8.00 treys per game.

    Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 303 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 32-30 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:   149 times    8:   127 times    9:  94 times

10:  85 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

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List

Greg McDermott has 325 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU’s all-time wins list, just two wins from tying Dana Altman.

    McDermott’s .670 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.

Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History

Rk.    W-L    Name    Years

1.    327-176    Dana Altman    1994-2010

2.    325-160    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

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

    The Bluejays own a 292-62 (.825) 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 27,802-23,230 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.92 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 91 different times.

    Incredibly, Creighton hasn’t trailed in its home opener in 10 of the past 23 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 195-44 (.816) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn’t trailed in 65 of those games. In that same span, CU owns a 101-9 home record (.918) 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 311-62 (.834) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

 

Home Run

Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.79 points per home game (19,308 points in 239 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.37 points in non-conference home games (9,281 points in 110 home games).

    Creighton is 147-7 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    3    25    12

McDermott’s Exhibition History

Greg McDermott is 32-0 in fall exhibition games as a Division I head coach, including an 10-0 mark at UNI, a 7-0 record at Iowa State, and a 15-0 mark at Creighton. All but two of his triumphs have been by double-digits, as the Bluejays have outscored foes by an average of 92.80 – 62.13 in fall exhibition games.

    Below is a list of McDermott’s exhibition games at the Division I level.

Greg McDermott‘s Division I Exhibition Scores

Date    McD School    Opponent    Result

2001-02    UNI    London Leopards    W 89-74

2001-02    UNI    Lake Superior State    W 74-63

2002-03    UNI    Dominican National Team    W 73-56

2002-03    UNI    H.P. Minnesota    W 90-76

2003-04    UNI    H.P. Minnesota    W 89-79

2003-04    UNI    Australian Select Team    W 92-58

2004-05    UNI    Dubuque    W 93-34

2004-05    UNI    SW Minnesota State    W 71-40

2005-06    UNI    Lewis    W 77-50

2005-06    UNI    Wayne State    W 74-57

11/03/06    Iowa State    EA Sports    W 58-57

11/06/06    Iowa State    Wayne State    W 55-41

11/01/07    Iowa State    Dubuque    W 66-38

11/04/07    Iowa State    EA Sports    W 74-63

11/08/08    Iowa State    Nebraska-Omaha    W 74-54

11/02/09    Iowa State    Black Hills State    W 96-47

11/06/09    Iowa State    UNC Pembroke    W 106-54

11/04/10    Creighton    Northern State    W 79-67

11/06/11    Creighton    Rockhurst    W 81-42

11/02/12    Creighton    Mary    W 89-51

11/01/13    Creighton    Northern State    W 89-61

11/07/14    Creighton    Sioux Falls    W 91-72

11/06/15    Creighton    Upper Iowa    W 113-77

11/04/16    Creighton    Wayne State    W 93-46

10/26/17    Creighton    Nebraska-Omaha    W 96-67

11/03/17    Creighton    UNC Pembroke    W 93-70

10/27/18    Creighton     Winona State    W 101-57

11/01/19    Creighton    McKendree    W 95-63

10/30/21    Creighton    Upper Iowa    W 76-61

10/30/22    Creighton    Drury    W 109-57

11/04/23    Creighton    Wayne State    W 95-48

10/26/24    Creighton    Purdue    W 93-87

Recent Exhibition History

Creighton is 56-6 since 1981 in fall exhibition games thanks to 24 straight victories. The only team since 1994 to beat Creighton in an exhibition setting has been Global Sports, which eventually merged and changed their name to EA Sports and had three victories.

    A complete listing of Creighton’s exhibition games since the 1981-82 season can be found on page four of this release.

Newcomer Report

Four players (Pop Isaacs, Jamiya Neal, Ty Davis and Jackson McAndrew) made their fall exhibition debut in a Creighton uniform against Purdue.

    Below is a look at how Creighton’s newcomers have produced in their exhibition debuts since 2018:

2024

Davis/Isaacs/McAndrew/Neal

36 pts., 9 reb., 10 ast., 76 min. (W 93-87)

2023

Ashworth/Lawson/Knox/Thomas

Vice/Dotzler/Townley-Thomas/Traudt

44 pts., 23 reb., 15 ast., 84 min. (W 109-57)

2022

Scheierman/Farabello/King

Shtolzberg/Green/Young

44 pts., 23 reb., 15 ast., 84 min. (W 109-57)

2021

Alexander/Andronikashvili/Christofilis

Feazell/Hawkins/Kaluma/Kancleris

Miller/Nembhard/Yates

56 pts., 37 reb., 15 ast., 155 min. (W 76-61)

2019

Mitchell/Windham/Zeil/Jones

25 pts., 18 reb., 0 ast., 68 min. (W 95-63)

2018

Bishop/Canfield/Cashaw/

Froling/Jefferson/Zegarowski

40 pts., 20 reb., 9 ast., 96 min. (W 101-57)

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.